CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study Literature, to define
this word is not an easy thing, hundreds books which are discussing about
literature most of them, started by a big question “what is literature”? Then,
this question will be followed by searching the limitations and parameter the
literature itself.
Many critics have wrestled with
this question, but without notable success.
Critics have tried to make a
conclusion concerning with the meaning of literature, but once again it will be
any other critics who disagreed, contradicted, and opposed to their statement,
other critics will criticize and rebut the earlier theory of literature concept
by their own opinion and arguments based on their point of views. Therefore,
there is still no conventional definition of literature and its limitation as
well.
Some other efforts of experts to
limit the literature is like Sapir statement quoted by Partini in her book
“Pengkajian Sastra” (2005:4). Sapir said when the expression is of unusual
significance we call it literature. Nevertheless, he added that he could not
give the certain answer even limitation of what did he mean by expression of
unusual significance, it means that we will meet more questions than a clear
answer by this kind of theory.
Unlike Sapir who sees literature
as the expression of unusual significance, Eagleton has distinct opinion to see
the term of literature based on his point of view, Eagleton limited the
literature as imaginative writing in the sense of fiction (1983:1). Of course,
this limitation is not a satisfactory statement because English literature in
seventeenth century was not only Shakespeare’s works, but also Francis Bacon
essay, John Donne speech and autobiography of spiritual life John Buyan which
narrated by Thomas Browne. It means that the distinction between fact and
fiction are not a matter of problem solving, because the distinction it self is
a problem. Take an example; English literature in sixteenth and beginning of seventeenth
century the term “Novel” is not only used for the imaginative story but also
the story that really happened, even a news was argued as a fiction at that time
(Partini, 2005:4).
Actually, the debate of the
literature definition was occured since long time ago before the Christian
calendar. Partini (2005:5) told in her book that Plato, a Greek ancient philosopher
(427-347 B.C), argued that literature is just a mimesis or reflection of
reality, so it was meaningless. It was different with Plato’s student ,
Aristotle (384-322 B.C) primed the positive aspect than mimesis. A poet did not
imitate reality, did not perform the real human or event as it is, but poets or
authors were free to create their own world with its possibility (Teeuw,
2003:182).
Finally we have to consider a
famous poet of Rome who lived hundreds years after Plato. Horatius (65-8 B.C)
argued that literary works have to aim and purpose as “Utile” (useful) and
“Dulce” (pleasant). Utile means the reader are able to take a valuable lesson
because of reading literary works, it can be guidance of life because usually
literary works express glorious values. Besides, literature has to give a Dulce
through the beauty of contents and its language style. Thus, to take the
valuable lessons in any literary works it is better for us to do literary
criticism, so we are able to dive deeper to get more knowledge and lessons
which are reflected by various phenomena in literary works whether social
phenomena, psychology phenomena or any other phenomena.
Every body knows that either
psychology or literature are two different science’s disciplines, that’s
whymany people often ask about their relation, as Derrida question “what is a
text, and when must the psyche be if it can be represented by a text?”
(Endraswara, 2003: 97). Of course, this question is challenging for the
researcher, because they have to emphasize to the psychological aspects in a
text, whereas these kinds of aspects are the abstract things.
Undoubtedly, in understanding a
literary work, we need the other sciences to help us doing analysis activity,
and psychology is the best choice, because both psychology and literature are
two things that relate to human psychological aspects. Endraswara argued
(2003:96) the basic assumption of psychological analysis is the opinion that
literary work is a product of psychological activity and author’s mind.
Siswantoro has a similar point of
view but different sentences. He argued, if we categorize between literature
and psychology, both of them are different. We know literature is related to
the fiction world, drama, novel, poem, essay which are classified asart,
whereas psychology is referred to scientific study concerning with the human
behavior and mental process. But they have similarity, that is literature and
psychology are started from humankind and life as the analysis source (2005:29).
According to Nyoman there are
three ways we can do to understand the relationship of psychology and
literature. The first is analyzing the author’s psychological aspects as the
writer. The second is analyzing the character’s psychological aspect in
literary works. The third is understanding the audience’s psychological aspect
as the reader (2004:343). Endraswara also gave his opinion, literary work that
is viewed as the psychological phenomena, it will show the psychological
aspects through the characters if text is in the form of drama or prose (2003:
96). It is what the researcher going to do, we try to conduct a research on a
drama by William Gibson entitled Miracle Worker. Researcher focuses on
analyzing a main character who got multiple acquired defect deaf blindness, we
try to find out and analyze the psychological aspects of the main character,
Helen Keller as a deaf blind child. We are going to recognize closely a young
girl life that lived without sight and sound but she just lived only by touch, taste
and smell.Then we analyze the psychological problems faced by Helen Keller,
whether her problems of social adaptation, communication, interaction, emotion
or behavior viewed from psychological side as the consequence of physical
defect. Moreover, after that we try to describe the efforts to solve her problems
that are indicated using the Psycho pedagogicperspective, what is actually
needed by Helen Keller to get a better life.
Helen Keller categorized as an
exceptional child, as Kirk (1970), Heward & Orlansky (1988) said the
exceptional children are children who have exceptional condition of normal
children in common, physically, mentally or their social behavior characteristic.
Hallahan & Kauffman (1991) gave the different definition but has the same
meaning, that is the children who are different from the other in common,
caused by the problems of thinking ability, sight, hearing, socialization, and
movement (Efendi, 2006:2). Based on the definition above we are able to
conclude that Helen has two exceptional conditions of normal children in
common, she has problem in her sight and hearing. These disabilities impair her
development and adaptation process to the environment.
Somantri stated the normal
physical development enables children to adapt with environment byits social
demand for their age, whereas the deviated physical development will impair
that children adaptation (2006:4). Helen Keller became an isolated child
because of her physical damage, she is very difficult to adapt with her
environment even her family. All of Helen’s limitations make her more
frustration because often the environment does not know what she expects.
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar