Selasa, 26 Juni 2012

The Physical and Social Setting of Stephen Crane's The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky




CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION




1.1  Background of Choosing the Topic
Stephen Crane was an American novelist, short story writer, poet and journalist. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism. He is recognized by modern critics as one of the most innovative writers of his generation.
Crane was born on November 1, 1871. He began writing at the age of four and had published several articles by the age of 16. Having little interest in university studies, he left school in 1891 and began work as a reporter and writer. Crane's first novel was the 1893 Bowery tale Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, which critics generally consider the first work of American literary Naturalism. He won international acclaim for his 1895 Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage, which he wrote without any battle experience.
Crane died of tuberculosis in a Black Forest sanatorium at the age of 28. At the time of his death, Crane had become an important figure in American literature. He was nearly forgotten, however, until two decades later when critics revived interest in his life and work. Stylistically, Crane's writing is characterized by vivid intensity, distinctive dialects, and irony. Common themes involve fear, spiritual crises and social isolation. Although recognized primarily for The Red Badge of Courage, which has become an American classic, Crane is also known for short stories such as "The Open Boat", "The Blue Hotel", "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky", and The Monster. His writing made a deep impression on 20th century writers, most prominent among them Ernest Hemingway, and is thought to have inspired the Modernists and the Imagists.
Due to the explanations above, the writer conducts analysis on Crane’s The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky in physical and social setting in this short story.


1.2  Objective of the study
The primary objective of this analysis is the physical and social setting of the Yellow Sky people in Crane’s The Bride Comes to Yellow.  The objectives of this study are to dig out the more information about the physical and social setting of the Yellow Sky through literary work of Stephen Crane and to explore the aspect which influences the life of people in this literary work.


1.3  Statement of Problem
Based on the previous background of the choosing the topic, the statement of problem can be formulated as follows how are the physical and social setting of Yellow Sky as the main place of the Bride Comes to Yellow Sky in Crane’s masterpiece?


1.4  Scope of the Study
This paper is devoted to the physical and social setting of the Yellow Sky which explicitly was showed by Stephen Crane’s The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky . This paper will analyze the physical and social setting from geographical location, time, occupations, religious, moral, intellectual, social, and emotional environment which were depicted in Crane’s The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky. Through these aspects, it will expose the elements of setting. 


1.5  Theoretical Approach
The study is attempting to explicate physical and social setting in the Crane’s masterpiece The Bride Comes to Yellow, since; the writer applies the sociological and cultural approach. It is applied as the efforts for the writer to consider a society and the geographic where the literary work created, which are Yellow Sky people. The interconnection of literary work and the social reality created the sociological and cultural approach for literature. This idea was supported by Marx’s assumption which reversed that the ’superstructure’ (ideology, politics) rest upon the ‘base’ (socio-economic relation). To say ‘rest upon’ is not quite the same as saying ‘is caused by’. Marx was arguing that what we call culture is not an independent reality but is inseparable from the historical conditions in which human beings create their material lives; the relations of dominance and subordination (exploitation) which govern the social and economic order of a particular phase of human history will in some sense ‘determine’ (not ‘cause’) the whole cultural life of the society (1985; 24).   
Literature is the one of important ways to circulate the idea of the culture. Marx said that the public who are divided into classes is the internal contradiction occurred.
The sociological and cultural approach has some links to connect the elements of setting in order to classify and definite the role and the main information that setting has to influence the social and culture in particular place. The social dimension focuses on the culture and the study of the research.
The element of setting it self has their own goal in spite of the contrast study such as politic and ideology. In addition, the sociological and cultural approach uses the language that can unify the element in order to create the fit setting of the theme. It uses indirect language in exploring the ideas in literary work, as Crane in The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, he used the varieties of the setting itself to definite and explain vividly. Setting can be one of ways for the author to describe the condition and situation that has occurred in that particular place.

1.6  Method of the Study
This study is classified to the library research; it focuses on the content of the tale which is supportive and crucial to the topic as the primary data sources. And some data sources such as literature, history, criticism and electric internet data which are relevant to the topic of the study as secondary sources. To analyze the collected data, the writer uses the descriptive analysis method since it tries to give the better understanding and explanation about the literary work.



























CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION



2.1 The Physical Setting of the Literary Work
            The setting is realistic. The realistic setting tries to recreate the specific location or information. The physical setting refers to something physically. The author’s choice for the physical setting is very important due to the effect for the story itself. Therefore, the physical setting is categorized into four categories.
            The first category is place or actual geographical location. According to the story, it takes three places as the story is divided into three scenes. The first place is in the train, it is namely The California Express. It is built with a good architecture and motive.
The great pullman was whirling onward with such dignity of motion that a glance from the window seemed simply to prove that the plains of Texas were pouring eastward.

The second place is in the bar of the “Weary Gentleman”. It is a kind of saloon in the Yellow Sky. And the last place is in front of Jack’s house. It takes place when the main characters meet each other in sudden.
            The second category is time in which the action takes place. Time could be the historical period or the season of the year. For the first scene in the story, when a newly married pair had boarded in the coach at San Antonio, the season is sunny. It is in the afternoon due to the fact that they will have a dinner in the restaurant after arriving in the destination. Furthermore, it was spring. It is showed in the opening paragraph
The great pullman was whirling onward with such dignity of motion that a glance from the window seemed simply to prove that the plains of Texas were pouring eastward. Vast flats of green grass, dull-hued spaces of mesquite and cactus, little groups of frame houses, woods of light and tender trees, all were sweeping into the east, sweeping over the horizon, a precipice.
The journey from California to Yellow Sky is only twenty-one minutes. In the second scene, it takes place in a bar. It is in the afternoon due to the fact that when the bride and bridegroom are in the train is in the afternoon and they do not take any longer to go to the Yellow Sky. Finally, the last section is in the night when the main characters meet each other in front of Jack’s house.
            The third category is the weather. The weather is wind and sunny. It smells good for doing the travelling as the bride and bridegroom do to Yellow Sky.
             
2. 2 The Social Setting of the Literary work
            The social setting refers to the environment of society. It is also called as spiritual setting. The social setting as the one of elements of setting has six categories in which relate to the social aspects it self. They are the occupation of the character, religious, moral, intelligence, social, and emotional environment. The variants of social setting will be enclosed in these following paragraphs.
            The first category is occupation. In the story had mentioned the occupation of the character. The first character is Jack Potter as the town marshal of Yellow Sky.
As a matter of truth, Jack Potter was beginning to find the shadow of a deed weigh upon him like a leaden slab. He, the town marshal of Yellow Sky, …

Unexpectedly, the author did not explain the occupation of Jack’s wife. The author just described the physical appearance of Jack’s wife as had told in the first scene. In addition, there is a negro porter who helped Jack and his wife to bring their bag to the car. Moreover, there were six men at the bar of the “Weary Gentleman” saloon. One was a drummer, three were Texans and two were Mexican sheep-herders. The barkeeper is the owner of the bar. Then, the old woman who came up with two scuttles of coal probably was the seller of the coal in the shop. And the last are Scratchy Wilson and the young man. Unlikely, the author did not explain the occupation on Scratchy and the young man.
            The second category is the religious of the character. The author did not explain the religious of the character. It can be proof with nothing to find the religious prayer on the story.  In short, the writer can not analyze the religious of the story as the one of elements in social setting.
            The forth category is morality of the character. The story shows the variants moral of the characters. For the Yellow Sky people, they actually have slightly different moral with other countries. They just hang out in bar like other country has. They keep in touch with other people. It appeared the good communication between people to others. On the other hand, there are two main characters namely Jack and Scratchy. They used to fight every time they met. The writer think that they have recent reason why they should do like action due to the fact that that attitude can influence to other people around them. Automatically, other people feel afraid and worried about it.
            The fifth category is intelligence. The story tells only one main character that has a high profession as a town marshal. It is different with his enemy, Scratchy who was always drunk everyday. He seemed did not have any ideas and clear occasion. He just looked for someone then offered them to fight with him.
The drummer's tale was interrupted by a young man who suddenly appeared in the open door. He cried: "Scratchy Wilson's drunk, and has turned loose with both hands." The two Mexicans at once set down their glasses and faded out of the rear entrance of the saloon.
   The drummer, innocent and jocular, answered: "All right, old man. S'pose he has. Come in and have a drink, anyhow."…
…The men laughed low and scornfully at the question.
   "He's out to shoot, and he's out for trouble. Don't see any good in experimentin' with him."
   "But what do you do in a case like this? What do you do?"
   A man responded: "Why, he and Jack Potter -- " …
            The sixth category is social and emotional environment. The social environment in the story begins from the train. The California Express contains many passengers. The passengers looked for a newly married pair in strange sight. Even though the bridegroom looked really glad, he could control the condition there in order to make his wife not feel shy.
The blushes caused by the careless scrutiny of some passengers as she had entered the car were strange to see upon this plain, under-class countenance, which was drawn in placid, almost emotionless lines.
They were in executive class train. It is showed by the condition of the train itself. The decoration in the ceiling’s train is beautiful.
…He had the pride of an owner. He pointed out to her the dazzling fittings of the coach, and in truth her eyes opened wider as she contemplated the sea-green figured velvet, the shining brass, silver, and glass, the wood that gleamed as darkly brilliant as the surface of a pool of oil. At one end a bronze figure sturdily held a support for a separated chamber, and at convenient places on the ceiling were frescoes in olive and silver.
From the paragraph below tells the surrounding which had passed by the train. It shows the simple condition of the environment. It is calm. There is no war, fight, or other noise conditions. Therefore, a negro porter is being respect to Jack and his wife. Moreover, there is something funny in this travelling. There are little passengers in the train. Actually, they are not having a broad knowledge. They did not use to go abroad or explore to another country.
To the minds of the pair, their surroundings reflected the glory of their marriage that morning in San Antonio. This was the environment of their new estate, and the man's face in particular beamed with an elation that made him appear ridiculous to the negro porter. This individual at times surveyed them from afar with an amused and superior grin.
When Jack and his wife arrived in the Yellow Sky, the social and emotional environment is different even though the distance to Yellow Sky grew shorter. Jack is a town marshal of Yellow Sky. He was a man known. Sometimes he was liked feared in his corner and a prominent person. Then, he will arrive to Yellow Sky with his Bride. As he knew well that his arrival was really important to the citizens. He had committed an extraordinary crime. Therefore, he escaped to San Antonio and meet with the lady as he called, his dear now.
Of course, people in Yellow Sky married as it pleased them, in accordance with a general custom; but such was Potter's thought of his duty to his friends, or of their idea of his duty, or of an unspoken form which does not control men in these matters, that he felt he was heinous. He had committed an extraordinary crime. Face to face with this girl in San Antonio, and spurred by his sharp impulse, he had gone headlong over all the social hedges. At San Antonio he was like a man hidden in the dark. A knife to sever any friendly duty, any form, was easy to his hand in that remote city. But the hour of Yellow Sky, the hour of daylight, was approaching.
   He knew full well that his marriage was an important thing to his town. It could only be exceeded by the burning of the new hotel. His friends could not forgive him.
Actually, the bride is curious with what has happened to her husband. Her husband looked worried about something but he was still smiling for her
The sudden meeting is between Jack and Scratchy. There is no offer to fight. Scratchy stood in deepest rage over the immobility of a house. The situation was getting silence for a while. Then, scratchy took the strategic position feverishly. He aimed the revolver at the bridegroom’s chest. Jack was stiffening and steadying. The situation was strained. Scratchy asked Jack to aim the gun. But jack did not get the gun. Jack said that if Scratchy wanted to shoot him, he could do it now. The situation was getting more confusing as the lady felt.  Finally, the condition changes totally when Jack said to Scratchy that he did not want to fight again. And they were supposed to off now.
   "I ain't got a gun because I've just come from San Anton' with my wife. I'm married," said Potter. "And if I'd thought there was going to be any galoots like you prowling around when I brought my wife home, I'd had a gun, and don't you forget it."
   "Married!" said Scratchy, not at all comprehending.
   "Yes, married. I'm married," said Potter distinctly.
   "Married?" said Scratchy. Seemingly for the first time he saw the drooping, drowning woman at the other man's side. "No!" he said. He was like a creature allowed a glimpse of another world. He moved a pace backward, and his arm with the revolver dropped to his side. "Is this the lady?" he asked.
   "Yes, this is the lady," answered Potter.
   There was another period of silence.
   "Well," said Wilson at last, slowly, "I s'pose it's all off now."
















CHAPTER III
CONCLUSION


From the analysis conducted, it can be concluded that Crane has showed the element of setting in the story is relate to the social and culture at the particular place.  In every country, they have their own culture that can create the social interaction that affects to the citizens.
The setting of the events above is realistic due to the fact that the story tells the location clearly for the every event. The author wanted to emphasize the situation and the culture totally in every side of the place. When the writer analyzed thoroughly, actually it showed some proof which we can get some sociological interconnection between social and culture. They relates each other to create the new dimensions for people’s life.















BIBLIOGHRAPHY



Kenney, William. 1966. How to Analyze Fiction. The United States of America: Monarch Press.
Ryan, Michael. 2007. Literary Theory: A Practical Introduction. Malden, Oxford, and Carlton: Blackwell Publishing.
Selden, Raman. 1985. A reader’s Guide to Temporary Literary Theory. Great Britain:  The Harvester Press limited.









Jumat, 20 April 2012

The elements of Fiction in “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1899)


1.       Plot
·      The author uses closed plot due to the fact that this story has an ending.
·      Exposition, the narator as the main character introduces narrates the readers about the place, time, the condition in the story itself, John’s occupation, and the character of John.
·      Conflict has happened in protagonist character. Actually she wants to againts her husband. Her husband is too limited her to socialize or just go out from home so that the protagonist has gotten dreadfully depressing.
·      Rising actions happanes when the major character bagins to create some imagination in her mind about what actually happened with the yellow wallpaper. It makes her afraid totally but she is too curious about what actually she has seen. In short, the shadow in the wallpaper is herself.
·      Climax. The major character is creeping in the floor until her husband finds her. At least, she tells to her husband what she is doing and the reason inside.
·      Falling actions. It shows the ending of the story when the narrator decide to go out from her husband’s role by creeping across her husband as the symbol of feminism.

2.       Setting
  • ·         Physical setting
a.       This story takes a place in a haunted house where has a colonial mansion and a hereditary estate.
b.      The place is quite alone standing well back from the road, quite three miles from the village. There are hedges and walls and gates that locked and lots of separate little houses for the gardeners and people.
c.       There is a delicious garden. It is large and shady, full of box-bordered path, and line with long grape-covered arbors with seats under them.
d.      There were broken greenhouses. Those looked unused in many years.
e.      In a big house, there is an airy room for the main character. The room whose whole floor nearly with windows that look all ways, and air and sunshine galore.
f.        It is nursery first and then playroom and gymnasium.
g.       The paint and paper are stripped off. The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smoldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight.
h.      The moon shines in all night when there is a moon.
i.         The story is taken for 3 moths.
j.        The weather is warm.
  • ·         Social setting
a.       The situation in the house is quite. The main character feels really lonely. Therefore, she decides to write about what she fells.
b.      John, as the husband’s main character is a physician. He always works all day except in night.
c.       The environment of the story tells the loneliness. Although there are 3 people there, but they are seldom to keep in touch each other. Jenny and Mary as the housekeeper, they usually do their own business or work so that they do not give more effects of this story.
d.      Cousin Henry and Julia do not appear in this story. John just spelled their name because at the past time he wanted to take his wife in to relative’s house.
e.      There are two housekeepers. They are Mary and Jennie.

3.       Character
  • ·         Simple (flat) character
a.       John                                              : He is practical in the extreme. He has no patience with faith, an intense horror of superstition, and he scoffs openly at any talk of things not to be felt and seen and put down in figures. He is very careful and loving his wife. But he is too protective. He forbids his wife to go somewhere even it is just visiting their relatives.
b.      Mary                                             : She is a baby-sitter. Actually she does not give more effects for the story.
c.       Jennie (John’s sister)                     : She is a perfect and an enthusiastic housekeeper, and hopes for no better profession. She is loyal, but she sometimes betrayed herself. Jennie has an inexplicable look.
  • ·         Complex (round) character
a.       Protagonist : (The woman) A main character is sensitive, imaginative, and patient woman. She really suffers with her condition until she has dreadfully depressing.
  • ·         There are 3 characters. They were not appeared or included in the story butt they were just mentioned in the story. They are Cousin Henry, Julia, and the wife’s brother.
4.         Characterization
This story uses mixing method.
When the writer wrote this short story, he used both discursive (direct) and dramatic (indirect) method as in;
a.       the narrator (dramatic)
b.      John (discursive).
5.       Conflict
The main character has some conflicts. Firstly, she has internal conflict with herself. He has dreadfully depressing. She makes some imaginative story or moments which are happened in the wallpaper.  Thus, she gets more trouble nervous when she looks at the wallpaper due to the appeared shadows inside. Secondly, the major character also has social conflict. Her life is isolated with her surrounding. It is caused by the dictator regulation by her husband. Her husband used to treat his wife is like a bird in the cage. Consequently, the major character felt extremely lonely and cold. She does not get any other attention from other people. Moreover, she actually wants to be like other women that can socialize with the environment where he can share anything and just give motivation.
6.       Symbol
This story uses a symbol which is named The Yellow Wallpaper. This symbolizes the life of the main character herself. It is proven by the characteristics of the wallpaper in which enclosed in these following proof:

a.      This wallpaper has a kind of sub pattern in a different shade and a particularly irritating one for we can only see it in certain light and not clearly then. It means that the aura of the major character just can be seen in a certain time.
b.     There is a recurrent spot where the pattern lolls like broken neck and two bulbous eyes stare at you upside down.
c.   The wallpaper has the bloated curves and flourishes—a kind of “debased Romanesque” with delirium tremens—go waddling up and down in isolated columns of fatuity. It is really ancient.
d.      Behind that outside pattern, the dim shapes get clearer every day. It means that there is a woman behind the wallpaper who is actually the main character herself.
e.   The color is hideous enough, and unreliable enough, and infuriating enough, but the pattern is torturing.
f.     The outside pattern is a florid arabesque, reminding one of a fungus. She stands alone in loneliness.
g.  There are always new shoots on the fungus, and new shades of yellow all over it. Yellows symbolizes of a woman.
h.   It smells yellow. It shows the fragrant of the main character which is pretended by either her illogical thinking or imaginative shadow.
i.       The woman sees someone creeps behind the wallpaper. She is herself actually. She can be aware about it. It is proven with her own saying :
 “It is the same woman, I know, for she is always creeping, and most women do not creep by day light.”
“I do not blame her a bit. It must be very humiliating to be caught creeping by day light!”
“I always lock the door when I creep by day light. I can not do it at night, for I know John would suspect something at once.”
7.       Point of View
This story uses first person point of view
The wife is as the first person protagonist (major/main character). She narrates her own story in this point of view.
8.       Theme
The theme for this story is Feminism. Feminism is the important thing in our life. The tragedy which is happened in the main character’s life showed that she can not do anything she wants. Her husband limited her for doing something else except just by staying in the house. Even he does not allow his wife to see their relatives. This case cause his wife loses her freedom. She can neither socialize in her environment nor do some activities that she likes to. This story was supposed to the nations or state that they must change the regulation or law of the country for limitation of the woman (especially, wife) for doing something that it will not give more disadvantages. Due to the fact that actually the woman also has a right to get freedom, we should be wiser to make appropriate decision about this fact. This story was related to the policy which was happened in 1899 that the woman is isolated by their husband for getting their freedom until they got dreadfully depressing. So, the author intentionally wrote this story by expectation of the changes law for upper the feminism in that era was.