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.
