Portrayal of The Protagonist in Alan Hollinghurst's 'The Line of Beauty'.

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ABSTRACT

Dalam penulisan tugas akhir ini saya menganalisis salah satu novel karya

Alan Hollinghurst yang berjudul The Line of Beauty. Fokus dari tugas akhir ini

adalah untuk menganalisis perubahan karakteristik yang dialami tokoh utama.

Novel The Line of Beauty menceritakan seorang pemuda bernama

Nicholas Guest (Nick) serta perubahan karakteristik yang dialaminya. Nick pindah ke

sebuah rumah besar milik keluarga Fedden yang kaya raya di London atas ajakan

teman dekatnya di kampus. Nick yang berasal dari keluarga sederhana di desa kecil

Barwick mendapat banyak pengalaman dari lingkungan barunya tersebut. Nick mulai

terbiasa dengan kehidupan keluarga Fedden yang mewah. Hal tersebut membuat Nick

terobsesi untuk meraih kekayaan dan kekuasaan. Sayangnya ia menempuh cara yang

tidak baik.

Hollinghurst menggambarkan perubahan karakteristik Nick secara jelas.

Nick yang pada awalnya adalah seorang yang sederhana, jujur, tidak percaya diri,

tidak berpengalaman dalam hubungan homosexual berubah menjadi seorang yang

materialistis, tidak jujur, penuh rasa percaya diri dan berpengalaman dalam

percintaan dengan laki-laki.

Melalui perubahan karakteristik yang dialami sang tokoh utama,

Hollinghurst menunjukan bahwa seseorang dapat berubah karena pengaruh

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seseorang menyikapinya. Tokoh utama novel ini terobsesi untuk mendapatkan uang

dan kekuasaan dengan menempuh cara yang salah yang berakibat buruk bagi

hidupnya. Tugas akhir ini juga membahas tujuan dari penulis dalam menciptakan

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APPENDICES

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF BEAUTY

This novel is divided into three sections, dated 1983, 1986 and 1987.

The first section opens in the summer of 1983. Nicholas Guest is a

twenty-year-old young gay. While waiting for his graduation from Oxford, Nick moves to the

Notting Hill, the mansion of Gerald Fedden, one of Thatcher’s Tory MPs. He

moves there at the request of Gerald’s son, Toby (Nick’s close friend in Oxford).

Gerald’s wife, Rachel, comes from a wealthy Jewish family and his daughter,

Catherine, has a mental disorder. Nick becomes more deeply absorbed in the life

of the Feddens. He enjoys the privilege of this wealthy family. The story is

focused on Nick’s experiences. The first gay lover he has is Leo Charles, who is

promiscuous and takes Nick’s virginity. Through this black civil servant, Nick

discovers the pleasure of metropolitan gay life.

The next section tells about what happens three years afterwards.

Nick’s life becomes more complicated. He starts to reach his dream to have

wealth and authority. He begins an affair with Wani Quradi, a very rich and

handsome Lebanese. Wani has hired Nick as an editorial consultant for his new

high class style magazine. Their relationship becomes closer and Wani introduces

Nick to cocaine. Nick is aware of running too many risks with Wani. Disaster

comes in 1987 when Nick is involved in Gerald’s scandal. At the end of the novel,

something tragic happens to Nick; his HIV test proves to be positive, which

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BIOGRAPHY OF ALAN HOLLINGHURST

Alan Hollinghurst was born on May 26, 1954 in Stroud,

Gloucestershire in England. He studied English at Magdalen College, Oxford. In

the late 1970s he became a lecturer at Magdalen, and then at Somerville College

and Corpus Christi College. In 1981 he gave lectures at the University of London.

He joined the Times Literary Supplement in 1981 and from 1982 to 1995 he

became a deputy editor. His novel, The Swimming-Pool Library, which was

published in 1988, won the Somerset Maugham Award. His next novel, The

Folding Star was short listed for the Booker Prize in 1994 and winner of the

James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. He also wrote Spell, a gay comedy

of manners interweaving complex relationships. Alan Hollinghurst's translation of

Racine's play, Bajazet, was first performed in 1990. He was also one of Granta

Best Young British Novelists in 1993. His most recent novel, The Line of Beauty,

which won The Man Booker Prize in 2004, was adapted into a three part

television series by the BBC and aired on BBC2 in May 2006. Alan Hollinghurst

now lives in London.

Source: Alan Hollinghurst: Biography.17 September 2007.

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

I have chosen novel as the literary genre for my thesis because compared

to drama or poetry, novel is the most common form of literature read by most people.

According to Murphy, “The novel is the most widely practiced and most widely read

form of literature today.” (127) Novel is also more interesting for me because it is

usually life-like since it contains a description of life; as is stated in Dictionary of

Literary Terms, novel is “an account of life which involves conflicts, plot, characters,

action, setting and theme.” (Shaw 257)

Although there are a lot of well-known British writers, I have chosen Alan

Hollinghurst and his novel, The Line of Beauty, to analyse. Alan Hollinghurst is a

British novelist of the late twentieth century. He has produced great literature works,

for instance, The Swimming Pool Library, which won Somerset Maugham Awards

and The Folding Star, which won James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. He is

also known as one of Granta Best Young British Novelists. His works mostly deal

with general topics considered to be taboo such as homosexuality, troubled

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Hollinghurst’s novel, The Line of Beauty, is a wonderful and touching

novel. It is actually his best-known novel and it won the Man Booker Prize for

Fiction in 2004. In The Line of Beauty, Hollinghurst presents careful descriptions of

love, passion and beauty. He clearly portrays the protagonist, Nicholas Guest, as a

dynamic character. Nicholas Guest is presented as a young gay who is immature and

inexperienced. However, he undergoes dramatic change under a new condition that

he experiences. Through the novel, the novelist wants the reader to be aware of the

terrible things happening in high class society in London.

I have decided to analyse the portrayal of the protagonist in Alan

Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty because characterization is one of the most

important aspects in literary works, besides plot, theme, setting and point of view. As

is stated by M.J. Murphy, characterization is:

. . . how an author conveys to the reader the characters and the

personalities of the people he writes about; in other words, how he

conveys to the readers what sort of people they are, how he makes the

readers get to know and understand them. Characterization technique

consists of personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past

life, conversation of others, reactions, direct comment, thoughts and

mannerisms.(161-173)

To help the reader understand the characters, the author can describe a

character, among others, through his appearance, speech, reaction, direct comment,

and conversation of other characters.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

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1. How does the author portray the protagonist of the novel?

2. What is the purpose of the author in portraying such a character?

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

In line with the statement of the problem, I would like:

1. To show how the author portrays the protagonist of the novel.

2. To show the purpose of the author in portraying such a character.

METHOD OF RESEARCH

In conducting the study, I use the library research method. At first, I read

Alan Hollinghurst’s novel entitled The Line of Beauty as a primary text. I then

choose the most prominent literary aspect of the novel to be analysed. I also search

for the references from the library and electronic websites which can support the

analysis. Finally, I draw some conclusions from my analysis.

ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS

The thesis is divided into three chapters. Chapter One, the Introduction,

contains the Background of the Study, the Statement of the Problem, the Purpose of

the Study, the Method of Research and the Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two

contains the portrayal of the protagonist of The Line of Beauty. Chapter Three is the

Conclusion of the analysis. The thesis ends with the Bibliography and the

Appendices, which consist of the Biography of the Author and the Synopsis of the

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CHAPTER THREE

CONCLUSION

Having analysed the portrayal of the protagonist in Alan Hollinghurst’s

The Line of Beauty, I conclude that Alan Hollinghurst succeeds in portraying the

protagonist. Hollinghurst presents a clear portrayal of the protagonist’s characteristics

when the protagonist comes from a small village, Barwick. Hollinghurst also

successfully presents the protagonist’s characteristics when he has just arrived at the

Feddens’ mansion together with the changes that he experiences as he moves into a

new social environment in London.

Hollinghurst succeeds in disclosing the protagonist’s change from a

naive into a manipulative person. The glamour and luxury in the metropolitan city are

too hard for him to resist. Hollinghurst actually suggests that in real life, the

temptation is frequently so great that one is very often tempted to be manipulative in

spite of one’s incapability to achieve his dreams scrupulously. Nick’s homosexual

relationship with the man whom he does not really love provides appropriate

evidence that living in a metropolitan city may make people believe in the principle

that the end must justify the means. In this case, Nick’s manipulates Wani in order to

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Hollinghurst’s portrayal of the protagonist’s honesty is also realistic. It is

generally accepted that people living in small villages are more honest than urban or

metropolitan people. I agree with the novelist that living in a metropolitan city may

frequently change an honest into a dishonest person. This occurs because one often

has to compete very seriously with others in order to be able to survive. Ferdinand

Tonnies, a sociologist states that there are two basic human associations or two

contrasting types of human social life. In his opinion, most people living in rural

areas are “humble, friendly and more honest.” (urban_sociology) He further states

that, “city life is a mechanical aggregate characterized by selfishness.”

(urban_sociology)

Hollinghurst’s description of the protagonist’s inconfidence when he has

just moved into the Feddens’ mansion is also realistic. It is universally true that most

villagers are not confident when they have just come to the civic centre. They may be

hesitant, nervous, and clumsy, especially when they are among upper class people.

Several episodes reveal Nick’s embarrassment when he is together with the members

of the Feddens. So far as the protagonist’s experience in dating with men, I believe

that the novelist has given a realistic picture of this abnormal relationship.

I am of the opinion that the protagonist of the novel is a dynamic

character; he changes from a naive into a manipulative, from an honest into a

dishonest, from an inconfident into a confident man. Nick, who is at first

inexperienced in dating with men, is later described to be experienced in dating with

men.

The protagonist’s original characteristics are revealed mainly through

speech and direct comment. However, thought is also an important technique in the

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In revealing the protagonist’s later characteristics, the novelist

successfully employs direct comment, conversation of others, and thought, the most

of important of which is speech.

I think Hollinghurst’s purpose in presenting Nick’s characteristic from

being naive into being manipulative is to show the negative influence of urban life,

particularly that of the upper class. Nick dreams to lead a life like those of the

Feddens, who have wealth and great authority. His lust for money and power causes

him to take full advantage of his relationship with Wani, the son of a millionaire.

Through Nick’s change from an honest into a dishonest person,

Hollinghurst criticizes unscrupulous people who force themselves to pursue their

goals by justifying any means whether ‘fair or foul’. In this case, the novelist

develops the protagonist’s naivety into manipulative with a purpose. He obviously

intends to reveal that the lure of materialistic metropolitan life and permissive

affluent environment tends to have a harmful impact; if one is not aware of the

hazard, one may inevitably be led into evil, which finally causes one’s tragic undoing.

Through Nick’s change from an inconfident into a confident man,

Hollinghurst implies that one may feel confident when he feels that he has something

that he can be proud of. The kindness of the Feddens’ family who accept Nick gives

Nick more confidence. Moreover, by having wealth and authority from Wani, Nick

feels that he is accepted in high class society.

Nick’s change from being an inexperienced into an experienced man in

dating is also presented with a purpose. He obviously indicates that people should be

aware of the danger of promiscuity and therefore should avoid promiscuous sexual

intercourse. The disease that finally claims Nick’s life is a concrete example of the

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Alan Hollinghurst is a great novelist for he is able to write The Line of

Beauty, which is very touching, informative, daring and enjoyable to read. Through

this novel, Hollinghurst wants to warn the reader against the horrible things that lurk

behind the lure of false pleasure. Hollinghurst has successfully presented a life-like

character, a protagonist who changes from a morally good character into a very

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

References:

Murphy, M. J. Understanding Unseens: An Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Students. Oxford: Alden Press, 1972.

Shaw, Harry. Dictionary of Literary Terms. New York: McGraw Hill Book Company, 1972.

Electronic Publications:

Alan Hollinghurst: Biography. 17 September 2007. <http://www.word-power.co.uk>

Amazone.com: The Line of Beauty. 2004. Interview with Alan Hollinghurst. 20 July 2007.

<http://www.amazone.com/Line-beauty-Novel-Alan-Hollinghurst/dp/1582346100>

Books and Beauty. 2004. An Audience with Alan Hollinghurst. 03 December 2007. <http://www.readings.com.au/bookweb/html/hollinghurstinterview.html>

The Line of Beauty. Wikipedia. 15 August 2007.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Line_Of_Beauty>

Man Booker Prize for Fiction: The Line of Beauty. 07 February 2008. <http://www.bookreporter.com/features/awards-man-booker.asp>

Urban Sociology. 20 April 2008. <http://www.urban_sociology_theories.com>

Primary text:

Portrayal of The Protagonist in Alan Hollinghurst's 'The Line of Beauty'.

ABSTRACT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER TWO: PORTRAYAL OF THE PROTAGONIST IN

ALAN

HOLLINGHURST’S

THE LINE OF BEAUTY

CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDICES

APPENDICES

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER THREE

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY