ANALYSIS OF CONFLICTS ON THE MAIN AND SECONDARY CHARACTERS IN THE NOVEL THE HOUSE ON HOPE STREET BY DANIELLE STEEL
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ANALYSIS OF CONFLICTS ON THE MAIN AND SECONDARY CHARACTERS IN THE NOVEL THE HOUSE ON HOPE STREET BY DANIELLE STEEL
BY
ANTONIO CONSTANTINO SOARES ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF LETTERS UDAYANA UNIVERSITY
ABSTRAK
Karya sastra pada dasarnya dikembangkan oleh dua unsur pokok, yaitu unsur intrinsik dan ekstrinsik. Karakter merupakan salah satu unsur intrinsik diantara unsur-unsur yang lain seperti, tema, alur, sudut pandang, latar, gaya, bahasa dan perpaduan yang membangun karya sastra itu sendiri. The House on Hope Street merupakan salah satu karya terbaik Danielle Steel yang ditulis pada tahun (2000) dan pernah menjadi salah satu novel terlaris di dunia. Novel ini bercerita tentang Liz dan suaminya Jack Sutherland yang bekerja sebagai pengacara khususnya untuk menangani masalah perceraian. Mereka telah menikah selama delapan belas tahun dan membangun sebuah keluarga yang bahagia bersama ke lima anak-anaknya dan tinggal di dekat San Francisco, tetapi pada Natal pagi, di tengah-tengah suka cita dan tawa anak-anak, sebuah tragedy menimpa Jack Sutherland dimana dia ditembak oleh salah satu suami klien mereka. Kematian Jack Sutherland tiba-tiba mengubah semuanya menjadi duka yang sangat memilukan. Cerita ini berisikan sejumlah konflik, terutama konflik yang disebabkan oleh suami salah satu klien mereka yang bernama Phillip Parker yang akhirnya membunuh suami Liz. Konflik Liz sebagai tokoh utama dengan salah satu putrinya Megan. Konflik Liz dengan Dr. Bill Webster. Dengan Kematian Jack dapat membuat Liz memulai hidup baru baik menjadi seorang ibu sekaligus menjadi ayah bagi kelima anak-anaknya. Analisis konflik pada tokoh utama dan kedua ini dipilih karena konflik dapat mempengaruhi pembaca untuk terus membaca cerpen, novellete dan novel sebagai karya sastra. Tanpa adanya konflik pada sebuah karya sastra, karya sastra tersebut tidak akan menarik para pembaca untuk membacanya.
Kata Kunci : Konflik, Eksternal, Internal
Literary work is fundamentally developed by two elements, such as intrinsic and extrinsic element. Character is one of the intrinsic elements among other elements such as; theme, plot, setting, point of view, style, language and unity that build a literary work. The house on the hope street was one of the best works of Danielle steel written in (2000) and it became one of the best-selling in the world.
The story was about Liz and her husband Jack Sutherland. In their eighteen years of marriage they had built a family, a successful law practice, and a warm happy home near San Francisco. In a house on Hope Street, but on Christmas morning, in the midst of joy and children’s laughter, tragedy Liz was left alone, facing painful questions in the face of unbelievable loss. In writing this paper the conflicts analysis on the character were chosen because the conflict can influence the readers to continue reading the literary works especially a short story, novelette and novel. Without conflicts, readers will not be interested in reading the literary works.
To focus on the conflicts on the main and secondary characters, problems of the present study are formulated as follows:
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1. What were the roles of the main and secondary characters related to the conflicts?
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2. What were the sources of the conflict faced by the main and secondary characters and how they managed their conflicts?
Related to the problems stated above, this study covered two majors of study:
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1. To find out what were the roles of the main and secondary characters related to the conflicts.
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2. To find out what were the sources of the conflicts faced by the main and secondary characters and how they managed their conflicts.
The data sources of this study were divided in to two parts: The primary data were taken from the novel The House on Hope Street (2000) written by Danielle Steel. The secondary data were taken from the biography of the writer itself some, books, and various kinds of the documents related to the topic.
Documentation method used in collecting the data included reading the novel The House on Hope Street (2000) intensively, repeatedly and noted down all the information relevant to the topic discussion. Secondly, the information related to the conflicts on characters in the novel was obtained.
The data were collected then analyzed by using the qualitative and descriptive method based on the literature theory proposed by (Wellek and Warren in Sukada’s book ‘Pembinaan Kritik Sastra Indonesia Masalah Sistematika Analisis Struktur Fiksi)’ (1986), and Kenney (1966, How to Analyze Fiction). Those theories were used to analyze the characters and characterization; however, the theory proposed by Deetz and Stevenson (1986, Managing interpersonal communication) and the theory proposed by Robbins, Stephen. P. (2005, Organizational behavior) were used to analyze the conflicts on the main and secondary characters.
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5. Analysis of Conflict on the Main and Secondary Characters in the novel the House on Hope Street by Danielle Steel.
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5.1.1 The Analysis on The Main, and Secondary Characters
Kenney (1966:24) states that a character is relevant if there are a lot of people like him in the real world or there is something of the character in each of us.
The main character in the story of The House on Hope Street was Liz Sutherland. She dominantly played an important role and determined the plot of
the story. She appeared continually and dominated almost the whole of the story from the beginning to the end.
Secondary characters are the characters that also have important roles in the story because the secondary characters can give their influences to the role of the main character to determine the plot of the story.
Jack Sutherland was Liz’s husband who was killed by Philip Parker Amanda’s husband.
Philip Parker was Amanda’s husband. In the story he acted as the antagonist character.
Amanda was Phillip Parker’s wife, the one who became Liz and Jack Sutherland’s client.
Dr. Bill Webster was the man who gave many influences to the main character.
Megan is one of Liz’s daughters. She was fourteen years old. She was the one who opposed Liz to have another relationship with another man
Peter is Liz elder’s son. He was 17 years old. He was the one who also gave a lot of influences to the main character in the story.
Liz Sutherland and her husband lived happily and peacefully with their five children in the house on the hope street in San Francisco. The conflicts of Liz Sutherland were analyzed into both internal and external conflicts. The Analysis of external conflict would cover the types of conflict, and the sources of conflict
Kenney (1966:19) states that a story may deal with a conflict within a single man, conflict between man, conflict between man and society, between man and nature, and so on. Related to the discussion of the conflict in main character, he states that the conflict with which fiction concern itself are of many kinds. While the conflict with the single man, or conflict between an idea and another is called internal conflict.
'What do you think Daddy would say about your going out, Mom?' she asked her mother directly.’ I think he'd say it's about time,' Peter said simply. 'It's been nearly nine months, and she has a right Hell, when Andy Martin's mom died last year, his father got remarried in five months. Mom hasn't even looked at another man since Dad died,' Peter said fairly, but Megan looked even more worried.’ Are you going to marry the doctor? ‘No, Megan,' Liz said quietly, 'I'm not going to marry anyone (The House on Hope Street 2000: 247-249)
Peter said to Megan that their father had gone for nine months; however, Megan still continued opposing peter and their mother to postpone loving anyone else. Liz tried to explain to Megan about Dr. Bill Webster to her that they did not have any special relationship, but friends and besides Dr. Bill Webster was Peter’s doctor.
I think we love each other.' But it was a heavy dose for her daughter to swallow.’ What about Daddy?' There were tears in her eyes when she said it. 'Daddy's gone, Meg. I loved him with all my heart and always will. This isn't the same; it's different, for me, and for all of this. But I'm not going to be alone for the rest of my life. I have a right to someone in my life.' She spoke to her daughter as gently as she could, but it needed to be said.’ That’s sick!’ Megan chastised her, furious with her mother. 'It hasn't even been a year since Daddy died. I never knew you were a slut before, Mom.' (The House on Hope Street 2000: 294-295)
Dr. Bill Webster and Liz drove slowly back to Tiburon that afternoon, and the children were all home when they arrived. Liz could see Megan raise an eyebrow when she got out of Bill's car, but nothing was said until later that evening, then the younger children were in bed and Peter was busy doing his
homework in his room. Then Megan started asking her mother why she was in Bill's car.
Don't speak to me that way! Now go to your room until you can be civil. If you want to talk about it with me, you can, but you can't be disrespectful.' 'I have no reason to respect you!' Megan said grandly from the safety of the doorway, and then slammed the door, and ran into Peter's room and told him what had happened. '(The House on Hope Street 2000: 296)
There was a great psychological fight among Megan, Peter and her mother. This time Peter defended his mother to quarrel with Megan. Peter defended his mother by saying to Megan that their mother had been alone and working all her life like a dog.
Internal conflict is usually called psychological conflict. Brady (2010:1) states that internal conflicts could happen between one idea to the other ideas or the conflicts of someone with his own mind. Internal conflict exits when a character is wrestling with an idea or characteristic which exists with her or him. 5.2.4 The Sources of Internal Conflicts
The source of internal conflict of Liz was incompatible role, between two roles, the role of her daughter Megan and the role of her mother. Liz was influenced by two equally roles. Liz hardly ever believed that her beloved husband who loved her so much could leave her forever. She did not what she was going to do after his death.
'How could this happen?' she whispered as she knelt next to him. 'What am I going to do without you?' The tears streamed down her cheeks as she knelt on the worn carpet and rested a hand on the smooth wood. It was all so inconceivable, so unbearable, so much more than she had ever thought she could (The House on Hope Street: 93)
Liz had conflict with herself because she would like to pack all of her late husband Jack’s stuffs away, because every time she saw her husband’s clothes they hurt her too much; however, she could not be strong enough to do it. When she was in her sadness again her elder son, Peter, was always ready to support her by giving her his brilliant support and idea. Liz loved her son Peter very much as he had grown up as a great boy.
When Megan did not bless the relationship between her mother to have another relation with another man, Liz was always patient and she always tried to persuade her daughter in order to bless her to have another relationship with another man as she felt very lonely some sometimes. Though Megan ever said that Liz was a slut woman, she never laid her hand on her because she loves her daughter very much.
'Who's down there?' 'I am,' Liz answered. ‘Bill the doctor?' She sounded surprised and Liz could hear other voices, Peter Jamie, Rachel and Annie. They had woken the whole house up.’ Bill, the Brute and Moron,' he corrected, and Megan came down the stairs slowly with a sheepish smile. ‘I’m sorry.' She looked straight at Bill as she said It.' me too.' He smiled at her.' Let's have breakfast,’ Jamie said again.' I'll make waffles,' Liz said and stopped to look up at Bill, as they exchanged a smile, and he kissed her again. 'You run a busy house,' he commented, as he followed her into the kitchen.' Only sometimes. Come by for lunch anytime she said, taking out her waffle pan. 'I was thinking of staying,' Bill whispered to her. (The House on Hope Street: 367-368)
Hearing that the doctor had come back and visited them again Megan finally went down and ran to Dr. Bill Webster to apologize him for what she had done to him previous days. Then Dr. Bill Webster also apologized to Megan. Then finally they forgave each other and forgot what had had happened between them.
Liz did not really wish to pack away all her husband’s stuff away however she had to do it. If she still kept all of her husband’s clothes in her house they would only hurt her too much though what she was going to do was opposed by her daughter Megan.
'Why are you doing that now? It's because of him, isn't it?' They both knew she meant Bill, and Liz shook her head, as they both stood in the walk-in closet crying. 'It's time, Meg ... I had to ... It hurts me too much to see them,' Liz said, as she cried and reached out to her daughter, but Megan pulled away, ran to her room, and slammed the door, and a few minutes later, Liz followed. (The House on Hope Street: 277)
A few months had passed by and Liz lived with her beloved children without her late husband Jack Sutherland. Day by day Liz always felt that everything was so painful. Everything hurt her so much. Therefore one day Liz had made a big decision to pack all of her late husband’s stuff away as she thought if Jack’s stuffs were still kept there, they would only hurt her too much.
There were some external conflicts faced by Liz Sutherland with the other characters. She faced the conflict between her and her mother, conflict between her and her daughter Megan, Conflict between her and Dr. Bill Webster and conflict with her husband. The sources of external conflict of Liz Sutherland and the other characters were because of different opinion. This conflict was called as the incompatible conflict role.
The source of Liz Sutherland’s internal conflicts was interpersonal conflict. The internal conflicts of Liz Sutherland were included in personal conflicts. The result of the conflicts on the characters ended with happy ending because the conflicts could be solved well by the both main and secondary characters.
Deetz Stanley A. And Sherly L. Stevenson. 1986. Managing Interpersonal Communication. New York: Harpercollins College Div.
Diyanni, Robert. 2001. Literature Reading, Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. McGRAW-Hill International Edition.
Kenney, William. 1966. How to Analyze Fiction. New York: Monarch Press.
Robbins, Stephen. P. 2005. Organizational Behavior, Eleventh Edition, (Electronic Edition) Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright © 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Steel, Danielle. 2000. The House on Hope Street. Printing History. Mantam press edition published 2000 corgi edition published 2001.
Sukada Made. 1987. Beberapa Aspek Tentang Sastra, Kayumas dan Yayasan Ilmu dan Seni Lesiba, Denpasar.
Sukada. I Made. 1987. Pembinaan Kritik Sastra Indonesia: Masalah Sistimatika Analysis Struktur Fiksi. Bandung. Angkasa. Bandung.
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