Analisys of "Belenggu" novel

Kerangka Teori kritik Aristoteles tentang character, plot dan narrator Before further discussing about some of the existing central character in this novel, first I want to discuss about what it is and what kind of character. According to Bennett said that “ Characters are the life of literature: they are the objects of our curiosity and fascination, affection and dislike, admiration and condemnation. Indeed, so intense is our relationship with literary characters that they often cease to be simply ‘objects’. Through the power of identification, through sympathy and antipathy, they can become part of how we conceive ourselves, a part of who we are”.(Bennett : 60) That quotation explained that characters are the life of literature, it mean that character is important unsure in literature or a literary work. Without characters, the literary work will feel useless. Character as an object which there is in literary work. An object which can make us curious what happen with they are. Same with this novel, in this novel have many character. But just three character which became central character that are : Kartono, Tini and Siti Hayati (Yah). They are became important unsure in this strory wich have important role nets this story. Because basicly this novel told about love triangle between Tono, Tini and Yah. Bisede that, Aristotle said that “ “Character is that which reveals moral purpose, showing what kind of things a man chooses or avoids”,(Adams: 53). Character must have moral purpose whether she or he as antagonist character. The next I will explain three central character in this novel. 1. Tini character In Armij Pane’s novel (Belenggu) the character of Tini is one of central character which became central telling. I think Tini is egoistics, arrogant, she did not good wife for her husband. She more concerned her ego than take care of her husband need. “Tini seolah-olah hendak menimbulkan marahnya saja. Adakah disengaja, pura-pura lalai? Sandalnya harus tetap didekatnya kerosi ini, kalau dia baru pulang, kalau di bloc-note tidak ada tertulis nama dan alamat orang, dia hendak terus saja duduk senang-senang, dapat menanggalkan sepatunya beberapa waktu, sambil membaca majalah atau buku sampai ada orang menelpon meminta pertolongan. Seolah-olah Tini lalai, dengan sengaja hendak mengalanginya benar. Bloc-note itu penting buat dia, tetapi Tini mengabaikannya juga.” (Pane:17) That quote describe that how Tini can not take care of her husband need. She know that bloc-note is important for him, but she as if no matter about that. In contrast from Aristotle’s theory about character was said that character must have moral purpose. This means there is positive side in every charecter. As well as the character Tini, although he was an indifferent but sometimes there are moments when he wanted be a good wife to her husband. “Tergambar dalam hatinya Kartono masuk, letih, menjinjing valiesnya. Dia berdiri menyambut suaminya, diambilnya valies itu, disuruhnya dudu Kartono di kerosi. Disimpannya valies itu. Dia kembali lagi akan membukakan sepatu suaminya, sambil bertanya tentang orang-orang sakit yang baru dikunjunginya. Ah, dia tiada cakap menjadi isteri sejati. Mukanya merenggut teringat akan nyonya Rusdio.”(Pane:59) There was obvious that he wanted to be a good wife to her husband. But he was not qualified to be a lady wife. He seemed reluctant to do this because his own selfishness. 2. Kartono character I think Tono is a man that having a high social life. He was a physician and philanthropist, never favoritism in receiving and serving patients who want treatment to him. Still with Aristotle’s theory about character which was I explained at the first, that character must have moral pupose. In qoute below, little describe how moral purpose that is in Tono’s figure. “kata orang:” dia tiada mata duitan, kalau dia tahu si sakit kurang sanggup membayar, dia lupa mengirim rekening”. “tetapi,” kata seorang lagi,”kalau dia dipanggil tengah malam, suka juga.”(Pane:25) Different from the above quotation that explains about how the good that is in Tono. But it also turns out he has a deficiency in others as in his personal life. Unwittingly turned out he was not a good husband because he too was put his heart to the well is none other than ex-lover first. When he was confronted with problems of feeling turns out he also can not apply wisely between these two options is to choose his wife or mistresses. “kita akan bersua kembali? Dimanakah kita bersua dahulu?” Yah tersenyum: Dalam mimpiku, dalam angan-anganku, sudah kugambarkan pertemuan yang begini. Percayalah, Tono, aku cinta.” Dipeluk oleh Sukartono tubuh Yah, katanya :” Tetapi setelah ini, jangan ada orang lain lagi.”(Pane: 40) “Sebenarnya dia bingung? Itupun tiada diketahuinya. Cuma satu saja yang dia ingin tahu benar, dirumah Yah, melihat yah, hatinya tenang, merasa puas. Perkara lain-lain buntu bagi pikitrannya.”(Pane:43) That quotations shows that Tono did not want to lose Yah, while he already has a wife. This also indicated that he hoped to get peace apart from his wife. I think it is a wishy-washy attitude Tono must choose between her wife or Yah. 3. Yah character: In this story Siti Rohayati (Yah) became third person in Sukartono and Tini’s life. She present in the midst disharmony of their domestic life. Show for the begining this strory, Yah tried to seduce Kartono. “ketika tangannya hendak ditaruhnya keatas perut si sakit itu, tangan kiri si sakit yang selama ini menutupkan kimononya, menyingkapkan kimono itu. Tangan Sukartono terhenti di awang-awang, tersirap dadanya sebentar, semata-mata karena terkejut, bukan karena hawa nafsu.”(Pane:21) That quotation show how Yah tried to seduce Kartono with opened her kimono, hope that Tono will intresting to her. That is show that Yah is a seductive woman. But besides that he also had the gentleness and obedience as a woman and good wife. This case we can see on the following quotation. That is Similarly when we associate with Aristotle's theory about the character which I had alluded earlier, the character must have a moral purpose. “dokter, tiadakah panas hari ini? Bolehkah saya tanggalkan baju tuan dokter?” dia tiada menunggu menunggu jawab dokter Sukartono, dengan segera ditanggalkannya. Sesudah disangkutkannya beju itu dia kembali, lalu berlutut dihadapan Sukartono, terus ditanggalkannya sepatunya, dipasangkannya sandal yang diambilnya dari bawah kerosi Sukartono. “Sudah sedia,” katanya dengan senyum simpul. Kartono merasa seolah-olah tercapai cita-citanya, merasa bahagia didalam hatinya karena dipelihara demikian. Yang demikian sudah lama dinanti-nantinya(Pane:34). That quotation show how she tried to became good wife that hope by Tono. She undestaood that Tono wanted and his like, for example she knew cigarette which Tono like that as sign that she want to be a good wife for him. 4. The importance of the character to build a good plot: As well as character, plot is also one important element that must exist within a story. Plot is a plot that make up the story. This novel, if we associate with Aristotle's critical theory then can we categorize it as literary Tragedy, as it tells of a romance novel that seriously and spiced by the conflicts between characters. “Tragedy, then is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude, in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; through pity and fear affecting the proper purgation of these emotions” (Adams : 53) It is shown that a tragedy it is a serious story or in other words there are the problems experienced by the character. According to that quotation wich told about pity and fear or the feeling of emotion that can affect the reader or the audience of his work. To bring the concept of pity and fear it, it takes a great plot which was built by the characters who also plays an important role. More than two thousand years ago, writing about drama in the Poetics, Aristotle argued that character is ‘secondary’ to what he calls the ‘first essential’ or ‘lifeblood’ of tragedy – the plot – and that characters are included ‘for the sake of the action’.(Bennett:60) Still in the opinion of Aristotle that says that it is the first character essential in tragedy. From these quotations we know that the character and plot it very influential in shaping the tragedy itself. In other words the plot and characters that influence each other. 5. Plot’s construction in Belenggu : “A whole is that which has a beginning, a middle, and an end. A beginning is that which does not itself follow anything by casual necessary, but after which something naturally is or come to be. An end, on the contrary, is that which itself naturally follows some other thing, either by necessity, or as rule, but has northing following it. A middle is that which follows something as some other things follows it. A well constructed plot, therefore, must either begins nor end at haphazard, but conform to this principle." ( Adams : 54 ) If we refer to Aristotle about the plot that reveals the elements that exist on the plot itself is a beginning, middle and end. The story in this novel begins with a depiction of a rift Tono and Tini, who is described by presenting the new Tono patient's and a flurry of searching for a phone message pad from the patients. Tini properly assigned to record and store it on the pad by the phone. But Tono not find it. Tono described in this section are upset, and in other parts later confirmed Tini feeling that refusing to“budak suruhan penjaga telepon” (Pane : 62). “Dokter Sukartono memandang sepatunya. Dia tersenyum, lucu rasanya membayang-bayangkan Tini duduk bersimbuh dihadapannya sedang asyik menanggalkan sepatunya. Mengurus block-note saja diatiada hendak. Tiada hendak..... betulkah karena tiada hendak? Tini pelalai diwaktu belakangan ini, sampai barang sulamannya ditaruhnya dimeja itu. Tini tahu, dia tidak suka ada barang disana, biar block-note itu jangan tesembunyi. Dia tidak suka membiarkan orang sakit menunggu tudak perlu.” ( Pane : 17 ) That quotation is the beginning of a rift between Tono and his wife Tini. He felt that Tini intentional want make his angry. That is show a rift between their life. Furthermore, the story continues to the seeds of infidelity which then took place between Tono and Rohayah. This is as a middle plot or Climax. By posing as a patient who pretended to be sick and need help, Rohayah called Tono to treat it. When they first met, Tono not remember that woman who introduced herself as Mrs. Eni it is an old friend who is longing for his love of old. At the first meeting, Tono indeed survived the trap Mrs Eni. Tono not tempted. However, the critical situation facing the marriage bond Kartono and Tini allow infidelity continues with almost smooth. Tono, who expect a figure of a wife who can serve and support the profession as a doctor, did not find it on the Tini. The ending from this story is when Tono and Tini ultimately could not sustain their families ark. Both are divorced. Tini went to Surabaya and devote themselves to the orphanages. However, the Tono eventually also did not get Rohayah and must be willing to accept the solitude, because Rohayah decided to go to New Caledonia without saying goodbye. This is called an End Plot. 6. Narrator of the story I think the narrator in this story is use third person point of view which did not mixed up in this story. The narrator as omniscient point of view who know all of strory and the character felt. That is according to Jauhari’s theory who told that” Omniscient point of view yaitu seluruh cerita dituturkan pengarang seolah dia mahatahu segalanya. Pengarang dapat menggambarkan tingkah laku tokoh-tokohnya, mengerti apa yang mereka pikirkan, mengetahui semua apayang mereka kerjakan (meskipun rahasia dan tidak ada yang tahu). Pengarang juga mengetahui semua perasaan seluruh tokohnya.(Jauhari:54) Refers to that theory, this story include to that narrator in this story as omniscient point of view can we see in this qoute: “Hati Sukartono terkejut, adakah diketahuinya yang tadi?....lupa di isterinya. “dada kartono merasa lega. Bukan karena ketahuan karena dijemput malah” That quotations refers to Kartono’s feel when he felt afraid when his wife asked something to him. He afraid Tini know about his corrupted with Yah. That quotation represented another character as Tini and Yah. I mean the narrator know all of character not only Tono as this qoute . “ didalam hati dan pikirannya seolah-olah ombak memecah mendamparkan pokok pikirannya, mendamparkan jiwanya, sedang Kartonodialam perahu layar, membawanya jauh-jauh melayang diatas gelombang, makin lama makin jauh. Tini memejamkan matanya, makin jelas tergambar dalam hatinya, gambaran iti.(Pane :68). 7. Symbol St. Augustine’s theory “A sign is a thing which causes us to think of something beyond the impression the thing itself makes upon the senses”.(Adams:111) According to that theory, I think in this novel has symbol. That are: the first is the tittle this novel is as a symbol, (Belenggu) the sign of restraint to three main character in this story. Each of them felt restraint with their problem each other. As Tono felt did not comport with his wife treatment. Tini felt like that, she felt her husband did not care about her. Whereas Yah felt supressed with her feeling to Tono, because in this case Tono was have wife but she love him. The second is the word “menanggalkan” it means as pursuance of woman to her husband. Beside that that word have meaning caring a wife to her husband too. “dokter Sukartono memandang sepatunya. Dia tersenyum, lucu rasanya memandang bayangan Tini dududk bersimpuh dihadapannya sedang asyik menanggalkan sepatunya.(Pane:17) In the line with St. Augustine, Howwel told that “Symbols work in the same way. Symbols are concrete objects that represent abstract ideas. Often, good literature touches us by leaving clichés unsaid and focusing instead on the power of specific symbols.(Howwel:2001:55) And the last one is word “melati putih” that means of authority of someone. “ingatanya melayang ke rumah yang baru dikunjunginya. Perempuan tambun, tegap sikapnya, dikepalanya seolah-olah kembang melati putih, karena rambutnya yang sudah beruban itu.(Pane:16) 8. Alexander Pope and Marry Wollstonecraft’s theories According to Aexander Pope, the rules course of judgment must have a rules, there are page and age. Page is textual or intrinsic and age is contextual or extrinsic. “Other for language all their care express and value books as women men, for dress; their praise is still the style is exellent; the sense, the humbly take upon content, words are like leaves and where they most abound.” (Adams. 1991; 277) Apa katanya tadi? Tentang perempuan sekarang? Perempuan sekarang hendak sama haknya dengan laki-laki. Apa yang hendak disamakan. Hak perempuan adalah menurus anak suaminya, mengurus rumah tangga. Perempuan sekarang Cuma meminta hak saja pandai. Kalau suaminya pulang dari kerja, benar dia suka menyambutnya tetapi ia lupa mengajak suaminya duduk, biar ditinggalkannya sepatunya....................... lain dari memberi hati pada laki-laki? (Pane.16-17 ) That qoute describe about how woman want have equality of rights but they did not perform his duty well. In the line with Pope’s theory, Marry Wollstonecraft that said “ in fact female mind has been so totally neglected, that knowledge was only to be required from this muddy source, till from reading novels some women of superior talents learned to despite them.”( Adams:1991:399 ) That theory is suitable for the theme of this novel if we show Tini’s characters because as a wive. Tini likens the wife who just stayed at home as a "deposit of goods, powdered and dressed in clean, dried out once a year". Tini reject such a situation. She asserted. “Kami lain, kami bimbing nasib kami sendiri, tiada hendak menanti rahmat laki-laki” (pane:53). I think this novel is arguably still superior when viewed from the side of the narrative and theme. The plot is clear and easy to understand and has an intrinsic element and extrinsic, as well as any Armijn Pane show theme at that time somewhat taboo, namely the issue of infidelity in the family. The affair at that time regarded as a private matter in the lives of households that do not deserve to be discussed openly, unlike now, when rumors of domestic issues by the mass media can be transformed and displayed with the label "entertainment". 9. William Wordsword’s Theory According to William Wordsworth “Taking up the subject, then, upon general ground . let me ask, what is meant by words poet? What is a poet? To whom does he address himself? And what language is to be expected from him? --- he is a man speaking to men; a man, it is true, endowed with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness, who ha s a greater knowledge of human nature, a more comprehensive soul, than are supposed to be common among mankind;…. “ ( Adams. 1991; 441 ) That quote explains that a Romantic poet must be like the prophet who has an extensive knowledge and must present it to everyone, like “he is a man speaking to men…”. It mean that when we create a poet, it must be understood to another not just for yourself. Wordsworth claims, ‘‘[r]eaders of superior judgment may disapprove of the style in which many of these pieces are executed’’ and find ‘‘that wishing to avoid the prevalent fault of the day, the author has sometimes descended too low,’’ he also suggests that truly superior readers,those ‘‘more conversant . . . with our elder writers,’’ will have ‘‘fewer complaints of this kind’’ (Franta:62) Same with the first quotation, in this Wordsworth told that the poet and reader must be the understanding between writer and reader. 10. Horace’s theory According to Horace’s theory “Horace emphasizes decorum, by which he means the rightness of each part to the whole. He is not, however, an organicist believing that internal order or organic unity is the only value.” “The aim of the poet is to inform or delight, or to combine together, in what he says, both pleasure and aplicability to life. In instructing, be brief in what you say in order that your readers may grasp it quickly and retain it faithfully.” (Adams, 1991 : 72) Bibiography Bennett, Andrew and Nicholas Royle. 1995 Introduction to Literature, Criticism, and theory:Third edition. Dorsch, T s. 1965. Classical Literary Critic: Aristotle: On the Art of Poetry, Horace: On the Art of Poetry. Penguin books. Howwel. 2001. Love and Symbolism: interpreting Theme. Franta, Andrew. 2007. Romanticism and the Rise of Mass Public.Cambridge University Press.