Personality development of Wang Lung, the central character of Pearl S. Buck`s The Good Earth.

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PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT OF WANG LUNG,
THE CENTRAL CHARACTER OF PEARL S. BUCK’S
THE GOOD EARTH
ASARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
to Obtain the SarjanaPendidikan Degree
in English Language Education

By
KinanthiRenaningtyas
Student Number: 061214041

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION
FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2013

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PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT OF WANG LUNG,
THE CENTRAL CHARACTER OF PEARL S. BUCK’S
THE GOOD EARTH
ASARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
to Obtain the SarjanaPendidikan Degree

in English Language Education

By
KinanthiRenaningtyas
Student Number: 061214041

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION
FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2013
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STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY

I honestly declare that this thesis which I wrote does not contain the works or part
of the works of other people, except those cited in the quotations and references,
as a scientific paper should.

Yogyakarta, 17 July 2013
The Writer,

KinanthiRenaningtyas

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LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH
UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS

Yang bertandatangan di bawahini, saya mahasiswi Universitas Sanata Dharma:
Nama

: Kinanthi Renaningtyas

NomorMahasiswa

: 061214041

Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan
Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:

PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT OF WANG LUNG,
THE CENTRAL CHARACTER OF PEARL S. BUCK’S
THE GOOD EARTH
Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata hak
untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam
bentuk
pangkalan

data,
mendistribusikannya
secara
terbatas,
mempublikasikannya di internet, atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis
tanpa perlu meminta ijin kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya
sebagai penulis.

Demikian surat pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.

Dibuat di Yogyakarta,
Pada tanggal: 17 Juli 2013
Yang menyatakan

Kinanthi Renaningtyas
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PAGE OF DEDICATION

for my first born son, Allegro Caesarion Althaf

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Now, I can feel a little bit loosen after completing my thesis. I have been
studying in this university for about seven years. It has been tough years and I am

survived. Therefore, I want to say thanks to a lot of people who have supported
me kindly in my study.
First of all, I would like to express my biggest gratitude to the Almighty
God-JC, for his blessings upon me so that I can always have a positive mind
which leads me into many of great things in my life.
Next, my gratitude goes to my beloved father, Surono,and mother,
Sumartinah, who always take care of me and support me. It feels like their love
for me is forever and a day. For the only youngbrother,Tyo, I would like to say
thanks for your shouts! And then for my husband, Andreas, I also want to say
thanks for the tears, sweats, and aches.
Another important person who helped me in many ways is my sponsor,
Dr. Antonius Herujiyanto, M.A. for his patience and understanding. I want to
appreciate him for his valuable time and advice.
I also want to express my gratitude to all mylecturers, Pak Prast, Bu
Marni, Bu Carla, Pak Gun, Pak Barli, Bu Ndari, Bu Frida, Pak Chosa, Pak Pius,
Pak Markus, Pak Cons, Pak Purba, Pak Hani, Bu Siska, Bu Mita, Pak Mukarto,
Pak Sasmoyo, Pak Nunung, Bu Tri, andPak Narto who have taught me patiently
and helped me to improve my English skills. They are so irreplaceable, so
remarkable, so loveable…

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My special dedication is for my son, Allegro. I would like to say thanks
for teaching me how to be a good mom.
My appreciation also goes to all my friends who always helped me and
encouraged me. I amsorry that I cannot mention their names individually. Butmy
heart has been tagged by their names.
For my big family, I am proud to be the part of them. I want to say thanks
for all those advice, and mantras. I hope that the Almighty God always bless them
all.

Kinanthi Renaningtyas

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TABLE ON CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE…………………………………………………………

i

APPROVAL PAGES…………………………………………………

ii

STATEMENT OF WORK ORIGINALITY……………………….

iv

PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI……………………..

v

PAGE OF DEDICATION……………………………………………

vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………….

vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………….

ix

LIST OF APPENDICES…………………………………………….

xii

ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………

xiii

ABSTRAK……………………………………………………………..

xiv

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………….

1

1.1 Background of the Study…………………………………………..

1

1.2 Objective of the Study……………………………………………..

5

1.3 Problem Formulation………………………………………………

5

1.4 Benefit of the Study………………………………………………..

5

1.5 Definition of Terms………………………………………………..

6

CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE…………

9

2.1 Review of Related Theories………………………………………..

9

2.1.1 Theory of Critical Approach……………………………..

9

2.1.2 Theory of Character and Characterization………………

11

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2.1.3 Theory of Motivation…………………………………….

14

2.1.4 Theory of Personality Development……………………..

15

2.1.4.1 The Meaning of Personality……………………

15

2.1.4.2 The Personality Pattern………………………..

16

2.1.4.3 Changes in Personality…………………………

17

4.1.3.4 Characteristic of Change in Personality……….

18

2.1.4.5 Condition Responsible for Personality Change….

19

2. 2 Theoretical Framework…………………………………………….

22

CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY…………………………………..

23

3. 1 Object of Study…………………………………………………….

23

3. 2 Approach of the Study……………………………………………..

24

3. 3 Method of Study……………………………………………………

24

CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS……………………………………………

27

4. 1 The Portrayal of Wang Lung………………………………………

27

4.1.1 Wang Lung’s Personal Description………………………

28

4.1.2 Wang Lung’s Frugality…………………………………..

29

4.1.3 Wang Lung’s Filial Duty…………………………………

31

4.1.4 Wang Lung’s Inferiority………………………………….

32

4.1.5 Wang Lung’s Piety……………………………………….

33

4.1.6 Wang Lung’s Conventionality…………………………...

34

4.1.7 Wang Lung’s Love for the Family…………………………. 36
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4.1.8 Wang Lung’s Love for the Land…………………………

38

4.2 The Personality Development of Wang Lung……………………..

40

4.2.1 Conditions Responsible to
Wang Lung’s Personality Development………………..

41

4.2.1.1 Changes in the Environment…………………..

41

4.2.1.2 Changes in Social Pressure……………………..

42

4.2.1.3 Strong Motivation………………………………

43

4.2.2 Changes in Wang Lung’s Personality……………………

44

4. 2. 2. 1 Woman Factor………………………………..

44

4. 2. 2. 2 Wealth Factor…………………………………

46

4. 2. 2. 3. Status Factor…………………………………

47

CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS…………..

50

5. 1 Conclusions………………………………………………………..

50

5. 2 Suggestions………………………………………………………...

52

REFERENCES…………………………………………………………

54

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LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix 1: The Front Cover of the Novel…………………………….

56

Appendix 2: The Back Cover of the Novel…………………………….

57

Appendix 3: The Summary The Good Earth…………………………..

58

Appendix 4: About the Author…………………………………………

61

Appendix 5: Photograph of Pearl S. Buck……………………………..

62

Appendix 6: The Implementation of Reading Lesson Plan……………

63

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ABSTRACT
Renaningtyas, Kinanthi. 2013. Personality Development of Wang Lung, The
Central Character of Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth. Yogyakarta: English
Language Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts
Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma
University.
The study is concerned about the personality development of Wang Lung,
the central character in Pearl S. Buck novel entitled The Good Earth. Wang Lung
experiences significant changes personality after returning from the big southern
city, Kiangsu. The turning point of Wang Lung’s life begins when he becomes a
rich landowner. His personality develops when he faces and copes with problems
and obstacles of life. Thus, this thesis focuses on his personality and its
development.
The aim of the study is to see the meaning of personality development of
Wang Lung, the central character of Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth. The
questions to answer in this study are: (i) “How is Wang Lung, the central
character portrayed in the novel?” and (ii) “How is Wang Lung’s personality
development depicted in the novel?”
The approach employed in this study was the psychological approach. The
primary source of this study was taken from the novel itself. The secondary
sources were obtained from several books of literature and psychology that were
relevant and supportive. The theory of character and characterization were
implemented in answering the first problem. The theory of personality
development was applied to answer the second problem along with the theory of
motivation to support the answers. Psychological approach was suitable for my
critical approach since the study discussed about personality of character.
The conclusions of this study reveal that Wang Lung is the central
character of the study. He is portrayed as a hard-working, solemn, frugal,
conventional, fatherly man. His personality develops after facing some events and
occurrences. It is strongly influenced by his natural environment and social or
society. The meaning of personality development of Wang Lung falls into three
headings. There are woman, wealth, and status. He desires wealth and status
which makes him, in his old age, unhappy to see his sons repeat the mistakes of
the rich man who lives in the Great House of Hwang.
It is suggested that the further researchers analyze the society in the novel
or analyze the feminism issue. It is also recommended to use the novelto teach
English, especially reading to junior high school students.

Keywords

: personality, development, Chinese, character, Pearl S. Buck
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ABSTRAK
Renaningtyas, Kinanthi. 2013. Personality Development of Wang Lung, The
Central Character of Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth. Yogyakarta: Program
Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas
Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Studi ini menyangkut perkembangan kepribadiandari Wang Lung, karakter
pusat dalam novel Pearl S. Buck yang berjudul The Good Earth. Wang Lung
mengalami perubahan penting dalam kepribadiannya sekembalinya dari kotabesar
di wilayah selatan, Kiangsu. Titik balik hidup Wang Lung bermula setelah dia
menjadi tuan tanah yang kaya raya. Kepribadiannya berkembang ketika dia
menghadapi berbagai rintangan dan kesulitan hidup.Oleh karena itu, skripsi
terfokus pada kepribadian dan perkembangannya.
Tujuan dari studi ini adalah untuk melihat arti dari perkembangan
kepribadian Wang Lung, karakter pusat pada The Good Earth karangan Pearl S.
Buck. Ada dua permasalahan utama yang akan dibahas di dalam skripsi ini.
Persoalan pertama adalah bagaimana Wang Lung digambarkan dalam novel.
Persoalan kedua adalah bagaimana kepribadian Wang Lung dilukiskan dalam
novel.
Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam studi ini adalah pendekatan psikologis.
Sumber utama dari studi ini adalah novel itu sendiri The Good Earth yang ditulis
oleh Pearl S. Buck. Sumber kedua diperoleh dari beberapa buku kesusasteraan dan
psikologi yang relevan dan mendukung. Teori watak dan perwatakan digunakan
dalam menjawab permasalahan yang pertama. Teori perkembangan kepribadian
digunakan untuk menjawab permasalahn yang kedua bersama dengan teori
motivasi untuk mendukung jawaban. Pendekatan psikologis sesuai karena studi
ini berhubungan dengan perkembangan kepribadian dari karakter di novel.
Hasil analisa dari studi ini mengungkapkan bahwa Wang Lung adalah
tokoh pusat. Dia digambarkan sebagai seorang laki-laki pekerja keras, kebapakan,
taat, hemat, dan memegang adat. Kepribadiannya berkembang setelah
menghadapi berbagai peristiwa dalam hidupnya. Hal ini sangat dipengaruhi oleh
lingkungan alam dan sosialnya. Arti dari perkembangan kepribadian Wang Lung
jatuh pada tiga perkara yaitu harta, takhta, dan wanita. Dia mendambakan
kekayaan dan status yang pada akhir masa tuanya, tidak bahagia melihat anakanak lelakinya mengulang kesalahan-kesalahan yang dilakukan oleh orang kaya
yang tinggal di rumah megah keluarga Hwang.
Disarankan kepada peneliti di masa mendatang untuk menganalisa
masyarakat di dalam novel atau isu feminism. Direkomendasikan pula untuk
menggunakan novel tersebut untuk mengajar BahasaInggris khususnya reading
untuk murid SMP.
Kata kunci

: personality, development, Chinese, character, Pearl S. Buck
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This chapter contains of five parts; the background of the study, problem
formulation, objectives of the study, benefits of the study, and definition of terms.
Background of the study discusses about description of the topic and the reason
why the topic is chosen by the author. Problem formulation discusses about the
questions later to be analyzed in the following chapter. Objectives of the study
discusses about the purpose of the study. Benefits of the study discuss about the
advantages and importance of the study, and the last part; definition of terms
discusses about the significant terms applied in the study.
1.1 Background of the Study
Literature is a kind of art that provides enjoyment for the readers. There
are four genres of literary work: short story, poetry, novel, drama. Most of people
nowadays enjoy novels and short stories as Hudson (1913) states that “we have
already seen that the novel owes its existence to the interest which men and
women everywhere and at all times have taken in men and women and in the
great panorama of human passion and action” (p. 129).
Reading novel can be so interesting when readers come up with the
impression of the story made by the author. Thus novel can touch readers by heart
seeing the realities, problems, feelings, and relationships described by the author
and on the last page, readers can find pleasure and satisfaction. Moody (1968)
says that “the greatest pleasure and satisfaction can be found in literature” (p. 10).

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Readers can use their imagination to jump into the real situation of the
story to get the actual feeling and to flow with the story.Therefore novel can be
seen as a human reflection through the medium of language. It commonly
happens when the readers on their reading process have feelings that the events
are similar with what is happening in real life. Hudson (1913) implies why people
should care about literature because “on account of its deep and lasting human
significance” (p. 10). He adds that a great book grows directly out of life; in
reading it, we are brought into large, close, and fresh relation with life and more
he says that literature is a vital record of what men have seen in life, what they
have experienced of it, what they have thought and felt about the aspects of it
which have the most immediate and enduring interest of all of us.
Presenting so-called language medium reflection, novel as a literary work
explained by Hudson (1913) consists of “plot, characters, dialogue, time and place
of action, style and a stated or implied philosophy of life”. Those are the chief
elements entering into the composition of any work of prose fiction, small or
great, good or bad” (p. 131). Those compiled elements present the elaboration of
fiction and drama that men and women conduct the closest way to real life.
Henkle (1977) indicates that “history, sociology, anthropology, and psychology
may better enable us to isolate certain factors in human behavior, and they allow
us to categorize such factors more effectively than literature does because they are
more objective fields of study” (p. 4). This is literature’s great advantage over
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Therefore, I intend to choose a novel, The Good Earth, as my great
excitement of studying literature. The novel is composed in both social novel and
psychological novel modes. The author, Pearl S. Buck, describes her work as
indicated by Henkle (1977) about “the entire societies, and having varied casts of
characters, filling it with action and depicting life over a period of time” (p. 22).
He continues that the social novel presents lifelike characters in recognizable,
probable social situations and organized through social interaction.
The novel is about a Chinese peasant, Wang Lung, and his family through
their life, obstacles, ambitions, passions, and rewards. At the very beginning of
the story they were so poor but according to the upcoming events, they can
change their fortune into glorious, wealthy landowner. The character, Wang Lung,
runs the storylines in the whole chapters and from his point of view, giving us
pictures of society. Hence, according to Henkle (1977), the novel is also
categorized in “psychological novel” because the central character, Wang Lung,
shows “his mental and emotional experiences” (p. 29). The focus of the
psychological novel is on an individual’s development: the movement of his
thoughts, the forming of his personality and the complex internal motives that
animate him.
The novel begins when Wang Lung, a poor Chinese peasant, married a
slave, a kitchen slave, from The Great House of Hwang named O-Lan. Since the
setting is in China, the novel deals much with Chinese people. In China, there are
two kinds of experience, internal experience and external experience, which
differentiate Chinese people from other people in other nations. In Mao-Liu

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(1986) explains that “external experience refers to the outcome of experiencing a
different physical environment, while internal experience refers to the outcome of
receiving information through conversation and written materials, and even
through non-verbal communication” (as cited in Bond, 1986, p. 73). In this case,
Wang Lung is experiencing the external one when he married because he and his
father cannot afford a dowry for a girl in the same level status as they are. This
reason is determined as a different physical environment.
Throughout the novel, I keep up with Wang Lung and his family until his
old-aged time, through famine and times of prosperity, through good and bad
fortune, from his dwelling village to a big southern city and then back to the land.
Actually, there are many characters in the novel that also make the story vivid and
wonderful. The society in the novel is heterogynous. It is factual knowing that
China is dwelt by a quarter of the people on earth as RumjahnHossain (1986) says
that“Chinese cannot be considered a homogeneous population. With a quarter of
the people on earth and with the geographical, ethnic, and cultural variety found it
the country, uniformity in any psychological domain, including perception, is not
to be expected” (as cited in Bond, 1986, p. 38). But in my study, I choose Wang
Lung to be discussed.
What makes me so interested to analyze in my thesis is the personality
development of the central character, Wang Lung, when he is poor and people call
him as Wang the farmer, and when he is wealthy as the landowner residing the
house that used to be on The Great House of Hwang’s behalf. He is becoming rich
depends on so many chance factors, or so many things he can’t control, except his

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hard working. Later, the different situations motivate and develop his personalities
which are modifying his behavior in looking things, judging things, and doing
something. Nonetheless, his persistence lies on his sentence, “Never sell the
land”, because like all humans, he is at the mercy of the land.
The relevance of this book to English Education students is that hopefully
this literary work can give benefits and wisdom of life. There are a lot of morals
that we can find in The Good Earth. Also, I hope that students can be more
interesting in studying literature as well.
The Good Earth is a kind a book that is not to acknowledge that we are
small and often impotent, and that even the most hard-working people go through
bad times.
1.2 Objective of the Study
The objective of this study is to see the meaning of personality
development of Wang Lung, the central character of Pearl S. Buck’s The Good
Earth.
1.3 Problem Formulation
Referring to the background of the study above, the following two
questions are formulated:
1. How is Wang Lung, the central character portrayed in the novel?
2. How is Wang Lung’s personality development depicted in the novel?
1.4 Benefits of the Study
There are some benefits of the study for the writer and the readers, the
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1. For the writer and the readers, we will have more knowledge
understanding about character, behavior, and motivation since the study is
exploring about the personality development. I hope the study will give the
readers a better understanding of the novel from psychological view.
2.

For the students, the study will be beneficial to understand literary work
better; especially Pearl S. Buck’s other works. I hope that the study will
multiply and enrich their opinion towards English writers and their works.

3. For the researchers, the study can be used as a reference and helpful as a
comparative study for those who have the same study.
1.5 Definition of Terms
In analyzing the novel, there are some terms needed to be further
explained in order to provide an accurate and clearer illustration to answer the
formulated problems and to avoid misunderstanding. There are five terms, which
will be defined. They are central character, personality, change, motivation, and
development.
The first one is central character. Stanton (1965) explains that “central
character is a character who is relevant to every event of the story; usually the
events cause some changes either in him or our attitude towards him” (p. 17). The
central character also plays role as a protagonist at most of events in the story. The
protagonist is the one whom all events in the story has relevance (Rohberger&
Woods. Jr, 1971, p. 20). I agree with Stanton’s definition of the central character
of the novel which is central character is a character that is relevant to every event

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of the story; usually the events cause some changes either in him or our attitude
towards him.
The second one is personality. Kalish (1973) determines personality as
“the dynamic organization of characteristic attributes leading to behavior and
distinguishing one individual from other individual” (p. 51). It refers to the total
individual and includes “needs, motives, includes, method of adjusting,
temperament qualities, self-concepts, role behaviors, attitudes, values, abilities.
So, the central character’s personality is dynamic and it’s influenced by his needs,
his motives, his self-concepts about himself and other people, his behaviors and
attitudes towards others, and his abilities.
The third term is change. Hurlock (1970) defines change as “to alter or to
vary; it does not mean that the alteration and or variation will be complete” (p.
108). The personality pattern can change in some areas and remain persistence in
others. Furthermore, a change is not the same as “improvements”. A change can
either be for the better or the worse. I intend to agree with Hurlock that change
means to alter or to vary.
The fourth term is motivation. Murray (1964) defines motivation as “a
desire that has a certain goal to be obtained” (p. 8). The derivation of the word
tells us that motivation refers to getting someone moving. In education,
motivation deals with the problem of setting up conditions so that learners will
perform to the best of their abilities in academic settings.
The last one is development. According to Pikunas (1976), development
refers to “all the process of change by which an individual’s potentialities unfold

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and appear as new qualities, abilities, traits, and related characteristic” (p. 6). It
includes the long-term and relatively irreversible gains from growth, maturation,
learning, and achievement.

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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter contains of two important parts. They are review of related
theories and theoretical framework. Review of related theories discusses about
theories which are applied for conducting the study. Meanwhile, theoretical
framework explains the contribution of the theories to solve the problem and the
reason why the study applies such theories.
2.1 Review of Related Theories
What is a theory? According to Hall (1970), a theory is “an
unsubstantiated hypothesis or a speculation concerning reality which is not yet
definitely known to be so” (p. 9).
In this section, I intend to talk about the theory of critical approaches,
theory of character and characterization, theory of motivation, and theory of
personality development.
2. 1. 1 Theory of Critical Approaches
Novel is one of literary works that gives us a lot of knowledge and values
that it implies. In studying literary works, researchers may apply some
approaches. Rohberger and Woods.Jr (1971) explain that “one must know what
literature is, how to read it, and how to judge it” (p. 3). A critical approach to
literature necessitates an understanding of its nature, function, and positive values.
The purpose of critical approach is to put you in a position to receive some
of esthetic values, to provide the means whereby you can understand how
literature is shaped, and something of what it means. Therefore, in Reading and
9

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Writing about Literature, Rohberger and Woods. Jr (1971) propose five
approaches to literature. They are formalist approach, biographical approach,
sociocultural-historical approach, mythopoeic approach, and psychological
approach (pp. 7-11).
The psychological approach focuses on the human psychology, which
contains thought, behavior, human personality, motivation, and other aspects,
which related to the human psychology. Psychological approach is a literary
approach that emphasizes on the psychological aspect available for literary critics,
its development and also progress of the society.
The psychological approach has a view that psychology (the science or
study of mind and its processes) can be used to help a literary critic or a literary
research to explain, interpret, and evaluate literary work. Psychology can be used
to explain the character and characterization. According to Kasschau (1995) in
Understanding Psychology, psychology is a scientific study of behavior and
mental process. When applied to human, psychology covers everything that
people think, feel, and do.
By using psychological approach, I would try to understand the
description of the central character that the author of the novel wanted to analyze.
This approach helps me in understanding the lines that refer to the character. By
understanding the sentences, I can get the description of the character. I can gain
the description of the character by interpreting the speech, direct comments, the
description from the author itself, and other characters’ feelings and thoughts

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about the character. Therefore, psychological approach can be applied in studying
the human thought and behavior.
2. 1. 2 Theories of Character and Characterization
Character is one aspect in a novel despite setting, plot, conflict, etc.
Rohberger and Woods.Jr (1971) state that “a narrative course, is a story, and
stories involve persons, called characters, who act out in particular time and place
(setting) some kind of conflict in a pattern of events (plot)” (p. 20). So, characters
according to them, are those who have important roles in a story since they help
the readers participate explicitly in the experience of the story by sharing
imaginatively the feelings or the activities of the characters in the story. Stanton
(1965) also gives two definitions about character. First, he defines “character as
the individual who appears in the story”. Second, “character is the mixture of
interest, desires, emotions, and moral principles that makes up each of these
individuals” (p. 17).
Further, Abrams (1981) defines character as “the person presented in
dramatic or narrative work, who is interpreted by readers as being endowed with
moral dispositional and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say-the
dialogue-and by what they do-the action” (p. 23). Forster (1974) added two types
of character which is flat character and complex character(elaborate) (as cited in
Abrams, 1981, p. 21). Rohberger and Woods.Jr (1971) also classify character into
“protagonist and antagonist” (p. 20). Protagonist is the main or central character in
the novel. Protagonist becomes the focus of readers’ attention. In short story, there

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is usually a single protagonist. However, some stories, such as novels, have more
than a person central to the action.
Moreover, Henkle (1977) defines fictional character into “major and
secondary character” (p. 92). Major character can be identified through the
complexity (the range of human characteristic). The major character who deserves
the readers’ fullest attention because by understanding the major character, the
readers presumably understand the focal experience of the novel. Meanwhile, the
secondary character is the supporting character and performing limited action.
Henkle (1977) states that the most obvious function of secondary characters is “to
populate the world of the novel” (pp. 94-95). They could be act as foils to the
major character or act within the shadow of major character. They are less
complex or less intense.
Apart from the character, characterization is also an important part of
literature. Character and characterization have close relation. They are alike but
theoretically, they are different. Rohberger and Woods.Jr (1971) present two
principles by which an author characterizes their characters. The first is “direct
method” and the second is “dramatic method” (p. 21). In direct method, an author
describes the characters’ physical appearance and also describes their intellectual
and moral attributes or explains the degree of the character’s sensibility. This
description is based on the author’s point of view. In dramatic method, an author
describes the character by placing him or her in situations to show what he or she
is like from the way he or she behaves or speaks. This is drawn, based on the
character’s eyes and opinions.

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Rohberger and Woods.Jr’s theory on characterization is well assisted by
Murphy’s (1972) classification that he classifies nine methods how an author
presents the character. The methods are “personal description, characters as seen
by others, speech, past life, conversation with others, reactions, direct comment,
thoughts, and mannerism” (pp. 161-173). The first method is personal description.
By using this method, the author can describe a person’s appearance like his face,
skin, eyes, and clothes. Personal description is very important because it may give
clues to the character and the readers may have a better imagination because each
character has an individual aspect.
The second method is character as seen by others. In this method, the
author can also describe the character directly through the eyes and opinions of
others. By letting the other characters in the novel tell what they see of the
characters they encounter, the readers will gain some clues to describe the
characters. The third is speech. In this technique, the author can give us insight
into the character of one of the people in the book through what the person says.
Whenever the person speaks, whenever she/he is involved in conversation with
another, whenever she/he puts forward an opinion, she/he is giving us some clues
to her/his character.
The fourth method is past life. A character’s past life may build a clue for
the reader about events that help in shaping the person’s character. The fifth
method is conversation with others. By using this method, the author can give
readers clues to a person’s character by letting us know how the person reacts to
various situations and events. The sixth method is reaction; reactions from one

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character toward other characters can lead the reader to discover the character in
the novel. The seventh is direct comment. By employing this technique, the author
describes or comments on the character directly.
The eighth method is thoughts. In this method, the author gives us direct
knowledge of what the characters think. In this respect, the character is able to do
things that cannot be done in real life, and tells what other people are thinking.
The ninth method is mannerism. By using mannerism, the author can describe a
character’s mannerism, habits and idiosyncrasies.
2. 1. 3 Theory of Motivation
Murray (1964) defines motivation as “a desire that has a certain goal to be
obtained” (p. 8). The derivation of the word tells us that motivation refers to
getting someone moving. When we motivate ourselves or someone else, we
develop incentives. In education, motivation deals with the problem of setting up
conditions so that learners will perform to the best of their abilities in academic
settings.
According to Worchel and Shebilske (1988), there are two kinds of
motivation; they are “extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation” (p. 408). The
extrinsic motivation comes from the external factors of the characters. Those
factors might come from their desires to pay, status, grades and other similar types
of rewards. When the factors come from the enjoyment and satisfaction, it calls
intrinsic motivation.

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2. 1. 4 Theory of Personality Development
This thesis deals with the personality development of the central character
Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth. Thus, I would like to present some important
points relating to the theory of personality development in order to answer the
problem. The main source of the theory is from Elizabeth Hurlock. There are five
parts will be discussed in this section. They are the meaning of personality, the
personality pattern, changes in personality, characteristic of change in personality,
and conditions responsible for personality change.
2.1.4.1 The Meaning of Personality
The meaning of the word “personality” falls under one of two
headings.Hall (1970) notes that there are “the first usage and second usage” (p. 7).
The first usage equates the term to social skill or adroitness. An individual’s
personality is assessed by the effectiveness with which he is able to elicit positive
reactions from a variety of persons under different circumstances. The second
usage considers the personality of the individual to inhere in the most outstanding
or salient impression which he creates in others.
Allport (1937) defines that personality is “the dynamic organization within
the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic
behavior and thought” (as cited in Hurlock, 1974, p. 7). Feist and Feist (2009) also
explain personality as “a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique
characteristic that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior”
(p. 4). Traits give contribution on the difference of someone’s behavior.
Furthermore, Munn (1937) says that personality is “most characteristic integration

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of an individual structures and activities”. From his definition, he points out that
the characteristic has “a dual sense” because (1) “it is unique”. It can differentiate
one individual from others. (2) “it is fairly consistent”. From this consistency, it
represents the “customary integration of a particular individual’s structures and
activities” (as cited in Hurlock, 1974, p. 6).
2.1.4.2 The Personality Pattern
Related to the personality pattern, Hurlock (1974) states that there are two
major components of the personality pattern, the “core” – the concept of self –
and the “spokes of the wheel – the traits which are held together and influenced
by the “core” (p. 19). The explanation of each personality pattern is as follows:
1) The self-concept
There are two concepts of self-concept. They are “the real self-concept”
and “the idea self-concept”. The real self-concept is concept that has been had by
the person. The concept is about “how and what he is”. It can be “a mirror image,
determined largely by his roles, his relationships with others, and what he believes
their reactions to him are”. Whereas the ideal self-concept is “the picture the
person holds of what he would like to be” (Hurlock, 1974, p. 43).
Moreover, Hurlock (1974) explains that those concepts have two aspects,
physical and psychological. She says that the physical aspect is “composed of the
individual’s concept of his appearance, is sex appropriateness, the importance of
his body in relation to his behavior, and the prestige his body gives him in the
eyes of others”. While, the psychological aspect is “composed the person’s

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concept of his abilities and disabilities, his worth, and his relationship with others”
(pp. 25-26)
2) Traits
Hurlock (1974) says that traits are “specific qualities of behavior or
adjustment patterns” (p. 35). Furthermore, she explains that the qualities of
behavior can be seen in the ways of facing problems, his aggressive and defensive
behavior, and how he behaves in front of other people, whether he is inclusive or
exclusive.
According to Hurlock (1974), traits have two outstanding characteristics.
They are individuality and consistency. Individuality is “shown variations in the
quantity of a particular trait rather than in a trait peculiar to that person”.
Consistency means “that the person behaves in approximately the same way in
similar situations and under similar conditions” (pp. 35-36).
2.1.4.3 Changes in Personality
“Change” means “to alter” or “to vary”; it does not necessarily mean that
the alteration of variation will be complete. Change is not synonymous with
“improvement”. Change can be either for the better or the worse can be
quantitative and qualitative. In quantitative changes, traits already present are
strengthened and weakened. By this, “undesirable traits usually become less
undesirable because the person has a strong motivation to weaken such traits and
to conform socially approved pattern. In qualitative changes, an already present
traits usually undesirable one, is replaced by another trait, usually a desirable one”
(Hurlock, 1974, pp. 108-109).

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As a human, a person rarely feels completely satisfied with his/her
personality for better, to “improve” it. The desire of changing personality starts
when a person, especially in late childhood, becomes aware of him/herself. This
awareness usually comes up from what parents, teachers, and peers say to
him/her, that they dislike some of his/her behavior (Hurlock, 1974, p. 119).
4.1.3.4 Characteristic of Change in Personality
Changes in personality pattern fall into three major categories. First, some
changes are for the better and some for the worse. Second, some are
quantitative and some are qualitative. Third, some occur slowly and some
rapidly (Hurlock, 1974, pp. 120-122).
Better versus worse. Personality changes for the better or for the worse
reflect the kind of life adjustment the individual is making at the time. The more
pronounced changes, the more indicative they are of how the person is adjusting.
Successful adjustment at any age improves self-concept and the person exhibits
greater poise, self-confidence, and self-assurance. By contrast, failure will affect
the self-concept even more unfavorably and lead to even poorer adjustment
(Hurlock, 1974, p. 120).
Quantitative versus qualitative. Qualitative changes, either the complete
replacement of a desirable trait by an undesirable one or vice versa, do not
normally occur even in the early years of life, while quantitative changes usually
reinforce, strengthen, or weaken the characteristics already existed (Hurlock,
1974, p. 121).

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Slow versus rapid changes. Changes are regarded as slow if they are
barely perceptible, while rapid changes are rapidly apparent to all. Normally,
personality changes are slow and gradual. However, Hurlock (1974) says, “Rapid
changes at any age are danger signals. Changes of short duration are usually due
to some artificial stimulation which temporarily causes the person to forget his
real self-concept and see him as he would like to be” (p. 122).
2.1.4.5 Condition Responsible for Personality Change
In a normal person, there are several causes of personality changes. These
causes may or may not be interrelated. Pertaining to the conditions responsible for
personality change, Gruen (1974) points out that “In most personality theories
adulthood is viewed as the period of relative stability” (as cited in Hurlock, 1974,
p. 124). It is presumed that, once adolescence is over, the personality structure no
longer undergoes major changes and that the behavior of adults can be described
to underlying patterns laid down in childhood. Therefore, adolescence, especially
the latter part of adolescence, is regarded as a critical age in personality
development. It is regarded as critical because of two reasons. First, this is the
time at which it is determined whether a person will be a mature, socially
conscious, and resolute adult or will be immature, dependent, frustrated, and
unsure of himself”. Second, the personality pattern, already well set, is either well
or poorly integrated by this time so far as any gap between the real and ideal selfconcepts is concerned.
Of the many conditions responsible for personality changes, Hurlock
(1974) states that the following are reported to be most important, namely:

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1) Physical changes
“Physical changes may come from maturation and decline or from illness,
organic and glanular disturbances, injuries, or some others condition resulting
from the person’s life pattern but unrelated to the normal changes of the body
structure. Marked physical changes, especially if they occur rapidly, do not give
the person time to adjust smoothly; and, as a result, they have greater influence on
his self-concept than slow or minor changes”.
2) Changes in the environment
A change in environment will not guarantee an improvement in
personality. Hurlock states that “to have a favorable effect on personality pattern,
changes in environment must do four things. First, they must improve the status of
the person and, by doing so, enable him to feel more secure and adequate. Second,
the changes must enable the person to be more in equilibrium with his
environment in the sense that the environment meets his needs at that time. Third,
the changes must enable to come closer to his ideal and fourth, by providing
opportunities for broader social experiences with people of different cultural
backgrounds and with different values and ideals, they must help the person see
himself more realistically and revise his goals and aspirations in keeping with his
abilities”.
3) Changes in significant people
“When the significant people in an individual’s life change, and when he
tries to adapt his patterns of behavior and his attitudes, beliefs, values, and
aspirations to theirs, changes in his personality pattern are inevitable”.

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4) Changes in social pressures
“As childhood progresses, the child becomes increasingly aware that some
personality traits are admired while some are disliked. And since everyone
normally has a strong desire to be accepted by those who are significant to him, he
tries to change any personality trait that will militate against his being accepted”.
5) Changes in roles
“Role changes result in status changes within the group. One’s role may
change because of a change in age. A child changes from being a dependent to
being an economically independent person when he is old enough to become a
wage earner. A change in one’s role my also come from changes in economic
conditions. Or a change in roles may be due to affiliation with a new group”.
6) Strong motivation
“When the motivation to improve personality pattern is strong enough,
changes can be effected. Ordinarily people are most strongly motivated to change
those traits that they believe will improve their social relationship and earn them
greater social acceptance. Even then, the changes are mainly quantitative; existing
socially approved traits strengthened and socially disapproved traits are
weakened”.
7) Changes in self-concept
“A change in the self-concept will bring about a change in the entire
personality pattern”.

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8) Psychotherapy
“Psychotherapy is based on the assumption that a poorly adjusted person
can make better adjustments if he is helped to develop a more favorable selfconcept”.
2. 2 Theoretical Framework
In this section, I explain the theories that are used to answer the problem
of this study. It is important because it can be the guidance to analyze the novel.
The theories involve the theory of critical approach, theory of character and
characterization, theory of motivation, and theory of personality development.
First, I use theory of critical approach to select the suitable approach to discuss the
novel. I choose psychological approach because this study focuses on the
psychological aspect of the character. Second, I use the theory of character