An Analyze The Influence of the Main Character’s
Conflicts towards Plot in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest
This Material Is
made to Complete
Assignment of Poetry
Thought By:Munawir Hadi Wijaya, M.Pd. S.Pd
By:
Silfarius Sijabat
NPM: 2101000320186
English B’10
ENGLISH EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
AND HUMANITY
IKIP BUDI UTOMO MALANG
2013
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Human beings as one of the three
alive-creatures besides animal and plant have a particular ability, which makes
him so special, that dominates the others. They are able to adapt, to survive
and to analyze the universe phenomenon, which make their quality of life better
and better since the past. They have the whole ability because God has granted
them brain. Their curiosities are so great that they learn more and more.
Besides, something that makes them more special than the others is they know
the way to express their feeling, thought, and emotion. Something to provide “a
place” for all of the people’s expression is literature.
Literature, according to Moleong as quoted
by Spadlex (2000:13), is the knowledge which is earned by human beings arise
conduct and it is used to reflect and express experience. Another opinion said that literature is one
of the great creative and universal means of communicating the emotional,
spiritual, or intellectual concerns of mankind (The Encyclopedia of Americana,
vol. 22:559). It seems that something human being does deals literature,
especially in communicating. To communicate to each other may be done by a
means, such as by a letter, speaking directly, by phone etc. Even something
they wrote or said, no matter what its content, could be called a literature.
Well, in this life, in purpose or not in purpose, they have involved in a
literature.
By using their mind they produced an
expression of their feeling, emotion and thought to communicate with others.
And this result of literature is called a literary work. Literary work consists
of two types, namely imaginative and non-imaginative. Both literary works are
basically the same, that is both are expressed aesthetically, but they have a
different in expression. Imaginative type is commonly using connotative
sentence to express an idea, while non-imaginative type is more realistic than
the imaginative one. It uses denotative sentence.
Non-imaginative type consists of essay,
criticism, biography, autobiography, history, memoir, diary, and letters. And
imaginative type consists of poetry, fiction, and drama. In this paper, the
writer takes a drama as an object that will be further analyzed. Drama may be
defined as a work of literature or a composition which delineates life and
human activity by means of presenting various actions of – and dialogues
between – a group of characters (Reaske, 1966:5).
Drama was firstly introduced by a Greek
philosopher Aristotle. He also identified six elements of drama that enhance
not only the story telling, but also the instructive and aesthetic values of a
play. The first four of the elements is plot, character, thought, and diction
(relate to drama / written script). And the last two elements are music and
spectacle (relate to theatre / the play in performance).
(http://www.appendix%20C%20elements.html, accessed on December 21st
2004).
To analyze a drama in a study or paper there
must be minimally two elements that support each other, such as plot and
character. Plot and character are two significant elements and very needed in a
story. Plot is the arrangement of the incidents or events in a story, which are
interconnected each other, that makes a story more interesting and easy to be
comprehended. Meanwhile, character is the player in the story; it may be
humans, animals, or other imagination creatures created by the author. The story contains problems appearing within
the actions that make the character struggle to overcome the problems.
Therefore, the writer takes a topic “The Influence of the Main Character’s
Conflicts towards Plot in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest”. The
writer utilizes the characteristic of the main character and is supported by
the plot to find out the influence the character’s conflicts towards the plot
in the play.
1.2 Objective of the Study
After reading the story of the drama, the
writer concludes that there are many conflicts found which dealing with the
main character. And of course the conflicts may influence the main character.
Therefore, the writer can illustrate the objective of the study into four
objectives. First, to find out the Earnest Worthing’s and Algernon’s
characteristics and their characterization in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of
Being Earnest. Second, after analyzing the main characteristics, the writer
tries to find out the conflicts dealing with them, either internal or external
conflicts. Then third, the writer will try to elaborate the plots one by one.
And finally, the writer will try to find out how far the influence of the main
character’s conflicts toward the plots in The Importance of Being Earnest.
1.3 Scope of the Study
As there are many aspects in the Oscar
Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, the writer makes a limitation of
discussion to assure the theme of this thesis’ analysis, namely the main
characters, Earnest Worthing and Algernon, and the characterization of the main
characters by Oscar Wilde; the internal and external conflicts which deal with
the main characters; the plots; and the influence of the main character’s
conflicts toward the plots.
1.4 Method
Methods are needed to analyze the drama. In
this paper the writer applies library research as the method of the study and
applies psychological approach to analyze the main characters’ characteristics
in order to find out the conflicts and then relate them to plots, hence the
influence of the main characters’ conflicts toward the plots will be revealed.
1.4.1
Method of the Study
The library research was applied to support the analysis of the
drama, collecting some data and information needed from the relevant books or
other resources. Then reading and comprehending the data, making some notes
until making conclusion. According to Atar Semi, library research is a method
of doing a research in a working room or library, where the needed data and
information about the subject matter are required through books or other
audiovisual means. Library research is done to collect the data by finding some
books related to the research as references (1993:8).
1.4.2
Method of Approach
Semiotic approach is employed in analyzing the drama. As
Nurgiyantoro said that semiotic is a science or analysis method to examine
signs. The signs could be a body language, mouth, eyes movement, color, and
other things around our life (2000: 40). In this paper the writer utilizes
psychological approach to analyze the main characters in the Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. It
seems those approaches very close to analyze the aspects, especially the main
character’s conflict and the plot, found in the main characters’ characteristic
and the setting which influences the main characters. The analysis of the main
characters is made by unfolding the character through actions and dialogue.
Literary works manifest social life and have a close relation with
social community, as commonly literary works discuss the human life. Based on
that statement the writer uses psychological approach to analyze the main
characters. Psychological approach is an approach that is applied since
literary works are frequently study events or phenomenon about human’s life
(Atarsemi, 76:1993). Psychic conflicts are caused by psychological problems. It
is natural, as humans’ character that desire something more and more which
actually their ability and capability are limited. Therefore, humans’ life is
just like a drama, which containing plots of life that may be due to humans’
characteristics and their interaction to surroundings in their social life or
interaction to them selves, their mind or heart, in this case is internal
conflicts. The psychological approach here includes the main characters’
characteristics and is used to analyze the main characters’ conflicts. The psychological
approach is appropriate, because it can be used to explain the plot aspect and
the characteristic of the main characters.
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The understanding of literary elements can be very helpful in
analyzing literary work, for example, novel, drama and poetry. Literary
elements can be classified into two categories. They are intrinsic and
extrinsic elements. The intrinsic element of a literary work includes elements
which establish a literary work inside. The elements are theme, plot, setting,
character and characterization, and figure of speech. (Semi, 1998:31). For that
reason the analysis of any kind of literary work needs a good knowledge about
literary elements. Intrinsic element refers to setting, plot, theme, character,
and point of view. Extrinsic element refers to social condition in a society
and psychological condition. In this thesis the writer employs one of literary
works especially drama to be analyzed. And he will employ several intrinsic
elements to analyze the drama, namely character, plot and conflict, and one
extrinsic element that is psychological condition.
3.1
Definition of Character
and Characterization
Character is one
of literary elements that is very vital to understand the entire story of a
literary work. Characters
are the humans, animals, or fantasized beings that are created by the author to
act within a story for the author's purposes. In some instances, such as in
historical fiction, there may be real human beings who lived during the time
period of the story. A character may be described by the author through
dialogues, actions, descriptions, and expositions of a narrator. As Roberts
stated that in literature, a character is a verbal representation of a human
being as presented to us by authors through the depiction of actions,
conversations, descriptions, reactions, inner thoughts and reflections, and
also through the author’s own interpretive commentary (Roberts, 2003:66).
Character
is important in fictional work because a character helps to develop the plot.
Character is influenced by events just as events are shaped the plot by
characters (Meyer, 1990:61). Characters can be classified by the amount of
influence they have over the plot. If a character has a large influence on the
plot, that is, if the character's actions have a significant effect on the
ending of the story, then that character is considered a major (or main)
character. On the other hand, if a character has a small influence on the plot,
that is, if the character's actions have little effect on the ending of the
story, then that character is considered a minor character.
Furthermore
according to Roberts and Jacobs, flat characters are essentially
undistinguishable from their group or class. Therefore they are not individual,
but representative. Usually they stay the same; they are static, and not
dynamic like round character. They are not developed, and because they are not
central to the plot they do not change or grow (Roberts and Jacobs, 1989:23).
Based on the statement, characters can also be classified by the amount of
change they exhibit in their personalities. If a character undergoes a
significant change in personality, then that character is considered a dynamic
character. If a character shows little or no change in personality, then that
character is considered a static
character.
Meanwhile,
in order to analyze a character's personality or motivations, the reader must
search for a pattern in the character's behavior, or this way is called
characterization. According to William Harmon characterization is the
presentation of the character in action, with little or no explicit comment by
the author, from the action (2003: 88). And in order to discover this pattern,
the reader needs to understand
the techniques of characterization, which is the
process by which
an author creates a
character. Robert Di Yanni, in
his book of Literature:
Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the
Essay, formulates
four techniques of characterization. They are exposition, dialogue,
action and description (http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/l/literary.htm,
accessed on February 21st
2005 ).
First, through the exposition of the narrator, the
narrator of a story or play may comment on how he/she feels, on what he/she
thinks, on what he/she intends to do. This narrator may also voice an opinion
about other characters, an opinion that helps the reader to understand those
characters but also understand the narrator as well.
Second, through dialogue or what a character
says. As with people in real life, what characters say and how they say it,
reveals much about their personalities. A character's choice of words can
reveal his/her feelings and intentions as well as provide insights into social status, education
level, and area of residence.
Third, through action (what a character
does). Again, as with people in real life, what characters do, and how they do
it, reveals much about their personalities. A character who simply tense up his
fist upon hearing that his father has died is likely to be a different sort of
person than one who shouts, screams, and weeps upon hearing the same news.
Also, a reader should make a special note of how closely a character's actions
and dialogue agree.
Fourth, through description (how a character
looks/what belongings a character owns). We often gain our first impression of
a person by noting what clothes he or she is wearing, what car he or she is driving,
etc.
Staying
aware of these methods will help the reader determine if a character is major
or minor, dynamic or static, round or flat. The reader should also use these
methods to determine the reasons behind his/her
attitudes towards the characters.
Meanwhile
the extrinsic aspect that will be discussed is psychology. Analyzing character
may include psychological aspect. According to Dennis Coon psychology is not
only the science that learns the mind, but also the behavior. Additionally,
Dennis Coon explains psychology is the scientific study of the behavior of
organism; its goal is to describe, understand, predict and control behavior
(1983: 12). It can be said, in recent time, that psychology may be described
most as a science which learn both human and animal behavior.
Psychology
has given much influence on literature and literary criticism. The relationship
between literature and psychology commonly derives from psychology dimension in
literary works and the application of psychology theory in interpreting
literary text. Literary work inherently implies elements of psychology that
establish the whole content of literary work. A viewpoint of psychological
consideration can also be used in the process of literary text interpretation
theory and concept of psychology, which is used to comprehend the literary
text, will be meaningful to transform the text into meaning. Thereby,
literature and psychology are inseparable psychology explain underlying reasons
for character’s behavior or elaborates the relationship between conflict and
psychological condition of characters and evaluates their behavior and motive
in doing something.
The
application of psychology in literature is to analyze the behavior of
characters, both protagonist and antagonist. This is one of the goals of
psychology in literature. By using this science, we can find out the
personality, motivation, goals or even the life of each character in a story.
3.2
Definition of Conflict
The
intrinsic elements which can attract the readers’ interest to continue the
reading of literary works, especially drama, are the reflection of conflict.
As human
beings we are created as a social creature, which means we alive our life, hand
in hand with others. We have many hopes and wishes to be fulfilled in our life.
However, life is that simple because our needs could not always be satisfied.
There are many obstacles, internal and environmental, which interfere our live
to get our goals.
Robert
E. Silverman in his book of Psychology divided conflicts into
four types, namely:
a.
Approach-approach Conflict
The
individual is drawn to two equality pleasurable goals and in choosing, one must
eliminate the other.
b.
Approach-Avoidance Conflict
One goal
has both positive and negative qualities that alternately or simultaneously
attract and repel the individual.
c.
Double Approach-Avoidance
Conflict
The
individual is caught between two goals, both of which have positive and
negative qualities.
d.
Avoidance-avoidance Conflict
The
individual is pressured to choose between two goals. Instead of making a choice
between these alternatives, some individuals will respond by escaping the
entire situation.
Conflict
can be a centre of a story. Conflicts, which become the basis of plot, are the
conflict of the protagonist. This situation and condition arouse some events on
the story and make the story alive. Generally, the central of theme of a story
is a conflict and how to solve or to end the conflicts.
Conflict
is the element of the story which shows the concerns of the central characters.
There are some universal conflicts which are often identified by the terms:
character vs. character, character vs. self, character vs.
society, character vs. nature.
(http://www.mc3.edu/aa/lal/workshops/LiteraryDefinitions.html, accessed on April 27th 2005 ).
According
to Holman in his book A Handbook of Literature, conflict is a struggle
which grows out of the interplay of the two opposing forces in plot. The
character, usually the protagonist, may be involved in conflict of four
different kinds, namely a struggle against the forces of nature, a struggle
against another person, usually the protagonist, a struggle against society as
a force, and a struggle for mastery by two elements within the person.
While
according to Nurgiyantoro conflict can be divided into two categories: internal
and external. Internal conflict is a conflict that exists inside a character’s
mind. In other word, conflict is a fight against himself. Meanwhile, external
conflict is defined as a conflict that exists between character in the story
and something beyond his power (1995:124).
Conflict
is also one of the causes in a story that makes it become more fascinating. A
story without conflict will be monotonous. Therefore, conflict is an important
part of a story.
3.3
Definition of Plot
The most
important intrinsic element that will be very useful in comprehending the whole
story is plot. When the reader can understand the plot of a story in drama, it
means that he knows the entire story of it in detail. According to Aminuddin,
the definition of plot in the literary works commonly is a series of story
which is formed by some stages of event until they produce a story that is
presented by the actor or actress (2002: 83).
Plot may
be discussed in terms of exposition, complication, climax, revelation, and
denouement. Loban, as cited by Aminuddin, describes the stages of plot as wave.
The wave beginning from (1) exposition, (2) complication or beginning intrigues
that grows to become conflicts, (3) climax, (4) revelation or clarification of
problems, and (5) denouement or joyful ending, which is differentiated from
catastrophe, that is a sad ending; and solution, that is an opened ending
because only the readers will end the story through their imagination (2002:
84-85)
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
3.1
Research Design
The
design utilized that Researcher will research is descriptive qualitative
method, a method which is commonly applied in social studies, cultural studies
and literature studies. The descriptive research describes what is: it involves
the description, recording analysis and interpretation of condition that exist.
This method design involves types of comparison or contrast and attempt to
discover relationship between existing non manipulated variable.
My
research later is categories in qualitative study because the data is in the
form of description and not in amount of a number, it doesn’t show result with
the numerical measurement. Within the context of my study later is intended to
get the description of concept in The Influence of The Characters’ Conflicts
Toward Plotin Oscar Wildes
3. 2 The Main Characters in Oscar Wilde’s
As the writer explained in the
previous chapter that character is the central part of a story, because it
determines whether the story will be interesting or not. A good story is able to make the reader
influenced all at once, through his/her imagination, even it can influence the
reader’s psychology. The Importance of
Being Earnest may be one of the stories that can make the writer interested
in and makes him try to analyze it through the main characters that are Jack
Cardew and Algernon. 3. 1. 1 John Worthing (Jack Cardew)
Jack is a man of twenty-nine years old. He lives at Manor House in
the country, and sometimes in the town. He desires to come to town just looking
for pleasure, as Algy said. However, his main aim coming to town just to meet
Gwendolen as he wants to express his love to her. Therefore, he has two
different names. He uses the name of Ernest in the town and Jack in the
country. He likes to introduce himself as Ernest to everyone especially to a
girl he loves.
Jack. I am in love with Gwendolen.
I have come up to town expressly to propose to her.
Algernon. I thought you had come up
for pleasure?... I call that business. (Wilde, 1959: 5)
Jack is an orphan. He tells everything truly about himself to Lady
Backnell, because Lady Bracknell asks him. He explains that He does not know
his personal history, when Lady Bracknell asks him about his parents. He is
confused how to explain to her. Then, he frankly speaks that he lost both his
parents. Astoundingly, Lady Bracknell is shocked to hear what Jack says. Losing
one parent, Lady Backnell said, is a misfortune, but losing both parents is a
careless. (Wilde, 1959: 20)
Then, Jack tries to explain that he has been taking care by Mr.
Thomas Cardew since he was a child. He said that Mr. Thomas Cardew found him in
a handbag in Victoria Station. Mr. Thomas Cardew gave Jack the name of Worthing because he turns out to have a first-class
ticket for Worthing in his pocket at that
time.
Jack. I am afraid I really don’t
know. The fact is, Lady Bracknell, I said I had lost my parents. It would be
nearer the truth to say that my parents seem to have lost me... I don’t
actually know who I am by birth. I was... well, I was found.
Jack. The late Mr. Thomas Cardew,
an old gentleman of a very charitable and kindly disposition, found me, and
gave me the name of Worthing , because he happened
to have a first-class ticket for Worthing in
his pocket at the time. Worthing is a place in
Sussex
Jack is a perfect flatterer. He tries to attract Gwendolen and
express his love. In a different room at Algernon’s place, he has a good chance
to express his love.
Jack. [Nervously.] Miss Fairfax,
ever since I met you I have admired you more than any girl... I have ever met
since... I met you. (Wilde, 1959: 15)
Jack. My own one, I have never
loved any one in the world but you. (Wilde, 1959: 17)
Gladly Gwendolen replies Jack’s love. She says that she loves him
too. She said that his name of Ernest makes her desire to love Jack. According
to her, the name is very inspired as it is able to produce a vibration like
music.
As Jack has two different names, he, occasionally, lies by
introducing himself as Ernest. He says to Algernon Jack is a liar. He always
introduces himself as Ernest. He says to Algernon that his name is Jack in the
country and Ernest in town. Even, Cecily, his niece, believes him that he has a
brother named Ernest in town.
Jack. Well, my name is Ernest in
town and Jack in the country, and the cigarette case was given to me in the
country. (Wilde, 1959: 8)
Jack confesses to Gwendolen that he likes her, and she admits that
she likes him too, especially since she has always wanted to love someone named
Ernest. Jack asks if she would still love him if his name were not Ernest, for
instance Jack. She said she would not. She said that the name Ernest is
suitable with him. He proposes to her, and she accepts.
However, eventually Gwendolen knows that Jack has been lying to
her. And Jack cannot deny it, because he also does not know his real name since
he knows that he was a baby found in a hand-bag by Mr. Thomas Cardew in a
cloakroom at Victoria
Jack. [Very seriously.] Yes, Lady Bracknell. I was in a hand-bag - a
somewhat large, black leather… (Wilde, 1959: 20)
Jack. In the cloak-room at Victoria Station. It was given to him in mistake for his own. (Wilde, 1959: 20)
He seems to try hard all this time to know his real parents.
Finally, Miss Prism is the key of his problem. Because of her, he knows that
actually Algernon is his elder brother through Lady Bracknell’s
explanation. Then, he immediately seeks
out through the military periodicals of the time, and reveals that his father’s
name was Ernest. He learns that his name Ernest John Moncrief as first sons is
always named of the father. Delightfully, Jack tells Lady Bracknell that he has
realized, for the first time in his life, "the vital Importance of Being
Earnest."
Jack. The Army Lists of the last
forty years are here. These delightful records should have been my constant
study. [Rushes to bookcase and tears the books out.] M. Generals... Mallam,
Maxbohm, Magley, what ghastly names they have - Markby,
Migsby, Mobbs, Moncrieff! Lieutenant 1840, Captain, Lieutenant-Colonel,
Colonel, General 1869, Christian names, Ernest John. [Puts book very quietly
down and speaks quite calmly.] I always told you, Gwendolen, my name was
Ernest, didn’t I? Well, it is Ernest after all. I mean it naturally is Ernest.
(Wilde, 1959: 73)
Because Jack has many sides in his personality, he can be
categorized as a round character.
3 . 1. 2 Algernon
Moncrieff (Algy)
Algernon is bachelor with high fortune and a superior class. He
lives in a flat in a prominent part of London
Algernon. I’m sorry for that, for
your sake. I don’t play accurately - any one can play accurately - but I play
with wonderful expression. As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my
forte. I keep science for Life. (Wilde, 1959: 1)
Algernon is a great pretender. He creates someone else as Jack
does. He makes an invalid friend named Bunbury. He uses the name as a reason to
avoid Lady Bracknell’s dinner invitation. He said that Bunbury gets sick, so he
has to visit him. And he also takes advantage of the name Bunbury in order he
can set off into country as often as he likes.
Algernon … I have invented an invaluable permanent invalid called Bunbury, in
order that I may be able to go down into the country whenever I choose… (Wilde,
1959: 10)
Algernon. It is a great bore, and, I need hardly say, a terrible
disappointment to me, but the fact is I have just had a telegram to say that my
poor friend Bunbury is very ill again. [Exchanges glances with Jack.] They seem
to think I should be with him. (Wilde, 1959: 13)
He is not a serious person to the problem he faces. For example,
when Jack finds that Algernon is bunburying in his house, Manor House, using
the name of Ernest, though he has told to everyone in Manor House that he his
brother, Ernest, was die in Paris suffered from chili. Innocently Algernon can
make the situation become cheerful such someone who lost his brother and
suddenly found his brother.
He is a romantic man. As Ernest, he really does, especially in
front of Cecily.
Cecily. You dear romantic boy. (kisses her, she
puts her fingers through his hair)… (Wilde, 1959: 44)
He is a smart person. He is able to make Jack confess that he has
been “bunburying” all the time, and he successes to get Cecily’s love through
many struggles and obstacles. He pretends as Ernest at Manor House in order
Cecily will impress him and accepts his love. However, once Cecily uncovers his
undercover, and it causes a big anger of her. Then Algernon tries to clear up
the problem by explaining that he did everything for her and would sacrifice
anything for her. It seems a satisfied explanation and acceptable towards
Cecily.
Algernon. Well, I simply wanted to
be engaged to Cecily. I adore her. (Wilde, 1959: 55)
Algernon can be categorized as round character, as he has two
different names with different character. Besides, he also acts as Ernest to
get Cecily’s love, and finally Cecily makes him to be Algernon again.
Therefore, Algernon has no choice, and cannot deny it.
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bagi info buku gan....yang karangan Robert zeig lek gak salah...tentang literature tuh..inbox gan yah...prasetya.maha@gmail.com
ReplyDeletemakasih gan :)
Ka chapter 4 nya g ada? 😭
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