A Description of the Main Characters in Lauren Oliver’S Novel Before I Fall

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A DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN LAUREN OLIVER’S NOVEL BEFORE I FALL

A PAPER

WRITTEN

MUTIARA TARADITA

NIM: 152202010

ENGLISH STUDY PROGRAM DIPLOMA

FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES

UNIVERSITY OF SUMATRA UTARA

MEDAN

2018

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA AUTHOR’S DECLARATION

I am, Mutiara Taradita, declare that I am sole of the author of this paper. Except where references is made in the text of this paper, this paper contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a paper by which I have qualified for a awarded degree.

No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledge in the main text of this paper. This paper has not been submitted for the award of another degree in any tertiary education.

Signed : ......

Date : November 27th, 2018

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA COPYRIGHT DECLARATION

Name : Mutiara Taradita

Title of Paper :A DESCRIPTION OF MAIN CHARACTERS IN LAUREN

OLIVER’S NOVEL BEFORE I FALL

Qualification : D–III / Ahli Madya

Study Progam : English

I am, willing that my paper should be available for reproduction at the discretion of the Liberation of the Diploma III English Study Program Faculty of Cultural

Studies, USU on the understanding that users are made aware of their obligation under law of the Republic of Indonesia.

Signed : ......

Date : November 27th, 2018

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA ABSTRACT

The paper of this work is entitled A Description Of The Main Characters In Lauren Oliver’s Novel Before I Fall.Literature is an art work depicting a human habits such as life, mood, and matters related to life. One of the art works is the novel. Novel is an art work in which there is have written fiction or non-fiction that tell about a story. In this case the writer will discuss about the main characters in a literary work. The novel tells about a girl name Samantha Kingstone which is trap in the same life over and over again. This is about Samantha Kingston, a 17 year old girl that dies in a car accident, but wakes up the next day, and relives the last day of her life 7 times. Keywords:Main Characters, Novel, Literature

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UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA ABSTRAK

Kertas karya ini berjudul A Description Of The Main Characters In Lauren Oliver’s Novel Before I FallSastra merupakan sebuah karya seni yang menggambarkan sebuah kebiasaan manusia seperti kehidupan, suasana hati dan hal hal yang berkaitan tentang kebiasaan dalam kehidupan. Salah satu karya seni tersebut adalah novel. Novel ini menceritakan tentang seorang gadis bernama Samantha Kingstone yang terjebak dalam kehidupan yang sama berulang kali. Ini tentang Samantha Kingston, seorang gadis berusia 17 tahun yang meninggal dalam kecelakaan mobil, tetapi bangun keesokan harinya, dan menghidupkan kembali hari terakhir hidupnya 7 kali. Kata Kunci : Karakter, Novel, Sastra

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all I would like thanks to Allah SWT the almighty, the creator who has give me has blessing and mercy in my entire life. And I thank you to Allah SWT for all of the great situation and anything that I can completed this paper.

 Dr. Drs. Budi Agustono, M.S. as the Dean of Faculty Cultural

Studies, University of Sumatera Utara.

 Dra. Swesana Mardia Lubis, M.Hum as the Head of English

Diploma Study Program, who give me chance to prove my qualified

for finishing this paper.

 My supervisor Drs. Siamir Marulafau, M.Hum. for the precious time

and knowledge he has given to me to finish my paper.

 All the lectures in English Diploma that I can’t mention one by one,

thank you for all knowledge and experience that you have shared to

me.

 I would like to thank my beloved parents, Johny Permana and

Rayani for the endless loves, support, pray, advices and financial. My

special thanks also goes to my brother Denny Armanda and my sister

Syakila Tivana, thanks for your time and helps.

 I would like to thank to Reinhard Badia Raja, who always gave me

courage and strength to finish this paper. Syndi Nova P, Rizky Saskia

P, Lia Tabitha S, Lyly Lyan Anwar, Anggi Yuda, Ahmad Fauzi

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA Hidayat, Tommy Husein, Gilang Ramadhan Indra for the support

and silliest thing ever also the part of the gang.

 Thanks to Annisa Amelia, Arini Chairida, Nashli Yulia Rosi, Desi

Anggia, Meisya Tara Humaira, Finna Oktaviani, Taufik

Hidayatullah, Ridha Sakina S, Aulia Arista H, for the great advices

and endless friendship we had from High School until now.

 Thank you to Adinda Taniya Pramesti for the quality time we spend

together in the middle of support, holidays, and fun we had all the

time.

Finally, I will accept the suggestion and criticism that build me up from the readers because I know this paper is not perfect, and that’s why your critics might make this paper better. Thanks to all readers who read this paper.

Medan, August 2018 The writer,

Mutiara Taradita Reg.No:152202010

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA TABLE OF CONTENTS

AUTHOR’S DECLARATION ……………………………………...... …..... i COPYRIGHT DECLARATION …………………………………...... …..... ii ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………...... ……...... iii ABSTRAK ………………………………………………………...... ……...... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ……………………………………...... ……...... v TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………...... …...... vii 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background of the Study ...... 1 1.2. Problems of the Study...... 3 1.3. The objective of the study...... 3 1.4. Scope of the Study...... 3 1.5 Significances of Study...... 3 1.5. Method of the Study...... 4 2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 2.1. Novel ………...... 5 2.2.The Type of Novel……………………………………………………. 6 2.2.1. Based on the unreal story…………………………………... 6 2.2.2. Based on the genre of the story …………………………….. 6 2.2.3. Based on contents, figure and market share………………... 7 2.3. Characters………….…………………………………………………. 7 2.4. Theme………………………………………………………………… 11 2.5. Plot……………………………………………………………………. 11 2.6. Setting………………………………………………………………… 14 3. THE DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERS 3.1. The Characters of Samantha Kingstone ………………………….… 15 3.2. The Characters of Lindsay………….………………………………… 17 3.3. The Characters of Elody………………….…………………………… 18 3.4. The Characters of Rob……………..…………………………………. 19 3.5. The Characters of Kent…………..…………………………...... 20 3.6. The Characters of Juliet Sykes…………….…………………………. 22

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UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA

4. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION 4.1 Conclusion...... 26 4.2 Suggestion...... 27 BIBLIOGRAPHY...... 28 APPENDICES The Summary of Novel

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UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Literature, most generically, is anybody of written works. More restrictively, literature is writing considered to be an art form, or any single writing deemed to have artistic or intellectual value, often due to deploying language in ways that differ from ordinary usage.

Its Latin root literature /litteratura (derived itself from littera: letter or handwriting) was used to refer to all written accounts, though contemporary definitions extend the term to include texts that are spoken or sung (oral literature). The concept has changed meaning over time: nowadays it can broaden to have non-written verbal art forms, and thus it is difficult to agree on its origin, which can be paired with that of language or writing itself.

Developments in print technology have allowed an evergrowingdistribution and proliferation of written works, culminating in electronic literature.Literature can be classified according to whether it is fiction or non-fiction, and whether it is poetry or prose. It can be further distinguished according to major forms such as the novel, short story or drama; and works are often categorized according to historical periods or their adherence to certain aesthetic features or expectations (genre).

Language is the expression of ideas by means of speech-sounds combined into words. Words are combined into sentences, this combination answering to that of ideas into thoughts.Language, a system of conventional spoken, manual,

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA written symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, express themselves. The functions of language include communication, the expression of identity, play, imaginative expression, and emotional release.A novel consists of some elements that built a story. By those elements we will find a story is interesting or not. We can analyze each element to know what really happen inside the story.

Literature is a word and it is not a thing. As Robert Scholes (1992:1) says that literature is a word, and it is not a thing. While Taum (1997:13) says that literature is creation or fiction imaginatively or literature is the using of beautiful and useful language to sign another things. There are many works of literature such as novel, poetry, prose, and many more. In this study the writer decided to use a novel as the object of the paper. A novel is a literary work that gives some fiction story that can make the reader be included in to the story.

In this paper the writer will try to describe the character aspect of each person in the story. As the main source of describe, the writer chooses a novel of

Lauren Oliver with title BEFORE I FALL. Here the writer focuses to describe the character of six persons in the novel. I choose this novel because the story is very interesting. It tells about Samantha Kingston and the friendship with her friends. The interesting point in this novel is the main character name Samantha

Kingstone that has six times of death experience before she really died on the seventh.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA 1.2. The Problem of the Study

The problems which are found in story are:

1. How to described the character of Samantha Kingston in the novel Before I

Fall?

2. How are Kent Mc Fuller and friend described in the novel Before I Fall?

1.3. The Objective of the Study

1. To describe the character of Samantha Kingston as the main player in the

novelBefore I Fall.

2. To describe the characters of Samantha‟s Kingston and her friends in the

novel Before I Fall.

1.4The Scopes of the Study

I will focus on the description of characters from the main charactersname

Samantha Kingston and Kent McFuller, Lindsay, Ellody, Rob, that is usually she called is popular girl enjoying her last year high school. She has some problem with her family including her sister, her parents and her friends.

1.5 The Significance of the Study

By this paper, the writer wants to increase understanding the parts of a literary work like the parts in a novel especially main characters in a novel, trough the maincharacters in Lauren Oliver‟s novel, the sense of an ending, and to help the reader in understanding characters that found in the novel.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA 1.6 The Methods of the Study

This study is mainly best on the library research while the data are taken from a novel entitled Before I Fall written by Lauren Oliver.The first step in this study is reading the novel to understand the whole story inside it. After that I try to focus on one aspect of the novel to discuss that is the main character aspect. I come to the library to find out the data to support my analysis about character. I also watch the film which is adapted from the novel with the same title Before I

Fall.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA 2. THE REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Novel

A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, normally in prose, which is typically published as a book.Novel, an invented prose narrative of considerable length and a certain complexity that deals imaginatively with human experience, usually through a connect sequence of events involving a group of persons in a specific setting,a novel is a part of fiction that is typically written in a narrative style.

According to schools (via Jonah, 1984: 121) that,” the novel is story that deals with real events or imagined fictional writer true is observations of reality. In other words a novel is a story longer, more realistic and more complicated.

The novel is the most to read of all kinds of literature. Peck and Coyle

(1984:102) say that the novel reflects a move away from an essentially religious view of life towards a new interest in the complexities of everyday experience. Most novels are concerned with ordinary people and their problem in the societies in which they find themselves.

Every novel has been five elements: setting- when and where the story takes place. Characters the people (or sometimes animals) the story is about. Plot what happens in the story. Theme lesson the writer of the story is trying to teach the reader.

Setting critical component for assisting the story and the last point of view who is telling the story.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA 2.2. The Type of Novel

2.2.1. Based on the real or unreal story

Based on this category, novel is divided into two types. They are fiction and nonfiction. For fiction novel as its name tells story of the fictitious and never happened characters, plot, background, or other elements inside the story. It is the imagination of the author in telling something. While nonfiction novel is a novel that tells the story based on the real thing that ever happened. Generally, the type of this novel was taken from someone experiences or we know it as the true story.

2.2.2. Based on the genre of the story

The novel of this type can be divided into several kinds.

Romantic novel is a novel telling the story about romance and love from the

beginning until the end. There is also horror novel that telling the story about

something scaring when the reader read the novel. It tells also about the

mystical or magical elements about the world.

Another type is mystery novel that present the feeling curiosity to the reader

until the end of the story. This novel is more complicate. There is also comedy

novel. As the name implies, this novel content of the humor element that can

make the reader laugh when they are reading the novel.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA The last type is inspirational novel. This novel contain of story which inspire

the reader because generally this type full of moral messages or specific

lessons. The reader or other people can take inspiration when they read the

whole the story.

2.2.3. Based on contents, figures and market share

There is teen lit novel. Teen lit comes from the word teenage and literature.

This type of novel tells story about problems of young people in general it can

be about love, friendship, competition, beauty of life, and others. While

figures and market share is a novel based on the consideration of age level.

Certainly this type of novel has many problems inside it.

2.3. Characters

A character is a person who has important role inside a novel or other

literary word. According to Maxwell, the character is much better than just words.

More than that, the character is a choice that determines the level of success. The

nature of character presentation brings successful or positive influence to the reader

on finding out what is going on and what is it for.

Roberts (1983:20) declares that, “ character are the person presented in dramatics of narrative work, who are interpreted by reader as being endowed with the moral and dispositional qualities that are in what they say and what they do in action.Forstel (1972) says, two basic types of characters, their qualities, function, and

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA importance for the development of the novel: flat characters and round characters.

Flat characters are two dimensional, in that they are relatively uncomplicated and do not change throughout the course of a work.

2.3.1. Type of character

2.3.1.1. Major character

According to Nurgiyantoro (2002:176-177) that,” major character is the most presented character in the story. This type of character is person who appears more often than other character in the novel in the novel. The present of major character is very dominant because he or she is the central figure who has role to build the story in many situations. If he or she is not appears directly in every scene but any conflict of the story will bring him or her inside it. In other word he or she will be associated with the story although they are not appears.

2.3.1.2. Minor character

Minor character is the character that appears once or sometimes in the story in the novel, and may be relatively in short portion. Different from the main character, minor character take a small role in the story. According to Nurgiyantoro (2002:1707) that,” minor character is a character that appears less often than major character.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA 2.3.1.3. Flat character

According to Nurgiyantoro (2002:1801) that,” flat character is a simple character that has only one personal quality. The nature and behavior of this character are flat, monotonous, reflecting only one nature”. Unchangeable nature of the flat character is also used as a comparison when the other character changes their behavior. It just has one personality, that is good and bad personality.

2.3.1.4. Protagonist character

The protagonist is at the center of the story, makes the key decisions, and experiences the consequences of those decisions. The protagonist affects the main characters' circumstances as well, as they are often the primary actor propelling the story forward. According Nurgiyantoro (2002:101) that,” the listeners‟ idol.

2.3.1.5. Antagonist character

An antagonist is a character, group of characters, institution or concept that stands in or represents opposition against which the protagonists must contend. In other words, an antagonist is a person or a group of people who opposes a protagonist. According to Nurgiyantoro (2002:105) that,” the antagonist is a character who opens the story. There are usually one, two, or more figures opposing the story.

This kind of character is definitely evil and hated by reader or listeners.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA 2.3.1.6. Tritagonist character

In literature, the tritagonist or tertiary main character is the third most important character of a story, after the protagonist and antagonist. As a character, a tritagonist may act as the instigator or cause of the sufferings of the protagonist.

Despite being the least sympathetic is character of the novel. He or she occasions the situations by which pity and sympathy for the protagonist are excited. According to

Nurgiyantoro (2002:110) that,” the tritagonist figure is the auxiliary character in the story for both the protagonist and the antagonist.

2.3.1.7. Round character

Round characters, unsurprisingly, are the opposite of flat characters. For readers, these are the characters you will put the most effort into following and understanding, and for writers, they are the most challenging to develop. Round characters are multidimensional, complex, nuanced, and often contradictory. Round characters don't have to be the main characters in a story, but they serve an important enough role in the plot or a subplot that giving their personalities multiple layers is a necessity.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA 2.4. Theme

The theme of a story is the aspect of „human dilemma‟ or central of idea and

the central of purpose, that it will explore betrayal, loyalty, self-worth, ambition,

jealousy, hypocrisy, and obsession. These are all valid themes that could be

explored. According Paul Procter (1979:1149) says that” theme is the subject of a

talk or piece of writing”.

There are is common thread or repeated idea that is incorporated throughout a

literary work. A theme is a thought or idea to author presents to the reader that may

be deep, difficult to understand, or even moralistic. Generally a theme has to be

extracted as the reader explores the passage of a work. The author utilizes the

characters, plot, and other literary device to assist the reader in this endeavor.

2.5. Plot

Plot is the storyline of a text. An author puts together a series of events to create a story. The sequence of that series of events is the plot. Typically, an author develops a plot in such a way to pique the reader‟s interest. That said, the storyline is not usually resolved until the near end of the text. It is literary term that refers to how narrative points are arranged to make a story understandable to the reader or observer.

According to Paul Procter (1979:834) says that” a lot is the set of connected events on which a story, play, film, etc. Roberts and Jacobs (1995: 88) called “plot as the controls governing, the development of the fiction.” While Stanton (1965: 26)

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA explained that “plot is the arrangement of events which have a causative relation among them.” The conflict may come from something external, like a dragon or an overbearing mother, or it may stem from an internal issue, such as jealousy, loss of identity, or overconfidence. As the character makes choices and tries to resolve the problem, the story's action is shaped and plot is generated. In some stories, the author structures the entire plot chronologically, with the first event followed by the second, third, and so on, like beads on a string. However, many other stories are told with flashback techniques in which plot events from earlier times interrupt the story's

"current" events.

Plot must be effective and it includes a sequence of incidents that bear a significant causal relationship to each other. Causality is an important feature of realistic fictional plot because something happens because of a result something else.

In other words, it's what mostly happened in the story or novel or what the story's general theme is based on, such as the mood, characters, setting, and conflicts occurring in a story. An intricate, complicated plot is known as an imbroglio, but even the simplest statements of plot can have multiple inferences, such as with songs the ballad tradition.

Talking about plot means we talk about the actions or events that are usually resolved at the end of a story. The fictional plot maybe a struggle between opposing forces, love and many others and it is usually resolved by the end if the story.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA Plot can be divided into two types, they are closed and open. This division is based on the way how an author presents the resolution of his story, they are:

1) Closed plot: in this type of the plot the end of the story is clear because the author presents a definite resolution of conflict. Most narrative works use closed plot, because the end of the story is clear, readers do not have to think a lot about it.

2) Open plot: this type of plot has little or no resolution at all. The author, however, creates some clues in the story that will lead his readers to conclude the resolution of the story. Crane in his work, The Concept of Plot states that any novel or drama represents a composite of three elements: action, character, and thought. Plot is, thus, the particular synthesis of the three elements divides into three kinds, a) Plot of Action: in this kind of plot the interest lies in “what happens next”, while the character and thought are portrayed minimally. We rarely, if ever, find any serious or intellectual issues. b) Plot of Character: this kind of plot deals with the process of change in the moral character of the protagonist. c) Plot of Thought: this kind of plot deals with the process of change in the thought of the protagonist and in his feeling.

In a well plotted story, things precede or follow each other not simply because time ticks away, but more importantly because effects follow causes. In a good story

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA nothing is relevant or accidental; everything is related and causative. The controlling impulse in a connected pattern of causes and effects is conflict which refers generally to people or circumstances that a character (often the protagonist) must face and try to overcome (often the antagonist). Conflict brings out the extremes of human energy, causing characters to engage in the decisions, actions, responses, and interactions that make up most stories. Conflict is the major elements of plot because opposing forces arouse curiosity, cause doubt, create tension, and produce interest.

2.6. Setting

Setting has an important role in a story it generally in clued the theme, place, and the social condition which have influence to the life. According to Abrams (in

Nurgiyantoro, 2002:216) says that” setting is also revered to as the foundation of the story, suggesting the sense of place, theme relationship, the social and environment, and the occurrence of events.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA 3. THE DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTHERS

3.1. The Character of Samantha Kingston

Samantha Kingston or more commonly known as Sam in the novel Before I

Fall is the protagonist in the novel. In the beginning of the novel Sam was just a regulars, and typical popular girl enjoying her last year of high school. She was bullied when she was younger because she liked horseback riding and her face got blotchy when she blushed however once Lindsay Edgecombe become her friend, her popularity bolted and she was part of the popular group. Sam‟s relationship with her family and people around her is strained. She ignores, and is annoyed by her little sister Izzy, has no relationship and doesn‟t talk with her parents and ignores her old friends because they aren‟t popular.

When Sam wakes up in her bed the next morning, she assumes that she survived the wreck, but as the day begins Sam realizes that the events of the previous day are repeating themselves: she is living Cupid Day all over again. Over the course of the next “week,” Sam will live out the events of Cupid Day again and again, and, as she struggles to understand what is happening to her and why, she begins reevaluating her role in the suffering and demeaning of many of her classmates, thinking about how she can try to turn things around and change the course of fate.

As Sam manipulates small or large aspects of her behavior on Cupid Day, attempting to avoid her own death, she realizes that it was Juliet Sykes she and her

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA friends hit in their car that first night: Juliet was suicidal, attempting to die by throwing herself into the road.

“I read once that you get déjà vu when the two

halves of your brain process things at different

speeds: the right half a few seconds before the left,

or vice versa. Science is probably my worst subject,

so I didn‟t understand the whole post, but that would

explain the weird double feeling that it leaves you

with, like the world is splitting in half or you are

that‟s the way I feel, at least: like there‟s a real me

and a reflection of me, and I have no way of telling

which is which”. (Samantha, p.110)

Sam connects with many classmates to whom she‟d never given the time of day, including the nerdy Kent McFuller (her childhood sweetheart), and even Juliet

Sykes herself. Sam eventually and somewhat begrudgingly realizes that she was never meant to use the repeating time loop to save herself she was always meant to try to redeem herself by saving Juliet, so she ultimately gives her own life to keep

Juliet from dying.

Throughout the book we see Sam change and appreciate everything around her. She tells her parents she loves them and stays home and eats dinner with them.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA She skips school to spend the day with her sister and hugs her tightly on her last day.

She also falls in love with Kent Mcfuller who she used to ignore because he was considered weird. Quote Samantha‟s point is:

“Maybe you can afford to wait. Maybe

for you there‟s a tomorrow. Maybe for

you there‟s one thousand tomorrows,

or three thousand, or ten, so much time

you can bathe in it, roll around in it let

it slide like coins through your finger.

So much time you can waste it. But for

some of us there‟s only today. And the

truth is, you never really know”.

(Samantha, p.268)

3.2. The Character of Lindsay

Lindsay is one of Sam‟s best friends and is the leader of Sam‟s friend group.

She is usually the one who tells the other girls to be mean to other people and is not willing to take people saying bad thing about her. Like Sam,she does not make very good decisions. For example, she is always willing to drive even went she is drunk.

Lindsay being drunk and not playing attention to the road caused the accident that killed Sam. Lindsay never really did anything nice for anyone and she made multiple

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA really stupid decisions. Lindsay Edgecombe is the “Queen Bee” of the school and the ringleader in her group of friends which include Sam.

She is Sam‟s best friend and Sam describes her as outgoing, and crazy. She is her groups designated driver, even though she isn‟t a good driver. Lindsay is also a very secretive character. She hates and bullies a girl named Anne and Juliet but her friends, and Sam copy her without understanding why she hates them. Sam also once walked in on Lindsay purging, but didn‟t talk about it at all after.

“I‟d be happy with fifteen, I say. It‟s a big deal how

many roses you get. You can tell who‟s popular and

who isn‟t by the number of roses they‟re holding.

It‟s bad if you get under ten and humiliating if you

don‟t get more than five basically means that you‟re

either ugly or unknown. Probably both. Sometimes

people scavenge for dropped roses to add to their

bouquets”. (Lindsay, p.98)

3.3. The Character of Elody

Elody was another one of Sam‟s best friend. She was kind of the happy go lucky of one the group, Flamboyant, confident, and somewhat promiscuous, Elody is the “nicest” member of their clique, according to Sam, though her playful and unabashed preoccupation with sex sometimes veers toward obsession, and her party-

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA animal personality seems to point to a deeper problem with and possibly an addiction to alcohol.

Nevertheless, Sam speaks of Elody fondly, and on the fifth night of the time loop, when Sam avoids driving home from the party with her friends and as a result

Elody, sitting in the passenger seat of Lindsay‟s car, is killed instead of Sam, Sam becomes wracked with horrible grief despite her knowledge that the loop will reset itself in the morning. Elody is a loyal friend, and her sunny, outgoing disposition stands in stark contrast to her friends‟ more prevalent cruelty and cliquey-ness. as she was always trying to have fun and she really didn‟t care about too much. Like the other girls, she was not very nice to her fellow classmates. She is carefree personality and she always wanted to have fun.

She has perfect and the clearest, richest, voice you can imagine like maple syrup pouring over warm pancakes, but doesn‟t ever show off and only sing on her own when she‟s in the shower. Once went a whole school year wearing at least one green item of clothing every single day and snorts when she laughs, which always makes sam.

3.4. The character of Rob

Rob is Sam‟s boyfriend. Like Sam, he is a party of popular crowd and does not always make the best decisions. It appears that all Rob cares about drinking and having sex with Sam. He is a bad boy, and he doesn‟t always treat her with respect

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA and he like to party. Sam tells herself that Rob is what she has always wanted— someone cool, attractive, and with social capital to boot. Sam ignores the fact that

Rob wouldn‟t give her the time of day for years, and actually teased her actively when they were younger.

As Sam travels through the time loop and repeats Cupid Day again and again, she has to figure out how to navigate her relationship with Rob as it deteriorates more and more each “day.” As Sam learns more about herself and begins the attempt to become a better person, to help people other than herself, and to figure out what kind of person she wants to be and to be remembered as she realizes that Rob simply isn‟t part of the picture. He seemed like he didn‟t even care about the feelings of Sam, as he was willing to get completely wasted on a night that was supposed to be special for Sam and him.

3.5. The Character of Kent Fuller

Kent was sweet boy who was in Sam‟s math class. He was not popular like

Sam because of that Sam stayed away from him at the beginning of the book. He sent a rose to Sam on cupid day and at the beginning of the book Sam didn‟t appreciate it and did not thank him for it. Eventually Sam and Kent become closer. Sam confided in him a lot towards the end of the book and seemed to be falling in love with him.

Kent McFuller is the love interest in the novel. He is a geek, not popular, and draws cartoons for the school newspaper. Sam was best friends with Kent when they were

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA children. Once when they were kids Kent‟s grandpa died, and he got made fun of for crying.

“I was going to tell you that you look beautiful with

your hair down. That‟s all I was going to say.”

Kent‟s voice is steady and low. He moves around

me to the head of the stairs, pausing just at the top.

When he turns back to me he looks sad, even though

he‟s smiling the tiniest bit. “You don‟t need to be

fixed, Sam.” He says the words, but it‟s like I don‟t

even hear them; it‟s like they go through my whole

body at the same time, like I‟m absorbing them from

the air, I‟m a nonperson, a shadow, a ghost.

Even before the accident I‟m not sure that I was a

whole person that‟s what I‟m realizing now. And

I‟m not sure where the damage begins”.(kent

mcfuller, p.98)

Sam stood up to the bully and Kent called her his hero. Kent told Sam that since that day he promised to be her hero. However once Lindsay adopted her into the popular crowd she left and ignored him because she thought she was better than him.

As Sam relives Cupids day over and over again she starts falling in love with Kent he is very dedicated to Sam,

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA And an offbeat but nonetheless likable nerd who attempts, despite the social divisions now dividing them, to connect with Sam even after all the years of estrangement between them. Kent throws a party on the night of Cupid Day, his parents are out of town, and, as he eventually reveals to Sam, he knew that if he had a party, she would probably show up to it.

At the beginning of the novel, Sam can hardly stand Kent, but as she relives

Cupid Day over and over again, she comes to see how deeply Kent cares for her and how easily he sees past the cool veneer she has crafted for herself over the years.

Despite her relationship with Rob, Sam begins developing feelings for Kent, and though she grows increasingly frustrated and disheartened by the repetition of the time loop, she begins looking forward to connecting with Kent every day. Kent is an empathetic and genuinely kind friend, whose reluctance to engage in the cruelty and social posturing that is the norm at his high school makes him a truly unique character. And really nice.

3.6. The Character of Juliet Sykes

Juliet is not a part of Sam‟s group of friend and she is the “weird” person at

Sam‟s school. Lindsay, Sam, Ally, and Elody all refer to Juliet at “psycho” and

“mellow yellow”. Juliet and Lindsay used to be best friend, but Lindsay weaknesses drew them a part. Juliet commits suicide in this book and does other thing to hurt

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA herself or get herself killed. Sam eventually tries to make decisions that are intended to save Juliet‟s life.

Juliet Sykes is a very important character in the novel. She is a victim of

Lindsay, and her groups bullying calling her psycho. a strange and quiet girl with no friends whose odd demeanor and unread ability have garnered her the nickname

“Psycho or perhaps the nickname, and the cruel bullying she endures at the hands of Lindsay, Sam, Ally, Elody, and virtually every other student in school are what have made her so silent and inscrutable.

At the party on the night of Cupid Day, Juliet shows up and makes a scene by berating Lindsay, Sam, Ally, and Elody for being “bitches.” The girls turn the tables on Juliet, however, and throw their drinks at her, and soon all of the other attendees are joining in. Juliet leaves, humiliated. That night, Sam and her friends get into a car accident, and the next morning, when Sam wakes up, she realizes that she is stuck in a time loop in which the events of Cupid Day are doomed to repeat themselves.

“Why didn't you say anything?” I ask, even

though I already know the answer. My voice

comes out hoarse from the effort of swallowing

back tears. Juliet shrugs. “She was my best

friend, you know? She was always so sad back

then.” Juliet makes a noise that could be a laugh

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA or a whimper. “Besides,” she says more quietly,

“I thought it would pass”. (Juliet. P. 27)

As Sam navigates day after day, she soon realizes that it is Juliet she and her friends hit with their car that very first night Juliet had been jumping out into the road, committing suicide. Juliet kills herself each night of the time loop, and though

Sam tries to stop her, she fails again and again. Eventually, Sam realizes that the purpose of her loop was never to save her own life it was only and always to save

Juliet‟s.

In the end, Sam is successful, and though Juliet hovers over Sam as she loses consciousness for the last time and proclaims that Sam saved her, Sam insists that it is

Juliet who saved her. Juliet‟s pain is explored more deeply with each “day” that goes by, and it eventually comes to light that Juliet and Lindsay had been close friends as young girls, but the friendship ended when Juliet, who had borne witness to

Lindsay‟s pain during her parents‟ divorce, was forced to bear the shame associated with Lindsay‟s having wet her sleeping bag on a Girl Scout trip when Lindsay blamed the incident on Juliet.

That shame and misery followed Juliet around for her entire life as a student, and Oliver uses the cruel irony and pettiness of the origin of Juliet‟s ostracizing as a way of highlighting the unforeseeable but often inescapable effects of cruelty and bullying, even between young children.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA We find out towards the end of the book that Lindsay and Juliet used to be friends, and Lindsay bullied her because she was scared Juliet would spill one of her secrets. Every day that Sam relives Juliet commits suicide after the party. Throughout the book Sam is trying to save Juliet and herself but every day she fails. On the last day Sam sacrifices her life for Juliet and pushes her out of the way of the oncoming traffic. Juliets say to Lindsay in the party.

“you hear me. Hey bitch. I mean girl.

A bad person.” Juliet turnsto ally

next. “you‟re hey bitch to.” To

Ellody, “ you‟re hey bitch. “she turn

her eyes to me and for a second I see

something flashing there something

familiar but just as quickly it‟s gone.”

(Juliet. P. 26)

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA 4. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

4.1. Conclusion

The writer to conclusion that the theme of the novel Before I Fall isappreciate life, and everything you have is extremely important. Learning to appreciate your life will help you really understand and be grateful for everything you have. We as humans don‟t understand or appreciate what we have till it‟s gone. Life is too short to live with regret. It‟s happening right now outside your screens. So just live.

The novel tells about a girl name Samantha Kingston which is trap in the same life over and over again. What will we do if we are just given one chance to change everything? Have we ever hopes to make that day back again to fix all the mistakes? Half of us really ever think about that. But what will we do if we just have one day for it? That‟s what try to be a story in “Before I fall”.

Sam has perfect family, but her life change after a party in the house of Sam‟s friend. At last, the character of Sam show to the reader that someone‟s choice is important she is really changes in the hole of the story of the novel. When in the beginning she trap and she doesn‟t believe to anyone except her close friend, but in the end she realize that her words is really important and become little bit better to the other people around her.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA 4.2. Suggestion

This study was made to discuss about the character, especially the main character name Samatha Kingston. She takes lesson to everything that happened in her life. The writer hope that the readers do the same thing as Samantha has done.

The writer realize that this study is not perfect yet and many mistakes, so the

writer hope the reader will give an advice and critics to build this study better in the

future.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dardjis, Desmal. 2008, The theories of the literature from the expert. Jakarta:

BumiAksara.

Grace, Eudia. 2007. Ahead An English from Robert and Friends. Jakarta: Erlangga.

Nurgiyantoro, 2002.Pengkajiankesastraan. Jakarta: Gramedia.

Teeuw, A. 2007.Sastra danilmu Sastra. Jakarta: BumiAksara.

Widiati, Utami. 2009. The elements of literary work. Jakarta: Bailmu.

Yanni, Di. 1990. The kind of literature and a basic character. Singapore: Mark Pint

Media. https://writingexplained.org/grammar-dictionary/plot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literature https://www.britannica.com/topic/language

(http://www.dosenpendidikan.com/16-pengertian-novel-menurut-para-ahli- terlengkap/ ) https://beforeifallisu.weebly.com/novel.html

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA APPENDICES

She was born in Queens and raised in Westchester, New York, in a small town very similar to the one her in Before I Fall. My parents are both literature professors, and from a very early age, my sister and she was encouraged to make up stories, draw, paint, dance around in costumes, and essentially spend much of their time living imaginatively. Their house was old and full of art and towers and towers of books, and that’s still the kind of house like best.

She started writing as a way of extending my love of reading; when she read a book she loved, she would continue to write sequels for it (she was inadvertently a fan fic writer, before “fan fiction” was even a term!). Later on, she began working on my own stories, and keeping company with a lot of imaginary friends.

She pursued literature and philosophy at the University of Chicago, and then moved back to New York to attend NYU’s MFA program in creative writing. she simultaneously began working at Penguin Books, in a young adult division called Razorbill, and while there, she started work on Before I Fall. I left in 2009 to pursue writing full-time, and now I happily work in my pajamas every day.

I have a variety of interests apart from writing, including reading, cooking, traveling, dancing, running, and making up weird songs. Some of my favorite things are: being cozy; fires; autumn; fuzzy slippers; very high heels; great wine; dark chocolate; ketchup; pasta. Things I hate: practical shoes, liars, and bananas. I divide my time between Brooklyn, upstate New York, and various hotel rooms.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA The Summary of the Story

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Would you change your actions, and way of thinking? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life? Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, and the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her dead and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

This is about Samantha Kingston, a 17 year old girl that dies in a car accident, but wakes up the next day, and relives the last day of her life 7 times. Throughout the book Sam begins to appreciate not only her friends, and family, but also her life. So the main theme in the novel is appreciating life.

Samantha together with her popular gang, Lindsay, Ally, and Elody, always bully to anyone that they don‟t like, doing everything that they like freely. The background of this story is the celebration of cupid day, so every student may to send roses each other true flower deliver which using cupid costume. They try to get rose as many as possible because it will make their position as the most popular student.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA Beginning the day when Samantha gets up little bit late, she is picked up to school by her friend Lindsay. After that, they pick also ally and Elody, they all start the day like usually, as if they will life forever.

In that day Sam does her standard day, cheating when quiz, teasing and bothering her math teacher, ignoring her childhood friend(can) that always send her rose, meeting her gang when lunch plus her boyfriend Rob(popular guy) in the school, bullying Juliet Sykes the girl who they call psycho when resting time. On that day can will have party in his house and day have to come. Arriving in can‟s house, the four girls spread to find there each couple until finally they all get together again and they are surprised by the appearance of Juliet Sykes. Lindsay wants to tease and bother Juliet when suddenly Juliet says‟ you‟re bitch!‟. It is the expression of Juliet‟s hate to Lindsay.

Lindsay reply by saying‟ I rather be a bitch than psycho‟. And then Lindsay command her friend to scream‟ psycho‟ again and again and push Julie‟s body and put drinks on it. Finally Juliet walk out from that house Sam is a little bit guilty but she ignored it.

They go home from the party together Lindsay drivers the car. On the sharp bend suddenly day car almost crash truck and on 12.39 the car is upside down.

Sam was dead in the car accident at the town where she was born, Ridgeview.

Sam can describe the terrific that for her. Strangely, Sam still lives on the next

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA morning with the memory of that which still flash in her mind. In the same day

Samantha is given opportunity to spend the day as the last day to reorganize her life.

The gradually she realize the reason why her destiny is to live again. But this moment happened seven times again and again until she really taken lesson about her life now.

Here is the last moment for Samantha Kingstone‟s life before she really died.

“Juliet! Juliet!” Sam know she‟s gotten a fair start and won‟t be able to hear Sam, but it makes Sam feel better call her name, makes the darkness all around Sam not feel so close and heavy.

Of course I‟ve forgotten the flashlight. Sam begin my combo shuffle run down the icy driveway, wishing Sam did decided to wear sneakers instead of my favorite olive leather wedge heeled dolce vita boots. At the same time, these are shoes to die for to die in.

The light of the house have winked out behind Sam, swallowed by the curves of the road and the tall spikes of the trees, when Sam think Sam hear someone calling her name. for the second Sam sure Sam have imagined it, or it‟s the only the sound of the wind through the branches. Sam pause, hesitating, and the Sam hear it again.

“Sam!” it sounds like Kent.

This throws Sam. Sam was pretty sure when he stalked away from me at the party that would be the end of it. Sam never expected he would actually follow Sam.

Sam consider turning around and going back to him. But there‟s no time. Besides,

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA Sam have said everything Sam can. For a moment, standing there in the freezing cold with the air burning my lungs and the rain pouring into Sam collar and down Sam back, Sam close her eyes and remember being with him in the warm, dry car surrounded on all sides by pouring rain. Samantha remember the kiss and a feeling of lifting, as though we were going to be swept away at any moment by a wave. When

Sam hear him call her name again it sound closer, and imagine him cupping her face and whispering to Sam. Sam.

Someone screams. Sam snap her eyes, her heart surging in her chest, thinking of Juliet. But then Sam hear a few voice calling to one another distant, still, a confusion of sound and Sam could swear the among them Sam hear Lindsay‟s voice.

But that‟s ridiculous. Samantha‟s imagining things and her wasting time.

I keep going toward the road. As Sam get closer Sam hear the roar of vehicles, the hiss of wheels against asphalt, both sounding like waves on beach. When I find

Juliet she‟s standing, drenched, her clothes clinging to her body, her arm floating loosely at her sides like the rain and the cold doesn‟t bother her at all.

“Juliet!”

She hears Sam then. She swivels her head sharply, like she‟s being called back to earth from somewhere else. Sam starts jogging toward her, hearing the low rumbling of an approaching truck going way to fast behind Samantha. She takes a quick step backward as Sam pick up speed, pin wheeling her arms to keep from

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA toppling over on the ice, she face coming alive when she sees Sam, full of anger and fear and that other thing, wonder.

The engine is louder now, a steady growl, and the driver leans on his horn.

The noise is huge: rolling, blasting around us, and filling the air with sound. Still

Juliet hasn‟t moved. She‟s just standing there, starting at Sam, shaking her head a little bit, we‟re long lost friend in a random airport somewhere in Europe and have just bumped into each other. It‟s so weird to see you here … isn‟t it funny how life works? small world.

Samantha closes the last few feet between us as the truck surges past, still blasting in horn. Sam grab onto her shoulders, and she takes a few stumbling steps backward into the woods, Sam momentum nearly carrying her off her feet. The sound of the horn ebbs away from us, taillights disappearing into the dark.

“Thank God,” Sam says, breathing hard. Her arms are shaking.

“What are you doing?” she seems to snap into herself, trying to wrench away from Sam. “Are you following me?”

“Sam thought you were going to…” Sam nods toward the road, and suddenly have the urge to hug Juliet, she‟s alive and solid and real under Sam hand. “Sam thought Sam wouldn‟t get to you in time.”

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA She stops struggling and looks at Sam for a long second. There no one cars the road and in the pause Sam hear it sharply, definitively: “Samantha Emily

Kingston!” It comes from the woods to her left, and there‟s only one person in the world who call Samantha by her full name. Lindsay Edgecombe.

Just then, like a chorus of birds rising up from the ground at the same time, comes the other voice, crowding one another: “Sam! Sam! Sam!” Kent, Ally, and

Elody, all of them coming through the woods towards us.

“What‟s going on?” Juliet looks really afraid now. Sam so confused Sam loosens her grip on Juliet shoulder and she twists away. “Why did you follow me?

Why can‟t you leave me alone?”

“Juliet.” I hold up my hands, a gesture of peace. “I just want to talk to you.”

“Sam have nothing to say.” She turns away from Sam and stalks back up toward the road.

Sam follow Juliet, feeling suddenly calm. The world around me sharpens and comes into clearer focus, and every time Sam hear her name bouncing through the woods it sounds closer and closer, and Sam think, Sorry. But this is right. This is how it has happen.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA How it was supposed to happen all along.

“You don‟t have to do this Juliet, Sam say to Juliet quietly. “you know it‟s not the right away.”

“You do know what I have to do,” she whisper back fiercely. You don‟t know. You could never understand.” She‟s starting at the road. Her shoulder blades are jutting out underneath her soaked T-shirt, and again Sam have the fantasy of a pair of wings unfurling behind Juliet, lifting Juliet away, carrying she out of danger.

“Sam! Sam! Sam!” the voice are close now, and diagonal beams of light zigzag through the woods. Sam hear footsteps, too, and branches snapping underfoot.

The road has been unusually clear of traffic, but now from both directions Sam make out the low growl or big engines. Samantha close her eyes and think of flaying

“I want to help you,” Sam say to Juliet, though I know that I can‟t make Juliet understand, not like this.

“Don‟t you get it? She turns to Sam, and she‟s crying, “I can‟t fixed, do you understand?”

Samantha thinks of standing on the stairs with Kent and saying exactly the same thing. Sam thinks of his beautiful light green eyes, and the way he said “you don‟t need to be fixed” and the warmth of his hands and the softness of his lips. Sam

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA thing of Juliet‟s mask and how maybe we all feel patched and stitched together and not quite right.

I‟m not afraid.

Dimly, Sam have sense of roaring in Sam ears and voice so closer and faces, white and frightened, emerging from the darkness, but Sam can‟t stop starting at

Juliet as she‟s crying, still so beautiful.

“It‟s too late,” Juliet says.

And Sam say, “It‟s too late.”

In the split second she‟s launched herself into the road, but she looks back, startled, recognition lighting up Juliet eyes. Then Sam‟s hurtling out behind Juliet.

Sam‟s slam into she back, and she goes shooting forward, rolling toward the opposite shoulder, just as two vans converge, about to pass each other. There‟s furious high whine and someone more than one person? Screams Samantha name and a feeling of heat all through Sam body and the sensation of being lifted, thrown, by a huge hand, a giant‟s hand; the earth revolves, turn upsides down and sideways, then a fog of the darkness eats up the edges of the earth, turning everything to dream.

Floating images, moving in and out: bright green eyes and field of sun warmed grass, a mouth saying, Sam, Sam, Sam, making sound like a song. Three

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA faces blooming together like flowers on single stem, names ebbing away from

Samantha, a single vaulted ceiling of church.

And a face about mine, white and beautiful, eyes as large as the moon. “You save me” Juliet say. A hand on Sam cheek, cool and dry. “Why did you save me?” words welling up on a tide: No. the opposite. Eyes the color of a dawn sky, a crown of blond hair, so bright and white and blinding Samantha could swear it was a halo.

How Samantha‟s is teaching us to appreciate the things we have I agree with.

A common yet unfortunate thing in human nature is when we don‟t appreciate what we have until it‟s gone. We are fortunate for many things that often we don‟t think about and take for granted. We take for granted that we have a warm house and bed to sleep in every night, we take for granted the food we eat every day, our parents who feed, clothe, shelter, and love us. We take for granted our friends, our school, and our lives. We take for granted that we can see, that we have arms, we take our life for granted. We go by everyday assuming everything to be there, our families, homes, lives. Throughout the seven days Sam repeats she realizes the many things she takes for granted and learns to appreciate them.

There are many questions make Samantha realize is her life is right or not. It is like, does her boyfriend is man that she really love? Or has she gives her many times to know her on family own?

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA Honestly the idea of the story is about the day over and over again to fix the mistake of main character has many times used in novel or film. But Lauren Oliver gives the strength of this story in the beautiful sentences” maybe you can afford to wait. Maybe for you there‟s a tomorrow. Maybe for you there‟s one thousand tomorrows, or three thousand, or ten, so much time you can bathe in it, roll around it, lets it slide like coins through your fingers. So much time you can waste. But for some of us there‟s only today.

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA