1.1 Background of the Study THE EXPRESSIONS OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS’ LOVE IN THOMAS HARDY’S NOVEL THE RETURN OF THE NATIVE (Psychological Approach)
The study is in the area of psychology analysis. Davidoff (1976: 2) explains that
psychology is the science of behavior. While behavior itself is any human or
animal process or activity that can be objectively observed or measured. The
definition of behavior includes thoughts, feelings, dreams, and anything a person
does or experiences.
On the area of psychology, psychologists have observed some phenomena
such as thoughts, sensations, emotions, needs, motives, personality characteristics,
and capabilities that cannot be observed or measured directly. These phenomena
are called hypothetical constructs (Davidoff 1976: 2)
Psychology happens in human mind, which will give the impact on
people’s activities everyday. We can learn the psychological study not only in the
character of human in real life but also in such literary works, like novel, short
story, poem, etc. According to William Henry as cited by Hardjana (1991: 59),
psychology enters the area of literary criticism through four ways: (1) discussion
about the process of literary creation, (2) psychological analysis of the author
(either as a type or as a person), (3) discussion about psychological theories
applicable to the analysis of the character’s behavior in literary works, (4) the
influence of literary works on the readers.
Rees (1973: 20) states that literature is a writing which expresses and
communicates thoughts or ideas, feeling or emotions, and attitude towards life. It
means that through literature, we know other people’s feelings, thoughts, and
attitude’s in the written form of language.
Kiel (1974: 9) states that fiction, as a part of literature, can be pointed as a
fruitful field for exploration in the study of human personality. In psychology
insight, the writers usually know many things between heaven and earth that the
academic wisdom does not dream about. Great writers know how to give a unified
picture of a whole personality trough minute observation of meaningful
expression, a characteristic mannerism, or unconscious habit. It can be said that
there is an intimate relationship between psychology and literature. Psychology
helps to clarify some literary problems and literature presents insight to
psychology. According to Henry L in his book entitled Psychology (1984:423),
there are two classification of emotion as follows:
(1) Positive emotions (i.e. joy, love, and sexual excitement)
(2) Negative emotions (i.e. anger, fear, sadness, and grief)
From the categories above, the writer will focus only on the positive
emotion that is love. Love is the most complex and important thing from all
human emotions (Tressider, 1997: 1). Love is a prominence and virtue based on
the human life. The supreme value of human virtue is out poured from their regard
to the life itself. In this case, the reality of a certain person or individual
development always has direct relation to the attention and relation of conscious
inter-subject. It can be described that life flows from and within love.
Along the history, for the sake of love, people are willing to ignore their
importance; they even sacrificing their life to show the expressions of their love to
others. If we love someone or our homeland for example, we will do anything for
them. The Return of the Native is one of many novels that tells about it. The
sacrifice and love are still found all over the countries in the world, including in
our country, and is still relevant to be analyzed at the present life. Therefore, I
interested in the novel that reveals these human values that is love and sacrifice.
1.2 Reason for Choosing the Topic
There are some reasons why I want to analyze the topic of Thomas Hardy’s novel
The Return of the Native, the reasons are:
1. The topic is very interesting to be discussed and analyzed because it links with
love. The discussion of love still and always becomes the most interesting
topic in our society, especially for teenagers.
2. The novel will help me and readers to improve our knowledge about the
expression of love and Psychological approach.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
I want to limit this discussion of this novel by presenting the following problems:
1. How are the expressions of love reflected in the novel?
2. What are the moral values behind the expressions of the main characters’ love?
1.4 Objectives of the Study
According to the statements of the problem, the objectives of this study are:
1. to describe the expressions of love in the Thomas Hardy’s novel The Return of
the Native
2. to describe the moral values behind the expressions of the main characters’
love.
1.5 Significance of the Study
The result of the study is expected to be able to give some benefit. First, this study
will give knowledge about love and the expression of love, so the readers will be
know how to express their love with others. Second, this study is expected that the
readers are able to absorb the moral value from The Return of the Native and they
could be applicable into their real life.
15.15
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