THE ANALYSIS THE MAIN CHARACTER OF SHORT

STORY “THE MODEL MILLIONAIRE”

BY OSCAR WILDE

By

KADEK GITA ARYA CAHYANINGRUM 1801541136

NI KOMANG AYU NADA ASTARI 1801541141

ENGLISH DEPARTEMENT

FACULTY OF HUMANITIES

UDAYANA UNIVERSITY

2020
The Analysis of The Main Character of Short Story Of “The Model Millionaire”
By Oscar Wilde

CAHYANINGRUM, Kadek Gita Arya Cahyaningrum

1801541136

ASTARI, Ni Komang Ayu Nada

1801541141

English Departement, Faculty of Humanities Udayana University

Email address: aryagita13@gmail.com, nadaastarii@gmail.com

Abstract

This research of study entitled The Analysis of The Main Character of Short
Story Of “The Model Millionaire” By Oscar Wilde is aimed to identify the main
character’s characterization in the short story. The research method in this study will
use descriptive qualitative methods by reading thoroughly and understanding the
whole story with some note-taking to compile the important information. To reach a
higher understanding, some theories from the expert will used in this study and
reading some journals that related to this study. The characterization will identify by
using three dimensions of characterization by Lajos Egri that he explains in his book
“The Art of Dramatic Writing” which are physiology, sociology, and psychology.

Keywords: short story, character, characterization, Lajor Egri

i
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1. INTRODUCTION
Literary is an imaginative work and widely known by many people
that used to picture human life in purpose to give an understanding,
experience, and also excitement to the reader. According to James H.
Pickering and Jeffrey D. Hoeper (1981. 01:307) literature is a unique creation
of a human activity that comes from the desire of man timeless to understand,
express, and eventually share experiences. Prose is one of the literary works
that quite popular among people from children until mature and it has many
kinds of work, one of them is short story.
It is a part of prose fiction that characteristically as a one-shot story,
means that it doesn’t have many chapters or series in the story. Short story is
usually written in narrative, complex, and focus to the core of the story, thus
most of short story has a brief plot with one setting and limited characters in
it.
Extrinsic and intrinsic element does exist in every story, whether it’s a
novel or a short story. Characteristic is one of the intrinsic elements that has a
big role in every story. Talking about the character of the story is always an
interesting thing for the reader, because it creates images of the characters and
draws how the character behave, look, and feeling to the reader.
According to Abram (1981: 76) state that character is people who are
appeared in the story such as prose or novel in a narrative way and its
character being expressed by what they say and do which is interpreted by the
reader as a person who has the quality of moral value and certain tendency. It
is an important aspect that can bring message and various value of the story to
the reader through its character. There’s a various way to understand the
characters of the story, it can approach with some methods of characterization.
Such as in the book of Lajos Egri entitled “The Art of Dramatic Writing”, he
states that to identify man’s personality, the three-dimension of character bone
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structure will help the process of identify. Those three dimensions of character
that he mentioned in his book are, physiology, sociology, and psychology.
This story focus to analyzed the main character of the story “The
Model Millionaire” and the aims of this study are; First, to figure out who is
the main character in the story. Second, to analyzed the methods of
characterization that author used to present the character in the story. Third, to
describe how the personality of the main character in the story through three
dimensional aspects of character.

2. Literary review
This research study was inspired by some studies that related to this
study. The study of Bambang Irawan from Pamulang University and his study
entitled “Three Dimensional Aspect of a Main Character Mathilde in Guy De
Maupassant’s THE NECKLACE”. The author in his study used descriptive as
the method to find out three dimensional aspects that build Mathilde as the
main character in the short story. The result would be explained descriptively
by take the date from various side in the story, such as dialogue, narration and
condition. Library research also applied in his study.
Bagus Muhamad Fadli, in his study entitled “Problem Kejiwaan
Tokoh Utama Dalam Novel Maryam Karya Okky Madasari” analyzed the
main character’ characterization but focused on the abnormal behavior of the
main character. This study also explains about the link of psychology with
literature following with some statements by experts. To reach the result, the
author uses some research methods by using descriptive qualitative, reading
the novel thoroughly and do some note-taking, and inductive technique.
Semantic validity is used in this study as the validity of the data and supported
by methods of intrarater reliability and interrater reliability.
Another study of Cindy Putri, entitled “The Characterization of The
Main Character in Gone Girl Film”. This aims of study is to find out the
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characterization of the main character by focusing on characterization and the

most dominant characteristic. This study uses descriptive analytical study with
documentary technique as the method of collecting data. The author finds five
characteristics of the main character, those are liar, intelligent, vengeful,
insecure and perfectionist.

3. Research method
This study takes the data from a short story by Irish author Oscar
Wilde, entitled “The Model Millionaire” that was published in 1891 and this
data was found in https://americanliterature.com/author/oscar-wilde/short-
story/the-model-millionaire. This short story is a part of Lord Arthur Savile’s
Crime and Other Stories anthology. This short story was chosen to be part of
this analyze as a data source that presented about the main character in short
story “The Model Millionaire”.
The data was collected by reading thoroughly and do some note-taking
the information to figure out who is the main character is, then analyze the
character’s personality through three dimensional aspects of character and
some more information that can relevant to this topic.
This study uses descriptive qualitative research method that aims to
understand and gather in-depth the personality of the main characters in the
short story “The Model Millionaire”. The collected data will be analyzed
based on the theoretical framework descriptively. First, the data is analyzed by
determining who is the main character in the story. After determining the
main character, the data will be analyzed by figure it out the methods of
characterization to present the character used by the author. Furthermore, the
data will be analyzed by identify the personality of the main character through
three dimensional aspects of character.
4. Theoretical framework
4.1 Character
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According to Diyanni (2000), character is the imaginary person

that creates by the writer. Character is an important role played by
someone who has characterization that can guiding people to convey
the meaning in the story itself. Character, which is a person or other
also can be known as fictional character in a fiction story such as,
novel, film, even television that being narrative. Character not only
just a person but it also can use on animal, a figure or thing in a story.
The writers use the characters to perform some dialogues and actions
to build a story a long in plot line of the story itself. Most simply a
character is who has identity in the story which is not need to be
strong, that made up by name, action, appearance and conversation.
Based on the function and its position, character divided into
some categories as follows:
4.1.1 Main Character
The character who takes and play an important role
in the story. The main character is the central in the story.
Therefore, usually the authors use the main character to
make it easier for the audience to follow a long story line.
4.2.1 Secondary Character
Secondary character is the player who that necessary
in the story to build and influence the story with the main
character.
4.3.1 Supporting Character
Supporting character is character that supporting the
story that is not really focused in the primary storyline and
only develop the story. It also takes an important role with
the main character but its only acts as supporter.
4.2 Characterization
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According to Holman (1986:81), the characterization is

author’s ability to create and build an imaginary person, therefore the
character can exist in the story for the reader as it is life. There are two
methods to approach of characterization, those are direct and indirect
characterization. Laurence Perrine states that there are two type to
present the character with direct and indirect (Perrine,. 1974: 68-69).
4.3.1 Direct Characterization
This kind of characterization is when the author
presents the personality of the character straightforwardly.
The author can be revealing the character descriptively or in
comment form directly towards building the character.
4.3.2 Indirect Characterization
This kind of characterization building the character
indirect way and it is not straightforward. The author doesn’t
reveal the character descriptively, but to show something to
the character that can reveal character’s personality. It can
through action, speech, thoughts, or even behave of its
character.
4.3 Three Dimensional Aspects of Character.
According to Lajos Egri in his book “The Art of Dramatic
Writing” discusses about how to construct a drama based on the
revisions of premise and characterization. It can used in many kinds of
artistic or literary work, such as written work, even though Egi’s
instruction particularly targets drama. His book becomes widely
known as one of the best instructions on playwriting as well for short
story, novel, even screenplay.
He purposely gives an information to al creative writer and it
also shows how to identify or analyzed the character in the literature.
Character Bone Structure is one tool that he used for character design.
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It will help to figure out how the character’s personality through three
dimensions of the character bone structure. Those are, physiology,
sociology, and psychology.
4.3.1 Physiology
This is the physical aspect of the character which is it
makes the first impression to the reader and it affects to the
character’s life experience and behavior. In the written
literature such as short story and novel, the author may give
a physical descriptive about the character in some part of
text. Physiology aspect includes gender, age, height and
weight, skin or hair, even eyes color, defect, heredity, and
posture.
4.3.2 Sociology
The sociology aspect of the character could be
affecting the behavior of its character. It could happen
because of how the environment the character’s live. When
the character often gets lied to by people then he will have
trust-issue in life. This aspect could be class, occupations,
education, home life, childhood, religion, race or nationality,
place in the community, amusement or hobby, even social
standing.
4.3.3 Psychology
This aspect of characterization is the culmination of
the previous aspect which are sociology and physiology
aspect. This is the character’s way to behave and this is a
part that involves labeling the “type” of the character or it
can use adjective to describe the character. Is the character a
stubborn, shy, liar, honest or not? However, whenever
labeling the character to the certain type, it is following by
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the prove from the physiological and sociological aspect.

Psychology aspect consist of moral standards, aspirations,
frustrations, personal premise, ambition, temperament,
attitude towards life, extrovert or introvert or even ambivert.
5. Discussion
5.1 The Main Character in The Story
The main character is a person that created by the author who
dominated the whole story and all the characters in the story connect
to its main character. In the story of “The Model Millionaire” by Oscar
Wilde, the main character is Hughie Erskine. He is become the main
character because the conflict in the story is about him that being a
charming unemployment man who have a struggle to earn money
amount ten thousand pounds, if he really wants to marry Laura.
5.2 The Method of Characterization Used in The Story
The author used direct characterization to the short story of “The
Model Millionaire” by Oscar Wilde” because the author tells how the
looks of Hughie Erskine.
5.3 The Personality of The Main Character in The Story
In every story, the main character is being the important role of
character because they are the center of the story. The main character
is leading the story from the beginning through the ending. As usual,
every story has made to tell about the main character’s life and the
conflict in the story usually refers to the main story and technically to
build the main character to be stronger. Usually, the story will be end,
if the main character died in the last scene of the story.
Every author takes certain personality of the characters in the
story considering to how the plot of story will be going and what the
author wants the characters’ characterization like. Here, the discussion
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about dimensional of characterization of the main character in the

short story “The Model Millionaire” by Oscar Wilde.
5.3.1 The Main Character
5.3.1.1 Physiology
Physiology dimension of characterization can make the
reader picture what the character looks like. It can be described
by the physical appearance of the character.
In this story, the main character described by the author
as a charming person who has crisp brown hair with clear-cut
profile, and grey eyes which make him a very good-looking
man. This point can be seen at the beginning part of the story,
as the following quotation bellow;
“Unless one is wealthy there is no use in being a
charming fellow.” and “But then he was wonderfully good-
looking, with his crisp brown hair, his clear-cut profile, and his
grey eyes.”.
At this point, the characterization of the main character
which is Hughie Erskine described by the author directly. The
author starts the story with give a direct comment about the
main character’s characterization.
Furthermore, it can be concluded that Hughie Erskine is
a man who has a handsome face in this character as the main
the story.
5.3.2.1 Sociology
This aspect of dimensional characterization can be
affecting the main’s character characterization in the story.
Sociology dimension could be identified from the various
things, such as class, religion, hobbies, and many more that
relevant to the social thing.
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In this story, Hughie is an un-wealthy man who have

love relationship with Laura Merton. But, because Hughie an
unemployed man that make him can’t earn money, thus Laura’s
father gives him a statement that he have to get thousand
pounds or there’s no engagement with Laura. The discussion of
this aspect can be seen in this following long quotation bellow;
“He was as popular with men as he was with women,
and he had every accomplishment except that of making
money.”
This point above described by the author descriptively
and directly followed the description of his physical
appearance. The author states that, even though Hughie is poor,
but he is a popular man among the men and women.
Unfortunately, popular is not make him have much
money. It can be proved by this quotation bellow;
“…He had tried everything. He had gone on the Stock
Exchange for six months; but what was a butterfly to do among
bulls and bears? He had been a tea-merchant for a little
longer, but had soon tired of pekoe and souchong. Then he had
tried selling dry sherry. That did not answer; the sherry was a
little too dry. Ultimately he became nothing, a delightful,
ineffectual young man with a perfect profile and no
profession.”
From the quotation above, can take a conclusion that
Hughie is un-wealthy and he tried everything to get money
such as being a tea-merchant and sell sherry dry. Therefore, he
becomes nothing and have no profession.
Furthermore, after all his life with no much money, he
gets more pressure again from Laura’s father to get ten
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thousand pounds, if he wants to marry Laura as this quotation

below;
“‘Come to me, my boy, when you have got ten thousand
pounds of your own….’”
The author delivers the statement indirectly through
Laura’s father. It affects Hughie’s life, because he needs to find
work in purpose to get those ten thousand pounds because
Laura’s father wants his daughter has a good life.
From all those points that relevant to the sociological
dimension, can be concluded that Hughie is a popular man that
has no profession. Also, his plan to get married with Laura,
makes him should to find job to earn ten thousand pounds.
5.3.3.1 Psychology
The psychology dimension of characterization can
move the reader’s heart though the character’s behave. It can
make the reader being emotional when reading the story, then
the story’s message would be delivered to the reader well. The
behave of the character can be shown through the action toward
the other character or his thoughts, even feeling.
Furthermore, Hughie is such a curious person because
he asks a lot question to Alan about modeling and how much a
photographer get. Below is the quotation that proves he is a
curious person;
“'How much does a model get for sitting?' asked
Hughie, as he found himself a comfortable seat on a divan.
'A shilling an hour.'
'And how much do you get for your picture, Alan?'
'Oh, for this I get two thousand!'”
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The quotation above, characterized indirectly through

the dialogue between Hughie and Alan. Hughie also such a care
person. It shown when he saw a beggar man as this following
of quotation bellow;
“He looked so forlorn and wretched that Hughie could
not help pitying him, and felt in his pockets to see what money
he had. All he could find was a sovereign and some coppers.
'Poor old fellow,' he thought to himself, 'he wants it more than I
do, but it means no hansoms for a fortnight;' and he walked
across the studio and slipped the sovereign into the beggar's
hand.”
That point shown the care side of Hughie and it
characterized by indirectly by his thought to the beggar man.
He is such a soft person that he can thought that the beggar man
is more need the sovereign than him. Even though, he will not
have any sovereign again in his pocket. When he figure it out
that the beggar man is a millionaire, he is kind of shy and make
him frustrated. It shown through this quotation;
“'I think you might have told me, Alan,' said Hughie
sulkily, 'and not have let me make such a fool of myself.'”
As the quotation, he claims he is a fool because doesn’t
recognize the beggar man is actually a millionaire and he is
kind embarrassed of himself. He is also innocent and modest
because he immediately apologized when he sees the beggar
man which is a millionaire, one of the richest men in the
Europe name Baron Hausberg. Here, the quotation of it;
'I have come from Baron Hausberg,' he continued. 'The
Baron--'
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Quotation above shows that Hughie doesn’t hesitate and

don’t let his ego take control to shows his apology to Baron
Hausberg because he thought that he is a beggar man.
6. Conclusion
According to the discussion above, this study is able to figure out the
characterization of the main character of the short story “The Model
Millionaire” and this study is able to reach the conclusion.
Hughie Erskine is found out as the main character in this short story
because he appeared in the part of the story. The characterization of the main
character is identified through three dimensions of characterization by Lajor
Egri. It arrives to the result that Hughie characterization based on physiology
dimension, he is a charming and very good-looking man. From the sociology
dimension, he is popular and an un-wealthy man. Also, Hughie’s
characterization on the psychology dimension is kind, curious, shy, modest
and innocent.
The method of characterization to present the main character used by
the author is direct method of characterization which is it described in written
through the words somewhere in part of the story. Therefore, the author has
chosen to start the story by describe the main character’s characterization.

7. Reference
Egri, Lajos. 1946. The art of dramatic writing; its basis in the creative
interpretation of human motives. New York: Simon and Schuster
Irawan, Bambang. 2019. Three Dimensional Aspect of a Main Character
Mathilde in Guy De Maupassant’s THE NECKLACE. Banten: Universitas
Pamulang
Fadli, Bagus Muhamad. 2016. Problem Kejiwaan Tokoh Utama Dalam Novel
Maryam Karya Okky Madasari. Yogyakarta: Universitas Negeri
Yogyakarta.
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Putri, Cindy. 2017. The Characterization of The Main Character In Gone Girl
Film. Medan: Universitas Negeri Medan.
DiYanni, R. 2001. Literature: Reading Poetry, Prose, and Drama, Compact
Edition. Singapore: McGraw-Hill.
Perrine, Laurence, 1956. Story and Structure. USA. Harcourt, Brace and
World, Inc.
Culpeper, Jonathan, and Fernandez-Quintanilla, Carolina. 2016. Fictional
characterization. Lancaster: Lancaster University
https://americanliterature.com/author/oscar-wilde/short-story/the-model-
millionaire. Accessed on Monday 7th December 2020
Johnston, Kelsi. 2017. 5 Methods of Characterization. penandthepad.com,
https://penandthepad.com/5-methods-characterization-8263504.html.
Accessed on Tuesday 15th December 2020