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THE ANALYSIS OF THE CHARACTERS IN DENNIS

LEHANE’S SHUTTER ISLAND

A THESIS

Submitted to the Faculty of Cultural Sciences of Hasanuddin University

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain Bachelor Degree

in English Department

BY

Andi Abualief Amrullah

F21112904

English Department Faculty of Cultural Science

Hasanuddin University

Makassar

2017

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Alhamdulillah, all praises be to Allah SWT, The Beneficent, The Most Merciful, and The Lord of the entire world who always gives the best for His

creatures. The Lord who gives brain and feeling to learn everything in this world.

The Guide for His help in Completing this research. This thesis is intended to fulfill

the requirement to achieve Sarjana Degree in the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at

Hasanuddin University in Makassar. Shalawat and Salam may always be given to

our Prophet Muhammad SAW, the best leader ever existed in the world who had

guides us from the darkness into the brightness.

This research could not be accomplished without the support of some

people that surround the writer with their love, motivations and advices. On this

opportunity, the writer likes to express his profound gratitude, more than he can

express to:

His beloved parents A. Mustawa and A. Megawaty Latief, BA for their

love, prayer, help, motivations and advices in whole of his life. They

are the shines of the writer’s life.

Drs. Raden SM. Assagaf, M. Ed and Drs. Agustinus Ruruk L, M.A as

the first and the second consultant for their guidance, knowledge,

experiences and advices in correcting his thesis. He also wants to say

thanks to Dra. Harlinah Sahib M. Hum as his academic advisor.

The Dean of Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Hasanuddin University Prof.

Prof. Dr. Akin Duli, M.A., The Head of English Departement Dra.

Nasmilah., M. Hum., Ph. D, The Secretary of English Department

Abbas S.S., M. Hum and all lectures in English department for their

immense knowledge. And also to all the staff of English Department,

Pak Udin and Kak Agus for their help during his academic years in

campus.

The writer’s best friends for their best companion, love, motivation and

advices. Big thanks also to Jumardi Ladirman and Nila Novita who

always help me in correcting my thesis.

His friends the member of Scarecrow 2012, English Department, and

his friends in Perisai KMFIB-UH.

Makassar, October 11th 2017

The Writer

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ABSTRAK

ANDI ABUALIEF AMRULLAH (F21112904). The Analysis of The Characters in

Denis Lehane’s Novel Shutter Island (Dibimbing Oleh Raden SM. Assagaf dan

Agustinus Ruruk Lilak)

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan tentang karakter beberapa tokoh

didalam Shutter Island. Shutter Island merupakan salah satu karya Dennis Lehane

yang mendapatkan penghargaan sebagai New York Time Best Seller dan diadaptasi

sebagai film dengan nama yang sama pada tahun 2010. Hal tersebut membuat

pengarangnya mendapatkan reputasi Internasional. Penulisan ini juga bertujuan

menjelaskan bagaimana konflik internal pada karakter utama mempengaruhi

tindakannya didalam cerita.

Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan strukturalisme. Suatu metode

penelitian yang menekankan pada unsur intrinsik pada karya sastra seperti karakter,

plot, setting dan tema. Data utama dieproleh dari novel Shutter Island dengn

membaca setiap bagian dari novel dan mengambil data yang berhubungan dengan

topik yang akan dibahas yaitu analisis karakter. Sedangkan data lainnya diperoleh

dari beberapa buku dan beberapa artikel dari internet dan sumber lain seputar

analisis karakter.

Penelitian ini menunjukkan bagaimana konflik internal pada karakter utama

mempengaruhi tindakannya didalam cerita. Konflik internal pada karakter utama

muncul karena kesalahannya di masa lampau yang tidak mampu menyelamatkan

keluarganya dan sebagai mekanisme pertahanan untuk menghindarkannya dari rasa

bersalah, konflik tersebut merubah hidupnya. Karakter utama mulai membangun

karakter baru dan cerita baru untuk dia mainkan sendiri demi melupakan masa

lalunya. Akan tetapi hal tersebut malah merubahnya menjadi berbahaya bagi setiap

orang yang berada disekitarnya. Ada beberapa karakter yang menolongnya untuk

kembali mengingat identitas aslinya akan tetapi traumanya membuatnya mengalami

kemunduran ketika dia mulai mengingat masa lalunya yang kelam yang telah gagal

menyelamatkan keluarganya.

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ABSTRACT

ANDI ABUALIEF AMRULLAH (F21112904). The Analysis of The Characters in

Denis Lehane’s Novel Shutter Island (Supervised by Raden SM. Assagaf and

Agustinus Ruruk Lilak)

This research aims to explain the characterization of Shutter Island. Shutter

Island is one of Dennis Lehane’s works which get reward New York Time Best

Seller and adaptation to be a movie with the same name in 2010. It makes the

author get international award. This research also explains on how the main

character’s internal conflict influence his performance in the story.

This study uses a structuralism approach. It is a method that focuses on

intrinsic elements of a novel like character, plot, setting and theme. The main data

are obtained from Shutter Island novel by reading every part of the novel and

taking data that correspond to the discussed topic about character. Whereas, the

other data are obtained from several sources of books and articles from internet and

other sources that also take character analysis as the topic.

This study shows how internal conflict of the main character may affect his

action within a story. Internal conflict on the main character emerges as a result of

his inability to save his family from a tragic death and as a defense mechanism to

prevent him from feeling such pain of guilty. Consequently, this conflict changes

his whole life. The main character starts to build a new character and a new story

for him to play as his effort to forget his pasts. However, it just changes him into a

dangerous person to his surrounding and people around him. There are some

characters who help him to resurrect his true identity and past but his trauma

prevents it. Instead, he keeps showing a regression every time he starts to remember

his past that full of misery since he fails to save his family.

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Table of Content

Tittle ........................................................................................................................

Agreement Page ...................................................................................................... i

Acknowledgement .................................................................................................. ii

Abstrak .................................................................................................................... iii

Abstract ................................................................................................................... iv

Table of Content ...................................................................................................... v

Chapter I : Introduction .................................................................................. 1

1.1 Background ............................................................................. 1

1.2 Identification of Problems ....................................................... 3

1.3 Scope of Problems................................................................... 4

1.4 Research Questions ................................................................. 4

1.5 Objective of Study................................................................... 4

1.6 Significance of Research ......................................................... 4

1.7 Sequence of Chapter ............................................................... 5

Chapter II : Literary Reviews ............................................................................ 6

2.1 Preview Study ......................................................................... 6

2.2 Theoretical Background .......................................................... 7

2.3 Novel ....................................................................................... 7

2.4 Structural Approach ................................................................ 8

2.5 Intrinsic Elements.................................................................... 9

2.5.1 Character .................................................................... 9

2.5.2 Plot ............................................................................. 11

2.5.3 Setting ........................................................................ 13

2.5.4 Theme ......................................................................... 14

Chapter III : Methodology ................................................................................. 15

3.1 Method of Collecting Data ....................................................... 15

3.2 Method of Analyzing Data ....................................................... 15

3.3 Research Procedure .................................................................. 16

Chapter IV : Analysis ......................................................................................... 17

4.1 Structure of Novel “Shutter Island” ........................................ 17

1. Characters ..................................................................... 17

2. Plot ................................................................................ 34

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3. Setting ........................................................................... 37

4. Theme ........................................................................... 37

4.2 Analysis of The Main Character’s Internal Conflict that

influences His/her Performance ............................................... 39

Chapter V : Conclusion and Suggestion ......................................................... 62

5.1 Conclusion ................................................................................ 62

5.2 Suggestion ................................................................................ 63

Bibliography ............................................................................................................ 65

Appendix ................................................................................................................. 66

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Research

Literature is an expression of imaginative and artistic fact of human life

(Esten, 1978:9). According to the definition, it can be identified that the literature

comes from experience of real life and can also be defined as an interesting thing

in the world. When science focuses to give knowledge as well as with art which

focuses to esthetic value, literature covers all of the science and art character.

Literature is divided into 2 forms, prose and poetry. Those are basically different

as can be understood that prose is one of literature genres which is not bound with

rhyme, or certain rules (ex; novels, short story, plays) as poetry is.

Novel is a work of fiction prose written in a narrative and usually written

in story form. The most famous type of literary works can be enjoyed by various

circle starting from teenager to adult‟s novel. That is why the writer chose novel

to be analyzed. In another side, novel has a very clear structure and elements like

character, plot, setting, and theme. The language style of novel can be understood

easily and also there are many genres of novel such as romance, suspense, thriller,

psychological thriller, mystery, and fantasy or can be mix of some genre. There

are many elements of novel that ccould be analyzed such as character, plot,

setting, and theme.

The writer chose the novel Shutter Island as the object of research. This

novel was published in 2003 by Dennis Lehane. He was an American author who

was born in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. According to

his website Www.dennislehane.com, he had produced 18 novels, some of his

masterpieces became best seller and then adapted into films. Gone, Baby, Gone,

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was adapted as a 2007 film. Lehane had taken on different topics in other novels.

Those adapted as films of the same name included Mystic River (2001), with a

2003 film by the same name, directed by Clint Eastwood, which won several

awards. Shutter Island was adapted as a 2010 film directed by Martin Scorsese. As

some previous novels, Shutter Island is very interesting novel involving its plot,

setting, theme and characterization. The genre of this novel is psychological

thriller but the author preferred to combine it with mystery genre.

The novel Shutter Island was chosen as research because it is an

interesting novel. This story takes a detective genre like Sherlock Holmes, but the

difference in the story is the setting of the story and the condition of the main

character. The setting existing in the story takes place in a very isolated island

used as a hospital for the people who have mental disorder. The people‟s life is

isolated because they are very dangerous patient and have very chronic mental

disorder. The main character in the novel is Edward Daniels (Teddy) who is sent

with one friend to investigate a case of disappearing of one dangerous patient,

Rachel Solando. Edward Daniels in the story does not have child because his wife

died in fire, that is caused by a psychopath Andrew Leddies.

The character of Edward Daniels in the beginning story is showed as a

very clever detective but another side he has big trouble of migraine. Long time

ago he was a former of veteran. In the half of the investigation to find Rachel

Solando, Edward Daniels finds a file about an experiment of psychotropic to

control and to manipulate the mind. One by one incongruity appears in the story

and makes Edward Daniels thinks if the staff in the hospital hides something. In

the climax of the story he continues the investigation to lighthouse in shutter

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Island and find the director/manager of Shutter Island Dr. Cawley wait him. Dr.

Cawley gives explanation to Edward Daniels (Teddy) if he is Andrew Leddies, the

most dangerous patient in shutter island. He was diagnostic as depressive mania

because he killed his wife who was killing his child. Dr. Cawley makes a story to

tear down his idea that full of conspiracy. Andrew Laddies always migraine

because the effect of the drug withdrawal, and if the setting failed Andrew

Leddies will get lobotomy.

In the other reason, the writer chose the novel to show if the literature is

not just the fiction but it has scientific value of psychology like math and

historical value. What the writer means about scientific value psychology in the

novel is the phenomenon existing in the story, like mental disorders of Edward

Daniel the major character and the other patient with different mental disorder that

are examined in the mini thesis. Historical value means the phenomenon in the

story like the medical treatment Lobotomy. Long time ago the medical treatment

Lobotomy is a treatment for a patient with chronic mental disorder that called

Schizophrenia. With this action, more society will be known if the fiction has

scientific and historical value. In the other side, a fiction would be a fun review

and article to increase knowledge for medical student and another society. On the

other hand, the writer also analyzes the other characters to show their function.

1.2 Identification of Problems

After reading this story, the writer found some problems that can be

analyzed. The writer will focus on the following possible problems:

1. The failure of Teddy in saving his family.

2. The dark memories of Teddy make him refuse himself and make

new personality.

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3. The mental disorder of Teddy made his personality to be the most

dangerous patient.

4. The recurrence of Teddy‟s mental disorder.

5. The attitude of minor character to save Teddy end with failure

1.3 Scope of Problems

Based on tittle of this thesis, the object of study is the novel by Dennis

Lehane, entitled “Shutter Island”. In order to keep this research guided and does

not come out from the topic, the writer only limits the problem in analysis the

major characters in the novel.

1.4 Research Questions

Based on the Scope of Problem above, the writer formulates some problem

as follows:

1. How does the internal conflict influence the major character?

2. How does the author characterize his novel?

1.5 Objective of Study

Based on the explanation above, here are the objective of analysis:

1. To analyze how the main character internal conflict influence his

performance.

2. To investigate how the author characterize his novel.

1.6 Significance of research

The significances of this research for me are:

1. The writer hopes that the result of research in this thesis can be as

reference for any students in analyzing novels.

2. This thesis can be something useful for other research especially

those who are interested in novel analysis about psychology and

thought.

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3. An evidence if the literature can be an interesting asset to remember

about history and psychologies studies.

1.7 Sequences of Presentation

Chapter one is introduction covering the background of study,

identification of the problem, scope of the problem, objective of the study and the

sequences of presentation. This chapter is an overview of the study.

Review of related literature is in chapter two in which literary references

that support the analysis of the research. This chapter is a general theory which

shows the direction of the research.

Chapter three includes methodology that consist of the method of

collecting and analyzing data.

The fourth chapter is the main part of this thesis. The writer presents the

findings and the result of the analysis.

In the fifth chapter contains the conclusions and suggestions. In this

chapter, the writer concludes the analysis and gives some suggestions.

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CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter consists of Previous Study to support the analysis and some

theoretical background. This chapter is a general theory which shows the direction

of the research.

2.1 Preview Study

Some researchers have done studies which are almost same as this

writing but with different objects. Some of them are quoted as follows:

First, Muhammad Safril Natsir (2005) in his thesis “The Study of the

Characters August Stringberg‟s “The Father”. In his thesis, the writer gave

explanation about six main characters in drama. He explained the role of each

main figure in the story and identified how the main characters involved the plot.

Anggi Purnamasari (2010) in her thesis “The Study of the Main

Characters Edgar Allan Poe‟s Short Stories: “The Black Cat” Tell Tale Heart”.

Her thesis examined about the mental disease presented by the narrators and the

similarities and differences of both stories and applied psychoanalysis approach to

analyzed the narrator. In the thesis, the writer focused to the mental illness

Schizophrenia.

Hendriyanto Bongon (2011) in his thesis “Abnormal Behavior on the

Main Character Vladimir Nobokov‟s Lolita”. The writer focused to analyze the

deviation of the main character with using psychological analysis approach. In his

thesis examined about the kind psychological factors of abnormal behavior of the

Main Character Vladimir Nobokov‟s Lolita.

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2.2 Theoretical Background

In this part, the writer will explain about theoretical background that

supports the analysis of the research. The writer uses a structural approach and

focus to analysis one of the intrinsic element that is characterization in the novel

Shutter Island.

2.3 Novel

Novel is the recreation and the reproduction of life through narration by

using word as the medium and human experiences as the materials. Meanwhile,

it can also be created by using an imagination to imagine a life in novel form as

an illustration of human future life. Therefore, novel is the mirror of human life,

as stated by Wellek and Austin (1990: 94) as follows:

Literature (novel) represents life, and life is, in a large measure, a social

reality, even though the natural world and the inner or subjective world of

the individual have also objects of literature imitation.

The quotation above also refers the meaning that novel is a literary work

which tells about human life such as social gap, war, racism of the different race.

Failure in life struggle or other things which corcens the real-life people in the

world. Therefore, with reading novel is an activity of gaining social knowledge

that the author represents.

Novel is one of literary works which typically written in a narrative style

by appearing characters who create the conflict in the story. According to

Kennedy (1991:7), said:

The movement of the story can be the resolution of a conflict, such as a

clash between one character and another, between the character and his

environment of his personality, a clash of process in the universe or even a

struggle for meaning on the part of the reader who reads the novel.

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The other definition of novel is explained by Gordon (1961:12), which is:

Novel is a process narrative, which is based firmly on the events of

contemporary life and it tells the story about the life experiences of human

being as that author could see, hear feel, experience and imagine.

The quotation above explains that novel is a type of literary work that

narrates the imaginative aspect of human life. It is a piece of novel or a prose

narrative, based firmly on the events of contemporary life. It tells the story of

ordinary man and woman and probable situation as human being.

Based on the whole descriptions of novel, the writer concludes that novel

is a large diffused picture which narrates the social condition of human life.

Therefore, the most interesting thing of novel is established by the conflicts

which the story imitates the real life.

2.4 Structural Approach

Structuralism or called intrinsic approach considers that the convention

can be detected and described autonomously by structure analysis of literary text,

separated it from the historical background from the author or called extrinsic

elements.

Structuralism approach would be aside view of what will be revealed

though a literary work meanwhile the theory is the main analyze. According to

Ryan (2007:41) explained that:

Structural approach is kind of approach that only focuses on intrinsic

elements of literary works. It is one of the literary theories that start from

the assumption that the literary work is composed of several elements,

which are bound up as a unity. The elements influence each other and

finally work as autonomous structures.

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Besides that, there are three main ideas explained in structuralism

according to Jeans Peaget. To begin with, the idea of wholeness this means that

any intrinsic element building up the story is the key to determining the whole

structure and the other elements as well. Secondly, the idea of transformation

which means that the structures and the principal of transformation produce new

materials. The last, the idea of an independent regularity (self-regulation). It is

significant that what is inside the work itself is autonomous and able to prevent its

transformation without any influences from outside.

Structure analysis is not analysis which counts the aspects that build a

literary work, but it focuses on the contribution on the whole aspects. So, the total

meaning of work can have grasped. Structural approach tries to see the literary

work objectively. The reader has to understand the elements of the work itself

such as theme, plot, character, setting, style, etc. Teeuw, (1988:25) states that:

The aim of structural analysis is breaking accurately, carefully, detail,

and deeply of dependability correlation of all elements and aspects of the

literary works that produce comprehensive meaning. The important thing

in structural analysis is overall present.

Aristoteles is one person who introduced this approach. Structural

approach focuses to the parts of intrinsic element that is character, plot, setting,

and theme

2.5 Intrinsic Elements

2.5.1 Character

Character is one of the most important elements that can be found in a

literary novel or short story form. The problem of characterizations is one thing

that presence in a very important and necessary fiction, because is not probably

there is a literary work without the moving figures and eventually making a plot.

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Every character has different characterizations and it can cause a conflict.

Character is the quality of the mind and soul that distinguishes one character to

another. Abarms said the meaning of character is:

“The persons presented in a dramatic or native work, which are

interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral and dispositional

qualities that are expressed in what they say the dialogue and what they

do the action” (1981:2).

According to this explanation, character becomes an important element

to build up the story. Every act of the plot to be an interest story. For considering,

in American Heritage Dictionary (1979:259).

“Character is the combination of qualities or features that distinguishes

one person, group or thing from another”.

Therefore, character is a key for valuing a story. Character gives a life

into each of story. In order to breathe life into the character, the author must have

an intimate understanding of what drives a person. McDonnel state in England in

literature, such us the following:

“An author presents his or her character by describing both their physical

and psychological side” (McDonnel, 1983:709).

Character gives a certain situation or a circumstance in the story because

he or she performs his or her motion in it. The author has already known what

their character look like, their names, and also their biography. Therefore, the

author can decide the main character and a support character or major and minor

character. Koesnosoebroto divided the character into two kinds, they are:

“major character is the most important character in a story. Basically, a

story is about this character, but he cannot stand on his own; he needs

other characters to name the story more convincing and life like. Minor

characters are characters of less important than those main.”

(Koesnosoebroto, 1988:67).

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There are two ways to illustrate the characteristic of the characters

according to Atar Semi (1988: 39-40). The first way is analytic method, the

characteristic of the characters describes by the author with explicit ways in the

novel. The second is dramatic method with describe the characteristic of the

characters in the story with their body language, their name, and how they are

speaking.

In the great argument above, the writer finds that character can be

presented through ways in order to easily understand them is role in a story. There

are many methods presenting a character or personality, such as through their

physical description, their way of speaking, their portrayal of through, their

activities, etc.

2.5.2 Plot

Plot is a sequence of events in a story that continued to connect based on

cause-effect relationships. The sequence also focusing of emphasize to casual

relation in the story. “Plot is a set of story which is has causal relationship”

(Forster, 1973). The understanding will allow us to understand the flow of events

in a story, for example novel.

According to Chartes (1987: 1366-1367), plot divides into four part such

as:

a. Exposition or introduction.

This part presents characters and setting, shown which characters are

involved and also introduce the basic situation. Exposition has a purpose to

understand the forward progress of action, which includes knowledge of the

character and how they connect each other.

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b. Rising Action.

In this part, conflicts begin to happen. The conflicts happen for the

protagonist which be caused by protagonist. The purpose is to make

protagonist doesn‟t enjoy his life. Conflicts can be divided into two types, they

are internal and external conflicts.

c. Climax

Climax is one of part in intrinsic elements where the major/main character

takes the big decision that defines the outcome of their story that they are as a

person. This is a part where the conflict where has been raised started to rise.

d. Falling Action.

In the falling action, the sense that the loose ends are being tied up.

However, it is often the time of greatest overall tension in the story because it

is the phase in which everything goes most wrong.

e. Resolution.

This is a part where the author gives the solution of all events that have

happened in the story. This part shows us where protagonist or antagonist

decisively wins. This part explains what problem happens.

The part of plot makes the stories more interesting. Donnel (1983:714)

says that: plot is a series of happening in literary work. Those happening or events

are composed by some related action which are organized around a conflict and

built through a complication to climax followed by a denouement and solution.

The important elements in a groove are incident, conflict and climax. These

elements make the fiction come alive. Grooves not only concerned with what is

happening, but it also reveals why and how an event and conflict in the story

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could happen. In general, the flow of a story divided into three types, namely the

plot forward, backward flow, and the flow of the mixture.

The plot is a series of events in the story structure arranged as a sequence

of sections in the overall fiction. Thus, the plot is a mix of elements that build up

the story so that it becomes the main framework the story plots a basic framework

that is very important. A plot governs how actions should be related to one

another, how an event has a relationship with other events, as well as how the

characters portrayed and play a role in the incident.

2.5.3 Setting

All events that occur in human life certainly will not escape from the

bondage of space and time. So also in the novel in which it is the telling of human

life and all problems. Background or setting is of often called in literature prose

not only serves as a pointer place and time of the story. Background in literary

prose is also used as a place of extraction of these values to express the author of

the story. Aminuddin said:

“Latar dalam cerita rekaan tidak hanya berupa tempat, waktu,

peristiwa, suasana, benda-benda dalam lingkungan tertentu, tetapi juga

suasana yang berhubungan dengan sikap, jalan pikiran, prasangka

maupun gaya hidup masyarakat.” (Aminudin, 1987:68).

The function of the background is to give a clear picture that the events

that occur in a literary work is really happening or provide clear information about

the situation in a story. So, it can be said that the background is taking place and

space events described by the author. While for function own background is to

provide a clear picture so as to create an atmosphere that seems truly exists about

the occurrence of an event. Background also serves to facilitate the reader imagine

the things described in the literature. Depiction of the proper background would

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make the story more powerful and alive. Without background, readers will have

difficulty in imagining the events that happen in the story.

2.5.4 Theme

Theme in a story is fundamental. because Existence of course

mandatory. It impossible if there is no special theme in the story, including in the

form of a novel. With the theme, the story is clear, then the author will be

unavoidable elements unnecessary. This is what makes the theme of the story is

often called the compass of the story, because it will determine which direction

the story. There are various themes that can be selected if you want to write a

novel, such as the theme of romance, family, education and others. Interestingly,

in a story it is possible there is an engaging theme. Moreover, the definition of

theme according to Rees (1973: 18) like follows:

“Every plays has one dominating idea which we call the theme”.

The most important function of a theme in literature is to be the unifying

element of last the whole story. That is, the authors create and shape the plot,

bring characters come alive, whether consciously or not, express or implied, is

basically a behavior guided by the theme chosen and had directed.