Chapter II

The Intrinsic Element and Character Problematic in

In this chapter, the writer will explain and define some theories

which will be used to analyze this paper. The first theory is theory of

literature. This theory is used because this paper analyzes about one of

genre or type of literature that is prose. Second is prose theory along with

the theory of the elements inside it. The writer will use this theory because

this paper will analyze the elements inside the story those are plot, setting,

and character. Then, the writer will define and explain theory of

comparative literature study. After that, the writer will define the problems

in fiction which character usually faced and the communication issue or

problem in narrative or story refers to communication theory. Also, this

chapter will explain and inform about books that is analyzed in this paper.

2.1 Literature

In this section, the writer will explain about the definition of

literature. There are some definitions of literature according to experts.

According to Mursal Esten (1978) in Toyidin (2013:3) the definition of

literature is as follow:

sastra atau kesusastraan adalah pengungkapan dari fakta artistik

10
 masyarakat melalui bahasa sebagai medium dan punya efek yang
positif terhadap kehidupan manusia (kemanusiaan).

(Literature is act of expressing of artistic and imaginative fact as

Furthermore, Wellek and Warren (1989:3) also said that literature

is creative activity. One of literature constraint is all of printed or written

things. It also can be implemented as imaginative works. It is also stated

that we can implement or transfer methods which is being developed by

science on literature study. Firmly, kind of this scientific causality is

being used to explain literature phenomenon which refers to economic,

social, politic condition as the caused factors.

It means literature express someone creative activity and it is

imaginative. Literature is an imaginative product of someone creativity

which reflect human life through language. Literature interpreted or

portrayed someone’s life inside it. It also has its effect on human real life.

It becomes written documentation of what was happened during the Nazi

imperial era.

Meanwhile Rusyana (1982) in Toyidin (2013:3) said that literature

sastra adalah hasil kegiatan kreatif manusia dalam

(Literature is the result of human creativity in expressing their

11
 According to Wellek and Warren (1989: 120) literature text divided

to three genres, those are poetry, prose, and drama. Those genres are

distinguished by the use of language, writing convention, and the building

elements. Prose in literature is also called fiction, narrative text or

narrative discourse. The fiction term means creative story or imaginative

story. The nature of fiction is narrative prose.

2.1.1 Prose

Prose is an inclusive term for all discourse, spoken or written,

which is not patterned into the lines either of metric verse or of free verse

(Abram, 2008: 288). Prose is the most typical form of language and it is

derived from the Latin word prosa which literally means ‘straight-

forward’. This means that anything you say or write in prose is presented

in a straight- forward manner. It is different with poetry which is written in

verse or lines. Prose is made up of complete sentences which constitute

paragraphs in a narrative form. Prose reflects the pattern of everyday

speech. Words in prose are arranged in correct sentences and in a logical

sequence for a meaningful understanding of the intended communication.

The daily discourse or dialogue people use is in form of prose. Human

unconsciously make and use prose for the sake of communication in

straight forward manner. Thus, prose is any discourse presented in

straight-forward manner and it is not written in verse like poetry.

12
2.1.2 Fiction

Fiction is derived from the Latin word fictum which means

“created”. Fiction is a term used to denote anything, mainly stories or

accounts that are not real. Abram (2008: 116) explained that fiction is any

literary narrative, whether in prose or verse, which is invented instead of

being an account of events that actually happened. In a narrower sense,

however, fiction denotes only narratives that are written in prose (the

novel and short story), and sometimes is used simply as a synonym for the

novel. Fiction is therefore any form of narrative which deals, in part or in

whole, with events that are not factual, but rather, are imaginary and

invented by its author. Apart from the general meaning of fiction as non-

factual accounts, it is also used to denote a major branch of literature

especially the novel and also drama or other theatrical presentations in the

cinematic and musical mode. The important thing is that the story is not

factual or real. It is just reflecting the reality or the factual thing into story.

2.1.3 Prose Fiction

Prose fiction is the narrative form or story which is not factual or

real. It is the result of author’s imaginary. Fiction and narrative are words

that distinguish prose fiction from any other form of narrative or fictional

work. For example, drama is fiction but it is presented in dialogue and not

13
narrative. Prose fiction as a literary genre is made up of the short story, the

novella and the novel. The story in prose fiction is invented by the writer

but is presented in a realistic manner. Prose fiction present various

individual matter which is then will be interpreted by the reader. What the

reader read in prose fiction are events, incidents, and experiences that

affect human beings. It reflects and connect the factual or reality of man.

2.1.4 The Elements of Prose Fiction

Stanton in Jabrohim (1965: 12), described that the building

elements covers; theme, story fact, and literary work. The story fact

covers; story, plot, and setting. Here, it will be explained the definition of

each elements.

2.1.4.1 Plot

Stanton (1965: 14) stated that plot is story which contained event

but those characters are important element in a story. The importance of

those elements on characters function plays a role, thus the story can be

understood by reader. The character inside the stories will carry out the

plot. Stanton in Nurgiyantoro (2000: 113) stated that plot is story which

contained series of events but every event is connected just by causal

relationship and others events. Every event in Frank’s diary and Haddon’s

14
novel un doubtfully is connected. Plot and character are therefore

interdependent critical concepts.

Many, but far from all, plots deal with a conflict. Abram

(2009:265) explained that in addition to the conflict between individuals,

there may be the conflict of a protagonist against fate, or against the

circumstances that stand between him and a goal he has set himself. The

order of a unified plot, Aristotle pointed out, is a continuous sequence of

beginning, middle, and end. The beginning initiates the main action in a

way which makes us look forward to something more; the middle

presumes what has gone before and requires something to follow; and the

end follows from what has gone before but requires nothing more; we feel

satisfied that the plot is complete.

The German critic Gustav Freytag, in Technique of the Drama

(1863) in Abram (2009:267-268) introduced an analysis of plot that is

known as Freytag’s Pyramid.

15
 He described the typical plot of a five-act play as a pyramidal

shape, consisting of a rising action, climax, and falling action. Here are the

writer will define each steps:

1. Exposition: Setting the scene. The writer introduces the characters and

setting, providing description and background.

2. Inciting Incident: Something happens to begin the action. A single event

usually signals the beginning of the main conflict. The inciting incident is

sometimes called 'the complication'.

3. Rising Action: The story builds and gets more exciting.

4. Climax: The moment of greatest tension in a story. This is often the

most exciting event. It is the event that the rising action builds up to and

that the falling action follows.

5. Falling Action: Events happen as a result of the climax and we know

that the story will soon end.

6. Resolution: The character solves the main problem/conflict or someone

solves it for him or her.

7. Dénouement: The ending, at this point, any remaining secrets, questions

or mysteries which remain after the resolution are solved by the characters

or explained by the author. Sometimes the author leaves us to think about

the theme or future possibilities for the characters. Dénouement is such as

16
the opposite of the exposition: instead of getting ready to tell us the story

by introducing the setting and characters, the author is getting ready to end

it with a final explanation of what actually happened and how the

characters think or feel about it. This can be the most difficult part of the

plot to identify, as it is often very closely tied to the resolution.

Although the total pattern that Freytag described applies only to a

limited number of plays, various of his terms are frequently echoed by

critics of prose fiction as well as drama. Therefore, plot is series of events

and it is played by the character. The character and the plot couldn’t be

separated. It is connected one of each other.

2.1.4.2 Character

The characters in a literary work usually are imagination but those

characters are important elements in a story. The importance of that

element has placed on the function of character which play a role, thus the

story could be understood by reader. Stanton in Nurgiyantoro (2000: 165)

stated that the characterization is the image of characters in the story

which is showed by interest attitude, longing, emotion, moral principle

that is belonged by those characters.

17
 Characters in fiction can be conveniently classified as major and

minor, static and dynamic. A major character is an important figure at the

center of the story’s action or theme. The major character is sometimes

called a protagonist or the main character of the story. The story revolves

around she or he which character becomes the driver of action in the story.

The protagonist has conflict with an antagonist whose may spark the

story’s conflict. This character opposes the protagonist or is pitted against

him or her in all cases and situations. Supporting the major character are

one or more secondary or minor characters whose function is partly to

illuminate the major characters. Minor characters are often static or

unchanging: they remain the same from the beginning of a work to the

end. Dynamic characters, on the other hand, exhibit some kind of change –

of attitude, purpose, behavior, as the story progresses.

2.1.4.2.1 Type of Character

1. Protagonist

Abram (2008: 265) stated that the chief character in a plot, on

whom our interest centers, is called the protagonist (or alternatively, the

hero or heroine). In many storytelling traditions, the protagonist is usually

the main character or the hero or heroine. It appears as if the story revolves

around the character or that it is his or her story that is being told. That

18
character becomes the driver of action in the story. She or he therefore is

responsible for achieving the story's objective or goal. For example, the

protagonist in Little Red Riding Hood is the red riding hood because the

story revolves around her. The reader is sympathized to her and it centered

around her life.

2. Antagonist

The character that stands constantly in opposition to the

protagonist is the antagonist. He opposes the protagonist or is pitted

against him or her in all cases and situations. In Little Red Riding Hood,

the antagonist is the Wolf. He is opposes the hero or the protagonist. He

impersonates red riding hood’s grandmother and tries to consume her as

well.

3. Flat Character

The flat characters are those characters who remain the same in the

course of the story from the beginning to the end. Some scholars refer to

them as static characters. They do not undergo significant changes during

the course of a story. The flat characters are very predictable because there

seems not to be any change in their growth and activities.

19
 4. Round Character

Round characters are those characters that grow in the course of the

narration. Most of the time, they grow from innocence to maturity and

adapt to situations accordingly. They respond to changes in their

environment and react differently to different situations.

2.1.4.2.2 Characterization

Characterization is often listed as one of the fundamental elements of

fiction. It refers to the way an author creates and manipulates the characters in

the work to explicate his or her theme. Characterization is image toward the

characters based on time or its characters which could be known from the

physiological, psychological and sociologic features.

A character is a participant in the story and is usually a person, but

it sometimes can be any personal identity, an animal or an entity whose

existence originates from the fictional work. The writer reveals the

character in such a way that the reader becomes familiar with the

character’s nature through the character’s words and actions. A character

is also revealed through his relationship with other characters and reaction

to situations and events. Sometimes the character’s thoughts are revealed

by the writer depending on the narrative mode or point of view.

20
2.1.4.2.3 The Character Problematic in Fiction

Fiction is form of narrative which deals, in part or in whole, with

events that are not factual, but rather, are imaginary and invented by its

author. Even though it is the author’s imaginary, it still reflects the reality

on it. The character is the realization of man in narrative. It is form of man

reflection on its life. The character used to face various problems as well

human in real life. The problem in narrative usually is given by the author

in the plot, in form of conflict. Conflict is the elements which move the

story in a novel or story. It will be played by the character. There are

various problems the character will be faced by the character, especially

the protagonist. It can be the character versus themselves; the character

versus the other character; the character versus environment or its society;

the character versus nature; the character versus its fate or destiny; or even

the character versus God or Supernatural things. There are two main

conflicts the characters in stories generally faced. Those are the internal

and external conflict.

Character vs. self (person vs. character) is when the central conflict

of a story is internal to the main character. This type of conflict is also

known as internal conflict. This internal conflict occurs when a character

struggles with a desire or moral dilemma. Second, character vs. character

(person vs. person) is when, in a novel, there is a conflict between two

characters. An example is the hero's conflict with the central villain of the

21
story. This type of conflict is also known as external conflict. Character vs.

society (character vs. environment) occurs when the main character is in

opposition to societal traditions or concepts. The two parties in this type of

conflict are the protagonist (main character) versus the character’s own

society. This type of conflict is also external conflict. There is conflict of

character vs. nature. It is the theme in literature that places a character

against the forces of nature. Many disaster movies focus on this theme,

which is also found in stories about struggling for survival in remote

places. This is also external conflict. Character vs. Destiny (character vs.

fate) is a theme where the character attempts to break away from a

predetermined path. This path is chosen for the character without his

knowledge. It is also the conflict between fate and freewill. This is also

external conflict. Also there is conflict between character and God or

Supernatural things. This is also external conflict. It is when a supernatural

creature puts obstacles into a character’s path or when a character must

struggle with his own spiritual side.

From the various conflicts that character is faced, there are

conflicts or problems in narrative which related with communication issue

or problem. It is because the character in novel or story also faced conflict

about their way in communication as well as human in real life. There are

some barriers or problem make the character faced this conflict. Here is

the writer will explain the definition of communication and those

22
communication barriers themselves. The communication problem which

the character is faced in this paper will refer to these communication

barriers.

Communication word comes from Latin communis, which means

“making togetherness” or “building togetherness between two people or

more”. The word root of communis is communito, which means share.

Craig (1999) in Littejohn and Foss (2009:9) said that communication is

main process where humanity life is walked on. How we communicate

ourselves experience, forming and arranging our experience.

Furthermore Ruben and Stewart (1998) said in Liliweri (2011:35)

how important communication is. It is said that communication is an

essential thing for individual, relation, group, organization and society. It

is line that connect human with world, how human make impression about

and toward world. It is media for human to express their selves and how it

influences others. Thus, Ruben and Stewart said that if human not have

communication, they cannot create and maintain their relation with others

in group, organization and society. It enable human to coordinate all of

their needs. Therefore, communication is how we communicate our

experience in our life. It is very important because it is the main process in

human’s life. It connects human with world and also a media to express

their selves.

23
2.1.4.2.3.1 Communication Barrier

According Ludlow and Panton (1993:10-11), there are some

barriers which caused the communication become not effective, as follow:

1. Status effect

The influences of social status in every human being will make the

communication become not effective. For example, the relationship

between King and his subordinates.

2. Semantic Problems

Semantic factor in language is used as mind and feeling convey tools by

the communicator to communicant. The communicator should give serious

attention to this semantic problem for the sake of communication. The

speaking or writing error will cause misunderstanding. For example, the

utterance error or interpretation error.

3. Perceptual Distortion

Perceptual distortion is caused by the difference of narrow individual point

of view or the difference of narrow mindset toward other people. It will

cause the difference of perception and knowledge with one of each other.

4. Cultural Differences

It is a barrier or problem caused by the differences of cultures, religions,

and social environment.

24
5. Physical Distraction

This is caused by physic environment disturbance toward the process of

communication. For example, the sound that too loud which caused people

cannot hear one of each other.

6. Poor Choice of Communication Channels

It is caused on media which is being used in communication. For example,

the bad signal on the phone, the bad connection of internet which makes

the information could not be grasped and understood clearly.

7. No Feed Back

It is happened when a sender sends a message to the receiver but the

receiver gives no response to the message. There is no feedback from the

receiver which caused the communication become futile.

Therefore, there are some relevant thing connect narrative and life

of man. It is because literature is the representation of human itself. The

problem and also the value from a narrative come from the essential of

human’s life itself. The character will face problem in narrative as well

human in reality. It is inseparable things between narrative and human as

its source.

25
2.1.4.3 Setting

Abram (2009:330) explained that the overall setting of a narrative

or dramatic work is the general locale, historical time, and social

circumstances in which its action occurs; the setting of a single episode or

scene within the work is the particular physical location in which it takes

place. Basically, there are two types of setting physical setting and historical

setting. Physical setting is the general locale of a work. In other words, it is

the place of the scene. The geographical location of a work is not

synonymous with where it is written. This is referred to as the time setting,

temporal setting or the historical setting. This type of setting in a work may be

immediate or remote. The temporal setting of a work entails the time element

which is almost always (but not necessarily so) different from the time the

work is written. The concept of time setting also encompasses what it evokes

and carries along with it or the social circumstances of the story like the

cultural, social, economic and religious issues raises in the work.

Language is part of human life. It helps man to understand one of

each other. It is one of important way to communicate. Language reflects

and builds a society though. It will reflect someone though. Literature and

language could not be separated from one of each other, it is a unity.

Literature will help someone to express his or her thought trough

language. The characters were reflected through the novel by the medium

of language. Other than character, setting also involves in build a literary

26
work. Therefore, plot, character and setting are the important elements in

building a story in a literary work.

2.2 Comparative Study

In this section, the writer will define comparative study.

Comparative method or comparative study is a method to analyze

relationship between phenomena and their causal connection (Caramani,

2008: 2). It compares the similarities and the differences among macro

social unit i.e. International (or cross-national) comparisons. However, Lor

(2011: 2) stated that much of the discussion is also relevant to comparisons

of cultural, societal or linguistic groups that are distributed within or

across countries. Comparison is inherent in all science where comparative

research has historically played a significant role in their development as

scientific disciplines.

2.2.1 Comparative Literature

In this section, the writer will explain about the definition of

comparative literature. Matthew Arnold used this term for the first time in

English language when translated Ampere “historie comparative” (1848).

France’s scientist prefers the earlier term which being used by Villemain

which he called “literature comparee” (1829) which is analogy with

Cuvier’s term “anatomi comparee” (1800).

27
 Wellek and Warren (1989:47) said that comparative literature term

related with other studies and problems in practice. It is social institution

which uses language as the medium. Furthermore, it is also stated that

literature study working from interpretation and analysis of literature work

itself properly. General approach which is done toward the relationship of

literature and society is studying literature as social document, as social

portrait reality. There are always the relation between literature and society

because literature through language portrays the life of society in it.

Bassnet (1993:1) explained that comparative literature is a study of

texts across cultures. It is an interdisciplinary beyond time and space. In

time aspect, comparative literature could compare two or more different

period. Romanticism era will be different with Post-colonial period. The

writer during Renaissance era will not discussed about the imperial power

of European. Meanwhile in space aspect, it will bound comparative

literature with literature geographic area. The writer from Europe talked

about its imperial power toward their shadow-land. The writer defines the

humanity issue which involves the shadow-land. Meanwhile the writer

from America raise up the social discrepancy between White and Black. It

proves that comparative literature is quite vast. At the next stage, it will

focus more on its relation with other study.

28
 Henry Remak (1961) said in Guillén (1993:95) that comparative

literature not limited to particular country. It studies the relationship

between literature and other areas of knowledge or interdisciplinary (e.g.

painting, sculpture, architecture, music, philosophy, history, the social

sciences, religion, etc. It will not only talk about the literary work and

other literary work but it will discuss about literary work and its relation

with the culture in a place. How the culture in a place influence the written

or oral literature in that place and its relation with anthropology or how the

literary work in a place portrayed the way of life of certain group of people

or society and its relation with sociology. It talks about how to define the

unity or diversity in two or more literature works. In comparative

literature, the object of study will discuss about the similarities or

differences in two or more literary works. This paper will try to find the

similar issue that the main character faced in the stories inside the novels.

Else the most important thing from comparative literature study is how to

compare the uniqueness or the characteristic of the literary work which

being compared. Therefore, comparative literature is study of relations

between two or more literatures beyond space and time.

2.3 Anne Frank’s Diary: The Diary of A Young Girl

The Diary of a Young Girl (also known as The Diary of Anne

Frank) is a book of the writings from the Dutch language diary kept

29
by Anne Frank while she was in hiding for two years with her family

during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. This diary was first

published under the title Het Achterhuis. Dagboekbrieven 14 Juni 1942 – 1

Augustus 1944 (The Annex: Diary Notes 14 June 1942 – 1 August 1944)

by Contact Publishing in Amsterdam in 1947.

Annelies Marie Frank was a German-born diarist and writer. She is

one of the most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Her diary, The

Diary of a Young Girl, which documents her life in hiding during

the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II, is one of the

world's most widely known books and has been the basis for several plays

and films.

Born in the city of Frankfurt, Germany, on June 12, 1929, she lived

most of her life in or near Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Born

a German national, Frank lost her citizenship in 1941 and thus

became stateless. The Frank family moved from Germany to Amsterdam

in the early 1930s when the Nazis gained control over Germany. By May

1940, they were trapped in Amsterdam by the German occupation of the

Netherlands. As persecutions of the Jewish population increased in July

1942, the family went into hiding in some concealed rooms behind a

bookcase in the building where Anne's father worked. In August 1944, the

group was betrayed and transported to concentration camps. Anne and her

sister, Margot, were eventually transferred to Bergen-Belsen concentration

30
camp, where they died (probably of typhus) in February or March 1945,

just weeks before the camp was liberated in April.

Otto Frank, the only survivor of the family, returned to Amsterdam

after the war to find that Anne's diary had been saved by one of the

helpers, Miep Gies, and his efforts led to its publication in 1947. It was

translated from its original Dutch version and first published in English in

1952 as The Diary of a Young Girl, and has since been translated into over

60 languages. The diary, which was given to Anne on her thirteenth

birthday, chronicles her life from 12 June 1942 until 1 August 1944.

2.4 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a

2003 mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon. The novel is narrated

in the first-person perspective by Christopher John Francis Boone, a 15-

year-old boy who describes himself as "a mathematician with some

behavioral difficulties" living in Swindon, Wiltshire. Although

Christopher's condition is not stated, the book's blurb refers to Asperger’s

syndrome, high-functioning autism. Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) was added

as a new “official” diagnosis when DSM-IV (The Diagnostic and

Statistical Manual, 4th Edition) and ICD-10 (International Classification of

Disease, 10th Edition) were published. In the past, children with AS were

sometimes referred to as having schizoid personality, or schizotical

31
personality, and PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disoreders), NOS (Non-

Autistic PDD). It is now recognized as distinct from autism. AS differs

from autism in a number of key ways : First, children with AS may not be

detected as early because they may have no delays in language, or only

mild delays. In fact, it is usually not until parents notice that their child’s

use of language is unusual, or their child’s play is also unusual, that

concern sets in. Unlike autism, where the vast majority of children also

experience some degree of mental retardation, children (and adults) with

AS are rarely mentally retarded although many have low—average

intelligence.

Children with AS are sometimes described as “active”, but odd”—

not avoiding others the way autistic children often do, but relating in a

more narrow way, usually centering activity around their own needs and

peculiar interests. In fact, having one or more areas of narrow,

encompassing interest is highly characteristic of those with AS. One main

difference is that children with AS tend to have fairly comparable verbal

and nonverbal levels of intelligence, while higher functioning autistic

children tend to have nonverbal IQs that are markedly higher than their

verbal IQs.

When younger, children with AS may stand out as socially

‘different” to adults (especially to nonparents), but adults usually can

32
allow for these differences much the way they would when dealing with a

younger or immature child’s.

Young children with AS usually do not give (non parental) adults

the impression that something is seriously “different”, the way an autistic

child does. On the other hand, the young child with AS typically has just

as much difficulty really playing with others as autistic children do. This is

because other young children, unlike adults, lack the skills to

automatically adjust to the social “different-ness” of the child with AS.

Sometimes a young child gets on relatively well with siblings who know

and accept his quirks, but the child is rejected by peers— and quite often

does not seem to care much that he is.

Therefore, child with Asperger’s syndrome is slightly different

with autistic child. Child with Asperger’s syndrome is rarely mentally

retarded, unlike autism. They tend to have a fairly comparable verbal and

nonverbal level of intelligence. But they still cannot play and communicate

well especially the young children with AS. They are often rejected by

child around their ages.

2.5 Biography of Mark Haddon

Mark Haddon was born in Northampton in 1962. He graduated

from Oxford University in 1981, returning later to study for a M.Sc. in

English Literature at Edinburgh University. He then undertook a variety of

33
jobs, including work with children and adults with mental and physical

disabilities. He also worked as an illustrator for magazines and a

cartoonist for New Statesman, The Spectator, Private Eye, the Sunday

Telegraph and The Guardian (for which he co-wrote a cartoon strip).

His first book for children, Gilbert's Gobstopper, appeared in 1987

and was followed by many other books and picture books for children,

many of which he also illustrated. These include the 'Agent Z' series and

the 'Baby Dinosaurs' series. From 1996 he also worked on television

projects, and created and wrote several episodes for Microsoap, winning

two BAFTAs and a Royal Television Society Award for this work.

In 2003 his novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-

Time, was published and has been hugely successful. It is the first book to

have been published simultaneously in two imprints - one for children and

one for adults. It has won a string of prestigious awards, including the

2003 Whitbread Book of the Year. His second novel, A Spot of Bother,

was published in 2006 and shortlisted for the 2006 Costa Novel Award.

His first book of poetry, The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and

the Village Under the Sea, was published in 2005. His latest books are two

new novels, Boom! (2009) and The Red House (2012) and a picture book,

Walking on The Moon (2009). Mark Haddon teaches creative writing for

the Arvon Foundation and Oxford University.

34