Approach of the Study

In this research, the writer uses the formalistic approach to analyze her work. Guerin says in A Handbook of Critical Approach to Literature that to fulfill the formalistic approach, the readers need to make a close reading (2004:

94).

In reading literature, especially a fiction, the reader will be served some question in their mind about the fiction. The question could be how the readers see the readings, what the readers’ responses, and what the novel’s author wants to say by arranging those internal elements. Those questions can encourage the readers to be more sensible to go deeper in analyzing each word or each element.

It will lead that every words and form have special function and the meaning. This process of analysis supports the readers to feel close to the work (2004:93).

Using the formalistic approach means to emphasize objective and literal interpretation which is in the internal elements. The readers are not allowed to discuss the elements which are in outside, such as: the politic or the historical issue or the opinion of the novel’s author.

From the explanation above, the writer knows and understands the characteristics of the formalistic approach. Since this thesis will discuss about the

internal elements of Northanger Abbey, the writer uses the formalistic approach.

This approach will help the writer in analyzing how the internal elements such as the characters, the setting, the plot are related each other to reveal the theme.

C. Method of Study

The writer used library research as the method of the study. The writer collected some sources and uses them to analyze the problem formulations that were presented in the first chapter. In this study, the writer used the story Northanger Abbey itself as the primary source of the study and used another sources to support this study.

Northanger Abbey was the main source of this study, written by Jane Austen. For the secondary sources, the writer used some books that could be considered as references. To add more information, the writer also collected online resources which were taken from internet that are related to the research problems, such as some analysis done by previous researchers on the short stories and on the author, theories on plot, theories on character and characterization, theories on setting and theories on theme.

The writer made some steps in discussing the topic. The first step was reading Northanger Abbey. The second step was reading some reference books and some online journals about Northanger Abbey. The third step, the writer decided formulating the problems and to apply the suitable approach to analyze the study. The fourth step was answering the problems of the study and figured out how plot, major characters and the setting are significant in finding the theme.

In the last part, the writer would draw the conclusion based on the analysis in the previous chapter.

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

The analysis in this chapter is divided into two parts based on the problems that are formulated in the first chapter. In the first part, the writer will analyze the characteristics of the major characters, the setting and the plot of Northanger Abbey. The second, the writer jumps to analyze how the major characters, the setting and the plot are related each other to reveal the theme.

A. The Description of the Major Characters of Northanger Abbey

To analyze the characters, the writer deals with the theories that are written in the previous chapter. In the previous chapter, the writer uses two kinds of theories. First, the writer uses the theory on character from Abram. Second, the writer uses the theory on characterization from Murphy to help the writer to analyze the characteristics of the major characters.

To start analyzing it, the writer looks back to what Murphy says in his Understanding Unseens that there are some ways to analyze the characters. Those ways are; personal description, characters as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation of other, reaction, direct comment, thoughts, and mannerism.

Northanger Abbey provides two major characters. The novel introduces Catherine Morland as the first major character closely in the first chapter.

No one who had ever seen catherine Morland in her infancy would have supposed her born to be an heroine. Her situation of life, the character of

her father and mother, her own disposition, were all equally against her (p.9)

The disposition of Catherine Morland is introduced close and quickly from her infancy through age ten to seventeen and the rest of the previous chapters are telling about her experience.

Henry Tilney is the second major character of the novel. Henry Tilney is Catherine’s friend and advisor. The figure of Henry Tilney is very important because he is not only a lover, but also a hero for Catherine.

This short of mysteriousness, which is always so becoming in a hero, threw a fresh grace in Catherine’s imagination around his person and manners (p.28)

1. The Description of the Characteristics of Catherine Morland

Northanger Abbey is a novel that introduces Catherine Morland as the first major characteristics. She is a young girl from Wiltshire, Fullerton that comes to the city of Bath when she is seventeen years old. She lives with her parents. Her mother named Sarah, and her father was Richard Morland. Her family is respected in her village (p.9).

Catherine Morland is a pretty and attractive girl. Her characteristics are also drawn as the below explanation:

a. Modest

The characteristics of a character can be observed by her mannerism or the way she has daily life or her habit. Therefore the mannerism description is

reflected when Catherine lives with her family. Catherine Morland lives in a big family. They live in sufficiency. Although their lives are enough, they never feel inadequacy. It influences Catherine Morland to be a modest girl that is not greedy to gain fortune or money.

A family of ten children will be always called a fine family, where there are heads and arms, and legs enough for the number; but the Morland had little other right to the word, for they were in general very plain and Catherine, for many years of her life, as plain as any (p.9).

When she gets an invitation to have a trip in Bath for six weeks from her kind neighbor, the Allens, Catherine does not demand money in a big amount from his father. She is obedient to accept every amount that was given by her father.

Her father, instead of giving her unlimited order on his banker, or even putting an hundred pounds bank-bill into her hands, gave her only ten guineas and promised her more when she wanted it (p.14).

For Catherine, her father’s trust is more important than money. She obeys her father in using less money while she was in Bath. She will not to ask more than that because her father’s permission to let her go to Bath was very expensive or even unaccountable.

When she arrives in Bath, she finds many acquaintances that are pressed by social pressure. The daily glamour living in Bath influences the habitants to live excessively. For they who have less money, tried to gain money or wealth when they built relationships. Some of her acquaintances such Isabella and her brother, John Thorpe, are also influenced to be greedy. They are ambitious to look for wealthy friends to support their finance. Before Catherine Morland realizes

their motives, she refuses the thought of marrying for money that is implied by John Thorpe when he tries to propose Catherine,

“By Jove, no more do I. It is not my way to bother my brains with what does not concern me. My notion of things is simple enough. Let me only have the girl I like, say I, with a comfortable house over my head, and what care I for all the rest? Fortune is nothing. I am sure of a good income of my own; and if she had not a penny, why, so much better.”

And Catherine replied,

“Very true. I think like you there. If there is a good fortune on one side, there can be no occasion for any on the other. No matter which has it, so that there is enough. I hate the idea of one great fortune looking out for the other. And to marry for money I think the wickedest thing in existence…”

(p.105)

In the conversation, the writer considers that Catherine give the strong response in replying John Thorpe. Catherine disagrees with the materialistic thought. People should not build a relationship with the property. For her, love and trust must be the foundation in making a relationship. Since that her parents’

lesson to her, Catherine Morland is durable to face the socialite that is greedy and is not influenced to follow them.

Knowing that Catherine Morland is modest, Isabella Thorpe, her friend tries to manipulate her. She knows that her heart that is full of kindness for everybody. She treats her friends gently and will not let them hurt.

She was sure her dearest, sweetest Catherine would not seriously refuse such a trifling request to a friend who loved her so dearly. She knew her beloved Catherine to have so feeling a heart, so sweet temper, to be easily persuaded by those she loved (p.82).

Catherine feels difficult when she hears people talk about money or property, but she cannot let Isabella live in suffering. Isabella knows that Catherine will do everything for her lovely people.

“Nobody can think better of Mr. Morland than I do. I am sure. But everybody has their failing, you know and everybody has a right to do what they like with their own money.” Catherine was hurt by these insinuations. “I am very sure,” said she, “that my father has promised to do as much as he can afford.”(p.113)

Through the characteristics, Catherine does the same when she loves Henry Tilney. She loves him without having desire to gain his wealth. She loves to marry to him not for the property, but for the love (p.211).

Isabella manipulates Catherine easily because she sees that Catherine was a kind girl. Isabella’s perspective about Catherine Morland is the way to know the characteristics of Catherine Morland.

c. Honest

Catherine grows in a plain family that is sincere. Her parents never teach her to lie and tell hypocrisy.

Her own family were plain, matter-of-fact people who seldom aimed at wit of any kind; her father, at the utmost, being contented with a pun, and her mother with a proverb; they were not in the habit therefore of telling lies to increase their importance, or of asserting at one moment what they would contradict the next. (pp.54-55)

They also teach her to be proud of herself in every condition. This family background supports Catherine to be a girl who regards the honesty in making a friendship. The mannerism make her dislike lying even to convince other people to show her superiority.

Those characteristics prove that Catherine Morland is not greedy unlike some other characters in Northanger Abbey. Through those characteristics, Catherine Morland is successful to maintain her relationship with Henry Tilney.

2. The Description of the Characteristics of Henry Tilney

Henry Tilney is the second major character in Northanger Abbey. He is a young handsome man whose professions as a clergyman and an entrepreneur of his family company from Gloucestershire (p.23).

Henry Tilney is described as a rich attractive man. In addition, the characteristics of Henry Tilney are drawn in the following brief explanation:

a. Tolerant

His profession as a clergyman supports Henry to be humble and gentle to everyone. He is very tolerant in making a friendship and never has any objection about equality. He never treats anybody rudely, but gently and politely. He is a man that respects women. He puts his caring for them and will not let them hurt or agitated by his behavior.

" Very true," said Henry, "And this is a very nice day, and we are taking a very nice walk and you are two very nice young ladies. Oh, it is very nice word indeed! It does for everything. Originally, perhaps it was applied only to express neatness, propriety, delicacy, or refinement-people were nice in their dress, in their sentiments or their choice. But now every commendation on every subject is comprised in that one word."(p.91) By reading at his polite speech toward Eleanor Tilney and Catherine Morland, the writer knows that Henry Tilney loves to be modest and loves to give sincere compliment for every acquaintance. His politeness toward the women

proves that he has a fine quality as a man. His fine does not change him to be an arrogant man.

Henry Tilney does not have any objection or consideration about some importance such property or wealth, status, race and gender in making friendship or relationship. For his relationship, Henry loves to live in adequacy. He leaves all of his pride. He does not consider that it was important.

She was assured of his affection; and that heart in return was solicited, which, perhaps, they pretty equally knew was already entirely his own;

for, though Henry was now sincerely attach to her, though he felt and delighted in all the excellencies of her character and truly loved her society, I must confess that his affection originated in nothing better than gratitude, or, in other words, that a persuasion of her partiality for him had been the only cause of giving her a serious thought (p.204).

b. Fair

Henry is an intelligent man that supports himself to be a man who never restricts his friendships. Henry gives the above analogy about a relationship between men and women. Although he lives in the society that adopts the patriarchy, Henry considers that women should be treated equally. Henry’s smart thought supports theory on character and characterization by Murphy that characteristics of a character can be seen by his thought (1972:171).

"...but I think I could place them in such a view. You will allow, that in both, man has advantage of choices and women only the power of refusal;

that in both, it is an engagement between man and woman for the advantage for each... In one respect, there certainly is a difference. In marriage, the man is supposed to provide for the support of the woman, the woman to make the home agreeable to the man; he is to purvey and she is to smile. But in dancing, their duties are exactly changed; the agreeableness the compliance are expected from him, while she furnishes the fan and the lavender water. That, I suppose, was the differences of duties which struck you, as rendering the conditions incapable of comparison." (p.64)

In building a relationship with Catherine, Henry believes that love is the basic and strong foundation. Henry does not want to be an ambitious man who wants a rich woman to be his wife. He wants a loyal woman who loves and cares him gently. He will not consider that money is the most important in his relationship. He is contrast from his father, General Tilney who always is an ambitious man to get wealthy children-in-law (p.210).

Those characteristics support Henry to maintain his relationship with Catherine Morland. He does not care whether Catherine is well breed or not, he does not care about her social status. He loves her very much for she has an affectionate heart unlike the other girls in Bath (p.94).

B. The Description of the Setting of Northanger Abbey

In this part, the writer divides the analysis into three parts. The first is the description of the setting of time. It gives the explanation briefly about the time, which the story of Northanger Abbey takes place. After the writer finishes the first one, the writer jumps to analyze the setting of place. In the last part of the analysis, the writer finishes it by analyzing the portrayal of the society, which is drawn in Northanger Abbey.

1. The Description of the Setting of Time

The writer indicates that the setting of time of Northanger Abbey is taken around eighteenth century. This indication is based on the description, which the

narrator gave by some ways such as; the ways of characters’ dressing (p.21), their daily manner of living (p.20), and the architecture (p.161).

First, the indication of the setting of time by the way the characters to dress. It can be seen by the kinds of clothes that are worn by the characters in the story.

“Do you understand muslin, sir?”

“Particularly well; I always buy my own cravats and am allowed to be an excellent to be an excellent judge; and my sister has often trusted me in the choice of a gown. I bought one for her the other day, and it was pronounced to be prodigious bargain by every lady who saw it. I gave it but five shilling a yard for it and a true Indian muslin.” (p.21)

From the conversation between Henry Tilney and Mrs. Allen, it is mentioned some types of clothes, muslin and cravat. Both muslin and cravat are the clothes that are so popular for men and women in Europe especially in England in eighteenth century.

The second indication is based on the daily manner of the living that happens in the city of Bath.

“Indeed! Have you yet honored the Upper Rooms?”

“Yes, sir, I Was there last Monday.”

“Have you been to the theatre?”

“Yes, Sir, I was at the play on Tuesday.”

“To the concert?”

“Yes, sir, on Wednesday.”

“And are you altogether pleased with Bath?” (p.20)

In the eighteenth century in the city of Bath, those activities are regularly hold. The habitants routinely gather in the party or gathering in the public assemblies.

The last indication is based on the architecture of Northanger Abbey, the house where the Tilney family lives. The description of the building of Northanger Abbey is described as the ancestral building.

She saw a large, well-proportioned apartment, and handsome dimity bed, arranged as unoccupied with an housemaid’s care, a bright Bath stove, mahogany wardrobes and neatly painted chairs, on which the warm beams of a western sun gaily poured through two sash windows… This apartment, to which she had given a date so ancient, a position so awful, proved to be one of the ends of what the general’s father had built. (p.161) Although it brings the scary atmosphere, the building of Northanger Abbey expensive interior that symbolizes the prestige and nobility of the owner.

2. The Description of the Setting of Place

Northanger Abbey also mentions some particular places as the setting of place. The first place is Fullerton (p.12). It is the place, where the Morlands lives.

Northanger Abbey also mentions some particular places as the setting of place. The first place is Fullerton (p.12). It is the place, where the Morlands lives.