THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MINOR CHARACTERS IN DEVELOPING THE PLOT AS SEEN IN DAN BROWN’S DA VINCI CODE AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters By CITA PARAMITA WIJAYA Student Number: 054214052 ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2010 THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MINOR CHARACTERS IN DEVELOPING THE PLOT AS SEEN IN DAN BROWN’S DA VINCI CODE AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters By CITA PARAMITA WIJAYA Student Number: 054214052 ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2010 i ii iii Dream as if you will live forever Live as if you will die tomorrow iv This is for Amak and Papa v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to thank my awesome lecturer, Dewi Widyastuti, S. Pd., M. Hum and my co-advisor, Elisa Wardani, S.S., M. Hum., This thesis will not be complete without your guidance and advice. I would like to thank Amak, and Papa. If my gratitude were symbolized as people then it would be the citizen of People Republic of China. I would also like to thank these people who happens to come out of the same womb as me or I would like to call them “my siblings”: Andri a.k.a. Tua Hia, Benny a.k.a. Dji Hia, Debby a.k.a. Babi. Next gratitude is for my friends in Pondok Melati: Artis, Etul Setiatul, Ci Vindot, Dotul, Carlita Dada, Nyonya Hong, Ci Nora (Cina Norak), Ci Her a.k.a. Cebol, Awa, and the legendary Tuyul (Magic Mini Devil). My friends around campus: Pispot, Oriwati, Irone, Dimas, Debor, Poetry, DP, Jimbo, Butet, Weni, Nani, Priska, Acoy, The Underpanters, people in String Movie Maniacs, Earnest and the Gang, the Greasers and others kids that I can not remember because there are too many of them, but they are always be in my memory. I will be sorry if I do not mention these people: Kim “Kimbo” Beazley (the Wizard of Oz), Pak Baik, Neng Ce. My gratitude also goes to my late best friends: Kuki, and Nicky. At last, I want to thank God for creating such things as human brain. Cita Wijaya vi vii TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE .......................................................................................................... i APPROVAL PAGE ................................................................................................ ii ACCEPTANCE PAGE ........................................................................................... iii MOTTO PAGE ....................................................................................................... iv DEDICATION PAGE ............................................................................................ v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................... vi LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ................................ vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................... viii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. ix ABSTRAK ............................................................................................................... x CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 1 A. Background of the Study .............................................................................. 1 B. Problem Formulation .................................................................................... 3 C. Objectives of the Study ................................................................................. 3 D. Definition of Terms ....................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ......................................................... 5 A. Review of Related Study .............................................................................. 5 B. Review of Related Theories .......................................................................... 7 1. Theory of Character and Characterization .......................................... 7 2. Theory of plot ..................................................................................... 12 C. Theoretical Framework ................................................................................. 19 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ...................................................................... 20 A. Object of the Study ....................................................................................... 20 B. Approach of the Study .................................................................................. 21 C. Method of the Study ...................................................................................... 22 CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ................................................................................... 24 A. The Characterization of the Minor Characters .............................................. 24 B. The Development of the Plot ........................................................................ 40 C. The Contribution of Minor Characters in Developing the Plot .................... 46 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION .............................................................................. 58 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................... 61 viii ABSTRACT CITA PARAMITA WIJAYA. The Contribution of Minor Characters in Developing the Plot as Seen in Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2009. There are many aspects that help building a literary work. Even to the smallest aspect like minor characters can help in constructing the plot in the story. These two aspects, minor characters and plot, are related to each other because without the presence of each aspect, the story will not be perfect. The novel, The Da Vinci Code shows a good example of how minor characters can help developing the plot of the story. The main purpose of this study is done in three steps. The first is by finding the characterization of the minor characters by using the facts given in the story. The next step is by finding how the plot of the story develops. The last step is by discovering the contribution of the characterization of the minor characters to the development of the plot. The last step is obtained by relating the finding in the first step to the second step. In order to find the answer to the problem formulation, the writer uses library research method. Several books about related theories and related studies are used. The approach that is used the New Criticism approach because this study is analyzing the intrinsic elements of the story. The result of this analysis is the minor characters are playing an important role in developing the plot. After the characterization of each minor characters and how the plot is developed are obtained, the final step is taken by using the facts taken from previous answer of the problem formulation. Each of the minor characters with their own characteristics is proven to be playing their part in constructing the plot. Their contribution can be seen from their action, decision and background. The plot develops through the complications and climax that they make. ix ABSTRAK CITA PARAMITA WIJAYA. The Contribution of Minor Characters in Developing the Plot as Seen in Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2009. Terdapat banyak aspek yang dapat membantu membangun suatu karya sastra. Bahkan ke aspek terkecil seperti tokoh-tokoh minor sekalipun dapat membantu membangun alur cerita. Dua aspek ini, tokoh-tokoh minor dan alur cerita, berhubungan satu sama lainnya karena tanpa kehadiran salah satu aspek, cerita tidak akan menjadi sempurna. Novel, The Da Vinci Code menunjukkan suatu contoh yang baik bagaimana tokoh-tokoh minor dapat membantu mengembangkan alur cerita. Tujuan utama dari skripsi ini dicapai melalui tiga tahap. Pertama dengan menemukan karateristik dari tokoh-tokoh minor dengan menggunakan bahan-bahan yang terdapat didalam cerita. Tahap selanjutnya adalah dengan menemukan bagaimana alur cerita berkembang. Tahap terakhir adalah dengan menemukan kontribusi dari karakteristik tokoh-tokoh minor terhadap perkembangan alur cerita. Tahap terakhir dicapai dengan menyambungkan penemuan yang didapat di tahap pertama dan kedua. Untuk menjawab permasalahan, penulis menggunakan metode studi pustaka. Beberapa buku tentang teori dan skripsi yang berkaitan digunakan. Pendekatan yang dipakai adalah New Criticism karena skripsi ini menganalisa unsur-unsur intrinsik cerita. Hasil dari analisis ini adalah tokoh-tokoh minor memainkan peran penting dalam mengembangkan alur cerita. Setelah karakteristik dari masing-masing tokoh minor dan bagaimana alur cerita berkembang didapat, tahap terakhir dilakukan degan menggunakan bahan-bahan yang didapat dari jawaban atas permasalahan sebelumnya. Masing-masing tokoh minor dengan karateristik mereka terbukti memainkan peran mereka dalam membangun alur cerita. Kontribusi mereka dapat dilihat dari tindakan, keputusan dan latar belakang mereka. Alur cerita berkembang melalui permasalahan dan klimaks yang mereka ciptakan. x CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study When a writer begins to create