MATERIALISM AS SEEN THROUGH FAINALL IN WILLIAM CONGREVE’S THE WAY OF THE WORLD: A SATIRE ON SOCIAL CONDITION IN THE RESTORATION ERA
MATERIALISM AS SEEN THROUGH FAINALL IN WILLIAM CONGREVE’S THE WAY OF THE WORLD: A SATIRE ON SOCIAL CONDITION IN THE RESTORATION ERA AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
Yenny Paruang
Student Number: 064214093
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2010
MATERIALISM AS SEEN THROUGH FAINALL IN WILLIAM
CONGREVE’S THE WAY OF THE WORLD: A SATIRE ON
SOCIAL CONDITION IN RESTORATION ERA
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
Yenny Paruang
Student Number: 064214093
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2010
The thing always happens that you
really believe in; and the belief in a
thing makes it happen.
-Frank Loyd Wright-
It is not enough to do your best;
you must know what to do, and
THEN do your best.
-W. Edwards Deming-
Dedicated to My beloved parents, and family
& My lovely friends…
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, my first gratitude goes to my Almighty God, Jesus Christ, who has given me a wonderful life, especially the four years I have spent in college. Thank you for Your guiding and protection so that I can finish this undergraduate thesis. Thank you for being my Savior and Your priceless love. I believe all of the things which happen in my life are because of Your blessing.
My deepest gratitude goes to my beloved parents, ‘mama’ and ‘bapak’ who support me with their love, patience and prayer. I thank God because they are my parents. Without them I will never be who presently I am. Next, I would like to thank my lovely sisters Kak Upik, Kak Idha and my young brother, Alprian. Thank you for your love, support, and advice which make me grow up. To my dear lovely niece and nephew, Michelle and Kevin, thank you for the happiness and cheerfulness that you bring into my life.
I would like to thank my advisor, Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum for helping me in writing this thesis. I really thank him for his patient guidance, time, suggestions and idea in improving my thesis. I would also like to thank my co advisor, Tatang Iskarna S.S., M.Hum for his time to check my thesis. My appreciation also goes to all lecturers in English Letters Department, thank you for the wonderful experience, upbringing, knowledge and guidance. I could never forget all the kindness of your heart.
My gratefulness also goes to Sita. Thank you for being my teacher and for the sharing of life, it makes me grow up. To all of my lovely friends Rere, Ira, Puput, Danas, Dewi, and Vero who accompany me in passing my life in Jogja. Thank you for the wonderful friendship that all of you has given to me. I will never forget all experiences and madness that we did. I know we have faced many things, happiness, tears, and pain. It is my pleasure to have you guys as my friends.
To all of my wonderful friends in English Letters USD’ 06 especially class D, Bibi, ‘genk gong’ (Rina, Suster Kharita, Fika, Inkan, and Elsa), Dea, Nungky, and the boys, Wahyu, Hasan, Kiky, Ryon, Totok, Tzin, etc. Thank you for the unforgettable moment that we have spent together.
I also would like to thank my second family in Jogja, PMK EFATA, Natalia, Esther, Mb Wahyu, Mb Asih, Mb Silvi, Yonas, Mas Bayu, etc. Thank you for teaching me what God’s purpose in my life is. I am terribly sorry for not mentioning the names of my friends one by one, but it is my honor to know all of you. GBU…!!!
Yenny Paruang
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ……………………………………………………………… iAPPROVAL PAGE ……………………………………………………….. ii
…………………………………………………… iii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE
……………………………………………………………… iv
MOTO PAGE DEDICATION PAGE …………………………………………………….. v
ACKNOLEDGEMENTS PAGE …………………………………………. vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………………. viii
LEMBAR PERYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA……………………… x
ILIMAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………….. xi
ABSTRAK …………………………………………………………………. xii
…………………………………………
1 CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study ………………………………………...
1 B. Problem Formulation ……………………………………………...
4 C. Objectives of Study ……………………………………………….
4 D. Definition of Terms ……………………………………………….
5 CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ………………………………..
8 A. Review of Related Studies ………………………………………...
8 B. Review of Related Theories ……………………………………….
12
1. Theory of Character and Characterization ………………….…
12
2. Theory of Satire …………………………………………..……
14 3. The Relationship between Literature and Society ….…...……..
16 C. Review of Restoration Era in England …………………...………..
17 D. Theoretical Framework …………………..………………..………
22 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ……………………………..………….
24 A. Object of the Study …………………………………...……………
24 B. Approach of the Study ………………………………...…………...
25 C. Method of the Study …………………………………...…………..
25 ……………………………………..…………..
28 CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS A. The Characterization of Fainall ………………………….………...
28 B. Materialism Depicted through Character of Fainall ……………….
36 1. Fainall’s Perspective on Marriage ……………………………..
36
2. Fainall’s Greed toward Money and Estate …………………….
38 3. Fainall’s Life Style …………………………………………....
42 C. Satires on Society in Restoration Era As Seen through Character of Fainall ……………………………………………….
43 ……………………………………….…….
55 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………………………………………………………
58 APPENDIX …………………………………………………………………..
61
ABSTRACT
YENNY PARUANG. Materialism As Seen through Fainall in William
Congreve’s The Way of the World: A Satire on Social Condition in Restoration
Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma Era. University, 2010.
The Way of the World is a play which is written by William Congreve to
satirize the social condition in Restoration Era which is the time when the author lived. The play is about the life and relationship of the people who are from middle and high social status. This thesis focuses on one character in the play which shows the characteristic of most of people in Restoration Era, the character is Fainall. Fainall is used by the author as the satire toward the materialistic society at that time.
This undergraduate thesis analyzes three main problems. The first is to analyze the characterization of Fainall as the main character of the play. The second is to analyze the materialistic side of Fainall which reveal the materialistic society in Restoration Era. The third is to find out the satires on materialistic society in Restoration Era based on the analysis in previous discussion.
The study of the play was conducted through library research using related books and internet resources. The writer did some steps in the process of the analysis. First, the writer used the theory of character and characterization to describe Fainall’s characteristic. Second, the writer used some definitions of materialism to analyze Fainall’s materialistic side. Third, the writer used the theory of satire and socialcultural-historical approach since the main point of the thesis to find out the satire that the author used to satirize the materialistic society in Restoration Era through Fainall’s character..
In the play, Fainall is described as a nobleman, a disloyal and offensive husband, also a lavish, foolish and impolite person. He is never described as a good person. Another of his characteristics is a materialistic person. His materialistic side is present on some evidences. First, he marries his wife only for money purpose, it is the satire toward the marriage institution at that time which is used as economic contract. Second, he is not satisfied with his wife’s fortune, he also wants to control Millamant’s fortune, his wife’ cousin and his mother in law‘s estate. It shows the greediness of the society at that time toward money. Third, he likes to spend his wife’s money to have fun, it satirize the life style of aristocratic class which only considers about their reputation in society. Congreve uses Fainall’s materialistic side as the satire toward the materialistic society in Restoration Era. This play is considered as a satire since it aims to correct the society. From the conducted analysis, it is proven that William Congreve’s The Way of the World is a satire to the materialistic society in Restoration Era.
ABSTRAK
YENNY PARUANG. Materialism As Seen through Fainall in William
Congreve’s The Way of the World: A Satire on Social Condition in Restoration
Era. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata
Dharama, 2010.
The Way of The World adalah sebuah drama yang dikarang oleh William
Congreve untuk menyatir kondisi sosial pada Era Restorasi yang merupakan era dimana dia hidup. Drama ini mengisahkan kehidupan dan hubungan baik masyarakat golongan menengah dan atas. Skripsi ini fokus pada satu tokoh didalam drama ini yang menunjukan sifat kebanyakan orang pada Era Restorasi, tokoh tersebut adalah Fainall. Fainall digunakan oleh pengarang sebagai sindiran terhadap masyarakat matrelialistis pada saat itu.
Skripsi ini menganalisa tiga pokok masalah. Pertama untuk menganalisa penokohan Fainall sebagai tokoh utama di dalam drama. Kedua untuk menganalisa sifat matrealistis dari Fainall untuk mengukap sifat matrealistis masyarakat di Era Restorasi berdasarkan analisis di pembahasan sebelumnya.
Analisa naskah drama dilakukan dengan studi pustaka menggunakan buku, serta sumber-sumber dari internet. Penulis membuat beberapa langkah dalam proses analisa, pertama, penulis menggunakan teori tokoh dan penokohan untuk menggambarkan karakteristik dari Fainall. Kedua, penulis menggunakan beberapa definisi materialisme untuk menganalisa sifat matrealistis Fainall. Ketiga, penulis menggunakan teori satire dan pendekatan sosio kultural-historikal melihat tujuan utama thesis ini adalah menemukan sindiran yang digunakan pengarang untuk menyindir masyarakat matrealistis di Era Restorasi melalui sifat matrealistis Fainall.
Dalam drama ini, Fainall digambarkan sebagai seorang bangsawan, suami yang tidak setia dan suka menghina, serta orang yang boros, bodoh, dan tidak sopan. Dia tidak pernah digambarkan sebagai orang baik. Sifatnya yang lain adalah orang yang matrealistis. Sisi matrealistis ditunjukkan dengan beberapa bukti. Pertama, dia menikahi istrinya hanya demi uang, ini merupakan sindiran terhadap lembaga pernikahan pada saat itu yang digunakan sebagai kontrak ekonomi. Kedua, dia tidak pernah puas dengan harta milik istrinya, dia juga ingin menguasai harta Millaman, sepupu istrinya, dan tanah kepunyaan ibu mertuanya. Hal ini menunjukkan sifat masyarakat tamak terhadap uang pada saat itu. Ketiga, dia suka menghabiskan uang istrinya untuk bersenang-senang. Hal ini menyindir gaya hidup kalangan atas yang hanya berpikir reputasi mereka di masyarakat. Congreve menggunakan sifat matrealistis Fainall sebagai sindiran terhadap masyarakat yang matrealistis di Era Restorasi. Drama ini dikategorikan sebagai sindiran (satir) karena bertujuan untuk meluruskan penyimpangan dalam masyarakat. Dari analisa yang telah dilakukan, terbukti bahwa The Way of The World karya William Congreve adalah sindiran terhadap masyarakat matrealistis di Era Restorasi.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study One of the best ways to convey someone’s opinion of something is through
literary works. It also happens to William Congreve. He tries to convey his idea about economy, politics, and culture through his literary works. One of his best works (plays) at the time is the Way of the World (1894) which is premiered in 1700 in theater in This play itself is one of the restoration comedies which concern on political policies or philosophical doctrines, or else attacks deviations from the social order by making ridiculous the violators of its standards of morals and manners.
The Restoration age was highly self conscious, particularly about the social practice in Elizabethans period distinguished it from pre-Commonwealth England, and Restoration comedy provided the main literary expression for this self- consciousness (Ford, 1957: 156).
The play is made in Restoration period. The name is taken from the restoration of the Stuart line (Charles II) to the English throne in 1660, at the end of the commonwealth; it is specified as lasting until 1700 (Abrams, 1993:151). Chin states in his book Glencoe Literature about the literature during this time that:
During the seventeenth century, rather serious poetic types were common. Wit, or cleverness, was regarded as a characteristic of greatness and satire was prized in works of literature.
2 However, by the end of the century, writers and Readers had had enough of wit and turned to their emotions (2000: 459-460).
It means that type of literary works which is popular during the seventeenth century or restoration period is the works which show the wit or satirist toward the social, politics, economics, etc at that time.
This writer tries to analyze Congreve’s The Way of the World with Sociocultural Historical Approach as its approach. By using this approach, the writer wants to figure out what happened in the society at the time, so the writer will know the relation between the play and the society at that time. After reading this play there is an interesting thing about the characters, almost all of the characters have similarity in characteristic. Almost all of them are thinking of material or money than love or friendship. It makes us realize that materialistic does not only exist in lower class thinking but also the middle class and upper class’s thinking. But, the writer will only focus only on one character, Fainall, who is the antagonist character, besides he represents the definition of materialism. Fainall is a money oriented character and will do everything to maintain his status social although what he does will hurt other people.
There are several reasons why the writer chooses this play. The first reason, the play is the best play of comedy manner in Restoration Era. The main goal of the comedies of manners in the period of Restoration is to mock the society, or in other ways to lift up society for scrutiny, which could cause negative or positive results. In the end, if the playwright has been successful, the audience will leave the theater
3 feeling good (or at least feeling something), having laughed at themselves and society <http://classiclit.about.com/cs/articles/a/aa_restoration.htm>. It means that comedy manner is the type of play which portrays the society or reality condition of people at the time, so when the people the play, they would see portray of themselves in the characters. It is interesting because the writer will not only learn the play but also the history of England which is the background of the play. Another source states:
Congreve’s “comedy of manners” takes the fashionable or conventional social behavior of the time as the principle subject of satire. Conflicts that arise between and among characters are prompted by affected and artificial social mores, especially with respect to relationships between the sexes. Social pretenses and plot complications abound in The Way of the World. Women are compelled to act coyly and to dissemble in courtship, couples deceive one another in marriage, friends are double-dealing, and conquests have more to do with dowries and convenience than love. All moral principle is risked for the sake of reputation and money <http://www.answers.com/topic/the-way- of-the-world-play-3>.
.
It means that Congreve in the play presents the common life of society in Restoration period. He tries to satirize society that does not care about the relationship between sexes, and they think that money or reputation is more valuable than that kind of relationship.
The second reason is Congreve as the playwright is something of an outsider, having been brought up in Ireland, and perhaps the outsider’s eye give him a privileged viewpoint on the society he portray with such insight, sympathy, and wit (Carter and McRae, 1997: 146). The writer’s reasons actually want to show that the play is interesting to be read and it brings much knowledge about moral for the readers.
4 Later, the writer will show the relation between the social lives in Restoration era and the play by figuring out how the historical background of the time will explain the purposes of the play and why the author makes the materialistic characters to satirize the social condition at that time.
B. Problem Formulation
1. How is the character of Fainall presented in the play?
2. How is materialism depicted through the character of Fainall?
3. In what way does the character of Fainall satirize the social condition in Restoration Era?
C. Objectives of the Study
There are three purposes why the above problem formulations are made. First, based on the first problem, the writer tries to see the Fainall character in Congreve’s . It is really helpful to identify the character of Fainall in this
the Way of the World
play. Secondly, based on the second question, the writer tries to find out the materialism which is depicted through the character of Fainall. The third is to figure out the social condition at that time which is portrayed through Fainall as the materialistic character.
D. Definition of Terms
Definition of terms is used to give clear understanding about the meaning of some words used in this study. Its function is to avoid misunderstanding on the readers. There several terms which are used in this study are as follows.
5
1. Materialism
Materialism refers to how a person or group chooses to spend their resources, particularly money and time. Literally, a materialist is a person for whom collecting material goods is an important priority. In common use, the word more specifically refers to a person who primarily pursues wealth and luxury. Sometimes such a person displays conspicuous consumption which is a term used to describe the lavish spending on goods and services acquired mainly for the purpose of displaying income or wealth. In the mind of a conspicuous consumer, such display serves as a means of attaining or maintaining social status.
< .htm> Besides, according to Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture, materialism is defined as “great interest in and desire for possession, money, etc. rather than spiritual matters, art, etc. (1992:82). The other theorist also states the same thing Paul Edward on Journal of Philosophy states that materialism is a general view about what actually exist. It means that Paul try to show that materialism talk about everything that we can see, and touch, for example: money, possession, etc. rather than spiritual matters which we can not see.
Based on the topic of the writer, definition of materialism which is suitable with the topic is the first and the second definition. Because, what the writer wants to figure out from the play is the materialistic character who put money, property, and class status social on the highest level of their life or related to economic matters.
6
2. Satire
The literary art diminishing or derogating a subject by making it ridiculous and evoking toward it attitudes or amusement, contempt, scorn, or indignation (Abrams, 1993:187). Satire occurs as an incidental element within numerous works whose overall mode is not satiric in a certain character or situation, or in an interpolated passage of ironic commentary on some aspect of the human condition or contemporary society (1993:188). Wherever wit is employed to expose something foolish or vicious to criticism, there satire exists (The New Encyclopedia Britannica, 1979: 268).
eleventh edition,
3. Restoration Era
This period takes its name from the restoration of the Stuart line (Charles II) to the English throne in 1660, at the end of the Commonwealth. It is specified as lasting until 1700. The urbanity, wit, and licentiousness of the life centering on the court, in sharp contrast to the seriousness and sobriety of the earlier Puritan regime, is reflected in much of literature of this age (Abrams, 1993:151).
According to Rowse in his book The Spirit of English History as was society of the restoration, its achievements in the arts, science and economic progress, the period was unsatisfactory and disappointing politically (1947: 73).
Chin in his book Glencoe Literature states that after King Charles died, his brother replaced his position. He didn’t really succeed in leading England that time.
Later, the parliament asked Charles daughter Mary in and her Dutch Protestant
7 husband William to replace James in 1688 (2000: 460). The restoration replaced the probing, risk-taking intellectual values of the renaissance. It relied on reason and on facts rather than on speculation (Carter and McRae, 1997:129).
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW This chapter consists of four parts. The first part is the review of the related
studies which consists of the criticism toward William Congreve and his play The . The second part is the review related theories which consist of the
Way of the World
theory on Characters and Characterization, theory of satire and the Relationship between Literature and Society. The third part is review of historical background England in Restoration Era. The last part is the theoretical framework.
A. Review of Related Studies
Edward Albert states in his book A History of English Literature that Congreve is undoubtedly the greatest of Restoration comedy writers. In his work the comedy of manners reaches perfection. His plays are faithful of the upper-class of his day, but their undoubted immorality is saved from being objectionable by brilliant wit, a hard finish, and a total lack of realism (1955: 167). Albert shows one of the characteristic of Congreve’s literary works that talk about the life of aristocrat at the time.
One of the books which analyze the play The Way of the World is the thesis by Antonius Adhi Irianto’s Impoliteness in William Congreve’s The Way of the , he uses the play as the object of study of his thesis. But, he analyzes the thesis
World
from pragmatic perspective (linguistic approach). He takes Berkowitz’s statement
9 that the study of impoliteness also can be applied in this play since Congreve compares the society of the Earl, a British nobleman ranking below a marquis and, and the lower class people. These people often undergo the state of disequilibrium since the Earl in that Restoration period often deceives others who lower class than them. There are also various intrigues talking about love and money which make them deceive each other and create conflictive situations (2004: 2).
From the above statement the writer wants to say that impoliteness which is done by the characters in the play. The characters who are educated people and from rich family behave like uneducated people and they are like those from lower class. It looks funny because they behave unsuitable with their status. Actually, it is one of the satires in the play for upper class in the restoration period.
While in one of the scenes in The Way of the World, Carter and McRae state in their book History of Literature in English: Britain and Ireland analyze that: Congreve raises many of his contemporaries is acute observation of the social and emotional pressures on characters who are more richly drawn than traditional stereotypes (1997: 146). Carter and McRae want to say that as the author, Congreve concerns on the social condition of his time. It is shown through his play which presents the social condition and the society that show their common characters.
In England, the comedy of manners is represented by the plays of William Wycherley, George Etherege, William Congreve, and George Farquhar. This form
10 was later classed "Old Comedy" but is now known as Restoration Comedy because it coincided with Charles II's return to England.
Based on the three review related studies above, the writer concludes that William Congreve was the author who made his literary works to criticize the social condition during his life. One of his best works is The Way of the World which is also the best restoration comedies which ever exists in Restoration Era until now.
Congreve’s The Way of the World, commonly considered the finest of Restoration comedies, is also their quintessence, hardly an incident or character or dialogue being original. Congreve perfects the common mode, adding to it a nicety of feeling and phrasing, His main contemporaries are individual in their divergences from the mode (Ford, 1957: 165). It means that the play is the best drama comedy in Restoration Era.
The comedy at that time is much more successful than the tragedy. It is directly according to the comedies of Ben Jonson but tries for more refinement while displaying less strength. In a cool, satiric spirit, it criticizes middle-class ambition and other variations from the courtly social norm, of which the canons are aristocratic good taste and good sense, rarely conventional morality. In the eyes of succeeding generations, the chief defects of Restoration comedy are its reduction of sentiment and emotion to silliness and its frequent amorality. Reaction against this type of comedy, known as the comedy of manners, already had developed by the time that its greatest practitioner, William Congreve, was displaying his subtle artistry in Love
11
For Love (1695) and The Way of the World (1700) <http://www.angielski- online.pl/literatura/60-angielska-literatura-piekna/248-english-literature?start=4>.
The above statement shows that William Congreve is the author who does not want to be dictated by the authority or rules. He conveys his opinion about something openly without any forces from anybody else. It also happens when he makes his play, he conveys his opinion about the social condition at the time openly.
The playwrights of the 1690s set out to appeal to more socially mixed audiences with a strong element, and to female spectators, for instance by moving the war between the sexes from the arena of intrigue into that of marriage. Congreve is the writer who is also the part of the writers in 1690’s. In the Way of the
World , he satirizes the middle class people who are the most successful business
family from banking, industry, large scale commerce.The English comedies of this time, Congreve’s included, take the manners of high society and the aristocracy as material for satire, focusing their attention <.
Morally speaking, the general heartlessness of all the plays mentioned (except ) and the triviality of what is so elaborately displayed are
The Way of the World
innutrient. But they stand or fall not on such grounds but on their virtuosity as stage entertainment, by characters which for stage –purposes are bold and actable, and by speech which, if often tedious to close scrutiny, electrifies, the ear with unexpected simile, realistic imagery, and pungent vernacular.
12 This thesis focuses on the reflection of Social Condition in Restoration Era through the materialistic character in this play. The writer wants to show the materialistic society, especially middle class or bourgeois people at Restoration Era which is reflected through the materialistic characters in The Way of the World. Some of the studies will help the writer to enrich her study.
B. Review of Related Theories
This paper uses three theories as the base to analyze the play. The first theory for the study is the theory of character and characterization. The second theory is the satire in literature works. The third theory is the relationship between literature and society.
1. Theory of Characters and Characterization
One of the most important elements in play is characters. The simple meaning of character is someone in a literary work that has some sort of identity (it needn’t be a strong one) an identity which is made up by appearance, conversation, action, name and (possibly) thoughts going on in the head (Gill, 1996: 127). This means the character is the person taking part in the story, although he/she does not have any significant role.
According to Abrams, the characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say, the
13 dialogue, and by what they do, the action. Derived from both of the definition, the conclusion is that the character is not only talking about the name of person in the literary works but also whole aspects of the character, e.g. the dialogue, action, behavior, etc (1981:21). The statement emphasizes that the character is not only about the name of character but the whole, includes his/her speech, action, behavior, etc.
There are many ways to show the characteristic of the character in literary works. In the book Understanding Unseen, M.J Murphy (1972: 161-173) states the nine ways to identify the characteristic of character in literary works.
a. Personal description. The author can describe a person’s appearances and clothes.
The readers can identify the characteristic of character easily because the author has described the character directly.
b. Character as seen by another. Instead of describing a character easily, the author can describe the character through the eyes and opinions by others.
c. Speech. The author can give us an insight into the character of the persons in the book through what the person says. Whenever the speaker speaks, whenever he is in conversation with another, whenever he puts forward an opinion, he is giving us some clues to his character.
d. Past life. By letting the readers learn something a person’s past life, the author can give us a clue to events that have helped to shape person’s character. This can be done by a direct comment by the author through the person’s thought, through his conversation or through the medium of another person.
14 e. Conversation of others. The author can also give clue to person’s character through the conversation of other people and the things they say about him. People do talk about other people and the things they say often give a clue to the character of the speaker spoken about.
f. Reaction. The author can also give clue to person’s character by letting us know how that person reacts to various situations and events.
g. Direct comment. The author can describe or comment on a person’s character directly.
h. Thought. The author can give us direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. In this respect he is able to do what we cannot do in real life. i. Mannerisms. The author can describe a person mannerism, habits or idiosyncrasies which may tell us something about his character.
2. Theory of Satire
According to Abrams, satire is the literary art of diminishing or derogating a subject by making it ridiculous and evoking toward it attitudes of amusement, contempt, scorn, or indignation. It differs from the comic in that comedy evokes laughter mainly as end in itself, while satire ‘derides’, that is, it uses laughter as a weapon, and against a butt that exist outside the work itself. (1981: 187).
The other theory defines satire as a literary manner that blends a critical attitude with humor and wit for the purpose of improving human institutions or humanity. Satire is divided into two types; first type is formal (or direct) satire, in
15 which satiric voice speaks, usually in the first person, either directly to the reader or to character in the satire, the second types is indirect satire, in which the satire is expressed through a narrative and the characters or groups who are ridiculed not by what is said about them but by what themselves say and do. Most great literary works use the second type of satire (Holman and Horman, 1986: 447-448).
Besides, Chris Baldick in his book The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary states that satire is writing, which shows the imperfection of people,
Terms institutions, or communities in the form of ridicule and contempt (1990: 198).
Satire is often strictly defined as a and performing arts. In satire, human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision, or other methods, ideally with the intent to bring about improvement. Although satire is usually meant to be funny, the purpose of satire is not primarily humour in itself so much as an attack on something of which the author strongly disapproves, using the weapon of <http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Satire>.
Satire is used by the authors to criticize the defect of people, society, etc, with form of wit and humor. So, in the end of the literary works, the audiences or readers will laugh without realizing that what they see or read is actually about them.
16
3. The Relationship between Literature and Society
According to Wellek and Warren in their book Theory of Literature, state that literature is a social institution, using as its medium language, a social creation (1956:94).
They also state that the relation between literature and society is usually discussed by starting with the phrase, derived from De Bonald, that ‘literature is an expression of society’. They state three classifications of the relations between literature and society (1956:95).
First, there is the sociology of the writer and the profession and institutions of literature, the whole question of the economic basis of literary production, the social provenance and status social of the writer, his social ideology, which may find expression in extra literary pronouncements and actives for example: author’s social status, allegiance, and ideology,
Second, there is the problem of the social content, the implications and social purpose of the works of literature themselves. Third, there are the problem of the audience and the actual social influence of literature (1956: 95-97).
In addition, much of the most approach to the relations of literature and society is the study of works of literature as social documents, as assumed pictures of social reality. Used of a social document, literature can be made to yield the outlines of social history (1956:102-103). On the other hand, it means that literary works are the portraits of social condition in certain time.
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C. Review on the Restoration Era in England
The society is the part of the novel. It is really needed to find out the condition of the society. The play was made in 1700. This period of time is the time in Restoration Era which was began from 1660 until 1702 (Leguouis and Cazamian, 1960: 591).
Chin in his book Glencoe Literature states that after King Charles died, his brother replaced his position. He didn’t really succeed in leading England that time.
Later, the parliament asked Charles daughter Mary in and her Dutch Protestant husband William to replace James in 1688 (2000: 460). The restoration replaced the probing, risk-taking intellectual values of the renaissance. It relied on reason and on facts rather than on speculation (Carter and McRae, 1997:129).
In book History of English Literature Leguouis and Cazamian state from the political point of view the modern development of the English people dates from 1688, but the moral and literary the date is 1660. Many innovations have been introduced by the Puritan Republic. A new society and new literature begin in 1660.
The government, the social life, and the manners are undergoing a process of transformation (1960: 591-592).
In the history of Restoration Era have been stating that the new class which emerged at the time is ‘middle class’. There was not only high class and low class but there was new kind of society which was called middle class. One of the effects from the Industrial Revolution at the time is the emerging of bourgeois people/middle class
18 (they were a family of land owners) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_class>.
There were many events happened at that time, one of them was the beginning
th th of industrial revolution which happened from the end of 17 up to the 19 century.
The Industrial Revolution brought with it lasting changed the economy and society in general. People began to migrate from their rural farms to urban communities to find jobs in factories although they had good life in farms. The result is a new class distinction emerged. Those who owned factories or controlled production were called ‘capitalists’ and were considered to be in a higher social class than workers (Carter and McRae, 1997:129).
Before the Industrial Revolution, less than 10 per cent of the people of Europe lived in cities. The rest lived in small towns and villages scattered across the countryside. These people spent most of their working day farming. And, after the Industrial Revolution, the demand for British goods grew rapidly during the late 1700's both in Britain and in other countries. This demand forced businesses to compete with one another for the limited supply of labor and raw materials, which raised production costs. The rising costs of production began to cut into profits. Further demand could not be satisfied until Britain enlarged its capacity to produce
19 goods inexpensively. The merchants achieved their goal through the development of factories, machines, and technical skills. It became attraction for the people in farm land to migrate to urban city, for example London. <http://www.puhsd.k12.ca.us/chana/staffpages/eichman/Adult_School/world/fall/ind ustrial/1/england.htm>.
People tried to find a better life. People did not only migrate but also had an alternation of mindset of life. Before the Industrial Revolution, they only needed money to fulfill their principal needs, but after this industry, they became a person who was looking for money to fulfill their needs which were no really principle.
This event made people at the time spent most of their time to work and work. They work so hard to get much money and to raise their class status. It made them have time for their family, and to make relation with other people, etc. In other word, the society in restoration era was money oriented society.
Maurice Ashley in his book England in the Seventeenth Century states that expect for the merchants who stuck to their last in the City of London and a handful of domestic servants and miners who worked every day from dawn until dusk, almost every body was to some extents interested in the land in seventeenth century.
According to Gregory King, who supplied us with some agreeably useful statistics relating to the population of England and Wales in 1688, there were then 64,000 merchants had begun engaged in trade (1952:16). It means that merchant as the middle class at that time showed their materialism by putting the servants to work in
20 trade from early morning until night to get a lot of benefit from them. They did not care about other people feeling or tiredness that were in this case the servants who need time to spend with their family.
Ashley also states “The old English gentry were powerfully reinforced in late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries by an influx from the professional and mercantile classes. Lawyers, government officials, and successful merchants bought land not only to better their social standing, but also to increase their income” (1952:18). It means that people of the time in working or doing everything not only think how to increase their reputation or class status in society but also how to get much money. They were not satisfied with what they have now, they wanted more and more.