ALLIE’S ABSURDISM IN NICHOLAS SPARK’S
THE
NOTEBOOK
A THESIS
Submitted as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Sarjana Degree of English Department Faculty of Letters and Humanities State Islamic University of Sunan Ampel
Surabaya
By:
Nadya Rahmi Safitri
Reg. Number: A83212173
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LETTERS AND HUMANITIES
Surabaya.
The Advisor: Abu Fanani, S.S., M.Pd.
This thesis talks about absurdism found in The Notebook novel by Nicholas Spark. This thesis focuses on Allie Nelson as one of main characters in the novel. The aim of this thesis is to describe Allie characterization and Allie’s absurdism in love in the novel. This thesis is descriptive analytic. It uses library based study to collect books, journals and internet sources having related with this analysis.
The result of this thesis, researcher finds some characterizations of Allie; she is high-class, socialite, and romantic. Allie has a problem in her love story. Normally, a women will choose a man with promising job and convincing life as her spouse in the future. As a women from high-class she prefers to choose a common man, Noah, than prominent man, Lon. She choose Noah because she felt that her relationship with him it makes her life so colorful.
ABSTRAK
Safitri, Nadya Rahmi.2016. Allie’s Absurdism in the Novel Nicholas Spark’s The Notebook. Skipsi. Sastra Inggris. Fakultas Sastra dan Humaniora. Universitas Islam Sunan Ampel Surabaya.
Pembimbing: Abu Fanani, S.S., M.Pd.
Penelitian ini membahas tentang keabsud-an yang ada pada novel The Notebook karya Nicholas Spark. Penelitian ini fokus kepada Allie Nelson sebagai karakter utama di dalam novel. Tujuan dari penulisan ini untuk mendeskripsikan karakter Allie dan keabsurdan yang terjadi pada kisah percintaan Allie. Penelitian ini adalah penelitian kualitatif. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian kepustakaan yaitu mengumpulkan buku-buku, jurnal dan referensi internet yang memiliki hubungan dengan analisis ini.
Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa peneliti menemukan beberapa karakter Allie; dia adalah wanita dari kelas atas, sosialita, dan tipikal wanita romantis. Allie mempunyai masalah di dalam percintaaannya. Biasanya, seorang wanita akan memilih laki-laki yang memiliki pekerjaan yang menjanjikan dan memastikan hidup mereka sejahtera untuk masa depan. Sebagai wanita dari kalangan atas, Allie lebih memilih laki-laki biasa yaitu Noah daripada laki-laki yang sukses yaitu Lon. Dia memilih Noah karena dia merasa bahwa hubungan dengannya membuat hidupnya menjadi berwarna.
Declaration Page ... iii
Dedication Page ... iv
Motto ... v
Advisor’s Approved Page ... vi
Examiner’s Approval Page ... vii
Acknowledgment ... viii
Table of Contents ... x
Abstract ... xii
Intisari ... xiii
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background of study ... 1
1.2. Statement of the Problem ... 5
1.3. Objective of the study ... 6
1.4. Scope and Limitation ... 6
1.5. Significant of the study... 6
1.6. Method of the study ... 7
1.7. Definition of key terms ... 8
2.1.2 Characterization ... 14
2.2 Absurdism in Literature ... 16
2.2.1 Absurdism ... 17
2.3 Review of Related Studies... 22
CHAPTER 3 ANALYSIS 3.1 Characterization of Allie ... 24
3.2 Allie’s Absurdism in Love ... 30
CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSION ... 43
WORKS CITED ... 45
APPENDIXES SYNOPSIS ... 48
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
“Etymologically, the Latin word “litteratura” is derived from“littera” (letter), which is the smallest element of alphabetical writing” (Klarer 14). It
refers to written or text of words. Now, the term literature is more focused to imaginative works, which comes up from the imaginative mind of the story writers. Klarer says that literature refers to the entirely written expression, with the restriction that not every written document can be categorized as literature in the more exact sense of the word (1). It means that literature is a witting
expression by the authors. Not all of written text can be called as a literature. Literature can be said as a creative witting by an author which makes literature regarded as an art.
Eagleton also states that term Literature is 'imaginative' writing in the sense of fiction. It means that literature is not only just written expression but also written imagination by the author (1). Literature is not just a document of facts and it is not just the collection of real events though it may happen in the real life. Literature can create its own world as a product of the unlimited imagination. “In
present times, literature generally taken to be imaginative compositions, mainly printed but earlier (and still, in some cultures) was oral, whether dramatic, metrical or prose in form” (Childs 129). Literary is not only in written texts but
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not write literary works, but they only tell stories orally to the people around them.
In the reality, literary development has increasingly until come in modern era which influence by globalization. English and American modernism can be seen as a reaction to the realist movements of the late nineteenth century. Klarer says “Modernism” is a blanket term which encompasses the extensive literary
innovations in the first decades of the twentieth century which manifest themselves under the influence of psychoanalysis and other cultural-historical phenomena (72). Thus literature development in this era is grounded on realist movement and influence of historical phenomena.
Novel is one of literary works. “Novel is derived from Italian, novella, „tale, piece of news and now applies to a wide variety of writings whose only common attribute is that they are extended piece of prose fiction” (Cuddon 581).
It means that novel is a text and one of variety of writing. Novel is the long story that tells a lot of events inside, such as; love story, adventure, humor, war,
struggle, and so on. The theme in some of novel in this era mostly focuses on their experience like isolated, despondent, psychological problems, historical rejection, and contradiction between the universe and human mind so that make the
condition become absurd.
“The absurd is born out of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world” (Camus 3). It means that sometimes human
philosophy stating that the effort of humanity to find meaning in the universe ultimately fail, because no such meaning exists, at least in relation to humanity.
Nagel said that a situation is absurd when it includes a conspicuous discrepancy between pretension or aspiration and reality (718). All of human certainly have pretension or aspiration in their live. They will attempt to make their pretension come into being. Unfortunately, not all pretension became real, sometimes what we want does not always come and this condition is absurd to human. “When a person finds himself in an absurd situation, he will usually
attempt to change it, by modifying his aspirations, or by trying to bring reality into better accord with them, or by removing himself from the situation entirely”
(Nagel 718).
One of the novels which contains absurdism is a novel with the title „The Notebook”. It is one of the popular novels written by Nicholas spark. It was
firstly published in October 1996. It was on The New York Times Best Seller list in its first week of release. The Notebook is a romantic novel based on a true story. Nicholas Spark said he was inspired to write the novel by the grandparents of his wife, who had been married for more than 60 years when he meets them. In this novel, Spark tried to express the long romantic love of that couple.
The Notebook told about the old man, Noah who lived in the nursing home because his wife, Allie, lived there too. Allie has illness, Alzheimer which made her lose the brain memory. Therefore, Allie forgot that she had a husband,
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read to Allie about their love story. He hopes that her wife can remember him as her husband and their love story which happened when they were young.
The researcher wants to focus on Allie as one of major characters. When Allie’s young, she has problem of love. The way Allie chooses is quite unique for
a woman.
Allie is a girl from the upper-class who loved some man that is Noah. She falls in love with Noah when she spends the summer in New Bern with her family because her father worked in Tobaco firm. Unfortunately, her parent opposed the relationship between her daughter with Noah. Her parents said that Noah is not appropriate with Allie because he came from a lower-class. Her parent took Allie to move out of town to make her separate for Noah.
A few years later Allie meets Lon when she is volunteering at the hospital. She is falling in love with him. She saw in him exactly what she needed; someone with confidence about the future and a sense of humor that drove all her fears away. Allie agrees to be engaged with Lon. Her parent is very happy about Allie’s decision to be engaged with Lon. In Allie’s perspective at him, Lon is a perfect
man because he is handsome, responsible, matured. He works as a lawyer and so rich.
A few weeks before their marriage, Allie met again with Noah in his House. In there, Noah can make Allie feel comfortable with him. Noah is very different from Lon, he is a romantic man. It makes Allie falls in love again with Noah. So, Allie prefers Noah. She knows that she should not choose Noah and leaving Lon because Noah is not appropriated with her. As a women from upper-class, Allie ought to choose man from same class, but she prefer man from lower class and it’s make her condition become absurd. She takes a risk for her life because she
choose Noah. She must try hard to convince Lon that her choice is the best for her.
Allie’s change is suitable with Nagel’s prediction that person finds himself
in an absurd situation, he will usually attempt to change it, by modifying his aspirations, or by trying to bring reality into better accord with them, or by
removing himself from the situation entirely. Allie take the first decision. She just modifies her aspiration from a prominent man into a common man. Noah is unpredictable. He often surprises Allie in many ways. It makes Allie’s life so
colorful. She convinces everyone about her choice. From the story above, Allie’s decision to leave Lon for Noah shows her condition is absurd.
Thus, from the background above, the researcher analyzes absurdity in the novel entitled The Notebook which is written by Nicholas Spark.
1.2 Statement of Problems
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1. How is Allie characterized in the novel Nicholas Spark’s The Notebook? 2. How is Allie„s absurdism described in the novel Nicholas Spark’s The
Notebook?
1.3 Objectives of Study
Based on the statement problems above, the research formulates the purposes of the study as follows:
1. To describe Allie’s character in the novel Nicholas Spark’s The Notebook. 2. To describe Allie’s absurdism in the novel Nicholas spark’s The Notebook.
1.4 Scope and Limitation
The study will be limited to the novel „The Notebook”. The study focuses on
the absurdist represented in the novel. To answer statement of problem above, the researcher focus on how the character of Allie Nelson having condition of being absurd in her love story. The scope of this study is the absurdism of Allie and her effort to take decision that is living with Noah.
1.5 Significance of the Study
of English Letter Department, Adab Faculty and Humanities of State Islamic University Sunan Ampel.
1.6 Method of Study
This research discusses how the research to do. It has divided into four main sub chapters. They are research design, research data, data collection and method, and data analysis.
1.6.1 Research Design
To answer the statement of problem number one and two, the researcher use library research by using some books and other references like articles, journals, and websites relate to the subject matter that will be analyzed. The researcher use descriptive qualitative to be a method and approach to analyze of the main character in the novel „The Notebook’ by Nicholas Spark.
1.6.2 Research data
There are two sources of data, that is primary data and secondary data. The primary data in this research takes from the novel „The Notebook’ by Nicholas Spark especially in Allie’s character. The secondary data is taken from thesis,
journal, articles, blog and other article that related with this research.
1.6.3 Data Collection Method
There are some steps that the writer used in order to present the analysis:
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2. Underline the paragraph, sentences or phrases from the novel that deal with problem of this study by comprehending reading to get the validity of the data.
3. Selecting some references to support this study.
4. Collecting the data that support the analysis such as articles and online resources by reading the books from library and downloading some materials from internet.
1.6.4 Data Analysis
After collecting the data, the researcher will produce the data and divide into some steps. First, the researcher chooses one problem in the story that wants to be analyze. Second, the researcher chooses the theories that related with the problem of the data. Third, the researchers analyze the data based on the theory.
1.7 Definition of Key Term
1.7.1 Character : The fictional representation of a person, which is likely to change, both as a presence in literature and as an object of critical attention, much as it changes in society. Ideas of the place of the human in the social order, of human
individuality and self-determination, clearly shift historically; and this is often mimed in literature by the relation of characters to actions or webs of story. (Child,23) 1.7.2 Consciousness: The condition of being conscious; the normal state of
around you. A person’s mind and though (merriam
-webster.com).
1.7.3 Choice : The act of choosing; the act of picking or deciding between two or more possibilities. The opportunity or power to choose between two or more possibilities (merriam-webster.com).
CHAPTER II LITERARY REVIEW
In this chapter, the writer will discuss about literary theories that are used to analyze the novel. The writer use Absurdism Theory as a main theory to analyze Absurd of main character. The writer also use New Criticism theory as a second theory to analyze character and characterization, especially to analyze main character. Instead, the writer discuses related study.
2.1New Criticism Theory
“The New Criticism is an Anglo-American variety of Formalism that
emerged in the early decades of the twentieth century and dominated teaching and scholarship until the early 1960s” (Castle 134). New criticism is one of theories
that has been used by scholars for long time for analyzing literary work, in the past several decades. So in this sense, New Criticism is still a real presence among us and probably will remain so for some time to come. The most important
concepts of this theory are concerning the nature and importance of textual evidence (135).
The authors interpret their though into the text itself. “The reader response can see the author’s intention by language of text itself; its images, symbols,
metaphors, rhyme, meter, point of view, setting, characterization, plot, and so forth, which, because they form, or shape, the literary work are called its formal elements” (Tyson 134). So we can see how the author interpreted their though by
The importance of the formal elements of a literary text is a product of the nature of literary language, which, for New Criticism, is very different from scientific language and from everyday language. Scientific language, and a good deal of everyday language, depends on denotation, the one to one correspondence between words and the objects or ideas they represent. Scientific language doesn’t draw attention to itself, doesn’t try to be beautiful or emotionally evocative.
Literary language, in contrast, depends on connotation: on the implication, association, suggestion, and evocation of meanings and of shades of meaning. In addition, literary language is expressive: it communicates tone, attitude, and feeling. While everyday language is often connotative and expressive, too, in general it is not deliberately or systematically so, for its chief purpose is practical. Everyday language wants to get things done (34).
So, New Criticism believes that the literary text can be understood primarily by understanding its form, a clear understanding of the definitions of specific formal elements is important. Because of the form in text is a reflected of author’s mind.
2.1.1 Character
“Characters are the persons represented in a dramatic or narrative work,
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person is described not as an individualized personality but as an example of some vice or virtue or type, such as a busybody, a superstitious fellow, a fop, a country bumpkin, a garrulous old man, a happy milkmaid, etc.
On the one hand, Benneth says that Characters are the life of literature: they are the objects of our curiosity and fascination, affection and dislike, admiration and condemnation (60). Indeed, so intense is our relationship with literary characters that they often cease to be simply „objects’. Character in the literary work can make us understand the story and make us curious about this story.
So, character in literature is an extended verbal representation of human being, especially the inner self that determines though, speech and behavior. In the literature, the authors make interaction like dialogue, action, and commentary by portraying characters who are worth caring about, rooting for, and even loving, although there are also character whom public may laugh, dislike or even hate.
In the literary works, characters became one of the most important aspect that must exist in the literary works. Without the character, a literary work will be nonsense because this aspect could make the literary work alive. On the other hand, the existence of the character that created by authors is make story seems true life.
Kind of Character
says in the book A Glossary of Literary Terms,“a flat character (also called a
type,or “two-dimensional”) is built around “a single idea or quality” and is
presented without much individualizing detail, and therefore can be described adequately in a single phrase or sentence” (43). It means that a flat character is a very simple personality, often called “one or two dimensional” characters. The
writer does not provide enough information for us to understand them.
On the other hand, according to Edgar “a flat character is not dynamic and static” (136). Flat characters are usually minor character in the literary works that
appears, but not always so. Although flat character is a minor character in the story, their appearance cannot be neglected because they play to construct the whole story and sometimes to make the round character become more central.
Contrasted with flat characters, “round character is complex in
temperament and motivation and is represented with subtle particularity; such a character therefore is as difficult to describe with any adequacy as a person in real life, and like real persons, is capable of surprising us” (Abrams 135).Round
character is a character that is very detailed and the reader can able to see and visualize all side of this character.
According to Edgar “round characters are usually the major figures in a story” (136). The authors portrayed a round character in greater depth and more
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is not the same (117). Their superiority is determined by dominance, mostly appearance and influence toward the whole development in the story. When the authors can make a good develops the round character in more detail, it can make the reader easily to remember and reminded the character.
2.1.2 Characterization
The writers will use a variety of techniques to help readers get to know the characters in the story and what the characters are like.
Characterization is a name for the methods a writer uses to reveal a character’s values, feelings, goals, etc. to readers. When revealing a character’s
traits, a writer can do so using direct characterization or indirect characterization.
Holman says characterization is the creation of imaginary persons (75). The ability to characterize the people of one’s imagination successfully is a
primary attribute of a good novelist, dramatist, or short story writer. Holman also state that there are three fundamental methods of characterization in fiction:
1. The explicit presentation by the author of the character through direct exposition.
2. The presentation of the character in action, with little or no explicit comment by the author. The reader is expected to be able to give attributes of the actor from the action.
3. The presentation from within the character, without comment on the character’s inner self, with the expectation that the reader will come to a clear understanding of the attributes of the character. (75)
character. It is very useful method because we can analyze a character of someone by looking at his behavior, speech, and appearance.
The authors might develop a character through dialogue, and action. There are two ways the authors can convey information about a character; direct and indirect characterization.
Direct presentation they tell us straight out, by exposition or analysis, what the character are like, or have someone else in the story tell us what they are like. In indirect presentation the authors show us the characters in action; what they are like from what they think or say or do (Perrine 66)
Direct Characterization is when a writer conveys information about a character by telling the information directly to the reader. This is done through narration when the author comes right out and tells the reader things about the character. Direct characterization makes it easy for readers to come to clear understandings about the character. However, most
information about characters is not so easily ascertained. That is because most of our understandings about characters must be arrived at as a result of indirect characterization.
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In literary works, the character is varied and each of the character is different traits because actually characters in literary works refer to a real human being behavior and personality. So, character and characterization are interrelated, also character become an important point to analyze in this study.
2.2 Absurdism in Literature
Absurdism boomed in literature after World War II when Samuel Beckett wrote Waiting For Godot. The absurdest genre grew out of the modernist literature of the late 19th and early 20th century in direct opposition to the Victorian literature which was prominent just prior to this period. It was largely influenced by the existentialist and nihilist movements in philosophy. Both philosophy and literature are the same in having reality as its departure.
Absurdism is not easily separated with postmodernism. It is an era as a reaction against modernism in the wake of World War II, beginning of Cold War, early of Civil Right in the United States and the start of post colonialism (Sharma & Chaudhary 191). Postmodernism influence many aspect of human life
2.2.1 Absurdism Theory
The word „absurd’ connotes something that does not follow the roots of
logic. From the Oxford dictionary, the word „absurd’ means unreasonable, meaningless and ridiculous. The word absurd also may refer to incongruous, unreasonable, and illogical. If we apply the word absurd in literary work, we will find the meaningless of the work in the way the story finds its result or purpose. Kiekegaard said in his Journal about absurdism;
What is the Absurd? It is as may quite easily be seen, that I, a rational being, must act in a case where my reason, my powers of reflection, tell me: you can just as well do the one thing as the other, that is to say where my reason and reflection say: you cannot act and yet here is where I have to act.... The Absurd, or to act by virtue of the absurd, is to act upon faith... I must act, but reflection has closed the road so I take one of the possibilities and say: this is what I do, I cannot do otherwise because I am brought to a standstill by my powers of reflection (27).
Only human life can be absurd. Other animals are not absurd within the world they inhabit because they do not perceive themselves in a way that they allow them to reflect on their place within it. In contrast, the self-conscious man awakens within his surroundings to find himself out-of-joint:
“There can be no absurd outside the human mind. Thus, like everything else, the absurd ends with death. But there can be no absurd outside this world either. And it is by this elementary criterion that I judge the notion of the absurd as essential and consider that it can stand as the first of my truths (Camus, MS; p. 35).”
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argument is that the universe is absurd, i.e. that there is objectively no meaning in the world.
“The absurd depends on man as on the world. For the moment it is all that links them together. It binds them one to the other as only hatred can weld two creatures together. This is all I can discern clearly in this measureless universe where my adventure takes place” (Camus 16).
The writer find that Camus’ argument on the absurd can be summarized as
follows: Between myself and the universe, there is such a gap in meaning, so great that one must ask, “How could it be possible for any meaning to exist?” From his quotation above, it is clear that Camus believes that this principle of absurdity, that there is no meaning in the universe, must follow from the two terms and the understanding of their relationship (Teachout 2).
Nagel contrasts his sense of absurdity with Camus. There are two main differences between Nagel and Camus. Nagel’s absurdity is constituted by our
failure to find objective reasons to justify the concern central to our lives. The doubt that arises from consciousness of the objective perspective collides with the commitments of the subjective perspective. Until this objective consciousness awakens in us, we are not absurd, for the conflict is not present. For Camus, absurdity is a feature of our confrontation with the external world and
Nagel’s states in his journal „The Absurd” to describe and understand absurdity as a feeling. “Most people feel on occasion that life is absurd, and some feel it vividly and continually. (716)”After noting the near universality of this feeling, Nagel’s effort is to offer an explanation of why we have this feeling.
Nagel distinguishes between the feeling that accompanies absurd situations and the feeling that human life as such is absurd.
In ordinary life a situation is absurd when it includes a conspicuous discrepancy between pretension or aspiration and reality: someone gives a complicated speech in support of a motion that has already been passed; a notorious criminal is made president of a major philanthropic foundation; you declare your love over the telephone to a recorded announcement; as you are being knighted, your pants fall down. (718)
With this conception of absurdity in mind, Nagel argues that there are grounds for supposing that there is a general and inevitable discrepancy between pretension or aspiration (what we think should be happening) and reality (what really is happening), and thus that our lives are absurd. The absurd conflict is apparent.
“If life itself is absurd, there has to be a universal philosophical sense to absurdity, a way in which pretension and reality clash for all of us” (719). Nagel
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We cannot live human live without energy and attention, nor without making choices which show that we take some things more seriously than others. From it, we have a point of view outside the particular form of our lives, from which the seriousness appears gratuitous. These viewpoints collide in us, and that is what makes life absurd. It is absurd because we ignore the doubts that we know cannot be settled, continuing to live with nearly undiminished seriousness in spite of them (719).
Nagel sets himself two tasks in defending his sense of absurdity: “This
analysis requires defense in two respects: first as regards the unavoidable of seriousness; second as regards the inescapable of doubt.” (719) Seriousness and
doubt, the conditions for absurdity, are for Nagel inextricably intertwined with two perspectives that are essential parts of human person hood. According to Randles „Nagel maintains that neither of the perspectives can be eliminated, and thus, neither can the resulting seriousness or the doubt’ (14). As a result, absurdity
cannot be eliminated.
Nagel argues has another reasons that make human life is absurd they are; circumstances and personal relation. „Many people's lives are absurd, temporarily
or permanently, for conventional reasons having to do with their particular ambitions, circumstances, and personal relations’ (718).Absurdity in human life
When a person in absurd situation, he must take a choice. Nagel states that have three choice when a human in absurd situation.
When a person finds himself in an absurd situation, he will usually attempt to change it,
1. by modifying his aspirations, or by
2. trying to bring reality into better accord with them, or by 3. Removing himself from the situation entirely. (718)
Modifying his aspiration; it means that we change the condition. Trying to bring reality into better accord with them; we know that the reality is not suitable with our pretension, and we try to bring the reality to become what we want. Removing himself from the situation entirely; it means we receive the reality. We does not change the reality itself.
All of human certainly will be in the absurd situation because not all pretension is become true. It doesn’t matter that a human in the absurd situation,
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2.3 Review of Related Study
The first is Devotion In Nicholas Spark’s The Notebook (1996): An
Individual Psychological Approach. This thesis is written by Yuli Andria Fajarini in Muhammadiyah University Surakarta. The object of this thesis is to analyze the novel based on its structural elements and the devotion of Noah that deals with
inferiority feeling and compensation, striving for superiority, fictional finalism, style of life, social interest, and creative self-using an individual psychological approach. The result of the study revealed that the major character, Noah Calhoun is affected by the psychological effect. Noah fights hard to get his true love and shows her his devotion. He dedicates all of his live for her, Allie.
The similarities between researcher and Yuli Andrian is using same the object, novel The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. The differences between this thesis with the researcher in the character and the theories. Yuli Andrian analyze about the Noah’s Character and used psychological theory and the researcher
analyze about Allie’s character and used Absurdism theory.
The second is The Type of Love as Reflected through the Main Characters and Their Conflicts in Spark’s The Notebook. This thesis is written by Silvina Ayu
is able to show the type of love as reflected through the characteristics of the main characters and their conflicts that happened in their love journey. The
characteristics and the love of Noah and Allie can fulfill each other in facing the conflicts in their relationship. They have a type of love, which is called Eros love or Erotic love because there is an exclusiveness which cannot be found in other type of love. It proves with sexual desire, full commitment in all aspects of their life, and the affection of their love in their marriage.
CHAPTER III ANALYSIS
In this chapter, firstly the writer analyzes Allie’s character in this Novel The
Notebook. By examining her character, the writer tries to gain profound knowledge about the character of Allie clearly. The writer uses New Criticism theory to analyze Allie’s character. After having the fundamental background of Allie’s character through studying her characterization more intensely, then this study intended to reveal why Allie’s change. The second, the writer analyzes Allie’s absurdism in this Novel The Notebook. The writer used Absurdism theory specifically Nagel’s concept to guide the analysis in exposing the cause that leads Allie’s changes.
3.1 Allie’s characterization in Nicholas Spark’s The Notebook
This part will explain character of Allie. As Robert states that round characters are usually the major figures in a story. The authors portrayed a major character in greater depth and more generous detail. In the novel The Notebook,
Allie is a one of main character. It can be seen by the domination of Allie’s
characters in the whole story from the beginning, middle, and in the end of the story. Additionally, Allie has influenced the whole plot of the story because the story tells about everything related with Allie.
determined by dominance, mostly appearance and influence toward the whole development in the story. We know that the main character is not only one in this novel because this novel tells about romantic love between one woman and two men. There are two others characters as a main character in the novel that supports Allie in the whole plot; they are Noah Calhoun and Lon Hammond. In other word, they contribute completely from the beginning up to the end of the story.
The author has some various techniques to know Allie’s character in the story. As Perrine says that there are two methods that often used by author to portray the character in literary work, those are direct and indirect characterization. Direct presentation tells us straight out, by exposition or analysis, what the character are like, or have someone else in the story tells us what they are like. In indirect presentation the authors shows us the characters in action; what they are like from what they think or say or do.
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been called beautiful since she was a young girl, and once she was naked, she looked at herself in the mirror.(48)
Her father works in Tobaco firm. As the daughter of well-to-do parents, Allie’s primary responsibility is to be prim and proper. Every day, she practices
piano, studies French, and does all the other activities becoming of a well-off young lady.
She was pretty still, with thick hair and soft eyes, and she moved so gracefully that it almost seemed as though she were gliding. He’d seen beautiful women before, though, women who caught his eye, but to his mind they usually lacked the traits he found most desirable. Traits like intelligence, confidence, strength of spirit, passion, traits that inspired others to greatness, traits he aspired to himself (93). Fin told him she was spending the summer in New Bern with her family because her father worked for R. J. Reynolds, and though he only nodded. (36)
Furthermore, Allie is portrayed as a woman who is more concerned with the family name in marriage, because she lives in a society that has the same view.
The author portrays Allie as a painter. She has learned painting since a child. When she was young, she began to study more deeply in painting.
“I remember being unable to stop painting after I went home that summer. I think it was my way of avoiding the pain I was going through. Anyway, I ended up majoring in art in college because it was something I had to do; I remember spending hours in the studio all by myself and enjoying every minute. I loved the freedom I felt when I created, the way it made me feel inside to make something beautiful. Just before I graduated, my professor, who happened to also be the critic for the paper, told me I had a lot of talent. He told me I should try my luck as an artist. But I didn’t listen to him.” (133)
From the quotation above, it is clear that she likes painting very much. She feels free when she creates some sketch. She spent hours in the studio and she feels very joyfully with it. Moreover, her professor said that she has talented to become an artist.
She leaves the activities that are considered inappropriate for a woman from upper-class even though she has talented. That activity is painting.
“My parents didn’t think it was proper for someone like me to paint for a living. I just stopped after a while. I haven’t touched a brush in years.” (134).
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Her mother also prohibits her daughter to have relationship with man from lower-class. When she knows her daughter has relationship with Noah from lower-class, she was angry.
Her mother had never really accepted what had happened the summer they’d spent here and wouldn’t accept it now, no matter what reason she gave. (50)
She has no choice except to return with her family to Winston-Salem. Noah writes a letter to Allie every day. But the letter he wrote when unanswered. In fact, her mother keeps Noah’s letter because she does not want Allie has
relationship again with him.
The author portrays Allie as a sociable woman. She likes become a popular. She likes to become a center of attention.
Allison Nelson, twenty-nine years old and engaged, a socialite, searching for answers she needed to know,(81)
Occasionally she felt like running away with Lon to get married without the fuss. But she knew he wouldn’t agree; like the aspiring politician she was, she loved being the center of attention (73).
It was Wednesday, which meant bridge at the country club, then on to the Junior Women’s League, where they would probably be arranging another fund-raiser for the private school or hospital. After that, a visit with her mother, then home to get ready for dinner with Lon, because he made it a point to leave work by seven. (181).
Although she is a woman from upper-class, she still cares with other people. She and her friends make some agenda of charities that can help other people. Allie volunteers as a nurse to help wounded World War II veterans.
The author portrayed her as the romantic woman. She likes a quiet atmosphere, warm with a beautiful view and it makes her comfortable.
She always loved evenings like this, evenings where the faint aroma of autumn leaves rode on the backs of soft southern winds. She loved the trees and the sounds they made. Listening to them helped her relax even more (104).
She wanted something else, something different, and something more. Passion and romance, perhaps, or maybe quiet conversations in
candlelit rooms, or perhaps something as simple as not being second. (150)
She wants to make their relationship become romantic. She hopes that her fiance can make their relationship more romantic. She likes candlelit dinner, passion, a good quality time without disturb from his works and something simple that can make a situation to be romantic.
Based on the explanation about the characterization of Allie above, it discloses how Allie’s personality and behavior is. This study of main character’s characterization can lead to disclose Allie’s personality and behavior. It shows the alteration of Allie’s behavior throughout the story.
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3.2 Absurdity in love
Based on the discussion of Allie’s characterization above, Allie is a sociable
woman who is more concerned with the upper-class life. Allie’s life is like most other women. Unfortunately, love story of Allie becomes absurd because her choice is not normally like another woman. In the following analysis, this study will discuss about absurdity in love of Allie by using absurdity theory of Nagel.
Nagel argued that there are grounds for supposing that there is a general and inevitable discrepancy between pretension and aspiration (what we think should be happening) and reality (what really is happening), and thus that our lives are absurd. The pretension of main character, Allie, is to have a perfect husband. She wants to have a husband from upper-class, and has a prestigious Job. Allie’s character is sociable, she didn’t want her husband have different class with her.
She takes a choice to engage with Lon. She meets with Lon when she becomes a volunteer at the hospital downtown.
He was handsome, intelligent, and driven, a successful lawyer eight years older than she, and he pursued his job with passion, not only winning cases, but also making a name for himself (44). He was a gentleman, both mature and responsible, and during those terrible periods of the war when she needed someone to hold her, he never once turned her away. She felt secure with him; and knew he loved her as well, and that was why she had accepted his proposal (45).
Her family also likes him and treats him well as their daughter’s future husband. Lon can convince Allie’s family by his appearance and social status.
Lon can make successful himself, from this her parents think that he can make her daughter be a good wife and can fulfill her needs.
Allie’s think Lon is a man that she wants. She thinks that all of her
pretension of love is Lon. Allie is also sure that she will be his wife someday. She believes that Lon becomes a good husband, good father for her child. She is also certain that Lon can fulfill all she needs and their life will be perfect.
He would be a kind husband to her, and she would be a good wife. She would have a home near friends and family, children, a
respectable place in society. It was the kind of life she’d always expected to live, the kind of life she wanted to live (208).
From the quotation above, when she would be her wife, she would have a home near from her family, her friends, respectable place in society. We can see that all of this is that she wants to her life. So, she tries to make them become a real.
There is no barrier between Allie and Lon. They also do not have any problem. Their family of both supports them. Their relationship runs like most other couples. They love each other. They keep in touch after they finished work. Moreover, Allie is the first to be on the phone with Lon if he has finished his work.
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Allie and Lon come from a family of upper-class so they will make a lavish wedding.
Almost five hundred people were invited, including the governor, one senator, and the ambassador to Peru. It was too much, in her opinion, but their engagement was news and had dominated the social pages since they had announced their plans six months ago (73).
From the quotation above, she loves the lavish wedding. Although she feels that it was too much. Moreover their engagement has become hot news in the newspapers and magazine and this is not surprising to Allie because Lon’s family is one of the most powerful and influential families in the state. Their marriage preparation had prepared six months before the wedding.
Unfortunately, their pretension is not as expected. Her first trouble happens when she go to New Barn to see Noah. When she reads in the newspaper about Noah, Allie decided to meet with him. Allie feels her relationship with him is unfinished. Allie needs Noah to know about her engagement, to understand, and to finish her problem with him at the past. Three days after she reads this news, she goes to the Noah’s house.
Allison Nelson, twenty-nine years old and engaged, a socialite, searching for answers she needed to know, and Noah Calhoun, the dreamer, thirty-one, visited by the ghost that had come to dominate his life (81).
A compulsion had driven her here, and for the first time in three weeks the feeling was gone. She’d needed Noah to know about her engagement, to understand, to accept it—she was sure of that now (107).
nervous. In this moment it is the right way to lie with Lon because she feels afraid to say the reality. She feels bad about the lie with Lon, she thinks that it is not fair to ask him to understand.
Lon didn’t know the real reason she left the following morning. The week before, she’d hinted to him that she might want to visit some antique shops near the coast. “It’s just a couple of days,” she said, “and besides, I need a break from planning the wedding.” She felt bad about the lie but knew there was no way she could tell him the truth. Her leaving had nothing to do with him, and it wouldn’t be fair of her to ask him to understand (43).
Noah is her ex-boyfriend. In the past, they met in the Tobaco Firm in the
It was just after graduation 1932, the opening night of the Neuse River Festival. The town was out in full, enjoying barbecue and games of chance. It was humid that night—for some reason he remembered that clearly. He arrived alone, and as he strolled through the crowd, looking for friends, he saw Fin and Sarah, two people he’d grown up with, talking to a girl he’d never seen before. She was pretty, he remembered thinking, and when he finally joined them, she looked his way with a pair of hazy eyes that kept on coming. “Hi,” she’d said simply as she offered her hand, “Finley’s told me a lot about you.” (36)
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After his mother died, he could remember spending his days in a dozen different homes, and for one reason or another, he stuttered badly as a child and was teased for it. He began to speak less and less, and by the age of five, he wouldn’t speak at all (56).
Within a few months Noah was speaking again, though not well, and his father decided to teach him to read with books of poetry. “Learn to read this aloud and you’ll be able to say anything you want to.” His father had been right again, and by the following year, Noah had losthis stutter (57).
From the quotation above, Noah cannot speak because his trauma with her mother dies. When he was in the school, his teacher thought he was retarded and recommended that he be pulled out of the school. Instead, his father took matters into his own hands. He teaches him to read poetry. By the following years Noah can speak again. He has been reading poetry ever since.
He does not have a prestigious job. He works as a labor on the wooden fence in property. When he was twenty-six, the war began, and he becomes an army.
The home sat on twelve acres adjacent to Brices Creek, and he’d worked on the wooden fence that lined the other three sides of the property, checking for dry rot or termites, replacing posts when he had to. He still had more work to do on it, especially on the west side, and as he’d put the tools away earlier he’d made a mental note to call and have some more lumber delivered. (25)
He spent his next three years with Patton’s Third Army, tramping through deserts in North Africa and forests in Europe with thirty pounds on his back, his infantry unit never far from action. (67)
After he spent three years in the Patton’s Third Army, he returns to New
In there she became remember their relationship in the past. Noah can make
From this poet, He can make Allie falls in love again with him. With Noah by her side, she can forget Lon for a while. She just lets the moment like the water flows. She feels relax when she spends a time with Noah.
She felt strangely satisfied that she’d come, pleased that Noah had turned into the type of man she’d thought he would, pleased that she would live forever with that knowledge. She had seen too many men in the past few years destroyed by war, or time, or even money. It took strength to hold on to inner passion, and Noah had done that (205).
She felt offense when she spends a time with Noah but her mind is thinking about Lon. She convinces herself that is more proper for her.
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love, the only man she’d ever been with— how could she expect to forget him? (129)
From the quotation above, Allie tries to convince her mind. She can lie with her felling that Lon and Noah is very different, Allie feels more comfortable with Noah.
We cannot live without energy and attention, without making choice which showing us to take some things more seriously than others. Allie makes choice that she will accept Lon as her husband. But, now she doubts about it and makes her love absurd. It is absurd because we ignore the doubts that we know cannot be settled, continuing to live with nearly undiminished seriousness in spite of them (Nagel, 719).
When she with Lon there would be no surprises, nothing to make her suspicious, she feels something missing in their relationship.
“Lon’s handsome, charming, and successful, and most of my friends are insanely jealous. They think he’s perfect, and in a lot of ways he is. He’s kind to me, he makes me laugh, and I know he loves me in his own way.” She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. “But there’s always going to be something missing in our
relationship.” (126)
She knew this was why he was successful, and part of her respected him for that. But she also sensed it wasn’t enough. She wanted something else, something different, and something more. Passion and romance, perhaps, or maybe quiet conversations in candlelit rooms, or perhaps something as simple as not being second. (150)
Allie is a type of romantic woman; she wants everything to be a romantic. But, Lon is hard worker, almost the whole day to work. Both of them are very busy with their work and they will spend time together when they have day off. Allie knew Lon worked hard to establish his name and their future, but Allie feels something missing with Lon.
But the more important part of his success came from hard work. He had always paid attention to details, especially when he’d begun his practice. Little things, obscure things, and it had become a habit now (161).
The sense that life as a whole is absurd arise when we perceive, perhaps dimly, an inflated pretension or aspiration which is inseparable from the continuation of human life and makes its absurdity inescapable, short of escape from life itself. She became flustered with her feeling. Allie’s love Lon and want to be her wife, but she also loves Noah. It is not a fair if she wants Noah and Lon, she must decide to choose one of them to be her husband.
She shook her head then, knowing she wasn’t being completely fair. She loved Lon, and always had, for other reasons. Though he wasn’t Noah, Lon was a good man, the kind of man she’d always known she would marry (207).
Life does not consist of a sequence of activities each of which has as its purpose some late member of the sequence (Nagel, 717). What people think of well-being does not mean same in different time and space. Allie prefers to choose Noah even though he does not have good job. For upper-class perspective, Noah’s job is nothing compared to Lon’s position. Allie does not earn good
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Noah wants their relationship to be exposed. He wants to have Allie completely. So, Allie must break up with her fiancé because Noah is not like an educated person who thinking a lot to find a wise way to leave somebody. Noah just thinks about himself. Noah felt tightness in his stomach. When he finally spoke his voice was steady, but she could hear the pain in it.“You’re not going to tell him about us, are you?” “I don’t know. I really don’t (268).
It is different with Allie. She must consider about not only about Lon’s
feeling but also her family. She has to find a smooth way in order to avoid hurting other people. She must try hard to convince Lon that her choice is the best for her.
“But I also want a happy ending without hurting anyone. And I know that if I stayed, people would be hurt. Especially Lon. I wasn’t lying when I told you that I love him. He doesn’t make me feel the same way you do, but I care for him, and this wouldn’t be fair to him. But staying here would also hurt my family and friends. I would be betraying everyone I know. I don’t know if I can do that. (269)
With Noah, Allie gets new experience. She feels she is treated as an important person in someone’s life. She never has this experience before. So far,
her relationship with Lon is like a very mature couple who trust each other. It does not need different way to say how they love each other.
She then understands that love can be expressed with various ways. Being angry is also an expression of love. Noah is anger to Allie’s slow decision is also
an expression of love. Noah was angry with her because she is still confused about her feeling. Allie realized that he had to take a decision.
have to be able to go forward and not look back anymore. Can you understand that?” (269)
Unfortunately, their relationship is not sanctioned by Allie's parents. Allie's parents feel that Noah is inappropriate with Allie.
Most of the summer, she had to make excuses to her parents
whenever they wanted to see each other. It wasn’t that they didn’t like him—it was that he was from a different class, too poor, and they would never approve if their daughter became serious with someone like him. “I don’t care what my parents think, I love you and always will,” she would say. “We’ll find a way to be together.” (60)
Based on the quotation above, Noah came from a different class with her and to poor for them. Her parents do not want Allie to get married with him. They think that Noah would not make Allie happy. But Allie does not care about it. She loves Noah very much and wants to spend all of her time with him.
She thinks that her love is complicated. She love Lon came from upper-class Lon, and she also Noah came from lower-upper-class. Even though she choose Noah instead of Lon, she still feel confuse of her feeling. She realizes that she make hurts Lon’s feeling if she chooses Noah.
Her mother, Anne Nelson, knows that her daughter has confused with her feeling. She comes to Noah’s house because she assumes her daughter in there.
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Her expectation is right; she can see her daughter in there. She tells to her that Lon looking for her. He remembers her mother tells him about Noah a long time ago. He assumes that you go to the New Bern to see Noah. Her mother asks her about what she really wants to whom the one you love exactly? Allie said that she love Noah very much. She also loves Lon but in different way. Lon does not make her feels the way Noah does. Her mother suggests that she must think what exactly she wants in her love.
“I can’t make this decision for you, Allie, this one’s all yours. I want you to know, though, that I love you. And I always will. I know that doesn’t help but it’s all I can do.” (263)
Love story between womenfolk from high-class and a common man from lower-class rarely happend in live. Allie is a countess from high-class and she choose Noah from Lower class to live forever with him. Their love story become absurd because is not suitable with her expectation.
Nagel stated, “Many people's lives are absurd, temporarily or permanently,
for conventional reasons having to do with their particular ambitions, circumstances, and personal relations” (718). The reason of Allie in her absurdity
is related to her personal relationship. She does it since she believes her life does not find the meaning so far. She thinks that her life like usual. She takes the risk by choosing Noah who has different class with her. She convinces Lon who is mad of her choice and tries to make him understand Allie’s situation and feeling.
parents who are mad of her choice. She also must look for elegant way to make Lon listens to her condition.
I know you cared for him. And his reaction proves to me he cared for you as well. No, he could not understand losing you, but how could he? Even as you explained that you had always loved me, and that it wouldn’t be fair to him, he did not release your hand. I know he was hurt and angry, and tried for almost an hour to change your mind, but when you stood firm and said, “I can’t go back with you, I’m so sorry,” he knew that your decision had been made. You said he simply nodded and the two of you sat together for a long time without speaking. And when he finally walked you to your car, you said he told you that I was a lucky man. He behaved as a gentleman would, and I understood then why your choice was so hard (328).
Allie’s change is suitable with Nagel’s prediction that person finds himself
in absurd situation, he will usually attempt to change it, by modifying his aspirations, or by trying to bring reality into better accord with them, or by removing himself from the situation entirely. Allie does not take the last, but she takes the first and second decision. She thinks that her aspiration is not suitable with the reality.
She modifies her aspiration from a prominent man into a common man. It is not easy to Allie to change her aspiration. She knows that Noah is not from Upper-class and he does not have prestigious Job like Lon. But, Noah can make her love him very much. Noah is unpredictable. He often surprises Allie in many ways. It makes Allie’s life so colorful.
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her parents about her decision are a one of way how Allie keeps her relationship with Noah. She tries to convinces, and her mother can understand what her daughter feeling. Finally, her family and Lon can understand and agree with her choice. Even so, they do not run their love smoothly. They have some quarrel so then their relationship is so dynamic.
This chapter concludes the analysis based on the discussion in the previous chapters. The writer has find out that Allie is main character in the story because he give much contribution of the story.
The first is about Allie’s characterization. Allie is a women from upper-class who has
life is sociable. She like become the center of attention. she more concern that family name
its more important than other. She want to marriage with prominent man. After she get all
of she want, she feel something missing with her pretension.
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a wrong way.
Allie’s characterization is opposite with her choice about her love. Her choice to
future husband is surprising. For other people, her choice seems so absurd because she bets her future husband for a common man. Others do not know that she does not find any meaning of life when she is with the prominent man. In order to get it, she takes the risk by changing her love to an ordinary man.
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