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Research
Article
115
CHARACTERS AND MORAL VALUES IN THE NOVEL
OF ‘LETHAL WHITE’ BY J.K ROWLING
(A CORMORAN STRIKE NOVEL ROBERTH
GALBRAITH)
Benning Rizahra ¹
Supeno ²
English Education Program, Postgraduate Faculty, Universitas Indraprasta PGRI
e-mail: benningrizahra@gmail.com ¹
e-mail: [email protected] ²
Abstract: The purpose of this thesis to analyze the character and moral value in Lethal White novel
by J.K Rowling. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative research that aims to
describe the character and moral value contained in Lethal White novel by J.K Rowling. The data
obtained are then analyzed and clarified based on the protagonist, antagonist, secondary, extras,
round and flat character. Likewise with the moral value that is divided into honestly, altruism,
diligence, and solidarity. After analyzing the characters and moral values in Lethal White novel by
J.K Rowling, the writer found two points from the discussion characters and moral values, 1) there
are protagonist is 47%, antagonist 33%, secondary 11%, extras 6%, flat 1%, round 1%. The
protagonist character gets the highest percentage. 2) there are 11% honesty, 33% altruism, 33%
diligence, and 22% solidarity. Diligence and altruism actually get the same percentage since the
author would like to tell the reader that to gains dream, people need to be diligence and in this life,
sometimes it is god for being altruism.
Key Words: character; moral value; and novel
Introduction
Language is a way for human communication with the system of conventional spoken or written in
human life, because human needs to interact with the others for continuing their life. Human can show the
identity, culture, expression, emotional and others by language. So, language has functions for delivering
what human thinking or thoughts.
Language is a system of symbols that are meaningful and articulate sound (generated by said tool) that
are arbitrary and conventional, which is used as a means of communication by a group of men to give birth
to feelings and thoughts. It means that language as a tool of communication to deliver human feelings and
thoughts. Besides being used as communication, language has an important role in literature.
Klarer (2004 :1) stated that in most cases literature is referred to as the entirely of written expression.
With the restriction that art every written document can be categorized as literature in the more exact sense
of the word. It is a fact that literature is a creation of humankind that has aesthetics and artistic sides. In the
past, the form of literature was usually conveyed orally, such as epic stories. In the further progress,
literature as made in written form and then it was visualized as in drama. Later epic stories written literature
and drama are known as genre of literature. Further Klarer also explained that the part of three major literary
genres, ion that consists of novel and short story Drama that consists of comedy and tragedy and the last is
poetry.
Literary works are not only valued as works of art that consists the values of imagination and emotion
bound in appreciation of the author. Literature is one of the cultural elements of Indonesia with the other
cultures, while the literary works of which are familiar with some form of poetry, drama, short stories and
novels.
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Fiction is one of the two branches of literature. The other being nonfiction people in general enjoy to
watch film in television or in theater, the read novel or possum human being need entertainment to refresh
their mind from all day work.
Novel as a literary works has known since eighteenth century in England with the result as like novel,
poem, poetry, drama and prose. Novel, an invented prose narrative of considerable length and a certain
complexity that deals imaginatively with human experience, usually through a connected sequence of
events involving a group of persons in a specific setting. Within its broad framework, the genre of the novel
has encompassed an extensive range of types and styles: picaresque, epistolary, Gothic, romantic, realist,
historical—to name only some of the more important ones.
Novel is a long essay and prose that contains a series of one’s life story with others around him by
accentuating the character and nature of each character. It is clear that novel is a kind of literature that is
use prose genre. From novel, there is a quality value of the author experience.
Novel, an invented prose narrative of considerable length and a certain complexity that deals
imaginatively with human experience, usually through a connected sequence of events involving a group
of persons in a specific setting. Within its broad framework, the genre of the novel has encompassed an
extensive range of types and styles: picaresque, epistolary, Gothic, romantic, realist, historical—to name
only some of the more important ones.
Intrinsic elements are the elements that build the literary work itself. Intrinsic elements of a novel
participate and build the story. Extrinsic elements are the elements that are beyond of the works, but
indirectly affect the building and system of a novel. Thus, extrinsic elements of a novel must be still seen
as something important.
Novel is narrative text informing of prose with a long shape that including some figures and fiction
event. The intrinsic elements of novel are theme, plot, setting, characterization, point of view, etc
(Nurgiyantoro, 2007: 10)
Wallek and Warren (1956: 75 – 135) stated that as an intrinsic element, the element also comprises a
number of extrinsic elements. The extrinsic element includes author biography and psychology. Attitudes,
beliefs, and outlook on life of an author will affect the work that he wrote. In short, the author biography
determines the pattern works it produces. While psychology, psychology of the author also forms the
reader’s psychology, as wll as the application of psychological principles in the works.
A character is one of important points in literature. A character has an identity to show the audience
by their appearance, conversation, action, etc that is made by the author to represents the message through
by the character. Character is representative of someone that has identity and culture it selves. So every
identity shows how the character is. It is like how someone’s attitude, and how someone live a life.
Card (2001: 98) Stated that “The characters, like people, make good or bad first impression.” It means
that character is what the audience’s thinking, or imaging, or concluding, or knowing the characters are
good or bed in the first time. When the reader reads in the beginning every character in the book, there will
be something conclusion or first impression about what they are like.
In the first time of the story, the reader can decide the character is bad or good by seeing their attitude
in the beginning. Attitude is the most important thing that is needed to reveal the character. Attitude can
distinguish the different of characters. It is depending on their attitude like how they will react to conflict.
The reader is sympathy or empathy can be influenced by the right choice of attitudes.
The best way to express attitude in the book is through action. We can see a protagonist act and react
in certain situations and can get feeling for common attitudes which distinguish from other characters by
their words or thinking. Protagonist character is the main character and she/he has the good goal with the
right ways. We can see also antagonist is a character who has a goal that opposes the protagonist’s goal and
will try to stop the protagonist from getting what he or she wants.
Card (2001: 98) Stated that “The characters, like people, make good or bad first impression.” It means
that character is what the audience’s thinking, or imaging, or concluding, or knowing the characters are
good or bed in the first time. When the reader reads in the beginning every character in the book, there will
be something conclusion or first impression about what they are like.
Volger (2007: 31) stated that, “The character is torn by warring allegiances to love and duty. “ Readers
are constantly encouraged to get the message of novel during reading, but when the novel is over, most of
them cannot get the message. Of course, some readers seek the opportunity to get the message for all aspects
in the novel; however, most of them do not try to get the message in novel at all because some of them are
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p-ISSN: 2615-8671
e-ISSN: 2615-868X
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reading the novel to refresh their mind from their daily activity also they just spend their time with their
family or their friends. Sometimes some peoples don’t care about contents. And need twice or three times
to read again for gain the message, but not at all.
Stelle (2003: 40) stated that there are six kinds of character in a story: (1) Protagonist, Particularly
vital for the main character of the story, (2) Antagonist, a person who poses a formidable obstacle to the
protagonist’s desire, (3) Secondary, it is the supporting cast, (4) Extras, it is the character who populate
the fictional world but do not have any significant impact on the story, (5) round, it is capable of surprising
reader in convincing way, (6) flat, it is the character who is characterized only by their role on a minor
action.
Moral is deciding good or bad considered behavior. Good morality is said when someone behaves
good and bad morality is said when someone behaves bad. It is not easy to define what moral is. A person
or a group of society may have different point of view about moral. Moral has deep relationship with the
activity of human being in every group of society, the way they consider whether something is good or
wrong, based on the belief that the person or society hold. Moral is very essential in human's life. Without
moral every people will behave as they want, do as what they want to do. Life is going to be better with
moral.
Moral relates to everybody or groups in society. Moral itself has a capacity to conduct, to lead or to
influence humans to choose the right things. Before we go to the theory of morality, the writer would like
to emphasize that this moral is similar to or synonymous with morality.
Moral is an important thing that must be considered in a work of art such as novel and other cultures.
Moral values are always inserted by authors to convey the message contained in a work of art so that it is
expected to be applied in real life. Moral usually these points will also be used as selling points to attract
as many viewers as possible. And also we can see the background of Author in hisor her film, because it
can be reflection his or her environment.
Emery (2008:1) stated that Moral is a lesson of ethical or practical significance expresses or implied
in the story. The moral that implied in a story is the lesson that the story teaches about how to behave, how
to see problems in a positive way. Moral is a course which is gotten by the readers or audiences through
reading a story or reading a novel.
Hatman (2009) stated that moral value is first and foremost a detailed and profound phenomenological
description of values, and of moral in particular It means that moral value is a primary value is a primary
value and if we want to make description about if we have provide a very specific, detailed, profound and
extraordinary explanation. Especially when we want to give and explanation or description of the moral
values.
Moral value is value that must not be separated with other values. This statement means that every
value will get quality if it has relation with other values. For example, honestly is example of moral values,
this value has no meaning if it does not be applied with other values. Loyalty is moral value, but it must be
applied with other value.
Based on these kinds of moral value, researcher conducted the analysis card as follows: (a) honesty,
(b) solidarity, (c) altruism, and (d) diligence that contain in Lethal White novel by J.K Rowling.
Pradopo (1995) stated that literary works are artifacts, are inanimate objects, only have meaning and
become aesthetic objects when given meaning by human readers as ancient human artifacts have meaning
when given meaning by archeologists. Giving meaning or capturing the meaning of the literary work was
carried out in the activities of literary criticism. The main aspects of literary criticism are analysis,
interpretation (interpretation), and evaluation or assessment.
Ratna via Sutri (2006: 332-333) stated that literature has a close relationship with society as follows:
(1) Literary works are written by authors, told by storytellers, copied by copyists, while the three subjects
are members of the community. (2) Literary works live in society, absorbing aspects of life that occur in
society, which in turn also functions by the community. (3) The medium of literary works, both oral and
written, is borrowed through community competence, which naturally contains social problems. (4) Unlike
science, religion, customs, and other traditions, literary works contain aesthetics, ethics, and even logic.
The community is clearly very concerned about these three aspects. (5) Similar to society, literary works
are the essence of intersubjectivity, people find their self-image in a work.
Based on the background above, the writer wants to conduct a research with the tittle Characters and
Moral Values in the Novel of Lethal White by J.K Rowling. Lethal White is the fourth volume in Rowling’s
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Robert Galbraith series, with at least seven books planned. These books are loosely standalone: The
mystery in each one is self-contained, but the character relationships evolve over time, most chiefly the
fraught and yearning partnership between detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant-turned-equal Robin.
Strike and Robin are kindred spirits in crime-fighting and mystery-solving, but they’re forever kept apart
— Robin by her engagement to the weak and feckless Matthew, and Strike by his belief that he is too
broken for a committed relationship. The banter-laden tension between the two provides the through-line
that propels the Galbraith mysteries along their way. The Cormoran Strike series is classic contemporary
crime fiction set in London, where war veteran turned private detective. Cormoran Strike solves brutal
murders with the help of his trusted assistant Robin Ellacot.
Method
The approach used by the writer in conducting this research is qualitative research. According to
Creswell (2012: 626) Stated that Qualitative research is an inquiry approach useful for exploring and
understanding a central phenomenon. To learn about this phenomenon, the inquirer asks participants broad,
general questions, collects the detailed views of participants in the form of words or images, and analyzes
the information for description and themes. From this data, the researcher interprets the meaning of the
information, drawing and past research. The final structure of the final report is flexible, and it displays the
researcher's biases and thoughts." Based on the statement above it can be seen that a qualitative research is
a research which is done based on the phenomenon chosen by the researcher, being researched and is
described in the form of words or figures if necessary, and it does not describe the numerical analysis from
the researcher's interpretation and personal reflections. The description is flexible and it displays the
researcher's biases and thoughts.
Qualitative approach is a type of social science research approach collecting and working with
non-numerical data and seeking to interpret meaning from these data help us to understand social life
through the study of targeted object of the research. Denzin and Lincoln (in Noor, 2011 34) stated that
qualitative approach is a process of research and understanding of researchers and subjects under study. It
means that research which is conducted is a process and an understanding of research subject under a study
by the researcher. Qualitative research is conducted naturally It is mainly conducted in order to interpret
the phenomena in the field of the study without any fake data. Because this research is aimed at analyzing
Character and Moral Value which are contained in the novel of Lethal White by J.K Rowling considering
the data analyzed, the writer uses the descriptive qualitative research.
Seville, at all (2006:85) stated that there are many kinds of descriptive qualitative research, such
as (1) case studies, (2) survey studies, (3) development study, (4) follow-up study, (5) content analysis, and
(6) correlational study. In conducting this research the writer uses the content analysis method. While in
this research the method used is content analysis method since its goal is to obtain data about Character and
Moral Value in the novel of Lethal White by J.K Rowling.
Content analysis is a research in which focuses on analyzing the content of document or textual
data As Krippendorff (2004: 30) stated that content analysis is a research technique replicable and valid
interferences from texts (or other meaningful matter) to the context of their use. It means that content
analysis is a technique of the research that the other researcher can re-use and the valid interferences are
taken from the text (or other written documents which are important) and they are used appropriately.
Results and Discussion
1) Data Description and Analysis of Character
After reading the novel intensively and focusing on the dialogue, researcher would like to present the
description and interpretation of the data in accordance with the character and moral value conveyed by the
novel.
There are six kinds of character presenting in this writing. There are protagonist, antagonist, secondary,
extras, flat, and round.
a. Protagonist
It is the central figure whit that we usually sympathize or identify. Protagonist character is a central
character of the story. The reader can give attention to one or two character to lead us through the story. It
can be said that the protagonist is the main character in a story, novel, drama, or other literary work.
Strike: It isn’t a question of money, it’s time. I’m solidly booked until Friday.” (p.90)
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Analysis:
In this part, Criswell try to give more money if Strike can see him before Friday, but Strike has schedule
until Friday. So, although it is from the ministry of Education and Culture, Strike rejected it because he has
schedule.
b. Antagonist
It is the figure who opposes the protagonist and creates the conflict. So, from the explanation above,
protagonist is a central character in a story which is showed not in the beginning of the story. It has a
conflict of the story and protagonist character can lead us to know the story about is. Protagonist character
is no more than two figures. The protagonist is also the hero of the story.
Raphael: “Hi Raff,” said Robin
“hello, Robin,” he said, unsmiling. (p.348)
Analysis:
In this part, Raphael doesn’t like to answer Robin’s greeting. Because he knows that she is investigator for
the case in his house. And he has a crime.
c. Secondary
It is the supporting cast
Criwell: “It’s got to be you. I’ll explain when we meet, but -----all right, if it has to be Friday,” (p.91)
Analysis:
In this part, finally Criswell is ok with Strike schedule. So Criswell meet Strike at Friday at Pratt’s Club.
Park Place at twelve.
d. Extras
It is the character who populates the fictional world but do not have any significant impact on the story.
“Robin and Vanessa had been friends for moths before Robin had confided the history of her relationship
with Matthew.” (p.79)
Analysis:
In this part, it explains their relation as friend. Before they had talked police work, politics, and clothes on
evenings that took them to the cinema, or to cheap restaurants.
e. Flat
It is the character who is characterized only by their role on a minor action.
“Sorry,” Said Martin, registering Matthew’s irritation. “Holding up the queue.”(p.9)
Analysis:
In this part, Martin tries to give the information about Strike to Robin, but there was Matthew.
f. Round
It is capable of surprising reader in convincing way
“We’ve wanted to meet you for ages,” said Sarah. “We’re old friends of Matt and Robin’s.” (p.22)
In this part, Strike knows all about Sarah, she had slept with Matthew when in the university. Sarah tries to
tempt Strike, but Strike rejected. There are six elements of character in Lethal White novel by J.K Rowling.
They are protagonist, antagonist, secondary, extra, round and flat character. Protagonist is the most
dominant in the novel with percentage is 47% , 33% antagonist, 11% secondary, 6% extras, 1% flat, 1%
round.
2) Data Description and Analysis of Moral Value
Stepshon and Ling (2005: 121) stated that the orientation towards traditional moral value is emphasized of
honesty, solidarity, altruism, and diligence.
a. Honesty
Honesty refers to a fact of moral characters and connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as integrity,
truthfulness, straightforwardness, including straightforwardness of conduct, along with the absence of
lying, cheating, and theft.
Strike: “It isn’t a question of money, it’s time. I’m solidly booked until Friday.” (p.90)
In this part, Criswell try to give more money if Strike can see him before Friday, but Strike has schedule
until Friday.
b. Solidarity
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Strike: “It’ll take two or three people to thoroughly investigate Knight and Winn, especially if there’s time
pressure.” (101). In this part, Strike tries to explain to Criswell that he will take his friends to investigate
this problem because the case is so big.
c. Altruism
Robin: “Great, thanks. Criswell’s current wife, Kinvara, was unwell last year,’ Robin continued, bringing
up a picture of Kinvara, a curvaceous redhead in a slinky black dress and heavy diamond necklace.
(p.127). In this part, Robin help Strike to explain Criswell’s wife (Kinvara) with using picture and the
other characteristics of Kinvara.
d. Diligence
Robin: “Gets names wrong. Does it all the time. If I didn’t keep an eye on her, we’d have all sorts going
on, wrong letters going out to the wrong people.” (p.152)
In this part, Robin checks all, and she found something wrong, but it can be repaired. So, she just very
careful to make sure it is not wrong. There are four kinds of moral values in Lethal White by J.K
Rowling. There are honesty, altruism, diligence, and solidarity. There are 11% honesty, 33% altruism,
33% diligence, and 22% solidarity.
Conclusions
After reading the novel intensively and focusing on the dialogue, in this part of the section the writer would
like to present the description and analysis of the data in accordance with the character and moral value
conveyed by the novel. There are 72 parts of novel which used by the writer in order to find out characters
in the novel Lethal White really brings. And each of the dialogues is divided and distributed into six
different kinds of characters. And there are 9 parts of the novel that can be analyzed for Moral Value. And
each part is divided and distributed into four kinds of moral value.
a. Characters in the novel of Lethal White by J.K Rowling
There are six elements of character in Lethal White novel by J.K Rowling. They are protagonist,
antagonist, secondary, extra, round and flat character. Protagonist is the most dominant in the novel with
percentage is 47% , 33% antagonist, 11% secondary, 6% extras, 1% flat, 1% round. Protagonist is the
highest percentage because the writer wants the readers follows the kindness of the protagonist
characters in the story. And the second is antagonist because the novel is talking about the investigation
of crime, so there is so much enough the antagonist characters.
b. Moral Values in the novel of Lethal White
There are four kinds of moral values in Lethal White. There are honesty, altruism, diligence, and
solidarity. There are 11% honesty, 33% altruism, 33% diligence, and 22% solidarity. Diligence and
altruism actually get the same percentage since the author would like to tell the reader that to gains
dream, people need to be diligence and in this life, sometimes it is god for being altruism.
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