Theoretical Framework

CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

In this chapter, the theories are described as they are needed to support the analysis in chapter three. For the first, the writer writes about the Marxism Theory. The second and third part the writer writes about lower-class and upper-class, and class struggle. In fourth part, the writer writes about the character in literature.

2.1 Marxism Theory

Marxismisanunderstandingwhich followsinsightsofKarlMarx. Karl Marx was a German philosopher and revolutionary socialist, who developed the socio-political theory of Marxism. Karl Marx come fromthe Europeanindustrial society in the 19th century, withall theinjustice, exploitation ofhuman beingsthatupper-class (rich) /lower-class (poor). A follower of this theory is calledas aMarxist.

Lois Tyson writes about Marxism in his book Critical Theory Today(2006). He mentions that Marxism deals with getting and keeping economic power is the motive behind all social and political activities, including education, philosophy, religion, government, the art, science, technology, the media, and so on (p.53). He also says in Marxist, economic conditions are referred to as material circumstance (p.54). Moreover, Marxist analysis of human events and productions focuses on relationship among socioeconomics classes, both within a society and among societies, and it plans all human activities in terms of the distribution and dynamics of economy power (p.54). Finally, from Marxist perspective, differences in socioeconomic class divide people in ways that are much more significant that differences in religion, race, ethnicity, or gender (p.54).

Lois Tyson in his book Critical Theory Today (2006), specifically mentions that created human experience were the economic systems that structure human societies (p.53). Tyson (2006) added the economic power became a background or influence factor of all human activities.As it stated:

‘For Marxism, getting and keeping economic power is the motive behind all social and political activities, including education, philosophy, religion, government, the art, science, technology, the media, and so on. Economic power therefore always includes social and political power as well, which today when talking about the class structure, it refer to socioeconomic class’(Tyson, 2006, p.54)

Therefore, economic power is the motive behind all social and political activities. The economic power always includes social and political power as well. The economic power also influences classification of people, or the class structure.

2.2 Lower-Class and Upper-Class

According to Tyson (2006), people can be differentiated into individuals who belong to the bourgeois and who belong to the proletariat by observing their socioeconomic lifestyle. This could be seen example from the lower-class who has limited educational and career opportunities to keep them struggling to support their families and living in fear of becoming homeless. On the contrary, the upper-class, who own nice homes and cars and can usually afford to send their children to college, who can afford two or more expensive homes, cars, and luxury items.

In short, Tyson (2006) concluded the groups as America’s underclass, lower-class, middle-class, upper-class, and “aristocracy”. The America’s underclass is the homeless, who have few, if any, material possessions and little hope improvement (p.55). The lower-class is the poor whose limited educational and career opportunities keep them struggling to support their families and living in fear of becoming homeless (p.55). The middle-class is the financially established, who own nice homes and cars and can usually afford to send their children to college (p.55). The upper-class is the well-to-do, who can afford two or more expensive homes, several cars, and luxury items. The “aristocracy” is the extremely wealthy, such as the owners of large, well-established corporations, for whom money (mansions, limousines, personal airplanes, and yachts) is no problem whatsoever (p.55).

Another category of social classes that always used in society are upper-class and lower-class (Hall, 2001, p.74), the material condition related directly to one’s economic existence. The people can be said the upper-class if they have more than enough money and they can buy everything that they want, like house, car, or they can go abroad for vacation or for refreshing. And the people can be said the lower-class if they do not have enough money for the cost of living. The lower classes must follow the upper-class because the upper-class is the owner of the production. That is another explanation of the other categories of social class contained in Marxist and Materialist Analysis.

2.3 Class Struggle

The uniqueness of Marxism, Marxism sees progress as coming about through thestruggle for power between different social classes. This view of history as class struggle regards it as “motored” by the competition for economic, social, and political advantage.As it stated by Barry in Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural theory (2009):

“Marxism sees progress as coming about through the struggle for power between different social classes. This view of history as class struggle… regards it as ‘motored’ by the competition for economic, social, and political advantage.” (p.151)

From the analysis of class structure, Marxism theory studies how each group is living to survive in live. For people who live in poverty, they struggle to get more money for the better life.For people who live in wealth, they struggle to maintain their wealth.

In daily life, people usually deal with gaining wealth are earning money. It can be assumed that rich people can do anything because they have money. In addition, there is also a thought that not only the people have a lot of money that could have a chance to do something, but people are educated and work hard can also do the same thing, as stated by Greig (2003):

“Equality of opportunity is claim that all people’s social status should be based on their commitment and abilities, such as educational achievement or hard work.” (p.12)

Therefore, people should be free from discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, class or culture and should have the same equality of opportunity to do and achieve something in their life. This view is what is aimed by the idea of Marxism.

2.4 Character

Character is the important one in literary works like drama, novel, short story, movie, and many others. Every literary works clearly have characters in order to portray figures within the story. The crucial thing for the viewers is actually the human traits that are shown in the tale, as it is state by Kennedy (2009):

“a character is an imagined person who inhabits in a story-although that simple definition may admit to a few exception. In the main character of a story, human personalities are the main points to the audience (p.77)

In fact, people can discover and learn a great deal about characters in a literary work by closely observing their act and performance. It was agreed by Arp and Johnson (2005, p.104)

“Therefore, we can know people in fiction more thoroughly than we can know them in real life, and by knowing fictional characters we can also understand people in real life better than we otherwise we could do”

Character in a literary work consists of the main character and subordinate character.The main character same as a protagonist, a character who has conflict with the antagonist. Main character is the center figure in a story.They play from beginning of the story until the end.

Main character is the most important character because he or she is a character that dominates in that story.According to DiYanni (2001):

Main character is an important figure at the center of the story’s action or theme. Usually a character’s status as major or minor is clear. On occasion, however, not one but two characters may dominate a story, their relationship being what matters most.” (DiYanni, 2001, p.55)

Kennedy (2009) also mentioned that:

“Main character is the one who must deal with the plot complications and the central crisis of the story. The choices made by this character communicate his or her attitudes as well as the story’s themes”. (p.105)

Usually the main character must deal with the plot complications and he or she is the central crisis of the story. The main character is a main role to develop the story in which the character’s capacity is central in the story.

Another character is subordinate characters. Subordinate character is the character that supports the main character in the story. The subordinate character can give a large effect on the main character. In a literary work, the role of the subordinate character is not as important as the role of the main character but still its appearances are needed to support the main character.Subordinate character just takes small part in the story and just to support the main character. Subordinate character is unchanging character.

“Supporting the major characters is one or more secondary or minor character whose function is partly to illuminate the major character. Minor character is often static or unchanging: they remain the same from the beginning of a work to the end.” (DiYanni, 2001, p.55).

From the discussion, the key points in Marxism would be further discussed from the point of view of the main character in Chapter III.