SOCIAL CONDITION THAT AFFECTS SUZIE WONG’S
PERSONALITIES BASED ON HER MOTIVE AS SEEN IN
MASON’S
THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree ofSarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
PAMELA OCTAVIA ISKANDAR
Student number: 054214062
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 ofSarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
PAMELA OCTAVIA ISKANDAR
Student number: 054214062
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
ii
A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis
SOCIAL CONDITION THAT AFFECTS SUZIE WONG’S
PERSONALITIES BASED ON HER MOTIVE AS SEEN IN
MASON’S
THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG
By
PAMELA OCTAVIA ISKANDAR
Student number: 054214062
Approved by
Maria Ananta, S. S. M. Ed Date: May 12, 2010 Advisor
iii By
PAMELA OCTAVIA ISKANDAR
Student number: 054214062
Defended before the Board of Examiners on May 26, 2010
And Declared Acceptable
BOARD OF EXAMINERS
Name Signature
Chairman : Dr. Fr. B. Alip, M. Pd., M. A. ______________
Secretary : Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M, Hum. ______________
Member : Elisa Dwi Wardani, S. S., M. Hum ______________
Member : Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum. ______________
Member : Maria Ananta, S. S. M. Ed ______________
Yogyakarta, May 31, 2010
Faculty of Letters Sanata Dharma University
Dean
iv
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertandatangan di bawahini, sayamahasiswaUniversitasSanata Dharma:
Nama : Pamela Octavia Iskandar
NomorMahasiswa : 054 214 062
Demi
pengembanganilmupengetahuan,sayamemberikankepadaperpustakaanUniversitas
Sanata Dharma karyailmiahsaya yang berjudul:
SOCIAL CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT SUZIE WONG’S
PERSONALITIES BASED ON HER MOTIVE AS SEEN IN MASON’S
THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG
Besertaperangkat yang diperlukan
(bilaada).DengandemikiansayamemberikankepadaPerpustakaanUniversitasSanata
Dharma hakuntukmenyimpan,mengalihkandalambentuk media lain,
mengelolanyadalambentukpangkalan data, mendistribusikansecaraterbatas,
danmempublikasikannya di Internet atau media
lainuntukkepentinganakademistanpaperlumemintaijindarisayamaupunmemberikan
royaltykepadasayaselamatetapmencantumkannamasayasebagaipenulis.
Demikianpernyataanini yang sayabuatdengansebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Padatanggal: 28 Mei 2010
Yang menyatakan
v
We must remain “positive” in
times of difficulty
vi
Dedicated to
My beloved father
My beloved grandmother
My beloved late mother
and
vii
blessing and guidance make me what I am today and make me strong in facing my
problems especially during the process of doing my undergraduate thesis. I would
like to thank my beloved grandmother for her prayers, my greatest father, who
always tries to give all the best for me, for my late mother, for her
never-ending-love, and for my brother, Adrian, who always helps me and who I am always
proud of. I would like to thank Maria Ananta S.S., M.Ed., my undergraduate
thesis advisor, who always helps me and spends her precious time to make my
undergraduate thesis from nothing to something. Her tremendous help and
patience will always be remembered. My deepest gratitude is also intended to my
reader, Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum., who has given me correction and
improvement in completing my thesis. Also for Ko Andre who always supports
me and gives me more spirit in doing my undergraduate thesis. For Almer, Novi,
Anne, Uuk, Thirzza, Cindy, Victor, Sandy, Andry, Mul-Mul, Jony, Bagus, Cupith,
Zaga, Didit, Cie Yaya, Cie Flo, Cie Tika, Sau Yuyun, Sau Helen, and Rendy who
give me countless encouragement, I them very much.
viii
A. Background of the Study ... 1
B. Problem Formulation... 7
C. Objectives of the Study... 7
D. Definition of Terms ... 8
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ... 9
A. Review of the Related Studies ... 9
B. Review of the Related Theories ... 11
1. Theory on Character ... 11
2. Theory on Characterization ... 13
3. Theory on Personality ... 16
4. Theory on Motive and Theory on Motivation... 17
5. Theory on Criminal Factor and Behavior ... 18
6. Theory on Environmental Factor toward the Criminal Behavior .... 22
C. Theoretical Framework ... 24
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ... 25
A. Object of the Study ... 25
B. Approach of the Study ... 27
C. Method of the Study ... 28
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS... 31
A. Characteristics of Suzie Wong ... 31
1. Suzie Wong is a Self-deception Person ... 31
2. Suzie Wong is a Survivor ... 35
3. Suzie Wong is someone who Lacks of Affection ... 37
4. Suzie Wong is Naïve... 38
5. Suzie Wong is Superstitious ... 40
ix
C. Social Conditions that affect Suzie Wong’s personalities based on Her
Motive... 49
1. Poverty... 50
2. The Family ... 53
3. The Education ... 55
4. The Influence of Transitional Area ... 56
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ... 58
x
ABSTRACT
PAMELA OCTAVIA ISKANDAR. SOCIAL CONDITION THAT AFFECTS SUZIE WONG’S PERSONALITIES BASED ON HER MOTIVE AS SEEN IN MASON’S THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2010.
This study discussed a novel entitled The World of Suzie Wong. The objective of writing this thesis is derived from the writer’s curiosity about the pattern that is showed from the social condition of a character named Suzie Wong and those patterns also happen in the real life.
In this thesis, there are three (3) questions to be answered. They are: (1) What are the characteristics of Suzie Wong? (2) How are the social conditions described in the novel? (3) How do the social conditions affect her personalities based on her motive?
In order to answer the problems, a psychological approach is used because this thesis analyzes one’s motivation on doing certain action like Suzie Wong’ case by being a prostitute and how Suzie Wong’s characteristics are affected by her social condition. A library study method is also applied in this study. There are two sources used: primary and secondary sources. The World of Suzie Wong, the novel, is the primary source in this study. The secondary sources are obtained from books on literature and psychology.
Based on the study, Suzie Wong is characterized as a self-deceptive person, a survivor, someone who lacks of affection, innocent, and superstitious.
The social conditions that described in the novel are the poverty, the family, the education, the influence of transitional area.
xi
Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2010.
Penelitian ini membahas tentang sebuah novel berjudul The World of Suzie Wong. Tujuan dari penulisan skripsi ini adalah berawal dari keingintahuan penulis mengenai adanya pola yang terlihat dari kondisi sosial Suzie Wong dimana pola-pola tersebut juga terjadi dalam kehidupan nyata.
Di dalam penelitian ini, terdapat tiga yang akan dijawab: (1) Apa sajakah karakter dari Suzie Wong? (2) Bagaimana kondisi sosial yang digambarkan di dalam novel? (3) Bagaimana kondisi sosial mempengaruhi kepribadian Suzie Wong berdasarkan penyebabnya?
Untuk menjawab pertanyaan, pendekatan psikologis digunakan karena skripsi ini menganalisa motivasi seseorang dalam berbuat sesuatu seperti dalam kasus Suzie Wong dengan pekerjaannya sebagai wanita tuna susila dan bagaimana karakternya dipengaruhi oleh kondisi sosial. Metode penelitian pustaka digunakan dalam penelitian ini. Ada dua sumber yang digunakan yaitu sumber utama dan sumber pendukung. Novel The World of Suzie Wongadalah sumber utama dalam penelitian ini. Sedangkan sumber pendukung didapatkan dari buku sastra dan psikologi.
Berdasarkan analisis, Suzie Wong dicirikan sebagai seseorang yang menyangkal kenyataan akan dirinya sendiri, seorang pejuang, seorang yang kurang kasih sayang, lugu, dan percaya hal-hal gaib.
Kondisi sosial yang mempengaruhi penciriannya adalah kemiskinan, kondisi keluarga, pendidikan, dan pengaruh tempat peralihan.
1
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Society is a place where all of us start to define what life is. Life,
sometimes, can be easy and sometimes also can be hard. Human life is not always
easy like what we wish. Problems are coming from any sides and searching for its
solving. Human being is asked to be tough and strong because those things can be
an experience, which will make a person better in the future. Social condition can
be one of the problems that are experienced by people. The social condition in our
society is different because it depends on the country, the culture, environment,
and also the people who live in the society. Because of that, a story can be
interesting because social condition also happened in the real world. Social
condition and love often become a theme of a story (movie, drama, novel, etc) and
they relate to each other because from a theme like that, it shows the social status,
dignity, and pure love that wants to be shown by the author.
Love is a common emotion, which can be expressed by any living
creature on earth, especially by human to anyone or anything that he or she cares.
Since love is a never-ending matter to talk about, many writers often use it as a
theme of a story. Romance is what people called a love story and a romance does
not only talk about love between man and woman but also to the family or
country. When someone falls in love; they often feel something pure, a desire to
make the person he or she loves happy, and also to complete their life by our
Based on Crooks’ book, Our Sexuality, love is patient and kind; love is not jealous, or conceited, or proud; love is not ill-mannered, or selfish, or
irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is
happy with the truth. Love never gives up: its faith, hope and patience never fail.
Love is eternal… There are faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of
these is love (1983:200). Love is a major theme in many literature texts and
poems, with movies often portraying "finding true love".
Love also can be a basic reason for someone’s motive. Because of
love, someone is willing to do something that will make the other person is happy
and comfortable. For example is the love of a mother. A mother will give her life
to her baby when she gave birth to her baby. She will take care of her baby
wholeheartedly and also works hard just to fulfill the needs and gives them a
better future. Her baby becomes as the motivation because they want to give all
the best for their own family just to make them happy.
But how if love is related to prostitution, the world, which often
ignores love and makes passion and money as priority? Is it still something pure?
Every human being has his or her right to do everything, to give
opinion, to breathe, and also to fall in love. The right to fall in love can also be
experienced by lower social status people especially prostitute. Prostitution is
taboo for our culture to be discussed, but in our reality, prostitution is a world
where there are many people involved in it and again, it causes loss for women
besides the cruelty and sexual harassment. Prostitution ‘business’ is still rolling
3
said easy money) and this job is profitable. Just imagine, by using their body
(women’s body, but nowadays, there are also prostitution that is done my men),
they can make lots of money because the people who ‘need’ them, they dare to
pay expensively. Actually, the causes of prostitution world are obviously seen and
mostly they are alike but they, as the actors, cannot avoid that because they have
limit on their effort and struggle.
The writer admits that women are strong creatures but they are also
the weak one because women are more sensitive. When they are humiliated,
doubted, or blamed, they become someone who lost the confidence and then they
will start to blame and distrust themselves. We can see that from the action. A
woman is crying when she had a problem and sometimes the cry is her way to
express her feeling that is hurt and for some woman, they way to recover that is by
the support and love from the people around her. The women as the objects of
men did not just suffer for their loss of virginity and pride but also suffer for
carelessness and distrust by people around them especially by their boyfriends.
Not having been trusted for so long, many women have lost trust in themselves. Women need to recover that trust. Women need confidence in themselves and a fuller awareness of the responsibility which being a woman entails (Montagu, 1953:192)
Many prostitutes are having relationship with many men and when
they found themselves pregnant, it is possible that their current boyfriend did not
admit that it is his child. Because of that, many prostitutes decided to have an
abortion illegally and without any good and clean medical handling that caused
Richard Mason’s The World of Suzie Wong is one example of a love story but what makes the story different is it is related with prostitution world. It is
unique because it describes women’s worlds that happened around 1957 to 1960
(and in reality, it still happens until now). The story tells about the journey of a
young Englishman, Robert Lomax, who has just decided a new career as a painter,
to Hong Kong. In the ferry, he meets a young woman named Wong Mee Ling, a
rich virgin but eventually known as a popular prostitute named Suzie Wong at
Nam Kok Hotel, the hotel where Robert Lomax also stay for one month. Suzie
Wong’s life journey is started when she is still five years old. She lost her parents
and then lived with her bad uncle. Then when she was 16 years old, she moved to
Hong Kong then starts her new career as a prostitute because to find a proper job
in Hong Kong is difficult and the income is low. One of the reasons is because
Suzie is uneducated and needs to fulfill her needs. There are many conflicts with
other characters until Robert Lomax realizes that he is falling in love with Suzie
Wong (Mee Ling) they are Suzie’s lost of her baby, Suzie’s profession, and also
Suzie’s illness that makes Richard Mason’s novel interesting.
Based on Law Kar’s Suzie Wong and Her World in
http://sunzi!.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/35/3500489.pdf, “If Suzie Wong was still alive and well, she would surely declare, for all her world, that Hong Kong has
undergone immense changes in the last thirty years. Her world would now be
another world. Admiralty Road is now covered in a forest of skyscrapers and
Admiralty Barracks has now transformed to become the Admiralty Mass Transit
5
area is now composed of bars, discos and nightclubs). One would see fewer
American soldiers, only the odd tourist and drifter drinking their beers. Now and
then, the bar girls would, appear, looking different since many are Filipino girls
(most come to work as domestic servants but some earn extra income on their
days off)”. Wanchai is the location of the novel setting, which is famous by its
poor district and known as the place of prostitution and nightclubs, as what
happen in the real life there are sailors who just arrived in port and civilian who
want to have a beer and sexual adventure.
Reading The World of Suzie Wong gives the writer not just pleasure. There are many things she can learn from it, such as that reality is not always as
good as what we wish. It shows that white is not always good and black is bad,
means that the women’s life in the novel especially Suzie Wong’s life is not like
what she always expects and of course this thing also happened to every human
life in the real world. In her childhood, she lost her parents and this thing
continues to other part of her life that finally brings her to her profession. But
when she meets her soul mate (Robert Lomax), she can reach her dream and also
then becomes a dignified woman. The writer thinks this story tells women to keep
their belief on their dream and do not give it up just because of the obstructions.
Although Richard Mason use many unfamiliar words in the novel like French and
also the grammar of the Chinese women are incorrect, the writer can follow the
whole story easily because the plot and the characterization are simple and clear.
After reading the novel, the writer realizes that the conflicts that
affects women to do a ‘dirty job’ as a prostitute. When she watches the television
and the news are reporting about the life of a hooker or prostitute, the pattern is
clear, she finds out that the reasons of doing it are mostly the same, because they
do not have money and they cannot afford money to fulfill the needs of their life
and also not just their own needs but also the family needs and from that reason, it
continues to other things like she cannot have a proper education that makes her
cannot write and read and it brings her to her occupation. Ashley Montagu’s
theory that said women have many superior characters compared to men. It is true
that women are more emotional than men but Ashley Montagu explains how they
handle their feelings. Women have good abilities in expressing their feelings. The
fact makes them more realist than men (1953:83). This theory seems suitable for
this situation because women will do anything to make their desire come true
especially if that desire is motivated by her family and children. Although they
have to sacrifice themselves and when have the obstructions, they can handle it
well.
The writer wants to show that the novel is one of the examples that
reflected a part of the reality that maybe some women experience it. So, to find
out the main cause that is possible to bring people trapped into a situation for
being a prostitute, the writer tries to find out the characteristic of the main
character and then relate it with the social condition that is experienced by the
main character. By analyzing this novel, the writer hopes that the readers will find
the patterns that is able to bring someone falls into crime especially prostitution
and the readers will be able to make some changes that brings women into better
7
B. Problem Formulation
1. What are the characteristics of Suzie Wong?
2. How are the social condition described in the novel?
3. How do the social conditions affect her personalities based on her motive?
C. Objectives of the Study
Generally, this study aims to show the readers thatThe World of Suzie Wong is one example of novels that reflects some parts of our reality especially that is caused by poverty. It shows us how social condition affects someone’s life
especially woman’s life and as the results, there are some minorities that happen
to some women in the story. Suzie Wong, the main character, is described as a
strong woman but at the same time, she is also powerless. She is strong because
she has her own point of view and she is very sure about what she wants in her
life because she has a motivation but she is powerless too because she is
humiliated and cheated by men because of her profession as a prostitute and she
cannot avoid it.
Specifically, the objective of the study will be answered through the
analysis of the three (3) questions put forward in the problem formulation.
Therefore, it is intended to observe: first, about the characteristics of the main
character Suzie Wong; second, about the social condition that described in the
novel; and third, how the social conditions affect her personalities based on her
D. Definition of Terms
In Sociology: Its Purpose and Scope, the word “condition” is described as juvenile delinquency, crime, poverty, alcoholism, racial
discrimination, and family disorganization can be categorized as social problems.
Thus, the word “condition” in my study related to the character’s condition of life
that brings her to her professions.
According to Kimball Young is his book Personality and Problems of Adjustment, personality is some special, largely mysterious, quality of an individual which attracts the attention of others.
Based on Murray’s book Motivation and Emotion, motive is an internal factor that arouses, directs, and integrates a person’s behavior. And
according to Kagan and Havemann in their book Psychology: An Introduction, motive means a desire for goal that has acquired value for the individual.
According to Bruno (1986: 7) motivation is a term employed generally for the
phenomena involved in the operation incentives, drives, and motives. However,
the term motive is defined as a desire or a wish. As Kartono (1997: 270) says,
motivation is an internal process that controls behavior is order to achieve certain
goals which have been planned. Behavior is also influenced by a need for
something. Murray (1964: 8) defines motivation as a desire that has certain goal to
be obtained.
From the explanation above, my topic is about how social condition
affects Suzie Wong’s personalities based on her motive and the writer wants to
show that there are some patterns that are described in the story that is also can be
9
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
This part contains the review on Mason’sThe World of Suzie Wongor other works with the same topic.
The World of Suzie Wong is written by a British novelist, Richard Mason. His experiences while living in Hong Kong inspired him to write The World of Suzie Wong. The novel was adapted into a play in 1958 and later into a film in 1960.
Usually prostitute is described as a woman that does not have the
right to do what she wants to do; she is forced to do things especially by man. But
what makes this novel unique for the writer is Suzie Wong has her own
characteristics but sometimes she cannot refuse that she is a prostitute. “The most
interesting and unique feature of the character of Suzie Wong is that she is not a
common whore, lacking in self-respect. She is pragmatic but also a dreamer, a
person with her own principles and character. For example, she does not sleep
around. She is the classic embodiment of the person with a heart of gold.” (Law
Kar, http://sunzi!.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/35/3500489.pdf). It explains about Suzie Wong’s characteristic that she is a prostitute but she has a strong point of view so
she did something because she likes it and she wants it, she is a person that cannot
One thing that the writer thinks very important in the novel is the
social condition that is experienced by the main character, Suzie Wong. Like what
was said by Law Kar, ”The surroundings of Suzie's world are characterized by a
great gap between poverty and riches. It is a multi-colored but pestilential world,
full of crises (the poverty, the crowds, the natural and human disasters waiting to
befall).”http://sunzi!.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/35/3500489.pdf).
The writer found out that the Chinese and the Westerners are very
different. In the novel, the Western people are described as high class social status
people so when Suzie Wong went to a restaurant with Robert Lomax, they are
very surprised because they think usually the Chinese women are prostitute
especially if they come from Wanchai.
They are hard-working and have a strong sense of loyalty to each other. Indeed they are principled and dignified human beings, who need love and sympathy more than they need the security of the almighty American dollar. And the Americans? Fortunately, they are the "internationalists" — the people with the human values, the love
and the money. (Law Kar,
http://sunzi!.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/35/3500489.pdf).
The quotation above explains about the difference between Chinese
and Westerners. It shows that Chinese are hard worker and loyal to their friends
and relatives. But Westerners, they are conceited and too proud of their own self.
They always put other race and other people under their status because they feel
that they are wealthy, elegant, cultured, and honorable.
Nowadays the prostitutes in China do not know about the story of
Suzie Wong may be because they cannot read and write like Suzie Wong (like
11
not have time to do something like that because their time is seized for their job.
Although the prostitutes in China never read “The World of Suzie Wong” novel, the story is popular among the prostitutes; may be through mouth-to-mouth
storytelling and it becomes their motivation to be a respectable woman like Suzie
Wong because it gives them hope to keep trying to reach their dream.
“The hostesses of modern times don't even know Suzie nor have they
read the book. But they too would cheer her story, the way the hostesses of the
50's did, championing Suzie's cause to become "a respectable girl." (Bernard M.
Patten,
http://www.amazon.com/World-Suzie-Wong-Richard-Mason/product-reviews/0848800524/ref=pr_all_summary_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewp
oints=1, accessed on 4 July 2009)
To know what happen in our society is a benefit because we cannot
forget that we live in a society and it will be pleasure if we can also make some
changes that will bring our people into better life and better future and the writer
thinks that her research is different from other people because she brings that
mission and she wants to share it to the society.
B. Review of Related Theories 1. Theory on Character
In StantonAn Introduction to Fiction, he tells us that character is holding a main responsibility in the flow of a story. Therefore, it can make the
story more alive. Character is generally used in two ways. The first, character
of interests, desires, emotion, and moral principles that make up each of the
person. A character’s reason for behaving as he does is his motivation (1965:
17). It means that in a story, there are some characters and the characters are
holding the flow of the story and makes the story interesting. And a
character’s behavior is shaped because he or she has motivation on their life.
Without any motivation, a character is not interesting anymore because
motivation is an important element of a story and motivation shows the
character’s behavior and the way he or she faces problems. Motivation is
someone’s desire to make it come true and usually it is not just for his or her
own importance but also the importance of other people such as his or her
children, parents, friends, etc.
So a useful question to begin with, in observing the mental life of any character, is what main desires or traits move him, and what opposing traits put him under strain (Eastman, 1965: 23).
Characters always felt happy and sad. They always have climax in the
story and everything that happened to them always affects their life. When a
character accepts what had happened in their life, it will strengthen their
mental life. And one thing that makes them strong is because they have
motivation in their life and they would not give up at the motivation although
the way to realize it is very hard.
Eastman also said that to show just how background gives its bent to a
character, certain early formative experiences might be dramatized in detail.
The so-called developmental novel, which carries a protagonist from
childhood to maturity, will elaborate the origins of personality on the largest
13
These theories are best suited to find Richard Mason’s reason for
making Suzie Wong as the main character. It is because she is unique and her
life is interesting to be known by readers. She suffers from her childhood by
losing her parents and raped by her uncle, till she is adult and has a baby from
a man who did not responsible for Suzie and the baby. Her beauty supports
her job as a prostitute although she is uneducated and her journey of life was
not really well as an ordinary woman until she found her own happiness and
her life together with Robert Lomax. This is a story that has to be read because
this story also reflects the condition that happens into other women in the real
life.
2. Theory on Characterization
Character will have no meaning without characterization. Abrams
(1981: 21) defines characterization as process for distinguishing the person in
a narrative. This process may use two techniques, they are showing and
telling. In showing, (the dramatic method), the author simply presents his
characters are talking and acting. He leaves the reader to infer the motives and
disposition lay behind what they say and do. In telling, the author intervenes
authoritatively in order to describe and to evaluate the motives and
dispositional qualities of his characters.
Holman and Harmon (1986: 83) define characterization as the
creation of the imaginary person in fiction so that they are present for the
life, so they may share the same character. To make the story appealing to the
readers, the author builds these characters.
To show the aspects of his characters in the story, the author uses
characterization. According to Murphy (1972: 161-171) there are nine ways to
make characters more alive through characterization, namely personal
description, characters as seen by others, speech, past life, conversation of
others, reaction, direct comments, thought, and mannerism. The explanation of
those nine ways as follows.
a. Personal Description
What the author means by personal description is that the author can
describe a person’s appearance and clothes in the story.
b. Character as Seen by Another
The author tries to describe a character through the eyes and opinions
of another. Through the other’s eyes and opinions, the readers may get a
reflected image.
c. Speech
The author gives an insight into the character of one of the person in
the book through what the person says. Whenever a person speaks, whenever
he is in conversation with another, whenever he puts forward an opinion, he is
giving the reader some clues to his character.
d. Past Life
By letting the reader learn something about a person’s past life, the
15
character. This can be done by direct comment by the author, through the
person’s thoughts, through his conversation or through the medium of another
person.
e. Conversation of Others
Through the conversation of other people and the things they say
about someone, the author can also give us clues of person’s character. People
do talk about other and the things they say usually can give us a clue to the
character of the person spoken about.
f. Reaction
Knowing a person’s character can also be observed by knowing how
that person reacts or respond to various situations and events that are
presented by the author.
g. Direct Comment
The author can describe or comment on a person’s character directly.
By giving comment explicitly, the reader will not be left in doubt to know
h. Thoughts
The readers can know one’s character through the direct knowledge
of what a person has in mind presented by the author.
i. Mannerism
The author can describe a person’s mannerism, habit, or
idiosyncrasies which may also tell us something about his character.
In his book, Perrine (1974: 69) states “there are three related
behavior that they must not behave one way on one occasion and a different
way on another unless there is a sufficient reason for the change. Second, the
character must be motivated in whatever they do, especially when there is a
change in their behavior. We must able to understand the reason for what they
do. It can be found in the beginning or the end of the story. Third, the
character must be plausible or lifelike. It means that they are not paragons of
virtue or monster of evil or impossible combination of contradictory traits.
3. Theory on Personality
According to Kimball Young is his bookPersonality and Problems of Adjustment, personality is some special, largely mysterious, quality of an individual which attracts the attention of others. Though personality certainly has
to do with how one individual influences another, to understand the personality
we need to discover the internal factors which lie behind his actions. We want to
find out his motives or “reasons” for acting, and how he looks upon himself
(1945: 3). He also said:
Since the basic elements of personality are determined in the earliest years, we shall necessarily consider the growth of attitudes and habits within the family and other primary groups. Then, too, the critical years of adolescence, with their important problems of emancipation from the home, the emergence of love patterns for the opposite sex, and the coming of mature freedom and its accompanying responsibility, must be discussed if we are to understand many of the features of adult adaptation (1945: 13-14).
Psychological theories are important to this analysis because
17
elements and associationism, some the highly unique and individualized nature if
the total personality. Others center their attention on the interactional and
social-cultural factors in personal development (1945: 285). Some of them have
emphasized the importance of social interaction in the genesis and operation of
the self; others have given chief attention to the particular social situation to which
the individual is constantly reacting. Some stress the place of cultural training in
the emergence of ideas, traits, attitudes, values, and habits (1945: 295). Still in
Young’s theory, if we wish to understand the personal characteristics of those
whom society labels as criminals, we need to take into account both the cultural
and the psychological factors. Crime is a form of deviant behavior, which runs
counter to the accepted conduct norms of a given society (1945: 661)
4. Theory on Motive and Theory on Motivation
John Jung, the author of Understanding Human Motivation: a Cognitive Approach, said that in general, we speak of motives we are referring to the causes or reasons that underlie a given behavior (1978: 4). He also said that
human are continually interpreting the complex pattern of behavior they observe
in others as well as in themselves. We try to explain our actions in terms of
motives that are regarded as causes of behavior. Similarly we try to infer the
underlying motivational causes of the behavior of others (1978: 5).
Delos H. Kelly said intention is something that we “have in mind”
when we act and a motive is strictly speaking, that which moves a person to act.
According to Murray (1964: 7) motivation is a desire. It is related to
behavior because it is involved in all kinds of behavior: learning, performing,
perceiving, attending, remembering, forgetting, thinking, creating, and feeling.
Motivation affects someone’s behavior, because motivation may function as
incentive for someone to behave in certain manner. For example: a mother will
work hard in order to fulfill her family needs and she is motivated by her desire to
fulfill the family needs. Her motivation will influence her to behave in specific
way which supports her to fulfill the needs, such as finding a job, working hard,
providing some money, even sacrificing herself (like in the story, the main
character is sacrificing herself to be a prostitute in order to fulfill her baby needs
and also to give the baby a better future).
5. Theory on Criminal Factor and Behavior
In our concept, when someone is very conservative, mostly they judge
something from its looks, from the outside; for example when someone is tattooed
or have a long hair (in this case refers to male), they think that this kind of person
is a bad person; or when someone has a divorced parent, he or she must be using
drugs or anything else. It is similar to a quotation which is taken from The Psychology of Work and Human Performanceby Robert D. Smither; in addition, diversity programs often start with negative assumptions about the backgrounds,
schooling, and experiences of minority employees (1994:340); means that a
diversion of a social group mostly based from a negative assumption like when
19
also be humiliated. We just see something from its appearance, from its cover and
many times we do not want to see it further because we think that we are better
than anything or anyone else. Like Suzie Wong, she comes from a poor family, no
education, no upbringing from anyone, and she lacks of love from people around
her so she just goes with her destiny without any trial to get better with her life
and she just becomes friends with her surroundings because no one cares about
her before Robert Lomax come and change her life.
An expert named Delos H. Kelly said that most of us, at some time,
have committed illegal acts. Yet few of us would consider ourselves as criminals.
But there are those who do view themselves as criminals and who act in
accordance with their profession and its associated label. The professional fence,
the street hustler, the prostitute, the check forger, the con artist, and the hit man
are examples. Why people choose to violate law has long been a subject of debate.
Some investigators have been concerned with how actors become exposed to and
learn criminal values and traditions. Some have stressed biological or
psychological factors, while others have concentrated on societal conditions. If
race and poverty emerge as strong correlates of crime, then attempts to explain
motivation should acknowledge these factors. Unfortunately, many of the
well-known statements advanced to explain crime lack grounding in empirical reality
or the real world; this situation no doubt partially accounts for the level of
theorizing that plagues the study of crime (1980: 3). He also explained that
people, male or female, who become prostitutes consciously, decide to pursue
In the attempt to understand why people become criminals, a host of
variables has been studied. Some researchers study poverty and urbanization,
while others explore the effects of racial, familial, and educational factors. (1980:
55)
In sex and family relationships there are numerous instances in which
the criminal law is often in conflict with social norms and human emotions,
resulting in the concealment of homosexual relations, statutory rape, adultery,
sodomy, illegal abortion, desertion, and nonsupport (1980: 62).
Quetelet’s “social physics” and Guerry’s “moral statistical analysis”
explored the incidence of crime in relation to age, sex, profession, education,
economic conditions, climate, and ethnicity (1980: 61) means that the crime
happens because there are some factors that affect someone to be a criminal. The
factors, if we related with the story, are the economic condition (Suzie Wong
comes from poor family), education (she never been study at school that makes
her cannot read and write), her sex (she is a female that conditioned as weak
person), age (she is still in a very young age when she lost her parents and also
she is raped by her uncle), and last is profession where those things that has been
explained before is the conclusion of her life which is to fall on the prostitution
world. Selected factors or combinations of factors may stand out in the
backgrounds of people labeled as criminals. (1980: 151)
21
that the historical condition of this class of people was severely damaged by these conditions of economic subjugation. He attempted to demonstrate connections between certain types of crime (e.g. prostitution, alcoholism, and theft) and economic inequality (Kelly, 1980: 166).
Most studies of lower-class prostitution have implicitly if not
explicitly posited that a low socioeconomic status brings with it many other
factors that might predispose a girl to enter prostitution as a vocation. Early
sexuality is listed as a major factor. Studies show that the prostitute from a
lower-class background is likely to have her first sexual experience in her very early
teens, and then enter prostitution three or four years later. In her study of thirty
“common prostitutes,” Davis found several social preconditions, which lead to
early sexuality. These were high levels of family permissiveness, little familial
control, peer group norms, and sexuality was associated with freedom (from
family) or security (certainty of male companionship). (1980: 255)
Promiscuity at an early age seems to be a preponderant subcultural value in lower-class areas. Lemert (1951) and Merton (1938) indicate that lower-class prostitution may be partially due to lack of education and other occupational resources, in combination with middle-class material aspirations. The press of situational factor making for prostitution falls more heavily upon some women than upon others, it has already been indicated that prostitutes tend to come from families with low socioeconomic status (1980: 256).
The quotation above means that prostitution or even lower-class
prostitution or usually called street prostitution happens because there are many
people especially women do not have any abilities because of lack of education
and the lack of education is caused because the family is come from low
6. Theory on Environmental Factor Toward the Criminal Behavior
According to Floyd L. Ruch, human happiness grows from the
harmonious adjustment of people to the social conditions around them. Crime,
industrial unrest, war, race, conflict, international distrust—all these are social
problems which keep people from living at their maximum happiness and
efficiency (1948: 5). He also said that an individual could not exist or develop
except in an environment, and must depend on his environment for the means of
satisfying his basic need of food, warmth, and so on (1948: 9).
Ashley Montagu subscribes completely to view that the home is the
most influential environmental factor in the molding of the human personality.
The first place children learn many things are from their home, from their family,
from their beloved mother and father. And this creates a first personality that the
children have; before they feel bigger social intercourse at school or any other
institutions or places (1953: 166).
The continuity of affection and high expectation of conforming
behavior that the young child experiences in family and school, the endless
repetition, the support and pressure of peers, the recurring exposure to cognitively
unambiguous, universally approved models of good behavior—these indeed
appeared to result in high levels of competence and conformity (Kessen, 1976:
41).
There were statements that say education does not just come from
formal institution like school but education also can be done by society and family
23
child’s behavior because family is the first environment where the child learns
things, besides school and her society, and formal institution is just as a
supplement facility to guide a child’s behavior. The quotation above is also
supported by Kessen’s view about kindergarten that is apparently seen as a more
desirable experience than exclusive family rearing although everyone agreed that
children brought up at home can still get a basic education (1976: 46).
Despite this rapid expansion of “modern” schools, in 1949 much of
the male population, particularly in rural areas, and almost all of the female
population got little or no schooling, and most Chinese remained illiterate (1976:
1).
Criminal behavior is usually a departure from the standard of
behavior which is accepted by the majority of the group in which the individual is
living (1948:593). The quotation above is taken from Psychology and life by Floyd L. Ruch that means a living area, where we come from or where we are
living, can be a factor that brings us to criminal behavior.
Family is the basic place where someone learns many things because
the first place to associate is family. Then when a child is growing up, he or she
will try to associate with bigger environment such as school and his or her living
area. Usually living area also affects someone’s behavior because making friends
from the same place is easier than from the different place. The characteristic of
C. Theoretical Framework
This study provides some theories to answer the problem formulation
stated in the previous chapter, Chapter I. Those theories are theory on character,
theory on characterization, theory on personality, theory on motive, theory on
natural characteristic of women, theory on criminal factor and criminal behavior,
and theory on environmental factor toward criminal behavior.
First, to analyze Suzie Wong’s character, the writer applies Stanton’s
and Eastman’s theories in presenting the character and completes those theories
with Holman and Harmon’s theories. These theories help the writer to understand
what kind of character of Suzie Wong is. To give further description about Suzie
Wong’s characterization, the writer uses Murphy’s theory on characterization and
also Perrine’s theory. The writer also uses theory on personality by Kimball
Young to support the analysis.
The Theory on Criminal Factor and Criminal Behavior and theory on
Environmental Factor toward Criminal Behavior by some experts are used to find
out what are the social life conditions affect someone’s life and also to find out
how a crime, especially prostitution, is shaped and becomes as a pattern that
resulted as causes and results . Theory on motivation is also used to support the
theories above.
Theory on motive is used to find out what Suzie Wong’s motives are
and then relate them with the personalities and social condition.
By using those theories, the writer is expected to be able to relate the
result of the analysis of the novel with the situation that also experienced by
women that happened in the real life and find the patterns or reasons of why
25
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
This research uses a literary work as the object of the study. This
thesis deals with one of literary works, namely a novel as the object of the study.
The novel that is going to be analyzed in this thesis is a novel entitledThe World of Suzie Wong.The World of Suzie Wongthat the writer used is the second edition and was initially published by The New American Library of World Literature
incorporation as a Signet Book on August 1958. It consists of 288 pages and has
not been translated into Bahasa Indonesia. Richard Mason wrote The World of Suzie Wong while he was in Hong Kong and this novel is adapted into a play in 1958 and later into a film in 1960 that is directed by Richard Quine and the cast
are William Holden as Robert Lomax and Nancy Kwan as Suzie Wong.
The World of Suzie Wong is about a Chinese woman named Suzie Wong that works as a prostitute because of her environmental factor and social
condition that brings her into that job. The story took place in 1957-1960 in Hong
Kong.
The story began in a ferry where Robert Lomax, a British painter, tries
to get his luck in painting in Hong Kong. In that ferry, he met Wong Mee Ling, a
rich virgin that will get married soon with someone whom she has never met and
who is interested in her. During the journey on the ferry, they talk about many
After that, Robert Lomax found a cheap hotel where he stayed there for a month.
One day, he met Mee Ling as Suzie Wong, a popular prostitute in the hotel where
he also stays. Soon, they became closer although Suzie also has a relationship
with Ben Jeffcoat, an ex sailor who is married but he is not happy with his
marriage life. She also has a relationship with Rodney Tessler. Rodney Tessler is
someone who attracts to Robert Lomax’ paintings and he can bring Robert Lomax
to a good carrier on this because Rodney Tessler has an uncle who usually makes
a painting exhibition. He is also someone who awkward on making friends
because he made up stories just to get Robert Lomax’ good impression.
Although their relationship is interrupted by Suzie Wong’s profession,
but love always unite Suzie Wong and Robert Lomax and finally they are falling
in love. With Suzie Wong’s baby from her relationship with Gerard Parry, a
sub-inspector of police, Suzie Wong and Robert Lomax became a happy couple. One
day, when they were in fight, Suzie Wong’s house was damaged by flood while
her baby is in that house. Robert and Suzie try to find the baby but unfortunately,
Suzie’s baby was dead.
After they can forget that accident, Robert Lomax has to go to Japan
for his job as a painter. But soon, he heard that Suzie stabbed Betty Lau, the
prostitute that Suzie Wong hate (the writer assumed that they are rival on their job
as prostitute) and she also has ever slept with Robert Lomax while he is in a fight
with Suzie, that makes her sentenced to jail. When Robert came home to
Wanchai, Suzie is sick in jail. She got T.B. and Robert tries to get her out of the
27
her to Shanghai, they got married there. After they got married, Robert Lomax
shows his jealousy and also his distrust to Suzie Wong. He became so jealous
when there is a guy who tries to know Suzie Wong and the fighting happens
between Robert Lomax and Suzie Wong when Robert Lomax did not find Suzie
Wong at the hotel room and he thinks that Suzie Wong is with that man but in
fact, Suzie Wong is going to the toilet to take the pill of her medicine because she
did not want Robert Lomax to know that her sickness is getting worse. The story
ends while Suzie recovers from her sickness and then they both live happily
forever.
B. Approach of the Study
The focus of the study is relationship between Suzie Wong’s life with
the facts that is happened in the real life to the women. The writer found that there
is a pattern that makes someone is doing crime especially to work as a prostitute
and she is sure that most of the prostitutes experience those things and
environmental factor is the main factor.
In order to reveal the pattern between Suzie Wong’s life and the fact
that happens in the real life, she applied a psychological approach. Guerin in his
book A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature states that psychological approach outlines a psychological theory in order to help readers enhancing their
understanding and appreciation of literature. Psychological interpretation and
criticisms give some ideas that may lead the readers to a profound understanding
that a brilliant creative genius, Freud provided convincing evidence, through his
many carefully recorded case studies, that most of our actions are motivated by
psychological forces over which we have very limited control (1999: 154). The
writer uses the psychological approach because she studies the psychological side
of the main character, Suzie Wong, in the novel. She thinks that criminal behavior
comes from the culture, environment and condition of the character itself so the
society conditions that are represented in the story can contribute a great support
to her analysis of psychology.
In this study, the writer uses the theory on natural characteristic of
women to show that women are not as weak as what men are considered and that
the source of the influential factor in molding human personality is coming from
home. Women are even stronger than men because they are able to live as single
parents for their children.
The writer also uses the theory on motivation, theory on criminal
factor and criminal behavior, and theory on environment factor toward criminal
behavior to reveal Suzie Wong’s social conditions that affect her characteristics.
Therefore, she really hopes that by using those approaches in this
study, the analysis of psychology seen in Suzie Wong’s life in Richard Mason’s
novelThe World of Suzie Wongcould be done effectively.
C. Method of the Study
This thesis applied a library research as the method of the study so
29
to support this thesis; they are the primary source and the secondary source. The
primary source of the study was the novel itself, which is The World of Suzie Wongwritten by Richard Mason, meaning that all data for supporting the analysis were collected from the novel itself. The secondary sources included books and
selected criticism on the novel that can be used to support this study and to help
strengthen this study of the problems that would be analyzed.
There were some steps needed to be done in the process of conducting
this study. Firstly, the writer decided to take Richard Mason’sThe World of Suzie Wong as the main book. The writer searched and read the novel. The writer tried to understand what the novel is about by reading it many times. In this process of
understanding the novel, the writer found some interesting elements in the novel,
such as the characters of each person in the novel, especially Suzie Wong’s
character and then decided to analyze her character for the study.
Secondly, writer used other data, such as review about Richard Mason
or reviews about the novel. The writer tried to get the best answers for the
problems.
Thirdly, the writer analyzed the character related to the problems. It
was in order to get a better understanding about Suzie Wong’s character. In this
case, the writer used the theory on character and characterization from Robert
Stanton, Richard M. Eastman, Abrams, Holman and Harmon, Murphy, and also
from Perrine. The writer also uses theory on personality by Kimball Young.
The fourth step was the writer used the theory on motive and theory
by Robert D. Smither and Delos H. Kelly, and theory on environmental factor
toward criminal behavior by Ashley Montagu, Floyd L. Ruch, and William
Kessen to analyze Suzie Wong’s social life condition and relate it with her
characteristic. To support the analysis of the problems of this study, the dialogues
will be used as evidences.
Last, the writer drew conclusion of the study. The conclusion
31
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
A. Characteristics of Suzie Wong
This part contains of five (5) subchapters, they are Suzie Wong is a
self-deception person, Suzie Wong is a survivor, Suzie Wong is someone who is lack
of affection, Suzie Wong is naïve, and last, Suzie Wong is superstitious.
1. Suzie Wong is a self-deception person
Suzie Wong is the heroine of the story. She is holding the main
responsibility of the story. We can see her desire and imagine the expression or
behavior through the dialogue, the narration from the author, or even from the
other character. Like what was said by Abrams, the characterization process
may use two techniques, they are showing and telling. In showing, (the
dramatic method), the author simply presents his characters are talking and
acting. He leaves the reader to infer the motives and disposition lay behind
what they say and do. In telling, the author intervenes authoritatively in order
to describe and to evaluate the motives and dispositional qualities of his
characters (1981: 21). This theory is also supported by Murphy’s theory the
author tries to describe a character through the eyes and opinions of another.
Through the other’s eyes and opinions, the readers may get a reflected image
character through the direct knowledge of what a person has in mind presented
by the author. (1972: 161-171)
Suzie Wong actually is just an ordinary woman but her life makes
her become so special in the story. According to Robert Stanton’s theory, Suzie
Wong is holding the main responsibility of the flow of a story because she
makes the story more alive; her characteristic moves the interest, emotion,
desires, and moral principles that make up each person. (1965: 17) Richard
Mason uses Robert Lomax as someone who tells the readers about Suzie
Wong’s life. He uses Robert Lomax’ point of view to get Robert Lomax’s
thought about Suzie Wong and through his thought, the readers will get image
about Suzie Wong.
Her suffering from her childhood brings her into life that every
woman does not want to experience it in their life. She made up a story when
she met Robert Lomax for the first time. Robert Lomax’ curiosity makes Suzie
Wong who introduced herself as Wong Mee Ling, her Chinese name, lies to
Robert Lomax and said that she comes from a rich family, who had many
houses and cars. She also said that she will get married soon because her father
arranged a marriage where she has never met her husband-to-be. Her father
also would not permit her to get along with Western people. She said that
because she thought that Robert Lomax is a sailor because sailors are her
customers in Nam Kok Hotel. When she admitted her lies to Robert Lomax,
she said:
“You know why I told those lies?”
33
“Yes, I want.” Her eyes held mine evenly. “You ever go to the cinema?”
“The cinema? Yes, often.”
“Then say one day you go to cinema and see a film. And the hero-man is very rich. Very good-looking. And he has a big car. And a beautiful girlfriend. And they go into the mountains where
everything looks beautiful—and there is snow. And they are very happy. All right. You believe everything true?”
“I believe while I’m watching it,” I said. “I believe enough to enjoy it.”
“Yes. Only you know the hero-man is only pretending. You know maybe from the newspaper that really he is very unhappy—just got divorce from his wife. And you know the film was made up in somebody’s head. You know it is just a story, like Chinese opera. You believe—but you don’t believe.”
“That’s quite true, Suzie.”
“All right. So sometimes I make up story in my head. And I believe—and I don’t believe.” (1957: 48-49)
Her dream is to be a normal person but her life condition brings her
into the prostitution. She had a baby from her boyfriend who left her since she
was pregnant and for living her baby, she must work and her only way to get
money is by working as prostitute. Murphy said that the author gives an insight
into the character of one of the person in the book through what the person
says. Whenever a person speaks, whenever he is in conversation with another,
whenever he puts forward an opinion, he is giving the reader some clues to his
character (1972: 161-171). He also said that the author can describe a person’s
mannerism, habit, or idiosyncrasies which may also tell us something about his
character (1972: 161-171). Suzie Wong wants to be known as an ordinary
woman who has a happy family and works as a housewife but in fact, she is a
Lomax, she can act as ordinary woman because he does not see Suzie Wong
from her job and did not see her as an object but sees Suzie Wong as a woman.
When she falls in love with Robert Lomax, she wants to be her only woman
and Robert Lomax to be her only man although we, as the readers, know that
she is not a virgin anymore, she even works as a prostitute, a job that sells body
as the service. Suzie often calls herself as a virgin who is longing for her
only-man. First evidence is the dialogue on the first meeting between Suzie Wong
and Robert Lomax on the ferry.
“So you see, I have never had a boy friend,” Mee-Ling declared solemnly. “I have never made love yet.”
“No?” I said, startled by such frankness. “No, not once.”
“Well, you’ve still plenty of time.” I wondered if this kind of conversation, at first meeting, was typically Chinese.
She looked at me innocently. “What do you call that in English?” “Call what exactly?”
“I mean, if you have not made love—not with anybody.” “Well, you can call it ‘being virgin,’” I said.
“’Virgin’? Like that?” “Yes.”
“Yes, virgin—that’s me.” (1957: 9)
The other evidence is when Robert Lomax wants Suzie Wong to stay
with him at his room but Suzie Wong refused him because she wants to be an
ordinary girl for Robert Lomax, not as a prostitute. She said:
35
2. Suzie Wong is a Survivor
Robert Stanton theory said that a character’s reason for behaving as
he does is his motivation (1965: 17). Suzie Wong is a single parent of a
half-caste baby boy. She was left by her boyfriend, Gerard Parry, when she was
pregnant because he did not admit that it was his baby. Then to take care of the
baby, she must work and her only chance is being a prostitute because she did
not have any knowledge or abilities to do another job. She even cannot write
and read because she had never gone to school. The theory above is also
supported by Richard M. Eastman’s theory which said so a useful question to
begin with, in observing the mental life of any character, is what main desires
or traits move him, and what opposing traits put him under strain (1965: 23).
Her only motivation is just her baby because she wants her baby to have a
better future. She wants the baby to be a successful person because of that she
also makes some plan for her child’s future by saving some money although
she gets the money from her job by selling her body. The analysis of
characteristic is also helped by Perrine’s theory that said the character must be
consistent in their behavior that they must not behave one way on one occasion
and a different way on another unless there is a sufficient reason for the
change. Second, the character must be motivated in whatever they do,
especially when there is a change in their behavior. We must be able to
understand the reason for what they do. It can be found in the beginning or the
end of the story. Third, the character must be plausible or lifelike. It means that
contradictory traits (1974: 69). Her survival as a mother is very inspiring
because she did everything just for her baby although she was sick.
Nevertheless her tenancy of the new room began unluckily: the following day she fell ill with some sort of fever. She grew worse from week to week, and lost all her flesh. She became like a skeleton. She was bedridden for three month. During this time her savings ran low, and before she has properly recovered she went out to find work again. (1957: 75)
Then she tries to find a job but she did not find one. Because she has
to find money as soon as possible, she sacrifices herself to work as a street girl,
an embarrassing job for Suzie and any other prostitutes because it is lower than
being as a prostitute. She even did not tell Gwenny, her best friend about it
because she is very embarrassed to admit that.
She felt very ill again; but the baby was crying. She went around to a girl friend’s room to borrow some money. The girl was out. She returned to the street and hung about on the corner until she was picked up by a coolie from the docks. He paid her two dollars. She was so ashamed of this episode as a “street girl” that she never told anybody about it before. She had not even told Gwenny. (1957:75)
Suzie Wong was not just surviving for her baby, but also from her
early childhood. Richard M. Eastman said that to show just how background
gives its bent to a character, certain early formative experiences may be
dramatized in detail. The so-called developmental novel, which carries a
protagonist from childhood to maturity, will elaborate the origins of personality
on the largest scale, even allotting them a major plot interest (1965: 24).
Murphy also said that one of the ways to make the story more alive through
characterization is by letting the reader learn something about a person’s past
37
character. This can be done by direct comment by the author, through the
person’s thoughts, through his conversation or through the medium of another
person (1972: 161-171). She survived for herself because she had lost her
parents since she was 5 years old and she is under a bad upbringing by her
uncle that treated her as a housekeeper and even raped her but Suzie Wong did
not give up with her life. She always tries to run away from her uncle and tries
to be an independent person from her early age, 16 years old.
3. Suzie Wong is someone who lacks of affection
From her childhood, she almost had never felt the affection from her
parents, she also had never been cared by her uncle because he treated Suzie
Wong like a housekeeper. Because Suzie Wong almost never felt to be cared
by other people; when she met someone who cares for her, she is hungry for
love with him. To support this analysis, the writer uses Murphy’s theory about
the reaction of a character when they have to respond something. Knowing a
person’s character can also be observed by knowing how that person reacts or
respond to various situations and events that are presented by the author (1972:
161-171). It is proved by her feeling to Alan Muir, the man whom she is falling
in love for the first time but unfortunately, he died because of the shark attack.
At first, she hates him because he paid money for her service, but he just wants
Suzie for accompanying him. Sooner, Suzie realized that he cared for her and
then fell in love with him. After Alan Muir’s death, she has a relationship with
the baby because since the advent of Alan Muir she had longed for a baby –
even a baby that wasn’t Alan. (1957: 72)
Another man that she once been in love with is Ben Jeffcoat, a man
who is married to Liz. He becomes Suzie’s boyfriend because he wants to run
from his awful marriage life. Her wife often controlled him that makes him
bored. Ben had said to Suzie Wong that while she has a relationship with Ben,
she is not allowed to have another customer but Suzie Wong violated that
promise. Then one day, Ben suddenly raid into the room where there was Suzie
and her customer and then spanks her. But because of the spank, Suzie then
falling in love to Ben because for her, the spank means Ben’s jealousy and no
one has ever done that to her. She never felt that someone is jealous for her
because for most of men that had ever been with her; they just saw Suzie Wong
as an object for fun.
Last is Robert Lomax who has the same feeling with her. She really
respects Robert Lomax because he treated her not as a prostitute but as an
ordinary girl.
“I like you,” she said. “You’re good man. I stay for nothing.”
“Suzie, it’s terribly sweet of you,” I said. “And I’m very tempted. But I’d only make myself miserable. I couldn’t bear it tomorrow, when I’d have to sit and watch you going upstairs with sailors.” (1957: 56)
4. Suzie Wong is Naïve
Because she is easy to fall in love, she is also easy to be cheated
