THE CONTRIBUTION OF PLOT, SETTING AND MAIN CHARACTERS TOWARD THE THEME SEEN IN STEINBECK’S THE PEARL
THE CONTRIBUTION OF PLOT, SETTING
AND MAIN CHARACTERS TOWARD THE THEME
SEEN IN STEINBECK’S THE PEARL
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
SRI GUNAWAN
Student Number: 984214055 Student Registration Number: 980051120106120055
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2007
THE CONTRIBUTION OF PLOT, SETTING
AND MAIN CHARACTERS TOWARD THE THEME
SEEN IN STEINBECK’S THE PEARL
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
SRI GUNAWAN
Student Number: 984214055 Student Registration Number: 980051120106120055
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2007
Urip mung sak dermo mampir ngombe
(anonymous)
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to:
My beloved parents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It is a great chance that I can give my appreciation to those who have accompanied and supported me in finishing my thesis. I thank my God, Allah SWT for the blesses and also Mohammad the prophet for his taught.
I also dedicate my thanks to my family, my parents Bp Widodo and Ibu Yamini who always love and support me for all the time, also for my sisters who always love and help me. I love them all.
I would like to thank my advisor, Drs. Hirmawan.W, M.Hum, for his guidance, helps, and patience. I believe without all his helps I could not finish this thesis. I would also like to thank Dra. Th. Enny Anggraini, MA., my co-advisor, who has kindly given correction and advice for my thesis.
My deep gratitude goes to my special friends, Cantik, Devita, Sari, Ade, Cicil, Heni, Dista, Ratih, Putri, The Gandarias: Bonex, Brain, Poki, Babe, Komo, Simbah, Bobo, Homer, Tedjo, Djekek, Thonklang, Drajad, Andri, Gendut, Eser, Kutut The Ijhos: Cepot, karjo, Kambing, Ipoy, the secretariat of English letters department Mbak Nik, the secretariat of MPK Pak Bambang, Bp Y.R. Subakti and others that I cannot mention one by one. Thank you for all your kindness, supports, lessons, and time. I hope all the time we have shared lead us to a better life.
Sri Gunawan
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE…..………………………………………………….... i APPROVAL PAGE.………………………….……………………. ii ACCEPTANCE PAGE…………………………………………….. iii MOTTO PAGE..…………………………………………………… iv DEDICATION PAGE……………………………………………… v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………… vii ABSTRACT………………………………………………………… viii ABSTRAK………………………………………………………….. ix
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION…………………………………
1 A. Background of the Study……………………………………..
1 B. Problem of Formulation………………………………………
3 C. Objectives of the Study……………………………………….
4 D. Definition of Terms…………………………………………..
4 CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW………………………
6 A. Review of Related Studies……………………………………
6 B. Review of Related Theories………………………………….
8 1. Theories of Character……………………………….…….
8
2. Theories of Characterization………………………………
9 3. Theories Setting………………………..………………….
12 4. Theories of Plot………………………..…………………..
13
5. Theories of Theme…………………………………………
16 C. Theoretical Framework……………………………………….
17 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY………………………………..
19 A. Object of the Study…………………………………………….
19 B. Approach of the Study…………………………………………
20 C. Method of the Study……………………………………………
20 CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS…………………………………….…
22 A. Plot, Setting and Main Characters description……….………
22 1. The Plot of the Novel……………………………..………..
22 i Exposition……………………………………………….
22 ii. Complication……………………………………..…… 23 iii. Climax………………………………………………..
27 iiii. Denouement………………………………………….
29 2. The Setting of the Novel………………….…………..…..
30 3. The Analysis of the Main Characters……..………..……..
33 i. Kino’s Character………………………………….……..
33 ii. Juana’s Character………………………………………
39 B. The Theme of the Novel……………………..……………….
46 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION……………………………………
52 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………….
56 APENDICES………………………………………………………..
58 A. Summary of The Pearl……………………………………….
58
ABSTRACT
SRI GUNAWAN. The Contribution of Plot, Setting, and Main Characters
toward the Theme Seen in Steinbeck’s The Pearl. Yogyakarta: Department of
English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2007.This thesis analyzes the contribution of plot, setting and main characters toward the theme in Steinbeck’s The Pearl. A literary work is one of the tools of communication between author and his or her readers. The theme is one of important aspects of the story. The theme is a kind of message which the author wants to tell to the readers.
This thesis has two problems. The first problem is, how are the main characters, plot, and setting of The Pearl described? The first problem tries to show the description of main characters, plot and setting in Steinbeck’s The Pearl. The second problem is, what is the theme of The Pearl based on those elements above? In the second problem, the writer tries to draw the theme taken from analysis of first problem.
This thesis applies formalistic approach because the object of the discussion merely focuses on the intrinsic elements of the story such as plot, main characters, setting and theme. In analyzing those two problems stated above, the writer uses library research, it means that the writer collects data and references to support his analysis from the library.
The Pearl is a story about husband and wife named Kino and Juana. They
live near the gulf in La Paz. Kino works as a pearl diver. The conflict starts when Kino’s son is stung by a scorpion, Kino tries to ask a doctor in the city help his son, but the doctor refuses him because Kino has no money. The conflict gets worse when Kino kills someone in order to protect the pearl. Kino has to leave his village because he is a murderer now. Moreover, the climax arise when Kino fights against some trackers who want to rob his pearl, Kino successfully kills them all, but he has to lose his baby because his baby is shot by one of the trackers. This novel illustrated Kino as a brave young pearl diver. His bravery inspired the people around him. His wife, Juana, is illustrated as a good and caring housewife. She loves her baby very much. Juana also warns Kino when she feels that the pearl will bring evil to their family. Throughout the analysis above, the theme of The Pearl drew from the reflection of the main characters’ conflict and their reaction to their problem which influenced by setting. Therefore, the writer concludes that the theme of the story is the greed and passion can force someone to hurt somebody else.
ABSTRAK
SRI GUNAWAN. The Contribution of Plot, Setting, and Main Characters
toward the Theme Seen in Steinbeck’s The Pearl. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra
Ingris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2007.Skripsi ini menganalisa tentang kontribusi alur cerita, latar belakang dan tokoh-tokoh utama terhadap tema dalam Novel berjudul The Pearl karangan Steinbeck. Karya sastra merupakan salah satu alat berkomunikasi antara pengarang dan para pembacanya. Tema adalah salah satu hal yang penting dalam sebuah cerita. Tema adalah pesan yang ingin disampaikan oleh pengarang kepada para pembaca.
Skripsi ini mempunyai dua rumusan masalah. Rumusan pertama adalah, bagaimana penggambaran dari tokoh-tokoh utama, alur cerita dan latar belakang di dalam novel The Pearl? Rumusan pertama mencoba menunjukkan deskripsi dari tokoh-tokoh utama, alur dan latar dalam novel The Pearl. Rumusan kedua adalah, apa tema dari novel The Pearl berdasarkan tiga hal diatas? Dalam rumusan kedua, penulis mencoba untuk menyimpulkan tema berdasarkan rumusan pertama.
Skripsi ini menggunakan pendekatan formalistic karena objek diskusi hanya difokuskan pada intrinsic elemen seperti alur, tokoh utama, latar, dan tema. Dlalam menganalisa dua rumusan diatas, penulis menggunakan penelitian kepustakaan, maksudnya adalah penulis mengumpulkan data dan referensi untuk mendukung analisisnya dari perpustakaan.
The Pearl adalah sebuah cerita tentang suami istri bernama Kino dan
Juana. Mereka tinggal di sekitar teluk di La Paz. Kino bekerja sebagai penyelam mutiara. Konflik bermula ketika anak Kino disengat oleh seekor kalajengking. Kino mencoba meminta pertolongan dari seorang dokter di kota, tapi dokter tersebut menolaknya karena Kino tidak mempunyai uang. Konflik menjadi semakin buruk ketika Kino membunuh seseorang untuk melindungi mutiaranya. Kino harus meninggalkan desanya karena dia adalah seorang pembunuh sekarang. Selanjutnya, klimaks terjadi ketika Kino berkelahi melawan beberapa orang yang mengikutinya yang ingin merebut mutiaranya. Kino berhasil membunuh mereka semua, tetapi dia harus kehilangan bayinya karena tertembak salah satu orang yang megikutinya tadi. Novel ini menggambarkan Kino sebagai penyelam mutiara muda yang berani. Keberanianya mengilhami orang-orang disekitarnya. Istrinya, Juana, digambarkan sebagai ibu rumah tangga yang baik dan penyayang. Dia sangat menyayangi bayinya. Juana juga mengingatkan Kino bahwa mutiara itu hanya membawa keburukan bagi keluarganya. Melalui analisis diatas, tema dari
The Pearl diambil dari apa yang digambarkan oleh konflik dari karakter utama
serta reaksi mereka terhadap masalah mereka dimana dipengaruhi oleh latarbelakang. Maka penulis menyimpulkan bahwa tema dari cerita ini adalah
nafsu dan keserakahan dapat mendorong seseorang untuk menyakiti orang
lain.CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study Reading a work of literature has its own pleasure. Raphael stated that the
primary function of literature is to entertain (1960:3). From the statement above it is concluded that reading a work of literature should be enjoyable and entertain us.
A literary work is one of the tools of communication between author and his or her reader. The work carries the idea of the author. However, the idea written in a literary work is not a final idea meaning that an author does not state his or her idea directly, what an author does is only providing a bridge by which the reader can come to the idea of the author. The author describes in his or her work concrete event in which there are some devices he or she uses like characters, plots, setting, symbols, images, metaphors, and so on. The readers use these devices to interpret the meaning of a work (Guerin 1993:12).
To get the theme of the work is one of the main purposes when a reader reads a literary work. Theme means what an author wants to tell in his or her work. If the readers are able to get what the theme of the work, it means they have read the work successfully.
Reading The Pearl is very interesting because the novel is one of Steinbeck’s best literary works. According to introduction of The Pearl, the story is about good and bad things and black and white things and good and evil things and no in-between anywhere (1992:i). It means that the story explain about problems, advantages, disadvantages in life. Through the novel Steinbeck tries to show to the readers about human behaviors. The title of the novel does not just simply show worthy thing that everybody wanted, but it has other meaning.
Steinbeck major works including The Crysantemums (1937), Red Pony (1938), Tortilla Flat (1935), Cannary Row (1945), in Dubious Battle (1976), East
of Eden, Sea of Cortez, The Pearl (1947) The Pearl (1947) tells about poor pearl diver who find a great pearl and
about his effort to keep his pearl from other people although it brings evil to his family. His ambition is simple, that is, he wants to make the condition of his family better. Kino, the major character in this novel, is a poor man that is always laughed at by people around him who have higher social level.
In this novel, the fortune that the main characters have got, brings him a lot of troubles. Fortune, in this case is a pearl, does not bring happiness to his family but the reverse. Because of the pearl a lot of people try to trick Kino. Kino also loses his house, including his canoes and his beloved son because some greed people burn it..
In The Pearl, Steinbeck tries to give reflection to the reader that in this life, we need to listen to other people’s suggestion in deciding our idea. Here, Steinbeck also describes the characters have to struggle to maintain their most valuable value and the society becomes a battle ground in which the main characters have to do something if they want to survive.
The pearl shows two levels of society, the higher level always threat the
lower one badly. Kino as the major character in this novel included the lover level of society. Kino, as a pearl diver, he totally depends on his luck in getting any pearl under the sea, it means that he also depends on his luck in earning money for his family.
Since the novel reflects people’s problems, the writer interested to reveal the theme of the story. Through the setting that depicted in the novel, the main characters Kino and Juana, who take significant roles of the story, and the plot, which show the arranging events of the story, the writer tries to reveal the theme.
Those intrinsic elements support each other and become important element in order to find out the theme. Since there is still no thesis discussing about this study, the writer inspired to go deeper in analyzing the contribution of plot, main characters, and setting in order to find out the theme of the story. The theme of the story is important because it kinds of message from author to his or her readers. Therefore, the theme will not be stated easily. It needs careful reading and a lot of attention to the novel. Those intrinsic elements above are needed to help the writer find out the theme. Moreover, the writer believes that understanding the theme of the story means understanding the main point of the story.
B. Problem Formulation
1. How are the main characters, plot, and setting of The Pearl described?
2. What is the theme of The Pearl based on those elements above?
C. Objectives of the Study
This thesis tries to see how the main characters, plot and setting are described in the story. To know their description, this thesis examines the text thoroughly. After figure out the description of main characters, plot and setting, then the writer tries to draw the theme based on the main characters, plot and setting description which are discussed before.
D. Definition of Terms
In order to avoid misunderstanding of terms used here, the writer tries to explain the definition of terms.
The first term is plot. Stanton in his book An Introduction to Fiction defines that the plot of a story is causally linked events, events that caused or result from other incidents (1965:14).
Abram in his book A Glossary of Literary Term says that plot of the story is the structure of narrative work’s action. It is ordered and rendered toward the important achieving of emotional and artistic effect. It shows that the arranging of the events are not only the elements of temporal series, but under the emphasis on the function. It is like the pattern of cause and effect (1981:137).
The second term is setting. According to Abrams (1981:175) in his book A
Glossary of Literary Terms , setting in a novel refers to the general locale,
historical time and society circumstances in which its action occurs. Meanwhile Stanton states that setting of a story is the environment of its events, the immediate in which occur. He further adds that part of the setting can be the visible background, the time of day or year, the climate, or historical period (1965:18)
Third term is character. Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms defines character as the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who is interpreted by the reader as being endowed with a moral and dispositional quality, that are expressed in what they say –the dialogue- and by what they do the action (1981:20).
The last term is theme. According to Kenney in How to Analyze Fiction, he states that a theme is the meaning of the story reveals, it may be the meaning of the story discovers. Theme is necessary implications of the whole story, not a separable part of the story (1966:91).
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies According to Watt (1962), Steinbeck involved and experienced with poor
people and lowly workers and he worked with them. Watt states, “The novelist’s portrayal of machines, animals and the lower orders of humanity are built on the same substantial basis: an intimate knowledge and love of the subject. His imagination was at home in the day time practical world where manual works is done-picking fruit or cotton, ploughing, milking herding cattle, slaughtering chickens and pigs, carpentering, driving trucks and buses or taking them apart and repairing them. He knew ordinary people well because he was of them, hard worked with them and had never, either as artist or intellectual, dissociated himself from them (Watt, 1962:22).” Edmund Wilson also gives opinion on Steinbeck that his interest in plants and animals life influence Steinbeck’s work. Wilson also compares Steinbeck’s work with other writers.
“Mr. Steinbeck almost always in his fiction is dealing either with the lower animals or with the human beings so rudimentary that they are almost on animals level…” “Mr. Steinbeck does not have the effect, as Lawrence or Kipling does, of romantically raising the animal to the stature of human beings, but rather of assimilating the human beings to animals…(Lisca, 1958:7)” Maxwell Geismar in his review of The Pearl said that what the one notices again is how much more interested Steinbeck really is in the natural scene and in animal life, than in the people or the human emotion of his narrative (Lisca, 1958:8).
The writer studies that The Pearl is one of Steinbeck’s work which represent his interest in lower people as it is stated by Watt and Wilson. Their arguments about Steinbeck’s animalizing in this novel is also showed by presenting the doctor’s dislike toward Kino’s race by considering that Kino has the same level with animal. It is proved when Kino needs the doctor’s help to cure his son from insect bites.
“I am a doctor, not a veterinary (p. 11)”. Meanwhile, Meriam Webster in her book Encyclopedia of Literature said that the pearl is a parable about a Mexican Indian pearl diver named Kino who finds a valuable pearl and is transformed by the evil of it attracts (1995:867). Webster also adds that Steinbeck’s works are rich of symbolic structures, effectively convey the mythopoetic and symbolic qualities of his characters.
Steinbeck’s immediate postwar works contained the familiar elements of his social criticism but were more relaxed in approach and sentimental in tone (1995:1064-1065).
In The Pearl, Steinbeck shows about the poverty of main characters. The author describes the life condition of Kino and his family clearly. He clearly describes about Kino’s house, job and appearance. In The Pearl, Steinbeck also describes about the life of rich people in town who overturn with Kino’s life. The rich people always treat Kino and their race badly because they are poor and uneducated.
The writer thinks that The Pearl is a tragic story written by Steinbeck. Because Steinbeck describes about Kino’s hopes which are fail. His failure is caused by the ambition of greed people in town who want to posses his pearl.
Here the writer tries to develop Watt and Wilson’s opinion. Steinbeck’s animalizing in The Pearl also shows the racial issue and rude treatment of higher class society to lower class society. The higher class society uses many ways to keep their status, even if they have to cheat poor people. In this thesis the writer is going to find out how Steinbeck illustrated the main characters, plot, and setting of the novel The Pearl. Finally the writer tries to reveal author’s messages by drawing the theme of the story.
B. Review of Related Theories
Writing this thesis, the writer would like to use some theories that are needed for analyzing Steinbeck’s The Pearl. Those theories are the theory of character, setting, plot and theme.
1. Character
In this theory of character, the writer would like to use Abrams who state in his book A Glossary of Literary Terms. He defines character as a person that is presented in a dramatic or narrative work. The reader interprets them as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities. They are expressed in the dialogue and the action (1981: 20).
He also explains characteristic in The Mirror and The Lamp: Romantic
Theory and The Critical Tradition that there are the alternative methods for
characterizing the persons in a narrative by showing and telling. In showing which also called the dramatic method, the author just presents his character’s taking and action. In telling, the author himself intervenes author relatively of the character in order to describe and evaluate the motives and dispositional qualities of his characters (Abrams:1981: 21).
Roger explained in Reading a Novel: An Introduction to the Technique of
Interpreting Fiction , that character consist two types, main character and minor
character. Firstly, main character can be the center of the story. The acts of the character from the beginning to the ending part are the focus of the story. The gist of the story is important thing to the character’s experiences. He also said that the major characters are the most complex character in a novel. They can be described as characters through the complexity of their characterization. Secondly, the minor characters have more limited function in ways and the major characters are not. Their responses to the experience are less complex and necessarily to become the background for the major character (1977:97-97).
In his book Aspect of the Novel Foster divides character into two kinds, flat character and round character. Flat character is built around a single idea or quality. It is presented without much individualizing detail. The reader is easier to remember the character, because there is no change in the character from the beginning until the end. Round character is more complex. The complexities of the character are in the temperament and motivation. It is represented not with clear facts (1974:46-51).
Miligan in his book The Novel in English, said that the major characters appear more often than the other character in the story, while the secondary or minor characters appear less often in the story (1983:155).
2. Characterization
Rohrberger and Woods in the book Reading and Writing about Literature, note that characterization is the process of how the author creates a character.
They also divide the principle ways in to direct and dramatic character. First, direct principle is describing physical appearance. Second, dramatic principle is describing character’s behaviors or speaks.
In Understanding Unseen, Murphy (1972: 161-173) defines nine ways to make the readers easier to understand the character. Those are: a. Personal description
It is and author’s description of person’s appearance and clothes. The author describes the character in details; the face, skin, eyes, and the castaway’s extraordinary clothing, for example young man wears a knightly cloth
b. Character as seen by another The author tries to describe a character through the eyes and opinion of another. Through the other’s eyes and opinion, the readers may get a reflect image. The author succeeds in conveying to us through his choice of words and phrases; for example, another woman is seen through a man’s eyes.
c. Speech The author gives us a description of character or an insight into the character of one person through what the person says. The author presents some clues to character whenever a person speaks, whenever he is in conversation with another or whenever he states his opinion.
d. Past Life
The author gives us keys or clues to any events that have helped to shape a person’s character so that we can learn something about a person’s life. This can be done a few ways, such as direct comment by author, through the person’s thought, through his conversation or through the medium of another person.
e. Conversation of Others Through the conversation of other people and the things they say about someone, the author can also give us the clues to person’s character. People do talk about other people and the things they say usually can give us a clue to the character of the person spoken about.
f. Reactions Knowing a person’s character can also be observed by knowing how that person reacts or respond to various situations and events that are presented by the author.
g. Direct Comment The author can describe or comment on a person’s character directly. By giving comments explicitly, the readers will not be left in doubt to know what sort of a person he is.
h. Thoughts The readers can know one’s character through the direct knowledge of what a person has in mind presented by the author. Here, the readers have a privilege position to come to the inmost thought of a person in a story. i. Mannerism Knowing a person’s character by observing his mannerism, or habits that are given by the skillful author.
The direct explanation is not always given by an author toward the character in his or her novel, to closer description, Barnet, et al in Literature for
Composition suggest four points. Those are what the character says, what the
character does, what other characters say about the character, and what other character do (1988:71).
3. Setting
Kenney in his book How to Analyze Fiction divides setting into three types, they are neutral setting, spiritual setting, and setting as dynamic. Neutral setting means the reflection of the truth that things can happen somewhere. The principal concern of the author is in plot character and not really interest in the setting, because the fiction has unclear contemporary’s urban or rural setting (1966:38).
The spiritual setting is the values that are embodied or implied by the physical setting. The spiritual setting is the rural setting that does not only describe about grass, cows, and barns, but the important thing is a certain value (1966:40).
Kenney also divides setting into three kinds they are the use of setting as metaphor, the use of setting to create atmosphere, and the use of setting as dominant element which consist of time as dominant element and place as a dominant element (1966:40-44).
According to Kenney, the function of setting as metaphor has a purpose in the character’s internal states or a pervasive spiritual condition. For example, in Charles Dicken’s Bleak House, the fog lingers with oppressively. It describes about the character’s confusion and the metaphor shows the spiritual malaise. It means that the fog has no contribution to the character’s malaise.
The use of setting to create atmosphere is more talked than defined. It focuses on the suggesting than the setting. There is one critic that describes the creation of the atmosphere. It is kind of mood or emotional feeling of the setting and also helping to establish the expectation of the reader.
Setting as dominant element consists of two kinds. First, time, as the dominant element is the time when the action occurs in the importance of many work of fiction. Second, place, as the dominant element is the place dominates in the whole story that tries to find out the effects in a particular character of geographical setting.
Murphy in his book Understanding Unseen said that the setting of the novel is the background of the characters lives. In novels, the setting is important, while in other work of fiction are not too important. The setting can be concerned with the place and time where character’s live. These have an important effect on personalities, action, and the character’s way of thinking (1979:141).
Some theories of setting above can give information of the story in detail, it also can help the writer to find out the time of the story.
4. Plot
Knowing the plot of whole stories helps us to understand the events one by one. It means that plot distributes the structure of action or conflicts in the story.
Therefore, the existence of plot is important for a deeper understanding the whole story. When readers understand what is going on with the character or what conflict might happen to them and those actions structurally arranged in the plot, it means that to understand the plot will also understand the story.
Abram in his book A Glossary of Literary Term says that plot of the story is the structure of narrative work’s action. It is ordered and rendered toward the important achieving of emotional and artistic effect. It shows that the arranging of the events are not only the elements of temporal series, but under the emphasis on the function. It is like the pattern of cause and effect (1981:137).
The writer also uses the theory of plot in How to Analyze Fiction written by Kenney. According to him there are three parts of plot, the beginning is describing the exposition of the novel. From the exposition, the conflict has happened. The middle describes about the conflict that become the complication of the climax. In the end of the story, the resolution is stated (1966:14-19).
The structure of plot begins with the exposition or introduction which consist certain information about the story. The exposition usually is an introduction to the readers about the characters in the novel, the description of setting time or place where the story takes place or the historical background of the story. It is a significant element of a plot because the information it presents may lead the readers to the understanding of the story. Besides those informations, exposition usually provides seeds of conflict. Therefore, exposition affords the readers introduction to face a situation in which there is conflict from which suspense arises (Little, 1981: 83).
The second part in the construction of plot is the middle part. One of the elements of this middle part is the conflict. According to Stanton (1965: 16), conflict moves the story because it is the generating center out of which the plot grows which becomes the core of the story’s structure. The conflict can be internal that is a conflict between two desires within a character, or external that is the conflict between characters or between a character and his environment, or both. It is also added by Perrin that the conflict, which happens to the characters can also be physical, mental emotional, or moral (1974: 44).
The second element of the middle part is complication. It refers to the step of the initial statement of conflict to the climax. It means that complication is an introduction of climax. It arranges the events step by step and leads the readers to the climax. Therefore, this step keeps increasing in order to prepare the readers in facing the climax of the story.
According to Abrams in his book A Glossary of Literary terms, suspense is “an anxious uncertainty about what is going to happen, especially to those characters whose qualities are such that we have established a bond sympathy with them”. It can be seen that conflicts and complications consist the suspense.
Suspense makes the readers wonder what will happen next in the story, and it raises the curiosity of the readers, therefore, the readers will keep reading the story and pay attention about what would happen next (1981:138).
Climax is the last element of the middle part. Little suggests that “climax is the highest tension in the story, the point at which the fatal step is taken, the essential decision-made which results in the action concluding (1981:84)”.
After the climax, the plot moves to the end of the plot or denouement. The denouement or also called resolution of the plot consist the result of the story by represented how the conflicts experienced by the characters are settled down.
5. Theme
Perrine in his book Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense defines the theme as controlling or the central idea of a fiction. It describes the life generalization that is stated and implied by the story. It means that the author tries to present that the theme is the idea of a story. The theme will happen when the author tries to explain the truth of life and to introduce a certain concept of life (1974:49).
The theme has some principles they are:
a. The theme must be stated in a statement form and concern with the subject and predicate.
b. The theme must be a generalization about life. To define the theme, the use of character’s name must be avoidable in order to lead into specific statement. c. The generalization of the theme should not be larger that is justified by the term of the story. The use of terms like some and sometimes are more preferable than term like every, all, and always.
d. Theme is the central and unifying concept of the story. So the theme must be related to something that exists inside the story.
e. There is no one way of stating the theme of a story.
f. The theme should not be expressed in familiar expression or sentences because it will make the essential meaning of the story not conveyed (1974:107-109). Stanton in his book An Introduction to Fiction stated that the story’s theme tells something about life in general. A theme can take the form of life generalization, which may or may not imply a moral judgment. A theme can describe or explore from a single fact of human experience. Such as courage, disillusion old age, and others. The theme of story can be taken from the event of one of the character’s personality. The readers must start with a clear idea of the character, the setting or situation, and the plot (1965:4-5).
From the theories above the writer can conclude that the theme is the central idea of the story which can describe the life in general. It can also give the understanding the focus the story that will be analyzed.
C. Theoretical Framework
To analyze the character, setting, plot and theme in Steinbeck’s The Pearl the writer would use some theories that are related to the analysis.
Analyzing the main character in the story, the writer will be based on the Abrams’ theory of character. The writer focuses on the main characters, Kino and his wife Juana, because the story tells about their struggle of keeping the pearl.
Their struggle will analyzed by the writer to reveals the theme of the story.
To find out the setting of the story, the writer uses Kenney’s theory of setting in order to support the analysis. The writer also reads the novel carefully to describe the important setting, such as the time, the location, the condition and the society. From the experience of the main character, the writer can get the important setting in the story and focuses on the setting of place and the setting of time.
The writer uses Kenney’s theory to find out the plot of the story. The writer can understand the story deeply in order to arrange the important events that are related with each other.
To find out the theme, the writer has to understand the meaning of the theme that can dig the important things of the story clearly. The writer tries to find out the relation of the main character, the setting of the story and the plot.
Finally, after knowing the theory of the character, the setting, the plot and the theme above, the writer find that those elements need each other. They are important for the writer to get closer to the analysis of the thesis and to find out the answer of the problem formulations. They have contribution to support the character, the setting and the plot to reveal the theme of the novel The Pearl.
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study The thesis deals with literature and the object of the writer’s thesis is a
literary work of John Steinbeck entitled The Pearl. The writer uses The Pearl which is published by Penguin Books in 1992. It consists of 90 pages and it is divided into 6 chapters.
The Pearl’s plot is based on the life of a poor pearl diver whose name is
Kino. He finds a big pearl, which the neighbors call it the pearl of the world. He imagines that after finding the pearl he will be a rich man. He can send his son Coyotito into school. He can buy a rifle and can celebrate his marriage in church.
The pearl does not lead Kino into a better life but it makes Kino trapped in danger. Due to the pearl his life becomes worse. People want to have this pearl by any means even by killing him. Kino is a poor and simple person before he finds the pearl. After he finds the pearl he becomes a hunted person. He has to save his wife, his son, and his own life by any means. He has to leave his village in order to survive, and he has to kill those who hunt him. He does not have any choices.
He only knows that the choice he has is to either kill or be killed. Kino, tragically loses his son, Coyotito, who is accidentally shot. Then, finally, Kino comes back to his village and he throws the pearl back into the sea.
B. Approach
This thesis uses formalistic approach in order to get the deep understanding of plot, setting, character and theme and to support the analysis.
Looking at the problems and the work, the formalistic approach was the best approach in analyzing the study.
This approach is chosen because the object of the discussion in this thesis in the inside of the story. It means that all the answers which are proved in this thesis are on the text it self. Rohrberger and Wood’s in their book Reading and
Writing about Literature said that formalistic approach examined the literary
piece without references to the genre of a piece or its place in the development of the genre or in literary history, and without reference to its social milieu (1971:7) The formalistic approach invites us to analyze the story by looking at the intrinsic element of the story. It can be found in the dialogue, actions or the author’s narration. In this study, the writer analyzes John Steinbeck’s The Pearl and it is also concentrated on those works. Therefore, the formalistic approach could support this analysis because it emphasizes intrinsic elements and does not refer to extrinsic elements such as the biographical of the writer, history and social background.
C. Method of the Study
In analyzing problem formulation as being stated, the writer applies library research. It means to support the study, the writer collect data and references from the library. First of all, the writer is reading John Steinbeck’s The Pearl for several times to get a deeper understanding of the story. The writer tried to focus on the content of the story, especially everything that connected with the plot, setting, main characters and theme.
The second step is data collecting. It is obtained by taking up the data from the novel it self and from books on literature and also any books which might be relevant to the analysis and be able to contribute to answer the problems as stated in the first chapter.
The third step is analyzing the plot, setting and the characters and how they depicted in the novel. It is done by noticing how the author describes the characters, how the development of the plot and the setting of time and place where the events happened. Then the writer start to connect the contribution of all those aspects toward the theme