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An Analysis Of Moral Values In Burnett’s Little Lord Fauntleroy Novel

1 2 Desfika Beti Utami , Restu Arini English Education Department, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Mercu Buana University Yogyakarta email: [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract

This study deals with a novel entitled Little Lord Fauntleroy written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The objectives of the study are: (1)to describe Cedric’s personality in the novel and (2)to reveal the moral values from Cedric’s personality in the novel. The study employed library study and descriptive qualitative analysis method. The data of the study are from the novel and other supporting documents. Based on the analysis, the writer found two things: firstly, Cedric is characterized as a boy who has good personalities such as honest, kind-hearted, friendly, humble, wise, sympathetic and responsible. Secondly, the moral values that can be taken from the novel are honesty, kindness, hospitality, modesty, wisdom, empathy and responsible.

Keywords: Moral Values, Little Lord Fauntleroy, Burnett, Cedric, Novel

Introduction regardless of race or religion; the ones Moral derives from the Latin which unite strangers, families, nation – ‘mos’ which means attitude and habits. all of humanity – with God.” Moral This attitude based on the determination values can also be reflected in literary of right and wrong. Value means works. It gives readers a reflection about standard that used to define something life and additional appeal for the novel and regarded as a conventional. In other itself. One novel that contains rich of word, moral value is standard of attitude moral value is a novel written by that based on the determination of right Burnett entitled Little Lord Fauntleroy. and wrong which is regarded by those Burnett has played an important who make the standard of moral. role in the emergence of novel as a Esteban as quoted by Adisusilo respected literary form. She has (1990, p57) states that “Moral values are contributed powerfully to determine the universal truths which man holds to be form of English novel, especially in good and important; they are the ethical Victorian Era. According to Bradburry principles which he struggles to attain (1973, p.32) the typical species of the and implement in his daily life. They are novel in England is the socio moral the ideals which transcend all time and novel, or the novel of manners and space; those which are valid for all men morals. The prime theme of which is the

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ethical conduct of man in society is that the writer uses in this study was relatively stable and secure. The English published by HardPress Publishing and novels also express a particular species it contains of 209 pages divided into 15 of moral realism. Therefore, analyzing chapters. The primary data for this study an English novel will give better are Cedric’s words, phrases, sentences, achievement in understanding the values and images in the novel. The secondary of life as reflected in that novel. Based data for the study are taken from on the above explanation and facts, the supporting documents. This research is writer intended to dig deeper on the using descriptive qualitative method. main character of the novel to find out The writer uses objective approach and more moral values as life lessons. To the combination of some theories to ease the analysis, two research problems analyze the data taken. The objective are formulated as follows: 1. How is approach is an approach that focuses the Cedric’s personality depicted in the analysis on the intrinsic elements of a novel? 2. What are the moral values that literary work. can be taken from Cedric’s personality in the novel? Findings and Discussion

Before analyzing the novel, the first step is studying, selecting and Characters collecting the chapter of the novel. There are only some characters, Actually, when the researcher reads each both major and minor ones, in the novel chapter of the novel, automatically the that make the story flows. The first researcher knows the intrinsic social character is Cedric Eroll or “Cedric”, a problem of the novel. It will ease the young boy who is inherited the title of researcher to get the data (Yohanes Eko an “Earl” from his grandfather. The Rubiyanto, 2016). second character is Cedric’s mother or “the dearest” as Cedric calls her. The Methodology third character is the Earl of Dorincourt

who is Cedric’s grandfather. The fourth

The object of this study is a novel character is Mr. Hobbs. He is a grocer entitled Little Lord Fauntleroy written and has a grocery store in New York, in by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The novel the same street where Cedric lives. More was originally published by Charles characters in the novel are such as Mary, Scribner’s Sons in 1886. The version

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Dick, Benjamin, Thomas, Havisham, about Cedric’s personalities in the next and Dawson. section. Cedric is an Honest Boy Short Description on Cedric Cedric is an honest boy. He Cedric is a seven-year-old boy never lies to anyone in his life. He who lives only with his mother in the always tells the truth whenever he crowded city of New York, America. speaks to anyone. The evidence of Cedric is half American and half British. Cedric honesty can be seen in the His father was an Englishman and his following quotation in which Cedric mother is a beautiful American woman. talks to Mr. Hobbs about earl and Cedric is a handsome boy with curly aristocracy. From the conversation yellow hair. “wearing a short white kilt above both Cedric and Mr. Hobbs have skirt, and a big white hat set back on his negative assumptions and ideas about curly yellow hair, he was so handsome earl and marquises. They think that earl and strong and rosy that he attracted and marquises are tyrants and rude. In every one’s attention,” (p.7). Despite of fact, Mr Hobbs has sworn himself that his age, Cedric has point of view like a he will not let any earl and marquises to grown man. He likes to talk almost enter his store and sit on his cracker- anything from daily lives, Cedric’s barrels. This idea makes Cedric a little friends and also politics. It seems that hesitant to tell Mr. Hobbs that actually Cedric is more mature than his age. he will become an Earl. However, Cedric maturity can be seen in the Cedric tries to be honest to Mr. Hobbs. following quotation: Cedric’s honesty can be seen in the following quotation. Cedric’s Personalities In this part, the researcher “You said,” he proceeded, “that would like to elaborate Cedric’s you wouldn’t have them sitting personality. The elaboration of Cedric’s ‘round on your cracker-barrels.” personality would be important later “So I did!” returned Mr. Hobbs, when the researcher talks about the stoutly. “And I meant it. Let moral value that can be taken from the ‘emtry it--that’s all!” novel because the whole novel story is “Mr. Hobbs,” said Cedric, “one dominated by Cedric’s life story. The is sitting on this box now!” writer would like to elaborate more

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Mr. Hobbs almost jumped out of and he grew tired of apples after his chair. a week; but then--it was quite “What!” he exclaimed. fortunate--a gentleman gave me “Yes,” Cedric announced, with fifty cents and I bought apples due modesty; “_I_ am one--or I from her instead. You feel sorry am going to be. I won’t deceive for any one that’s so poor and you.” (p.14) has such ancient lin-lenage. She says hers has gone into her Cedric is a Kind-Hearted Boy bones and the rain makes it Cedric lives with a mother who worse.” (p.30-31) always put kindness above everything so that Cedric grew up with the same value In the conversation it can be seen that inside his soul. When Cedric socialized Cedric feels sorry for the old lady. He with others, he always makes goodness sees that the lady is so poor so that she is to others. He is always kind to others very thin and cold makes her shiver. especially those who live in poverty. Cedric buys apples from her so that she When Cedric sees a poor old lady who can buy something to make her more sells apples for living, he and his friends comfortable. decide to buy apple from her in order to help her. By doing this, he hopes the old Cedric is a Friendly Boy lady would take the money and can use Cedric is also a friendly boy. He it for living. The way Cedric makes makes many friends in his life. In fact, kindness to the old lady can be seen in Cedric’s charm makes him gets many the following quotation: friends. It is from the following quotation: She’s a hundred, I should think, and yet she is out there when it … his nurse would come home rains, even. I’m sorry for her, and tell his mamma stories of and so are the other boys. Billy the ladies who had stopped their Williams once had nearly a carriages to look at and speak to dollar, and I asked him to buy him, and of how pleased they five cents’ worth of apples from were when he talked to them in her every day until he had spent his cheerful little way, as if he it all. That made twenty days, had known them always. His

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greatest charm was this cheerful, … “I couldn’t easily remember fearless, quaint little way of it, so I wrote it down on this,” he making friends with people said. And he read aloud slowly: (p.6). “`John Arthur Molyneux Errol, Earl of Dorincourt.’ That is his Since he is small Cedric is very friendly name, and he lives in a castle--in to anyone. Whenever he speaks he could two or three castles, I think. And attracts many people to be his friends. It my papa, who died, was his is admitted by Cedric’s nurse when she youngest son; and I shouldn’t tells Cedric’s mother how pleased have been a lord or an earl if my people were when they speaks to Cedric. papa hadn’t died; and my papa In his young age, Cedric has wouldn’t have been an earl if his many best friends. One of his best two brothers hadn’t died. But friends is Mr. Hobbs, a groceryman. Mr. they all died, and there is no one Hobbs is quite old and he owns a but me,--no boy,--and so I have grocery in the corner of the street in to be one; and my grandpapa has New York. sent for me to come to England.” Cedric is a Humble Boy … “Ah,” remarked Cedric, with Humble is defined as showing a sigh, “I never thought I should or having a low or modest opinion of have to be an earl then!” one’s own importance or not proud (p.17&19). (Hornby, 1995:582). Being humble means not to be proud of one’s self. In From the quotation above, it can be seen the novel Cedric is characterized as a that Cedric is too humble in telling mr. humble boy. Since from the very Hobbs that he is going to be a little lord, beginning of the novel Cedric is a member of a noble family in Britain. personalized as a humble boy, it can be seen from the following quotation in Cedric is a Wise Boy which he humbly tells Mr. Hobbs that he Cedric in the novel is also will become a member of a noble depicted as a wise boy. Wise means family. having or showing experience, “Who is your grandfather?” he judgment, and knowledge that leads one asked. to respond sensibly to a particular

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situation. Cedric is already wise since he the family is in mourning situation. The was very young. It can be seen from the way Cedric treats his mother is such way he treats his mother during hard mournful situation shows that although days in their family. Cedric is still a small boy, he is able to think wisely for the sake of his mother. Since his papa’s death, Cedric had found out that it was best Cedric is a Sympathetic Boy not to talk to his mamma about Cedric is also a sympathetic him. When his father was ill, boy. He is often showing sympathy to Cedric had been sent away, and others, especially people around him. In when he had returned, the beginning of the novel, Cedric everything was over; and his shows his sympathy toward his own mother, who had been very ill, mother. too, was only just beginning to sit in her chair by the window. Then, little as he was, he She was pale and thin, and all understood that his big, the dimples had gone from her handsome young papa would pretty face, and her eyes looked not come back any more; that he large and mournful, and she was was dead, as he had heard of dressed in black. other people being, although he … could not comprehend exactly He felt her arms tremble, and so what strange thing had brought he turned his curly head and all this sadness about. It was looked in her face. There was because his mamma always something in it that made him cried when he spoke of his papa feel that he was going to cry that he secretly made up his (p.1). mind it was better not to speak of him very often to her, and he The quotation shows that Cedric sees found out, too, that it was better that his mother is sad because her not to let her sit still and look husband, Cedric’s father, is ill. He is into the fire or out of the wise enough not to bother his mother window without moving or who is still sad and even get sick. At that talking (p.2). The quotation time Cedric’s father is passed away and clearly shows that Cedric

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sympathize for his mother’s children have died--and one was sadness. He knows that his killed suddenly.” (p.50). mother is very sad because his father died. Whenever Cedric The quotation shows that actually talks about his father, his mother Cedric does not want to live with his starts to cry. That is why Cedric grandfather because he only wants to decides not to talk about his live with his mother. However, since he father anymore in front of his loves his mother very much and feels mother. He does not want his responsible for her, he obeys his mother mother to cry and feel sad. That to live in his grandfather’s house. Cedric is why Cedric can be said as a also has other kinds of responsible, that sympathetic boy. is he becomes the only descendant left from the Earl of Dorincourt family. If Cedric is a Responsible Boy his father is still alive, he will be the Cedric is also a responsible boy. next Earl. However, since his father was It can be seen in his daily life. He is passed away, the responsibility to always responsible for things that become the Earl and to continue the become his responsibility. The first fact family honor is on Cedric’s shoulder. that shows it is as follows: Moral Values in the Novel “I don’t like it,” he said once as There are many moral values of he was having one of his almost the novel that can be taken as life venerable talks with the lawyer. lesson. The moral value is a good things “You don’t know how much I that can be taken as our own life lesson don’t like it; but there are a great to make our life better. many troubles in this world, and you have to bear them. Mary Cedric Teaches Us about Honesty says so, and I’ve heard Mr. Cedric in the novel teaches the Hobbs say it too. And Dearest readers and all of us to be honest. In his wants me to like to live with my life, Cedric is always honest to anyone, grandpapa, because, you see, all especially to his mother, his grandfather his children are dead, and that’s and Mr. Hobbs. Honesty is a good thing very mournful. It makes you to do. It can make people happy and feel sorry for a man, when all his trusted. Whenever we tell the truth in the

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most honest way, people will also feel because it brings good consequences. respected that they entrusted something When we kind to others, they will be important. kind too. In the novel, because Cedric is Based on the theory of always kind and generous to other Conscientiousness, Cedric's honesty also people, the people respect and also love brings good moral value because Cedric. The theory of Conscientiousness honesty is not against moral law. Cedric also considers being kindhearted is a conducts his actions without conflicting good moral value. The theory says that his desires or inclinations. Based on is the moral value is not overcome by theory of Character Traits, being honest desires or inclinations, then the moral is also considered as good moral value. value good. Being kindhearted is a good Cedric has good traits that is useful and moral because it is the right to do. Based valuable, that is why the moral lesson on the theory of Useful Character taken from his personality is a good Traits, the moral value of to be moral value. Based on theory of kindhearted is a good moral value Motives, Cedric's honest brings good because Cedric has good traits. He is a moral value because the act of being good character in the novel. Theory of honest is not harming other people. motives also agrees that doing kindness Cedric has good motives in being honest to other people is a good moral value. In such as to please his mother, the Earl the novel Cedric is a kind-hearted boy and his friends. and he has no intension to harm people in doing the kindness. He does so many Cedric Teaches Us about Kindness kindness because he wants to make Cedric in the novel also teaches other people happy. the readers to be kind to others. Being kind is a good moral value. It teaches us Cedric Teaches Us about Hospitality that whenever we expect people to be Other moral value that can be kind to us, we should also be kind to taken from the novel is being friendly to others. By being kind to others, people anyone. According theory of Actual will see us as good people too and they Consequences of the Act, being friendly will not hesitate to make friends with us. will bring many good consequences, such as having more friends and The theory of Actual building family-like bond to other consequences of the Act also agrees that people. It means being friendly can be to be kindhearted is a good moral value

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said as good moral values. Seen from a good moral value because Cedric bear theory of Conscientiousness, the moral good traits or personality. Any moral value of being friendly is also a good value that comes from his personality is moral value because it does not break considered good. Base on Motives, the moral law and it is the right thing to being humble is always a good moral do. The same judgment comes also from value. The dominant motives in being theory of useful Character Traits. The humble is to make good things to other moral value of being friendly is a good people and not to harm them. moral value because it reveals good morality, useful and valuable too. Cedric Teaches Us about Wisdom Whereas, seen from theory of motives, By reading the novel the reader being friendly is a good moral value also can learn how wise Cedric is. It because it has good intension and also gives valuable moral value, that is being does not harm anyone. wise. Based on Actual Consequences of the Act theory, to be wise a good moral Cedric Teaches Us about Modesty value because it brings so many good In the novel Cedric is not too consequences such hinder problems, proud with his new title as a lord and a help other people to solve problems and member of a noble family. He does not many more. The same judgment comes show up his wealth. In fact, Cedric uses also from the theory of his wealth to help other people. By Conscientiousness. It says that being being humble to anyone we will make wise is a good moral value because it more friends and have less enemies. The does not break the moral law and does theory Actual Consequences of the act not harm other people. The theory of views humble personality as a good Useful Character Traits also agrees that moral value. It is because humbleness being wise is a good moral value. Since brings good consequences. When one is Cedric is always behave well in the humble, he or she will be accepted in the novel and he has good character. Seen society. Theory of Conscientiousness from theory of motives, being wise is a also agrees that being humble is a good good moral value because it has good moral value because it is the right thing intension and motive. to do. Being humble also respects the moral law. According to theory of Cedric Teaches Us about Empathy Useful Character Traits, being humble is

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Being sympathetic is also a should do all the time. By keeping our moral value that can be taken from responsible people will trust in us and in Cedric’s life. Being sympathized to the future, the trust will bring many others is a good thing to do. It shows benefits for us. To be responsible is a how good we are and how we care for good moral value because it always other. To show sympathy is not always builds good outcomes. By being by giving things, money or any other responsible to anything we do, other physical products. We can sympathize people will put trust on us, respect and by giving attention, listening to others make us their friend. Inline to the and even by saying “Hi” to other people. judgment of the theory of Actual The theory of Actual Consequences of the act, Consequences of the Act is surely agree Conscientiousness is also agree that that being sympathetic to other is a good responsibility is a good moral value moral value. Sympathetic action often because it is the right thing to do. brings good consequences. The same According to theory of Useful Character judgment also comes from theory of Traits, being responsible is a good moral Conscientiousness. It says that being values because it comes from Cedric's sympathetic is a good moral value. personality that is considered as good Being sympathetic is a right thing to do. character in the story. Additionally, Moreover, being sympathetic is being responsible usually has good closely related to one’s personality. motives. When a person is able to take Cedric has good personality, that is why the responsibility then he should have the moral value taken from his story is good motive. always considered as good moral value. Moreover, seen from the motive, being Conclusion sympathetic is a good motive because

Cedric is always have good intension Based on the analysis, the researcher concludes; first, Cedric is Cedric Teaches Us about characterized as a boy who has good Responsibility personalities. His personalities are such Responsibility is an important as an honest boy, kind-hearted, friendly, thing in life. It is also one of moral humble, wise, sympathetic and values that can be taken from Cedric’s responsible. These personalities makes life. Responsibility is something that we Cedric have a lot of friends. He even

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makes friends with the tyrant Earl. The Bradburry, A. 1973. Women and Money second conclusion is the moral values in Eighteenth-Century Fiction. that can be taken from the novel. The Oxford: Oxford University first moral value that can be taken is Press. being honest. The second moral value is Dudley, Robin. 2011. Morality and being kind to others. The third moral Literature [and] Graphic value is being friendly to anyone. The Novels: A Critical Introduction fourth moral value from the novel is and Sally Killingsworth. being humble. The fifth moral value is London: Bibliobazaar. being wise. The sixth moral value is Forster, E. M. 1975. Aspects of the being sympathetic to others and the last Novel and Related Writings. moral value that can be taken from the London: Edward Arnold novel is being responsible. Guth,Hans. P. 1981. The Literary Heritage. Massachusetts: DC Bibliography Heath

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