CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 General Concept of Novel as Literature
The term literature originated from Latin literaturra. The term expanded
toward European Nation and was absorbed in the European languages, such as:
literature in English, littérature in French language , literatur in German language
and literatuur in Dutch language. Literraturra was derived from word “littera” and
“gramma” which means “letter”.
From the meaning, it can be understood that literature deals with text and
writing that can be read. However, not every writing text can be regarded as
literature. Several aspects must be fulfilled by certain text in order to gain the label of
literature. According to Abrams (1999) in Glossary of Literary Terms, there are
certain criterions that need to be fulfilled in seeing work as literature.
It is either aesthetic worth alone or aesthetic worth in combination with general intellectual distinction. Within lyric poetry, drama, and fiction, the greatest works are selected on aesthetic grounds; other books are picked for their reputation or intellectual eminence together with aesthetic value of a rather narrow kind: style, composition, general force of presentation are the usual characteristics singled out. This is a common way of distinguishing or speaking of literature. By saying that 'this is not literature', we express such a value judgment; we make the same kind of judgment when we speak of a book on history, philosophy, or science as belonging to 'literature ' Abrams (1999:198).
In general, there are four major forms of literature. They consist of poetry,
prose, drama and novel. Each of them are different in form, but they represent the
to Reading and Writing that literature refers to compositions and tell stories
dramatize situations, express emotions, and analyze and advocate ideas.
From all the literary genres that have been mentioned, novel is the most
recent to be included into the genre. Although novel is the newest genre in literature,
the popularity of novel as literary work is massive and widely known by many
people. In short, novel becomes the most common literary work that introduces
people toward literature.
Wellek and Warren in The Theory of Literature (1956: 282) define the novel
as a picture of real life manners of time in which it is written. It means everything
that is described in a novel that is written by their authors based on the true story or
on the experience of his or her life. The story a novel, even though it is fiction can be
true in real life. The story about social phenomena and daily issues that the novel
represents is closely related with human’s life (Klarer1994: 11).
2.1.1 Intrinsic Elements of the Novel
Intrinsic element is the elements that come from the literary work and affect the
existence of it. In short, intrinsic elements build up the literary work. The elements
that compose the intrinsic of the novel are:
a. Character
Abrams in his book A Glossary of Literary Terms (1999: 190-191)
says that Characters are the persons represented in a dramatic or narrative
work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with particular
persons say and their distinctive ways of saying ways of saying it (dialogue)
and from what they do (the action). The grounds in the characters'
temperament, desires, and moral nature for their speech and actions are called
their motivation.
From the explanation, it can be understood whether the existence of
character in literary work is very decisive because character is the doer in
literary work. Things that they do and things that happen to them are the
focus of how the story will develop and affect other intrinsic elements.
b. Theme
Theme is an element of a story that binds together various other
essential elements of a narrative. Theme gives readers better understanding of
the main character’s conflicts, experiences, discoveries and emotions.
Through themes, a writer tries to give his readers an insight into how the
world works or how he or she reflects human life.
c. Plot
Plot is an ordered, organized sequence of events and action. Plot in
this sense is found in novels rather than in ordinary life, life has story but
novels have a plots and stories. As E.M. Forster explains it, a story is a
narrative of events that arrange in their time sequence, whereas a plot is a
narrative of events with the emphasis falling on causality. Not all
commentators would agree that causality is a distinguishing feature, but they
would agree that there is a necessary distinction to be made between the
narrating of these events in perhaps quite a different order in the novel
Hawthorn (2001: 96).
Plot is the movement of the story. It determines the progression of
event. By analyzing the plot, the reader can get better understanding about
what will happen in the next sequence.
According to Mario Klarer (1998:15) plot is the logical interaction of
various thematic elements of a text that lead to change of the original
situation as presented at the outset of narrative. An ideal traditional plot line
encompasses the following four sequential levels: Exposition - conflict –
climax - resolution
1) Exposition
Exposition is the phase of events in fiction or drama in some
situations that introduces the characters or the background story. Introducing
from this figure are, origin, physical characteristics, and nature. (Siswanto
2008: 159). Exposition is the opening of the story that sets a scene and
introduces the main character, situation, events existing before an action is
prepared to begin a story. It also provides other background information that
the reader needs in order to understand and to follow the events.
2) Conflict
Conflict is the tension in the story. Conflict always happen when
there are two competing interests. This conflict can occur in one figure
(inner-conflict) or between the two figures such as between figures with the
figures, and between people and gods. (Siswanto 2008: 159). Conflict is the
essence of fiction and it creates plot.
According to Klarer (1994), there are four kinds of conflict that could
be found in the story of the novel. They are:
2.1 Man versus Man (Conflict that pits one person against another)
In this case, one person faces the problem with the others which
causes a conflict. In here, there are contradictions to get something from the
quarreled thing.
2.2 Man versus Nature (A run-in with the forces of nature)
This conflict expresses the insignificance of a single human life in the
cosmic scheme of nature. On the other hand, it tests the limits of a person’s
strength and his willing to live by fighting against his destiny.
2.3 Man versus Society
The values and customs where everyone else lives are being
challenged by the main character. The character may come to situation where
he is contrast with his society as the result of his own convictions. The
character may bring others around to a sympathetic point of view toward him,
or it may be decided that society was right after all.
2.4 Man versus Self (Internal conflict)
Not all conflict involves other people. Sometimes people are dealing
with their self which causes internal conflict. Human is separated between
representation of characters’ inner-strength from their way in dealing with
their self.
3) Climax
Climax is the point of the greatest tension in a work of literature and
the turning point in the action. In a plot line, the climax occurs after the rising
action and before the falling action. A climax is the highest point in an
ascending series of incidents in fiction. A climax will exist if there is a
conflict. It is a point, at which the fortune of the protagonist undergoes a
change influencing his heart or mind (Siswanto 2008: 159). Climax according
to Stanton (1965: 16) is a conflict which has reached the high intensity, when
the thing is something unavoidable. It means that based on the claim and
logical story, the event should accord climax completely and determine the
development of the story. Climax is the point between two or more opposite
situation and. It considers how the problem will be resolved. In climax there
are turning points that determine the end of the story. The climax is the result
of the crisis. It is the highest point of the story for the reader. It is the moment
of the highest interest and greatest emotion. The point at which the outcome
of the conflict can be predicted.
4). Resolution
A resolution is the last event in a novel or the outcome of a conflict.
happy or sad ending. Resolution refers to stage where the crisis or conflict is
resolved.
d. Point of View
The story is represented by the author through narrator. The view of narrator
in telling the story is called point of view. In telling the story there are four
types point of view.
• First Person
The narrator is the character in the story who can reveal only personal
thoughts and feeling. Things that he or she sees are told by other
character.
• Third-Person Objective
The narrator is the outsider who can report only what he or she sees and
hears. This narrator can tell us what is happening but he cannot tell us the
characters’ thoughts.
• Third-Person Limited
The narrator is an outsider who sees into the mind of one or main
character.
• Omniscient
The narrator knows everything about the story because he or she can see
e. Setting
Time, place, and social environment are the main components of the setting.
Setting helps the reader to define the time and location where the story taken
place. Like other intrinsic elements, the elements of setting can also be found
inside the story. However, some literary works do not directly mention the
setting. Reader must able to define the time or set of location based on the
situation which is explicitly portrayed by the author.
2.1.2 Extrinsic Elements of the Novel
Opposite to the intrinsic, the extrinsic elements of the novel cannot be found
inside the literary work. The extrinsic elements are not the elements that build up the
story from the inside. It affects the existence of the story through historical, cultural
and social background. Author is the main object of these backgrounds. In short,
these elements are affecting the story through the author. As the other social
creatures, the authors’ life receives the influence from their society. The author’s
way to explain his work and preserving the story contains the historical cultural and
social aspect that may occur during the time when the author wrote their work. The
expert believes that the relation between individual and authors is the relation under
social circumstances. Relation of a literary work to the segment of society that its
fiction represents or to which the work is addressed (Abrams, 1999:208).
2.2. Marx’s Criticism
During the development of socio analysis, some experts lessens the analysis
of human and their social phenomena into Marx's criticism which become the main
whether Marx’s criticism is able to uncovered the role of economic in social group as
the main factor which causes inequality. This inequality result social conflict
between any groups in which the potential for inequality background mostly based
on human objective to be enormous. Conflict theorists note that unequal groups
usually have conflicting values and agendas, causes them to compete against one
another. This constant competition between groups forms the basis for the
ever‐changing nature of society.
Marxist criticism is part of larger body of theoretical analysis which aims to
understand ideologies-the ideas, values and feelings by which men experience their
societies at various times. And certain of those ideas, values and feelings are
available to us only in literature (Eagleton, 1976: v). This idea is comprehend with
the analysis of human response since human response toward their social phenomena
is the result of their attitude and feelings. The phenomena in society give human
certain experiences. This experience will affect human response toward society and
toward the value that amends in it.
There is visible in the diffusion and development of the Marxist vision in
literature (Parson, 1999:9). It is obvious that in analyzing the phenomena in literary
work, Marxist criticism also has a very important role. Literature covers many aspect
of life. The things that happen in literary work are inseparable with the facts that
really occur in human life. The social phenomena that happen in reality sometimes
become the inspiration of certain author to construct their story. This condition make
the analysis of literary work and the phenomena that happen in its character can be
Based on the clarification above, it is prevalent that action and reaction from
human in society can be analyzed from the view of Marx’s Criticism. The subjects
that correspond to be investigated are view of society that focuses on social processes
of tension, competition, and change that emphasizes power and inequality.
Marxism is a scientific theory of human societies and of the practice of
transforming them; and what that means, rather more concretely, is that the narrative
Marxism has to deliver is the story of the struggles of men and women to free
themselves from certain forms of exploitation and oppression (Eagleton, 1976: v).
According Karl Marx and his fellow thinker Friedrich Engels, the basic
principles that causes human to struggle and to have conflict with his insitutions are:
1. Material Production (Economy)
The evolving history of humanity of its social groupings and relations,
of its institutions, and of its ways of thinking are largely determined by the
changing mode of its "material production"—that is, of its overall economic
organization for producing and distributing material goods (Abrams, 1999:
147).
In human relation with the social living, economical background gives
big impact toward human changes. In the social
humans enter particular stages where they are restrained by social demand to
fulfill material production (economy). Since it is important in defining their
position in society, humans are pressed to fulfill the demand. This situation
causes indispensable relation between human will and their development
material wealth. The
the social, political and intellectual life process in general. As the result of
this relation, human beings are shaped by their social environment which
close to them. It is not the
being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their
consciousness (Eagleton 1976: 2).
At a certain stage of human development, their nature as decent
human being has changed in society as the result of accomplishing material
and economy as the social demand. Humans become ambitious toward
material and compete with other in order to gain economical aspect that
determines their position in society. This situation creates conflict in society
that separates human bases on their economical background. It forces human
to come in conflict with the existing relations of the social forces through
material production. From forms of development of the economical forces,
these relations turn into human fetters and causes rejection that ends of being
a rebellion.
In short, material production (economy) holds immense function in
creating conflict for humans and their society. Material production puts
society as a tool to oppress individual to gain particular position. It changes
human consciousness and it stratifies the individual base on their ability to
gain particular social demand. The phenomena in human life are general
while the way of human in receiving it is particular.
It is part of a social history where an element in that complex structure
of social perception ensures the situation where one social class has power
over the others. This condition is either seen by most members of the society
as ‘natural’, or not seen at all. (Eagleton: 1976: 3).
In the fundamental mode of interaction, effect changes in the class
structure of a society, establishing in each era dominant and subordinate
classes that engage in a struggle for economic, political, and social advantage
(Abrams, 1999: 148). Marxist criticism will analyses literature in terms of the
historical conditions which produce certain class domination and the response
against it.
Marxist criticism does not merely analyzes literary about when the
work get published and whether they mention the working class. More deeply
Marxist criticism concerned with how the development of human struggles
appears over the time. Not only through the delineation in novel but also
through it relations which represent particular history of the real social
condition. It aims to explain the literary work more fully; and this means a
sensitive attention to its forms, styles and meanings. But it also means
grasping those forms, styles and meanings as the products of particular
history (Eagleton, 1976: 2).
3. Ideology
Human consciousness is constituted by an ideology. That is, the
beliefs, values, and ways of thinking and feeling through which human beings
perceive, and by recourse to which they explain, what they take to be reality
the most important aspect in creating rebellion from certain character. Human
ideology become one of the most important thing in affecting human
perspective, and when the value that emerges in society contrast with their
ideology, human tend to reject the social norm and decide to rebel. We do not
understand ideology because we grasp the part it plays in the society as a
whole. It consists of a definite perception, which underpins the power of a
particular social class. This is not an easy task, since ideology is never a
simple reflection of a ruling class’s ideas, on the contradictory, ideology
reflects humans’ viewing about the whole essence of their living. To
understand an ideology, we must analyze the precise relations between
different classes in a society; and to do that means grasping where those
classes stand in relation in society (Eagleton, 1976: 3).
It is important here to grasp the precise meaning for Marxism of
ideology. Ideology is not in the first place a set of doctrines; it signifies the
way men live out their roles in class society, the values, ideas and images
which tie them to their social function and so prevent them from a true
knowledge of society as a whole (Eagleton, 1976: 8).
In short, ideology is a tool for human to free their self from the
boundaries of social boundaries. By having an ideology, human will be able
to filter what is good and what is not good to be absorbed from the social
value, since not all the values that are resulted by social interactions gives
positive impact toward human living. Ideology helps human to keep their
perspective about something. In Marxist view, ideology help human to
from the trammel of social function that tend to classify people and
encourage human to rebel against inequality in society.
The analysis of Marxist Criticism will gives further explanation that
can help the author in analyzing the phenomena related with stratification and
inequality aspect that creates rebellion from the main character in this
analysis. The existence of literature that covers issues like inequality that
creating rebellion as the subject of analysis clarifies its relation with Marx’s
criticism. Literature in here tries to make sense the representation of human
lives and portray human and the phenomena around them as actual as it can.
This situation produce the possibility of Marxist Criticism to analyze the
