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Narrative and Characterization Techniques in Sue Monk Kidd's

Narrative and Characterization Techniques in Sue Monk Kidd's

Anya Pritafania And Techniques In Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life Of Bees (An Analysis With Narratological Approach)

Narrative and Characterization Techniques in Sue Monk Kidd’s Novel The Secret Life Of Bees (An Analysis with Narratological Approach)

Anya Pritafania English Language and Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia [email protected]

ABSTRACT: This research analyzes narrative techniques in Sue Monk Kidd’s novel The Secret Life of Bees (2002) by using Barry’s version (2002) of Genette’s theory (1980). The purpose of the research is to identify how the story is narrated and how the narrative constructs the main as evidenced in the novel. By applying the theory, this research attempts to gain insights into how the narrative is presented to the reader in the form of first person . This research employs a descriptive qualitative method. This research finds that the story The Secret Life of Bees is narrated through six narrative categorizations: narrative level, narrative time, narrative voice, focalization, narrative of words, and narrative mode. Moreover, the narrative constructs the main character through four methods of : physical , and actions, thoughts and feelings, and what other characters’ say about the main character. This research implies that the story The Secret Life of Bees is well organized. The use of first person narrative and the presence of child character who is also the narrator have made the story interesting and easy to follow. Furthermore, the development of the main character also plays a crucial role in giving the clue to the story’s meaning and successfully covers the major of the story.

Keywords: Narrative techniques, Barry’s Version (2002) of Genette’s narratology theory (1980), Narrative Categorizations, Characterization, Methods of Characterization

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INTRODUCTION structure of or the way Narrative involves an or an stories are told. Of many different event to be told. People in general narratology theories, Barry believes often associate narrative with literary that Genette’s theory of narratology types, like , short stories, fairy (1980) is considered as one of the tales, or folk tales. As a most valuable theories, because the widespread activity which is closely work has as its focus, not the story related to the acts of telling and re- itself, but rather the process of telling telling, narrative can have numerous the story itself (Barry, 2002: 151). variety of structures that produce Concerning to Genette’s theory, different kinds of effects and Barry provides six basic questions responses. In specific, narrative can which possibly cover the main areas be found in a text, such as literary discussed by Genette. First, how is text. In relation to this, Thwaites, the story ‘packaged’? this question Davis, and Mules (1994:114), state deals with the analysis of narrative that complements level. According to Barry (2002), texts in three ways: it depicts the can be divided into primary sequences of events or ideas in a story and secondary narratives. The by foregrounding their movement primary narrative refers to the through the passing of time, narrative that comes first in the story, emphasizes a network of social but it does not mean the main meanings by transforming events into narrative of the story. The secondary actions performed by characters, and narrative, in fact, is usually the main offers the kinds of pleasure and story, although it comes after and is enjoyment to the readers. embedded into the primary narrative. The study of narrative is The second question proposed commonly called narratology. by Barry is: how is time handled in According to Barry (2002: 145), the story? This question deals with narratology is not the reading and the analysis of narrative time in order interpretation of individual stories, to understand how time reference but rather the attempt to study the determines the order of events in the

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Anya Pritafania Narrative And Characterization Techniques In Sue Monk Kidd’s Novel The Secret Life Of Bees (An Analysis With Narratological Approach)

story. For instance, a often uses everything because the narrator has an technique to relate an event access to enter the minds and which happened in the past and flash emotions of more than one character forward technique to present the in the story. The term internal future events. focalization refers to a narrative Barry’s third question is: who which is focused on the is telling the story? This question consciousness of a single character deals with the analysis of narrative and it only tells what the character voice. According to Abbott (2008: ‘thinks’ and ‘experiences’, whereas 70), “voice in narration is a question the external focalization refers to a of who it is we “hear” doing the narrative in which everything is narrating.” There are two possible narrated from the viewpoint of a types of narrators which emerge in narrator who is completely located the story, one is the kind of narrator outside of the story and focuses on who is not identified as neither a what the characters ‘say’ and ‘do’. character nor the author’s voice in the The fifth question is: how are story. The other one is a narrator who speech and thought represented? This is identified as a character and takes question deals with Genette’s idea of part in telling the events of the story. narrative of words. Genette (1980) The fourth question is: how is introduces three modes of speech the narrative focalised? This question representation in narrative, such as deals with the analysis of focalization narratized, transposed, and mimetic or viewpoint from which a narrative speech. Considering that Genette’s is presented. There are three types of terms are too general, Barry (2002) focalization as suggested by Genette provides another options which (1980: 10), those are zero, internal, hopefully can be a useful indicator for and external focalization. Zero analyzing the representation of focalization is often called as a character’s speech and thought in classical narration. It is used to narrative by introducing the terms, describe a narrative in which the such as ‘direct and tagged’, ‘direct narrator is the one who knows

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and untagged’, ‘direct and selectively character in the novel. Character is tagged’, and ‘tagged indirect speech’. one of the essential elements in a The sixth question is: is the story. Characters’ traits and roles are basic narrative mode ‘mimetic’ or shaped based on how they are ‘diegetic’? This question deals with described and how they in a story. Genette’s ideas of narrative mode. Characters may perform various The terms and are functions in a story. Different types of often paraphrased as ‘showing’ and characters perform different roles in a ‘telling’. Barry (2002: 151) says that: narrative process. Mimesis can be regarded as ‘slow Forster (1927) states that telling’, in which what is done and based on the personality they possess, said is staged for the readers, characters in a novel are either creating the illusion that they are relatively flat (simple) or round seeing and hearing things for (complex). Flat characters are often themselves. By , diegesis static in which they do not grow means ‘telling’ or ‘relating’, in emotionally from beginning to the which the narrator just says what end of the story. Round characters, happens, without trying to show it as it happens. however, are much harder to However, in reality, many understand and describe because they often use the two modes in have multiple personality traits. tandem for strategic reasons. This is Another way of classifying because an entirely mimetic novel characters in the story is by looking will tend to be a very long story and through the roles they . an entirely diegetic novel will tend to Altenbernd and Lewis (1966: 59) be a summary of a story. Therefore, a state that according to their roles in combination of the two modes is the story, characters can be classified needed in order to create a good story. into and . Furthermore, this research also Protagonist is the central character in applies the characterization analysis the story which can be directly to the way the narrative identified by the readers and often constructs the personality of the main claimed as a good character (the hero

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Anya Pritafania Narrative And Characterization Techniques In Sue Monk Kidd’s Novel The Secret Life Of Bees (An Analysis With Narratological Approach)

or heroine). By contrast, antagonist is different from other characters. the (the anti-hero) or the Myers-Shaffer (2002: 175) argues character who is blocking the hero’s that “the basis of characterization is way. the revelation of the character’s Characters can be regarded as identifying traits, the mental and people in narratives. Although ethical (including ) traits sometimes characters may not always (qualities or characteristics) of the be people, they may be animals, individual.” Therefore, good robots or other creatures, the characterization is that one which can writer gives them human ability and give vivid images to the readers. psychological traits. Thus, we can Practically, both characters consider them as people but in a and characterization are the crucial different form. Characters are created elements in elements in making a by writer for different purposes to story interesting. Characters help the build a story. In the novel The Secret writer and the readers connect each Life of Bees, the writer creates the other within a story. In relation to main character, Lily Melissa Owens, this, Werlock (2010) explains that to generate the theme of the story. As there are two major methods of the central figure who depicts every characterization, which are ‘direct’ single event of the story entirely from (telling) and ‘indirect’ (showing). In her own perspective, Lily’s traits are direct presentation, the writer makes the most interesting elements to be direct statements about the character’s analyzed, because through her traits personality and simply tells what kind we can understand the writer’s of person the character is, whereas, in intention in making the story. indirect presentation, the writer shows The way the writer creates and us what the character is like by develops characters in a story is often describing the character’s physical defined as characterization. appearance, showing what the Generally, characters in a story are character says (words) and does created within certain traits or (actions), revealing the character’s qualities that make them unique and inner thoughts and feelings, and

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showing the relationship between the FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION character and the other characters. 1. Narrative categories and how the story is narrated In conducting the research, the This part focuses on the elaboration writer employs a descriptive and analysis which best answer the qualitative method. Therefore, the first research question: how is the data of the research are in the form of story narrated as evidenced in the words, clauses, comments and novel? Based on the analysis of dialogues of the main characters narrating techniques employed by the which are collected by reading the writer, the research finds that there novel thoroughly, then selecting the are six techniques used in the novel parts which serve as textual evidence. The Secret Life of Bees: narrative level, narrative time, narrative voice, METHODOLOGY focalization, narrative of words, and This research aims to investigate how narrative mode. narrative makes meaning of a story. More specifically the following a. Narrative level research questions have guided the Based on the analysis, The Secret Life inquiry: (1) how is the story narrated of Bees consists of one primary in the novel?, and (2) how does the narrative and several embedded narrative construct the main narratives. The use of embedded character? Thus, by applying Barry’s narratives in the novel successfully version of Genette’s narratology increases the complexity of the story. theory and methods of Barry (2002: 153) believes that characterizations, this research “stories are not always presented attempts to analyze the way the story ‘straight’. Often writers make use of is narrated in the novel and the way ‘frame narratives’ (also called the narrative constructs the main ‘primary narratives’), which contain character. within them ‘embedded narratives’ (also called ‘secondary narratives’).” In The Secret Life of Bees, Kidd as

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Anya Pritafania Narrative And Characterization Techniques In Sue Monk Kidd’s Novel The Secret Life Of Bees (An Analysis With Narratological Approach)

the writer has a unique way in technique arouses readers’ curiousity presenting her story. Kidd develops and makes them want to read the the use of embedded narratives fully story more. Therefore, it cannot be in the form of dialogues between denied that flashback and flash forward characters. There are five embedded techniques play a significant role in the narratives found in the story, those development of the story. At one point, are; the story of Beatrix, Our Lady of flash forward technique helps the Chains statue, August’s younger narrator to jump forward occasionally sisters, the story of Big Mama, and to the future events, meanwhile, the Aristaeus. Thus, the novel The Secret flashback keeps readers’ curiousity and Life of Bees can be said as complex encourages them to continue their narrative text in a sense that it reading until the end of the story. contains more than one embedded narratives. c. Narrative voice The voice in The Secret Life of Bees b. Narrative time is identified as the main character who participates in the overall events Although The Secret Life of Bees is of the story or in Genette’s terms is categorized as a complex narrative text, the readers can still enjoy and called as a homodiegetic narrator. The follow the story.The main reason is impact of a homodiegetic narrator is the writer’s choice of the use of first because the story is dominated by the person pronoun “I” in the story which use of flash forward technique, so that the events of the story are mostly makes the readers hard to determine narrated in chronological order which the distinction between the voice of the narrator and the voice of the main makes the readers easy to understand character. what the story conveys to them. Since The Secret Life of Bees In addition to this, the story is written in first person, it gives the readers a sense of closeness to the The Secret Life of Bees becomes more main character, Lily. As the narrator, interesting when Kidd adds flashback technique in her writing. This Lily has the advantage to narrate all

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of the details instead of keeping it as the story (due to the use of first secrets. First person narration also person pronoun ‘I’) and they can also catches the readers’ attention, so that get right into Lily’s mind. the readers can feel deeply connected Nevertheless, this kind of to the narrator who also acts as the focalization also has disadvantages in main character in the story. which what is told by the narrator about the other characters may not d. Focalization always be objective and the readers The story The Secret Life of Bees is may question whether the narrator told from a single character’s point of can be trusted or not. Therefore, the view in which the narrator takes a readers’ vision may be restricted into great control in telling the story. believing only what is conveyed by According to Genette (1980: 10), this the narrator. type of viewpoint is commonly called as internal focalization. The impact of e. Narrative of words the choice of this focalization is that One of the crucial things in the the story is focused on the main analysis of narrative deals with the character’s consciousness and only analysis of the ways in which the tells what the main character ‘thinks’ characters’ statements and thoughts and ‘experiences’. As a result, the are presented in a text (Herman and narrator has a limited access to know Vervaeck, 2005: 23). Generally, a about the other characters’ feelings half of the narration in The Secret Life and thoughts. of Bees appears in the form of The major advantage of the dialogues. There are three types of use of internal focalization in The speech which were mainly adopted in Secret Life of Bees is that the readers The Secret Life of Bees; those are become very intimate with the main ‘direct, tagged’, ‘direct, untagged’, character because everything narrated and ‘direct, selectively tagged’. is filtered through Lily’s viewpoint. The ‘direct, tagged’ speech Besides, the focalization also makes occurs when the actual words are the readers feel like they are a part of given (inside the inverted commas)

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Anya Pritafania Narrative And Characterization Techniques In Sue Monk Kidd’s Novel The Secret Life Of Bees (An Analysis With Narratological Approach)

and then followed by the tagged f. Narrative mode phrase which indicates the name of The direct presentation of speech and the speakers, whereas in the ‘direct, actions also affect the narrative mode untagged’ speech, the name of the used in the novel. In narrating a story, speakers are not explicitly tagged there are two types of modes that can (Barry, 2002: 154). The use of the be used by a writer; mimetic ‘direct, untagged’ speech in the novel (‘showing’ or ‘slow telling’) and creates the impression that the diegetic (‘summarizing’) modes. In dialogue is fastmoving and it specific, The Secret Life of Bees emphasizes more on the information narration uses mimetic mode to make given rather than on the presence of the story become more real, alive, and the speakers. vivid. This mode works by Moreover, in the story the dramatizing the narrative through dialogues also appear in another form telling the story slowly and the direct of speech which is the ‘direct, speech used gives the readers an selectively tagged’. The speech is illusion as if they are 'seeing' and called ‘direct, selectively tagged’ 'hearing' the events described for because the first utterance is tagged themselves (Barry, 2002). but the second one is not. In addition Actually, a longer form of to this, it can be said that the writer’s narrative, such as Kidd’s novel The choice of words in The Secret Life of Secret Life of Bees combines both Bees is greatly influenced by the diegetic and mimetic modes. As presence of a child character, Lily. As Herman and Vervaeck (2005: 15) the narrator, Lily plays a crucial role argues that “summaries always have in the development of the story their mimetic aspects, and mimetic because everything is narrated representation always has moments of through her personal point of view. summary as well.” In The Secret Life Consequently, the words used in the of Bees, the writer uses mimetic mode overall events are mostly simple to illustrate both the dialogues and rather than complex ones. actions of the characters in detail which tends to make the events

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longer. However, diegetic mode in Meanwhile, the indirect the story is also employed by the presentation occurs when the writer writer to summarize events and shows the readers what kind of person hidden conversation. Lily is by showing Lily’s dialogue and actions, revealing Lily’s private thoughts and feelings, and showing the other characters’s comments 2. Methods of Characterization of about Lily. Through the analysis of Lily Melissa Owens Lily’s dialogues and action, and Lily’s private thoughts and feelings, This part covers the elaboration and the research finds that Lily is analysis which best answer the characterized as a brave, stubborn, second research question: how does and curious person although she often the narrative construct the main feels of so much alone, character? According to the analysis, unwanted, unpopular, friendless, and the novel The Secret Life of Bees motherless. Nevertheless, the other constructs the main character through characters’ opinion has revealed the four methods of characterization, other side of Lily’s personality which which are physical appearance, are charming, smart, and lovable. dialogue and actions, thoughts and From the overall traits, Lily’s feelings, and what other characters’ curiousity is the one which is say about the main character. developed significantly in the story. In terms of revealing the main Lily is very curious with everything character traits, the story uses two related to her mother’s secret life. major methods of characterization, Therefore, Lily’s curiousity not only which are ‘direct’ (telling) and suggests the title and the theme of the ‘indirect’ (showing) methods. The story but also has made the story direct presentation of Lily occurs become much more interesting. The when Lily simply told the readers direct and indirect methods also how she looks like, dresses, and how reveal the development of Lily’s she feels about her appearance. personality in the story. Through her

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Anya Pritafania Narrative And Characterization Techniques In Sue Monk Kidd’s Novel The Secret Life Of Bees (An Analysis With Narratological Approach)

interactions with the other characters, forward techniques has given a Lily’s personality changed gradually significant contribution to the order of from a weak person to someone who events in the story. The research also gains strength in her independence finds that The Secret Life of Bees is and she realizes that she is no longer narrated through a single character’s motherless. point of view or commonly called as internal focalization which makes the CONCLUSIONS narrator able to reveal only her This research has elaborated its personal thoughts and feelings findings which answer the main because she has a limited access to questions of how the story is narrated know for certain the other characters’ in the novel and how the narrative minds. constructs the main character. The In constructing the main previous chapter shows that The character, the story The Secret Life of Secret Life of Bees (2002) is narrated Bees uses both the direct (“telling”) through six narrative categorizations, and indirect (“showing”) methods of those are narrative level, narrative characterization to reveal Lily time, narrative voice, focalization, Melissa Owen’s traits. The direct narrative of words, and narrative method occurs when Lily simply tells mode. In addition to this, the narrative the readers about her physical look. constructs the main character through On the other hand, Lily’s traits are four methods of characterization; also shown through the use of indirect physical description, dialogue and method of characterizations, such as actions, thoughts and feelings, and dialogues and actions, thoughts and what other characters’ say about the feelings, and what other characters’ main character. say about the main character. Based on the findings, The The close analysis of narrative Secret Life of Bees can be said as a technique and character development complex narrative text in a sense that in The Secret Life of Bees reveals that it contains more than one narrative the story is well organized. The levels. The use of flashback and flash overall events are narrated in a

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chronological order by employing not, and she has a great hole in her both flashback and flash forward heart since the death of her mother techniques. Moreover, the use of which has also left her with so many direct presentation of speech plays a secrets. Therefore, the development crucial role to the development of of Lily’s traits is the clue to the mimetic mode in the novel. By using story’s meaning and has successfully direct presentation of speech, the covered the major theme of the story. mimetic mode can reach its dramatic The analysis of narrative effects and give the readers a sense of technique in Sue Monk Kidd’s novel intimacy and closeness. The Secret Life of Bees can be a The presence of a child starting point for a future character also affects the writer’s investigation and therefore it is choice of words in the novel. As the expected to motivate readers to be main character, Lily, who is a more critical in reading narrative fourteen-year-old girl, takes a great texts. Thus, readers can get better control in narrating every single event understanding about how meanings of the story through her personal are produced in narratives and other point of view. Therefore, the story literary texts through some mostly consists of simple sentences narratological categories. rather than complex ones. ‘In regard with the findings, Furthermore, the main character also the researcher suggests that the allows the readers to enter her inner future research investigate narrative world so that they can be the one who techniques in a comprehensive way. understand her traits the most. An analysis of narrative technique in Like a human being, the main films, for example, can be a good character undergoes certain changes topic to be investigated. Therefore, as she learn from the problems she the researcher expects that such has experienced. In the story, Lily research will provide another faces an internal which leads variation in narratological analysis her to struggle with her own soul in order to enhance the study of whether she can tell her life secrets or narrative techniques.

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Anya Pritafania Narrative And Characterization Techniques In Sue Monk Kidd’s Novel The Secret Life Of Bees (An Analysis With Narratological Approach)

Genette, G. (1980). Narrative REFERENCES Discourse: An in Method. New York: Cornell University Press. Abbott, H. P. (2008). The Cambridge Herman, L. and Vervaeck, B. (2005). Introduction to Narrative Handbook of Narrative (Second Edition). New York: Analysis. Lincoln: University Cambridge University Press. of Nebraska Press.

Altenbernd, L. and Lewis, L.L. Myers-Shaffer, C. (2000). The (1996). A Handbook for the Principle of Literature: A Study of . New York: Guide for Readers and Macmillan. Writers. New York: Barron's Educational Series, Inc.

Barry, P. (2002). Beginning Theory: Thwaites, T., Davis, L., and Mules, An Introduction to Literary W. (1994). Tools for Cultural and Cultural Theory (Second Studies: An Introduction. Edition). Manchester: Melbourne: Macmillan Manchester University Press. Education Australia Pty Ltd.

Forster, E. (1927). Aspects of the Werlock, A. H. (2010). The Facts on Novel. New York: Harcourt, File Companion to the Inc. American (Second Edition). New York: Facts on File, Inc.

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