MESSAGES AS REVEALED IN THE INFLUENCE OF PAGAN
PENTREVAH ON
JANIE’S AMBITION AND PRINCIPLE IN
A
GIRL POSSESSED
BY VIOLET WINSPEAR
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
Risca Saphira Wieliana H Student Number: 084214029
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
GIRL POSSESSED
BY VIOLET WINSPEAR
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of SarjanaSastra
in English Letters
By
Risca Saphira Wieliana H Student Number: 084214029
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
v
TRUST HIM FULLY
BECAUSE TWO THINGS WILL HAPPEN. EITHER HE WILL
CATCH YOU WHEN YOU FALL OR HE WILL TEACH YOU HOW
TO FLY
-Anonymous-
The Word LISTEN contains the same letters as the word SILENT
-Alfred Brendel-
FINISH WHAT YOU HAVE STARTED
vi
THIS THESIS IS DEDICATED TO:
MY LORD, JESUS CHRIST
MY BELOVED PARENTS, LITTLE SISTER AND BROTHER
MY BIG FAMILY
MY BEST FRIEND, WHEREVER THEY ARE
viii
I would really like to thank my Lord, Jesus Christ, for all chances, strength,
and gifts that He has given during my life. I am really blessed because He always
loves and helps me either in good or bad time.
I would like to thank my lovely little family for their support and blessing,
belief and love, joke and mock, especially their patience to understand me. Therefore,
thank you my Father, Muchri Hartono, my Mother, Francisca Endang Astuti P, my
little Sister, Bernadetta Risa, and my little Brother, Ignatius Racsi. I love to be one of
Hartono family. My big family, grandpas and grandmas, uncles and aunties, thanks
for everything you give me during my thesis writing. I would like to thank Father
YB. Rudy Hardono, Pr, for supporting me and giving me blessing.
My sincere gratitude goes to my major advisor Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.
Hum. for his guidance and patience in the process of writing this undergraduate thesis
so that I was able to finish my thesis. For my co-advisor Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani M.
Hum, I thank her for her guidance, suggestion, and correction which lead me to the
right step.
I also would like to thank Pringgodani 8’s family: Bebeh, Blue, Bang Dwi,
Bang Rhino, Mbak Nur, Ichul, Gembel,Azkan and Dika, thanks for your supports,
advices, mocks, guidance, and times for helping me to finish this game. My beloved
friends Danur Arum Andaru, Santi Ayu Eka SarI, for giving me permission to spend
a lot of days to finish this thesis at their home, Agustinus Ifan, Melun Diharjo, Welly
Setiawan, Felix Ivan Thambun, Bima Saputra, Pamungkas A., Aya Mahya, Cahya
ix
task in office.
And last but not least, thanks for John Miranda Paul, my lovely motivation,
for always supporting and believing in me that I can finish it on time. Wherever you
are, whatever you do, whenever you will come again, thanks for your love, boy!
And for all people who have not been mentioned yet, you will always be in my heart.
My big appreciation is to all of you guys for coloring my life and making it fun.
x
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ... iii
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN KEASLIAN ... iv
MOTTO PAGE ... v
DEDICATION PAGE ... vi
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ... vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... viii
1. Theory of Character and Characterization ... 10
2. Theory of Message ... 14
A. The Characteristic of Main Character ... 21
1. The Characteristic of Janie Laure ... 22
2. The Characteristic of Pagan Pentrevah ... 28
B. The Influence of Pagan to Janie’s Ambition and Principle ... 32
1. The Relation Between Pagan and Janie ... 32
2. The Influence of Pagan to Janie’s Ambition ... 35
3. The Influence of Pagan to Janie’s Principle ... 39
C. The Messages of Love as Revealed in the Influence of Pagan to Janie’s Ambition and Principle ... 43
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ... 49
BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 51
APPENDIX ... 53
xi
RISCA SAPHIRA WIELIANA HARTONO (2014). Messages as Revealed in the
Influence of Pagan Pentrevah on Janie’s Ambition and Principle in A Girl Possessed by Violet Winspear.Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
This study focuseson the novel entitled A Girl Possessed by Violet Winspear which was first published in 1981. The novel tells a story of young lady who has ambition to be a great actress, named Janie Laure. Her principle is that love is not a concrete thing in this world. Love is a myth and just a part of fiction. Then she realizethat love is real, when she get experience by herself to love a guy.
There are three problems in this thesis: how the character of Janie Laure and
Pagan Pentrevah are described, how Janies’s ambition and principle are influenced by
Pagan, and what mesaages are revealed from the influence of Pagan on Janie’s ambition and principle.
The primary source is the novel itself. Meanwhile, the secondary sources are some relevant and supporting theories and references. The new-criticism approach is appropriate to analyze the problem together with the theories. The theory of character from Richard Gill, William Kenney, and M.H. Abrams, supported by the characterization theory from M.J. Murphy, Edgar V. Robert and Henry E. Jacobs, are applied to this study to analyze the characteristics of Janie and Pagan. Theory on messages by Jerome Beaty and Paul Hunter are used to analyze messages in the
influence of Pagan on Janies’s ambition and principle.
The writer finds out that Violet Winspear uses character’s personal
description, character as seen by another, conversation of others, character’s reaction, and character’s thought in describing Janie and Pagan’s characteristic. The writer
xii
RISCA SAPHIRA WIELIANA HARTONO (2014). Messages as Revealed in the
Influence of Pagan Pentrevah on Janie’s Ambition and Principle in A Girl Possessed by Violet Winspear.Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
Skripsi ini mengenai novel yang berjudul A Girl Possessed karangan Violet Winspear dan diterbitkan pertama kali pada tahun 1981.Novel ini menceritakan tentang seorang gadis muda yang memiliki ambisi untuk menjadi seorang artis yang hebat, bernama Janie Laure.Dia memiliki prinsip bahwa cinta bukanlah hal yang mutlak di dunia ini, cinta hanya sebatas mitos dan bagian dari fiksi belaka.Kemudian saat dia bertemu dengan orang yang dia cintai, dia akhirnya menyadari bahwa cinta itu benar ada, khususnya saat dia bersebelahan dengan orang yang diacintai.
Studi ini memiliki tiga rumusan masalah, yaitu bagaimana karakteristik dari Janie dan Pagan digambarkan, apa saja pengaruh Pagan terhadap kehidupan Janie, khususnya ambisi dan prinsip hidupnya, dan pesan-pesan apa yang didapat dari pengaruh tersebut.
Sumber utama diambil dari novel itu sendiri. Sedangkan sumber pendukung diambil dari teori-teori serta sumber-sumber yang relevan dan menunjang. Pendekatan kritik yang baru dan teori-teori yang ada dianggap cocok untuk membahas perumusan masalah yang ada.Teori karakterdari Richard Gill, William Kenney, dan M.H. Abrams, didukung dengan teori karakteristik dari M.J. Murphy serta Edgar V. Robert dan Henry E. Jacobs digunakan untuk menganalisis karakteristik dari Pagan dan Janie. Hubungan antara karya sastra dan pesan-pesan moral Jerome Beaty dan Paul Hunter digunakan untuk menganalisa pesan-pesan moral yang didapat dari pengaruh Pagan terhadap ambisi dan prinsip Janie.
1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
C. Hugh Holman and William Harmon mention in A Handbook to Literature that one of the literary works that presents in narrativeand refers to a prose work is a novel. All novels are written in fictional narratives of life and
experience, either deal with human beings in significant action or the development
as the result of events or actions. The novels not only concentrate on character,
but also represents of plot, theme, idea, conflict, and moral values. It may be
solidly plotted with a structure as firm and tragedy, naturalism, an image of
linguistic and syntactic (1986: 336).
A novel is a prose narrative that describes fictional character in the form of
a sequential story. It has close relation to reality because it contains of
complexities of life, the story of everyday, that finally written and presented in
literature form.
A romance presents the ordinary experience of human being in fantastic
journey and describes it using big illusion or joke. The purposes of romance novel
are giving and making believe the reader in moral and ideal issues. In the
development of this genre, itdoes not onlypresents about love, lovers, and their
happy ending love story, but also shows the conflict between the lovers and their
struggle to proof their love to each other. Moreover, romance novel in reference to
exotic place, highly exciting and heroic events, passionate love, or mysterious or
supernatural experiences
“The character of the novel is the person presented in a dramatic or
narrative work, which are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral,
dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in their dialogue and their
action” (Abrams. 1993: 23). The characters in the novel could influence each
other by the conflict or their dialogue. As the result the character can develop their
personality to be good or bad at the end of the story. The development of the
character could be changed directly by advised, critics, or share between the
characters. Besides, they can be also developed by their experience, such as
watching and feeling a conflict or incident that happened on their life. But, it takes
a long time to change than if they hear someone ask them to change.
A Girl Possessed is a novel written by Violet Winspear. The novel is the story of Janie Laure as the main character who is an actress. She has strong
ambition to prove her majority in act and brings her to focus on her career only.
But, ironically, in her early life she must work with others. She moves from one
place into another until one day, her journey brings her to meet Pagan Pentrevah
which offered her to act as his wife.
Janie not only has an ambition to be an actress, but also has strong
principle about love. She does not believe of true love. For her, real true love is
happened in the fairy tale not in the reality. Love is a kind of absurd thing that
does not exist in this world. Although her grandmother always gives her advice
For some people, love has several meanings that they always try to
formulate. The others do not believe the existence of love that works in human
reality, like what Janie thought. For lovers, love itself always has its own meaning
that made their life meaningful whenever they have touch by someone they loved.
However, still love is the most absurd thing in this world with biggest contribution
in human life that no one will have the right answer to describe it.
Through the novel, Winspear tries to show the reader that in romance
world, love can change everything. It can change a person from bad to good or the
other way around. By no rational reason, a person takes a different way to get
their love, even if they must sacrifice what is important to their life, like job,
money, priority, and in Janie‟s cases, ambition. Furthermore, it can be seen how
the love changed her principle when she believes in love after she feels a strong
emotion to Pagan, a stranger that she does not know at the beginning. Then, the
power of love also can stop her ambition and choose to forget it and live with
someone she loved.
By reading the novel, the reader will get another perspective of love story
that represented the reality of human life rather than a fairy tale. The reader can
understand how someone‟s life becomes different after they know the real power
of love.
This thesis discusses her alteration, all the more in her principle and
ambition. The thesis also compares Janie‟s life before and after she
meetsPaganPentrevah. Pagan is a man who asks her to pretend to be his wife. He
Janie is Pagan‟s new wife. At the beginning Janie tries to refuse his request. She
does not feel confident with her ability to act, but, Pagan pushes her continuously
by mocking her until she gets mad and agrees to act as his wife. Slowly, their
togetherness makes Janie fall in love. Love has ability in controlling human
feeling and gets Janie forget her principle that does not believe in love.
From this point of view, the writer feels that those issues are worth
studying. The changes of the character‟s ambition and principle, and the
influenced ofanother character bring her to develop to better person that make the
writer interest to discuss them deeper in this graduate thesis. The messages that
appear from this issue also give some important lesson for the writer and the
reader.
At the end of this study, the writer hopes that this thesis can contribute a
new perspectiveabout love which can inspire or influenceothers and give deep
impact to human life. The writer also hopes that this thesis will give the reader an
understanding about the possibility that the ambition and principle might be
changed by several experiences, especially the intents relation with
others.Moreover, somemessages that come up from this topic and novel can give
B. Problem Formulation
To understand this novel better, three problems were formulated as follows:
1. How are the characters of Janie Laure and Pagan Pentrevah described in
Violet Winspear‟sA Girl Possessed?
2. How are the influence of Pagan Pentrevah to Janie‟s Ambition and
Principle?
3. What are the messages in the influence of Pagan to Janie‟s Ambition and
Principle?
C. Objectives of the Study
This study aims at describing and giving the answer to the three problems
formulation above.The study has purpose to analyze and to understand the
character‟s development, especially Janie Laure‟s ambition and principle.
Firstly, is to find out how Janie Laure and Pagan Pentrevah are
characterized in the novel.The second purpose is to explore the influence of Pagan
Pentrevah to Janie‟s ambition and principle.And the last objective is to find out
the messages that can be seen in the changes of Janie‟s ambition and principle
influenced by Pagan.
D. Definition of the Term
There are some terms that support the analysis. Those terms are character,
influence, obsession, and principle. The purpose is to make an agreement in the
1. Character
According to Edgar (1985 :143) “Character in Literature, generally, and in
fiction, specifically, is an extended verbal representation of a human being, the
inner-self that determiners thought, speech, and behavior”. The character is
represented human being in literary works, such as novel, poem, and drama. It
shows every aspect of human life, thought, conversation with others, behavior,
image, and appearance.
2. Influence
In Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, influence is defined as to have an effect on the way someone or something develops, behaves, think, etc
without directly forcing or commanding them (1995: 933).
3. Ambition
As cited from Webster’s Encyclopedic UmbridgedDictionary of the English Language, ambition is an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction as power, fame, wealth, etc, and the willingness to strive for its
attainment (1989: 46).
4. Principle
“Principle is fundamental truths, laws or motivating forces, upon which
5.Messages
According to Beaty and Hunter, “Message is the real meaning or some
easy conclusion that can be simply stated or summarized inside a work of art”
(1989: 899).While Sinclair states “Message is defined as an idea that someone
tries to communicate to people. It is also the meaning, thought, or idea that is
intended to express” (1956:490)
THEORETICAL REVIEW
This chapter contains three sub-chapters. The first is review of related studies. This sub-chapter tells the readers about other studies of A Girl Possessed,
whether the book or the author. The second is review of related theories. This
sub-chapter tells the reader about some theories that used to analyze and help the
writer answer the problem formulation. The last sub-chapter is theoretical
framework. This sub-chapter contains of the uses of the theories.
A.Review of Related Studies
A Girl Possessed is an old novel which has only few related comments or reviews either in others thesis or in the internet. The majority of comments and
reviews refer to the author, Violet Winspear, and the topic, the influence of
characters and the messages of the novel.
Violet Winspear lived in South-east England and dedicated herself to
romance novel. She never married and got inspiration from her nephew Jonathan
to write. In her own comment, she said that the purpose of romance is to offer
people who read the romance work entertainment and escape from reality world.
(goodreads.com, 2013)
Then in 1970, she created a maelstrom when she claimed that her heroes
"frighten and fascinate. They must be the sort of men who are capable of rape".
Violet Winspear‟s novels take the reader around the world, even though
some of them are uninspiring. She excels at boldly using the written words to
vividly bring to life the surrounding of her plot. For example, The Palace of The Peacockcs(1969).Employing the same motif of sexual antagonism, critics say that Winspear, contrasts her hero and heroine in such extremes that the heroine lacks
awareness of her own sexuality against the hero who is fully aware of his. This
lends her stories an acute imbalance in character development where the heroine
is left bemused with an alpha male hero who exerts overwhelming control over
every situation, for example her novel, The Time of The Temtress (1978). (wikipedia.com, 2013).
PebrianiLumbanTobing in her undergraduate thesis entitled “Messages
Revealed from Anna‟s Relationship with Her Family as Seen in Jodi Picoult‟sMy
Sister’s Keeper” discussed about the messages.
The message can be learned from the relationship Anna with her family in this My Sister’s Keeper novel. It is not only Anna‟s relationship with her sister, who need her denotation, but also with her mother, father, and mother (Tobing: 2013)
Again, Maria Magdalena AriyaniLusiyana, also discussed the messages
that revealed from the character in her undergraduate thesis “Discovering the
Messages through the Character and Plot in George Elliot‟s Adam Bede”.
After doing the analysis of George Elliot‟s Adam Bede, the writer sees
there are some messages in story. The writer finds the messages through the characters and the plot of the story (Lusiyana: 2006)
From those reviews, it can be said that messages can be presented on many genres of novel, including romance. It can be also described by characters whether
messages uses to teach bad or good from the experience of the character until the
development of character.
Those two undergraduate theses discuss the same topic about messages
which are revealed from the relationship and the character and plot. However,
none of the above discusses the messages that revealed from the influence of one
character to another character. Therefore, to make this study different from other
studies, the writer analysis the messages those come from the influence of one
character to another character.
B.Review of Related Theories
In this sub-chapter, the writer will give some theories on character and
characterization that useful to help to answer the problem formulation that stated
previously.
1. Theory on Character and Characterization
Richard Gill states that a character is a person in literary work. He also
says
It has some similarity with real person in real life. Character is someone who has name, identity, description of appearance, do an action, and
created by an author by selected real people‟s personality and put together in order to create new character in literary work (1995: 127)
According to William Kenney, character is divided into two types, simple character and complex character. Simple character only shows their basic
information without any changing or development, while In other hand, round
lifelike than a simple character. The round character usually surprising the reader description more lifelike than a simple character. The round character usually surprising the reader by a higher kind of achievement than the simple (1975: 28)
Abrams says that:
Characters are the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say –the dialogue- and by what they do –the action(1993: 23)
Based on the quotation above, it can be said that a character is a human
interpretation in literary work which has a personality. The personality can be
seen from their conversation, opinion, and argument with others and their
behavior, attitude, and the way they solve their problem.
Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs explain that a character is a
representation of human being, in fiction. From their dialogue, action and
commentary they determine their though, speech, and behavior (1989: 143)
Moreover, Roberts and Jacobs also divided character into two types,
Round (protagonist) and Flat. In their explanation they added the “antagonist”
character that might change the “protagonist” to be developed at the end of the
story. They said
The round character or dynamic can be said as unpredictable human traits they can change some sort and growth. In round character, the center of
In the other hand, flat character or static is a character that do not changes or grow, it performs only their function and disappear from the story. In addition, Roberts and Jacobs explain that the flat character is usually minor, but not all minor characters are flat. A flat character can be the parents of major character, someone who become an assistant of major character in the office, and so on (1989: 145-146)
According to M. J. Murphy, we can understand the real people from their
appearance, for instance their dress, shoes, accessories, gesture, and so on. Their
expression, voices, and their eyes when they have conversation with others also
give us the description of their personality. We also can get the information about
him or her, from their family, wife or husband, friends, or even someone who
work with them (1972: 161)
The characters in the novel need less time to understand than the real
people behave and act. The author using the “eye-of-god” as a ways in which the
author attempts to make his characters understandable to the reader.
a.Personal Description
“The author gives a description of the character appearance” (1972: 161).
The reader will get an image of the character, her eyes, her skin color, her gesture,
her dress, her shoes, her hair, and so on.
b.Character as seen by another
“The others character can give the information of one character, through
their eyes and opinion about her”(1972: 162). The readers understand it from a
c.Speech
“From what they say and their conversation to others, by his or her choices
of word, their body language, and their opinion, the author gives some clue about
her character” (1972: 164). The readers know the characteristic from the way
character speech to other.
d.Past Life
“A person‟s past life can give the reader clue to events that have helped to
shape a person‟s character. It can be shown by direct comment by the author,
though the person‟s thoughts, and through the conversation of another person”
(1972: 166). The readers get clues through past experience that influenced the
personality of the characters.
e.Conversation of others
“The information about one character can be achieved from the other‟s
conversation and what they say about him. People do talk about other people and
the things they say often give as a clue to the character of the person
spoken”(1972: 167). The readers get the information of the character from the
conversation of others character.
f.Reaction
“The author can also give us information to a person‟s character by letting
us know how their reacts to various situations, events, and incidents, for instance,
her reaction to someone opinion or argument, her reaction to someone attitude
toward her, and so on”(1972: 168). The reaction of the character toward a conflict
g.Direct Comment
“The author can describe or comment on a person‟s character
directly”(1972: 170). The reader easily gets the description of the character from
author comment or opinion because it is directly shown in the novel.
h.Thoughts
“The author can give us direct knowledge of what a person is thinking
about. In this respect she is able to do what we cannot do in real life. She can tell
us what different people are thinking”(1972: 171). The readers know the
characteristic through that person‟s thinking of.
i.Mannerisms
“The author can describe a person‟s mannerisms, habits, or idiosyncrasies
which may also tell us something about his character”(1972: 173).The readers
know the character from the behavior, habit, and attitude.
In this study not all of Murphy‟s theories are used. Only some of them
which are used to analyze the characterization of characters, there are Personal
Description, Character as Seen by Another, Speech, Past Life, Conversation of
others, Direct Comment, Reaction and Thoughts.
2.Theory of Messages
A message is the most important thing from the literary work that used to tell another through a film, novel, speech, etc. It belongs to intrinsic elements in
Message can also be defined as an idea that someone tries to communicate
to people. For example in a play, speech, or the meaning, the thought or idea that
is intended to express (Sinclair, 1988: 490)
Beaty states, “Message is the real meaning or some easy conclusion that
can be simply stated or summarized inside a work of art” (1989: 899). It brings to
simplification and gives the illusion that a work of literature exist for its statement
that tempts the readers through the story, drama, poem, etc. to get the real
meaning.
As discussed above, message in a novel is considered as a simple
conclusion related to practical moral lesson that can be taken through the story.
Message in novel is also having a close relation to problems in life, such as
attitude, behavior or action. The readers can find them in the real life, in the same
manner as the are reflected in the story through its character.
C.Theoretical Framework
There are three problems which are going to discuss in the thesis. They are
character, the influence of Pagan to Janie‟s Ambition and Principle, and the
messages that appear from the character‟s development.
The writer uses some theories of character and characterization as well to
analyze the description of Janie Laure and Pagan Pentrevah as the main character
of the story. In this analysis, the writer also sees the influence of Pagan to Janie‟s
also helps the writer to conclude some important lesson from the story as a simple
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The object of the study is one of Violet Winspear novels entitled A Girl Possessed. This novel was printed by Richard Clay (The Chaucer Press) in Great Britain and was published in 1981 by Mills and Boon Limited in London. It
contains 192 pages, including some reviews of Mill and Boon‟s other novels. A
Girl Possessedis distributed into some countries, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysia.
A Girl Possessed is romance novel; one of the Winspear‟s works who has
started sold her fiction novel to Mills and Boon in 1961. Since that she become a
full-time writer for Mills and Boon and already created 45 novels.
Generally, the novel tells about Jane Larue or Janie who has ambition to
be a big actress. She lived in London and commonly did a trip to some place
around her home. One day, her trip brought her to meet Pagan Pentrevah, a Lord
of Pentrevah‟s Tower. He wanted her to pretend to be married to him, because, he
said, he wanted to keep his ex-wife Roxanne at bay. At the beginning, Janie tried
to refuse Pagan‟s request, but then Pagan was challenging her to prove her ability
in act.
Pagan‟s request was accepted by Janie, and she played a role as the
mistress of Pentrevah‟s Tower. The deeper she plays the character; the more
for Pagan and want Pagan to be with her. To fulfill her desire, she must compete
with Pagan‟s ex-wife which still haunted Pagan‟s life. Moreover, she struggles to
ensure that Pagan has the same feeling like she has or not.
The novel not only offered a romance story about the exoticism and
romanticism of love and lovers, but it also reflected the effect of the strong
emotion that can control human life. Love was not always give human a beautiful
and happiness side, it has a dark side too which can drop human to hopelessness.
B. Approach of the Study
To analyze the novel and answer the problems stated in problem
formulation, the writer applies new criticism approach in order to help the writer
in analyzing the novel.
A new criticism approach concentrates the work itself (Guerin, 1979: 20).
The theory sees that there is no relation between the work with the universe,
author, and the reader. Literary is the literary that stand alone out of the extrinsic
elements.
New Criticism also believe literary has central unity that should be found
by the reader by interpret what exist on the text or by see the contribution from the
parts of the literary which has role to create the whole literary work. The
important topic which become the central focus of New Criticism is the theme
which not only explained the meaning, but also seen the tone that used. In the
New Criticism, the reader may explore the approach per words, syntax, or the
John Crowe Ransom in A Glossary of Literary Terms, 6th Edition by Abrams mentions that New Criticism was a movement in literary theory that
dominated American Literary Criticism. New Criticism often performed a “close
reading” of the text and believed the structure and meaning of the text were
intimately connected and should not be analyzed separately. It was focusing on
the intrinsic qualities of a work rather than on its biographical or historical context
(1993: 246-247)
C. Method of the Study
This study is a library research. There are also the sources the writer used
in the study. The sources are divided into two, primary source and secondary
sources. The primary source is the novel itself, A Girl Possessedby Violet Winspear. And the secondary sources are some books of theories such as: Edgar
V. Robert and Henry E. Jacobs‟s Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and Writing
(1989), and Understanding Unseen by M. J. Murphy (1972) to help the writer analyze the character and characterization. Some sources from the internet help
the writer to get some reviews of related studies of others.
There are some steps taken in doing this study. The first step was reading
the novel and understanding the point of the novel. The second step was deciding
the question and approach that is used for the novel to understand how to analyze
the novel. The third step was collecting some data and theories to help answering
on the data and the theories that had been collected. And the last step is making a
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
The writer divides the analysis into three parts based on the problem
formulation. First, the writer answers the first problem formulation about the
characteristic of the main character of the novel, Janie Laure and Pagan
Pentrevah. The characterization of the two main characters discusses in the first
sub-chapter. Second, the analysis discusses the influence of Pagan Pentrevah to
Janie Laure‟s ambition and principle that cause some development to Janie‟s
character. The last sub-chapter reveals some messages that appear from the
changes of Janie‟s character.
A. The Characteristics of Main Characters
Main character or major character is commonly called protagonist. Major
character is the individual who contributes the most to the story or who is the
most important character of the story. It might be only one character called the
main character in the novel, but it is also possible to have several main characters
in one novel.
In A Girl Possessed, the main characters are Janie and Pagan. They both get impact from the antagonist, Roxanne, and become the focus of the whole story
in that novel. For that reason, the writer discusses two main characters, Janie
Their characteristics can be found from their conversation to others,
personal description of their appearance, the character‟s opinion, the author‟s
direct comment, childhood background, and how they solve the conflict.
Murphy‟s theory on characterization is used to answer the first problem
formulation about the characteristic of Janie and Pagan.
1. Janie’s Characteristics
The author gives personal description about Janie‟s physical appearance,
such as age, haircut, and the color of the eyes.As Murphy states in his book
Understanding Unseen “the author can describe a person‟s appearance and
clothes” (1972: 161).
Janie Laure is a twenty-two young lady. Her innocence brings her to
dramatize everything which touches her life and make her see a man with
different perspective. For her, a man is a new comer and not necessarily to be a
part of her life. She is inspired by Joan of Arc that makes her haircut short like a
boy. Her smart green eyes will look shining every time she feels happy, on the
contrary, it will look dreary if something disturb herself and make her
uncomfortable.
Murphy also state in Understanding Unseen that the reader can get some clues about the characteristic of the character from what character said and their
conversation towards other (1972: 162). In this case, from her reaction to her
grandmother‟s advice to find a lovely-nice man, the writer is able to get one of her
characteristic which is skeptic to love and does not believe in love. “I think love‟s
an illusion,” was Janie‟s rejoinder. “It‟s a lovely fiction which has little to do with
real life.” (1981: 6). In the other occasion, when she has a little chat with Pagan‟s
young sister, Tristana, she also gives pressure in her statement about love.“I‟ll be
honest with you,” Janie said quietly. “Your brother needed me and that‟s why I‟m
here, but I have no deep trust in love.”(1981: 96)
As 22 years-old young lady, Janie has a dream which she‟d like to make it
true at the future. She is not allowed unimportant thing, like love, disturb her
ambition to be a greatest actress ever. She already takes career as an actress and
she has so strong ambition to improve her career. From her conversation to Pagan,
Janie also states her ambition in her life that she really wants to be an actress.
“I‟ve managed to fill up my life and I‟m ambitious,” she rejoined. “I‟m going to
make it as an actress” (1981: 57).Moreover, Janie said to Pagan that all she
wanted is to become an actress. “I know very well what I want, and that‟s to be a
successful actress” (1981: 111).
Other characteristics come from Pagan‟s opinion about her, when they
meet for the first time and Pagan knows that she is an actress. As Murphy state,
from the other characters can give information of one character, the reader will
understand from a reflected image (1972: 162).
From his opinion, the writer understands that although Janie is an actress,
she is not as glamorous as other actresses that Pagan though.
“Yes – I‟m an actress.” Janie didn‟t know why she felt on the defensive
about the profession she loved, but he seemed the sort who might deride it.
“I wouldn‟t have taken you for an actress.”
“Thanks.” She muttered. “Do you know many, then?”
He didn‟t answer her right away and she didn‟t think she imagined the lift
of his chest on what might have been a sigh.
“I thought actresses were glamorous.” He said bluntly. (1981: 14)
Based on some characteristics that have been explained above, the writer
gets that Janie is a young actress who does not believe in love, especially for a
man. She only falls in love with her profession as an actress and has strong
ambition to become a great actress in the future. Her distrust in “love” confirms
her ambition to become an actress and does not allow any problem of love disturb
her desire.
There are also some characteristics of Janie that the writer gets in order to
explain the conflict that appear from her relation with Pagan. Other characteristic
that are revealed in this chapter are trustworthy, insecure, kind, stubborn, and
charismatic.
a. Trustworthy and Kind
As an innocent young lady, Janie always comes up as a good girl for some
attitudes make them believe in her. It shows from Pagan‟s observation to Janie‟s
story about her grandmother.
Based on Murphy‟s theory, the method that is used to reveal this
characteristic is by speech. According to his theory, the showing method is used,
in which the author showedit in the conversation between Janie and Pagan.
“So, you‟re free agent, Jane?”
“Not at all,” she replied. “I have a job to go to.”
“With an elderly lady who‟ll expect you to fetch and carry for her.”
Janie felt concerned by his eyes, certain that she hadn‟t mentioned
the purpose of her job with MrsBurford.
“How come you know that ---?” Her voice faded and she could feel her heart breathing at the bars of her ribs.
“Mere observation.” He drawled. “There aren‟t many offices or shops in St. Mawgan and somehow I can‟t picture you behind a counter or
a typewriter. You have a certain air of breeding, Jane. You‟re well-spoken and you spoke of your grandmother with respect as well as affection. You
strike me as the type to take on a companion‟s job, for the time being. You
are the kind of girl an elderly woman of means would put her trust
in”(1981: 37)
Furthermore, Pagan‟s maid, Plum, comments that Janie is trustworthy and
kind. She said as her new Mistress, Janie is nicer that Roxanne, Pagan‟s ex-wife.
Plum compares Janie and Pagan‟s ex-wife, Roxanne, bravely in front of Janie. If
Plum does not believe in Janie totally, Plum will have no courage for giving Janie
comment about Pagan‟s wife. Based on Murphy‟s theory, the method to reveal
this characteristic is character as seen by another.
“She‟s after him again!” Plum exclaimed. “Begging your pardon, ma‟am, but you‟re going to have to watch out for her.”
“I know.” Janie managed a smile and a half a slice of golden-fried toast.
“It‟s nice of everyone to be concerned about me.”
b. Insecure
According to Urbandictionary.com an insecure person is a very flawed character trait that results from low-confidence and low self-esteem. Insecure
people often compare them self to others to see how they “stack up” against the
perceived “competition” (2013). This kind of person usually feeling fears, doubts,
and have no self-confident.
Sooner after Pagan ask her to pretend to be his wife, Janie feels afraid
when she knows that Pagan ex-wife, Roxanne, will comes to Pentrevah‟s Tower
to spend the nights. From what Pagan told about Roxanne, Janie thinks that
Roxanne is very charming gorgeous lady and Janie is afraid that she is not
comparable against her.
The first description comes up from her conversation with Pagan that
shows her doubt to compete against Roxanne. This conversation happens long
time before Roxanne comes to Pentrevah‟s Tower and Janie already gets nervous
because she is less-confident with her appearance. It appears after Pagan‟s
statement that Janie needs certain kind of clothes that must be bought at the shops
of St Ives.
His eyes flicked her up and down. “Your “companion‟s” wardrobe won‟t do,” he said curtly. “You‟re going to need the kind of clothes that I‟m expected to afford; the shops at St Ives will provide them. So we‟ll go
there today –in my car!”
Instantly Janie was on the defensive. “You‟ll have a hopeless struggle trying to make me as glamorous as Roxanne. The objective, surely, is that
you‟ve taken an entirely different sort of wife?”(1981: 61)
Later, her insecurity makes her afraid to compete with Roxanne to get
comment about what Janie‟s felt after she met Roxanne and look at by her own
eyes how Roxanne‟s appearance and behavior, give the writer information how
Roxanne looks like that made Janie unconfident and uncertainly defeat her.
Janie looked at her rival and felt as inexperienced as a girl not long out of school. Even the feel of Pagan by her side, even the weight of his ring on
her marriage finger couldn‟t dispel the treat that exuded from Roxanne. She had great beauty and attraction, there was no use denying it. For Pagan to see her in his house again could not only set fire to his smoldering memories of her when she had lived here as his wife (1981: 146)
A fact about Roxanne and Pagan past life that they are live together for
several times also made Janie feel conquered. She is afraid that she will not
properly substitute Roxanne‟s position in Pagan‟s life. The memories and the
times they both spend together are another reason that creates the insecure
characteristic of Janie. She can keep trying to change her clothes and appearance,
but for the memories, she can do nothing.
c. Charismatic
The last characteristic about Janie is charismatic. The author describes it
by using character as seen by another method. Another character who gives his
opinion about Janie is Hunt Lincoln, friend of Pagan Pentrevah. He has planned to
visit Pentrevah‟s Tower and meet Pagan‟s new-wife. He begins to make call to
Pentrevah‟s Tower and talk to Janie. The next morning he comes to Pentrevah‟s
Tower and meets Janie for the first time. He directly states “I didn‟t quite know
how to picture you, Jane, until I spoke to you over the phone. You do match your
The charismatic person is someone who has a charming and attractive
personality and they are alluring to others. A charismatic person usually appears
as an ordinary person who looks innocent, but people around them get something
strong about his or her personality and get curios to know him/her well. From
what Lincoln explains in his comment to Jane to realize herself that she is not a
usual ordinary young woman.
Another opinion also appear from Lincoln that says to Janie.
“Some people we know at glance,” he rejoined. “Others we never know because the chemistry is all wrong. We‟re each other‟s sort of people and we‟d have gotten along had we meet in your other world, that of the theatre. Directly I saw you standing out there in the hall I saw your chameleon quality – you‟re too young to remember, but I‟m just old enough, and there was an actress named Margaret Sullavan – and by heck, do you remind me of her! Same wide eyes.Same air of innocence and
nerve, same huskiness in the voice. You couldn‟t call her a beauty, but she had charisma, and you have it, kid, so don‟t go putting yourself down”
(1981: 171)
2. Pagan’s Characteristics
There are some characteristic of Pagan Pentrevah that the writer gets from
what the author has described. By Janie‟s thought, the writer gets information that
he is old enough, around to 40, but no hair grey. “There wasn‟t a gleam of grey in
his hair, yet she sensed that he was close on forty …“(1981: 34).
From the next Pagan and Janie conversations, the writer gets that Pagan is
a masculine. His reaction towards Janie and Roxanne and how he treats those
women, illustrate his characteristic as a gentleman. Some personal descriptions,
the other character‟s opinion and direct comment also give indication that he can
a. Masculine
Masculine belonging to male sex, having a characteristic of man and
qualities traditionally ascribed to men, as strength and boldness
(dictionary:reference.com,2013).
Based on the definition above, Pagan as what the author described can be
said as masculine. The writer gets indication about this characteristic from what
Janie‟s thought her opinion, and direct statement about Pagan.
She felt the vital energy in the man who owned that house, a strength and
endurance possibly drawn from the wilds of Merlin‟s land (1981: 13).
His profile firm and definite, the bold outline of his nose matching the strong jaw. The smoking jacket he wore was perfectly cut to his large frame, his shirt was flawlessly white against his swarthy skin ... there was a look of brooding power about him as bronze horses ticking away the seconds above his dark head(1981: 34)
She told herself he had a strong dash of the Cornish smuggler in his veins, a deep affinity with the moors, and possibly a wild streak of passion (1981: 34)
“God, how big and dark he was” (1981: 32).
The phrase “vital energy” and words “strength”, “firm”, “big”, “dark”, and
“strong” are the indication of masculine. Indeed, Janie clearly states in her opinion
of Pagan that he is masculine. “He was so much bigger than any actor she had
worked with, so much more ... masculine” (1981: 15)
b. Gentleman
Moreover about him as a masculine, his attitudes also show he is as
gentleman. It is shown from how he treat women, whether Janie or Roxanne.
considerate of those around him. Acts politely.Treats women with
respect.(urbandictionary.com, 2013)
When he meets Janie for the first time at night in the middle of strange
land, he offers Janie for a ride on his horse and then stays the night in his house.
Politely, he helps Janie to get on his house by asks her to step on his boots. “Let it
wait,” he said decisively. “Now give me your hand and step on my boot and I‟ll
hoist you up here on the saddle” (1981: 11). From his speech, the writer knows
that he is a polite man that respects woman and tries to make her comfortable. He
chooses to let Janie sit on his horse and feel comfort rather than she must walk
while he rides.
Through Roxanne, he also treats her respectfully as a gentleman. Although
he hates Roxanne, his attitudes towards her full of respect and politely treat.
This fact appears when he must help Roxanne to go down from her room
to have dinner, after she got accident that injured her leg.
“Madam wants to dine with the family, sir, and she asks will you carry her downstairs?”
Janie glanced at him to catch his reaction, but if he was eager to do
Roxanne‟s bidding it didn‟t show on his face.
“Very well,”he said politely, “I‟ll be along in a moment”.
The maid hastened away and when he looked at Janie he merely said:
“You go down to the drawing-room and have a drink. I‟m sure Hunt will
be delighted to amuse you.”
“Just as Roxanne will be delighted to amuse you?” Janie couldn‟t stop
herself from asking.
“She‟s guest in this house.” He said impassively. “The Pentrevahs do their best to respect the wishes of a guest” (1981: 178)
He gently forgets the fact that he hates Roxanne and treats her as a guest
that should get service and polite handle from the host, as a responsibility of a
c. Intimidating
According toCambridge University Press – Dictionary Online explain that intimidating is making somebody feel frightened and nervous (2013).While other source state, intimidating also refers to harsh and threatening in manner or
appearance (Merriam-webster.com, 2013).
For Janie, Pagan‟ physical makes her afraid and nerve whenever she
getscloser him. This opinion supported by the explanation above that shows he is
big and dark guy. His physical appearances itself already intimidate Janie.
He was strong and sure that he made her feel he could do whatever he wished with her, whether she willed it or not. It was this feeling that he could have his will of her that made panic rise in her (1981: 18)
From what Janie feels, the writer compares it with the definition of intimidating
and found that this can be the traits of someone who can intimidate somebody
else. There is something inside from him that makes people want to follow his
command and respect him a lot.
Moreover, as a Pentrevah, he has the power and authority on his own land
and he can give command to everyone. “Come!” It was a command that stiffened
her spine. He was Pentrevah and accustomed to giving orders. Law and land had
made him masterful (1981: 17)
It is not only his physical and powers that make him intimidate others, but
his firmness voice and attitude also make someone else, whether they want or not,
follow his command. It is shown when he has a debate with Janie to play act as
like they sleep together.
“I don‟t see that it‟s necessary for anyone to see us in bed together a-and I
“But I insiston it, Jane.” His voice had softened but his eyes had hardened
and Janie had to force herself not to take to the bathroom, where there was a lock on the door (1981: 104-105)
B. The Influence of Pagan to Janie’s Ambition and Principle
After discussing the characterization and characteristic of Jane Laure and
Pagan Pentrevah in the A Girl Possessed by Violet Winspear, in this part, the
writer will discuss about the influences of Pagan Pentrevah toward Janie‟s life. It
starts by the discussion of the relation between Pagan and Janie.
1. The Relation Between Pagan Pentrevah and Jane Laure
Janie is on her journey to Mrs. Burford‟s home at St. Mawgan when she
gets trouble with her car. She decided to walk to closest house from where she
stand on to get help and makes phone call to Mrs. Burford.
Blessed light that promised shelter, a cup of steaming tea, and with luck a telephone so she could let Mrs. Burford know that she‟d had trouble with
her car and wouldn‟t arrive at St. Mawgan until sometime tomorrow
(1981: 8)
When she is on her feet to get there, a stranger on his ride comes along
near her. He is Pagan Pentrevah, the master of Pentrevah‟s land where she
walked. They meet in the middle of night at somewhere on Pentrevah‟s land and
he offers to carry her to his house.
“If you want to walk the rest of the way to the Tower then do so, but
Salem will get you there a lot sooner and I imagine you‟re gasping for a
cup of tea” (1981: 12)
On their way to get Pentrevah‟s Tower, Pagan gets information that
important thing in her life. Even about love, Janie thinks that love is an absurd
thing that does not really exist in this world.
“Yes. Acting is all I want.” She spoke with feeling. “I don‟t care if you consider it wonderful for wonderful for a girl to be a man‟s cook, cleaner, and general dogsbody. I don‟t plan tobecome any man‟s slave!”
“What if you fall headlong in love? It happen to people whether they want it or not, and women aren‟t their own mistress when that happens, all they want is to give themselves like faggots to the flames.”
“I think love is a myth,” Janie rejoined (1981: 15)
As what stated above, their first meeting has already explained about what
important and less-important to Janie‟s life. When finally they arrive at
Pentrevah‟s Tower, Pagan asks his maid to serve dinner to Janie and prepare a
room for her to get sleep that night. After she enjoys her meal and feels comfort to
her room, Pagan talks privately to her. He asks Jane to pretend to be his wife and
become the mistress in Pentrevah‟s tower, without explaining the reason. Before
he states his request, Pagan once again makes sure that Janie is not in relationship
to any man.
For Janie, Pagan‟s request does not make any sense. At first, she thinks
that Pagan is joking and having no strong reason to ask her doing that. However,
killed. He did not love Roxanne any more. This incident made Roxanne run away
from home in order to damage Pagan‟s good reputation.
“Roxanne and I were married a year when she vanished – vanished in a way that made people suspect I had killed her. A bracelet of hers was
found near Prowler‟s Pool. I‟d given it to her so I knew it well, apart from
which there was an inscription inside. The police were suspicious, but I
knew Roxanne wasn‟t in the bog. I knew her, too well! She wanted to
discredit me and she managed so well there was talk of an official enquiry
to try and establish my guilt” (1981: 46)
“Roxanne and I loved in the heather and made our child there ... the child she didn‟t want and had taken away from her before it could be born. I had
my hands around her neck the night I found out, and that was why she ran
out on me and left even my family to suspect me of violence towards her”
(1981: 48).
Pagan feels betrayed and decides not to permit Roxanne gets along with
him, but Roxanne seems to ignore it. Meeting Janie makes him get a brilliant idea
to ask Janie as his fake wife to show to Roxanne that he had forget his feeling.
He needed desperately; Janie saw that, to be able to confront Roxanne with a fait accompli. He wanted to show her that he had been able to live – and love – without her (1981: 57)
Although Janie has not agreed with Pagan‟s wish to act as his wife, Pagan
keeps on asking her to prove her ability in acting. Pagan does many efforts to
make Janie obey him. He asks all the maids at home to regard her as the new
mistress. He recognizes Janie to his sister, Tristana, as her sister-in-law, and even
he asks her to call him just “Pagan” and not Mr. Pentrevah anymore.
To make sure all the maids that they are husband and wife, every 5 a.m
Pagan has planned to move to Janie‟s bedroom and laid there. Furthermore, Janie
“I know you wouldn‟t agree to what I asked of you, so I had to force the issue. Come, it won‟t be as bad as you imagine. You can console yourself
with the thought that you don‟t really belong to be an arrogant, audacious bully like me” (1981: 54)
“Y –You haven‟t played fair, Mr. Pentrevah, you led me to believe I could
make my own decision, but you obviously meant to have your own way” (1981: 55)
The conversation above shows that Pagan is intimidating; he wants
everyone in the house including Janie obeys his request. At the beginning, this
situation makes her angry, but she is too poltroon to leave Pentrevah‟s tower.
He fascinated her as much as he frightened her, and no man had ever done that to her before. He made her feel ... reckless. Yes, that was how she felt, as if he had given her a wild wine to drink which had chased all the sober good sense out of her head (1981: 61)
The quotation above gives the writer explanation that Pagan subjects to Janie
afraid of him by doing nothing. His firm and definite profile make Janie reluctant
to him.
2. The Influence of Pagan Pentrevah toward Janie’s Ambition
As what stated before, Janie has already started her profession as an
actress and has tried hard to prove her ambition. Unfortunately, the offer to play
isbecause Janie is an actress. He believes she can act to be anything like on the
stage. Janie still stands on her convictions. She needs more explanation or reasons
why Pagan chooses her, while there are a lot of girls who will accept this job. If
Pagan has lot of money to pay her, he can use his money to hire a woman from the
agencies, but still Pagan wants Janie to act as his wife.
“I certainly was wondering –and why pick on me?”
“You said you were an actress and I‟m offering you the best role you‟re going to get this side of the Tamar.”
“I act in plays, Mr. Pentrevah, opposite actors. What you‟re proposing is an act of deceit and I wouldn‟t know my lines” (1981: 36)
When he knows that Janie will not easily agree with his idea, he tries to
provoke by mocking her as a bad actress.
“Perhaps you‟re afraid your acting ability wouldn‟t be up to the task of
faking love for me?” he looked as sardonic as he sounded. “Perhaps that‟s why you‟re out of work as regard the theatre, Miss Laure. You‟re a lousy actress, is that it?”
“No, I‟m not!” She was stung where it hurt. I‟m a very good actress, if you
must know, but I don‟t go around bragging about it” (1981: 38)
By provoking her sensibility, Pagan has purpose to challenge her to prove her
ability in acting. Moreover, he bargains some money as a compensation for her
act, like Pagan state in his speech to Janie.
“There‟s a salary attached as well,” he drawled. “I don‟t expect you to work at such a task unpaid. I‟ll add twenty pounds a week to what the good lady at St Mawgan was going to give you” (1981: 39)
“Accept it as a dare.” The words seemed to purr in his throat.
“Y - You must need someone very badly – “Her lips trembled around the words and she could feel herself shrinking in every nerve in case he touched her.
“The money‟s good, Jane. You should be able to save quite a bit of your
salary as you won‟t be paying any board and lodging; I expect money is
quite a consideration for a young actress. Think, Jane, a little nest egg will save you in future from having to take employment as a
Using polite and proper words, Pagan tries to persuade her to join in this
plan. He challenges her to prove her ability in acting and offers some money. He
is clever enough to put the money as reward for Janie, as he knows that Janie has
no stage offered and needs money to finance her life. She rationally thinks that the
money he offered is enough to manage her life. She does not need to work harder
but the payment is worthily
When Pagan asks her to be more than fake-wife, she refuses it stubbornly.
She tries to debate and gives argument, but at the end she always accept what
Pagan‟s plan because for her, Pagan has something inside his attitude that makes
her feels intimidate.
She finally starts her day to act as Pagan‟s “new-wife” and her acting
convinces everyone in Pentrevah‟s Tower which begins to treat her as their new
Mistress. Eventually, she enjoys her character as Pagan‟s new wife deeply. Their
togetherness brings her to feel a new feeling, feeling of love. She falls in love with
Pagan. It is so different with what she believes in her ambition which will not
disturb by anything, including love. She has no plan to rejoin to this feeling as like
no way to stop it influences her ambition. She no longer wants to defeat Pagan, all
of she want to do is following him with no argue.
She, Janie, was that lifeline. Not a very substantial one, and one that might
break in his hand, but he had hold of her and she couldn‟t fight him. When
she looked at him, into his eyes that were smoky gold at the moment, she
Then in her mind she already released her ambition to be an actress. It is
not again as her priority in life and all she want like what she state previously. Her
feeling to Pagan brings her to stop her ambition and change her focus only to him.
“When she had realized with a thump that he was her husband, it had no
longer seemed to matter that she had always wanted to make her mark as
an actress” (1981: 143)
At the end of the story, she states to Pagan that she would end up her
career as an actress and prefer to be with Pagan to have a family. Pagan hears it by
himself, after previously he says sorry to her that he cannot support her ambition
any more. It does not matter for her, her purpose in life has already changes and
she has got it.
“Jane ... Jane,” Pagan framed her face with his hands and looked deeply into her eyes. “I know you want a career as an actress, but I can‟t share
you –do you mind, my darling girl?”
She shook her head, “My stage-struck days are over, Pagan, I don‟t want you to share me – except perhaps –“A wild pink color washed her into her
cheek. “You know what I mean, don‟t you?” (1981: 188)
From what have already discussed above, the writer gets that Pagan‟s
characteristic has influences Janie‟s ambition. Pagan‟s characteristic which always
makes her comfort and safe in their togetherness, bring her to fall in love with
Pagan. Their togetherness also makes Janie decides to end her ambition and
choose to spend her day with Pagan and build a family together at Pentrevah‟s
Tower.
Human ambition is the sensitive thing in this world that can be influenced
by many factors, including love. Most of the people in this world choose to focus
to their ambition to get what they want for their future. They will not allow
affection; influence their ambition. While in Janie case, she has strong ambition
and wants to make it true for her future; unfortunately her ambition is distracted
by falling in love to Pagan. It is so ironic because as individual she does not
believe in love, but she cannot deny when love comes and makes her release her
ambition to be an actress.
3. The Influence of Pagan Pentrevah toward Janie’s Principle
“Love the man and he will love you in return” (1981: 6) is a statement
from Janie‟s Grandmother, Grandma Polly. She teaches Janie to get a nice young
man who loves her and keep her in holy weeding, but, Janie has another principle
of love. She thinks that love is an illusion, it is an absurd thing and she does not
want to have deal with it. When she meets Pagan, she stated “I think love is a
myth” (1981: 16). In her principle, if a woman falls in love to a man, she will be a
man‟s slave; therefore she does not want that thing happen to her.
Pagan agrees to what Janie has stated, but he has his own argument about
love. In his opinion, there is a pure love in this world which not only focuson
pleasure or sex, like parents‟ love to child. He explains it to give Janie another
perspective and makes her realize about pure love.
“I happen to agree with you,” said Pagan Pentrevah. “If you‟re talking about love between the sexes. But, there‟s another kind of love that comes
out of that kind of union – a son and a daughter gets born (1981: 16)
She properly starts her act as a wife without any feeling she had to Pagan.
In fact she feels that Pagan is so selfish because by using his intimidation aura he
