CHAPTER II

THEORITICAL REVIEW

2.1 Literary Review

Literature is often defined as a permanent expression in words of some thought

or feeling idea about life and the world. Literary work can construct the world

throughout words for the motive that words have power. By the side of statement,

it is represented that through that power, it can form an image of particular world,

as a new world. Those words have documentary aspects that can break through

space and times, illustrate past as well as future (Ratna, 2005:150).

Klarer (1998) states that “Literature is referred to as the entirety of written

expression with the restriction that not every written document can be categorized

as literature in the more exact sense of the word”. The definitions, therefore,

usually includes additional adjectives such as “aesthetic” or “artistic”. Literature is

a creation of humankind that has aesthetics and artistic sides. In the past, the form

of literature was usually conveyed orally, such as Epic stories. In the further

progress, literature was made in written form and then it was visualized as in

drama. Later, Epic stories, written literature and drama are known as genre of

literature. Klarer (1998:0) explains the parts of three major literary genres; these

are fiction that consists of novel and short story, drama that consists of comedy

and tragedy, and poetry that consists of narrative poetry and lyric poetry. These

three genres of literature are applicable until now.

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2.2 Short Story

Short story emerges as a more or less independent type of text at the end of the

eighteen century, parallel to development of the novel. While the novel has

always attracted the interest of literary theorists, the short story has never actually

achieved the status held by length fiction. According to Klarer:

“A crucial feature commonly identified with the short story is its

impression of unity since it can be read-in contrast to the novel-in
one sitting without interruption. Due to restriction of length, the plot
of the short story has to be highly selective, entailing an
idiosyncratic temporal dimension that usually focuses on one central
moment of action.” (Klarer, 1998:14)

Short story deals with important elements that build the story itself. All of

these elements take their own role to make the story sensible. They are theme,

plot, setting, character and point of view (Anderson: 1993 as cited in Hansyar:

2005)

As being above, short story is a part of literary genres, which is fiction. Short

story can be categorized as a fiction since most of it relies on fantasy stories, such

as fairy tale. It is further explained by Klarer (1998:13) the roots of short story lie

on antiquity and the Middle Ages story, myth and fairy tale relate to the oldest

types of textual manifestations, “texts” which were primarily orally transmitted.

Short story as a part of literary works is interesting to be analyzed. Although it has

a quite short plot, small number of characters and a few places and time as setting,

the story can be fully developed. There are many short stories that have been

analyzed. Typically, the analysis is related to intrinsic elements of the story.

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2.3 Classification of Short Story

A short story can be classified according to number of words. According to

Kurtus (2007), fiction, including short story, is classified into:

2.3.1 Short-short story

A short-short story is usually in between 500 and 1500 words in length. It tells

a complete story, including characters, setting, conflict and resolution. Often it has

surprise endings.

A subject of the short story is micro fiction, which only consists of around 300

words. This type of writing requires that every word is essential to the story.

There is no room for detailed description. Vignettes, as seen in a play, are similar

to short short-shorts to degree. A vignette is a short scene that focuses on one

event or gives one impression about character. The big differences are that the

vignette has no real plot or story.

2.3.2 Short story

A short story is one that is meant to be read in one setting. Typically, a short

story ranges from 2000 to 7500 words in length. Short story is less complex than

novels, often focusing on a single incident. They have a small number of

characters. As with short-short story, short stories may have a surprise ending.

According to Klarer (1998) “The short story, concise form of prose fiction, has

received less attention from literary scholars than the novel. As with the novel, the

roots of the short story lie in antiquity and the middle ages”. According to
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statement above, short story has characteristic received less attention from literary

scholars than the novel and also has antique characterized.

On the other hand, Tarigan (junaedi, 2006:7) also states another classification

of short story which is based on the quality of work. Tarigan states that short story

is divided into two types; literary short story which contains the norms demanded

by literary art and entertaining short story which contains the material of the short

story categorized as an entertainment.

In conclusion, short story is a brief prose fiction that includes all intrinsic

elements such as character, plot, setting, theme and point of view that can be read

in one single setting. Short story is classified into two major classification, short

story based on the number of words(Short-short story and long short story)and

short story based on the quality of work(literary and entertaining short story).

2.4 Intrinsic Elements of Short Story

Intrinsic elements of short story are important part of a short story since these

elements will bring the reader into the story. The commonly known elements of

short story are theme, plot, setting, character and characterization, style and point

of view, according to Klarer (1998:15), the most important elements are plot(what

happens?), character(who act?), narrative perspective(who sees what?), and

setting(where and when do the events take place?)

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2.4.1 Plot

Klarer (1998:15) suggests that plot is the logical interaction of the various

thematic elements of a text which leads to a change of the original situation as

presented at the outset of the narrative. Meanwhile, plot is also defined struggle

between two persons, the two groups of people, or two ideas in a person’s mind,

(junaedi 2006:9).

Plot is a sequence of occurrence has phases to convey the story and according

to Klarer (1998:15), an ideal tradition plot line encompasses the following four

sequential levels:

Exposition - compilation - climax or turning point- resolution

Further, as explained by Klarer (1998:15), the exposition or presentation of the

initial situation is disturbed by a compilation or conflict which produces suspense

and eventually leads to a climax, crisis, or turning point. The climax is followed

by a resolution of a compilation.

Thus, plot in a short story is indispensable since it will determine whether the

story is interesting or not though it’s sequential level, conflict, and narrative style.

However, plot can be also confusing if the sequential level is not clear whether the

story is flash forward or flashback, has random ideas, or has too much vague flash

back.
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2.4.2 Character

Klarer (1998:17) defines that typed character in literature is dominated by one

specific trait and is referred to as a flat character, and term round character usually

denotes a persona with more complex and differentiated features. in short story,

character that commonly emergences is flat character since short story only

presents the critical time of the chief character.

According to S tarif character is divided into 7 aspects:

1. Physical description
2. Portrayal of though
3. Reaction to events
4. Direction author analysis
5. Discussion of environment
6. Reaction of other about the character
7. Conversation of other about the character (Lubis, 1960)

In novel or short story character is the number on its narration but the character

is limited. Whereas, Jones (1968) as cited in Nugiantoro (1995:165) states:”

character is illustration of someone it appear on its narrations”.

Character plays an important role in a short story, since short story has small

number of characters; the chief character usually becomes the center of interest.

These might be other characters in that short story; yet, the other characters are

only functioned as a supporter of the chief’s character characterization.

It is explained, furthermore, in Morris et al (1964:346) that in short story the

focus is usually on one character; other characters serve only to emphasize his

personality. This statement differentiates the position between the chief characters

and the supported characters. There is also statement by Glasworthy(Morris et al,

1964:36), that the primarily concern of most author is character:”take care of

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character,” Glasworthy said;”action and dialogue will take care of themselves.” It

means that characters especially the chief characters are, somehow, created very

carefully by the author to present most of the idea in a short story and make it

important. As the important of character is elucidated, it is better to see definition

of character in literary context.

On the other hand, Klarer (1998:17) defines that typed character in literature is

dominated by one specific trait and is referred to as a flat character, and term

round character usually denotes a person with more complex and differentiated

features. in short story, character that commonly emergences is flat character since

short story only presents the critical time of the chief character.

The distinction of character based on its role in developing of plot is divided

into main character and supporting character (Nurgiyantoro, 2002: 178). The

character that has the significant role in the story is called as main character. The

main character occupies most parts in plot or events that are occurred in the story.

While the character who does not have the significant role because its presence in

the story is only to complete and support the main character is named supporting

character. Author uses it to clarify characterization of main character by showing

natures of the supporting character that contrast with the main character.

The distinction of character based on the function of its role in the story can be

categorized into the protagonist and the antagonist (Nurgiyantoro, 2002: 178). If

the conflict exists between people, the protagonist may seem to be the good guy

or the hero, the antagonist the bad guy or the villain. The protagonist defines

himself by the interaction of what he is and what he does. Sometimes the

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protagonist will not respond correctly or admirably. Sometimes, in fact, he may

not act at all. Even a lack of response, however, will define and further our

understanding of the protagonist’s nature. Whoever or whatever is on the other

side of the conflict from the protagonist is called antagonist, usually taking the

form of another character. In some cases the antagonist may be an aspect of

society or the environment or even some facet of the protagonist himself.

Sometimes it may be a complex of many forces that work against the protagonist

from outside and inside himself.

Character is an important element in a story. It is a messenger of author in

conveying a message of the story. Abrams (1985:23-24) states:

“Characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative

work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with
moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed
in what they say-the dialogue-and by what they do-the action.
The grounds in the characters’ temperament, desires, and moral
nature for their speech and actions are called motivation. A
character may remain essentially “stable,” or unchanged in
outlook and disposition. …. Whether a character remains stable
or changes, the reader of a traditional and realistic work expects
“consistency”-the character should not suddenly break off and
act in a way not plausibly grounded in his or her temperament”

A writer may use a character for some purposes. A character may do

‘uncharacteristic’ things in order to further the plot: for the author a character may

be associated with actions or objects for a purpose connected with the theme of

the novel; a character may say things just so that the reader can be told something.

Characterization is creative image about characters which try showing realitiness

to reader, so that the story is not felt so imaginative. Actually character is built

through a combination of mind, impression, and acts, together with willingness

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shapes principals.

2.4.3 Characterization

John (1968) as cited in Hansyar (2003) states characterization as the

presentation of the character nature, image creation or illustration of one who

becomes the characters in the story. More simply defined, characterization is the

creation of imaginary persons so they seem lifelike.

There is an idea about how reader can understand the story thought the

identification of characters. If the reader identifies the main character early in the

story, he will understand more accurately the intricate relationship among the

characters and consequently gain a full appreciation of what they do and say.

Nurgiyantoro (2002: 194) gives two methods in describing the characterization

in literary work; those are expository method and dramatic method. Expository

method is the way of author in describing the characters directly. The author gives

description, explanation and disentanglement directly so that the readers will

easily comprehend the characterization. Dramatic method is the way of author in

describing the characters indirectly. In this method, the author does not describe

the characters explicitly. The author lets the characters to show themselves

through the various activities, both of dialogues and actions. This method makes

the readers have to read more careful and serious in comprehending the character.
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2.4.4 Point of View

Anderson (1993) as cited in Hansyar (2005) state the point of view, is who is

telling the story, that is, who eyes are we, as the reader’s seeing thought. The

point of view is chosen by the author to emphasize one character.

Klarer (1998) states, that “narrative perspective or point of view characterizes

the ways in which a text presents persons, events, and settings. The subtleties of

narrative perspective developed parallel to the emergence of the novel and can be

reduced to three basic positions: The action of a text is either mediated through an

exterior unspecified narrator (omniscient point of view) though a person involved

in the action (first person narration), or presented without additional commentary

(figural narrative situation)”.

2.4.5 Setting

This section will explain the definition of setting according to some experts

and the important of setting in the short story. In short story, setting always

appears as place, time, and circumstance that will be the scene where the story

takes place. Setting becomes one of the important elements of short story since it

can create the atmosphere of the story and bring readers to the situation that the

authors want to create. Setting plays a big role to this paper since this paper

analyzes the contribution of setting in the short story especially the setting is

related with gothic.

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In action of interpretation, setting can be distinguished into setting of place,

time and culture (Nurgiyantoro, 2000: 102). The setting of place physically is a

place where events in a story occurred. Presentation of this setting of place

supported also by describing of things located in narration because it is a unity of

the narration of place. The setting of time describes about time of every event that

occurred in the story including present, past or even uncertain times. Whereas the

setting of culture describes of society conditions, social group and their attitude,

custom, life style and language used in events of the story.

Merriam-Webster defines; setting as the time and place of the action of a

literary, dramatic, or cinematic work, (Merriam Webster online, 2009). Moreover,

it is defined that setting denotes the location, historical period, and social

surrounding in which the action of a text develops (Klarer 1999:25). The same

definition is stated by Kurtus(2007), that setting is the location and time which

create the mood and atmosphere of the story.

The location or place refers to the where the story takes places; time or period

refers to the time when the story takes places; another part of element is

atmosphere that refers to mood or feeling that is created in the story, it can be

cheerful, dark or frightening. In gothic genre, atmosphere is one of the elements

that construct the gothic mood including the condition, and situation.

The mood or ideas of the story can be added by writing the specific setting of

where and which the story happened. One thing that must be remembered is that

time and place existing in the setting have a strong relationships with the

character. The definitions above explain that setting creates circumstances of time
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and place, and it also can influence the reader’s mind in creating the sense in

reading the short story. In addition, setting has several purposes that is preparing

the world of where the character plays the role and gives some signs for the

readers to understand why the character plays such action.

Based on the definition above, it is shown that setting is considered important

in construct a story. In many novels and short stories, the setting is a significant

factor, specifically, in gothic short story forming the main character and resolving

the actions. By reading the text closely, it can show how setting affects both

character and action. The setting constructing the short story is made to see the

element of gothic represented in Two Edgar Alan Poe Short Story “The Fall of the

House of Usher".

From the explanation above, it may be concluded that setting involves time,

place, condition, and atmosphere that are created as the background of the story.

Moreover, setting is important since it can shape the main character, build mood

and in the whole, help outlined the general theme so reader will feel the scene of

the short story.

2.5 Relation between Character and Setting

Nugriantoro (2000) has a brief explanation about the relation between setting

and characterization:

“Between setting and characterization has a close and reciprocal

character. Setting characteristics will effect characters
characterization. Even, it can be said that the setting condition will
affect someone’s character. On the other hand, certain
characterization and behavior shown by a character portray where
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he comes from. As a result, he will reflect the setting” Nugriantoro,

(2000:225)

The passages above describe the important of setting in its relation with

characterization. If there is inequality between setting and characterization, the

story goes unnatural, unconvinced. A critical reader, perhaps, will consider that

thing as a weakness of the work.

As being above, both character and setting play an important role in the short

story. Character is a subject of the short story and setting can be said as an

imaginary world of where the character live. These two elements will be the main

focus of this paper. They are next revealed through the setting and

characterization, of course, have a relationship to construct a good short story. To

see the element of gothic is presented on its narration.

Meanwhile, there is also a distinct explanation by Tina Morgan (2001) about

the relation between character and setting. But, here, Morgan states this relation in

the form of novel. However, the content is very acceptable in form of shot story.

Whether your story takes place on an imaginary world or right here on present

day earth, setting is a crucial part of any story. How you build the world around

your characters will play a vital role in the overall believability of your novel. The

type of world you create will determine the reactions and behavior of your

characters. Consider this; a women’s role in society will vary drastically from the

1920’Midwest USA to a 2001 professional women of a major city to the present

day attitudes towards women in a Muslim country. A story set in any of these

times should reflect the social mores of that particular culture.

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Rene Wellek and Austin Warren made definition of setting as follow:

Setting is environment; and environment, especially domestic

interiors, may be viewed as expression of character. A man’s house
is extension of himself… Setting may be the expression of human
will. It may, if it is a natural setting, be a projection of the will.
Between nature and man there are obvious correlative…(1956:
220-221).
From the definition above, the presentation of setting has the very strong

relation with characterization, even seen as one of mediator to express characters’

mental condition. According to Wellek that in a literary work, relation between

setting and characters frequently has mutual relation nature. Therefore a dull

setting means to describe the condition of character’s heart that is being sad, and

on the contrary, the condition of character’s heart is described with such setting.

In conclusion, the relation between character and setting is that characters must

fit their surrounding. In addition, the world that is created in a short story is very

important because it will determine the creation and behavior of the characters.

2.6 Structuralism Theory

According to Abrams structuralism is objective approach because this

approach has point of view that literature can be autonomous. It is independent

object, has world itself, therefore, the critic in literature work can be done only in

intrinsic element. Structuralism approach seen the literary text as the structure and

every structure is whole unity, consisting the element which has correlation, and it

built one unity that complete and meaningful. Structuralism is the way to

reconstruct everything as structure.

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According to structuralism that literary work is formed by various former

elements coherently. Teew said (in Aminudin, 2004: 52) that the basic assumption

of the structuralism is that the literary text is the wholeness, round-unity and has

the intern coherence. In the wholeness of the text, every part and element play its

role, and then the part and element will get the whole meaning from the unity of

the text.

Barry (1995: 39) says that,

It is difficult to boil structuralism down to a single ‘bottom line’

proposition, but if force to do so I would say that its essence is the belief
that things cannot be understood in isolation – they have to be seen in
the context of the larger structures they are apart of.

The object analyzed in this paper is a character and setting, they are the

intrinsic elements of short story. So the researcher is inclined to use structuralism

approach. Meanwhile, the structuralism approach itself is an approach used to

analyze the relation of the elements of the literary work in micro text wholly, such

as analyzing on words of a sentence or sentences of paragraph (Hartoko, 1986:

109).

Structuralism approach, as one of the approaches in studying literature, argues

that literature is the autonomous imaginative work. It means that studying

literature must be released from everything outside of the work (Semi, 1989: 67).

Roland Barthes (in Lodge, 1988: 171) who puts the structuralist view argues in his

essay, The Death of the Author, that:

A text is not a line of words releasing a single ‘theological’ meaning

(the message of the Author-God) but a multi dimensional space in
which a variety of writings, none of them original, blend and clash…
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To give a text an Author is to impose a limit on that text, to furnish it

with a final signified, to close the writing.

Barthes’ argument means that writers only have the power to mix already

existing writings and the meaning of a text can be comprehended through the text

itself, without relating it to its author. The meaning is produced in the process of

reading, as Barthes proclaimed, “the birth of the reader must be at the cost of the

death of the author” (in lodge, 1988: 166).

Hence, according to Barthes’ argument above, analyzing literary work using

structuralism means to study a literary work only by using and studying the codes

existing in the text. The meaning of the text can be resulted from the intrinsic

elements of literary work which relate to and establish each other. Suwondo (in

Jabrohim, 2003: 54) says that the thing that become the basic thinking of

structuralism as the autonomous movement is as what Hawks explains that

structuralism is based on Aristotle thought. Hawks says that structuralism is the

way of thought about the world related to perception and structure. Actually, the

world is more arranged from the relationship than the matter itself. In the unity of

the relationship, every element does not have own meaning except in relating to

the other elements appropriate with its position in the wholeness of structure, as

what Teew said (1984: 116) “a structure is a system made up of several elements,

none of which can undergo a change without effecting changes in all other

elements”.

Abrams also state based on structuralism the community of literary work is

totality construct with coherency by the constructor element. In other side the
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structure of literary work is structure, confirmation, and illustration as a one

component.

Structuralism approach has definition give the perspective to the element of

literary work. It has different element and inherent characteristic, the different

element appear cause the effect of different perception the reader. According to

Fokkema (1977:31) literary work is a communication process, semiotic fact,

consist the sign, structure, and value. Literary work is a sign which get the

meaning in the reader perspective. Regarding to explanation above, literary is

work of perspective analysis and it has priority with object as structure.

According to Eagleton” This analysis same with formalism, that its approach is

forcing the contents, purpose of story and full concentrated to the shape”.

Eagleton also explain that this method has three categories: in structuralism the

story is not the result of exalted literary, and ignores the value of objective culture,

the method is analysis not evaluate, the content of narrative is structure.

The work of structuralism approach use to identify the intrinsic element as

structure, it’s also explain the intrinsic element in Edgar Allan Poe short

stories”The Fall of the House of Usher" and “The Tell Tale Heart”.

2.7 The Definition of Gothic

Gothic genre is a type of romantic fiction that predominated in English

literature in the last third of the 18th century and the first two decades of the 19th

century, the setting for which was usually a ruined Gothic castle or abbey The
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Gothic novel, or Gothic romance, emphasized mystery, barbarous and horror and

was filled with ghost haunted rooms, underground passages, and secret stairways.

According to Hennesy. (1980:324) gothic has three explanations:

1. Barbarous, such as Goth race in the middle ages.

2. The architecture, characteristically in the castle and the ruin of church.

3. Invisible, related with horrifying, unknown, and mysterious.

Regarding to statement above, gothic has important connotation: gothic are

barbarous, horror, and mysterious. It indicates that gothic is related to horrifying

atmosphere such as killing and all of mysterious moment.

According to A.F. Scott; M.A. (1980:327), the process of writing of gothic

novel is used to fill horrifying in the reader thought. “Gothic genre was calculated

to keep a fearful reader awake at night”. (Roger 1987:313).

Identically, gothic novel has characteristics stimulate the readers to feel

horrifying because, in gothic the reader bring to the situation on the story and also

make the reader awake at night.

In literature, Gothic is very old and was used from the Renaissance period to

sign the building that indicates the feeling to approach the God existence and

signify the art style of the middle Ages. The characteristic of Gothic is a technical

invention of architecture in the Middle Age, which made the huge gothic

cathedrals in Notre-Dame France. The building such as a cathedral that is gothic

has a style of architecture that is distinguished by tall pillars; high vaulted ceilings

and pointed arches.

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The characteristic of gothic is identically supported by the setting of palace,

isolated building and darkness. In gothic, the main setting is the ruin of building

that has gothic architecture for example in castle, the ruin of church and all about

gloomy situation as a point of gothic. (Roger, 1987:313) “Their dark and irrational

architecture and labyrinth thin passages have been taken as analogues of what

Coleridge called’ the unfathomable hell within”. in gothic, the mysterious moment

or architecture is dominant presented because it is one of the important

connotation of gothic.

The architecture of gothic such as castle and grave is used by the author to

stimulate gothic situation. Hennesy; (1978:324) states:

“Gothic architecture, though in a vague rather than a realistic way,

was part of mist novelist setting-in the form of a half ruined castle
or abbey and was used to create “gothic gloom and sublimity,
attributes that evoked awe”

Regarding to Hennesy, in architecture, gothic is usually presented the peculiar

construction for example in the building of Usher there is a word “eye”. It

represented the symbolic illusions from gothic and it has a role to make gloomy,

and sublimity of the place.

In architecture, gothic describe by the setting is the ruin of building that has

gothic architecture which there’s no rational architecture. Whereas, another of

element of Gothic represented by: characterization, plot, setting and symbol.

In gothic, the main character describe with barbarous attitude. Other than,

according to Hennesy (1978:327) “In gothic, the main character has mysterious

and describe with the appearance such as: heroic, melancholy, and mysterious”.

Shortly, the characteristic of gothic also dominantly presented in character and it

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is usually represented by the appearance such as: heroic, melancholy, and

mysterious.