CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Character development is an important element that we can find in the
literature, one of them is in the film. Character development will change slowly
time by time depends where they are and from good or bad things you learn, one
of the factor is a dog, as a pet. For some people, dog is just like an animal and
did not have a meaningful value. For dog lovers, dog is everything for their life.
Dog is a true friend and friendship for some people. The writer is interested to
analyze this topic because the writer has a dog. The writer has a lot of
experience with dogs since her childhood. One of these experiences is her dog
change her behavior. When she was a kid, she was rude to the people, but time
by time because of the influences of dog’s behavior, she could to be more caring
to the people. Not only that, her dog could make her more sympathy to other
people.
For the writer, dog is not like a just a pet, animal, or another something but, dog
is a friend and family. This is not only physically that she loves her dog, but
emotionally too. The writer so take care of her dog. No one can hurt her dog.
She always wants to be near with her dog. Her dog teaches a big affection for
her. Character development of the writer who did not know what the meaning of
affection before, she can get from a dog. Because of her love and relationship to
her dog, the writer also has stuffs such as doll, bag, watch, necklace, etc that
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2 concerns with a dog. The writer likes all pages that has a relation with the dog, including “Dog Whisperer” , the reality show that gives a lot of input, advice, lesson, and the most important is taught me how the relationship between the dog and the person’s character (the owner). Based on my own experiences, the writer wants to explore a film having similar plot with my developing behavior by a presence of a dog with a thesis entitled “Impact of The Presence of Dog To
The Development of John’s Character in “Marley & Me” Film As Seen Through
Liberal Humanism Views.”
David Frankel is the director of this film. Frankel is an American director, screenwriter and also producer. He makes many films such as: Miami
Rhapsody, Dear Diary, Just Like You Imagined, The Devil Wears Prada, Marley
& Me, The Big Year, Hope Springs, One Chance and Magyk. He won many awards from his film. Dear Diary is a film which won Academy Award for Best
Live Action Short. Besides that, Marley & Me, The Devil Wears Prada and
Hope Spring are the film that won the successful studio films. Frankel makes
“Marley & Me” film because he enjoys the book and cries at it. He also has five dogs and he loves them. The story of “Marley & Me” is a real story that happens to him and he wants to capture it to this film. He chooses dog because he thinks that dogs are easy than the babies. Dogs act what they want yet if they are trained, they can be obedient. Besides that, Frankel also wants to show the relation between dog elements and human elements. Frankel feels the same with
John Grogan (real person in real story), in house, they have the furniture half- eaten and there are many things that are chewed by dog. In the end, Frankel realizes that dog helps to give us a source of humor and also solace. 3
Scott Frank and Don Roos are the script writer of this film. Frank is an
American screen writer and director. He makes many scripts of film, one of them is One of Sight. It was nominated for an Academy Award and received an
Edgar Award, a National Society of Film Critics Award, and a Writers Guild of
America Award. Don Roos is also an American screen writer and director of film. He won Best First Feature Independent Spirit Award, for The Opposite of
Sex. Frank and Roos make the script and give to Frankel. For the first time,
Frankel ignored and did not want the script because he did not know about the story or the movie. After that, Frankel read the draft of the script from Frank and
Roos. Frankel found there was no plot to speak of and it had an emotional narrative. That is why Frankel accepts this script and makes this script into the film and it is succesful film that can be in box office for two weeks.
“Marley & Me” tells about a relationship between a dog (Marley) and 1 family, John’s family. “ Marley & Me” film is a good choice for all those who want to watch even watched with family. “ Marley & Me” got a positive response from goodreads.com, most of the people in comment. They like the story and really touching their heart and 53% positive rating on Metacritic . Since the film opened, “Marley & Me” film grossed much money over the four-day weekend and maintains for 2 weeks at box office placed number 1. “Marley &
Me” film also won awards such as: BMI Film & TV Awards with category BMI
Film Music Award and Teen Choice Award with category Choice Movie:
Bromantic Comedy.
In “Marley & Me”, the main character was John Grogan and his dog
Marley. John had been married with Jenny Grogan. John and Jenny have a 4 similar job, a journalist. After marriage, John saw Jenny that she wanted a child.
John told to his best friend about that and then his best friend suggested him to give John’s wife a dog because of John was not ready to have a child. John gave a dog to Jenny that John named him Marley (from Bob Marley singer). Time by time, Marley grew up and getting very naughty. In the process of handling
Marley’s naughty, John got many lessons about life. John become more understand about the meaning of love, one of them is love to his family.
One day, John had an argument with his wife because of Jenny has been saturated with Marley’s bad behavior. This is a hard time for John because he has to choose between Marley or his family. For John, Marley is a member of family and not just a dog. In the end, Marley getting older and he got a disease.
Jenny has been able to accept Marley again along John and Jenny’s kid were grown. For the first time, when Marley got that disease, he can be helped by a doctor. But for the second time, Marley cannot be helped. John was so sad because a doctor gave John 2 choices: let him go or let him still alive with suffer.
John does not want to see Marley suffer, so John let him go and buried Marley in his backyard. From Marley, John gets many lessons life. For example is when
John was not ready to have child, but after the presence of Marley, John was ready to have children and develop his family.
In this research, the writer uses a previous study from Nadhrah (2010) thesis about “A Psychological Analysis on Two Main Characters’ In the Film of
“Marley & Me”, there is an explanation about two characteristic between Jenny
& Marley. This will help the writer more understand about Marley how it 5
develops, the problems, methods, analysis, and the results. Besides that, the
writer wants get a role model about the structure in writing thesis.
In this research the writer used Liberal Humanism theory. Liberal
Humanism is a theory that focuses of the language of it. Text of language on the
literature is an important point to be analyzed in Liberal Humanism. So, in
analyzed Liberal Humanism, it likes when you tells about interpretation text
according to the text. Interpretation text here is a text you analysis use own text
according to the text (literary work that you want analysis). Liberal Humanism is
also known as Formalism. Formalism is the theory that focuses on intrinsic
element like plot, setting, theme, character and symbols through the text. The
writer will analyze the development of the character through the intrinsic
elements and focus on text analysis. In Liberal Humanism, the writer also used
ten tenets theory by Peter Barry. The writer explained each point of ten tenets
related to character development of John in “Marley & Me”. The relation
between people and dog is a reason why the writer interested to find the impact
of how a dog can have an impact of development character of John in “Marley
& Me” film directed by David Frankel.
1.2 Problem Formulation
1. How is the impact of the dog presence to the main character?
2. What lessons are learned by the main character after the presence of dog in
his life?
3. How is the influence of a dog to the development of the main character’s in
relation to his family? 6
1.3 Scope and Limitation
The scope of this study is a film entitled “Marley & Me” directed by David
Frankel.
The limitation of this research is the main character, John and Marley.
1.4 Goals and Function
The goals of this research are:
1. To find out John’s changing behaviour before and after the presence of
Marley to study about the character and characterization;
2. To find out the lesson learned got by John related to the presence of Marley
in his life through Cesar Millan’s theory;
3. To find out the influence of Marley to John’s family in relation to his
changing character
While the function is:
1. People can learn the value or lessons through John’s character because of
dog.
1.5 Research Methods
1.5.1 Methods
This research is use qualitative methods through the library research.
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1.5.2 Media
The media of this research is from media film “ Marley & Me” which
is 2009 film directed by David Frankel. From this media, the writer will
analyze how the development of the John character.
1.5.3 Instrument
The instruments of this research are intrinsic elements, liberal
humanism ten tenets theory, and calm – assertive energy. The intrinsic
elements are plot, character, setting, theme and symbols. The writer will
analyze the intrinsic elements by text analysis, such as the scene text or script
of the film, the interaction and the activity of the character. The writer also
will analyze using Liberal Humanism ten tenets theory to analyze deeper
about the film. Besides, the writer using calm – assertive energy from Cesar
Millan to analyze how dog that can have an impact to someone’s character.
1.5.4 Time
The research starts on March 22nd 2013 until July 24 th 2013. This is the
details of the writer activity in research:
- March: find the topic and do the library research like find the thesis,
book, article and other sources that related to the topic to be analyzed
- April: the proposal has been approved and started to make a proposal
chapter 1.
- May: after finished chapter 1 and accepted, continue with theoretical
background in chapter 2. 8
- June: after accepted chapter 2, start to continue make chapter 3 in
analysis and make chapter 4 conclusion and suggestion and chapter 5
summary, also the references also.
- July: Revision again from chapter 1-5 until accepted and start to make
the form that needed for thesis.
1.5.5 Place
The writer find the topic and supporting theories for the topic at Anggrek
Binus University library and Kijang Binus University library.
1.5.6 Data Compilation
In data compilation, the writer do some activities, such as:
1. Watch the “ Marley & Me ” film
2. Preparing intrinsic and extrinsic analysis
3. Write down all activities of the characters
4. The writer use intrinsic elements of literature to find out plot,
character, setting, symbol and theme
5. After that, do the characterization (speak, do, and think and feel)
1.5.7 Data Analysis
a. Intrinsic analysis
- Plot (Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and
Resolution)
- Character (Dynamic Character)
- Characterization (do, say, think and feel) 9
- Setting ( Weather, Place, Atmosphere)
- Symbol (Objects, Natural, Religious, and Character )
- Theme (Family, Love, Nature, Death, and Faith) b. Extrinsic analysis
1. Calm – Assertive Energy by Cesar Millan (8 lesson life
learned by dog)
2. Liberal Humanism ten tenets by Peter Barry (six of ten tenets:
Good Literature is Timeless, Human Nature is Unchanging,
Purpose to Enhance Life and Propagate Value, People Can
Change but Cannot be Transformed, Work must be Sincere
and Silent Showing rather than Explaining)
The data analysis can be seen as the follows figure1.
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1.5.8 Result
Find out the changing of the character behaviour before and after
presence of dog using Liberal Humanism theory, find out how far the
character realize the changing of his behavior and find out the value or
lessons of the character that can be taught to the people by a pet in Marley &
Me film directed by David Frankel.