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2nd English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Electronic ISSN: 2579-7263 Proceedings – (ELLiC Proceedings Vol. 2, 2018) CD-ROM ISSN: 2579-7549

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE OF THE MINDS OF BILLY MILLIGAN AND SPLIT FILM A Comparative Study

M. Keanu Adepati 1*), Samanik 2) Universitas Teknokrat Indonesia *[email protected]

Abstract This paper discusses about the structure adaptation of Split Movie (2017) from The Minds of Billy Milligan novel by Daniel Keyes. Mainly, this research is to how the Split movie by M. Night Shyamalan adapts the of The Minds of Billy Milligan novel by Daniel Keyes. In order to achieve the research objective, the writer used a qualitative method since the writer would like to describe the detail of the adaptation. In this research the theory that used is the narrative structure theory by Tzvetan Todorov in the concepts of equilibrium, disruption, recognition, restored order, equilibrium and using a approach in characters and the . The data sources of this analysis are from both The Minds of Billy Milligan novel by Daniel Keyes and Split movie by M. Night Shyamalan. After getting the data, the writer classified the data based on the Todorov’s theory. Subsequently, the analysis describes the comparison of both works structurally. Eventually, this study shows the narrative structure of The Minds of Billy Milligan novel which are adapted in Split movie.

Keywords: narrative structure, structuralism approach, The Minds of Billy Milligan, Split

Introduction companies know that literary text are good 1. Background candidates for filmmaking because their The work of a book like novel or stories have already proven to be enjoyable is often times transformed into a film. The to many people”(Desmond and Hawkes, story that is written adapted into a film and 2006, p. 16). This means that work that has makes some differentiation within that been published before and spread into movie. This that is commonly done by society will leave a mark in the society and film industry called as film adaptation. The will attract society anyway because they meaning of word adaptation is defined as already know the work before. “the transformation of printed works to Furthermore, in film adaptation the another medium” (Kranz and Mellerski, transformation could be diverse because 2008, p. 1). This definition says that the there are several modifications that are given adaptation is the work that is exist and as added value of the work that can make the written could be transformed to another work film adaptation be more fascinating than that can be shown in another form of before. According to Stam (2005) “a filmic medium such as film or . adaptation gets caught up in the ongoing In this current time, there are a lot of whirl of intertextual references and works that is written in a form of novel or transformations, of text generating other short story that has been transformed into a texts in an endless process of recycling, movie. The works that has been adapted into transformation, and transmutation, which no another medium could bring the new clear point of origin”. This says that sensation of the story because there are some somehow the content of film adaptation things that has been added or omitted by the could be exactly the same with the source directors while transform the works into a work or in the other hand the film adaptation film. Desmond and Hawkes states that “Film could be far from the source work.

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE OF THE MINDS OF BILLY MILLIGAN NOVEL AND SPLIT FILM …… [ 440 ] M. Keanu Adepati, Samanik

2nd English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Electronic ISSN: 2579-7263 Proceedings – (ELLiC Proceedings Vol. 2, 2018) CD-ROM ISSN: 2579-7549

The works of a novel and the film Equilibrium Again.” Based on this quotation, adaptation have a lot in common, the stand every single story that is created must have correlated to each other. The literary work these 5 stages to be presented on the works. which relies on the text is become the strong However, this theory is not fully true, in key factors of that work and allows its reader some stories that has been created by authors to have more imagination based on each are not fulfilling the theory of narrative reader. While in a film, the sounds effect, structure that is presented by Todorov. There moving pictures and other elements are are several stages that do not exist in one becoming the power of that work but it limits story while the other story has gone all the the imagination of the viewer toward its stages of narrative structure. work. According to Monacco (2000, p. 44) Therefore, based on that assumption, “film and novel stand closed in that they the writer would like to analyze the narrative share the same narrative capacities and tell structure between two works and see the stories from narrator’s perspective”. This stages of narrative structure that are quotation shows that novel and film have the presented in those works. The writer chooses same things that are shared to its reader or the Split (2016) film and The Minds of Billy viewers they share a narrative which has a Milligan novel by Daniel Keyes as the structure like setting, , , themes objects of analysis. The reason why the and others. writer chooses these works as the object is In the year of 2016, there was a because both work are describing the same movie released with the title Split directed by issue about psychological illness that is M. Night Syamalan. This movie tells about a possess by a character. Moreover, this person who possesses the psychological analysis also aims to argue the perspective illness called Dissociative Identity Disorder, that exist in society that says the film a person having 24 personalities in one body. adaptation will always the same with the While IN 2017, a year after the movie previous work that has been published. That released, there was a statement from The is why, in this analysis the writer would like Straitimes that says Split film is based on the to see the stages of narrative structure that previous work The Minds of Billy Milligan are presented in both works and will be by Daniel Keyes a book published in 1977. It focusing on Equilibrium, Disruption, describes about the person who possess a Recognition Repair the Damage and psychological illness, Dissociative Identity Equilibrium Again by looking the intrinsic Disorder. elements of both works. Therefore, the writer would like to conduct the comparative analysis to reveal 2. Narrative Structure Theory that statement. According to Azarian (2011), Narrative structure theory by Tzvetan “conventionally comparative analysis Todorov (1960) is about how the in emphasized on the “explanation of a story is created. In this theory, Todorov differences, and the explanation of mentioned that there are 5 stages that a similarities” (p.2). It means that in character will go through; those are comparative study, the thing that will be Equilibrium, Disruption, Recognition Repair analyzed is about the sameness and the Damage and Equilibrium Again. There differences between works that are are a lot of works that has been compared. implementing this narrative structure in the Furthermore, according to Tzvetan story. The stages of narrative structure are: Todorov (1960) “there are 5 stages that a a. Equilibrium, this is a stage where the character should gone through in a story; character is having a normal live and those are Equilibrium, Disruption, doing the daily activities that a character Recognition Repair the Damage and has.

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE OF THE MINDS OF BILLY MILLIGAN NOVEL AND SPLIT FILM …… [ 441 ] M. Keanu Adepati, Samanik

2nd English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Electronic ISSN: 2579-7263 Proceedings – (ELLiC Proceedings Vol. 2, 2018) CD-ROM ISSN: 2579-7549 b. Disruption, this is a stage where the kidnapped case that characters still character started to get disturbance in happened with the mingle out with life. victim two college some other c. Recognition, this is a stage where the girls, the police characters and character has realized the problem of directly do the having chitchat on disturbance that affects the character’s investigation on that the party until the life. case to find out the party was over. d. Repair the Damage, this is a stage where doer After that the main the character tries to fix and manage the character was entire problem that is happening in the waiting to be story. picked up to go e. Equilibrium Again, this is a stage where home. the character has fixed and managed all the problems that happen in the story and The description on the novel can be in this stage, the character is having the seen from the quotation below: normal life as in the first story or “For the second time in eight days, a adjusting the new situation in the story. young woman had been kidnapped from the campus, at gunpoint, between seven Methodology and eight o’clock in the morning. The In this research the writer use library first was a twenty-five year old research and collect the data from internet optometry student, the second a twenty- source. To support the method of research, four year old nurse. Each had been the writer also considers the use of driven into the countryside, raped, made descriptive qualitative method. According to to cash checks and then robbed.” (Keyes, Sandelowski (2000, p. 39) qualitative 1977, p. 3) method is straight description of phenomena are desired. Especially, it is useful for The picture of the scene on the film: researcher wanting to know the why, how and what. From the quotation above, descriptive study has meaning that the writer will explain the result of analysis in the form of words and sentences.

Findings and Discussion Equilibrium is one of the stages in the theory of narrative structure by Todorov. In this stage, it is explained about the condition that 1. Disruption happens with a character. The condition In this stage it explains about the where the main character having a normal condition where the main character started to life and still able to do the daily activities get problem in life. that the character usually does. Novel Film Novel Film The phase of In the film, the In the beginning of The phase of disruption in the phase of disruption the story in the equilibrium on this novel is described described where novel, the narration film can be seen when there is a group the main characters directly describing where a character of police come to the and her friends the issue that happen attending a party. main character’s kidnapped and in the story. There The situation house and search the brought to a place was a report of described that the

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE OF THE MINDS OF BILLY MILLIGAN NOVEL AND SPLIT FILM …… [ 442 ] M. Keanu Adepati, Samanik

2nd English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Electronic ISSN: 2579-7263 Proceedings – (ELLiC Proceedings Vol. 2, 2018) CD-ROM ISSN: 2579-7549 evidence of the rape by a man and they The description on the novel can be seen case that happen are locked up in from the quotation below: before and the main basement. “I guess, since you have been blamed for character still do not those crimes you didn’t commit, you know what is have a right to know.” happening because “vat she have to do about it? Did she he has no memory of take the money?” it and let the police “No, Ragen. She’s the one who raped do the jobs. your victims.” “She raped girls? Arthur, how does a she The description on the novel can be rape a girl?” seen from the quotation below: “Ragen, have you ever heard of a lesbian?” (Keyes, 1977, p. 76). “Has anyone read him his rights?” No one answered, so Boxerbaum pulled out The pictures of the scenes on the his rights card and read it aloud. He film: wanted to be sure, “You’re accused for kidnapping those girls from the campus, Bill. Do you want to talk about it” Milligan looked up, shocked. “What’s goin on? Did I hurt anybody? I hope I didn’t hurt anybody.”” (Keyes, 1977, p.: 11) References The pictures of the scenes on the film: Ashton, William. (2017). Comparative Research. Rural Development Institute. Brandon Unibversity. Casprov, Alexandra. (2010). Two Film Adaptations of Larsson’s novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: A Semiotic and Reception Study. 2. Recognition Dian, Wijaya. (2016). A Study of Tzvetan This stage explains about the main Todorov’s Narrative Structure in character who has realized about the problem MarcWebb’s 500 Days of Summer that occurs and ruins his or her live. (2009). Novel Film Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research In the stage of The stage of Methodology Method and Technique. recognition on the equilibrium on the Published by New Age Internationaal. novel, it is described film described where Lathifa, Faiqotul. (2008). The Main where the the characters who Character’s Multiple Personality in personalities in the are kidnapped Daniel Keyes’ The Minds of Billy main character found realize that the Milligan. out about the reason kidnapper will do Monacco, James. (2000). How to Read a why they are got in something really bad Film. The World of Movie, Media, trouble with the to them. They start andMultimedia. Languange, History, police, they to think that they Theory. New York: Oxford University (represent Billy) will be killed or Press. blamed on the rape something worse Raitt, George Douglas. (2011). Visualising cases that happened than murder will Literature: Screen Adaptation and and put in jail happen to them. theProcess of Reading/Viewing. because of that . Australia. Deakin University.

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE OF THE MINDS OF BILLY MILLIGAN NOVEL AND SPLIT FILM …… [ 443 ] M. Keanu Adepati, Samanik

2nd English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Electronic ISSN: 2579-7263 Proceedings – (ELLiC Proceedings Vol. 2, 2018) CD-ROM ISSN: 2579-7549

Reisenauer, Andrea. (2015). Film, Literature, and Translation. Renaldi, Ahmad. (2017). Visualizing Literature: Modes of Adaptation in Wirkola’s Hansel and Gretel the Witch Hunter Film from Grimm’s Hansel and Gretel . Riki. (2017). Analysis of Structure of Narrative on Best Animation Short Films in XXI Short Film Festival Based on Todorov’s Theory Approach. Vaden, Matthew. (2015). Literature and Film: Across Media Zenuchova, Martina. (2015). Between the Novel and Film: A Comparative Analysis of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and its two Film Adaptations.

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE OF THE MINDS OF BILLY MILLIGAN NOVEL AND SPLIT FILM …… [ 444 ] M. Keanu Adepati, Samanik