Study with the several resources on Docsity
Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan
Prepare for your exams
Study with the several resources on Docsity
Earn points to download
Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan
Community
Ask the community for help and clear up your study doubts
Discover the best universities in your country according to Docsity users
Free resources
Download our free guides on studying techniques, anxiety management strategies, and thesis advice from Docsity tutors
We Were Liars is a novel that tells a story about a girl named Cadence Sinclair who lost her memory after having an accident. She tried to get her memory back.
Typology: Exercises
1 / 57
This page cannot be seen from the preview
Don't miss anything!
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for The Bachelor Degree Majoring Literature in English Department Faculty of Humanities Diponegoro University Submitted by: MEGALISTHA PRATIWI SOEGIJONO 13020113120014 ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF HUMANITIES DIPONEGORO UNIVERSITY 2018
ii
The writer honestly confirms that she compiles this thesis by herself and without taking any results from other researchers in S-1, S-2, S-3, and in diploma degree of any university. The writer also ascertains that she does not quote any material from other publications or someone’s paper except from the references mentioned. Semarang, December 2017 Megalistha Pratiwi Soegijono
iv
v
vii As this thesis has been accomplished, I realize that the thesis is still far from perfect. I, therefore, will be glad to receive any constructive criticism, recommendation, and suggestions to make this thesis better. Last but not least, I put big expectation that this thesis can be useful to those who read it. Semarang, December 2017 Megalistha Pratiwi Soegijono
viii
Pages TITLE ........................................................................................................... i PRONOUNCEMENT .................................................................................. ii MOTTO AND DEDICATION .................................................................... iii APPROVAL ................................................................................................. iv VALIDATION .............................................................................................. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................. viii ABSTRACT .................................................................................................. x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................ 1 1.1 Background of the Study.......................................................................... 1 1.2 Research Problems….…………………………………………………… 1 1.3 Objectives of the Study ............................................................................ 2 1.4 Method of the Study ................................................................................. 2 1.5 Organization of the Writing ..................................................................... 3 CHAPTER 2 AUTHOR AND HER WORK ……………………………… 5 2.1 Biography of E. Lockhart……………………………………………………. 5 2.2 Synopsis of We Were Liars …………………………………. ………… 6 CHAPTER 3 THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK ....................................... 10 3.1 Intrinsic Elements..................................................................................... 10 3.1.1 Character …………………………………………………………… 10 3.1.2 Conflict……………………………………………………………… 11 3.1.3 Setting ………………………………………………………………. 13 3.2 Extrinsic Elements………………………………………………………. 14 3.2.1 The Organization of Personality …………………………………… 14
x
In this study, the writer analyzes a novel by E. Lockhart entitled We Were Liars focusing on the main character named Cadence Sinclair, who lost her memory after having an accident. The aim of this study is to explain and analyze how defense mechanism that is appeared in Cadence could help recovering her memory. The writer uses psychology of literature approach. The theory that will be used is psychoanalytic theory to analyze defense mechanism that is applied by Cadence. The writer uses library research in collecting the data to support the analysis. From this study, defense mechanism helps to protect Cadence after dealing with the accident, and it also helps her to recover her memory. Sublimation, repression and fantasy are three types of defense mechanism that are found in this analysis. Keywords: psychology of literature approach , defense mechanism, recover.
1.1 Background of the Study Literature has become a fundamental feature to entertain society since ages. It expands human knowledge through its entertaining ways. Literature has three main genres; poetry, prose and drama. Rene Wellek and Austin Warren once stated in Theory of Literature that literature is drawn as a social institution. A social creation through language which could reflect life as a big picture of life itself, or a small view about one’s personal storyline that could be said as the imitation. In prose, there is novel which is used as the mediator to deliver the author’s opinion or observation about some events that are revolved around him. Kennedy and Gioia stated that “A novel is a book-length story in prose, whose author tries to create the sense that while we read, we experience actual life” (2007: 275). The definition explains that a novel could affect the readers senses, so they would get the similar impression as in real life. To discuss the story in the novel, it can use several approaches according to which point of view it wants to be examined; one of them is psychology of literature approach. Through this approach, there is psychoanalytic theory that studies human’s personality. It could be applied to the character in the novel because its activity is similar to human being. In A Primer of Freudian Psychology , Hall stated that “One of the obvious facts about personality is that it constantly changing and developing. The facts that it is always changing and developing are
3 1.4 Methods of the Study Method of the study is a way of finding out, developing, examining the truth of knowledge based on available facts and data. This study uses library research and psychology of literature approach to explain the problems. According to Wellek and Werren in Theory of Literature, “Since the majority of students can find their source materials in libraries, a knowledge of the most important libraries, and familiarity with their catalogues as well as other reference book, is undoubtely in many ways, an important equipment of almost every student in literature.” (1977: 58) Through library research, the information, the data and the theories are easily gained in order to analyze, explain and solve this study. Meanwhile, to analyze the main character’s defense mechanism, this thesis will be analyzed using psychoanalitic theory by Sigmud Freud. 1. 5 Organization of the Writing CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This chapter contains six sub-chapters which are background of the study, research problems, objectives of the study, methods of the study, previous study and organization of the writing. CHAPTER II THE AUTHOR AND HER WORK This chapter explains the biography of E. Lockhart and the summary of We Were Liars. This chapter can give information about the plot, conflict and character of the story. CHAPTER III THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK
4 This third chapter contains of two sub-chapters which are intrinsic and extrinsic elements of the novel. The first part is the intrinsic elements, there will be character, plot, conflict and setting. It explains about the theory of intrinsic elements in the novel. The second part is extrinsic elements of the novel. It explains about the theory used in analyzing the novel. CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS This fourth chapter consists of the writer’s analysis to answer the research questions that are mentioned in chapter 1. The analysis will use the theory that is discussed in chapter 3. CHAPTER V CONCLUSION This chapter contains summary and statement that conclude the study after discussing the novel. BIBLIOGRAPHY
6 Amazon's #1 YA novel of 2014, as cited from E. Lockhart’s website, accessed on May 1 st^ , 2016 (http://www.emilylockhart.com/). 2 .2 Synopsis of We Were Liars We Were Liars is a novel that tells a story about a girl named Cadence Sinclair who lost her memory after having an accident. She tried to get her memory back because she was not comfortable with her current condition. It felt like things were hidden from her after the accident. Cadence Sinclair Eastman was the only child, and she was the first grand- daughter of Sinclair family. She came from a well-to-do family, but she was not spoiled. The only thing that she owned by herself was a library card eventhough she could owned other expensive things. She was a strong pretty blond girl, but she did not look like that after the accident. Cadence chose to dye her hair black, and she felt weak and sick. The Sinclair family was led by Harris Sinclair who married to Tipper Taft. They had three daughters, Carrie, Bess and Penny. Each of the three daughters had children who were Johnny, Will, Mirren, Liberty, Bonnie, Taft and Cadence. Sinclair family was a regarded rich family. The family even owned a private island named Benchwood Island. In this private island, Cadence and the family always spent their summer holiday together. Moreover, the family also possessed lands, houses that were spreaded in several places. Amongst the cousins, Mirren and Johnny were the closest to Cadence because they were around the same age. There was also Gat, an Indian boy, who was introduced by Carrie’s boyfriend in summer eight. These teenagers were later
7 known as the Liars. They always spent time together every summer holiday, planned pleasing activities and sharing about their life when they were not together. Each of the Liars’ members had something to share with Cadence. Mirren as the only female was always sharing things about girl’s stuffs while Johnny and Gat helped the girls in understanding about boy’s stuffs. This became one of the reasons why Cadence was gladly await spending summer holiday because Cadence and Gat never met each other except on the Benchwood Island, so summer holiday was the right time to meet up. Each summer holiday brought its own story. In this summer, Cadence had to accept the divorce of her parents, and she also had to experience mournful accident which was consequance in her losing memory. When her father left the family, she felt alone, ashamed and thought that she was not loved anymore. Her mother was command not to talk over the divorce made her keeping the feelings by herself. In this situation, she needed support from the loved ones. Those who could ease her sadness were the Liars because as the only child, she sought for companionship. Harris claimed that his family was a prominent family with all the possessions. He felt powerful, so he always tried to control his family. What Harris did triggered aversion toward him within the family, the daughters and the grand-children. Later, this situation was getting worst after the death of Tipper. The mothers were competing with each other over grand-mother’s possessions and grand-father’s inheritance. This situation led the mothers forcing the children, Cadence and her cousins, to do the same, competing each other. Cadence and her
9 tried to reach them, but it seemed useful. Aside from remembering the accident, Cadence wanted to meet the Liars to enquire why they did not reply to her messages and calls. That was why she begged her mother, so she could spend the seventeenth summer holiday on Benchwood Island. As soon as Candence reached the island, she was surprised by several changes like the way her mother and her aunts treated each other. They seemed intimate than before. Even before the accident, she never saw this warm situation. Candence also found out that Clairmont was renovated, but she did not imagine that the house would have massive renovation because she had not realize yet about the total mess the accident caused. During the process of getting her memory back, Cadence wrote stories which were similar to kingdom tales with her own variations. The stories mostly appeared before each of her memories came back, and those stories refered to her Sinclair family and the accident. She finally could meet the Liars without knowing how they are actually dead, but she still could not collect much information from them. The information gradually appeared through their presence who accompanied her during the summer holiday. What Cadence creates is actually her self-defense to encounter her problem. Cadence’s defense mechanism is not a harmful thing for her, however it helps her to recover her memory (Lockhart, E.
3 .1 Intrinsic Elements Intrinsict elements are used to give several information contained in the story which support the story. Intrinsic elements of literature consist of theme, character, plot, setting, conflict and so on. In this study, the intrinsic elements will be focused on character, plot, conflict and setting. 3 .1.1 Character Character is one of the intrinsic elements appearing in the novel that holds important role in the story. It takes a role as a representation of human being in a literary work, but its image is not only limited as a human being. Animals, vehicles, and any other things can also be used as a character within the story. Character can be a figure who is always told and appeared, or it is just mentioned by another figure that has the specific explanations. According to Elements of Literature written by Potter, “Character is used not to refer to a person in literary work but what he is like. It generally refers to his whole nature - his personality, his attitude toward life, his “spiritual” qualities, his intelligence, even his physical build as well as his moral attitude” (Potter, 1967: 1). Character is not only about someone’s presence in the novel but also about the whole aspects in the person , such as the personality, the action, the intelligence, the moral value and the physical appearance. To understand the character in the
