AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree ofSarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
ELISABETH INATYAS S.W Student Number: 064214005
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
A STUDY OF CHARACTER AND PLOT TO CONVEY THE
THEME AS SEEN IN AMY TAN’S
THE KITCHEN GOD’S WIFE
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree ofSarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
ELISABETH INATYAS S.W Student Number: 064214005
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
ii
SEEN IN AMY TAN’STHE KITCHEN GOD’S WIFE
By
ELISABETH INATYAS S.W Student Number: 064214005
Approved by
Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum. August 11th, 2010 Advisor
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A Sarjana SastraUndergraduate Thesis
A STUDY OF CHARACTER AND PLOT TO CONVEY THE THEME AS SEEN IN AMY TAN’STHE KITCHEN GOD’S WIFE
By
Elisabeth Inatyas S.W
Student Number: 064214005 Defended before the Board of Examiners
On August 26th, 2010 And Declared Acceptable
BOARD OF EXAMINERS
Name Signature
Chairman : Dr. Fr.B.Alip, M.Pd., M.A.
Secretary : Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum. Member : Maria Ananta Tri Suryandari, S.S., M.Ed. Member : Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum.
Member : Harris Setiajid, S.S. M.Hum.
Yogyakarta, August 31th, 2010 Faculty of Letters Sanata Dharma University
Dean
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FRIEND IN THE DARK IS
BETTER THAN WALKING
ALONE IN THE LIGHT
Keller-v
This Undergraduate Thesis is dedicated to:
My Beloved Father and Mother
My Lovely Brothers
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Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma: Nama : Elisabeth Inatyas S.W
Nomor Mahasiswa : 064214005
Demi kepentingan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul A Study of Character and Plot to Convey the Theme as seein in Amy Tan’s The Kitchen God’s Wife beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalty kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada Tanggal: 31 Agustus 2010 Yang menyatakan
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In this occasion, I would like to give my gratitude to many people around me who have given their love, support, affection, care, advice, time, and everything for me at any moment. I thank them for everything they did.
First of all, I would like to express my greatest gratitude to Jesus Christ who always helps me and blesses me. He also gives me the strength especially when I feel down in completing my thesis. I realize that without Him, I can do nothing. He is my savior now and forever.
I would also like to thank all the lecturers and staff in the English Letters Department of Sanata Dharma University for giving knowledge, experience, and guidance during my study in this university. My biggest and deepest gratitude goes to Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum as the advisor for giving me her patience, suggestion, and ideas, especially during the process of finishing my undergraduate thesis and also to help me make it from nothing to something. I thank her for her time and advice for me. I also thank Harris Setiajid, S.S. M.Hum for helping me to correct my thesis.
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I also thank Lusi for being my best friend for this long time, it is very lucky for me to know her. I thank for everything that she gives to me; advice, support, care, love, time, and many things. It is very useful for me and I will not forget it. I really appreciate every moment she shares with me. Remember always our song “Jangan Menyerah” from D’massive. And for Sansan, thank for giving me jokes. It makes me laugh and happy.
Special thanks I give to all my friends in English Letters: Yuniar, Vina, Marce, Sella (Koyor), Elok, Meme, Via, Arum, Dhika, Adit, Atom, Denal, Sanam, Ryo and many more. I thank them for sharing our every moment and for creating “After 20 and BFI”, our best teams.
I also want to thank for my KKN team “Eighteen Holic”: Fea, Handa, Sr. Kharita, Sr. Ariani, Berlin, Yanti, and Rico. I thank them for giving me unforgettable moment. I hope distance and time will not be a problem and break our friendship.
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A. Review of Related Studies ……….... 7
B. Review of Related Theories………...10
1. Character and Characterization………....10
2. Plot………... 13
3. Theme……….. 16
4. The Relationship between the Characters, Plot, and Theme…... 18
C. Theoretical Framework………..19
A. Characterization of the Main Character………. 24
B. Description of Plot ofThe Kitchen God’s Wife………. 33
1. Beginning……….34
2. The Middle………...37
a. Complication………..37
b. Climax………41
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xi ABSTRACT
ELISABETH INATYAS S.W (2010). A Study of Character and Plot to Convey the Theme as Seen in Amy Tan’s The Kitchen God’s Wife. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
The Kitchen God’s Wifeby Amy Tan was written in 1991. The novel tells about the woman named Winnie Louie with her struggle in her life. The Kitchen God’s Wife mostly describes about Winnie’s past life and how she can survive to continue her miserable life.
This thesis has three objectives. The first is to find out the description of the character, Winnie Louie. The second is to know how the plot described in the story. And the third is to know the contribution of character and plot to convey the theme of the story.
This thesis is a library research. The main source was taken from the novel, The Kitchen God’s Wifeby Amy Tan. The additional sources were taken from books and other sources related to the study. The writer conducted the New Criticism Approach in analyzing this novel because this approach examines a literary work through its intrinsic element without taking notice on extrinsic element. To help analyze this thesis, the writer needs some theories. The theories that are needed are the theory of character and characterization, theory of plot, and theory of theme. This study also includes some stages. They are the primary data collection, close reading, supporting data collection, problem formulations finding, analysis making, and conclusion drawing.
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ELISABETH INATYAS S.W (2010). A Study of Character and Plot to Convey the Theme as seen in Amy Tan’s The Kitchen God’s Wife. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Novel karya Amy Tan ditulis pada tahun 1991. Novel tersebut menceritakan seorang wanita bernama Winnie Louie dengan segala bentuk perjuangan di hidupnya. Novel ini banyak menceritakan tentang masa lalu Winnie dan bagaimana dia dapat bertahan serta melanjutkan kehidupannya yang bisa dikatakan cukup menyedihkan.
Skripsi ini mempunyai tiga tujuan. Yang pertama adalah untuk menemukan penggambaran dari tokoh, Winnie Louie. Kedua untuk mengetahui bagaimana plot digambarkan. Dan yang ketiga adalah untuk mengetahui bagaimana tokoh dan plot menyampaikan tema.
Skripsi ini merupakan penelitian kepustakaan. Sumber utama dari skripsi ini diambil dari novel The Kitchen God’s Wife karya Amy Tan. Sumber-sumber tambahan lainnya diperoleh dari buku-buku dan berbagai sumber yang berhubungan dengan penelitian. Penulis menggunakan pendekatan New Criticism karena pendekatan ini menguji suatu karya sastra melalui unsur-unsur yang ada di dalam karya sastra tersebut tanpa memperhatikan unsur-unsur di luar karya. Untuk menganalisis skripsi ini, penulis membutuhkan beberapa teori. Di antaranya teori karakter, plot, dan tema. Beberapa langkah yang dilakukan dalam studi ini yaitu pengumpulan data utama, pembacaan mendalam, pengumpulan data pendukung, perumusan masalah, analisis, dan pengambilan keputusan.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Literary work is a portrait of human’s life. What is pictured there is generally based on the fact and experience that happened in the past or dreams about the future. The story that is told in the works of literature, such as novels, plays, and poems can tell about many things since they cannot be separated from human life. In other words, literature and human life are related to each other. Literature can describe sadness, happiness, tragedy, and many more.
Literary work can be a representation of life, because it can describe human being’s life and their problems. InAn Introduction to the Study of Literature, Hudson states
Among the literary works, there is a novel that is classified as a fiction. A novel can be defined as a work or literature or a composition that imitates life and human activities. As Courtney states that reading a literary piece such a novel does not merely give us pleasure, but also deepens and broadens our vision and experience of living (1965: 100). A novel usually has a close relationship to real life of human because the element in a novel, characters, setting, plot, and theme are the same as the aspects in real life of human. Some people say reading a novel is an interesting activity.
Reading literature is enjoyable. It offers satisfaction and pleasure to people who like to read literary works. Literature is not only a matter of fun but it also gives many values that can be learned for improvement. Most of the greatest literary works in the world can be seen as a place of human reflection. In the literary work, the author can present his vision of life, which expresses his experiences, obsessions or observations of life.
The elements of the story can be divided in character, setting, and plot. They can help us understand the story in detail and also get the main idea of the novel from some aspects, which support each others. From the elements that have been mentioned above, the writer will discuss how the character and plot can reveal the theme of the story.
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California. She has written at least six books. The Kitchen God’s Wifeis the second novel afterThe Joy Luck Club. (http://www.luminarium.org/contemporary/amytan/)
The writer is interested in reading a novel entitledThe Kitchen God’s Wifebecause it is one of the best literary works in the world. It has a good story. The character of the story, Winnie is really strong. While reading this novel, the writer is interested with the plot of the story. What happens in Winnie’s life makes the writer wants to analyze the theme. Most of the story tells about Winnie’s past life. The Kitchen God’s Wifetells how women have no position in her marriage. They must obey what men say and they must do what their husbands ask them, including Winnie. When Winnie stays and lives in China, her husband, Wen Fu always treats her badly. Wen Fu considers Winnie not better than a prostitute, who he can use her like a doll. When he likes, he will do everything to Winnie. When he does not want her, he kicks and hits her. Winnie wants to leave her husband. But she knows as a woman she does not have the right to divorce her husband, because only a husband can divorce his wife. The novel also mentions how Winnie can survive to continue her life although she knows it is not easy. She tries to find a way to be free from her husband’s prison. Winnie wants to get her true life, so she can feel happy anytime. She always tries until she meets her true love which can make her life happier. Winnie believes that there is a miracle inside the problem.
writer chooses to focus on Winnie’s life, because it can represent the whole of the story. Her past life is really touching and she is a wonderful woman.
Having noticed the description of the story, the writer is interested in finding the theme of the story. The writer will find the theme through the analysis of the characters and the plot, because Winnie Louie as the main character has to face a difficult situation in her life. The writer wants to know how Winnie can solve all her obstacles.
B. Problem Formulation
In the novel The Kitchen God’s Wife there are some problems related with the character and plot of her life to reveal the theme of the story. The writer formulates three questions as follows:
1. How is the character described in the novel? 2. How is the plot described in the novel?
3. How do the character and the plot convey the theme of the story?
C. Objectives of the Study
Based on the problem formulation above, this study aims to reveal the theme through the character and the plot.
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three parts. The last part of the analysis is answering the third problem formulation on how the character and the plot convey the theme of the story.
D. Definition of Terms
In analyzing the novel, there are some terms which are important to be clarified in order to avoid misinterpretation and misunderstanding of the topic. The terms are used to provide an accurate and clear explanation and analysis to answer the formulated problems above.
1. Character
In A Glossary Literary Terms, Abrams states that a character is a person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, which is interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what he says, the dialogue, and what he does, the action (1981: 20). He explains that to understand the characters, we must interpret from what the person says in dialogue and what he does in action.
2. Plot
3. Theme
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THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
Reading a work of literature may arouse some comments from the readers. Many people can give comments, suggestions, or even criticism of the literary work itself.
Amy Tan is one of the Chinese-American writers. She has written many novels, and
The Kitchen God’s Wife is Tan’s second novel. Most of her novels tell about the mother daughter relationship, such asThe Joy Luck ClubandThe Kitchen God’s Wife.
The writer has found some reviews about the work and the author. The first related studies taken from internet. In this essay, Jandy states that
Tan once again brings the female Chinese culture to life. Winnie is a strong minded woman, not the obsequious female always walking a few paces behind her husband and meekly accepting his dictates. Yet she is still completely ruled by him; the culture of the country will allow nothing else. This story is straight-forward, in chronological order once Winnie starts telling Pearl her history (http://www.jandysbooks.com/genfic/ktchngod.htm).
Amy Tan always writes a book based on her experience. The relation between the story of her novel and her life are really close. In his review “Amy Tan blends life and fiction in novels”, Geeta Sharma-Jensen states
When Amy Tan's second novel,"The Kitchen God's Wife," came out in 1991, one of her relatives berated her for revealing in the book that her grandmother had been raped, forced to become a concubine, and then committed suicide. But Tan's mother cheered her on: Tell the world, tell the world what happened, she said, explaining that she had carried that shame for so many years and that her mother had suffered because she could not tell anybody. Tan has taken her mother's words as manna for her fiction. Grafting the real tales of her family's losses, griefs and relationships onto the fictional worlds of her characters is a way of making sense of a disordered world, a way to keep memory alive, keep her family's history alive, and help make it whole.
(http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-121188949/amy-tan-blends-life.html)
Once again, the quotation above explains that the events that happen in the story indirectly are a reflection of real life. This means that most of the story or actions in The Kitchen God’s Wifeare based on Tan’s family experience. We can see from the quotation above, “Tan has taken her mother’s words as manna for her fiction”. It clearly shows that after she hears her mother’s words, she decides to write a novel based on her family story. The setting and the characters that are used in the novel are the same with the reality of her family. Here we can see that Jensen studies about the relation between Amy Tan’s reality and the novel. She finds out that there is close relation between them. Jensen also wants to know the reason why Tan writes this story.
Tim Woods in his bookWho’s Who of Twentieth- Century Novelistsstates:
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The quotation above shows that Amy Tan in her second novel wants to describe a mother-daughter relationship which becomes Tan’s characteristic in writing a novel. Woods also explain how Tan emphasizes women as the main character in her novel. Here in his book, Woods describes how women have position at that time when patriarchy still happens in China.
Moniqa Friesta de Wanna in her thesis entitled The Influence of Cultural Backgrounds on Mother and Daughter Relationship in Amy Tan’s “The Kitchen God’s
Wife” asserts that mother and daughter relationship between Winnie and Pearl can be influenced by their different cultural background. In her thesis Moniqa states that the story shows the readers the differences between a mother and her daughter in the way they live. The cultural backgrounds mainly affect their differences. Winnie’s past life represents most Chinese people ways of living at that time though the old customs and traditions are still done nowadays (2008: 42-43).
Therefore, in this thesis, the writer will analyze the intrinsic elements of The Kitchen God’s Wife in order to reveal the theme of the story. The intrinsic elements that will be used are character and plot.
B. Review of Related Theories
To answer the questions stated in the problem formulation, and to analyze them, the writer uses some theories to be the basic guidance in answering the questions as clearly as possible.
1. Theories of Character and Characterization
In understanding the character, Perrine mentions that character in a story can be presented through direct presentation and indirect presentation (1974: 68-69). In direct presentation, the author simply tells the reader about the character of the story. He tells the qualities of the characters in exposition and analysis, or he has someone else in the story who tells us what they like are. In indirect presentation, the personality of the character can be convincing, as it is shown by speaking and action he or she teaches.
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Rohrberger and Woods in Reading and Writing about Literature say that the characters play an important role in a story, as they help the reader to participate vicariously in the experience or the story by sharing imaginatively the feelings or the activities of the characters in the story (1971: 19).
Discussing the character more is as important as discussing the characterization. Holman and Harmon in A Handbook to Literature state that the characterization is the creation of playwright’s imagination about character as real human being, and they exist for the audience or reader as lifelike (1986: 81). The reader often imagine the character as well as they think about the real human, so in creating a character, the author usually uses real human, completed with his behavior and attitudes as a mirror to form and characterize the character.
InUnderstanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Students(1972: 161-173), M.J. Murphy mentions there are nine ways that an author can apply to present the characterization of characters in a literary work:
a. Personal Description
b. Character as Seen by Another
An author describes the character through another’s point of view. The other characters in the story give her or his opinions, by giving explanation a character is like. In these details, the readers also can use their own point of view to analyze a certain character. c. Speech
The author gives the readers an insight into the character in the work through what a person says. It can be seen whenever a person speaks in conversation with other character. We also can see his character from his opinion that he gives.
d. Past Life
The author can provide a clue to events that help to shape a person’s characteristics by giving the character’s past life. This is quite helpful to analyze the present life of the character.
e. Conversation to Others
The readers have to pay attention through the conversation of other people and the things they say about the character, because an author sometimes gives a clue to understand the character’s personality from other’s conversation and their opinion about him. By searching it, it will help the readers to get more information about the characteristics of the character.
f. Reaction
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g. Direct Comment
The author gives the readers direct comment and description on the character. In this way there is a medium for the author to use to characterize the character.
h. Thoughts
The author gives us direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. Whenever the author gives a direct description of the character’s mind, what he is thinking about, we are led to a deep analysis through the thought inside the character’s mind.
i. Mannerism
A person’s character can be described through his habit and mannerism. It can tell us something more about the character. Furthermore, the meaning of the characterization in the literary work as an individual is the process of presenting and developing a character by an author.
2. Theories of Plot
Abrams inA Glossary of Literary Terms mentions that plot is “the structure of the narrative work action, which is ordered and rendered toward achieving particular emotional and artistic effect” (1981: 159). Plot provides the structural events and an organized and arranged narration in a story so that it can be easily understood by the readers in reading a novel.
movement of the plot from the beginning to the end should be reasonable, rational, and logical (1965: 15).
Plot is the idea that determines how the story will flow. One action to another action are related by plot which in order to make a good organization of the story and everything is related, nothing is relevant if the plot is good. One thing happens because of another, that is why time in the story is important.
Basically, a plot has a function to give and to show the structure of the unified and completed dramatic action. Generally, it tends to flow a regular formula of common plot. This formula consists of exposition (beginning), complication, climax and resolution/ending/denouement (Abrams, 1981: 161).
a. Exposition (Beginning)
The first thing that is necessary for the readers in reading a story is to understand the situation in the beginning of an action. A plot mostly begins with the exposition (beginning), which commonly provides the introduction of the characters, the sketch of the background, and the description of the situation (Abrams, 1981: 161).
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b. Complications
The exposition then moves to the complication or the rising action. Robert and Jacobs state that the complication marks the beginning of the main conflict in the story-the onset of the plot. The participants are all the characters in the story, whether they are protagonist or antagonist; and whatever ideas or values those characters represent, such as childhood and age, love and hate, good and evil, freedom and slavery, and the like (1987: 101).
In addition, this section usually provides the rising of the problems and the introduction of some difficulties faced by the character(s). This situation keeps on increasing with complexity and tensions of the problems and the difficulties until it reaches the climax (Abrams, 1981: 161).
Stanton states that there are two important elements of plot, they are conflict and climax, and he divides the conflict into two parts.
a. Internal Conflict
Internal conflict is the conflict of two desires within a character. The conflict causes the opposing desires or values in the characters own its mind, and he has to choose the best choice for himself.
b. External Conflict
of the characters. The climax of the story is the moment at which the conflict is most intense and at which its outcome becomes inevitable (Stanton, 1965: 16).
c. Climax
The climax is the high point in the action or the point of greatest expectancy and the cumulative effect of the previous incidents. In this part the conflicts and the following tension are brought to the fullest extent. Climax is the point that is inevitable and no return, where all the rest of the action becomes firmly set (Robert and Jacobs, 1987: 101).
d. Denouement (End)
According to Robert and Jacobs, the resolution or denouement is the last section of plot which brings the story to its conclusion. The resolution usually directed as quickly as possible for the conflicts are over. On the other hand, once the main conflict is resolved, a brief action of this sort emphasizes the note of finality (1987: 102).
3. Theme
In the fifth edition ofA Handbook of Literature, Holman and Harmon state that the theme is the central or dominating idea in a work. In non-fiction prose, it may be thought of as the general topic of discussion, the subject of the discourse, the thesis. In poetry, fiction and drama, it is the abstract concept that is made concrete through its representation in person, action, and image in the work (1986: 502).
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what central purpose is, what view of live it supports or what insight into life it reveals. Theme only exist when the author has seriously attempted to record life accurately or to reveal some truths about it and when the author has mechanically introduced to some concepts or theory of life onto it that he or she uses as a unifying element and that his history is meant to illustrate (1974: 137).
He also says that although we can understand about the theme clearly, we should keep the following principles. There are some principles.
1. The theme must be stated in a statement form and concern with the subject and predicate.
2. The theme must be a generalization about life. To define the theme, the use of the character’s name must be avoidable in order not to lead into specific statement.
3. The generalization of the theme should not be larger that is justified by the terms of story. The use of terms like some and sometimes are more preferable than terms like every, all, and always.
4. Theme is the central and unifying concept of the story. So the theme must be related to something that exists inside the story.
5. There is no one way of stating the theme of the story.
6. The theme should not be expressed in familiar expression or sentences because it will make the essential meaning of the story not conveyed (1974: 107-109).
theme can describe or explore a single fact of human experience, such as courage, disillusion of age, and others. The theme of story can be taken from the event of one of the character’s personality. The readers must start with a clear of the character, the setting or situation, and the plot (1965: 4-5).
Theme is the main idea or focus of the discussion that is implied in a story. Through the theme, readers will understand the purpose of the author why he creates the story or what the author wants to show through his novel. The theme can affect the readers because sometimes theme shows value of life. Meanwhile, Kenny inHow to Analyze Fiction, states that the theme is the total meaning discovered by the writer in the process of writing and by the reader in the process of reading (1996: 497).
4. The Relationship between the Character, Plot, and Theme
To identify the theme in a story, we must start with a clear idea of the characters and the plot (Stanton, 1965: 21). It means we have to know and describe the character and the plot in a story before stating the theme. The writer sees that the character and plot have a contribution in stating the theme. The actions and reactions of the characters influence the movement of the story. As M.J. Murphy states,
What is meant by ‘plot’ is a carefully thought-out plan in which all the events, all the actions and reactions of the characters, contribute towards the forward movement of the story (1972: 134).
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between the character and every action that is taken by the characters create a plot of the story. The writer will pay attention to the intrinsic elements of the story to state the theme.
C. Theoretical Framework
This thesis will use some theories to help analyze the novel. The theories that will be applied in this thesis are the theory of character and characterization, theory of plot, and theory of theme.
The theories of character and characterization are used to analyze the characteristic of the main character in the story. In analyzing the characteristics of the main character, the writer pays attention to the way the main character behave as well as how they act on their reaction to some events. The use of the theories of character and characterization is needed in order to get clear insight about the characters and how they are characterized.
The theories of plot will be helpful to find the sequence and the flow of the story and this theory is needed to analyze the plot that exists in the story. Therefore, it will deepen the understanding about the plot inThe Kitchen God’s Wife.
20 A. Object of the Study
The Kitchen God’s Wife(1991) is Amy Tan’s second novel afterThe Joy LuckClub (1989) and both of them become bestseller novels. She has written many novels, such as
The Moon Lady (1992), The Hundred Secret Senses (1995), The Bonesetter’s Daughter
(2001),The Opposite of Fate(2003), andSaving Fish from Drowning(2005).
The Kitchen God’s Wife was published in 1991 by Ballantine Books, Random House, Inc. It consists of 26 chapters in 532 pages and divided into three parts. The first part tells a story from Pearl’s point of view. She explains about the relationship between her and Winnie Louie. The second part is about Winnie’s past life in China until she moves to America. She explains her life and experience during stays in China and why she immigrates to America. And the third part reveals the moment when Pearl and Winnie tell their old secrets which they hide for a long time to each others. After they reveal their secret, their relationship becomes better.
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The Kitchen God’s Wifeis a story about a Chinese immigrant woman, Winnie Louie who faces many difficulties in her life, especially in her past life. When she was a child, her mother left her. Winnie also has worse marriage with her husband, Wen Fu. He treats Winnie badly. She knows that she must survive and not give up easily until she finds her happiness for herself. It is also a story about the relationship between mother and daughter, but the writer will focus on Winnie’s past life.
B. Approach of the Study
In analyzing the works of literature, some critics have their own ways and approaches. They may be different from one to another even though they may analyze the same work of literature. They may have different views in learning and understanding the literary works. This study will go deeper in analyzing the intrinsic elements of the novel that are plot and character. Therefore, the appropriate approach that is used is New Criticism.
As stated by Guerin inA Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature,
The New Critics sought precision and structural tightness in the literary work; they favored style and tone that tended toward irony; they insisted on the presence within the work of everything necessary for its analysis; and they called for an end to a concern by critics and teachers of English with matters outside the work itself-the life of the author, the history of his time, or the social and economic implication of the literary work (1982: 81).
only focusing on the analysis of a text, including the elements in the text or the intrinsic dimensions.
Klarer in An Introduction to Literary Studiesstates that “a central term often used synonymously with the New Criticism is close reading” (1999: 68). It means that the critics has to read and reread the work as many as possible until he feels he has completely understood about the work. The critic has to master the work in details in order to make the precious analysis.
The writer chooses to use the new criticism approach because the approach is suitable for the study. As Guerin states above, the New Criticism approach will use only the intrinsic element, not the extrinsic element. Here, the writer needs the work itself as the main source. The writer will not use other elements which come from the outside, such as the author’s life, background, or sociological.
C.Method of Study
Since the study focused on literary work, the writer tried to find the data and the information that has relation with the novel. The writer read some sources that can support in answering the problems formulation. The data were gathered from literary books, criticism, or encyclopedia can help the writer to answer the problems formulation. The writer had listed some steps in finding the answer that stated in the first chapter.
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The second step was the writer made a topic and stated the problems formulation which appropriate with the topic of the thesis. Then the writer tried to relate between the character, plot, and theme in the novelThe Kitchen God’s Wife.
The next step was the writer used some books to get some data to support the analysis. In this step, some references which related to the novel were used to find the data. The references to be found were related to the theory of character, theory of plot, theory of theme, and also new criticism approach. Those theories would be useful in finding the answer of the problems formulation and would be applied to the analysis. Some books that are used, for example Robert and Jacob’s Fiction: Introduction to Reading and Writing, Murphy’s Understanding Unseen, Abrams’ A Glossary of Literary Terms, Rohrberger’s and Wood’s Reading and Writing about Literature, and Holman and Harmon’s A Handbook to Literature. After collecting the reference related to the topic that gained from some sources, the writer began the analysis.
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This chapter will answer the problem formulations of the thesis. The analysis is divided into three parts. The first part is the analysis about the characteristics of the main character, Winnie Louie, which shows her way of thinking, and her manner. The writer will also analyze some other characters that can help the writer to find out the theme of the story. The second part is the description of the plot in order to arrange the important events. And the last part is the study about the theme that is revealed by the main character and the plot.
A. Characterization of the Main Character
As M.J. Murphy states in his book Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Students, there are nine ways that can be applied to present the characterization of characters in a literary work. They are personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation to others, reaction, direct comment, thoughts, and mannerism. The writer will focus on the main character, Winnie Louie.
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Her father has some clothes factories. When she is a child, her mother leaves her without a reason. Winnie is very sad and must find the way to continue her life without her mother. After she gets married with Wen Fu, she gets bad treatment from her husband. Winnie cannot do something to reject what Wen Fu wants, because she lives in situation where women have no power and position. Winnie has no right to fight Wen Fu. Later, we will know how Winnie becomes tough woman and how finally she can survive from every problem she has.
Winnie is caring and loving person. When Winnie stays with her New Aunt and Old Aunt she never does something bad, although her aunts hurt her heart and do not make Winnie happy. It is maybe her mother always teaches Winnie to be good and kind person. Winnie’s kindness can be seen when she helps Peanut to give the love letter to Wen Fu. Winnie never complains about it. She does it with her pleasure, although she realizes that she starts love him. Winnie does not want to make Peanut sad, she always thinks about Peanut’s happiness.
“So I helped Peanut and Wen Fu: carried their love letters back and forth, brought them to the market-place, to the middle of our road. I was helping them to each other. I did not have it in my mind to steal Wen Fu away from Peanut. I swear this. I am not remembering this differently so as not to blame myself” (p 158).
knows that Peanut loves Wen Fu very much. Here, Winnie shows her persistence in controlling her feeling toward Wen Fu.
Winnie cares about her family. Her care toward her family can be seen when Winnie thinks about her father’s condition before she and Jimmy go. Even though she knows that her father had hurt him, she never hates him. Instead, Winnie shows that she still cares about him.
“And that’s when I remembered, My father! If I leave, Wen Fu will have him killed as a traitor. He would use my father just like a weapon” (p. 458).
The quotation above explains how Winnie really cares about her family. Even though she wants to go with her love, Winnie still thinks about her father. She does not want her father to be treated badly as her. She wants to make sure that her father is safe from her husband, Wen Fu.
Winnie’s care about others can also be seen when Hulan tells her that her husband is still alive, Winnie tries to be calm and not shows her happiness to others. Because she knows there are many wives who do not know about their husband’s life, whether their husbands are alive or not.
“So I explained again: “We must have concern for the whole situation, not just our own husbands. Something worse could still be coming.” (p.239)
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Winnie’s characteristic that loving and caring person also influence other characteristics. Her love toward other people makes Winnie becomes patient. Winnie has suffered since she is a child. Her mother leaves her and she does not know how to find her mother. Winnie will never give up to wait her mother.
“Of course, in my mind, I know she will never come back. But, I still remember. Many times in my life I remember. And it is always like this. In my heart, there is a little room. And in that room is a little girl, still six years old. She is always waiting, an achy hoping, hoping beyond reason. She is sure the door will fly open, any minute now” (p. 130-131).
From the quotation above, it can be seen how Winnie still wait for her mother to return to their house. That quotation also shows Winnie’s persistence about her confidence that someday she will meet her mother again, although Winnie knows there is only a little opportunity. The quotation above not only shows how Winnie is patient for waiting her mother, but also how she is really persist.
Winnie’s patience also can be seen when she lives with her aunts. Winnie does not get affection or love during she stay with her aunts. Her aunts always consider Winnie as a stranger. This following quotation will show how Winnie lives in her aunts’ house and how she is really patient to face it.
“And every time I returned to my uncle’s house, I had to act like a guest, never asking for things, waiting instead for someone to remember what I needed” (p. 133). “But how I could complain? I was supposed to be grateful. They took me in, leftovers from my mother’s disgrace. By their standards, they were good to me” (p. 134).
she will loss her family. Winnie has lost her mother, so she does not want to have the same experience.
Winnie’s patience can be seen from her relation with other people around her. First is the friendship between Winnie and Helen. Although Winnie and Helen always have different arguments and sometimes they fight, Winnie does not hate her best friend, for example when Helen helps Wen Fu to find Winnie and Danru. Helen promises to keep the secret, but finally she reveals it to Wen Fu. Winnie is not angry, she forgives Helen.
“So you see, Hulan helped Wen Fu find me. Of course, she was very sorry later on. I will not blame her, I’ll forgive her” (p. 397).
Winnie is a person who is full of love, especially with her mother. It can be seen from her relation with her mother. Winnie loves her mother very much. Before Winnie’s mother leaves, they always do anything together. Winnie feels comfortable when her mother always besides her. Winnie thinks that her mother is everything to her. She wants to be like her mother.
“But some things I know for certain, like my legs, how they got to be this way. Look how my legs are still thin, no muscles on the calves! My mother used to carry me everywhere, even I walk even ten steps by myself. And this was not because I was sick or weak. I always wanted to see the world at her same height, her same way” (p.104)
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her mother sees, and she likes to hear what her mother hears. She wants her mother always beside her every time.
Here, it can be seen how Winnie’s feeling toward her mother influences Winnie’s patience. Because Winnie really loves her mother, she wants to wait her mother. It does not matter how many times she has to spend for her mother.
Winnie is also patient in her marriage with Wen Fu. It can be seen from Winnie’s obedience toward her husband. Winnie obeys what her husband asks. This quotation will show that Winnie is an obedient person.
“What could I do? I could not shout. Someone would awaken, look out, and see me. So I was whispering to him through the door, pleading, “Open the door! Open!” And he said nothing, did nothing, until several minutes had passed and I finally said, “I will say them” (p 209).
The quotation above shows that how Winnie obeys what Wen Fu asks, although she does not want to do that. Winnie knows that Wen Fu does not really love her, but she remains to continue her marriage and becomes a good wife for Wen Fu. Here, Winnie’s patience in her marriage does not mean she is weak. She just wants to obey the rules about marriage, “This was China. A woman had no right to be angry” (p. 210).
“She wanted her daughter to get up and learn how to put a house in order, so that one day Peanut would know how to be a proper wife. New Aunt did not consider these were skills I should learn too. But I watched. I learned without anyone telling me what to do” (p 136).
It can be seen from the quotation above that Winnie will try to find the way to learn something by watching it. We can see from the quotation above, although her New Aunt does not teach Winnie as she teaches her daughter Peanut, Winnie decides to learn by herself. Winnie knows that there is always a hope if she keeps fighting. Winnie shows that she will not give up easily. Winnie will do anything to get what she wants.
After Winnie’s mother goes from the house, Winnie still keeps the love for her mother, although she never knows the reason why her mother leaves her alone. She keeps everything related with her mother. She does not hate her mother. Winnie never stops hope that someday she can meet her mother and lives with her in their lovely house.
“Of course, that does not mean I did not think about her. I loved her very much. In fact, when I was young, and for many years, I kept her hair, three feet long, curled up in a small tin box. I saved it it for her all those years, thinking she would someday return, and I could give it back to her, like a gift. Later, when I believed she was dead, I still kept her hair” (p 102).
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The writer also finds that Winnie is smart. She knows what she has to do in urgent situation. It can be seen when she will send the telegram for Wen Fu’s sister.
“I did not want to alarm her, so I said, “I only put that down because my sister-in-law is absentminded. This will make her hurry before she forgets” (p. 260).
“At the end of the telegram to Wen Fu’s sister, I added, “Hurry, we are soon
taonan” (p. 259).
The quotation above explains Winnie knows how to make her sister-in-law send her money. Winnie puts the wordtaonanin her telegram, so her sister-in-law will think that the money is very important, so she must send it directly. The word taonan has a crucial meaning and will make people think that a person who sends the telegram is in dangerous situation. Here, it can be seen how Winnie tries to find the way to make her sister-in-law sends the money immediately.
Here we also can see how characteristics of Winnie start to change slowly. Tan mentions that Winnie changes from a weak woman to a strong woman. It can be seen after Wen Fu sees Winnie dances with the other man. When Winnie and Wen Fu get home, her husband is very angry with her because she dances with Jimmie. Wen Fu treats Winnie badly. And when Wen Fu threatens Winnie that he will divorce her, Winnie does not protest him.
“So I was no surprised he was angry. I was ready for this. In our room upstairs, he cursed and called me all kinds of bad names, the same ones he had used throughout our marriage: “Whore! Fox-devil! Traitor!” whiskey smells poured out of his mouth. I did not protest. But I also did not act afraid. I let these insult roll over me.”
My blood was rushing, my thoughts running fast, feeling I would soon be free. I quickly wrote down our names. I wrote the date. I signed my name. I left three spaces so he and two witnesses could also sign the paper. I checked everything twice, then handed the paper to him, trying to keep my anger and happiness in. “You sign here,’ I said, pointing to the bottom of the paper (p.392-393).
From the quotation above, we can see that Winnie starts to be a strong woman. When her first husband, Wen Fu calls her with rude words, Winnie does not show to her husband her true feeling. She tries to listen what her husband says. She prefers to be silent. Silent here does not mean Winnie accepts what her husband does to her. She is doing that because she wants her husband knows that she not a weak woman anymore. If she protests, she is sure that Wen Fu will feel he wins and Winnie has to apologize. She also accepts when Wen Fu asks her to divorce. She does not beg her husband in order not to divorce her. She attacks her husband by asking him to sign the divorce paper.
When Winnie is in jail, Wen Fu asks her to say sorry, so she can be free from the jail. But Winnie is not weak anymore. She will not give her husband a victory. Now, Winnie begins to fight him.
“I would rather sleep on the concrete floor of a jail,” I heard myself say in a loud voice, “than go to that man’s house!” And the room roared with surprise and laughter. So you see, in the end, Wen Fu was the one who was humiliated. And when they took me away, I was smiling” (p. 477).
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Both quotations above also describe Winnie’s persistence in facing all problems in her life. She will not let her bad marriage and cruel husband make her life becomes miserable.
Winnie is very protective toward her children. She will never let anything or anyone to make her children sad and unhappy. It can be seen in her attitude to her first children, Yiku. Because she loves Yiku very much, she will do anything in order Yiku always save. When Winnie and Wen Fu fight each other, Wen Fu comes to Yiku and he shouts to her. Winnie tries to protect Yiku from her husband’s anger.
“I rushed over Yiku, but Wen Fu pushed me away and I fell. And then I heard her cry again. Her breath finally came back! And she cried even louder, higher. Kwah! Wen Fu hit her again-kwah-again and again. And by the time I could get to my feet and push my body in between, I saw Yiku had rolled up into a little ball. She was making small animal sounds (p.332)
From the quotation above it can be seen when Wen Fu screams and hits Yiku when he and Winnie are fighting, Winnie tries to protect her daughter from her evil husband. She does not want Wen Fu threats Yiku worse. She will do anything in order to make her lovely daughter feels save and comfortable, although she has to beg Wen Fu and says sorry to him.
B.Description of Plot ofThe Kitchen God’s Wife
five parts that build a plot in the story. There are exposition or introduction, complication, crisis, climax, and the last is resolution or denouement. The writer will divide the plot into three parts. The first part is the beginning, which consists of the exposition or introduction. Second is the middle, which discusses the initial statement of conflict in which the story really begins rising action or complication and climax. Third is ending that talk about the denouement into resolution or conclusion.
1. Beginning
To know the plot of the story, the writer begins from the beginning. In this first part, the writer will analyze exposition or introduction which also becomes the part of the beginning. The exposition can be called the introduction of the story. In Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, Robert and Jacob state that exposition is the lay out, the putting forth of the material in the story; the main characters, background, characteristics, goals, limitations, and their potentials (1987: 10). It means that this part will introduce everything that is going to be important in the story later on, such as who is the main character of the story and how is she or her characteristics that appear in the story.
It is necessary for the readers to understand and to know about the characters and the early condition of the story before the plot goes too far into other actions or events. That is why, in this part, the characters, the sketch of the background and the description of the situation are being introduced and explained briefly (Abrams, 1993: 161).
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the first narrator. Here, the introduction of the story begins when Winnie calls her daughter to come to her cousin’s engagement.
From the beginning of the story, it can be seen that there is no good relationship between Winnie and Pearl as mother-daughter. Pearl feels that there is no mother-daughter talking instead of like strangers.
“Whenever my mother talks to me, she begins the conversation as if we were already in the middle of an argument” (p. 3).
“That is how she is. That is how I am. Always careful to be polite, always trying not to bump into each other, just like strangers” (p. 95).
From the quotation above Pearl realizes that between her and her mother there is no good communication between Winnie and Pearl. There is something that creates a distance between them.
In this part, Winnie’s persistence can be seen from her effort to be close to her daughter. Whenever there is an opportunity, Winnie will try and use it. It happens at Auntie Du’s funeral.
“Pearl is taking me home,” my mother answers, and I stand there, trying to figure out how she manages to catch me every time” (p. 52).
It is very difficult for Winnie to keep her secret from Pearl. The reason why Winnie does not want to tell the secret is because she loves her daughter very much. She will not make her children sad and disappointed with her, although Winnie knows Pearl will very angry if Winnie does not reveal the truth. Winnie only does not want to see her daughter’s tears fall from the eye.
“I have tried to think how I could tell my daughter. But every time I begin, I can hear her voice, so much hurt, “I knew it. You always loved Samuel more.”” So she would never believe me.
“But maybe if I told her, This is not true. I loved you the most, more than Samuel, more than all the children I had before you. I would tell her, I loved you in ways you never saw. And maybe you do not believe this. But I know this is true, feel my heart. Because you broke my heart the hardest, and maybe I broke yours the same way” (p. 99-100).
The quotation above indicates that Winnie really knows that if she tells her secret, Pearl will hate Winnie. She does not want to lose her children any more, like what happens in Winnie’s past life. Winnie prefers to wait until she is ready to tell everything. It shows Winnie’s patience in making a decision whether she will tells the secret now or later.
After Winnie keeps the secret for a long time, Winnie decides to reveal the secret about her past life when they are eating together in Winnie’s house. “I gave her more, I watched her drink my soup. And then I told her” (p. 102).
Winnie starts to tell the story from her mother’s part. Winnie is really close to her mother. She is happy when her mother is beside her. Winnie can do anything, she can complain about everything, and her mother will not angry with Winnie.
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although I knew my mother only a short time, I learned this from her, a pure kind of trust” (p.106).
The exposition or introduction of the story starts from Winnie’s decision of keeping her past life from Pearl because she does not want to hurt her daughter. She does not tell the secret because she loves and cares about her children very much. In the exposition, when Winnie decides to reveal her secret to Pearl, it can be seen how Winnie is really close to her daughter.
2. The Middle
a. Complication
From the exposition, the plot then goes forward to the next part which is the complication or the rising action. Robert and Jacobs mention that the complication marks the beginning of the main conflict in the story-the onset of the plot. They, who involved the conflicts, are the whole characters in the story (1987: 101).
Furthermore, the rising of the problems and the introduction of some difficulties faced by the character(s) are also created. The tension of the problems and the difficulties develop while it reaches the climax (Abrams, 1981: 161).
In the story, the beginning of problems that faced by Winnie mostly happens in her past life. The complication happens after Winnie’s mother leaves her since she is a child. When she wakes up in the morning, she cannot find her mother.
“The next morning, when I awake, she was not there. I thought she had slipped quietly out of bed and walked to the staircase, the same as we had done the day before. I opened the door and looked out. I saw only the servants, carrying away chamber pots. I went back in the room and sat down to wait for her return”
“Anyway, that morning I had no taste for do jang. “My mother-where is she?” I demanded” (p. 115).
What happens in Winnie’s life makes Winnie thinks that nobody cares her. Winnie feels empty and alone. When she needs someone to give love and affection, she has to know that no one will give it.
“So I left the porch, and that’s why I finally ended up in the greenhouse, the secret hiding place of my childhood. I looked in to see if it was empty. I wiped a windowpane as carefully as if it were the eye of a waking child. Empty, so many years empty” (p. 139).
As the characters and plot grow there is a conflict. It is stated by Stanton that the important element of the plot are the conflicts and climax (1965: 16). The organization of exposition and complication in the story creates the conflict and climax in the plot of the story.
Winnie has many conflicts, especially after her mother’s leaving. As a child, it is not easy to know the fact that her mother does not accompany her anymore and her father does not care about her.
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“And yet, many times they gossiped about her. They all did. Old Aunt, New Aunt, Uncle, and their friends-over tea, during meals, after the noontime nap. For many years, my mother was the source of funny and bad stories, terrible secrets and romantic tales. It was like digging up her grave, then pushing her down farther, always throwing more dirt on top. Can you imagine how a little girl would feel, hearing this about her own mother? But I know, they will stop talk about her” (p. 118).
From the quotation above, Winnie shows that although she does not like to see and hear what other people gossip about her mother, she decides to keep silent. Winnie knows that what they say is just nonsense cannot be believed.
After Winnie’s mother leaves, Winnie stays with her cousin and her family. Once again, Winnie knows the fact that she is not accepted by that family. No one loves Winnie like her mother.
“They had no intention to be mean, no intention at all. And maybe that was why I hurt-they had no intentions for me. They forgot I did not have my own mother, someone who could tell what I was really feeling, what I really wanted, someone who could guide me to my expectations. From that family, I learned to expect nothing, to want so much” (p. 134-135).
Winnie does not complain or protest when many people do not care about her. It can be seen when she says “But how could I complain? I was supposed to be grateful. They took me in, leftovers from my mother’s disgrace. By their standards, they were good to me” (p. 134).
is considered as Wen Fu’s wife, her husband does not appreciate her role as a wife. He asks Winnie to do something that Winnie does not want to do.
“Sometimes he made me take off my clothes, get on my hands and knees, then act as if I were begging him for a good “stuck-together” time, so I desperate I would do anything for this favor. And he would pretend to refuse, saying that he was tired, or that I was not pretty enough, or that I had been a bad wife that day. I had to beg and beg, my teeth chattering, until I truly was begging, so I could get off the cold floor. Other nights he made me stand in the room naked, shivering in the night chill, and when he named a body part, I was supposed to say the same coarse word, then put my fingers there, touch myself-here, there, everywhere-while he watched and laughed” (p. 209-210).
The quotation above shows how Wen Fu treats Winnie badly. How he asks Winnie to do what he says. And as a good wife, with love and affection that she has toward Wen Fu, she does everything that Wen Fu asks.
When Winnie and other pilots sing a song that makes Wen Fu angry, Wen Fu shouts to Winnie and asks her to kneel down. Winnie tries to reject by asking him to go to bed, but Wen Fu asks her to do that. In front of many people, Winnie bows and begs to Wen Fu. Winnie does not have a power to reject what Wen Fu wants, “And I found myself falling to my knees” (p. 319).
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Winnie also has some internal conflicts in her life. It happens when she has to choose between her marriage or her son.
“You see, you are divorced,” he said in a strange tone. “Worth nothing. You have no husband. You have no home. You have no son.”
“I looked up, startled. I had not thought what would happen to Danru. How foolish I was! To think my body was my own, something to protect or lose only for myself. I could never leave him. I could never do what my mother did to me” (p. 393).
The internal conflict also happens when Winnie has to choose between her freedom and her own father. Winnie thinks that it is very important to see her father live happily in his old age.
“I quickly went upstairs to my room. I began to argue with myself. I should let my father go to prison, I thought. After all, he brought this on himself. Let him see what it is like to suffer.”
“But all those angry reasons only made me feel I was as evil as Wen Fu. So I emptied those feelings from my heart. I quietly excused my self: He is old. His mind is already gone. How can I be responsible for what Wen Fu does to him?” (p. 458).
Those quotations above show how Winnie is patient in making a decision. She knows that every decision she takes, it will influence her life. Winnie does not think about herself, but she cares about her son and her poor father. Winnie can control herself when she has to make a decision.
b. Climax
The conflict is growing complicated. The conflict comes to the most complicated level that is the top of the conflict. The story comes to the climax.
consequences, the effects or the result of the problem, the actions, and both complexity, which are faced by the characters from the earlier incident. It is the turning point of the story when the conflicts and its complexity develop into the highest intensity (1987: 101).
Abrams states that although it is not always the best part of the story, climax is the main part that is what the story mostly talks about. It is the part where the problems and the conflicts arrive at the highest point of complexity and emotional intensity in the action. Then, this most complex event will find the resolution of the problems and the conflicts (Abrams, 1981: 161).
It means that the climax will present the main part of the story, although it will not be the best part as Abrams said. The problems and the conflicts that exist in the story will develop into the highest intensity. And in this part the way to solve the problems and the conflicts usually can be found.
The climax of the plot is reached when Winnie starts to fight Wen Fu. Winnie realizes that as human, she can not be treated like a doll. Winnie knows she has two choices and she must choose one of them. The first is she lets Wen Fu make her life sorrow and dark or she has to do something to stop Wen Fu. Everyone has a right to live happily, including Winnie.
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“All eyes were watching at me, to see what I would say. I think they were waiting for me to fall to my knees and beg for forgiveness. I think even Jimmy and Auntie Du were hoping this. But I had so much hate in my heart I had no room for their hopes. I was blind to everything except Wen Fu’s smiling face, waiting for my answer. And I could imagine how he would laugh at me, how he would later force his way into my bed, how he would make me miserable every day until my mind was completely broken”
“I would rather sleep on the concrete floor of a jail,” (p. 477).
It can be seen from the quotation above, Winnie thinks that that is the right time to make a change in her life. She must do it now or never. Winnie wants to show to every people, especially Wen Fu that she is not weak anymore. She will not give up easily.
Winnie also shows that she is not afraid of Wen Fu anymore when she, Helen, and Auntie Du meet Wen Fu and his new wife at post office.
“That’s when I leaped out, Auntie Du and Hulan following right behind. “You admit this!” I shouted. “Now we have our witnesses.” And everyone in that crowded office was looking.
I handed him the divorce paper to sign. Everything was already written. It stated I had been divorced from Wen Fu since 1941, that this happened in Kunming. It said he had no more claims on me as his wife, I had no more claims on him as a husband. At the bottom were three signatures with name seals: mine, Hulan’s, and Auntie Du’s.
“You sign here!” I said (p. 500).
Winnie will not give up for getting her paper divorce. For her this paper is very important, because it means she can be really free from Wen Fu. This quotation will show how Winnie’s persistence can help her to get what she wants.
Some quotations above prove that the climax on the story happens when Winnie is brave to say “No” to her husband. Saying “No” means Winnie is not afraid anymore to fight Wen Fu. Winnie realizes she cannot live in dark world, where there is only tears and suffers. In this part, it can be seen how Winnie is really persistent in facing her problems. She will not let Wen Fu plays on her life, she will not give up with the reality that she has. Winnie’s characteristic also changes from a woman who cannot do anything to fight her husband into a woman who has a bravery to reach her own happiness. Winnie shows her persistence to what she deserves to get.
3. Ending
After the climax of the story, the story continues to the end of the plot structure that is the resolution or denouement. It can be called as the ending of the story. As Roberts and Jacobs state in this part, the story comes to its conclusion where the resolution is usually directed as quickly as possible because the conflicts are over. Conversely, the resolution is marked by a brief action which emphasizes that the story is complete (Roberts and Jacobs, 1987: 102).
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denouement. The closed ending as Abrams state, the readers do not have possibility to create their own ending. There is only one ending in this novel. Finally, Winnie can be free from her cruel husband and she gets happiness.
Winnie is very happy because finally she can divorce from her husband. It means Winnie is free from many suffers that threaten her all the time.
“And then I saw the picture of Kitchen God, watching me, smiling, so happy to see me unhappy. I took his picture out of the frame. I put it over my stove.”You go see Wen Fu! You go to hell down bellow!” I watched his smiling face being eaten up by the fire. Right then my smoke detector went off. Wanh! Wanh! Wanh! Oh, I was scared. We Fu - coming back to get me. That’s what I thought”
“But then I listened again. And I knew: This was not Wen Fu’s ghost. This was like a bingo blackout. This was like a Reno jackpot. This was Kitchen God’s wife, shouting, Yes! Yes! Yes!” (p. 529).
Finally Winnie can get her happiness with a man who can give a true love. She is very happy because her dark life with Wen Fu is over.
“And this was true. Lucky for me. Six days later I was in America with your father. Five days after that, the Communist flags went up in Shanghai, no more planes or boats could leave. So you see, those other two tickets would have been no use. I left before it was almost too late” (p. 504).
The quotations above show how Winnie can pass her problems. She is happy because what she has done can bring her into a big happiness. Winnie finally finds her happiness with a man that can give love and care, not like Winnie’s first husband Wen Fu who brings a dark and sorrow life.
C.The Contribution of Character and Plot to Reveal the Theme
writer will show the significance of the character and the plot to reveal the theme of the story.
Holman and Harmon inA Handbook to Literaturestate that the theme is a central or dominating idea of the work. As the central idea of the story, theme unifies the elements of the story and makes it coherent between each element, because theme can connect the elements to form a complete and unified story. Themes overlaps with all other elements of a literary work that its existence is closely related to the characters, setting, and plot (1986: 502).
This part of the analysis will be based on those theories. The writer will try to convey the theme. From the previous analysis, the brief description of character and plot are found. Those descriptions are used to find the theme.
It is clear that character is the major element in the story. There will be no story and plot without character. Characters play an important role for an author to reveal the theme of the story. Perhaps, the author may take the character to reveal the theme explicitly.
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Winnie Louie has a bad past life. When she is about six years old, her mother leaves her without any reasons and her father does not care with Winnie. He sends Winnie to her aunt’s house after Winnie’s mother goes. As a child who is still young and needs full affection and love from her family, especially from her mother, it will be very hard situation for Winnie. But, Winnie never shows that she is weak in front of other people. Although Winnie has difficult childhood, she always tries to continue her life. Winnie’s characteristic that is patient can be seen when she stays at her aunts’ house. Winnie knows that in that house, no one will give her love and attention, nobody will teach Winnie about something as her mother. Winnie does not protest or complain about her condition, otherwise Winnie tries to find the way to learn what other people do.
“New Aunt did not consider these were skills I should learn too. But I watched. I learned without anyone telling me what to do” (p. 136).
Winnie also never gives up for waiting her mother, although Winnie knows maybe her mother will never come back. She is sure someday her mother will return to their house and they can live together. Winnie does n ot care how long she must wait for her mother.
“In my heart, there is a little room. And in that room is a little girl, still six years old. She is always waiting, an achy hoping, hoping beyond reason. she is sure the door will fly open, any minute now. And sure enough, it does, and her mother runs in. and the pain in the little girl’s heart is instantly gone, forgotten. Because bow her mother is lifting her up, high up in the air, laughing and crying, crying and laughing, “Syin ke, syin ke! There you are!” (p. 131).
