AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of
Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
REGINA SRIHARTATI
Student Number: 024214084
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of
Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
REGINA SRIHARTATI
Student Number: 024214084
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
iv
“Duty,…Begin it early,
and do it well;
and there is no antecedent to it,
in any origin or station,
that will tell against us with the Almighty,
or with ourselves.”
v
vi
First of all I want to express my gratitude to Jesus Christ. That I can finish
this thesis is really a big gift that Jesus gives to me.
During the making of the thesis, I get much help and support from many
people. I would like to say thanks to them. The help is very worthy for me.
I would like to express my sincerest and deepest gratitude to my major
advisor, Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M. Hum. , and my co advisor, Tatang Iskarna,
S.S., M. Hum. I am deeply grateful for their important advice, suggestions and
generous assistance during the working of my thesis.
I also would to thank all the members of the teaching staff of the English
Letters Department of Sanata Dharma University for giving me valuable
knowledge during my study in English Letters. I also want to thank all the
administrative staff, secretariat staff, and library staff, who have given many help
for the completion of my thesis.
My biggest and best gratitude goes to my beloved parents, Stefanus
Suparjono and Irene Ikawaty. Thanks for the love, support, and prayers. I also
would like to thank my brothers, Augustinus Maria Harjanto and Theodor
Hartarto, for all my uncles, aunts, and cousins. Thank you so much for the
immensely much help and for always giving me motivation.
I would like to thank all my friends the 2002 of English Letters
friends from other faculties in Sanata Dharma University, my friends in the
boarding house, my friends in Jogjakarta, my friends in my hometown, and my
other friends everywhere. Our friendship means much for me, and thank you so
much for everything. Thank you for everyone that can not be mentioned one by
one.
ix
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ... iii
MOTTO PAGE ... iv
DEDICATION PAGE ... v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... vi
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ... viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... ix
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW ... 7
A. Review of Related Studies ... 7
B. Review of Related Theories ... 9
1. Theories of Character and Characterization ... 9
2. Theories of Message ... 11
C. Theoretical Framework ... 14
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY ... 16
A. Object of the Study ... 16
B. Approach of the Study ... 17
C. Method of the Study ... 18
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS ... 21
A. Description of the Characters ... 21
1. Amy Dorrit ... 21
2. Arthur Clennam ... 34
3. William Dorrit ... 45
4. Mrs. Clennam ... 52
B. Possible Message Seen from the Characters ... 56
1. The Meaning of Dutiful Life and in the Real Love ... 57
2. The Rights of Giving Essence in One’s Life ... 61
3. The Unworthiness of Being Wealthy but Forgetting Love.. 65
4. The Uselessness of Anger and Keeping Hatred and Grudge to Others ... 68
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION ... 74
BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 78
APPENDICES
xi
Deparment of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
Charles Dickens’ novel entitled Little Dorrit which is published in 1954 becomes the object of this study. The study focuses its discussion on the possible messages revealed from the characters. The content of the story points out Dickens’ view about life lesson that every existence of human must have its meaning, and human have rights to give meaning in their life for avoiding a useless existence.
The aims of this study are first to analyze the characters. They are Amy Dorrit, Arthur Clennam, William Dorrit, and Mrs. Clennam. The second aim is to point out the possible messages found in the characters.
The study uses formalistic criticism as the approach to analyze the novel. Formalistic criticism analyzes the novel on the intrinsic elements. This study discusses the possible messages related to one intrinsic element, i. e. the characters.
xii
Deparment of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
Novel Charles Dickens berjudul Little Dorrit yang dipublikasikan pada tahun 1954 menjadi objek penelitian. Penelitian berfokus pada diskusi tentang pesan yang terungkap dari karakter. Isi cerita menunjukkan pandangan Dickens tentang pelajaran kehidupan bahwa setiap keberadaan manusia di dunia pasti memiliki arti, dan manusia mempunyai hak untuk memberi arti pada hidupnya agar tidak menjadi keberadaan yang tidak bermakna.
Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah pertama untuk menganalisa karakter-karakter dalam novel. Karakter-karakter-karakter yang dimaksud adalah Amy Dorrit, Arthur Clennam, William Dorrit, dan Mrs. Clennam. Tujuan kedua adalah untuk menunjukkan pesan yang didapat dari karakter.
Penelitian menggunakan sudut pandang formalistik sebagai pendekatan untuk menganalisa novel. Sudut pandang formalistik menganalisa novel pada intrinsik element. Penelitian mendiskusikan pesan dengan yang dihubungkan dengan satu intrinsik element, yaitu karakter.
1 A. Background of the Study
A literary work is one way that the author chooses as the expression of his
ideas and experiences about life. When we read a literary work, there are always
some experiences about life. It is because in a literary work, there is the
representation of human’s feelings and thoughts. It is very interesting to read any
piece of literary work. It gives enjoyment and pleasure to the readers because any
literary work has their own richness.
Novel then becomes the form of literature from which readers may obtain
pleasure, excitement, and understanding about life as well since it portrays human
life. What is conveyed in the literary work can give the readers a new vision.
Through the description of its element, including the characters, the settings, the
plot, the theme, and or the complex problems between characters, people in
general read, analyze and get valuable things, which are called the messages.
Frank Norris states that a literary work can function as a means of
communication:
“Actually the communication interlaced between a literary work and its readers always implies esthetical messages, even philosophical and intellectual values that will contribute for sensitivity of surrounding” (1970: 237).
It means that when a writer writes a literary work, there is a message
there is a certain message that the author wants the readers also feel. And for that
purpose, there are many aspects in the novel that the author can use as a means to
convey the message. These aspects open the reader’s awareness of signals or
messages that the writer wants to tell through his work.
In this thesis, I would like to analyze Dickens’ novel Little Dorrit. With
Little Dorrit, Charles Dickens touches upon a subject near and dear to his own heart; that of having a father who is incarcerated in Debtor’s Prison. There is a
rhetoric of sympathy and irony about Dickens’ childhood memories of his father’s
imprisonment in the Marshalsea Prison that can be felt in Little Dorrit. Dickens sets the novel in the 1820’s, around the time his father is an inmate in the
Marshalsea, but virtually ignores that time period during the novel in favor of the
middle of 1850’s introducing many anachronisms. Much of the story refers to a
remote time early in the nineteenth century; much of it is actually recalled and
copied from the life of Dickens’ father in the old Marshalsea Prison.
Little Dorrit, like many of Charles Dickens’ novels, has an extensive cast of characters. Despite the number of characters in the novel, each character can be
recognized and remembered although being left unmentioned for several chapters.
It is due to the characterization technique that is presented by Charles Dickens in
his works. One of the methods that he employs to enhance the uniqueness of his
characters involves describing them connected to their surroundings. He creates
landscapes and residences that are parallel to the essence of the character found
characters. The focus on this study as a means to reveal the message is the
characters.
Little Dorrit takes London as the setting of place, where in that, most actions take place on Circumlocution Office, Marshalsea Debtors’ Prison, and
Mrs. Clennam’s House. The setting of time is set in the 1850’s of the Victorian
Era. But from the settings, Dickens gives picture about the society’s condition in
London in the 1820’s of the Victorian Era, where government bodies in the
Victorian age officials do nothing, slowly, and are represented in the character of
Barnacles. In Little Dorrit, Charles Dickens introduces a new kind of heroine. She is Amy Dorrit or Little Dorrit. Little Dorrit’s character is interesting because
although she is the heroine of the story, she is not the most beautiful character. On
the contrary, she is very ordinary, but what is special in her that is her strong will,
her earnest heart, etc, like what is explained in the characters’ analysis. Not only
Little Dorrit, other characters in the novel are also interesting to discuss. A
discussion on character, no doubt, is always interesting since characters are those
who do action becoming the focus of readers’ attention. What is discussed in
characters’ analysis is the physical appearance and the personalities by
considering their relation with the settings.
As what has been told before that the major character in the novel is Amy
Dorrit or usually called Little Dorrit. In Little Dorrit, it is stated clearly the strength of soul of Amy Dorrit and her resistance toward every problem around
her. She is born in Marshalsea debtors’ prison at the time when her father is a
she is not ashamed being born in the prison. She has simple life and thinking, but
has very strong character. The novel later tells much about the life journey of
Amy Dorrit, and her relation to other characters. The novel ends happily with
Amy and Arthur’s marriage. Arthur is the man major character in the novel. This
research will try to find the message after analyzing the contribution of the
characters in the novel.
In the literary work, there are intrinsic elements, such as characters, plot,
setting, theme, atmosphere, and tone. There are also extrinsic elements, such as
the biography of the writer and historical background. As this study means to
reveal the message in the novel, then this research will give attention only to the
intrinsic element. This study takes one intrinsic element to become the focus for
this research, that is the characters. The characters to be analyzed in this study are
Amy Dorrit, Arthur Clennam, William Dorrit, and Mrs. Clennam. The reason why
the writer chooses the characters as the focus of the analysis is because the writer
thinks that message in Little Dorrit can be found by analyzing the characters in the novel.
A literary work must have its own message, or the signal that the author
creates in his work for the readers to know. As for Dickens’ Little Dorrit, the author conveys a message through the story and I will explore it in this study. By
analyzing the characters in the novel, the writer hopes to find the message that the
novel actually wants to say to the readers.
The research problems will be systematically arranged and answered based
B. Problem Formulation
In order to facilitate the discussion, the writer will formulate the problem
in a structured way so that it will achieve its determined objectives. Those two
problems are:
1. How are the characters described in the novel?
2. What messages are revealed in the description of the characters?
C. Objectives of the Study
The aim of this study is to find out the answers of the problems arising in
the problem formulation. This study can also help me to discuss further about the
problems in the analysis. Related to the problems above, there are two objectives
of the study that are going to be discussed.
First is to describe the characters of the novel by Dickens’ Little Dorrit. The characters are described in order to get clear understanding about them. There
are many characters in the novel, and they are all very important because they all
give contribution to the story of the novel. However, the writer will describe only
the characters that have contribution in finding the message.
Secondly, the study is going to find the message that Dickens wants to say
through the characters in his novel. This thesis aims to find out the influence of
the characters toward the possible message expressed based on text interpretation.
D. Definition of Terms
In doing the analysis, this paper uses some terms. In order to know what
those terms means and to avoid misunderstanding for those terms that are used in
the analysis, the writer will give definitions for those terms.
1. Characters
According to Baldick, characters are the people in a dramatic or
narrative work (1991: 31). In addition to that, Abrams states that characters
are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted
by the reader as being endowed with moral and dispotional qualities that are
expressed in what they say- the dialogue- and what they do- the action (1981:
20).
2. Message
Beaty and Hunter states that message is the real meaning or some easy
conclusion that can be simply stated or summarized inside a work of art
(1989: 899).
Combining all of the definitions above, the writer concludes that each of
the term has relation one to another. They all give construction to a literary work.
The characters will lead the writer to find the message by putting human meaning
inside the characters, about how they understand life. Then from seeing how the
characters give meaning to their life, the meaning of the story is found. The writer
thinks that the element of characters is needed when the writer wants to find the
7 A. Review of Related Studies
Charles Dickens writes many novels when he lives. He is born in 1812. He
begins to write in 1833 at the age of twenty one and dies in 1870 at the age of fifty
eight. Little Dorrit is his eleventh novel. This novel, as well as his other novels has invited many comments and critics from those who have read it.
One comment comes from one of Dickensians who says that in Little Dorrit, Dickens’ childhood memories of his father’s imprisonment in the Marshalsea Prison for debt are brought forth again as the center-piece of the story
of William Dorrit whose family is also imprisoned there. It is also stated that the
theme of imprisonment, both physical and psychological, carries throughout the
novel (http://www.fidnet.com/~dap1995/dickens/dorrit.html). This comment helps
in giving an idea to the writer about characters that live in imprisonment.
Another review comes from Claire Doyle who teaches English and
theology at the college of St. Benedict/St. John’s University. She says that Little Dorrit is one of Dickens’ work mingles with the kind of penetrating social analysis and savage satire that are unique to the novels of his maturity. At the
center of this novels are Amy Dorrit, “the child of the Marshalsea”, and Arthur
Clennam, the son of joyless marriage who is dogged by the admonition on his
deceased father’s watch, “do not forget”. In some of Dickens’ most memorable
Circumlocution Office-these characters struggle to make sense of their oppressive
and often mystifying inheritances and in so doing, to make a humane life for
themselves and others (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~ilead/courses/spring03/
dickens.html). It means that this review concerns to the historical and social
context of the novel. This review also gives idea to the writer about the characters’
struggle in their society.
In the Introduction part of the novel, there is also a comment about Little Dorrit given by Mark Whyte. According to him, the prison types that are presented in Little Dorrit are among the most successful, because it is the most real and natural, of his innumerable drama-persons. They are all, however,
expectionally anaemic, and Dickens provides scarcely any comic or dramatic
relief. Plot and people move together on a dreary level of monotonous
helplessness in the face of disaster. There is not even a single character or event of
outstanding humour of vitality. The construction is weak and wondering, the
villains of the piece are wooden, while the mystery is even more than usually
uninteresting and involved (1954:13). This comment by Mark Whyte shows the
uninteresting part of Little Dorrit. They are the monotonous of the plot and people movement in the novel, the lack of homour, and the plainness of the mystery.
However, Mark Whyte then adds that people and scenes in Little Dorrit are enjoyable as they have been the outstanding triumphs of a Dickens novel. It
means that the people and the scene that are presented by Dickens in his novel,
Seeing all the comments above, the writer concludes that Little Dorrit is an interesting novel. It carries the theme of imprisonment, as a representation of
the author’s childhood memories. It also contains criticism on the government
bodies of his era when it is about historical and social context of the novel. And
although the plot and people movement in the novel are monotonous, but it can be
concealed by the interesting sides of the novel which are the characters and the
scenes.
What the writer is going to do in this thesis, then, is trying to find the
message of the novel by analyzing the characters in the novel. Message can be
deducted after discussing the relation that comes from the element of characters.
The characters will be discussed one by one and then message can be found.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theories of Character and Characterization
Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms, gives two definitions to characters. (1) The character is a literary genre: a short, and usually witty, sketch
in prose of a distinctive type of person. (2) Characters are the persons, in a
dramatic and narrative work, endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that
are expressed in what they say - the dialogue – and what they do – the action
(1981:20-21). This means that the characters in any literary work must have their
own particular qualities which differentiate them from other characters, and which
In An Introduction to Fiction, Stanton’s opinion about characters is that it designates the individuals who appear in the story, as in “How many characters
are there?”, and it refers to the mixture of interests, desires, emotions, and moral
principles that makes up each of these individuals, as in “How would you describe
his character?” (1965:17). It means that character is any individual that is
presented in the story and the way to describe character is from the interests,
desires, emotions, and moral principles that the character has. Stanton also says
that the most important evidence of all is the character’s own dialogue and
behavior. In good fiction, every speech, every action is not only a step in the plot,
but also a manifestation of character (1965:18). Therefore, the speech and the
action of a character need to be noticed because they show the evidence of
character.
Characters cannot be separated from characterization because
characterization is the ways that the author uses to establish the characters.
Rohrberger and Woods state that characterization is the process by which an
author creates a character (1971:20). Rohrberger and Woods also suggest two
principals an author can characterize. First, he can use Direct means to describe
physical appearance. Second, he can use Indirect means to describe the character’s
intellectual and moral attributes or explain the degree of his/her sensitivity
(1971:20).
Abrams states that a broad distinction is frequently made between
alternative methods available to an author in “characterizing” the persons in a
the author merely presents his characters talking and acting and leaves the reader
to infer what motives and dispositions lie behind what they say and do. In telling,
the author himself intervenes authoritatively in order to describe, and often to
evaluate, the motives and dispositional qualities of his characters (1981:21).
According to Holman and Harmon, there are three fundamental methods
of characterization in fiction:
1. The explicit presentation by the author of the character through direct
exposition, either in an introductory block or more often piece meat
throughout the work, illustrated by action.
2. The presentation of the character in action, with little or no explicit
comment by the author, in expectation that the reader will be able to
deduce the attributes of the actor from the actions.
3. The representation from within a character, without comment on the
character by the author, of the impact of actions and emotions and the
character’s inner self, with the expectation that the reader will come to a
clear understanding of the attributes of the character (1980:81).
2. Theories of Message
To come to an understanding about message, Beaty and Hunter in New World of Literature give their opinion about message. Beaty and Hunter say that message is the real meaning or some easy conclusion that can be simply stated or
summarized inside a work of art (1989:899). It means that a work of literature
work of literature. Richards, Platt, and Weber in Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics define message as “what is conveyed in speech or writing from one person to one or more other people” (1985:176).
The meaning of message is often confused with the meaning of theme
because sometimes message is considered identical with theme, whereas in fact,
they do not always refer to the same meaning. Kenney, in How To Analyze Fiction
says that theme has more complexity than message. Message becomes one of the
elements that form a theme. But not all of themes are considered as message
(1966:89).
In order to avoid misconception between the meaning of theme and
message, the writer tries to conclude by seeing the different meaning between
message and theme from the definition made by Beaty and Hunter in their book
New World of Literature. They say that the difference between theme and message is that message seeks to inform or convince, meanwhile, theme seeks to
have the reader comprehends and emphasizes so that the ideas are more broadly
accessible (1989: 899). It means that message tends to give moral values to
convince the reader rather than giving any ideas broadly like theme. These
definitions are hoped to help the writer to find the message from the novel.
Message is closely related with moral. In a message usually there is a
moral lesson. Moral it self means a teaching of good and bad (Kenney, 1966: 89).
Message in a story is intended as a suggestion related to practical moral lesson
religious settlement, politics, economy, and society holds very important role in
finding the message in a story, because conveying meanings and messages is
influenced by the social background.
Message has its way about how they can be revealed. In general,
delivering the message in a work of fiction can be in a direct and in an indirect
form (Nurgiyantoro, 1995:336).
a. Direct conveying form
Direct conveying form of message can be identical with the
description of the characters’ characteristic way that has telling or
expository quality. It means that the message is conveyed directly and
explicitly. The author seems to teach the readers, and directly give his
advice. This direct technique has its own superiority. This form is more
communicative, meaning the readers can understand what the author means
easily. The readers do not find any difficulties to interpret the message of
the work by themselves.
b. Indirect conveying form
In comparison to the previous form, the conveying form here has an
indirect nature. The message is presented explicitly and united coherensively
with other story elements. When a writer wants to convey or show
something, he does not convey it directly and vulgarly (Nurgiyantoro, 1995:
In comparison to the characterization methods, the indirect way has similar
form with showing technique. The writer performs the attitude and behavior of the
characters in facing such as the events, conflicts, problems, and settings of their
life. The writer pays attention to their verbal and physical behavior which happens
inside their mind and emotion. The message is distributed through those various
ways. That means that, when the readers want to understand or interpret the
message, the must do that based on the story and the characters’ life.
C. Theoretical Framework
The analysis of message in Dickens’ Little Dorrit needs some theories to help the writer to find the messages of the novel. Theories that are applied in this
study are theories of character and characterization and theories of message.
Theory on character by Abrams is applied to identify the characters in the
novel. They are Amy Dorrit, Arthur Clennam, William Dorrit, and Mrs. Clennam.
The characters are identified by paying attention to the dialogues and actions
among them. From the dialogues, the writer can conclude the personality of each
character. The identification of characters also includes the description of the
characters’ thought and feeling. They will tell about what the characters think
about themselves and about many things like love and freedom, which help the
writer to find out their characters. Theory on character by Stanton which states the
way to describe character from the interests, desires, emotions, and moral
characterization by Rohrberger and Woods by seeing characters’ physical
appearance and intellectual qualities. This thesis also uses theory on
characterization by Abrams which present the methods in characterization by
showing and telling. The theory of characterization by Holman and Harmon
which states three fundamental methods of characterization in fiction is also used
in this study. These theories are applied to analyze the characters of Amy Dorrit,
Arthur Clennam, William Dorrit, and Mrs. Clennam.
Since this thesis aims to find the message of the story, this thesis then
employs theory on message. The writer uses theory on message by Beaty and
Hunter which say that message is the real meaning of a work of literature. The
writer also sees the definition of message in Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics by Richards, Platt, and Weber which define message as what is conveyed in speech or writing from one person to one or more other people. To
differentiate the meaning of message and theme, the writer uses the definition by
Kenney which says that theme has more complexity than message, however not
all of themes are considered as message. He also states that message is closely
related with moral, and that message in a story is intended as a suggestion related
to practical moral lesson that can be taken through the story. The difference of
16 A. Object of the Study
The object of this study is Little Dorrit. It is written by Charles Dickens. The novel consists of 2 parts, 70 chapters, and 766 pages. The version of the book
used in this study is the one printed in Great Britain by Collins Clear-Type Press
which is published in 1954. It is set in London, but some scenes also take place
outside London, and it occurs in the 1820s.
The novel tells about an ordinary young woman, namely Amy Dorrit. She
is born in Marshalsea debtor prison from a debtor father. She has one older
brother and one older sister. She works with Mrs. Clennam and falls in love with
her son, Arthur Clennam. Arthur does not know about this until he gets into prison
and is told by Mr. Chivery who loves Amy but gets no response. Amy loves his
father very much and very devoted to him. She takes care of his father and always
there whenever he needs her. She always gives support and love to her father. In
the novel there are times when their family suddenly gets fortune and they become
rich but then they must lose everything because of the Merdle banking scam. It is
Amy who always accompanies him and gives him strength. When Arthur must get
into Marshalsea debtor’s prison for losing everything in the Merdle banking scam,
Amy visits him in the prison and nurses him. The story ends with the marriage of
G.K Chesterton in http://www.dickens-literature.com/Apprecations_and_
Criticisms_by_G.K_Chesterton/17.html gives his appreciation for the works
of Charles Dickens, especially Little Dorrit. Little Dorrit stands in Dickens’ life chiefly as a signal of how far he went down the road of realism, of sadness, and of
what is called modernity. Some think it is the best of the books of his later period;
some even think it is the worst. Great Expectations is certainly the best of the later novels; some even think it is the best of all the novels. Hard Times is his novel most concerned with strictly recent problems. Edwin Drood is the most finely finished or well constructed of his later books. External similarities between Little Dorrit and the earliest books lay in loose, melodramatic quality which serves to make more obvious and startling the fact that some changes has come over the
soul of Dickens. Like what G.K. Chesterton says that Little Dorrit is a mere Dickens novel, it shows that something must somehow have happened to Dickens
himself. In Little Dorrit Dickens creates a character that is similar to him, that is having a father who lives in prison.
B. Approach of the Study
This study applies the formalistic approach since the analysis is based on
the interpretation of the work itself in terms of its content and form. The writer
needs to analyze the intrinsic element of the novel, without considering the
extrinsic aspects, although they might have close relation to the novel, like the
author’s life, the social milieu when the novel is written, literary history, or any
novel are character, theme, point of view, plot, and setting. In this thesis the writer
concentrates in the character and message.
Rohrberger and Woods in their book Reading and Writing About Literature state that the formalistic approach only examines the novel, play, or short story on their content without giving attention to the external factors, such as
the biography, sociology, or the literary history.
The formalist approach insists on the total integrity of the literary piece. Concentrating almost entirely on its esthethic value, the formalist approach is concerned with demonstrating the harmonious involvement of all the parts to the whole and with pointing out how meaning is derived from structure. The formalist approach gives the idea of examining the work of literature by looking at the idea of the work, the readers do not need the facts of the author’s life, genre of work, and any reference to its social milieu (1971: 7).
This means that when examining a literary work using formalist approach,
the writer gives its attention only on the intrinsic elements of the novel and also
on the involvement of these intrinsic elements to the whole. Therefore, the
extrinsic elements then become unimportant in formalist approach.
C. Method of the Study
In doing this research the writer conducts the library research as the
method of the study. It means that the writer seeks the data from the books which
are provided in the library. The data focuses on primary data and secondary data.
The primary is the novel itself, and the secondary data includes some supporting
In doing the research the writer begins with reading the novel several
times to get a deep understanding on the story. The writer tries to focus on the
content of the novel, especially the characters.
While working in this study, the writer finds some comments about the
author and the work. In this thesis the writer presents only three of them. They are
found in http://www.fidnet.com/~dap1995/dickens/dorrit.html by one of
dickensian, http://www.dartmouth.edu/~ilead/courses/spring03/dickens.html by
Claire Doyle, a teacher at the college of St. Benedict/ St. John’s University, and
the introduction part of the novel itself (Little Dorrit) by Mark Whyte. These comments are very valuable since they help the writer to more appreciate and
understand the work.
After finding those comments on the author and the work, then the writer
formulates some problems as the base of the analysis. To answer the problems, the
writer needs to find the data on the book, especially books on the literature. Since
the study deals with the analysis on the content of the novel, books that contain
theories on literature are necessarily used. The technique of understanding and
identifying the elements of the novel is served by some books. For the element of
character, the writer finds it in Abram’s A Glossary of Literary Terms (1981), An Introduction to Fiction written by Stanton, Reading and Writing about Literature
And for the element of message, the writer finds it in New World of Literature (1989) written by Beaty and Hunter, Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics written by Richards, Platt, and Weber, and Kenney’s How to Analyze Fiction.
After finding and gathering data, then, the writer tries to analyze the
problems using the theories that are found in books or literature. The writer reads
the story carefully. While reading the story, the writer gives much attention to the
intrinsic elements of the novel. It is the characters. First, the writer focuses on the
major character, Amy Dorrit. Then, the writer focuses on minor characters, Arthur
Clennam, William Dorrit, and Mrs. Clennam. Writing down all their description
on the story through the other characters’ comments and their attitudes toward the
problem would be one way to give the description of characters in the story of
Little Dorrit.
Lastly, after discussing the characters, the writer concludes message of the
story. The message is concluded after analyzing the characters. By doing this,
there are some possible ideas that can be drawn.
The analysis ends as the questions in the problem formulation have been
answered completely. The conclusion is made as the last step. Some interesting
21
In this chapter, firstly the analysis of the character will be presented in
order to know the characteristics of the characters in the story. Secondly, the
discussion of the characters’ analysis is to find the possible messages can be draw
from the analysis.
A. Description of the Characters
The writer has determined four characters to be analyzed in the characters’
analysis. They are Amy Dorrit, Arthur Clennam, William Dorrit, and Mrs.
Clennam. Those characters give a great contribution in revealing the messages of
the story.
1. Amy Dorrit
In the story, the descriptions of Amy Dorrit’s characteristics are taken
from the story about her childhood and from the story of her mature age. Her
characteristics are described through the actions, the conversations, and the
Charles Dickens’ comments which can be found in the novel; both the physical
and non-physical characteristics.
According to the physical description, as what is commented in the story
when for the first time Arthur has an opportunity of observing her, Amy is told as
age, but at the same time, she also looks so come of age to be compared to
her real age seeing from the consideration and care expression in her face.
Now that he had an opportunity of observing her, Arthur found that her diminutive figure, small features, and slight spare dress, gave her the appearance of being much younger than she was. A woman, probably of not less than two-and-twenty, she might have been passed in the street for little more than half that age. Not that her face was very youthful, for in truth there was more consideration and care in it that naturally belonged to her utmost years.. (p. 61-62)
Charles Dickens as the narrator of the story later describes about Amy’s
physical characteristics directly.
But it seemed to be a pale transparent face, quick in expression, though not beautiful in feature, its soft hazel eyes excepted. A delicately bent head, a tiny form, a quick little pair of busy hands, and a shabby dress-it must needs have been very shabby to look at all so, being so neat-were Little Dorrit as she sat at work (p. 62).
She is a shy girl and seems to be close only to herself. She knows how
somebody must behave, and she does not like to be showy. It is shown when she
is in her work place, at Mrs. Clennam’s House. Among Mrs. Clennam, Arthur
Clennam, and Mr. and Mrs. Flintwich, she will not make any noise. She keeps her
attitude in soft manner.
…but she was so little and light, so noiseless and shy, and appeared so conscious of being out of place among the three hard elders, that she had all the manner and much of the appearance of a subdued child (p. 62).
Amy Dorrit or Little Dorrit never talks much in her work place. It shows
her seriousness in regarding her work. She takes her work as an important thing.
isolated place “she was so retiring, plied her needle in such removed corners” (p.
62).
From the brief story of Amy Dorrit’s childhood in the beginning of the
story, it is informed about Amy Dorrit’s background and how she spends her life
in her childhood times. Amy Dorrit is born in Marshalsea debtor’s prison from a
debtors’ prisoner father. This father used to join a partnership which he himself
actually does not really know what it deals about, and in where he has invested
money. When the partnership suffers a bankruptcy and what is left is only some
debts that he can not pay, he must get into prison. With him, he brings his wife,
his three years old son, and his two years old daughter to live in the prison. Not
long after the family move to the prison, his wife gives birth to a baby girl. It is
Amy Dorrit.
The novel does not tell much about Amy Dorrit’s mother, and there is no
story about Amy Dorrit and her mother’s relationship like what it should be
between a mother and her child. It is only told that when Amy is only eight years
old, her mother dies. However, it is not told how Amy Dorrit feels lost because of
her mothers’ death. It might because the mother herself has been languishing
away before of her own inherent weakness “his wife, who had been languishing
away - went upon a visit to a poor friend, and died there” (p. 72). From the very
beginning of her life Amy Dorrit has never had a mother’s love.
However, Amy Dorrit has a friend in the prison. He is one of the turnkeys
of the prison. Amy usually calls him Bob. The beginning of their relationship
been born, is handed down among the generations of collegians. When the baby is
first shown to the turnkey, he asks if he can be her godfather. The debtor father
agrees and so it is. When the baby is christened one Sunday afternoon in Saint
George’s Church, she has the turnkey as her godfather. The turnkey then becomes
her friend where she can share any topics of conversation with. It can be topics
about social, political, or even theological.
In the early years of her life, the little Amy begins to learn that she has a
weird kind of life compared to other people’s life. She thinks that it is not normal
for people to live in a place where she lives, to be locked up inside high walls. The
question of why she must live locked up inside high walls is difficult to
understand for her.
At what period in her life the little creature began to perceive that it was not the habit of all the world to live locked up in narrow yards surrounded by high walls with spikes at the top, would be a difficult question to settle (p. 76).
And in her early years too, unintentionally, she begins to create in her
mind a pitiful and plaintive look for her father. She sees that she can freely pass
the door of the prison whenever she wants to go outside while her father can not.
And in the pitiful and plaintive look that she has for him, there is also a kind of
protection feeling. It is a pitiful and plaintive feeling which lasts throughout her
life which becomes the foundation of the big love that she has for her father.
Amy’s life in the prison is pitiful. Being born in the prison as a child of a
prisoner makes the life of Amy Dorrit itself is like the life of a prisoner. She
experiences childhood which is not the same as other children’s childhood. She
has no friend of her age. She does not know about the normal life of the people
who live outside the prison, who are born and live not in such a wrong condition.
She must live with daily habits of prisoners. However, with those all she grows
up.
..with no knowledge even of the common daily tone and habits of the common members of the community who are not shut up in prisons; born and bread in a social condition, false even with a reference to the falsest condition outside the walls; drinking from infancy of a well whose waters had their own peculiar stain, their own unwholesome and unnatural taste; the child of the Marshalsea began her womanly life (p. 78).
Amy has a hard-worker character. When her pitiful look sees, in her early
ages, her father, her sister, and her brother, in the jail, she is made visible about
how wretched it is the life in the jail. It is enough to make her inspired to be not
like what the people there are. Although living in the jail, Amy does not want to
just give up. She understands the simple life like her family has, but she wants to
be something useful in her life. It is shown by her will to be labored. She is a hard
worker who struggle for a better living for her family.
It is enough that she was inspired to be something which was not what the rest were, and to be that something, different and laborious, for the sake of the rest (p. 78).
Although she is still very young, and living in such a wrong environment
and discouragements, Amy has possessed a humble consciousness and a want of
tears, she always keeps her spirit. She never loses her faith and keeps working
hard. Although she is the youngest in the family, it is she who becomes the head
of the family, and she bears in her own heart the anxieties and shames of the
family.
..even in the matter of lifting and carrying; through how much weariness and hopelessness, and how many secret tears; she drudged on, until recognized as useful, even indispensable. That time came. She took the place of eldest of the three, in all things but precedence; was the head of the fallen family; and bore in her own heart, its anxieties and shames (p. 78).
Amy thinks much of the family progress. It is she who tries many efforts
to make improvement to the quality of her family. She has a modern thinking. She
thinks that education is important so she finds for herself, her brother, and her
sister a school.
In her very young age too she has learn about responsibility and about how
to be wise in purchasing household necessities. In the family, it is she who keeps
the family finances. It is she who takes care of the family needs, such as what are
things they need to buy, how much those things would cost, and how important
those things for them to buy.
Another effort done by Amy for the family’s progress is to get a
dancing-master for Fanny, her sister, for whom she can learn dance-art. She knows that
Fanny has a great desire to learn dance-art, and seem to have talent in dance-art.
And for herself, she chooses to learn needle-work. So she comes to a seam-stress,
and then asks the milliner to teach her. According to the milliner, Amy is the most
her the most patient and earnest of pupils, and made her a cunning work-woman
in course of time” (p. 80).
She is wise in carrying the family importance. She has been experienced
about how to manage their limited money. Yet she is innocence about all things
else. She just lives her life, and tries everyday to keep her unlucky father happy.
Worldly wise in hard and poor necessities, she was innocent in all things else. Innocent, in the mist through which she saw her father, and the prison, and the turbid living river that flowed through it and flowed on (p. 84).
Amy is not an egoist. In Mrs. Clennam’s House where she works, besides
getting salary, her daily contract also includes meals. Instead of eating her meals
by herself, she brings it home for her father. She loves her father very much. Her
love is shown by her attentions, even in the only small thing such as bringing
meals for her father and preparing it for her father. She is a devoted child who
takes care of her father. It looks as if she can also feel what he feels. That makes
her always wants to comfort him and makes sure that he feels alright. She always
takes her father’s importance at the first.
She had brought home that she should have eaten herself, and was already warming it on a gridiron over the fire for her father, cad in an old grey gown and a black cap, awaiting his supper at the table (p. 87).
In the family, it is Amy who takes care of household matters. It shows her
kindness and her ability to take care of the responsibility of the family needs. The
family needs her attention and care to make sure all the family’s needs organized
ask Amy to get their clothes that Amy has mended for them. She never grunts. All
the work she does for her family she does it with love.
“I only want my clean dress from Amy, father,” said the second girl.
“And I my clothes,” said Tip.
Amy opened a drawer in an old piece of furniture that was a chest of drawers above and a bedstead below, and produced two little bundles, which she handed to her brother and sister. “Mended and made up?” Clennam heard the sister as in a whisper. To which Amy answered “Yes” (p. 90).
She lives a simple life and is ignorant of luxurious life, and just think of
her father. Although her family is poor, she doesn’t want any degradation to her
family, especially to her father. Her father has a habit of receiving some money
which he called “testimonial” from people who visit him as he is the oldest
inhabitant in the prison, so that he even gets a name “The Father of the
Marshalsea.” Actually she does not like if her father accepts those testimonials.
She does not like to think her father as a beggar. She wants everybody to
appreciate her father. She thinks that giving testimonials to her father just the
same as giving degradation to her father, because they feel pity of him. Amy
Dorrit shares her feeling about her father’s testimonial with Arthur. She asks
Arthur not to give her father testimonials.
Don’t encourage him to ask. Don’t understand him if he does ask. Don’t give it to him. Save him and spare him that, and you will be able to think better of him!” (p. 170)
For all her life, Amy only thinks of working hard, never has fun with
herself. Her fun is only to see her father feels comfortable. Her life is full of deep
most loved from all her father’s children. This fact is stated by her father when
they are in the middle of conversation. It is Amy who often talks to him,
accompanies him, makes him happy, shows her love earnestly so that he would
not feel lonesome. For all her life, she has sacrificed her own contentment for her
father.
..Amy, my love, you are by far the best loved of the three; I have had you principally in my mind—whatever I have done for our sake, my dear child, I have done freely and without murmuring (p. 224).
The uncle’s opinion about Amy is that Amy is needed by his brother and
that she is a very good girl because she does her duty. Arthur, whom the uncle
speaks to think from the saying that Amy is regarded in her family as the
laborious one so that the family member can rely on Amy to do any job since they
have been her duty.
“My brother would have been quite lost without Amy,” he returned. “We should all have been lost without Amy. She is a very good girl, Amy. She does her duty”
Arthur fancied that he heard in these praises a certain tone of custom, which he had heard from the father last night with an inward protest and feeling of antagonism. It was not that they stinted their praises. Or were insensible to what she did for them; but they were lazily habituated to her, as they were to all their condition (p. 99).
Amy praises her father very much. And Amy always thinks of her father
feeling, so that she keeps secret from the father about she and her sister earns a
little money. Amy is afraid if her father knows about it, he will be very sad since
what he knows about them all that they all the same, beggars. Amy does not want
to disturb her father’s thought by reminding him of his disable, about while he can
for their low income. Amy shares this of her feeling with Arthur when they have a
talk along the Iron Bridge.
“It would be a new distress to him even to know that I earn a little money, and that Fanny earns a little money. He is so anxious about us, you see, feeling helplessly shut up there. Such a good, good father!”
It is very seldom if Amy wants to cheer herself. It is because she thinks
that it will be only she who is happy, while her father is not. When she has a walk,
which she calls as a little ‘change’, for it is the only thing that can be considered
as recreation to her, she is found by Arthur. And Amy tells him about how she
feels rather strange to see much beautiful objects while her father could not. And
that makes her feels quite guilty. She can not feel happy to think her father do not
feel happy.
“It is so strange. Perhaps you can hardly understand it. I sometimes have a sensation as if it was almost unfeeling to walk here.” “To see the river, and so much sky, and so many objects, and such change and motion. Then to go back, you know, and find him in the same cramped place.” (p. 250)
She does not think that life is for fun, but she thinks that life is for
working. Wherever she is she hopes to be useful. Whatever people might say
about Marshalsea Debtors’ Prison, for Amy she is happy to be there since she can
be useful there. Moreover, she has regarded it as her home for she knows no other
place that she can call as home. When Arthur asked her not to call the prison as
her home, she defends the place, saying about how she is happy to be there
because she can be useful there.
Amy has a nature to always do good deed. That makes Arthur’s mother,
Mrs. Clennam even likes her. Mrs. Clennam usually behaves indifferent to others.
But to see the earnestness in Amy, that she does not mind her hard life really
touches Mrs. Clennam’s feeling. Amy is earnest in everything she says and in
everything she does. It is shown in her conversation with Mrs. Clennam.
“Sometimes it has been rather hard to live,” said Little Dorrit, in her soft voice, and timid uncomplaining way; “but I think not harder—as to that—than many people find it.”
“That’s well said!” Mrs. Clennam quickly returned. “That’s the truth! You are a good, thoughtful girl. You are a grateful girl too, or I much mistake you.”
“It is only natural to be that. There is no merit in being that,” said Little Dorrit. “I am indeed.” (p. 327)
Amy does not care of luxurious life. When the family gets fortune which
causes the family becomes wealthy, the father can be released from the prison.
Being wealthy makes them all proud with the exception Amy. She keeps being
herself and ignorance with all the sudden luxuriousness which approach their
family’s fortune. They can do a traveling which before can only be dreamt. They
have their own servants, respected, and have much money. All their needs will be
prepared by the servants. Their works will be done by the servants. So they will
be just relax and enjoy their time. This condition really makes Amy unhappy. She
has been habituated to do the household for the family. She likes to work, and she
wants to do her needs by herself, not depend on the servants.
In the new condition of her luxurious life, and through its times, Amy does
not feel comfortable at all. So, she will just be quiet by herself to prevent Fanny’s
in prison. In the middle of her traveling with her family in other country, she
keeps thinking of Marshalsea Debtors’ Prison and in many times, she even feels
as if she is still in the prison.
Little Dorrit was glad to be found no fault with, and to see that Fanny was pleased; but her part in the procession was a musing part, and a quiet one. Sitting opposite her father in the traveling-carriage, and recalling the old Marshalsea room, her present existence was a dream. All that she saw was new and wonderful, but it was not real; it seemed to her as if those visions of mountains and picturesque countries might melt away at any moment, and the carriage, turning some abrupt corner, bring up with a jolt at the old Marshalsea gate (p. 435-436).
Moreover, she feels very sad because she can not get near to her father
anymore. It seems that her assistance to her father is not needed anymore since all
his needs will be done by the servants. If usually it is Amy who serves her father’s
meal, now it is done by the servants. Her father and her sister Fanny will be very
angry to her if she works.
The family begins to live in gay. The family even begins to behave with
no respect to the poor, worst than they used to be when they are also poor. But
richness does not change Amy at all. She is still with her true feeling toward
others whoever they are. She has no want to come to any party like what the rest
of her family member does. She chooses to be alone.
Little Dorrit, quite lost by her task being done, sat down to muse. The family began a gay life, went here and there, and turned night into day; but she was timid of joining in their gaieties, and only asked to be left alone (p. 438-439).
Amy is a kind of person who respects love highly, including love between
happens. And if she can not love somebody, she will be honest about her feeling.
She will not force herself to love that person. There is a son of one of the turnkey
whose name is Chivery who is in love with Amy. His name is John Chivery.
However, Amy does not love him so she can not accept his love. She ought to
give her love for somebody she loves truly and whom she loves is Arthur, the son
of Mrs. Clennam whom she works to. When she loves somebody she does not
expect that person to reply her love. Amy loves Arthur, and she still loves him
although Arthur doesn’t consider their relationship as a love relation. She knows
that he just regards her as his friend or as his child. He seldom calls her “my poor
child”. She keeps the feeling for herself and just becomes Arthur’s friend. She
knows that Arthur loves Pet, but this fact doesn’t give influence to her feeling at
all, not also influence her attitude toward Pet. Pet’s real name is Minnie. She is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Meagles, Arthur’s friend. Amy even makes good friend
with Pet.
Arthur must get into prison when his firm with Daniel Doyce suffers a loss
because of Merdle banking dishonest scheme. He has laid out everything so he
must suffer much loss and must become the prisoner in Marshalsea. Being poor,
bankrupt, and lives in prison, mix all over the feeling of being in prison and the
smell of the prison makes him sick. There in the prison, Amy nurses him. It has
been her character that can not let person she loves to suffer alone. And it is her
character also to give a little comfort and relief she could try to lighten Arthur’s
She does not require her love instantly, but she gets it together with the
time that passes. Arthur finally realizes that he loves Amy when he misses Amy
since he has not seen her for many times when she is going in a traveling. And in
prison, he even misses Amy much more than before. And when Amy visits him in
prison, he is very happy. Then he knows that it is Amy whom he actually loves.
2. Arthur Clennam
Arthur Clennam, in the story described as Arthur, is a son of joyless
marriage. Many secrets have been hidden from him by his parents, which through
his life he never knows and becomes a big never-answered question for him. His
childhood is cold and unhappy. His parents are cold to him as well as them to one
another.
She and his father had been at variance from his earliest remembrance. To sit speechless himself in the midst of rigid silence, glancing in dread from the one averted face to the other, had been the peacefullest occupation of his childhood (p. 45).
Most of his childhood is spent with his mother. When he is still a little
child, his father goes to China, lives there for reason of taking care the business
there, whereas it is actually closer to reason that he wants to be far from the wife,
that is Mrs. Clennam. While Mrs. Clennam goes nowhere and just stays in
England to take care of the business in England. His parents do not get divorce,
however the separation seems like a divorce. With the will from his mother he
should remain with the mother until he is twenty before he ought to follow his
comes to see his mother again after twenty years departs. Before coming, first he
has sent a packet which contains a watch to the mother. It becomes the father’s
special request that the packet is to be sent to the mother on the father’s death.
Fifteen months he spends on arranging the rest of the business in China
and having a rest on traveling after the death of his father before presenting
himself upon his mother in his mother’s house and to find the house is just as
gloomy as when he leaves it long time ago.
Physically, Arthur is described as having dark face, ‘..with a half smile
breaking through the gravity of his dark face.’ (p. 30) He is an Englishman with
the appearance of a Frenchman, and his behavior is gentle.
..a tall French gentleman with raven hair and beard, of a swart and terrible, not to say genteelly diabolical aspect, but who had shown himself the mildest of men..(p. 34)
Visually Arthur looks strong and confident. Whereas actually, inside,
confusing and wilderness are the most often occupy his mind. He brings unhappy
memories about his childhood. Even what he thinks about his life all the time that
has passed is nothing. Everything seems just passes and leaves no impression.
What Arthur thinks about his life until he is now in his middle age is that his life
is only full of misdirection, misfortune, and little happiness.
..turned his gaze back upon the gloomy vista by which he had come to that stage in his existence. So long, so bare, so blank. No childhood; no youth, except for one remembrance; that one remembrance proved, only that day, to be a piece of folly (p. 163-164).
Arthur has a cold, hard, and unhappy childhood. He never has cheerful
about it or not. He has been forced all his life to do his parent’s will and has no
will by himself. It seems that his life is not his own life. Even he must live in
China also he could not avoid.
“I have no will. That is to say,”—he coloured a little,--“next to none that I can put in action now. Trained by main force; broken, not bent; heavily ironed with an object which I was never consulted and which was never mine….(p. 33)
He is raised in an unhealthy environment, not about what is seen, but more
about what is not seen but is felt. It is not about dirty or pollution. But it is about
the treatment from people that lives and is near to him. That means that
psychologically Arthur is lack of good times and memories. His parents are the
practitioners of false religion. They take price in everything, including anything
which actually can not be measured with money. And with all those surroundings
and influences he lives day by day.
“..I am the son, Mr. Meagles, of a hard father and mother. I am the only child of parents who weighed, measured, and priced everything; for whom what could not be weighed, measured, and priced, had no existence. Strict people as the phrase is, professors of a stern religion, their very religion was a gloomy sacrifice of tastes and sympathies that were never their own,.. (p. 33)
Bad surroundings usually will influence anybody who is in it. But
fortunately all bad experiments do not make Arthur go bad in characters. Bad
teachings and many ungratified treatments toward him which is getting many
punishments, living in a such terror and pressure, and receiving no love do not
parents. What affects his personality is only that he reflects sorrow and
disappointment about his life in him.
He was a dreamer in such wise, because he was a man who had, deep-rooted in his nature, a belief in all the gentle and good things his life had been without. Bred in meanness and hard dealing, this had rescued him to be a man of honourable mind and open hand. Bred in coldness and severity, this had rescued him to have a warm and sympathetic heart. Bred in creed too darkly audacious to pursue, through its process of reversing the making of man in the image of his Creator to the making of his Creator in the image of an erring man, this had rescued him to judge not, and in humility to be merciful, and have hope and charity. And this saved him still from the whimpering weakness and cruel selfishness of holding that because such a happiness or such a virtue had not come into his little path, or worked well for him,.. (p. 164)
So it can be said that he has been raised in a family with no love. And even
the marriage life of his father and his mother itself is not based on love and has
been cold and unhappy. His mother has been a character of strict and cold, grown
up in a childhood which themes of the corruption of heart, the evil of way, the
curse that is upon us, and the terrors that surround us, which filled her with
evil-doings. And with that way also she raises her only son. Meanwhile his father has
been a character of weak and docile. He is habitually timid, repressed, and under
constraint. He can not defend and help Arthur upon his wife. Even to marry his
wife, he does it just to obey his uncle, a rigid old gentleman of strong force of
character, and he can not help himself to get away from the marriage with a
woman he does not love.
Mrs. Clennam is not his mother. Actually his mother is a singing girl,
whose name isn’t mentioned and who has been long ago dead, which in the past,
has joined Frederick Dorrit’s agency. And Frederick Dorrit is her patron at that
time, which makes Mrs. Clennam also hates Frederick Dorrit, who is Amy’s
uncle. However, Arthur never knows about this fact throughout his life. All he
knows is that Mrs. Clennam is his real mother and he never knows either about
why his mother must behaves so cold to him, her own son, and why the marriage
of his own parents must be cold and unhappy.
In his mother’s house that Arthur for the first time sees and meets Amy.
What at first is a question for him why his mother employees Amy and who is
Amy, then becomes an interest in him to know her much more. This interest
becomes the first thing that makes him befriend to her. And with this interest, he
secretly follows Amy on one occasion on her way home after finishing her work
in Mrs. Clennam’s house. This also becomes his first knowledge about
Marshalsea debtors’ prison, which is Amy’s dwelling and becomes his first
acquaintance with the Dorrit’s family. And after he knows more about her, there
appears in his mind a big want to help her. Seeing Amy’s love to her father and
the condition of her life arouses his sympathy. It shows Arthur as a sympathetic
person. Earnest love will touch his heart.
Her look at her father, half admiring him and proud of him, half-ashamed for him, a devoted and loving, went to his inmost heart (p. 88).
This sympathy makes him want to help Amy and her family. It shows
father and Amy’s brother, Tip, out of the prison. But, as the problem with Amy’s
father he finds too complicated, he can only releases Tip from the prison.
Although, he has done this merit to Amy, but he does not want Amy to know that
it is he who has helped the family. It shows that he is a low-profile person. The
only person know about he has released Tip is Mr. Plornish, the very friend of
Amy and from whom, Arthur gets some information which can help him to carry
on Tip’s release. And it can be carried on
“Mr. Plornish,” said Arthur, “I trust to you, if you please, to keep my secret. If you will undertake to let the young man know that he is free…” (p. 142)
All the time he is in China, all he does is together with his father taking
care of the business there. When his father dies, he comes back home to his
mother to talk about the business which is a family business. He decides to give
up the business to his mother. He decides that it has been the time for him to
choose his own life, and not still in the shadow of his mother’s will anymore.
“I have given up everything in life for the business, and the time came for me to give up that.” (p. 48)
“You have anticipated, mother, that I decide for my part, to abandon the business. I have done with it. I will not take upon myself to advise you ; you will continue it, I see..” (p. 56)
His youngest days are full of unhappy suppression. He lives in a rigid and
unloving home. When he is twenty, he follows his father in China which seems
like an exile. Even when he comes back again, he is still suppressed and seems
cast away. Confusion is all that he feels. He even thinks after all has happened, he
