THE MEANING OF PHOEBE’S LIFE
AS SEEN IN KIM EDWARDS’S THE MEMORY KEEPER’S
DAUGHTER
A Thesis
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Exnasia Retno Palupi Handayani
Student Number: 061214025
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
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THE MEANING OF PHOEBE’S LIFE
AS SEEN IN KIM EDWARDS’S THE MEMORY KEEPER’S
DAUGHTER
A Thesis
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Exnasia Retno Palupi Handayani
Student Number: 061214025
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
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Make it your ambition to lead a quite life to mind your own business
and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life
may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent
on anybody.
(1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will
soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will
walk and not be faint.
(Isaiah 40:31)
I dedicate this thesis to
Jesus Christ my All in all,
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STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY
I honestly declare that this thesis, which I have written, does not contain the work
or parts of the work of other people, except those cited in the quotations and the
references, as a scientific paper should.
Yogyakarta, 8 June 2011
The Writer
Exnasia Retno Palupi Handayani
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ABSTRACT
Handayani, Exnasia Retno P. 2011. The Meaning of Phoebe’s Life as Seen in Kim Edwards’s The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.
This study is to look into the meaning of one’s life as portrayed in Phoebe the main characters of Kim Edwards’s The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. This novel is about the tragic life of David: his misery life is repeated through his daughter’s life, Phoebe. The main discussion in this study, therefore, deals with Phoebe’s life.
There are two problems to answer namely: (1) How are Phoebe and David depicted in the novel? (2) How is Phoebe’s life misery reflected in David’s tragedy?
This study is a library research. Two data were used in this study: primary and secondary data. The primary data is the novel The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards. The secondary data are taken from literary books, psychology books, and the internet.
In conducting this study, there are some theories used: the theory of literature, theory of character, characterization, juxtaposition, theory of psychology, and theory of personality, is used to answer the first problem. Then the theory of Motivation is used to get deeper understanding about the meaning of Phoebe’s life.
Based on the analysis, Phoebe is described as fragile, loving, stubborn, dependent, weak, brave, inconsistent, and innocent. Her character can be seen from other’s opinion. While David is described as mysterious, obedient, protective, competent, unconfident, traumatic, fragile, introvert, decision maker, loneliness, and emotional. His character can be seen from his past life and other character’s opinion. Further analysis is about Phoebe’s life that is David’s destiny.
Finally, this study provides suggestions for further researchers who are interested in analyzing Kim Edwards’s The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. The future researcher may focus on Norah’s character and her action using theory of motivation. It is also recommended for English teacher to use this novel as the material to teach Prose II.
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ABSTRAK
Handayani, Exnasia Retno P. 2011. The Meaning Phoebe’s Life as Seen in Kim Edwards’s The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Studi ini bertujuan untuk melihat lebih dalam mengenai arti kehidupan seseorang seperti yang digambarkan dalam diri Phoebe, tokoh utama dalam novel Kim Edwards The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. Novel ini tentang kehidupan tragis David: kehidupannya yang sengsara diulang melalui kehidupan anaknya, Phoebe. Pembahasan utama dalam studi ini yaitu berhubungan dengan kehidupan Phoebe.
Ada dua rumusan masalah untuk menjawab yaitu: (1) bagaimana Phoebe dan David digambarkan dalam novel? (2) Bagaimana kesengsaraan kehidupan Phoebe dicerminkan dalam tragedi David?
Studi ini adalah penelitian perpustakaan. Dua data digunakan di dalam studi ini: data utama dan data kedua. Data utamanya adalah novel The Memory Keeper’s Daughter karangan Kim Edwards. Data kedua diambil dari buku-buku sastra, buku-buku psikologi, dan internet.
Dalam melakukan studi ini, beberapa teori digunakan: teori sastra, teori tokoh, penokohan, penjajaran, teori psikologi, teori personality, digunakan untuk menjawab rumusan masalah pertama. Kemudian teori motivasi digunakan untuk mendapatkan pengertian yang lebih mendalam tentang arti kehidupan Phoebe.
Berdasarkan analisis, Phoebe digambarkan sebagai orang yang rentan, penyayang, keras kepala, tidak mandiri, lemah, berani, tidak konsekwen, dan lugu. Perwatakannya dapat dilihat dari pendapat orang lain. Sedangkan David digambarkan sebagai orang yang misterius, penurut, melindungi, kompeten, tidak percaya diri, trauma, rentan, tertutup, pembuat keputusan, kesepian, dan emosional. Perwatakannya dapat dilihat dari kehidupan masa lalunya dan dari pendapat orang lain. Analisis lebih lanjutnya mengenai kehidupan Phoebe yang merupakan takdir David.
Pada akhirnya, studi ini memberikan beberapa usulan kepada peneliti yang tertarik untuk menganalisis novel The Memory Keeper’s Daughter karangan Kim Edwards. Peneliti selanjutnya mungkin fokus pada karakter Norah dan tindakannya dengan menggunakan teori motivasi. Ada pula saran untuk guru Bahasa Inggris untuk menggunakan novel ini sebagai materi untuk mengajar Prose II.
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LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma:
Nama : Exnasia Retno Palupi Handayani
Nomor Mahasiswa : 061214025
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:
THE MEANING OF PHOEBE’S LIFE AS SEEN IN KIM EDWARDS’S THE
THE MEMORY KEEPER’S DAUGHTER
Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberukan 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 royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal : 9 Juni 2011
Yang menyatakan
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In this page, I would like to express my greatest gratitude to all those who
have helped and supported me throughout the process of writing this thesis.
Above all, I give my first countless gratitude to Jesus Christ who always gives
me a new strength whenever I am down and weak. His spirit, guidance, and
miracles never stop during the process of finishing my thesis.
My sincere gratitude goes to Drs. A. Herujiyanto, M.A., Ph.D. as my
sponsor who has spared his time to guide me patiently and has helped me
finishing this thesis by his comments, suggestion, advice, and criticism. I also
thank all the PBI lecturers of Sanata Dharma University for the knowledge
they shared with me. I would also like to thank secretariat staffs for the help, and
kindness.
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my parents, Barjo and Tri
Retno Rini, and my sister, Theodora Rafelia A, for their supports and prays
during finishing my thesis. I thank them for giving me affection throughout my
life.
My special gratitude goes to my best friends Dewati, Niken, Tika,
Leonna, and Adhis for sharing, prays, supports, and sweet experiences in Sanata
Dharma University. I would like to thank to my boarding house friends Andin
and Emi for their support to finish my thesis as soon as possible and questions
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At last, I would like to thank everybody who I cannot mention one by one
who has helped me and supported me in my life. I am blessed to know them all.
May God’s favor is on us.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE PAGE ... i
APPROVAL PAGES ... ii
DEDICATION PAGE ... iv
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ... v
ABSTRACT ... vi
ABSTRAK ... vii
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ... viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... xi
LIST OF APPENDICES ... xv
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study ... 1
B. Objectives of the Study ... 3
C. Problem Formulation ... 4
D. Benefit of the Study ... 4
E. Definition of Terms ... 5
CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Review of Related Theories ... 8
xii
2. Theory of the Relation between Psychology and Literature ... 10
3. Theory of Literature... 11
a. Theory of Character ... 11
b. Theory of Characterization ... 12
c. Juxtaposition ... 15
4. Theory of Psychology ... 15
a. Theory of Personality ... 15
b. Theory of Motivation ... 17
B. Theoretical Framework ... 19
C. Context of the Novel ... 20
1. Setting of the Novel ... 20
2. Setting of the Writer ... 21
CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study ... 22
B. Approach to the Study ... 23
C. Method of the Study ... 24
CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS A. The Description of Phoebe and David Henry ... 26
1. The Description of Phoebe ... 27
a. Fragile ... 27
b. Loving ... 28
c. Stubborn ... 29
xiii
e. Innocent ... 32
f. Inconsistent ... 33
2. The Description of David Henry ... 34
a. Character based on Her Past Life ... 34
1) Mysterious ... 34
2) Obedient ... 35
b. David’s Character based on Other’s Opinion about David ... 36
1) Protective ... 37
2) Competent ... 38
3) Unconfident ... 39
4) Traumatic ... 40
5) Fragile ... 41
6) Introvert ... 42
7) Emotional ... 43
3. Juxtaposition ... 44
a. Phoebe is Weak ... 44
b. Phoebe is Brave ... 45
c. David is Decision Maker ... 45
d. David is Lonely ... 46
B. Phoebe’s Life Misery Reflected in David’s Tragedy ... 46
1. Surface Meaning ... 47
Phoebe’s Life Brings a Tragedy ... 47
xiv
Phoebe’s Life is the Repeating History of Tragic Life ... 50
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS A. Conclusions ... 52
1. Phoebe’s and David’s Character ... 52
2. Phoebe’s Life Brings a Tragedy ... 53
3. The True Meaning of Phoebe’s Life ... 53
B. Suggestions ... 54
1. Suggestions for the Future Researchers ... 54
2. Suggestions for the Teacher to Teach using Kim Edwards’s The Memory Keeper’s Daughter ... 55
The Implementation of The Memory Keeper’s Daughter in Teaching Prose II ... 55
REFERENCES ... 57
xv
LIST OF APPENDICES
Page
Appendix 1: Summary of The Memory Keeper’s Daughter ... 59
Appendix 2: Biography of Kim Edwards... 62
Appendix 3: Lesson Unit Plan ... 65
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This chapter consists of five parts. It is aimed to give a description about
the background of the study that shows the reason of choosing the novel, The
Memory Keeper’s Daughter, as the subject of the study, to identify the objectives
of the study, to limit the problem and formulate the problem into two questions, to
describe the benefits of the study. In addition, this chapter also states definition of
some terms that will explain about the important terms in the study.
A. Background of the Study
In literary work, the author creates the work of literature based on the
experience or the reality that happens around someone environment where they
live. Someone will respond their experience or the condition of the environment
by expressing their ideas and feeling in their own style that is meaningful work
which cannot be expressed by common people. The experience and the condition
will make up into a good creation that makes the readers understand to the story
because they are interacting with the text when they are reading the literary work,
like Bressler (1999:7) has said that when reading, we are constantly interacting
with the text. Therefore, when the readers read literary work, the author brings
effect to them from the work itself so the readers could feel pleasure after reading
the literary work, when we read a text to learn from it or to be entertained, we can
Since human beings are born, they will grow up from a child to adult.
They learn many things throughout their experiences that they have faced,
whether in a good condition or in a difficult condition. It brings effects to the
development of personal growth and it will develop their character. So, every
human being has different thought and ways of living because of their different
background or condition of living. They may have their own ways in responding
to their conditions of living. Sarah Cirese in Quest: A Search for Self (1985: 62)
said that every person is free in making decision, having commitments, taking risk
within the bounds of his or her own value system. Each of them appears as an
individual that continuously discovers and develops his or her own potentials as
the evident of his or her personal growth. As an individual, a person deserves to
reach their own goal in his or her life. It starts from the effort of someone to
achieve what they want. When someone acquires means to carry out choices and
believe that he or she is able to make, he or she is free to choose the way to go and
to make decision of their choice because making choice is the potential factor of
every person. Cirese (1985: 44) said that making choices to develop his or her
talents, to extend the intellectual capacities, to strengthen interpersonal skills, to
actualize physical capacities, to become all he or she can possibly be, are the sum
up of personal growth.
In writing my thesis, I choose a work entitled The Memory Keeper’s
Daughter by Kim Edwards. This story is written based on someone’s true story
that has a twin who suffered Down syndrome. His twin was institutionalized at
no one knew it. From the story the author develops it into a wonderful novel
within the idea is a secret as the center of the family. The title The Memory
Keeper’s Daughter represents Phoebe’s life that brings tragedy in David’s life.
Life is so mysterious that it may become kind of tragedy. This is exactly
what Kim Edwards’s The Memory Keeper’s Daughter expresses, the tragic life of
David Henry. Based on unhappy life in the past, David planned to make other
people to be prevented from having the similar unpleasant experience as same as
he has been through. Therefore, the aim of this study is to find out David’s
memory about his daughter, Phoebe, discover from Down syndrome.
The discussions are therefore to deal with the result of his decision to hide
Phoebe, as soon as he was want, from his wife. Therefore, it cannot be avoided
that this study talks about David’s unpleasant past experience: losing his Down
syndrome sister and the suffering experienced by his mother.
In order to do so, this study employs some theories such as the theory of
character, characterization and juxtaposition, theory of psychology including
theory of personality, and the theory of motivation. The approach used in this
study is psychological approach.
B. Objectives of the Study
The objective of the study is to reveal the veiled life of Phoebe as
C. Problem Formulation
Based on the objective of the study, the problems to answer in this study
are formulated as follows:
1. How are Phoebe and David depicted in the novel?
2. How is Phoebe’s life misery in David’s tragedy?
D. Benefit of the Study
It is expected to be able to encourage the readers to enjoy reading the
novel better so that they will understand the meaning of the novel; the many
values found in everyday life, the art of making decision, and the rules of
relationship between two people.
I hope this study will help the reader reflect themselves. Making decision
is very important in our life so that we have to make the best choice in our life.
We have to consider many different aspects before deciding something so there
will no regret.
E. Definition of Term
To avoid misunderstanding on this study, it would be necessary for us to
understand some essential terms. They are:
1. Characterization
As indicated by the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (eleven
edition), characterization is a description of the distinctive character of. While
characterization is the ways the author reveals the characters of imaginary person
in the story. It shows that characterization is the way the author presents the
characters.
2. Keeper
As indicated by the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (eleven
edition), keeper is a person who manages or looks after something or someone.
This study will discuss about David Henry who keep the memory about her
daughter from the photo that is sent by Caroline Gill.
3. Life
As indicated by the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (eleven
edition), life is the existence of an individual human being or animal, a particular
type or aspect of human existence. This study analyze about the meaning of
Phoebe’s life according to his father, David Henry, who hide her from the family
because she suffers Down syndrome.
4. Main Character
According to Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms (1985:23), he said
that characters are 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
(1971: 169) points out that main character is inherently important and we take a
long hard look on him to understand the author’s meaning. This means that the
main character is one of the way in which the author conveys certain meanings.
The main character in this study is David Henry, a doctor who live in tragic until
the end of his life.
5. Memory
As indicated by the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (eleven
edition), memory is an individual person to remember things or the faculty by
which the mind stores and remembers information. While, Gerrig and Philip in
Psychology and life: 8th edition stated that memory is capacity to store and
retrieve information or a type of information processing. The bulk of our
attention, therefore, will be trained on the flow of information in and out of the
memory system that guide the acquisition and retrieval of information. In this
study, memory means the memory of David Henry who hides her daughter from
the family and finally he regrets his decision to gives the baby to his nurse,
Caroline Gill because his decision leads his family goes to the dark life like his
experience in the past.
6. Misery
As indicated by the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (eleven
edition), misery is great physical or mental distress or discomfort. This study
7. Tragedy
As indicated by the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (eleven
edition), tragedy is an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress or a
serious play with an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of
the main character. This study analyze the tragic life of David Henry. The tragedy
happens when his daughter, Phoebe, is born as having Down syndrome. She
suffers an inherited diseases that is the same as his sister had and his dark life in
the past come up in his future.
8. Veil
As indicated by the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (eleven
edition), veil is a piece of fine material worn to protect or conceal the face, a thing
that conceals, disguises, or obscures. This means that the veil that covers Phoebe’s
life because she is hidden from her family so that no one knows about her.
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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter is going to discuss about three points; those are review of
related theories, theoretical framework, and context of the novel. The first is the
review related theories which are applied in the study are presented. This part is
divided into four parts; they are the theory of critical approach, theory of
literature, theory of character and characterization, including juxtaposition, and
the theory of psychology, including theory of motivation. The second part is the
framework of this study that is used to give a boundary in identifying the study.
The last part is the context of the novel that will talk about some information
about the socio political situation of the setting in this story.
A. Review of Related Theories
To answer the questions stated in problem formulation, it is necessary to
include some theories, which later will be connected to find the appropriate
answers to problem stated in the previous chapter. Those theories used are
follows:
1. Theory of Critical Approach
An understanding of what a piece of prose fiction communicates and how
it achieves that communication is vital to a critical approach (Rohrberger and
Woods 1971: 19). In order to understand about the meaning of Phoebe’s life in
Rohrberger and Woods in their book entitled Reading and Writing about
Literature (1971: 6-15), provide five approaches as means of observing a novel
critically. These approaches are to provide the means to understand the positive
aesthetic value of literary work.
The first is The Formalist Approach. This approach is to apprehend the
totality of the literary object itself and esthetic meanings. The formalist critic
examines the literary pieces without reference to facts of the author’s life, without
reference to the genre or in literary history, and without reference to its social
milieu.
The second is The Biographical Approach. This approach asserts the
necessity for an appreciation of the ideas and personality of the author to an
understanding of the literary object. This approach attempts to learn as much as
about the life and development of the author.
The third is Socio cultural - Historical Approach. This approach insists
that the only way to locate the real work is in reference to the civilizations that
produces it and define civilization as the attitudes and action of a specific group of
people and point out that literature takes these attitudes and actions as its subject
matter.
The fourth is The Mythopoeic Approach. This approach is seek to discover
certain universally recurrent patterns of human thought which they believe find
expression in significant works of art. The universally recurrent that is assert are
those that found first expression in ancient myths and folk rites and human
The fifth is The Psychological Approach. This approach involves the effort
to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent patterns and draws on a different body
of knowledge. The psychological approach examine about human motivation,
personality, and behavior pattern written in literary works.
To conduct this study, I used the psychological approach based on the
theory of psychology. Psychological approach analyzes the character in the novel
deeper psychologically so that this study is conducted through psychology point
of view. The analysis of this study tries to find the answer of the questions, such
as, why the character that is depicted in this novel has such kind of personality
and how the one’s character is reflected in other’s character. The result of those
questions will be the result of this study.
2. Theory of the Relation between Psychology and Literature
Literature derived from the Latin Littera, meaning “letter,” the root
meaning of literature refers primarily to the written word and seems to support
this broad definition (Bressler, 1999:9). Recognizing that there is a close relation
between literature and psychology, Kalish in The Psychology of Human Behavior
(1973:8) implies that “literature holds the mirror up to the man.” A good writer or
novelist can communicate the feeling of their characters and make them seem
more life-like than the real people whose behavior the psychologist to enrich
stories, and psychologist can gain in their understanding of human behavior by
literature and psychology is closely established, it can be said that the analysis of
literary works may reflect certain psychological factors.
As psychology is a body of knowledge which studies human psyche, the
most related element of literature to psychology is its human or human-like
characters. Referring to Barnet’s explanation about character in Literature for
Composition that a character is a figure with specific mental and moral qualities, it
is obvious that characters are observable trough psychology, in terms that they
consist of unique mental qualities (1988:71).
3. Theory of Literature
a. Theory of Character
The writer thinks that character is the basic element of the literary work.
According to Abrams in his book entitles A Glossary of Literary Terms states that:
Characters are the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the readers as being endowed a moral, distortional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say-the dialogue-and what they do-in the action. The grounds in the characters’ temperament, desires, and moral nature for their speech and actions are called their motivation (1985:23).
Another definition of character is stated by Stanton in An Introduction to
Fiction (1965: 17), the term ‘Character’ is used in two ways: firstly, it gives a
particular description about the individuals who appear in the story and secondly,
it refers to the mixture of interests, desires, emotions, and moral principles that
all events in the story; usually they cause the conversation either in him or in the
readers’ attitude toward him.
According to Ferster in Arguing through Literature (2005:81), there are
two kinds of characters; those are flat character and rounded character. Flat
characters tend to be simpler; they are defined by one or two traits, say the same
thing repeatedly, or embody an ethnic, gender, or some other stereotype. Rounded
characters, which are more complex, tend to have a fuller range of thoughts,
feelings, or actions, perhaps even in conflict with each other, and might grow,
change, or learn something. This is not to say that real people can be one-sided,
but it is possible to know only one side of a person (Rohrberger and Woods 1971:
20) in Reading and Writing about Literature. Rohrberger and Woods also stated
that characters must be credible, that is, readers must accept them as believable
people. Characters have particular personalities and physical attributes that
distinguish them from other characters.
b. Theory of Characterization
According to Rohrberger and Woods in Reading and Writing about
Literature (1971: 20), the process by which an author creates a character is called
characterization. There are two principal ways an author can characterize, those
are direct means to describe physical appearance and dramatic means and place
one character in situation to show the way to speak and behavior.
This paper will analyze the characterizations of two of the characters in
According to Holman and Harmon in A Handbook of Literature (1986):81),
characterization is the ways the author reveals the characters of imaginary person
in the story. It shows that characterization is the way the author presents the
character. The character we encounter through literature are defined by what they
think and say, what other characters and the narrator say about them, what they
do, and what they look like (Ferster, 2005:80) in Arguing Through Literature.
Murphy’s Understanding Unseen: an introduction to English Poetry and
the English Novel for overseas Student gives more detail techniques of
characterization. It mentions nine techniques of characterization used by author to
describe the characters of story (1972:161-173). The techniques are:
1) Personal description
An author uses this method particularly to give the description of character
face, body, and the other physical appearances.
2) Character as seen by another
Instead of describing a character directly, the author can describe a character
through the eyes and opinions of others.
3) Speech
The author gives the readers an insight into the character of one of the person
in the book through what the person says.
4) Past life
By letting the readers learn about a character’s past life, the author can give
by direct comment by the author, through the person’s thought, through his
conversation, or through the medium of another person.
5) Conversation of others
The author can also give the readers clues to a persons’ character through the
conversation of other people and the things they say about her/ him.
6) Reaction
The author can give the readers a clue to a person’s character by letting the
readers know how that person reacts to various situations and events.
7) Direct comment
The author can describe or comment on a person’s character directly.
8) Thoughts
The author can give the reader direct knowledge of what a person is
thinking about. In this aspect, he or she is able to do what we cannot do in real
life. The reader then is in privileged position: he has, as it were, a secret listening
device plugged into the inmost thoughts of a person in his or her novel.
9) Mannerism
An author can describe a person’s mannerism, habits, or idiosyncrasies which
may also tell us something about his/ her character.
Characterization, therefore, is central to the fictional experience and the
principle objective of the creation of characters in novel is to enable us to
c. Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is a literary device that is used as an important tool in
literature to bring a dramatic effect to certain situations and thereby make more of
a mark for the work of art in its entirety (Borkar, 2011). Borkar in
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/juxtaposition-in-literature.html stated that
juxtaposition is the placement of two concepts, characters, things, events, ideas,
phrases, settings or words side by side in order to draw a contrast, create suspense,
bring about a rhetorical effect, compare, or as a tool for character development.
While Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (eleven edition) indicated that
juxtaposition is people or things next to each other or very close together,
especially to show a contrast. Juxtaposition is a theory of contrast or comparison
(Rusnak, 2010).
4. Theory of Psychology
a. Theory of Personality
Through the centuries, personality has been regarded as a practical force in
determining success or failure in life (Hurlock, 1974:1). According to Elizabeth
Hurlock there are some traditional beliefs about personality are myriad; those are
the belief that personality is inherited is expressed in the saying, certain
personality traits automatically accompany certain physical traits, and personality
changes automatically accompany body changes.
Elizabeth Hurlock (1974:2) stated that personality is a mysterious aspect
him. While Hoyer and Roodin in Adult Development and Aging (2003: 378) stated
that personality refers to a person’s distinctive patterns of behavior, thoughts, and
emotion.
Sigmund Freud in Gerrig and Philip in Psychology and life: 8th edition
(2008: 428) stated that personality differences arise from the different ways in
which people deal with their fundamental drives. To explain these differences,
Sigmund Freud divided the structure of personality into three elements; those are
the id, the ego, and the super ego.
The id is the storehouse of the fundamental drives. It operates irrationally,
acting on impulse and pushing an expression and immediate gratification without
considering whether what is desired is realistically possible, socially desirable, or
morally acceptable. According to Freud in Jess and Gregory Feist in Theories of
Personality: 6th edition (2006: 27), id is the core of personality and completely
unconscious. The id has no contact with reality, it is only satisfying basic desires
because the function is to seek pleasure. Because the id seeks to satisfy the
pleasure, it can be known from the ego because it brings a direct relation with the
external world.
The ego is representing an individual’s personal view of physical and
social reality-his or her conscious beliefs about the cause and consequences of
behavior. The ego has a direct relation with the external world and it based on the
reality happens, which puts reasonably choice before reasonable demands. At
times the ego can control the powerful, pleasure-seeking id, but sometimes it also
The third element is superego that is the storehouse of an individual’s
values, including moral attitudes learned from society. It is used to represent the
moral and ideal aspects of personality that is guided by the moralistic and
idealistic principle. The superego has two subsystem, those are conscience and
ego-ideal. Conscience develops from improper behavior and ego-ideal develops
from proper behavior. Therefore, superego and id often have conflict because the
superego insists on doing what is right and the id wants to do what feels good.
b. Theory of Motivation
Abraham Maslow in Jess and Gregory Feist in Theories of Personality: 6th
edition (2006: 277) has assumption about motivation. The first assumption is
holistic approach to motivation that is the whole person is motivated. The second
is motivation is usually complex, which is a person’s behavior may spring from
several separate motives. And the third is people are continually motivated by one
need or another.
Maslow proposed that human desires (motives) are innate and that they are
arranged in an ascending hierarchy of priority or potency. The hierarchy of needs
is used to explain how those needs may motivate us. Jess and Gregory Feist says
that Maslow’s hierarchy needs concept assumes that lower level needs must be
satisfied or at least relatively satisfied before higher level needs become
Maslow’s hierarchy needs concept is listed as follows:
1) Psychological Needs
The most basic needs of any person are psychological needs, including
food, water, oxygen, maintenance of body temperature, and so on. Maslow said
that psychological needs differ from other needs in at least two important respects.
The first, they are only needs that can be completely satisfied or even overly
satisfied. The second characteristic peculiar to psychological needs is their
recurring the nature.
2) Safety Needs
When people have partially satisfied their psychological needs, they
become motivated by safety needs, including physical security, stability,
dependency, protection, and freedom from threatening forces such as war,
terrorism, illness, fear, anxiety, danger, chaos, and natural disaster. Safety needs
cannot be overly satisfied. Most of adults satisfy their safety needs most of the
time so that make these needs relatively unimportant (279).
3) Love and Belongingness Needs
People become motivated by love and belongingness needs, such as the
desire for friendship; the wish for a mate and children; the need to belong to a
family, a club, or a nation. Love and belongingness includes some aspects of sex
and human contact as well as the need to both give and receive love, for example
children need love in order to grow psychologically. They usually straightforward
4) Esteem Needs
To extent that people satisfy their love and belongingness needs, they are
free to pursue esteem needs, which include self-respect, confidence, competence,
and the knowledge that others hold them in high esteem. According to Maslow,
there are two levels of esteem needs that are reputation and self-esteem.
Reputation is the perception of the prestige, recognition of others toward us while
self-esteem is feeling of worth and confidence (281).
5) Self-actualization Needs
Esteem needs do not always move to the level of self-actualization. Self
actualization needs include self-fulfillment, the realization of all one’s potential,
and a desire to become creative in the full sense of the word. Self-actualization is
not dependent on the satisfaction of either love or esteem needs (282).
B. Theoretical Framework
This study is going to analyze the meaning of Phoebe’s life. In order to
answer the problem formulation of this study, some theories which are used are
theory of character and characterization, theory of personality, and theory of
motivation.
The first problem is the understanding about the writer depicted the main
character in the novel. In order to solve the problem, I use the theories of character
and characterization suggested by Rohrberger and Murphy since someone’s
character is a part of personality. The theories lead the writer to see the character
also be identified not only from the physical appearance but also other criteria
which are related to the character.
After looking at the main character, the writer will focus on the second
problem that is the Phoebe’s life misery in David’s tragedy. Since this analysis
use psychological approach, the theory of personality is used. Beside, the theory
of motivation helps to know the meaning of Phoebe’s life.
C. Context of the Novel
Related to the further analysis of The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, the
view of the biography of the writer and sociopolitical and economic condition of
the setting in the story is very important to study so that the reader will get the
deeper understanding about this analysis. The biographical approach is used to
show us the Kim Edwards’ life that inspires her to write the novel. The
sociopolitical and economic condition is used to show us the society’s background
the setting of the story.
1. Setting of the Novel
The story of the novel takes place in US, in California from 1964 to 1989.
It was the period that Down Syndrome is a disease that the people who suffer it is
rejected from others because many people think that a person who suffer Down
syndrome only disturb the normal people. Beside, from the place of the novel we
can see the US culture is disagreed people who dishonest and betrays others. The
California such as Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Lexington, and some towns
near them, Paris and some countries that the characters have visited, Presbyterian
Church, David Henry’s house, Doro’s house, Paul’s school, Hospital where David
Henry and Caroline worked. Based on the places mentioned above in the novel, it
is clear that Kim Edwards is Catholic.
2. Setting of the Writer
Since the novel is based on true story, the setting of place where the writer
wrote the story is the same as it is written in the novel. The idea of the novel is
come up from the story of Pastor who told about one of the members of the
church, a man who have a twin that is hidden by his father in an institution. Since
it is a true story, Kim Edwards develops this novel based on one’s stories and then
she explores some information to support her novel, such as exploring
22
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter is divided into three parts. The first part is the object of the
study that will explain about the novel. The second is the method of the study that
will explain about some approaches that will be used in this analysis. And the
third part is the method of the study that will explain about the method used and
the procedure of the study.
A. Object of the Study
The object used in this study is a novel entitled The Memory Keeper’s
Daughter. This novel was written by Kim Edwards and was firstly published by
Viking Penguin in 2005. It is the first novel Kim Edwards has written and consists
of 513 pages and it is divided into seven chapters.
This study deals with two of the characters of the novel and his memories
as its center of attention. Phoebe and David Henry are two of major characters of
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. Phoebe is a David’s daughter, she suffers Down
syndrom and she is raised by David’s nurse named Caroline Gill because David
does not want his wife knows that their daughter suffers Down syndrome. Phoebe
is raised in another country and she does not know her own parents. She thinks
that Caroline is her own mother.
While David Henry is an orthopedic surgeon that has a bad past memory.
years old and it causes his mother falls into a deep grief. Moreover, when David
has a daughter who suffers down syndrome, he wants to hide the fact from his
wife. He tells his wife that their daughter dead in her birth. He keeps this secret
from his wife because he wants avoid a deep grief from his wife. He does not
want his wife has the same experience like his mother. This secret brings David’s
family into some problems but he never tells the truth about his daughter till the
end of his life.
In this study, the researcher tries to analyze Phoebe and David
characteristics and David’s portraits about Phoebe from the novel. Therefore, the
author of this novel used Autobiographical Method as the way to tell the story. It
means the person relating the story is the one who has experienced or witnessed or
heard about the story. (Murphy, 1972: 150). The author tells about his past
experience through this novel.
B. Approach of the Study
Psychology comes into criticism in two ways, in this investigation of the
act of creation and in the psychological study of particular authors to show the
relation between their attitudes and states of mind and the special qualities of their
work (Daiches, 1981: 329). Daiches stated in CriticalApproaches to Literature,
second edition that the use of psychology in criticism is, like the use of sociology,
genetic: it helps us to explain how literature comes into being (1981: 330).
Since this study involves the term “characterization” which is understood
psychological approach. Mary Rohrberger and Samuel H. Woods in Reading and
Writing about Literature mention that psychological approach is a viewpoint from
where readers could observe certain human recurrent pattern.
Like mythopoeic approach to literature, the psychological involves the effort to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent pattern. Unlike the mythopoeic approach, it draws on a different body of knowledge-most often on that offered by Sigmund Freud and his followers. This is not to say that all psychological criticism postdates Freud (1971: 14).
From the explanation above, it is understood that psychological approach
is aimed to observe literature specifically by using the theory of psychology, in
which the pattern of human mind is widely studied. Here, psychological theory is
utilized as the basis of the observation. The most often theory that is used in this
approach is one proposed by the founding father of psychology, Sigmund Freud.
Nevertheless, there is still a wide possibility for using other experts’ theories since
this body of knowledge is developed through time.
C. Method of the Study
This study is a desk research. It means that the primary data is a novel
entitled The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards, while the additional
sources are books and journal that have relationship with the topic. There are
some steps that are conducted in finding the answer of the problems formulation
that the writer had stated in the first chapter. The first step was choosing a certain
work for the study. Then the novel was chosen to be analyzed so the writer was
content of the story of the character and setting, then the writer tried to find the
most interesting point of the novel that can be developed into problems
formulation, and the writer also tried to collect reviews and comments on the
novel from some sources. After reading the novel, the writer tried to find the life
reality experienced by Phoebe and David Henry. This is, in fact, leading to deal
with the objective of the study.
The next step was to find the references related to the objective such as
finding out the theories and approach used in this study to limit and develop the
analysis of the study. The references to be found were related to the theory of
character and theory of setting. Those theories would be useful in finding the
answer of the problem formulation. And then, the last step was to draw conclusion
26
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
This chapter covers the character and the personality of Phoebe and how
David portrays phoebe. In order to do so, this chapter consists of two main parts.
The first part describes and analyzes Phoebe’s and David’s character as what has
been portrayed in the novel. In describing Phoebe’s and David’s character, the
theory of character and characterization and juxtaposition will be used. And the
second main part analyzes how David portrays Phoebe. It will use the theory of
personality and motivation.
A. The Description of Phoebe and David Henry
Analyzing the character in the novel is very important for the reader
because it can help the reader get more understanding. In order to do so, this part
will discuss the analysis of how the major character, Phoebe and David, are
described in the novel. The analysis will use the theory of character and
characterization based on the theory that is written in chapter two. The writer will
use two of Murphy’s nine ways in determining a character in his Understanding
Unseen: an introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for overseas
Student those are personal description, characters as seen by another, speech, past
life, conversation to others, reaction, direct comment, thought, and mannerism
character, therefore the theory of juxtaposition also will be used to describe the
characters in the novel.
1. The Description of Phoebe
In order to analyze Phoebe’s character, the researcher uses Murphy
method which is character as seen by another. In the novel, Phoebe is described:
a. Fragile
Phoebe is born as a doctor’s daughter who suffers Down syndrome. Down
syndrome is inherited syndrome who is suffered by people because of trisomy. A
people who suffer Down syndrome usually have some problem with their health.
“A mongoloid. Do you know what that means? And the doctor, dutiful, had
recited the symptoms he’d memorized from the text: flaccid muscle tone, delayed
growth and mental development, possible heart complications, early death.” (p.
21)
Phoebe also has an inherited disease that is a croup that often happens in
the night. “Her breathing was light and rapid, her small heart beat so quickly ...
This was croup, a text book case.” (p. 114) Beside, she also often gets croup when
she is shock or there is something that make her has bad feeling. One day when a
bee stung her hand, she was also getting a croup. “But Phoebe’s sobs were giving
way to a wheezing like a croup she’d suffered as a child.” (p. 215)
Because of her syndrome, Phoebe looks fragile. Caroline has to take care
of her carefully so that she will safe. This fact also makes Caroline worried about
worried at how vulnerable her daughter seemed, how exposed to the world that
swirled so mysteriously in the darkness behind her.” (p. 321)
b. Loving
Love cannot be avoided in our life because every human beings has to
have love in their life. It can be love to our parents, big family, friends, or animals.
There are no boundaries for someone to express their love. They can express their
love to others freely. Not only normal people who can feel love and express their
love. An abnormal people also can feel and express their love to others. Phoebe as
an abnormal person also has love to others. She is a child who is full of love.
“Caroline thought again of Phoebe, such a loving quicksilver child.” (p. 207)
Phoebe often expresses her love to her step-mother, Caroline. Phoebe’s
love is showed to her step-mother by giving her more affection. Phoebe often does
a simple thing that shows her love to her step-mother and that simple thing is very
meaningful for her step-mother. “Phoebe, putting her soft arms around Caroline’s
neck for no reason at all and saying, I love you, Mom.” (p. 312) Phoebe’s also
knows Caroline’s feeling when her step-mother feels happy or sad.
“Or Phoebe’s soft small hand suddenly on her knee, at a moment when Caroline was pensive or distracted, absorbed by the world and its concerns. You okay, Mom? She would say, or simply, I love you. Phoebe, riding on Al’s shoulders in the evening light, Phoebe hugging everyone she met.” (p. 208)
Phoebe not only shows her love to her family but also to her friend. Her
love is showed to Tim when they are confirmed as the member of the church.
283) She also expresses her love to her smaller friend in her school by saying love
to him. “‘I like you,’ Phoebe would announce, enveloping a smaller child.” (p.
283)
Phoebe also loves animals. Her mother knows that Phoebe loves animals
when they have a party and there is a cat in the party. Phoebe wants have a pet.
She pretends the cat as her friend by giving it her affection. “Phoebe ran up,
holding the tint kitten, a ball of pale orange, in her arms.” (p. 286) When the cat in
a danger, Phoebe tries to help it. She does not care about her health because she
wants save the cat from the danger.
“Avery!” She squatted down beside the girl, touched her wet shoulder. “Where’s Phoebe?”
“She went to get the cat,” Avery said, pointing into the pipe. “It went there.” (p. 301)
While Phoebe is cold and she was trembling, she still does not want lose her cat.
“My cat,’ she said, her voice high, determined, and Caroline felt the squirming
beneath Phoebe’s shit, heard the small mewing. ‘It’s my cat.’ ” (p. 301)
c. Stubborn
As a single daughter that her need is always completed by her step-mother,
Phoebe grows to be a stubborn. “Phoebe having tantrum and stubborn deviant,
Phoebe dressing herself that morning, so proud.” (208) Her step-mother has given
what Phoebe wants. If her step-mother does not give what she wants, she will be
angry to her like when Phoebe asks her mother to have a cat but her
step-mother rejects her. Phoebe still insists to ask her step-mother permission to have a cat.
“Later.”
“A cat,” Phoebe said.
“Damn it.” The palm of Caroline’s hand came down flat on the counter, startling them both. “Don’t talk to me anymore about cat. Do you hear?” “Sit on the porch,” Phoebe said, sullen now. “Watch the rain.” (p. 298)
Phoebe does not ask her step-mother reason why she does not allow her to
take care of the cat. In the other hand, her step-mother has a good reason. Her
step-mother does not allow Phoebe to take care of the cat because Phoebe as a
problem with her lungs. She suffers Down syndrome that brings croup as her
inherit diseases, so if Phoebe take care of a cat her mother afraid about her
diseases. While Phoebe does not care about that, the most important for her is she
can get what she wants.
Phoebe’s stubborn also can be shown when she decides to marry Robert.
Her step-mother has rejected what she wants, but she does not care, Phoebe still
wants to marry Robert. “‘No. Me and Robert, we’re getting married.’ ” (p. 440)
While her step-mother has explained many things about the risk of marriage,
Phoebe does not think about that. She only wants to marry Robert, her boyfriend.
“‘I love Robert,’ Phoebe insisted. “Robert loves me.’ ” (p. 441) She does not
consider to her step-mother consideration about marriage.
d. Dependent
Caroline Gill, Phoebe’s step-mother, has accustomed to fulfill Phoebe’s
need since Phoebe was child. She is the woman who takes care of Phoebe since
Phoebe was born until now so that she knows Phoebe’s need. Caroline knows
who raises Phoebe, she still thinks that Phoebe is dependent to others. She does
not allow Phoebe to marry Robert because she thinks about Phoebe’s future.
Caroline thinks that Phoebe still need her parents to take care of them. “Caroline
shook her head. “I just can’t imagine her out in the world. And she certainly can’t
get married, Al. What if she did get pregnant? I’m not ready to raise another child,
and that’s what it would mean.’ ” (p.442) Phoebe still cannot complete what she
needs. Therefore, Caroline does not allow Phoebe to have her own apartment.
Caroline does not sure that Phoebe can live by herself. She still needs others help.
“‘But Al, even if Phoebe moves out, she’ll never be completely independent.’ ”
(p. 443)
For example, Phoebe cannot take care of herself from stranger. She looks
like a child who always trusts everybody she meets. One day when she meets
Mike in a bus, she trusts that Mike is a good friend for her while she does not
know Mike’s background. She asks Caroline’s permission to go with Mike to a
place that she also does not know. This fact makes Caroline to be anxious. She
cannot let Phoebe go by herself using a bus anymore. Caroline has to accompany
Phoebe to go to her work place to make sure that Phoebe is safe in the way. “For
the next two days, Caroline took the bus with Phoebe to and from her job, but
Mike never showed up.” (p. 447)
Phoebe’s incident in a bus is just a little example that Phoebe still
dependent to others. Caroline cannot let her go because she also thinks about
Phoebe’s salary. A people who want to be independent outside have to complete
because her salary is not enough for her to stand-alone outside. “The incident in
the bust just was one concern. Phoebe didn’t earn enough to live on, and the
simply could not stay by herself, not even for a weekend.” (p. 448)
e. Innocent
Phoebe lives in a simple way. She always does what she likes and she does
not care to what she does not like. She never thinks deeply to something like
common people do. She just enjoys her life. Like what she has done with Mike, a
new friend that she met in a bus. Phoebe innocently asks Caroline to go with him.
She does not care about Caroline’s reaction and also her anxiety when Caroline
knows that Mike is a friend she found in a bus.
“He said, ‘Come home with me, Phoebe.’ And I said, ‘Okay, but I have to tell my mom first.’”
“What a good idea,” Caroline managed to say. “So can I? Can I go to Mike’s house tomorrow?” “Where does Mike live?”
Phoebe shrugged. “I don’t know. I see him on the bus.” “Every day?”
“Uh-huh. Can I go? I want to see his bird.” (p. 446)
Phoebe does not realize Caroline anxiety. She feels that there is no something
wrong happens with her. When Caroline asks her to accompany her to visit
Mike’s home, she just agrees innocently.
“Well, what if I come too?” Caroline said carefully. “What if we take the bus together tomorrow? That way I can meet Mike, and I’ll come to see the bird. How’s that?
“That’s good,” Phoebe said, pleased, and finished her milk. (p. 446-447)
Phoebe’s innocent also showed when Paul tells about their mother to her.
sister. For her, Caroline is her own mother. “‘Your mom is going to France.’
‘Yes,’ Paul said, though he tensed at her choice of words: your mother. A phrase
you’d use for strangers, and of course they all were.” (p. 500) Phoebe does not
know Paul’s feeling, she thinks that she has chosen the right words. The same
words also Phoebe used when Paul invites her to go to their father grave. Phoebe
does not realize that the grave is her father’s. She said to Paul that she also will be
sad if his father died. Phoebe thinks that her father is still alive because for her Al
is her father, not David Henry.
“Our father,” he said.
“Our father,” she said, “who art in heaven hallowed by thy name.” “No,” he said, surprised.”Our father. My father. Yours.”
“Our father,” she repeated, and he felt a surge of frustration, for her words were agreeable, mechanical, of no significance in her life.
“You’re sad,” she observed, then. “if my father died, I’d be sad too.”
f. Inconsistent
Phoebe is included into an inconsistent person. When she was thirdteen
years old, she can change her feeling and her emotion in the same time. She can
be happy then be sad in the same time as what she wants. “Phoebe, at thirteen,
was short for her age, chubby, still impulsive and impassioned, slow to learn but
moving from joy to pensivenes to sadness and back to joy with an astonishing
speed.” (p. 282) She expresses her feeling depend on the situation and condition
of her heart. She never thinks about others opinion because she knows herself
because she feels that this world is hers. “Phoebe’s expression was touched with a
disappoinment as acute as her earlier joy. Merculiar, quicksilver – whatever she
Until she is going to be adult, she still can change her emotion and feeling
in the same time. She also easily influences by others feeling because she can
feels others feeling but she can control herself. Like what she has felt when Paul
tells her that he was sad. Phoebe can feels Paul feeling. She is easily change to be
sad but she can change to be happy then.
“well, you look sad.”
“I am sad,” he said. “Actually, I’m very, very sad.”
She nodded, and for a moment she seemed to have joined him in his sadness, his expression clouding up and then, an instant later, clearing. (p. 496)
2. The Description of David Henry
In order to analyze David Henry’s character, the researcher uses Murphy’s
methods which are past life and character as seen by another. In the novel, David
Henry is described:
a. Character based on His Past Life
Murphy stated that past life can help the reader to understand about
person’s character. Therefore, by knowing someone’s past life we will know
someone’s characteristics. Based on this theory, David Henry is described as:
1) Mysterious
Since David Henry comes as a new doctor in a clinic in Lexington, he
looks so mysterious. He never tells about his background to others. He only tells
about his study in Pittsburgh. “That aside from mentioning his time in Pittsburgh
now and then, a fact already known from his resume and diploma, he never made
reference to the past. For Caroline, this reticence gave him an air of mystery,” (p.
really know about David’s personality because of his mysterious. Caroline only
knows a part of his story and she does not know David well until she brings
Phoebe, David’s daughter, to an institution in Louisville. “But then she was
beyond it all, and when she reached the split in the highway she chose to go north,
to Cincinnati and then to Pittsburgh, following the Ohio River to the place where
Dr. Henry had lived a part of his mysterious past.
David Henry becomes a mysterious since he graduated from his high
school. It is an incident when he received a scholarship in a university in
Pittsburgh. There is a mistake in writing David’s name that he has not cleared.
“David Henry she had typed already, correctly. But the last name, McCallister,
had been lost.” (p. 330) In the scholarship letters, everything is written clear
except his name. “The address was right, and every other detail from his date of
birth to his Social Security number – all these were correct.” (p. 329) This
incident makes David comes to this world as a mysterious person. He keeps his
identity from others so that no one knows about him.
“He had never told anyone. He had gone off to college and registered, and no one ever knew. It was, after all, his true name. Still, David Henry was a different person from David Henry Mccallister, that much he knew, and it seemed clear it was as David Henry he was meant to go to college, a person with no history, unburdened by the past. A man with a chance to make himself anew.” (p. 330)
2) Obedient
David is born as an obedient son. He rose in a poor family who only has
money for their daily necessary. Therefore, to get money to pay his school bill he
school, those snakes,’ he said.” (p. 153) He spent his playing time to get the
snakes in the forest. “Snake money. He was a boy, eight or nine, and it was one
thing he could do.” (153)
In his family, he also can be a good brother for his sister. His mother
always asks him to take care of his sister, June, and he never rejects it. “That and
protect June. Watch your sister, his mother would caution, looking up from the
stove.” (p. 153) Besides, he also does a house work. He helps his mother in home
with pleasure because there is no one who helps his mother except him. “Feed the
chickens and clean the coop and weed the garden.” (p. 153) His father goes to the
town to get enough money to pay June’s medicine because June suffers Down
syndrome.
One day when June has dead, his mother live in a grief and she does not
do her daily job, he is a good son who replacing his mother to finish her job. “He
fed the chickens and milked the cow. He did these ordinary things ...” (p. 154)
David also obey what his mother want that he has to learn something that can help
the world. “Davy, his mother said, a long time later, from the shadows where she
sat, You go off to school. Learn something that could help in the world.” (p. 155)
And finally, he decides to be a doctor in his future.
b. David’s Character based on Other’s Opinion about David
1) Protective
David is a good husband for Norah Henry. He cares to Norah and always
protect her in her pregnant. “He found himself wanting to protect her instead, to
carry her up flights of stairs, to wrap her in blankets, to bring cups of custard.” (p.
5) David also wants to keeps his wife feeling by taking away his daughter who
suffers Down syndrome. He does not want his wife live in a grief so that he
decides to send their daughter to an institution in Louisville. He wants take care of
Norah by avoiding a sadness from her. “ ‘Don’t you see?’ he asked, his voice soft.
‘This poor child will most likely have a serious heart defect. A fatal one. I’m
trying to spare us all a terrible grief.’” (p. 24)
David thinks that by taking away their daughter from their family will
makes their family live hapier and he hopes he do the right action. He will do
everything to make his family happy. “ ‘I wish you were happier,’ he said softly.
‘I wish there were something I could do.’ (p. 198) Therefore he tells his wife that
their daughter was dead. While the fact is different with what he has imagined
before. The fact shows that Norah still live in a grief because she losses her
daughter so that David has to think about what should he do to release his wife
sadness “He had wanted to spare her, to protect her from loss and pain; he had not
understood that loss would follow her regardless, as persistent and life-shaping as
a stream of water.” (p. 139) In the other hand, Norah does not like it. She does not
like David’s behaviour in treating her and David’s effort to be a hero for her and
