CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1. Characterization Analysis and Interpretation
4.1.1. The characteristics of Gwenda as seen through her appearance
Eventhough, in real life to judge people by looking at the appearance can be a misleading way to know or to understand other, but in fiction, the character's appearance contains a significant aspect of information about the character's self. It is one way an author presenting her characters. In The Three Sister, Gwenda Cataret's characteristics through her appearance take from the narrator's description in a passage from chapter II of the novel:
She was the tallest and the darkest of the three. Her face followed the type of obscurely; and vividly and emphatically it left it. There was dusk in her honey whiteness, and dark blue in the grey of her eyes. The bridge of her nose and the arch of her upper lip were higher, lifted as it were in a decided and defiant manner of their own... (Chapter II: 4).
Taken from the description above, Gwenda physical appearance is vividly presented by the narrator. Gwenda is the tallest among her two sisters: Mary, the older, and Alice, the younger. She also has the darkest skin compares with her sisters, the narrator describes her skin as having dusk effect in the honey whiteness (as for additional information to compare with, the narrator says about Mary's and Alice's skin to be milk white). It explains how Gwenda has become the darkest one among the three sisters. Gwenda also has the different eyes pupil's colour, she has dark blue in her grey eyes (her two sister and the father has the grey one), perhaps she inherits the dark blue from her ancestor or her mother who was death after giving birth of Alice. However, even from the beginning of the
story the narrator emphasizes Gwenda difference among the sisters, it shows in the appearance's description that giving impression about her very typical to be the different one, and this difference also contains message of her characteristics that will be seen thoroughly on her further relationship and interaction with other characters in the novel.
Further, still from her appearance description by the narrator, Gwenda's manner is also seen vividly from her facial appearance, as the narrator calls it the type of obscurely; and vividly and emphatically it left it. I would say that Gwenda is not pretty as well as not ugly neither, the way to show that her strong character has passed over the meaning of a merely physical beauty into a more deep real beautifulness comes from inside human's soul. Still from her face type appearance, the narrator also put an emphasized about Gwenda's certain characteristic, it obviously can be seen in the way the narrator says about Gwenda's bridge of nose and the arch of her upper lip which are higher, lifts as in a decided and defiant manner of their own. This information contains Gwenda's characteristics, as if the narrator would tell about her that she is to be the one who has decided and defiant manner, even the reader can recognized it, as seen through her face.
sisters as shows in her decided and defiant manner, to be the cornerstone of her whole characteristics as studied further on the next part of this analysis and interpretation process.
4.1.2. The characteristics of Gwenda as seen through the narrator's description
Characterization through what has described by the narrator is another simple way to say about a character. It can be taken place anywhere in the plot story as explanation of a character situation. In this study I uses The Three Sisters by May Sinclair as the object of the study, in which it contains many information about the character's description through narrator's point of view. I takes some of them that involving significant ideas about Gwenda's characteristics in support to the psychological study side.
4.1.2.1. Gwenda as smart and independent character
The quotation below consist personal information about Gwenda Cataret, taken from introduction passage in chapter II of the novel:
The Three Sisters, Mary, Gwendolen, and Alice, daughter of James Cataret, the Vicar of Garth... (Chapter II: 3).
Gwenda or Gwendolen Cataret is one of three daughters of James Cataret, the Vicar of Garth; besides the other two: Mary and Alice Cataret.
Gwendolen, the second sister, sat leaning over the table with her arms flung out on it as they had tossed from her the book she had been reading (Chapter II: 4).
reading, it makes her more intelligent than her sister, even her father can not balanced his steps along with his second daughter. Gwenda's intelligent makes her more independent too, it supports with the quotation below :
... About Gwenda there was something alert and impatient. Her very supineness was alive. It had distinction, the savage grace of a character utterly abandoned to a sane fatigue (Chapter II: 4).
The narrator wants to say about Gwenda as smart and independent person. Her alertness and impatient look are indication of independence as a result of intelligent process of thought, as describes through the quotation. Her aliveness that has distinction of gracefulness, showing the author's intention to shape her character, Gwenda Cataret, as a smart independent creature, it can be explained through the savage grace of a creature utterly abandoned to a sane fatigue is another way to say it so. Human pictured as savage, who is gracefulness as the product of civilization, a vice versa to primitiveness, and a sane fatigue is another word for intellectual busy activities, it needs knowledge that only can be gained and reached by a sane and healthy mind, the fatigue itself is the result of the mind's busy activities. Therefore, based on this explanation derives from the narrator description, Gwenda is characterized as a smart and independent woman, her intelligence forms her independence tendency.
4.1.2.2. Gwenda as energetic character
sceneries, in which she does it full of joy as described by the narrator, shows her youth energetic passion.
... She was in white ... and she carried herself like a huntress, slender and quick, with high sharp – pointed breasts (Chapter XII: 39).
... She flashed by like a huntress, like Artemis carrying the young moon on her forehead ... (Chapter XII: 40).
... she was the darting joy and the poignant sweetness, and the sheer extravagant ardor and energy of life (Chapter XII : 41).
Gwenda's joy was pure and profound and sufficient to itself (Chapter XXX: 158).
4.1.2.3. Gwenda as compassionate character
The central story of The Three Sisters is about three sisters, the daughters of Vicar of Garth, who live in small village of Garthdale, and fall in love with a man, that in the small village was lacked of marriageable men. The only man in the story who tells to be the marriageable one is Dr. Steven Rowcliffe. The story tells he is in love with Gwenda, the number two daughter, and vice versa. Unfortunately, in other side, Gwenda's younger sister, Alice, who in loves with the same man, is dying of her anemic – in other explanation, she gets ill because of her love she has for Dr. Rowcliffe, in whom he even does not realized her infatuation for him. Further, Gwenda, soon after finding out that her sister is going to die if she does not married – while she realizes her sister's infatuation for Dr. Rowcliffe, feels pity and regret for her sister that she decides to leave her lover and the village to her step mother, Robina, in London. In the purpose that is by her leaving, Dr. Rowcliffe will forget about her and marry her sister, Alice. Gwenda sacrifices her own love and life option to save her sister's life, even there is pain in her very deep part of heart as the narrator describes below:
And since she was the one – she knew it – who stood between him and Ally, it was she who would have to go away.
It seemed to her that long ago – all the time, in fact, ever since she had known Rowcliffe – she had known that this was what she would have to face.
She faced it now with strange courage and a sort of spiritual exaltation, as she would have faced any terrible truth that Rowcliffe had told her, if for instance, he had told her that she was going to die.
That, of course, was what it felt like, she had known that it would feel like that.
the gray walls. They stood out with a strange significance and importance. As if near and yet horribly far away, she could hear Rowcliffe's footsteps in the passage.
It came over her that she was sitting in Rowcliffe's room – like this – for the last time.
Then her heart dragged and tore at her, as if it fought against her will to die. But it never occurred to her that this dying of her was willed by her. It seemed foredoomed, inevitable (Chapter XXXVI: 184 – 185).
The narrator, as quoted above, tells how Gwenda sacrificing her love and her life chance to her beloved sister, it shows Gwenda's compassionate sacrificing action to her dying sister, Alice. Eventhough, it is a hard decision to make, but still, Gwenda's basic nature as strong, smart, and independent person, tend to shape her as a big sister who is willing to protect and to save her dying sister, instead of taking her own chance of marrying the man whom loves her. Her sacrificing action is not only because of a moral decision nor her merely love for Alice, but it is a compassion heart in action. For, in another side, follows after her decision to leave Dr Steven Rowcliffe for Alice, she seems to experience a dying trance, that she feels like it is her last time for meeting and seeing Rowcliffe; his room, his chair, everything in his house, and as describes by the narrator that Gwenda feels like her heart is dragging and tearing from hers, but it againsts her will to die. The last part of the quotation shows Gwenda's true feeling that the decision to choose Alice rather than Dr. Steven Rowcliffe for her self is a hard decision, is not her true self willingness, but somehow she can feel, long time ago – since her knowing of Dr. Rowcliffe; that she will have to face this foredoomed inevitable experience. Only a compassion heart that can take her into this unselfish decision, it explains her situation as quoted above.
of the plot story and Gwenda's basic nature, the narrator's description as quoted above shows Gwenda's compassion to her sister as one of her quality trait: a compassionate sister.
4.1.2.4. Gwenda as sensitive character
But in two years, with the gradual lifting of the pressure that had numbed her, Gwenda had became aware. Not of young Grieson, but of her own tragedy, of the slow life that dragged her, of its relentless motion and its mass. Now that her father's need of her was intermittent, she was alive to the tightness of the tie. It had been less intolerable when it had bound her tighter; when she hadn't had a moment; when it had dragged her all the time. Its slackening was torture. She pulled then, and was jerked on her chain.
... She was the more sensitive because of her previous apathy, as if she had died and was new-born to suffering and virgin to pain
(Chapter LV: 336).
The quotation above is the narrator's description of Gwenda's situation in two years after the life trials she should faced : Rowcliffe's marriage with her older sister, Mary; Alice's runaway marriage with John Greatorex; her dependence half paralyzed father; all the life pressure from those things happen has numbed her life. After two years of slow motion life in her routines days, Gwenda becomes aware of the tragedy in her life, it transforms her into a more sensitive woman because of her previous apathy of her surrounding. Eventhough, there is a young handsome man, Grieson, a curate from London, in whom send to the village to help the Vicar of Garth to manage the service in Garthdale, due to his stroke problem. But, Gwenda is not going to crush on the young handsome man. The narrator says that she had died and was new-born to suffering and virgin to pain, all those hard trials she has to face killing her very self and transforming her into a more sensitive who is like a new born to feel any suffer, and a virgin for any pains.
4.1.2.5. Gwenda as full of passion for life character
After all the tragedies occur in her previous life stages, Gwenda proves herself as strong, smart, and independent woman who is capable to do anything. The life trials does not make her down, eventhough she wants to, but her true-self does not allow her, as described by the narrator from the quotation below:
There were moments when she saw herself as two women. One had still the passion and the memory of freedom. The other was a cowed and captive creature who had forgotten; where cramped motion guided her; whose instinct of submission she abhorred (Chapter LV: 337).
Her woman's passion, forced inward, sustained her with as inward peace, an inward exaltation. And in this peace, this exaltation, it became one with her passion for the place.
She was unaware of what was happening in her. She did not know that her soul had Joined the two beyond its own power to put asunder. She still looked on her joy in the earth as a solitary emotion untouched by any other. She still said to herself “Nothing can take this away from me.”
For she had hours, now and again, when she shook off the slave-women who held her down. In those hours her inner life moved with the large rhythm of the seasons and was soaked in the dyes of the visible world; and the visible world passing into her inner life, took on its radiance and intensity. Everything that happened and that was great and significant in its happening - happened there.
Outside nothing happened; nothing stood out; nothing moved. No procession of events trod down or blurred her perfect impression of the earth and sky. They externalized themselves in memory. They became her memory.
The days were carved for her in the lines of the hills and painted for her in their colors, day that were dim green and grey, when the dreaming land was withdrawn under a veil so fine that it had the transparency of water, or when the stone walls, the humble houses and the high ramparts drenched with mist and with secret sunlight, became substantial; days when all the hills were hewn out of one opal; days that had the form of Karva under snow, and the thin blues and violets of the snow. She remembered purely; without thinking, “It was in April that I went away from Steven,” or ”it was in November that he married Mary,” or “It was in February that we know about Ally, and Father had his stroke.”
Her nature was sound and sane; it refused to brood over suffering. She was not like Alice and in her unlikeness she lacked of Alice's resources. She couldn't fling herself onto a Polonaise of a Sonata anymore than she could lie on a couch all day and look at her own white hands and dream. Her passion found no outlet in creating violent and voluptuous sounds. It was passive, rather, and attentive. Cut off from all contacts of the flesh, it turned to the distant and the undreamed. Its very sense became infinitely subtle; they discerned the hidden soul of the land that had entranced her.
eyes saw they heard and touched and felt.
But when she came to and saw herself seeing; she said, “At least this is mine. Nobody, not even Steven, can take it away from me.”
(Chapter LV: 339 – 341).
Gwenda's strong willed-self basic nature has saved her life from nothingness. Her passion and appreciation toward nature of her surrounding has shaped her way of viewing the things occurs in her life. Eventhough, all the tragic happening occur in her life has made her experiencing suffer of misery and pain in her deepest heart, but her true nature refuses to brood over suffering.
There is a time when she feels herself as passionate and freedom woman who is capable to do anything as she wills. There is also a time when she seems to be a cowed and captive creature who has forgotten by her surrounding, an ignorant, that her life moves slowly in motion of monotonous routines. But her passion of life creates peace and exaltation in her heart that it becomes one with her passion for the place she lives in.
the lowest level of pain and misery.
In brief, the narrator's explanation on Gwenda's situation as quoted above; I would say that it is the way of Gwenda seeing herself and the world around her, the way in which has shaped by all the things happening in her life influenced by her strong willed-self nature – another word for her independence. Gwenda's sanity and strength determines her ways of seeing things and responding over everything happen in her life. Eventhough, she has experienced tragic trials; betraying lover and sisters, family scandalous by her younger sister, living with her dependent father who is half paralyzed of stroke – that means limiting her free soul, but, her passion for nature of her surrounding in Garthdale has helped her to face the worst of all things occur in her life, it can be seen as described by the narrator on how Gwenda sees her days through the description of her surrounding, and the dim colours are the representation of her misery and pain. However, there is passion in the way she experiences the things around her, in the way she sees her surround as well as hears, touches, and feels at once as her personal attitudes toward life. There is her passion for life.
4.1.2.6. Gwenda as fragile – hearted character
– her differences among many other girls. He loves her as herself, with her intelligence that sometimes he is afraid of, because she is too smart for him; with her strong self or independence. Gwenda's nature is a free spiritful–soul, she is capable of anything. Therefore, for most of men, Gwenda is not their typical for woman to marry with, just like Mary, her older sister who always be meek, mild, nice, sweet and good. In other side, Gwenda's strong willed-self, her intelligent, her independence, her free spiritful–soul who loves of adventure also can not be easily meet with an equal partner. Therefore, it is hard for Gwenda to be in love with any man, unless the one who understands her well and sees her as the way she is, the one who is equal with her true nature – who can balance her steps. The one who is just like Dr. Rowcliffe.
In other side, because of her strong willed self, Gwenda also has to ignore her true feeling and her self ego. She sacrifices her love for her lover to save her sister's life. That Alice's weak nature has made her dying of her infatuation for Dr. Steve Rowcliffe, and she can be death if she does not get married. Therefore, Gwenda leaves the man. While she leaves him and the village, she stays in London with her step mother. Her sweet and good natured older sister, Mary takes her chance, using her sensual femininity side catches the Doctor. While Alice involves in scandalous affair with a rough drunken farmer, John Greatorex. That the scandalous affair has turned their father, Mr. James Cataret, into an invalid because of heart attack.
relationship she is the most trouble maker daughter for the father, Gwenda has turned into a fragile hearted girl.
One moment showing this fragile characteristic of her is when Mary gives born her first child, after three years of her marriage with Dr. Steven Rowcliffe.
And in the evening, when her sister stood against at her bedside, as Mary lifted the edge of the flannel that hid her baby's face, she look at Gwenda and smiled, not dreamy but subtly in a triumph that was almost malign.
That night Gwenda dreamed that she saw Mary lying dead and with a death child in the crook of her arm.
She woke up in anguish and terror (Chapter LVII: 346).
The quotation above shows Gwenda's deep inside frighten heart. Outside, the people around her still sees her as a strong girl among the three sisters. She takes a good care for his father, defending her younger sister Alice, so that she can married the young Greatorex. Even more, she is the one who accompanied her betraying sister Mary when she gives born her first baby. She stands against her sister bedside, while Mary smiles at her in a triumph and almost malign, and Gwenda stays there to receive this scene with her strength. But, inside her heart there is pain, she refuses neither to feel nor to realize its existence that revealing itself the night after in the guise of dreaming about Mary and her child death. She wakes up in anguish and terror, as the narrator said, the dream reveals her deep pain and misery. She is afraid of her true felling and she does not want to feel the hurt, it makes her strong heart turning into fragile inside the very core of it. In her fragility she kills her betraying sister and her child in the form of dream.
There is also another moment showing this fragile heart of Gwenda, as described by the narrator below:
unaware that it was hurt.
But at the turn of the white road her heart stirred in its hiding place, it stirred at the sight of Karva and with the wind that brought her the smelt of the flowering thorn – trees.
It discerned in these things a power that would before long make her suffer. She had no other sense of them (Chapter LXVI: 387).
As the narrator says Gwenda's heart so mortally wound as if unaware that it was hurt, it is another indication of showing Gwenda's fragility. As if the burden pain and sorrow has overwhelmed her with bitter misery she can not take with her own strength, she prefers to hide the wound under. Further, her painful heart stirs from its hiding place, when Gwenda has to follow the white road of Karva, where she used to spent hours of walking habit with her ex-lover. A place where she and Rowcliffe had ever saw vision of flowering thorn-trees while it blooms. At the sight of the flowering thorn-trees, Gwenda suddenly considers the hurt in her heart, it reminds her to what has happened in her life, how she has betrayed by two persons she loves and cares about. There is only pain left at the sight of this vision that makes her suffer, she has no other sense of them at all, unless the hurt. It makes her fragile.
Further, Gwenda who is always strong, that in her personal strength refuses to sense her wounded heart, at a certain moment has shown fragility occurrence in her strong– self character.
Far off in the bottom the village waited for her.
It had always waited for her; but she was afraid of it now, afraid of what it might have in store for her. It shared her fear as it crouched there, like a beaten thing, with its huddled houses, naked and blackened as if fire had passed over them (Chapter LXVI : 387).
loves for walk miles away, stills enjoy the activity, although there is something missing in her true self that is her youth energetic. In her youth energetic, she used to be enjoying the sight of the hills, moors, houses, lambs and sheep, she loves adventures, and in her strength she is not afraid of anything. However, life trials has shaped her into a more fragile creature, she feels the sense of fright as she sees the village where she lives with her father, now. She is afraid of what other frighten things left for her in that place, where she has to experience the tragic situation in her life. The narrator describes her feeling the same as the village situation seeing from her wounded heart; it likes a beaten thing, naked and blackened after a big tragedy as fire passing over. The sad thought of the village shows Gwenda's frighten attitudes; it is an indication of her fragility.
4.1.3. The characteristics of Gwenda as viewed from dialogue
Characterization through dialogue is one of indirect method of characteristics analysis develops by Pickering and Hoeper, in “Concise Companion to literature”, 1981. It includes what has been said by a character in a story; the way she or he speaks out their mind or the content of the conversation that might reveal their characteristics. Besides, there is also another characters whom talks about a character's attitude or behavior, giving comments about a character, that also gives impression about a character will be like, what other characters said about a character is another characterization method as develops by Roberts and Jacobs in Fiction : An Introduction to Reading and Writing, 1989.
only uses both methods of what is said by the character and what other characters said about the character studied, for the reason that those methods are the most suitable in the purpose of this study and applicable to the analysis process.
However, since novel involves not only dialogue, just like in drama, but there is also another element such as plot and setting in a certain context that build the dialogue circumstance, there is also narrator’s interfere in explaining or telling about a character's thought, or another character's about the character studied. The data for characterization through dialogue will include the character's self-monologue, her thought, and her conversation with others, also another character says about her, in the forms of conversation and thought processes as told by the help of the narrator. There will be a mixing part between what the character says and what other characters say about her in the conversation of quotation.
4.1.3.1. Gwenda's characteristics through her thought or said about herself a. Gwenda as a strong girl
surrender her heart to him, therefore, there is a time when Gwenda tries to catch his attention by walking over the moors in time of Dr. Steven Rowcliffe's driving home.
Gwenda thought, “I will go out to the moor again. I don't care if I am late for prayer. He will see me when he drives back and he will wonder who is that wild, strong girl who walk by herself on the moor at night and is not afraid. He has seen me three times, and every time he has looked at me as if he wondered. In five minutes I shall go.” She though (for she knew what she was thinking), “I shall do nothing of the sort. If I never see him again, I don't care.” (Chapter V: 10).
Since the beginning of the story, the narrator has already mentioned Gwenda's habit of walking over the moors in the morning or late of the evening as her pure joys of the place and her sport activity. Another way to emphasize her strong characteristic of independent female who loves outdoor sport activity. The quotation above, takes place inside Gwenda's mind, she thought of meeting the man she flirts at by planning coincidence. She plans to put an impression of being a wild strong girl to the man whom has stolen her heart. Both persons are interested to one another. And Gwenda, who never does such a thing; looking for attention from an adorable man, feels uncomfortable when she realizes her own silliness, and she pretends herself not to worry or really care if she does not meet the young doctor. However, seeing from what has been thought about her, the reader can recognize Gwenda as strong girl. She says it by herself when she want to make an impression about herself to the man she adore: “he will wonder who is that wild, strong girl who walk by herself on the moor at night and is not afraid”.
b. Gwenda as a compassionate sister
There is a moment when Gwenda has to choose between her own need and feeling for her lover or her sister's life that’s dying because of her infatuation to Gwenda's lover; that her sister is weak in her nature. Caught in the middle of this situation, Gwenda prefers to sacrifice her own true feeling to save her younger sister's life; it shows a compassionate at heart.
She could see it now
It had been approaching her; her idea, from the very instant that she had come into the room and had begun to speak to him. And with every word that he had said it had come closer. But not until her final appeal to him had she really faced it. Then it became clear. It crystallized. There was no escaping from the facts.
Ally would die or go mad if she didn't marry.
Ally (though Rowcliffe didn't know it) was in love with him
And, even if she hadn't been, as long as they stayed in Garthdale there is nobody but Rowcliffe whom she could marry. It was her one chance. And there were the three of them. Three women to one man.
And since she was the one – she knew it – who stood between him and Ally, it was she who would have to go away
(Chapter XXXVI: 184).
The monologue occurs in Gwenda's mind. Eventhough, there is a narrator's interference, but still the quotation tells about Gwenda, about what is occurred in her thought, about the way she sees things and about her decision making process. It is about Gwenda as seen from her very deep side of heart.
Steven Rowcliffe, that Alice will go mad or die if she is not married. While, in other side, Dr. Steven Rowcliffe does not even realize Ally's infatuation for him.
When Gwenda realizes the true situation and her position, she has made up her mind. She considers herself as the one who stands between Rowcliffe and Alice. Eventhough, the man does not realize the younger sister's fond of him, but Gwenda does, and she also realizes Ally's condition of dying, the reason or the cause of her condition, and also the cure for it. Gwenda choose to left her lover for the dying sister, she chooses to sacrifice her own true feeling and only chance, in a hope for saving her sister's life. Gwenda's decision shows her compassion attitude for her dying sister.
The ironic part is Dr. Steven Rowcliffe who put the idea on Gwenda's mind that she chooses to leave him and to sacrifice her love life for her dying sister, Ally. However, Gwenda decisions to sacrifice her own true feeling and lover for saving her younger sister life shows her compassion for her sister. One of Gwenda's quality trait; a compassionate sister.
c. Gwenda as sensitive character
Further in the story, Gwenda has to experience a betrayal action by her lover and her sisters, one whom takes her lover, and the other whom makes her does useless sacrificing effort to save the sister's life. Moreover, she has to live with the most hateful character in the story, the father, whom turns into invalid caused by a heart attack, has made Gwenda into a more sensitive character.
memory of joy, and what Greatorex had told her seemed incredible. She said to herself “Is it going to be taken from me like everything else?”
And a dreadful duologue went on in her. “It looks like it”
“But it was mine, it was mine like nothing else.” “It never had anything for you but what you gave it.”
“Am I to go on giving the whole blessed time? Am I never have anything for myself?”
“There never is anything for anybody but what they give. Or what they take from somebody else. You should have taken. You had your chance.”
“I'd have died, rather.” “Do you called this living?” “I have lived”
“He hasn't. Why did you sacrifice him.” “For Mary”
“It's wasn't for Mary. It was for yourself for your own wretched soul.”
“For his soul”
“How much do you suppose Mary cares about his soul? It would have had a chance with you. It's one chance.”
The unconsoling voice has the last word. For it was not in answer to it that a certain phrase came into her brooding mind.
“I couldn't do a caddish thing like that.” (Chapter LXII: 370 – 371).
The setting of the quotation above occurs inside Gwenda's mind, after her trips visiting her younger sister's family of Alice and John Greatorex, with their five children. Before return to her house, Gwenda and her brother in law, John Greatorex, in whom rejected by the father, walk over the moor and both of them sighting the flowering thorns – trees in bloom. The unexpected thing occurs when there is nobody staying with her, the young Greatorex is the only one whom understanding her. He is not only seeing the flowering thorn – trees vision, but he also feels the pain in her at the moment. It makes her feeling better that she is not alone, however, on her way backs home she tries to recapture the vision of the flowering thorn – trees, and appears in her very deep painful heart the duologue of hers.
should take her chance – while in his marriage with Mary, Dr. Rowcliffe tried approaching her, but her own true-self not allows her to do a caddish thing by snapping behind her sister back to take anything for her own self. She is not going to let her young sister dies nor goes mad, as well as, she lets Mary to take the chance, eventhough, it cuts off her heart into a bleeding one. However, her sensitivity has made her sense for the flowering thorn – trees disappear. She can not feel her own pain; instead, she becomes a more sensitive creature that does not aware on her true feeling.
4.1.3.2. Gwenda's characteristics through what other characters said about her.
In this part of analysis and interpretation discussion, the data will be in the form of dialogue and also quotation from a character's thought about Gwenda as states by the narrator.
a. Gwenda as energetic youth female
Since the beginning of the story, the narrator emphasizes Gwenda's habit of traveling along the moors over the village, where as their family just moves in. The traveling habit shows Gwenda's interest toward nature and also an indication of her energetic attitude in her youth that brings a good future impact on her health. It also a certain way in which the author tries to perform Gwenda as a strong and healthy character, an energetic youth.
If he thinks he's punishing me he's sold,” Said Gwenda. “He couldn't have stuck you in a rottener hole.” Gwenda raised her head
at you. It's – it's a divine place, Ally.”
“Wait till you've been another five month in it. You'll be as sick as I am.” “I don't think so; You haven't seen the moon get up over Greffington Edge. If you had – if you know what this place like, you wouldn't lie there grizzling. You wouldn't talk about punishing. You'd wonder what you'd done to be allowed to look at it – to live in it a day. Of course I'm not going to let on to Papa that I'm in love with it.
Mary smiled again
it's all very well for you, “she said. “As long as you've got a moor to walk on you're all right.”
“Yes. I'm all right,” Gwenda said (Chapter III: 6-7).
youth of energetic.
b. Gwenda as stubborn or strong willed – self character
Here is a dialogue between Gwenda and her beloved father, Mr. James Cataret, in whom she opposites with always. As a smart, strong and independent character as portrays by the author, Gwenda, sometimes appears as stubborn or the one with strong willed – self, specifically in her relationship with her father, who plays as the antagonist part in the story. The antagonist father always tries to control his daughters behavior, it is no problems with Mary who always be meek, mild, sweet and good, nor Alice, who is weak in nature, but there is always a big matter with his number two daughter, Gwendolen Cataret, her intelligent and her strong character makes both of them always in vice versa position. In her father eyes Gwenda is the most stubborn daughter out of the three.
“It's no use Papa. You'd far better give it up. You know you can't do it. You can't stop me. You can't stop Jim Greatorex. You can't even stop peacock. You don't want another scandal in the parish.”
He Didn't
“Oh, go your own way.” he said “and take the consequences.” “I have taken them,” said Gwenda (Chapter XXXIX : 207).
also what Mr. Cataret has to face when he should make a decision about his second daughter, there will be no other result comes from him, but from her only. She is the most stubborn one compare with the other two.
Gwenda says that her father cannot stop her, she says all the effort he would do are useless, because no body can not stop her. She also knows that her father does not like scandal in the parish. Therefore, the father keeps quite, nothing can happen, but lets her daughter go to her step Mummy. Mr. James Cataret does not say a word about Gwenda's stubbornness, but the dialogue shows it. Most of Gwenda's relationship with her father implies her stubborn characteristic, as daughter. The other one as follows:
“I can do anything when I'm driven.” The vicar groaned.
“You're right, “ he said.” You are different from Alice. You're worse then she is – ten times worse. You'd stick at nothing, I've always known it.” “... It's not a bit of good trying to bully me. You'll be beaten every time. You can bully her till she's ill. You can shut her up in her bedroom and lock the door and I dare say she won't get out at the window. But even Alice will beat you in the end. Of course, there's Mary. But I shouldn't try it on with Mary either. She's really more dangerous than I am, because she looks so meek and mild. But she'll beat you, too, if you begin bullying her.” (Chapter XXXII: 165).
bullying his daughters, he can control them, but not with Gwenda who has her own privilege and freedom. She always gets his father track that he can not bullying her. In their relationship, the father and the daughter always against one toward another. In the quotation above, Gwenda shows her intelligent side while arguing with her father, that he can not stop her in his strictness. Eventhough Alice and Mary is easy to handle, but in the end they will beat him as well, if he continues to bully them, she tells her father his position. In the eyes of the father she is the most stubborn daughter, Gwenda is ten times worse than Alice, as he always knows.
However, the dialogue above shows how strong willed Gwenda's self is, as well as how stubborn she is against his father.
Gwenda's stubbornness or strong-willed self also appear in her relationship with her lover, Dr. Steven Rowcliffe, the one whom understand her well. The quotation below shows her strong willed – self:
He made an impatient movement
“But you knew without telling. You know then” “I didn't. I didn't”
“Well, then, you know now. Will you marry me or will you not? I want it straight.”
“No. No”
“And – way not?”
He was horribly cool and calm.
“Because I don't want to marry you. I don't want to marry anybody.” “Good God! What do you want, then?”
“I want to go away and earn my own living as other women do” ... All the time she had kept her hands locked behind her (Chapter XXXVIII: 197).
and this infatuation has brought her into a madness or worst she could died, a hysteria case. Gwenda, as she realizes the true situation, has made up her mind. She is the one who stands between Ally and Dr. Rowcliffe, thus, she thinks she is the one who should go. Dr. Rowcliffe does not know about Ally's infatuation to him, as well as Gwenda's reason to go away from the village. He tries to stop her, when she tells him about her going plan. He tries to tell her about his feeling to her, he proposes her that she rejects. Gwenda has made up her mind, and nobody can not stop her, even her – own self, because the decision she makes against her own will, but still she should go away – in a thinking for saving her sister life. However, the way she defends herself after the young Dr. Rowcliffe performing her stubbornness or strong willed- self
c. Gwenda as capable of anything or independent character
In The Three Sisters, the most unfavorable character or the antagonist one is the father, Mr. James Cataret, in whom having most trouble with the protagonist, more specifically with Gwendolen Cataret, or Gwenda, his number two daughter. There are some parts in the story taking the father point of view about Gwenda. In general Mr. Cataret's thought of his second daughter shows her independence self, that making most trouble with him.
Gwendolen was the child who, he declared and believed, had always given him most trouble. Another year and she had left off asking him questions. She drew back into herself and become every day more self – willed, more solitary – more inaccessible.
And now, if he could have seen things as they really were, Mr. Cataret would have perceived that he was afraid of Gwenda. As it was, he thought he was only afraid of what Gwenda might do.
The quotation above is about Mr. James Cataret's thought of his second daughter. Gwendolen Cataret, the one, in whom he declares and believes, the most trouble maker in the family, viewing from his personal glasses. Mr. James Cataret has always been in arguing than a discussion when having conversation with his number two daughter. In her child time, Gwenda had always asking him endless question that his answer does not satisfied the daughter curiosity. The more years passes by, the more mature she is, the more intelligent and independent the girl is, and she does not bother his father with question anymore. Gwenda has became more self-willed, solitary and inaccessible. There is a time when Mr. James Cataret afraid of his number two daughter, his not afraid of her existence in the family, but he is afraid that he can not control her, in his point of view, Gwenda might do anything. The father thought's that Alice could be troublesome in rare happening, but Gwenda is capable to do anything. Her strong willed – self combines with her deep curiosity of knowledge has made her inaccessible to all of the father's circumstances that he calls as wisdom and patience, the way he lives out his life. He is afraid of what might she does next, the thought of it has made him jumpy.
... of the three, Gwenda was the one in whom the curse was, so to speak, most active, through whom it was most likely to fall on him at any moment.. In Gwenda the curse was so imminent and at the some time incalculable... There was no knowing what Gwenda would do next. The fear of what she might do hung forever over his head, and it made him jumpy.
... She was, as he had said, terrible. There was no dealing with Gwenda; there never had been. Patience failed before her will and wisdom before the deathly thrust of her intelligence. She had stabbed him in several places... (Chapter XXXIII: 167 – 168).
father's heart goes up and down. He sees Gwenda as the most active one, but also the most terrible that creates most trouble in their relationship. He can not guess about what she would do next, the fear of it makes him having no peace in mind. The narrator describes this situation as jumpy. However, her intelligence and independence has failed his wisdom and patience, it stabbed his very hearth. Mr. James Cataret, as the father, portrays as a tyrant, that makes him the most unfavorable character or the antagonist in the story, using wisdom and patience, that is his term for his act on behaving as a father for the three daughter, but he always find difficulty when it is about Gwenda, his second daughter, whom he declares as capable of anything.
From direct link to his thought as explains by the narrator, we finds out one of Gwenda's characteristic as capable of anything or in my own opinion and definition, it calls as an independent trait. The opinion and definition that comes from the situation creates by Gwenda's existence in the story as describes since the beginning that she is strong willed – self, and the term the father uses to tell about her, capable of anything; it indicates independence in her manner. Therefore, I conclude one of Gwenda's traits is independent character.
Another proves for Gwenda's independence is in her conversation with Dr. Steven Rowcliffe. As they walks passing over the moor, they argues about the moon. Gwenda loves the moon, but not Dr, Rowcliffe.
She was detestable to him in that moment.
“Because nobody sees them as they are. And you're spoiling the idea.” “the idea being so much more valuable than the truth.”
He longed to say cruel and biting things to her.
“It isn't valuable to anybody but me, so you might have left it to me.” “Oh, I'll leave it to you, if you're in love with it.”
with the moon not with my idea of the moon.”
“You don't know how to be in love with anything - even the moon. But I suppose it's all right as long as you're happy.”
“Of course I'm happy why shouldn't be?”
“Because you haven't got anything to make you happy.” “Oh, haven't I ?”
“You might have. But you haven't. You're too obstinate to be happy.” “But I've just told you that I am happy.”
“What have you got?” he persisted
“I've got heaps of things. I've got my two hands and my two feet I've got my brain-”
“So have I. And yet_”
“It's absurd to say I've got these things. They're me. Happiness isn't in the things you've got. It's either in you or it isn't.”
“It generally isn't. Go on. What else? You've got the moon and your idea of the moon. I don't see that you're, got much more.”
“Anyhow. I've got my liberty” “Your liberty – if that's all you want.”
It's pretty nearly all. It covers most things.” (Chapter XXXI: 160).
d. Gwenda as intelligence character
As studies before in the characterization through appearance and narrator says about her, it states clearly about Gwenda's basic nature as strong – intelligence and independent character, as if it emphasizes by the author, that May Sinclair wants Gwendolen Cataret to be the strong and independence character who is intelligence. This side of quality trait of her reveals mostly in her relationship with Dr. Steven Rowcliffe, the one who knows her well and also an equal partner of conversation. Dr. Steven Rowcliffe understands her true – self as free spirited girl, and he can balance her intelligence way of thought. He loves her as the way she is, in her uniqueness that lacks of femininity, but he calls her as a beautifully sane and perfectly balanced person.
“because your feelings are the feeling of a beautifully sane and perfectly balanced person” (Chapter XXII: 98).
The idea of a beautifully sane and perfectly balance person states by Dr. Steven Rowcliffe as he describes her, the words choice are an explanation of Gwenda's intelligence views from the young Doctor's opinion about her.
There is many other quotations show Gwenda's intelligence as states by Dr. Rowcliffe.
“Not at all. I said if I was in love with the moon. I'd be in love with it and not with my idea of it. I want reality.” (Gwenda)
“Oh, you're to clever. Too clever for me” (Rowcliffe) (Chapter XXX: 161).
his chance, then they begun arguing to one another about the moon, until Dr. Rowcliffe finds himself can not answer her well, he says that she is to clever for him.
There is also a time when Gwenda decides to leave her lover and the village for London, that it is actually against her true will, but she prefer to save her sister's, Ally, life, instead of taking her chance. However, nobody can not stop what she has decided, even it is Dr. Rowcliffe. They argues that he does not want her to leave, but she has made up her mind, that's mean she will leave no matter what people will say. Finally, Dr. Rowcliffe surrenders because he can not reach her.
He softened suddenly
“I didn't mean that, Gwenda. You don't know what you're saying. You don't know anything. It's only that you're so beastly clever”
(Chapter XXXVIII:201)
Dr. Steven Rowclife says that Gwenda is beastly clever, because he can not make any further attempts to conquer her. It shows Gwenda as intelligence character.
“Then it's all right,” he said, “For what I think of you is that you'd never said a thing you didn't really mean” (Chapter XXIX : 153).
4.1.4. The characteristics of Gwenda as seen through her action
The characterization through action analysis involves the character's behavior and also the expression of the character.
4.1.4.1. Gwenda's characteristics through her behavior
a. Gwenda as (furious reader) intelligent character.
Her life process, the hard trials she has to experience, living with a half paralyzed father whom dependent much to her, makes Gwenda changing her way of managing the daily routines. If at her previous time she likes to read books in her leisure time, later she becomes a furious reader.
She had became a furious reader. She liked hard stuff that her brain could bite on. It fell on a book and gutted it, throwing away the trash. She read all the modern poets and novelist she cared about, English and foreign. They left her stimulated but unsatisfied. There were not enough good ones to keep her going. She worked through the Elizabethan dramatists and all the vicar's Tudor classics, and come on Jowett's Translation of the Platonic’s Dialogue by the way, and was lured on the quest of ultimate reality, and found that there was nothing like thought to keep you thinking. She took to metaphysics as you take to dram-drinking. She must have strong, heavy stuff that drugged her brain. And when she found that she could trust her intellect she set it deliberately to fight her passion (Chapter LIX : 351-352).
However, her reading habits on heavy books indicate her as intelligence character.
b. Gwenda as compassion character
One day Gwenda has to visit Mary and Rowcliffe's house, they invites her and she prefers the time and day when Rowcliffe not in the house. Mary wants to show the children to their aunt, in fact, she wants to show how happy and healthy her family is, making Gwenda jealous of her family. However, the vision of Rowcliffe house has opened the pain in her hearts, even if Gwenda does not want it to be like that. She becomes more fragile in her heart, but still she has compassion for the children.
She went restlessly about the room, picking up things and looking at them without seeing them.
In the room upstairs she heard the cries of Rowcliffe's children, bumping and scampering of feet. She stood still then and clenched her hands. The pain at her heart was like no other pain. It was as if she hated Rowcliffe's children.
Presently she would have to go up and see them. She waited. Mary was taking her own time
Upstairs the doors opened and shut on the sharp grief of little children carried unwillingly to the bed.
Gwenda's heart melted and grew tender at the sound. But its tenderness was more unbearable to her than its pain. (Chapter LX : 358-359)
has melted her heart and it grows more tender. But she feels the tenderness is more unbearable than its pain. Gwenda's compassion heart makes her cannot bear the tenderness anymore rather than the pain feeling.
4.1.4.2. Gwenda's characteristics through her expression a. Gwenda as strong and sane (healthy) character
The way Gwenda revels her emotion by expressing it through the laughter of joy has proven her as strong and sane character.
She laughed again, she laugh as youth laughs for the pure joy of laughter. She looked on her father as a persistent, delightful jest...
It proved how strong and sane she was, - if she could take him like that. Rowcliffe had seen women made bitter, made morbid, driven into lunatic asylums by fathers who were as funny as Mr. Cataret. (Chapter XXI: 100).
Gwenda and Dr. Rowcliffe has talked about Mr. James Cataret, that how Gwenda's father hate Rowcliffe so much. In Gwenda's opinion he seems to hate everybody. Mr. James Cataret is portrayed as a strict–tyrant father who plays as the antagonist role, he has trouble almost with every character in the story. But, mostly with Gwenda he has trouble with and beaten in many side that he cannot answer her. Rowcliffe says Gwenda's father is funny and she laughs at the term. Her laughs in responding the jokes show her strength and sanity in characteristics, in the explanation that only a strong and healthy person who can laugh at a joke about a strict father.
“Oh, Lord_” Gwenda laughed the laugh of brave nerves tortured (Chapter II: 5).
sisters waiting for prayer time in the family, in a boring mood. While the other two sister looks exhausted and bored, she just laughs the laugh of brave nerves tortured after finds out there is still long time before the prayer time. The daily routines held at 10 pm., the three sisters are sitting the whole day on the sofa, for they do not have any certain activity at the moment, and it still 5 pm. Gwenda only laugh at it, she has spent some hours of walking over the moors and she will read the book to wait the prayer time.
Furthermore, the way Gwenda expresses her emotion into a joyous laugh and the laugh of brave nerve tortures indicating herself as strong and sane character.
b. Gwenda as compassionate character
Three years after Mary's marriage with Dr. Steven Rowcliffe, she gets pregnant and she loves it very much and dying to tell it to Gwenda.
“At last,” she said,-” after three years.” And she added, “I knew you would be glad.” “I'm glad,” said Gwenda
She was glad. She was determined to be glad. She looked glad. And she kissed Mary and said again that she was glad.
But as she walked back the four miles up Garthdale under Karva, she felt an aching at her heart which was odd considering how glad she was. She said to herself, “I will be glad. I want Mary to be happy. Why shouldn't I be glad? It's not as if it could make any difference.”
(Chapter LVI: 343-344).
gladness is the expression of her compassion for her sister happiness. As when she says that I'm glad, she really means it, even though her very deep heart reveals the opposite emotion. However, the quotation above gives additional proof to support Gwenda's characteristics as compassion character.
4.1.5. The Characteristics of Gwendolen Cataret in Summary
The characterization analysis and interpretation process as discusses above has produced a whole picture of Gwendolen Cataret in a full description. In general, as describes by her appearance and the narrator's explanation about her; the author seems to put an impression on her as strong willed-self or independent female who is smart or intelligent in her own ways. That she is terrible in the eyes of her father whom troubled with almost in their relationship. Capable of anything daughter, she makes her father's heart jumpy if anything concerns about her. Her independence combines with intelligence has created her strong willed – self that is sound and sane, this characteristic makes her capable to do anything, the term her father uses to describe her.
leave her lover and sacrificing him for her dying sister, whom in love with him. In this position, her authentic youth energetic girl who is capable to do anything, also shows her compassion for the younger sister. It explains her sacrifice action as a compassionate decision. There is also stubbornness in her characteristics, viewing from the side of ignoring her lover rights to keep the love or to share ideas to make two ways decision in the relationship. In other side, her stubbornness also appears mostly in her relationship with her father.
hard life trials she has to experience revealing her fragility side, but her love for nature and walking activity has prepared her an outlet to live out her life in brave and strong heart, instead falling down and pitying herself. It saves her from emptiness. It also shows her strength and sanity in the middle of her fragility, another indication for smart, strong willed–self in characteristic.
However, from her appearance, the narrator's description about her, her dialog and action in her relationship with her inner self and other characters in the story. Gwendolen Cataret characterizes as smart – strong willed–self who is capable to do anything, in other terms it also can be said she is as intelligence-independent young female. There is also compassion and stubbornness in her strong willed–self. Beside, the life trial she has to face revealing her fragility in her characteristic. Thus, the complexities of her characteristics or quality traits include her into a round character, while the transformation of herself from a strong one to fragility has included her into a dynamic character.
In brief definition, Gwenda's characteristics are intelligence independent female who is full of compassion for her family and life, there is also stubborn side in her self, and in her strong healthy-self, she also has fragility side that appears after some life trial. She is a kind of round and dynamic character.
in action or behavior. Using Sigmund Freud's theory of Psychodynamic of Conscious and Unconscious, the further study relates with the defense mechanism occurs in Gwenda's life that seen from her characteristics as a form of her consciousness in her relationship with her own inner self and other significant characters in her life. I assumes Gwenda's characteristics occur as the result of her relationship and interaction with her innerself and her surrounding, that contains the influence of unconsciousness in her consciousness as appears in her characteristic. Therefore, it is possible to study the influence of unconscious into consciousness through defense mechanism as occurs in character's characteristics as seen from her thought, dialog and action and some support aids through her appearance and the description by the narrator. It can be clearly and easily comprehend more in the next part of discussion in this study, as follows:
4.2. Psychodynamic Analysis and Interpretation
wishes or dream that is irrational, such as a desire to kill. However this irrational impulse tries to find a safe outlet acceptable by the society, and Freud calls it as defense mechanism. A mechanism to defense irrational impulses occurs into awareness or consciousness (Bernstein, 1991:544). Therefore, a discussion on psychodynamic of human's mind will not far away from defense mechanism. There are many forms of this mechanism as develops by Sigmund Freud. Some of those are repression, reaction formation, projection, displacement, intellectualization, denial, and sublimation that occur in Gwendolen Cataret's life as reveals through her personality traits or in literary terms, it calls characteristics.
4.2.1. Gwenda's Defense Mechanism of Repression in Her Fragility.
reveals the repressed things in the unconsciousness that influences most of conscious behavior, this technique Freud calls as free association (Mischel, 1976 : 34; Lazerson, 1975:406). In literature work, such as story, free association also possible to be developed. To analyze and to interpret the repressed things occurs in the character, it needs the direct access to the character's thought to know what is in her mind, it usually describes by the narrator, and combines with the character's circumstances or the certain context in her surround, it can explain some certain behavior or attitude that appears in consciousness as influenced by repressed things in unconscious part of human's mind, unconsciously.
unconsciousness into the character's consciousness.
the nature is her personal outlet for the repressed things of misery she refuses to feel, her disappointment for the closest people around her, her fright to be left alone, therefore, her soothing voice said it is hers and nobody can take away this from her, not even Steve, she ever loves and still. It explains why he still occurs in her mind. Her mind has repressed the feeling, and she becomes fragile.
In brief explanation, in her fragility, Gwenda's love for nature has saved her for nothingness in her misery. It finds the outlet in her personal joy to the eternalized memory of the nature surround her that no one has no access to come in. As well as nobody cannot take it away from her, just like everybody around her leaves her alone. The repression here, her unconsciousness of the existence of the pain in her heart, instead of pitying herself, she prefers to enjoy her life, and her loves for nature has prepared her an outlet to pour out her passion for life in it, the joy for the place. Eventhough, in her vision the day colors in dim gray and green, the violet and blue for winter (instead of cheer bright color). Those colors are the representation of her fragility. In other word, the fragility in her characteristic has change the way she senses the world surround.
Another repression in her fragility characteristic occurs also in the description by the narrator :
... Her heart hid in her breast. It was so mortally wounded as to be unaware that it was hurt.
But at the turn of the white road her heart stirred in its hiding place it stirred at the sight of Karva and with the wind that brought her the smelt of the flowering thorn – trees.
It discerned in these things a power that would before long make her suffer. She had no other sense of them (Chapter LXVI: 387).
trials of being betrayed by the closest people around her; her lover and her sisters, also living with dependent half paralyzed father whom trouble most with her in their earlier relationship when her father healthy. Those experiences have revealed Gwenda's fragility. The fragility appears as the result of the pain and misery she suffers from all the tragic occurrences in her life. Gwenda portrays as smart strong willed – self since the beginning of the story, but the tragedies in her life has revealed to other side of her self, her fragility. However, her true self or her dominant nature as strong willed – self does not allow her to pity on herself, instead she refuses to feel the pain in her heart. Somehow, there is a time when this repressed hurt feeling occurs as a heart-ache, when Gwenda sees the things remind her to people she loves, but betrays her. The quotation above, as describes by the narrator, shows Gwenda's heart hiding in her breast, it pictures as so mortally wounded as if to be unaware that it is hurt. It can be explained as Gwenda's repression of the pain, she unconsciously represses. Her mind cannot cope with the misery, somehow, those hurt appear in the way she sees and senses the things surround her. The repression reveals when Gwenda on the way where she and her lover used to walk on, in Karva, her heart stirs from its hiding place. There is a pain she refuses to realize its existence, it remains hidden unconsciously in the deepest part of her heart that she cannot feel it, until she meets with the things remind her to the person hurt her, it produces the pain. Here, the sight of Karva and the smell of flowering thorn – trees has revealed her wounded heart from its hiding place.
and capable to do anything, has to experience fear. She is afraid now, to go back to the village where she lives with her dependent invalid father. The narrator explaines Gwenda's fear looks like the village, crouching there, like a beaten thing, with its huddled houses, naked and blackened as if fire has passed over them. It looks like Gwenda, who has fire passed over her in the form of betrayed by the people she closes and loves most. Her fears of the village shows her repression toward the things has happened there, that has turned her into fragile– hearted character. She fears it might give her another tragedies, therefore, her consciousness in the form of fears against the place she used to love is the repression of the misery she has to share with the place, unconsciously it hidden in her very deep part of heart.
The other form of repression is dream. There is a time when Gwenda had a dream about her sister Mary and her first born child death (p. 65).
And in the evening, when her sister stood against at her bedside, as Mary lifted the edge of the flannel that hid her baby's face, she look at Gwenda and smiled, not dreamy but subtly in a triumph that was almost malign.
That night Gwenda dreamed that she saw Mary lying dead and with a death child in the crook of her arm.
She woke up in anguish and terror (Chapter LVII: 346).
village. There is only Gwenda, in her compassion for her family, cannot refuse the invitation to accompany her older sister's first child birthing. After three years of their marriage, Mary finally has the chance to have a baby. Gwenda with her compassion and truthful heart accept the invitation and with patience waiting for her sister for the child delivering. Mary smiles triumphantly almost malign, not dreamy as a mother used to be after giving birth the first born baby. However, at night, Gwenda dreams of Mary's death with her baby in the crook of her arms, also death. The dream shows Gwenda repressed wishes or feeling toward her older sister, whom betray her by marrying her betraying lover. Unconsciously, there is a desire in Gwenda's mind to kill her sister and her baby, perhaps even Steven, but to admit it into awareness will produce anxiety, to overcome it, the very primitive instinct of human mind is to repress it out of awareness, it call repression, one type of defense mechanism as develops by Sigmund Freud.
4.2.2. Gwenda's Defense Mechanism of Reaction Formation in Her Compassionate Heart
In Gwenda, the reaction formation of defense mechanism can be seen in her compassionate characteristic (p.86-87), in her relationship with her older sister, Mary.
“At last,” she said,-” after three years.” And she added, “I knew you would be glad.” “I'm glad,” said Gwenda
She was glad. She was determined to be glad. She looked glad. And she kissed Mary and said again that she was glad.
But as she walked back the four miles up Garthdale under Karva, she felt an aching at her heart which was odd considering how glad she was.
She said to herself, “I will be glad. I want Mary to be happy. Why shouldn't I be glad? It's not as if it could make any difference.” (Chapter LVI: 343-344).
The quotation above shows the situation in which Mary, triumphantly, gives the news of her pregnancy after three years of her marriage with Dr. Steven Rowcliffe. He feels guilty for his lover, Gwenda, about the unsuspected marriage that makes him becomes cruel and cold to Mary in their earlier marriage. However, after the three years of waiting, it is a victorious for Mary that finally she gets pregnant, showing her as the only owner of her cold husband in his wholeness. Because Dr. Steven Rowcliffe still loves Gwenda when she leaves him, and loves her still after he marries the older sister’s lover. He does not know the real reason for Gwenda's leaving him, and he feels trapped by Mary. Therefore, the first three years of their marriage, Rowcliffe takes the role as a cold husband, because he still hopes for Gwenda to come back to him, but she does not take the chance, anyway she does not do a caddish thing like that.
