CONFLICT OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN MARY
HIGGINS CLARK’S NOVELS
A THESIS
Submitted as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
By:
DETYA SETIO RINI
Reg. No. 2103220011
ENGLISH AND LITERATURE DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND ARTS
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all, the writer would like to express her best gratitude to GOD, for
giving the writer blessing, endless love and mercy, especially in the process of
accomplishing this thesis. In accomplishing this thesis, the writer was helped by
so many beloved people and the writer would like to express her gratitude to:
Prof. Dr. Ibnu Hajar Damanik, M.Si. as the Rector of State University of
Medan.
Dr. Isda Pramuniati, M.Hum. as the Dean of Faculty of Languages and
Arts
Prof. Dr. Hj. Sumarsih, M.Pd. as the Head of English and Literature
Department.
Dra. Meisuri, M.A. as the Head of Applied Linguistics Program.
Drs. Muhammad Natsir, M.Hum.,as her Thesis Adviser, for his help, time,
comment and appreciation in completing this thesis.
Prof. Dr. Berlin Sibarani, M.Pd, as her Academic Adviser and Reviewer,
and also for Dra. Masitowarni Siregar, M.Ed, and Drs. Bachtiar, M.Pd, as
her Reviewers.
Mam Euis, for her kind help in providing academic administrations to the
writer.
Her beloved family, her father, Mr. Mujo, her mother, Mrs. Suwarni, her
dearest sisters, Lina Astria Ning Tyas, Ayu Resti Budiono, Fitria Budiarti,
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the big support in prayer, endless love, motivation and financial while
accomplished this thesis.
Her best friends, Monica Ghea Luwiq, Nangin Sarinta Bangun, and Dany
Pranata, thanks for your love, happiness, and friendship that we have been
through together. And to all her friends in Applied Linguistics A and B 2010
many others that she cannot be mentioned one by one.
All others whose names cannot be mentioned one by one for their help and
support. Thanks for everything. May God bless us. Amiin.
Finally, the writer admits that this thesis still far from being perfect.
Therefore, the writer would like to invite the readers to give suggestion for the
improvement of this thesis later on.
Medan, September 2014
The writer,
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ABSTRACT
Rini S, Detya. 2014. Conflict of the Main Characters in Mary Higgins Clark’s Novels. A Thesis.Faculty of Languages and Arts.State University of Medan.
The study deals with the kinds of conflict which are experienced by the main characters in the novels and the problem solving which are taken by them. The objectives of the study are to find the kinds of conflicts and the most dominant conflict which is experienced by the main characters and to find out how they solve their problems. The research conducted by using descriptive qualitative design. The data was collecting by reading and analyzing all the novels and finding out the conflicts which are experienced by the main characters. The results showed that all kinds of conflicts are appeared in the novels. There are 122 conflicts found which is consisted of 64 internal conflicts (52.46%) and 58 external conflicts (47.54%). The dominant conflict found in the novels was internal conflict, with number of 64 conflicts (52.46%) from 122 conflicts found. The problem solving which is taken by the main characters in the novel is mostly moving against the problems. The characters tried to figure out the cause of the conflicts they are experienced and solve them by moving against the conflicts.
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E. The Significance of the Study ...5
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE ...6
A. Theoretical Framework ...6
B.Literature ...6
C. Preview of Related Studies ...7
D. Fiction ...8
1. The Elements of Fiction ...9
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C. Technique for Collecting Data ...28
D. Technique for Analyzing Data ...28
CHAPTER IV DATA AND DATA ANALYSIS ...29
A. The Data ...29
B. The Data Analysis ...29
1. The Cradle will Fall ...29
2. I’ll Be Seeing You ...36
3. A Cry in the Night ...42
C. Research Findings ...49
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION ...58
A. Conclusion ...58
B. Suggestion ...59
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. The Background of the Study
Literature, as defined by Hudson (2006:10) is a vital record of what men
have seen in life, what they have experienced of it, what they have thought and
felt about those aspects of it which have the most immediate and enduring interest
for all of us, it is thus fundamentally an expression of life through the medium of
language.
Literature in a broad classification can be expressed in three kinds of form;
Drama, Poetry, and Prose.Furthermore, Hudson defines these three forms of
literature in a brief definition. According to him, Drama is the recreating of
written work into a stage play which requires theatrical aspects. Poetry is a
particular kind of art; that it arises only when the poetic qualities of imagination
and feeling are embodied in certain form of expression. That form is, of course,
regularly rhythmical language, or metre. Then he defines Prose as the writing of
expression of our common interest in human life, which established the principal
form of our complex and many-sided modern world.
Prose, in its classification, can be parted into two kinds, Fiction, and
Non-fiction. Prose fiction, as defined by Nurgiyantoro (2007:2) is a writing about
something unreal, which cannot be found in the real world. While Non-fiction
prose is a writing which has basic of truth, either historical, biographical, or
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nothing difference with short story in its contents, but it has difference in length.
Novel is much longer than short story.
In a novel, there are elements that cannot be omitted, which then we know
as the elements of fiction. Two of those elements are Character and Plot, which in
here will be discussed intensely. Character and plot become two things that cannot
be separated. Practically, they are always united. In every novel, plot and
characters must be combined well. Events that are experienced by the character
move the plot to be interesting.
The character is always in a constant state of flux. From beginning to end,
there is a constant cycle of conflict, decision making, actions, consequences, and
development. Conflict adds an incredible amount of depth to characters. Without
conflict, a character falls flat.
Conflict, which drives the story to be interesting, can be happen on or
beneath the surface of the story. Conflicts that come on the surface, which are
usually happened between the character and something out of him (another
person, society, environment, nature, the universe, God), called as External
conflict. There has to be something beneath the surface, something that compels a
character to do what he does, something to give the reader a reason to care, which
is Internal conflict. This internal conflict drives the character to be involved in a
conflict, consciously or unconsciously. Here, we will then find the true
relationship between the conflict and the role of the characters in a novel.
This internal conflict is something that is driven by desire; an internal
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include psychological survival needs, needs for a safe and stable environment,
needs for love and belonging, needs for esteem, and the need for a calling or
vocation in which we can use our native capacities in an intrinsically satisfying
way.
When all those needs are not fulfilled, we (human) usually try to find a
way to fulfill. According to Horney (1945:202), we try to overcome feelings of
being unsafe, unloved, and unvalued in a potentially hostile world by moving
toward, against, or away from other people. Each solution involves its own
constellation of behavior patterns and personality traits, its own conception of
justice, and its own set of beliefs about human nature, human values, and human
condition. All these internal motivations can be expressed to be the external
conflict which is then build the whole plot in a story.
Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins, or mostly known as Mary Higgins Clark
(1927- present) is American author who is ableto take those kinds of internal
conflict successfully in her novels. She specialized herself in writing suspenseful
mystery and psychological thriller. Although she had ever experienced a tough
life while she was a child, but she did not suffered by psychological trouble as she
always shows in her novel. Some of the masterpieces of her are The Cradle will
Fall, I’ll be Seeing You, and A Cry in the Night which become International
bestseller, at the year it was released. She is a feminist, which always put her main
characters, who is usually tough women into a horrible situation.
The writer chooses those three novels above to be analyzed is not only
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have a good plot and the conflicts are built coherently each other. Those novels do
not let us to be out of the main conflict, because we find it from the beginning up
to the end of the novel. Besides, Mary Higgins Clark is also a feminist as Horney,
which makes these issues to be more related each other. The writer is interested in
how the conflict in this novel be built, and what the roles of the main characters in
building the conflicts (problems).
B. The Problem of the Study
This research aimed to answer some questions which are related to the
topic, they are:
1. What kinds of conflict is experienced main characters in Mary Higgins
Clark’s novels (The Cradle will Fall, I’ll be Seeing You, and A Cry in
the Night)?
2. What is the dominant conflict appears in the novels?
3. How do the main characters solve their conflicts?
C. The Scope of the Study
The analysis of this research only focused on the main characters that have
important roles in moving the plot. The writer only focused on the motivation
which drives the characters to do their action which then build the conflict in
Mary Higgins Clark’s novel (The Cradle will Fall, I’ll be Seeing You, A Cry in the
Night).
D. The Objectives of the Study
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1. To find out the kinds of conflict which is experienced by the main
characters in Mary Higgins Clark’s novels (The Cradle will Fall, I’ll
be Seeing You, A Cry in the Night);
2. Find out the dominant conflict appears in the novels;
3. Reveal how the main characters solve their conflicts.
E. The Significances of the Study
This research is expected to give contribution to:
1. The students of English Department who are interested in finding out
the conflict in a novel;
2. The readers who want to study Psychoanalysis;
3. Researchers who are interested in analyzing the conflict of a novel.
Practically, it can help the reader for further understanding about how
someone’s motivation can eagerly drive them to do something, even a crime.
Theoretically, this studyhopefully, can be a reference for readers who want to
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CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
A. Conclusion
Based on the analysis of the conflicts of the main characters in Mary
Higgins Clark’s novels, it can be concluded that:
1. All of the kinds of conflict were found in the novels. In novel The
Cradle will Fall was found 33 conflicts which consisted of 19 internal
conflicts (57.57%) and 14 external conflicts (42.43%). In novel I’ll Be
Seeing You was found 33 conflicts which consisted of 19 internal
conflicts (57.57%) and 14 external conflicts (42.43%) whichcategorized
into 10 man conflicts (30.30%), and 4
man-against-environment conflicts (12.13%). In novel A Cry in the Night was found
56 conflicts which consisted of 26 internal conflicts (46.43%) and 30
external conflicts (53.57%) which categorized into 21 man-against-man
conflicts (37.50%), 2 against-nature conflicts (3.57%), and 7
man-against-environment conflicts (12.5%).
2. The dominant types of conflict which was experienced by the main
characters in the novels was Internal conflict which consisted of 64
conflicts (52.46%). In the first novel The Cradle will Fall, the dominant
conflict was internal conflict with 19 (57.57%) of 33 conflicts appeared.
In the second novel I’ll Be Seeing You, the dominant conflict was
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novel A Cry in the night, the dominant conflict was external conflict
with 30 (43.57%) of 56 conflicts appeared.
3. The most dominant problem solving taken by the main characters in the
novels was moving against the problem they had experienced. It
showed that the characters in the novel were designed to solve their
problems to get a satisfactory ending.
B. Suggestion
By considering the conclusion, there are some suggestions which are
presented as follows:
1. Theoretically, the research can be a reference for the students of English
Department, especially who are interested in literature, in finding out
the conflict in a novel, and for readers who also want to study about
Psychoanalysis.
2. Practically, it can help the readers who want to gain further
understanding about conflict in novels and how they solve their
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