THE REFLECTION OF FITZGERALD’S LIFE IN TENDER IS THE NIGHT AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters By Sunardi Student Number : 934214035 Student Register Number : 930051120106130035 ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2000 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, I would like to thank God for giving me the strength to finally complete this thesis after all those problems that prevent me to finish this thesis. Because of His blessings that I finally could complete this thesis. Secondly, I would like to show my gratitude to Drs. Bambang Hendarto , M.Hum who has been willing to guide me in the beginning of writing this thesis. My deepest gratitude goes to Dra. Th. Enny A.. M.A. who is willing to spend her precious time to guide me in correcting and improving this study. Without their guidance, I will not be able to complete this thesis in time. I would like to show my deepest gratitude to my father and mother who have been patient enough in encouraging me to finish the thesis. Their prayers and blessing will always be in my heart. My special thanks also go to my sister and brother, I thank them for all their understanding and support. I dedicate this thesis to all of them to show my respect and love . Last but not the least, I would like to thank Utari, Hans, Yoesiantoro and Suryo who are continuously warning me with the dead line in submitting this paper. These guys are indeed friends, not a friend in need. Thanks for your encouragement in the last minutes before I am being dropped out from my study because of being unable to complete the thesis. Sunardi iv TABLE OF CONTENT PAGE OF TITLE…………………………………………………………………………..i PAGE OF APRROVAL…………………………………………………………………..ii PAGE OF APRROVAL………………………………………………………………….iii ACKNOWLEDGMENT………………………………………………………………....iv TABLE OF CONTENT…………………………………………………………………..v ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………..vii ABSTRAK……………………………………………………………………………...viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………...1 A. Background of the Study…...…………………………………………1 B. Problem Formulation………………………………………………….5 C. Objectives of the Study……………………………………………….5 D. Benefits of the Study………………………………………………….6 II THEORETICAL REVIEW………………………………………………...7 A. Elements of Literature...……………………………………………….7 B. Literature and Biography……………………………………………...9 C. The Biography of Fitzgerald…………………………………………11 III METHODOLOGY………………………………………………………..17 IV ANALYSIS…….…………………………………………………………..21 A. The elements of the story which reflect Fitzgerald’s life………...….21 A.1. Setting………………………………………………………......22 A.2. Characters………………………………………………………28 A.3. Theme……………………………………………………….….41 v B. Fitzgerald’s intentions in writing Tender Is the Night……………....42 V Conclusion………………………………………………………………...…46 BIBLIOGRAPY…………………………………………………………………………49 APPENDIX………………………………………………………………………….…..50 vi ABSTRACT Sunardi : The Reflection of Fitzgerald’s life in Tender Is the Night Tender Is the Night is Fitzgerald’s longest and most ambitious novel intended to become his masterpiece. The novel reveals the tragic story of a man who is ruined by his own faults. It is the story about the young and clever psychiatrist who marries his wealthy mental patient because his need of being needed by her and because he likes to enter the top class society. The novel itself strongly reflects the biography of the author although the author still uses his creative invention in writing the book. The objectives of this study is to find out which elements of the story which reflects the life of the author and what is the intentions of the author in writing the novel by putting his own life into the story. The approach used to analyze this thesis is the biographical approach. In order to find out what are the similarities and differences between the novel and the author’s life, we have to know the life of the author thoroughly. The biographical approach seems to be the most appropriate tool in comparing and analyzing the novel and the life of the author. From the analysis we will be able to see how sometimes author is inspired by his own life in writing his book. Conclusively, the setting, characters, and theme of Tender is the Night are analyzed as the elements of the novel that reflect Fitzgerald’s life. The setting of the novel is taken from Fitzgerald’s experience while staying in Europe. The major characters of the novel are also inspired by Fitzgerald’s life. The theme of the novel is directly drawn from Fitzgerald’s life story, specially about the decline of his writing career. From the study of the novel and the life of Fitzgerald, we can see that Fitzgerald writes the novel as to reveal his heroic feeling and his decline in writing caused by the domestic problems with his wife . Fitzgerald puts his life into the story as he wants his readers to understand how much troubles he has been facing in completing the novel in nine years. He also wants his readers to learn that being disillusioned with something we wish to have will only lead us to an unhappy life. vii ABSTRAK Sunardi : The Reflection of Fitzgerald’s life in Tender Is the Night Tender Is the Night adalah novel Fitzgerald yang paling panjang and ambisius yang di harapkan menjadi puncak karyanya. Novel ini mengungkapkan cerita tragis tentang seseorang yang jatuh karena kesalahannya sendiri. Buku ini bercerita tentang seorang dokter yang mau mengawini pasiennya yang menderita sakit jiwa dan kebetulan kaya raya. Dokter itu mau kawin dengan pasien itu dengan alasan karena dia akan merasa selalu dibutuhkan oleh seseorang dan dia juga akan memasuki klas sosial yang tinggi. Buku ini sendiri secara kuat merefleksikan kisah hidup yang di alami pengarangnya walau pengarang buku ini masih malakuakn kreasi dalam menuliskan pengalaman hidupnya. Tujuan dari penulisan skripsi ini adalah untuk mencari bagian-bagian dari novel ini yang secara meyakinkan merefleksikan kisah hidup pengarangnya dan juga untuk menemukan apa tujuan pengarang dalam menulis novel ini. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan biografi. Untuk mengetahui persamaan dan perbedaan antara buku ini dan hidup pengarangnya, kita harus mengetahui secara detil biografi pengarang buku ini. Pendekatan biografi sangat tepat di pakai dalam menganalisa skripsi yang bertujuan untuk melihat sejauh mana buku ini mengungkapkan kisah hisup pengarangnya. Sebagai kesimpulannya, dengan membandingkan antara seting, karakter, dan tema dari novel in dengan kisah hidup pengarangnya. Setind dalam novel ini ditulis Fitzgerald berdasarkan pengalamannya ketika dia menetap di Eropa. Karakter utama dalam buku ini juga merupakan tuangan inspirasi Fitzgerald baik dengan hidupnya sendiri, istrinya, dan orang lain yang dia pernah kenal. Tema novel juga merupakan gambaran kisah tragis hidup Fitzgerald.Dari perbandingan antara novel ini dengan hidup pengarangnya, kita bisa melihat bahwa Fitzgerald menulis buku ini dengan tujuan untuk mengungkapkan perasaannya yang berjiwa satria, dan kisah kehancuran karier menulisnya yang disebabkan oleh masalah rumah tangga dengan istrinya. Fitzgerald banyak menuliskan kisah hidupnya dalam buku ini juga dengan tujuan agar para pembacanya bisa mengerti betapa banyak masalah dalam hidup yang harus dia hadapi dalam menyelesaikan novel in selama sembilan tahun. Fitzgerald juga ingin agar para pembacanya bisa mengambil pelajaran bahwa kalau kita terilusi untuk menginginkan sesuatu hal yang sulit kita capai, akhirnya kita akan menderita sendiri. viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study Literature is a reflection of human life since it presents and brings its readers back to the reality of life. Although it is the reflection of human life, literature does not merely copy life as it is. It is always recreated in a new and different way. Literature is also presented in an interesting and beautiful way. Indeed it enchants us to read it. Literature is needed in our lives because it pleases us. We like reading any literary works since there are some impulses behind our need of reading the works. In Understanding to the Study of Literature William Henry Hudson declares that we enjoy reading literary works because it is important for our self-expression, for our interest in what other people do, for our interest in the reality of world in which we live, for our fulfillment of our imagination, and for our love of its form and beauty. ( 1958:11 ) Literature is able to please us because what is expounded there is about our own lives. It is a kind of mirror that reflects ourselves. It is the nature of every man that we are interested in and curious about the way people live their lives. Trough literature we can see how people live with their cultural background differently. In his book, Understanding Fiction, Francis Conolly says: We read because of a hunger for information, or amusement, or solace, because of an appetite for truth that seems to grow by what it feeds on. Men read to discover themselves in their world, to assert special roles in the universe, to learn the meaning of the personal struggles in which they are engaged. ( 1955:1 ) 1 2 Literature is then created because it fulfils our need of pleasures and aesthetic feelings by imitating our lives or created life from the process of creative invention of the authors. In writing his works, usually an author uses either his experience in life or his imagination in order to dramatize his works or to make them more interesting. Trough literature we will learn a great deal of things. We may learn the cultural context which is completely new and different from our daily life and activities. We may even encounter with people from different social background and culture. Indeed, literature is very rich with the disparities between one culture and another. Literature also enables us to recognize human problems and struggles as to help us develop our mature sensibility and compassion for all aspects of our lives. Literature will provide us with abundant knowledge, understanding, and perception of which of course helpful in our process of growing mature and wise.