REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1 Intrinsic Approach
Based on Theory of Literature, (Wellek, 1997) intrinsic approach concern with interpretation and analysis of the works of literature itself. Rene Wellek try to
explain that a literary work should be examined from the internal elements.
The study of literature with intrinsic approach usually concern with the content
and the form of the works itself. According to Rene Wellek (1997: 158) many novel
studies not only see the relations of literature with the social structure, but also study
of the artistic, perspective or point of view and narrative techniques. The basic
elements to analyzing literary works are theme, point of view, plot, character,
characterization, dramatic, conflict. These elements will help the student in analyzing
literary works based on intrinsic approach.
Not much different from Wellek, Edgar. V Robert and Henry E. Jacob in their
book An Introduction to Reading and Writing About Literature says that they are some aspects of fiction (novel), there are : character (the people that goes along in
the story), plot ( the development and the organization of stories), structure (the way
a plot is assembled), theme (the meaning and the whole idea of the story), point of
view ( the position or stance of the narrator), and style (the words that tells the
story). Since the title of the thesis is Anna’s Sacrifices in Jodi Picoult’s Novel My Sister’s Keeper, this thesis focuses more on the character than the other aspects.
Basically, fiction meant anything made up, crafted, or shaped, but today the word
refers to prose stories based in the author imagination (Edgar V. Robert and Henry E.
Jacob, 1995:2). Ress’ ( 1973:106 ) stated that novel is a fictitious prose narrative of
considerate length in which characters and action representative of real life are
portrayed in a plot of more or less complexity. While according to Reeve (1975: 26)
novel is a picture of real and manners and of the time in which it was written.
Since we deal with novels, they always have something to do with character.
Character is an important aspect of novel because when we talk about novel, it may
ask: who are the characters in the novel? How are the character portrayals in the
novel? What is the conflict, etc. To analyze character we should know the description
of this character which will be describe in the next sub chapter.
2.3 Character
There are some definitions of character Edgar. V Robert and Henry E. Jacob
(1995:131) stated that a character may be defined as a verbal representation of
human being. Through action, speech, description, and commentary, authors portray
characters that are worth caring about, rooting for, and even loving, although there
are also characters you may laugh at, dislike, or even hate. In Webster, English Dictionary (2000: 74) stated that character is the combination of quality that distinguishes an individual person, group or things; moral strength; reputation.
While Abrams (1981: 20) stated that characters are the persons in a narrative of
dramatic work of art such as novel, play or film, that are interpreted by reader as
being enclosed with moral and dispositional qualities expressed in what they say –
and ethical standards and principles. In seventeenth and eighteenth - Century
England, a character was a formal sketch or descriptive analysis of a particular virtue
or vice as represented in a person.
Novelist try to create fictional people whose situations affect the reader as the
situation of real people. Authors describe the more simple characters in novels with
no more than few phrases that identify the character’s most important traits. In their
book An Introduction to Reading and Writing about Literature, Roberts and Jacobs describe that in analyzing a literary character, the writer begins to determine the
character’s outstanding traits. A trait is a quality of mind or habitual mode behavior,
such as never repaying borrowed money, avoiding eye contact, or always thinking
oneself the center of attention. Sometimes, of course, the traits we encounter are
minor and therefore negligible. But often a trait may be a person’s primary
characteristic (not only in fiction but also in life). Thus, characters may be ambitious,
lazy, serene or anxious, aggressive or fearful, thoughtful or inconsiderate, open or
secretive, confident or self-doubting, kind or cruel, quiet or noisy, visionary or
practical, careful or careless, impartial or biased, straightforward or underhanded,
“winner or loser”, and so on (1995: 132).
According to Steven Croft (2002: 113) characters are the central feature in any
play or novel. Here are some ways to get a picture of character:
What the characters looks like (physical appearance, clothing etc)
What the character says and how it is said
What the character thinks (often we learn about this from a character’s soliloquies)
How character acts – watch out for reaction to different situations
What other character changes as the play goes on.
Meyer (1990: 65) explains that most stories the characters act plausibly and
consistent with their personalities, but that does not mean that characters can not
develop and change. Therefore, there are static (unchanging) and dynamic
(changing) character. A static character is a character that stays the same from the
beginning to the end of story, while dynamic character is a character that may change
his or her attitude from good to bad or vice versa. Anna Fitzgerald is a dynamic
character because her attitudes and behaviors changes along up from the start to the
end of the story.
Author use five ways to present their characters. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E.
Jacobs (1995: 135), tell us how characters disclose in fiction. There are:
1. Actions
What character does is our best way to understand what they are. As with ordinary
human beings, fictional characters do not necessarily understand how they may be
changing or why they do the things they do. Nevertheless, their actions express their
characters. Actions may also signal qualities such as nalvete’, weakness, deceit, a
scheming personality, strong inner or conflicts, or realization or growth of some sort.
2. Descriptions, both personal and environmental
Appearance and environmental reveal much about a character’s social and
economic status, of course, but they also tell us about character traits.
3. Dramatic statements and thoughts
Although the speeches of most characters are functional essential to keep the story
characters use speech to hide their motives, though we as readers should see through
their action narrated in the works.
4. Statements by other characters
By studying what characters say about each other, you can enhance your
understanding of the character being discussed. Ironically, the characters doing the
talking often indicate something other than what they intend, perhaps because of
prejudice, stupidity, or foolishness.
5. Statements by the author speaking as story-teller or observer
What the author, speaking with the authorial voice, says about a character is
usually accurate, and the authorial voice can be accepted factually. However, when
the authorial voice interprets action and characteristics, the author himself or herself
assumes the role of reader or critic, and any opinions may be questioned. For this
reason, author frequently avoid interpretations and devote their own conclusions.
From the opinions, can be concluded that there are three ways to disclosed
characters: by the action, description, and statement or thoughts.
According to Gill (1995:128) there are some elements that the author must pay
attention to in creating a character. First is to range the character, something which
makes one character different to other characters. Second, how character speaks in
that how they use the words and phrases to express their personality. Third, the
appearance of character, here the author must describe about the character that show
the inner world of its character so the reader will understand about the character’s
personality. Fourth, is the way how the character dress up, which describe the social
status or social class and also describe the character’s personality by wearing good
character is created. Sixth, is the name of character. Seventh is the company of
character should describe although not in details. Eight, the way the characters think
in that when he speaks he uses a lot of moral words, for instance. This though must
be evident to a reader so that the reader will understand how the character thinks and
how the characters approach the problems and challenges. The last is what the
characters do, this is the action or reaction of the character in the novel and an author
can make everything a character does important.
The British novelist and critic E. M. Foster, in his critical work Aspect of the Novel says that there are two major types of character. They are round character and flat character. Round character are full, complex and rich whereas flat characters are
the simple ones. Round Character; the basic trait of round character is that they recognize, change with, or adjust to circumstances. The round characters- usually the
major figure in a story- profits from experience and undergoes a change and
alteration, which may be shown in (1) an action or actions, (2) the realization of new
strength and therefore the affirmation of previous decisions, (3) the acceptance of a
new condition, or (4) the discovery of unrecognized truths. Because round they
usually play a main role in a story, round characters are often called the hero or
heroine. Many main characters are anything but heroic, however, and it is therefore
preferable to use the more neutral word protagonist. The protagonist is central to the
action, moves against the antagonist, and exhibits the ability to adapt to the new
circumstances. To the degree that round characters are both individual and
sometimes unpredictable, and because they undergo change or growth, they are
