THE IMPACTS OF THE SOCIAL CLASS DIFFERENCES AS REFLECTED IN BRONTE’S AGNES GREY ON THE PLOT AND CHARACTERS

(1)

THE IMPACTS OF THE SOCIAL CLASS DIFFERENCES AS REFLECTED IN BRONTE’S AGNES GREY ON THE PLOT AND

CHARACTERS

A THESIS

Submitted to the Faculty of Cultural Sciences Hasanuddin University in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements to Obtains a Graduate Degree in English

Department

Written by RAPIKA F21113024

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL SCIENCES FACULTY HASANUDDIN UNIVERSITY

MAKASSAR 2017

(2)

ii

(3)

iii

(4)

iv

(5)

i ACKNOLEDGEMENT

First of all, the writer would like to express her sincere gratitude to the Almighty God who has blessed and guided the whole life of the writer, and gives motivation, health, spirit in finishing this thesis. The writer hopes that the Almighty God always blessed all of us and peace of Almighty Allah upon, the noblest messenger, Prophet Muhammad SAW.

In completing this thesis, the writer has found many problems. However, those problems could be solved by the people help surrounding the writer, firstly the writer would like to express her appreciation and gratitude to Dr. M.

Syafri Badaruddin, M.Hum and Drs. Agustinus Ruruk Lilak,M.A as first and second consultants who have been kind and patient to supervise the writing process. Special thanks also dedicated to all lecturers and staffs in faculty of the cultural sciences who have given knowledge and helping during in this study.

The writer would like also to say many thanks to the Government that has provided scholarship (Bidikmisi) for the writer during her study. Due to the existence of such scholarship, her parents’ burden was able to be reduced through the covering of all her college expenses.

The greatest honor and appreciation would be finally dedicated to my beloved parents for their truly loves, motivation, and patience for me. My sincere thanks and loves are also dedicated for my friends for the greatest experiences and togetherness at the college. Thank you so much from my deepest heart.

The writer realized that there are still many weaknesses in this thesis.

Therefore, the writer extremely welcomes to any critics and suggestions.

Finally, the writer expected this thesis would be useful for the readers in the future.

Makassar, 30 Oktober 2017

RAPIKA

(6)

ii ABSTRACT

RAPIKA. The Impacts of the Social Class as Reflected in Bronte’s Agnes Grey on the Plot and Characters. (supervised by M. Syafri Badaruddin and Agustinus Ruruk Lilak).

This study aims to describe the impact of the social class differences in Agnes Grey (1847) by Anne Bronte. The thesis analyzes the condition of social class that occurred in Agnes Grey’s family and the employers.

Agnes Grey as the main characters work as governess in the wealthy family. At the time, she was working, she is treated unfairly by the employers. After reading the novel, the writer is interested in analyzing the condition of social class inside the novel.

The analysis of this thesis, the writer firstly analyzes principles the structural elements, and the second is analyzes the problem of social class with Marxist theory was used. This research supported by the source of primary data is Anne Bronte’s Agnes Grey novel and the supporting sources driven from books, journals, and internet sources related to the study.

After analyzing the data, the writer concludes social class differences that occurred was influenced by the characters and the plot. That was impact for the attitude and the conflict with the one character to the others. The things that caused the oppression, injustice and alienation.

,M.Hum

(7)

iii ABSTRAK

RAPIKA. Pengaruh Perbedaan Sosial Kelas yang Digambarkan dalam Novel Agnes Grey Karya Anna Bronte terhadap Alur dan Karakter. (dibimbing oleh M. Syafri Badaruddin dan Agustinus Ruruk Lilak)

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menggambarakan perbedaan kelas sosial dalam novel Agnes Grey (1847) karya Anna Bronte. Penelitian menganalisis tentang keadaan sosial yang terjadi dalam keluarga Agnes Grey dan majikan.

Agnes Grey sebagai karakter utama bekerja sebagai pengasuh di keluarga kaya raya. Pada saat, dia bekerja, dia diperlakukan secara tidak adil oleh majikannya. Setelah membaca novel tersebut, penulis tertarik dalam mengidentifikasi kondisi kelas sosial yang terjadi dalam novel.

Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam skripsi ini, penulis pertama menggunakan pendekatann struktural dan kedua adalah mendeskripsikan permasalah dalam kelas sosial dengan menggunakan teory Marxist. Penelitian ini didukung oleh novel Agnes Grey karya Anne Bronte sebagai sumber utama dan Sumber data pendukung diambil dari buku, jurnal, sumber internet yang berhubungan dengan penelitian.

Setelah menganalisa data, hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perbedaan kelas sosial yang terjadi dipengaruhi oleh alur dan karakter yang diperankan dalam cerita. Hal tersebut menyebabkan penindasan, ketidakadilan dan keterasingan.

(8)

iv

Interaction, restriction, and decision society may have been caused by social class differences. People who have equal class tend to interact each other in the society of the same class, but in the contrast, people who have different classes have difficulties to interact with each other and they will be isolated.

Commentary deals with social class and its impact raises the interest of explorers such as critics, researchers, and analysts. One other interesting thing about social class evolves around the governesses and their employers.

Although social class is an empirical phenomenon which existed in the past until now, it is always a sensitive and fascinating topic to discuss. The relationship between social class and its impacts becomes the basis of writer’s emphasis in the analysis. Therefore, this is the reason why the writer chooses Agnes Grey as the object of this study.

In generally, literary work presents the author life that combined by social realty and literary work or as a view of someone’s life. One of literary product is a novel which plays an important role in providing a view to addressing the imaginative life, that discussing about human and humanity.

Similarly with Taylor’s (1981:81) statement “literature like other arts is

(11)

2 essentially an imaginative act of the writer’s imagination in selecting, ordering, and interpreting life experiences”. It gives explanation that literature cannot be separated from life and literature is also based on the life experiences.

Novel Anne Bronte’s Agnes Grey created about 1846 is one of the England classical middle nineteenth century novels, which responded to social condition and based on Bronte’s experience as a governess. Bronte describes a major character, Agnes Grey who becomes governess in Mr. Bloomfield’s family at the first time, but due to the fact that she is not appropriate with the family’s expectation, immediately Agnes is retired from her occupation as governess. At the second time, Agnes enters a new family, Mr. Murray who is higher than Mr. Bloomfield in social status. Agnes had suffered from oppression determination and isolation. It is also narrated Agnes has difficulty to associate herself on this family because Agnes has esteemed that she has not the same social class. Not only that, she is also isolated from interaction and restricted whether in the family, church, in surrounding people or restricted in love. Hence social class had determined Agnes in the circumstance.

Social class phenomenon which is illuminated by Bronte in her novel Agnes Grey is her response to social condition that occurred in this period.

Instead, this novel is also expected to be able to influence the reader and society in order to change their thought on social class. In addition social class that causes restriction, limitation, and determination can be eliminated.

(12)

3 In particular, a novel is regarded as a manifestation of the narrator ideas and in the novel, it expresses what society is expected by narrator to influence the reader. Similarly, noticed Goldmann (1975:6) in Towards a Sociology of the Novel who stated that literary work is the reflection of social, politic, economic, and religious phenomenon that are transformed into the work. Moreover, in sociology of the novel, it is studying and esteeming the problem on the literary work. Instead, it implicates that the sociology of literary is an interrelated methodology between literary and social background in analyzing in other to find the resolution of the social phenomenon problem of the novel.

Moreover, Faruk (1994:5) in Pengantar Sosilogi Sastra argued that Marxist theory if it is compared to others social theory, dominates all position in discussing of sociological literary. In other words, Marxist theory is still significant to all conditions deal with the novel, which are specially written in the nineteenth century. In Anne Bronte’s novel Agnes Grey is possibly to emerge some aspect that can be explored, but here the writer is focused in social class and the impact of it is as the central of the novel with use Marxist theory. Based on the facts in the novel which explained about isolated and social condition determine the writer choose the title of this analysis is the Impacts of the Social Class as Reflected in Bronte’s Agnes Grey on the Plot and Characters.

(13)

4 1.2 Identification of The Problem

Agnes Grey is believed as the reflection of Anne Bronte’s life on his own experiences as a governess. It explained the major character, Agnes grey is a governess who isolated in her life and this novel is seen social inequality. In this novel also portrait the social conditions of the 19^th century in England.

1.3 Scope of Problem

The main purpose of this research is to specifically analyze the story from Anne Bronte, entitled Agnes Grey. In order to be able to arrange this study neatly and so that the writer does not get lost in the middle of the research, the writer promptly narrows down the scope of problem for this study. The writer will be focusing on the Marxist theory, which is represented through social class in the novel.

(14)

5 1.4 Statement of Problem

As it was stated before in scope of research, the writer notices two main problems which will be the focal point of this study. The main problems are as follows:

1. How does social class differences influence on the characters in novel Agnes Grey?

2. What is the impact of the social class differences on the plot and the relationship among the characters in the novel?

1.5 Objectives of the Study

Related to statement of the problem, the objectives of the study are formulated as follows:

1. To describe the influence of social class differences in the attitude of the characters to the other characters in the novel Agnes Grey?

2. To analyze the impact of the social class differences on the characters and the plot.

1.6 Sequence of Writing

This analysis is systematically organized in five chapters. The first chapter consists of background of research which contain a brief explanation

(15)

6 of the main reason behind the selection of the object and tittle of this research, identification of the problem, statement of problem, objectives of study, significance of the study and sequence of writing.

The second chapter involves the previous study of the research, genetic structural approach, the social background of the author and the relationship of the author and literary work.

The third chapter of this proposal is third chapter explain the research methodology which consists of method of collecting data, method of analyzing data, and sequence of research.

The fourth chapter is the analysis, which is most important part of the research as it contains the results of analysis done by the writer. And the fifth chapter includes the conclusion of the whole research.

(16)

7 CHAP TER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Previous study

Agnes Grey is object used in this study are unexpectedly popular that people seem to be especially fond of them and ultimately adopt them as the main objects of analysis. The fact that “Agnes Grey” have been numerously uplifted and analyzed before through various kinds of perspectives, the writer notices that there are plenty of references that could support this research.

Some of the writer analyzed with different objects. As an examples, Rani Andriani (2012) made a research entitled An Intrinsic Analysis of Anne Brontë’s Agnes Grey and Its Moral Values. . In this study the writer analyzed an intrinsic and the moral value from the novel Agnes Grey which focuses on the character a young woman who never give up in facing her life, Agnes Grey is a patience, diligent, and has a dream to change her family life and the moral values provided in the novel. She uses the structural approach as a method to describe the intrinsic analysis of this novel.

Another study about the character of Agnes Grey in Anne Bronte’s novel Agnes Grey has been written in 2011 by Qoriatul Mahfudhoh Qoffal from The State Islamic University of Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang under the tittle The Uniqueness of Agnes Grey as Described in Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte. That

(17)

8 previous research focuses on two significant problems. She tries to find out the kinds of woman uniqueness and also the kinds of process development owned by Agnes Grey in Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte. In her analysis, she uses theory of woman psychology, especially the theory which studies about woman unique character.

Another study comes from Irene Maria Cahyaningtias Rinukti (2001), the student of Sanata Dharma University Yogyakarta who wrote down her thesis on the title Moral Values of Respecting Others as Reflected by Agnes’

Character Development in Anne Bronte’s Agnes Grey. This thesis has two objectives. First is to find out Agnes’ character development, which is revealed through her characteristics and character development seen from plot development. Second is to find out how Agnes’ character development reflects moral values of respecting others. In this thesis, the writer uses moral- philosophical approach since the thesis deals with how Agnes reflects moral values of respecting others. Here, Agnes, as governess, teaches some moral values of respecting others to her pupils. To analyze Agnes’ character development, the writer uses theories of character and characterization, plot, and morality.

Similar to that previous research, this analysis also chooses the character of Agnes Grey in Anne Bronte’s Agnes Grey as the main object to analyze. The difference between this research with the three previous is the research does not concern the woman psychological aspects of Agnes Grey and also moral-

(18)

9 philosophical in which Agnes respects others, but it pays attention to the woman struggle depicted by the character of Agnes Grey and the writer intends to use Marxist theory of Social Class in this analysis.

2.2 Structural Approach

The writer decides to analyze the story by using the structural approach, according to the object of this thesis focuses on Agnes Grey as main character and the social life in the novel. Theoretical reference used in this research is structural approach which explain about intrinsic elements.

Structural approach is usually called intrinsic approach. Based on this explanation, it can be easy to understand that in analyzing a literary work.

Structural approach focuses on intrinsic element like character, plot, setting, theme, conflict, and point of view. Structural approach is introduced by Aristoteles. One base concept that becomes characteristic of structural approach is that literature is an autonomous structure.

Pradopo (2003:6) “satu konsep dasar yang menjadi ciri khas toeri structural adalah anggapan bahwa di dalam dirinya sendiri karya sastra merupakan structur yang otonom yang dapat dipahami sebagai suatu kesatuan yang bulat dengan unsur-unsur pembangunan yang saling berjalinan”. The meaning of quote is literary work connected to elements inside the novel.

(19)

10 Structural approach is an approach in literature that attempts to expound the relevance and the function of each element that build the literary work in order to achieve the overall meaning.

Structuralism comes with its basic principle that focuses on the verbal structure of the literary work and has the autonomy quality which can be seen from three aspects, those are the wholeness, transformation, and self- regulation. The wholeness means that every part of the element of the whole aspects of the work. The transformation means that the continuation of the transformation procedure can probably make the new form. While Self- regulation means that this approach has autonomy quality and it does not need the other aspects out of the work itself as long as the meaning of it can be understood.

Structural approach, content and form were defined. The content include such as the problems, thinking, philosophy, and the central story inside the novel. While the forms include characterization, plot, setting, language, writing, system, and sweet relations between the whole aspects build literary work.

Structural analysis is not an analysis which counts the aspects that build a literary work, but it focuses on the contribution on while aspects, so the total meaning of the work can be grasped. Structural approach tries to see the literary work as one system on the objective way, and the values that give to the system depends on the component values which involve in the literary

(20)

11 work. To understand or criticize the work objectively, component or element of the work itself should be understood well.

A simple way to analyze literature with structural approach can be formulated with some steps, as Nurgiyantoro (2007:37) “first, identify and examine the intrinsic elements. Second, describe the function of each element and third, connect each element so what known the theme, characters, setting, plot in a literary work.

2.2.1 Structural Aspects

Structural aspects of novel are the intrinsic element as a part of a literature are constructed using a variety of elements as a foundation. Without these foundations, literature will not be perfect, as Nurgiyantoro in 2007 stated the basic element found inside novel includes the intrinsic element. Intrinsic elements of novel consist of the character, plot, setting, theme, and point of view. The writer explains in details the intrinsic element in literature.

a. Character

Characters take most part in a story, are then considered as the most important intrinsic element of fiction. Through the presence of characters, one story is built. A story exposes around its characters’ life so that reviewing them becomes very interesting.

Nurgiyantoro claimed that characters of one story, in many ways is more interesting than discussing on other elements (2007:164). Characters become

(21)

12 the objects of the readers’ curiosity and fascination, affection and dislike, admiration and condemnation. Indeed, our intense relationship with literary characters makes them to be more than becoming simply objects because in which through the power of identification, through sympathy and antipathy, they can become part of how the reader conceives himself or herself.

In literature, characters are commonly distinguished by their position in the story and how big their influences are towards the way the whole story goes. The most basic category of characters is the major and minor characters.

Major characters include characters with big influences and frequently appear throughout the story, whereas the minor characters are the figures that do not appear often and basically exist to merely support the story plot. Minor characters are also known as supporting characters. Another way to categorize characters is to place them into two groups; protagonist and antagonist.

Additionally, Abrams in 1981, “characters are people who are represented in narrative or dramatic works, and then they are interpreted by the readers to have certain moral qualities as they express through what they say and what they do”. Furthermore, interpretation on characters can be also based on what he or she is thinking, his or her motives of doing something, as what Card said that:

We never fully understand other people’s motives in real life. In fiction, however, we (as author) can help our readers understand our

(22)

13 characters’ motives with clarity, sometimes even certainty. This is one of the reasons why people read fiction- to come understanding of why other people act the way they do (Card, 2007:6).

Generally, the writer assumes that character is the main aspect in the novel which reflected the story to the readers. The influence of characters interpreted the meaning of the story to the readers.

b. Plot

Plot is the basic framework of the story that arranges of the relationship of each action, incident, character and the role of the characters. Plot is an important element of literary work, because the plot tells the important event that occur in a story.

Plot is often interpreted as an entire series of events contained in the story, as Nurgitantoro (2007:112-113) stated the plot is a story that contains the sequence of events, but each incident is connected in cause and effect.

The plot is the events that appear in stories that are simple because the author set the events based on casual connection.

Another statement of Nurgiyantoro (2007: 142) the plot of the story must be coherent between events with each other, between the events as told in advance with the later there is a relationship, there is the nature of interconnected. The link between these events should logically, clearly, and it can possibly at the beginning, middle, or end.

(23)

14 Based on the above description, the writer assumes that plot is the sequence of events as told from the beginning of the conflict until the completion of a literary work which explained the flow of the story ideas to be conveyed to the reader. Therefore, the writer easily understand the content and atmosphere of the story.

The existence of the plot depends on two essential events: conflict and climax, these events usually have a close in relation. The first is conflict, it is a dramatic thing which direct to the competition between two balance powers and shows action. Conflict brings out the extremes of human energy, causing characters engage in the decision, action responses and interactions that make most stories. Nearly all fiction focuses on conflict.

In addition conflict inside the mind, literary works may focus on conflicts between individuals, between individual and a social force and between individual and a natural force. It is important to note that conflicts do not necessary just belong in one category. The conflict is often forces character to make a decision: to act or not to act, to compromise or to refuse.

The second event is climax; climax is the highest point of interesting, the moment when the conflict is most intense. The time when the consequences of a character’s action become inevitable and the main points of the plot merge.

In literary work plot is classified into three major parts: plot based on the criterion of times order, plot based on the criterion of number, plot based on the criterion of content.

(24)

15 Based on above description, the writer concludes that plot is sequences of the stories written by author. The author involves various characters and events in the story.

c. Setting

In literature, setting is one of the forming elements that are very important, because it is able to determine the general situation and makes the story become real. The setting of the story can mean many things besides the obvious where it takes place include the location, the background, and the regional aspect. It can designate a particular time, and historical era, a political situation. From the setting or the story, the readers know the beginning of the story set and affects what the characters do.

Abrams (1981:175) stated setting or background also called off fulcrum, which is methods to understanding the place, time relations, and social environment where the occurrence of the events described. Abrams classified the background along with the character and plot, into facts or the stories because those three things are what will be encountered, and can be factually imagined by the readers when reading the fiction. Three things that form the story concretely and directly: the characters are acts and sufferers are justly due to the event, and it needs a foothold, where and when.

Generally, setting is important because it influences the readers’

imagination as well as reveal the significance of the action. The element of setting can be differentiated into three principle elements: setting of place,

(25)

16 setting of time, and setting of society. Although each of these elements offer situations but actually they are close and influence each other.

d. Theme

Theme is the main idea or the main point in a story. A theme represent the whole part of the story, because theme is a basic development of a whole story. Actually it is not easy to find out the theme in a novel. The reader has to read the novel and understand what the story tells about.

According to Nurgiyantoro (2007:68) the theme of filtered motives contained in the relevant literature that determines the presences in the events, conflict and situations. The theme becomes the basis for developing the whole story, so the character animates the entire story.

Generally, the theme of the novel is more than its subject matter, because an author’s technique can play as strong a rule in developing a theme as the action of the characters do. Because of the length of novel and the various characters, conflicts, and scenes, found within them, the reader can look at different aspects of the work to uncover different interpretations of the meaning of the story.

e. Point of View

Every story is certainly told by someone that usually called a narrator.

Point of view is a device for a narrator to indicate the position from which an action is observed and narrated. Point of view directs the way of the story telling in a novel.

(26)

17 Nurgiyantoro (2009:246) stated that point of view is the presentation of stories, events, and actions in literary work based on the author position in the story. It means that point of view reflected while events that created the author to be delivered to the readers.

Point of view has psychological connection to the readers, and the readers need clear perception about the point of view. The readers understanding about the novel will be influenced by a clear point of view. Point of view is not only considered as the way of dramatic limitation but also considered as serving the thematic definition, because a novel offers values, attitude, and life perception which is controlled and served by the author intentionally through point of view. According to the participation of point of view in a novel, generally it can be divided into: first person, third person, and mixed point of view.

2.3 Marxist Theory of Social Class

The study of women in literary works seem to always relate to the use of Feminism approach in its way of analysis, since this theory definitely observes womanhood the most. However, Feminism has developed greater from time to time in line with various problems circling around women, which then become a boring thing to some branch theories of literature. One of them is called Marxist. It is a branch of Feminism in which its basic concept is based on

(27)

18 Marxist theory. In Marxist criticism, social class and class relations function as central instruments of analysis.

Marxist of social class analyzes the class structures, and changes in those structures are key to understand capitalism and other social system or modes of production. Bottomore, (1993:75) stated “the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles” Analysis of class divisions and struggles is especially important in the development of the nature of capitalism.

From Marx, classes are defined by the relations concerning work and labor and ownership or possession of property and the mean of production.

Therefore, Marxist of social class is a theory which focuses on the social institutions of private property and capitalism to explain and criticize inequality and oppression. Marxist theory explains the social theory about humans’ lives in the world. Marxist theorists tend to focus their interpretations on considering how literary texts depict class oppression, strife, and social inequality to serve critique elements of capitalistic Western life. Marxist theorists also consider how literary texts subvert or even overturn ordinary forms of social and political order, in which then it will present new forms of social and political perception and interaction.

Discussion about class in social life, it refer to remember one thinker who proposes a theory which correlates a lot with this, Karl Marx. Marx suggested the Marxist theory. According to Karl Marx in Bendix & Lipset, within capitalism there are enough internal contradictions to generate a class division, dramatic enough to overwhelm the system that produced it. Specifically, when there are

(28)

19 many poor workers and less property. These workers live very modestly, receiving subsistence wages for their exhausting labor while their employers live in luxury (Bendix & Lipset:1968).

When these two groups of people, the haves and the have-nots, both become conscious of themselves as classes, class struggle ensues and ultimately topples the system that produced these classes. There is a very strong relation between classes and the system of capitalism. The existence of class struggle can overcome this system.

2.3.1 Social Class

Social condition is a condition when the society is diverged into groups of rich, middle, and poor people. It evokes social inequality. Haralambos and Holborn(2004:1) stated that social class refer to the presence in society of distinct social group which are ranked one above the other in terms of factors such as prestige and wealth.

Social class are sometimes presented as a description of how members of the society have sorted themselves in varying position of importance, influence, prestige, and compensation. In these models, certain occupation is considered to be desirable and influential, while others are considered to be menial, respective, and unpleasant. In some cases, non-occupational roles such as being a parent or volunteer mentor are also considered. Generally, the higher ranking on such scales indicates higher skills and educational level.

The classes are considered as stratification and distorted social inequality by the higher and lower occupation or position they have. Otherwise, the gradation of the society which is stratified as a matter of fact is only limited by the types of occupations. When the people have some similar position, they will by also considered similar in mindset and lifestyle.

(29)

20 On the other hand, social class is a group of people with different status, commonly, sharing comparable levels of power and wealth. In sociological aspect, social classes describe one form of social stratification, when a society is organized by social classes as opposed by castes, it is theoretically possible for people to attain a higher status than the status with which they started.

In social life, rules, norms, and values are what always organize the behavior or patterns of society, but not all members of society can fulfil the right and obligations according to the norms and rules. Unequal rights and obligations in the social life is the reason why social classes in society exist.

The people who have wealth and someone who can carry out many rights and obligations will be in the upper classes and those with little or even no rights and no obligations will be grouped in the lower classes.

Generally, concepts of social classes assume three general categories.

It includes the very wealthy and powerful (upper class) people who owns and control the means of production, the middle class which consists of professional workers, small business owners and last low-level managers, and the lower class which involves those who rely on low-paying wage jobs for their livelihood and those who experience poverty.

THE IMPACTS OF THE SOCIAL CLASS DIFFERENCES AS REFLECTED IN BRONTE’S AGNES GREY ON THE PLOT AND CHARACTERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS