determinism as seen through the main character …i also want to thank my second family, komsel...

DETERMINISM AS SEEN THROUGH THE MAIN

CHARACTER AND THE SETTING IN SISTER CARRIE BY

THEODORE DREISER

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By

CLAUDIA NATALIA SUHIDRO

Student Number: 134214096

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2017

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

ii

DETERMINISM AS SEEN THROUGH THE MAIN

CHARACTER AND THE SETTING IN SISTER CARRIE BY

THEODORE DREISER

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By



ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2017


A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis

DETERMINISM AS SEEN THROUGH THE MAINCHARACTER AND THE SETTING IN SISTER CARRIE BY

THEODORE DREISER

By



Approved by

Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum

Advisor

Elisa[£t, SS., M.Hum.

Co-Advisor

III

June 4, 2017

June 4, 2017


A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis


THEODORE DREISER

By



Defended before the Board ofExaminerson July 21,2017

and Declared Acceptable

BOARD OF EXAMINERS

Name

Chairperson : Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum

Secretary , : Elisa Dwi Wardani, S.S., M.Hum.

Member 1 : Tatang Iskama, S.S., M.Hum.

Member 2 : Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Bum

Member 3 : Elisa Dwi Wardani, S.S., M.Hum.

Dr. P. Ari Subagyo, M.Hum

IV


STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY

I certify that this undergraduate thesis contains no material which has been

previously submitted for the award of any degree at any university, and that, to the

best of my knowledge, this undergraduate thesis contains no material previously

written by any other person except where due reference is made in the text of the

undergraduate thesis

Yogyakarta, June 2, 2017

fj.Claudia Natalia Suhidro

..'

v


LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH

UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS

Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma

Nama

Nomor Mahasiswa

Claudia Nataha Suhidro

134214096

Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan

Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul


THEODORE DREISER

Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas SanataDham1a hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan, dalam bentuk media lain,mengelolanya elalam bentuk pangkalan elata, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, elanmempublikasikannya eli intemet atau meelia lain untuk kepentingan akaelemistanpa perlu meminta ijin kepaela saya maupun memberikan royalty kepaela sayaselama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.

Demikian pemyataan ini saya buat elengan sebenamya.

Dibuat eli Yogyakatia

Paelatanggal2Juni2017

Yang menyatakan,

HClaudia atalia Suhidro

VI


vii

This Undergraduate thesis is dedicated to:

The Lord Jesus Christ,

My Beloved Family,

And Everyone I love…


viii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank my Lord, Jesus Christ for His unconditional blessing in

my life. I am so thankful that He never failed me at anything. I know that He

always accompanies and guides me in every situation so that I can finish this

thesis.

Also, I would like to express my gratitude to my advisor, Drs. Hirmawan

Wijanarka, M.Hum. for giving me a lot of guidance, advices, suggestions, and

patience to help me to finish this thesis. I also like to thank my co-advisor, Elisa

Dwi Wardani, S.S., M.Hum. for giving me her patience and her time to read and

also correct this undergraduate thesis to make it better.

I dedicate this thesis for my beloved parents, my dearest sister and brother,

and my beloved grandma. I thank them for always praying for me, giving me

supports, endless love, and a great care even though I often make them

disappointed. Without their continuous supports, I would have never been able to

finish this thesis. I really grateful to have them in my life. Thank you for being my

family.

My gratitude is also given to my special one, B.Giordano, for loving me

genuinely, supporting me and encouraging me to finish this thesis. Thank you for

always being there for me, thank you for your patience, thank you for accepting

me in all ways. Words can’t describe how lucky am I to have you in my life.


ix

I also want to thank my second family, komsel Victory, who is also my

spiritual family. Thank you for always praying for me, helping me in difficulties

in life, encouraging me when I almost give up in my thesis. I’m so happy in the

right community which I can call them as family. Thank you so much for

everything.

Last but not least, I give thanks to all my friends who filling my days with

laughter and happiness. They are especially from Bergelantungan group, Bu

Bagyo Family, Manis Manja group, and Sanquidlaudya group. Thank you for our

unforgettable memories together and thank you for our togetherness. I hope our

friendship will last long. I love you all.

Claudia Natalia Suhidro


x

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE……………………………………………………………........ ii

APPROVAL PAGE………………………………………………………...... iii

ACCEPTANCE PAGE…………………………………………………........ iv

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH.. v

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY……………………………………….... vi

DEDICATION PAGE……………………………………………………...... vii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………………….... viii

TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………. x

ABSTRACT………………………………………………………….............. xi

ABSTRAK…………………………………………………………….………. xii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………. 1

A. Background of the Study…………………………………………….. 1

B. Problem Formulation……………………………………………….... 5

C. Objectives of the Study………………………………………………. 5

D. Definition of the Terms……………………………………………… 6

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE………………………………. 9

A. Review of Related Studies…………………………………………… 9

B. Review of Related Theories…………………………………………. 13

1. Theories on Character and Characterization…………….......... 13

2. Theories on Naturalism………………………………….......... 14

3. Theories on Determinism………………………………........... 17

4. Theories on Setting…………………………………………… 18

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………………………………………………... 21

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS……………………………………………… 23

A. The Main Character Described in the Story……………………….. 23

B. The Idea of Determinism in Carrie’s Character……………………. 35

1. Internal Forces……………………………………………….. 35

2. External Forces………………………………………………. 39

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION …………………………………………. 44

BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………………... 48


xi

ABSTRACT

Claudia Natalia. Determinism as Seen through the Main Character and the

Setting in Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser. Yogyakarta: Department of

English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2017.

Sister Carrie is the first work of Theodore Dreiser. Sister Carrie is a novel

about the main character, Carrie Meeber, who comes from small town Wisconsin.

In order to get a better life and pursue her happiness, she decides to move to big

city, in Chicago. The cruelty of social environment in modern American society

influences Carrie’s understanding of happiness. At the end, she’s trapped by her

endless desires for luxurious material and wealth.

There are two objectives related to the study. The first objectives is to find out

how is the main character, Sister Carrie, is described in the story. The second

objective is how the main character, Sister Carrie, reveals the idea of determinism.

In answering the problems, theory of determinism is needed. Determinism is

all events in the universe are determined by the conditions that produced them. It

is related the philosophy of certainty and every events can be the result of causes

that determine them.

The writer applied moral-philosophical approach to analyze the study. This

approach is used to investigate the philosophical issues in the novel since the

focus on the study is to analyze the idea of determinism through the main

character.

The result of the study shows that Sister Carrie has several characteristic

which are described through the story. Those characteristics are inexperienced,

timid, unconscious, desireful, insecure, dependent, materialistic, easily tempted,

and gloomy. The idea of determinism can be seen through the main character is

internal forces (hereditary, instinct, and passion) and external forces (society,

environment, and chance).


xii

ABSTRAK

Claudia Natalia. Determinism as Seen through the Main Character and the

Setting in Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Sastra

Inggris, fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2017.

Sister Carrie adalah karya pertama Theodore Dresier. Sister Carrie adalah

novel tentang karakter utama, Carrie Meeber, yang berasal dari kota kecil di

Wisconsin. Untuk mendapatkan kehidupan yang lebih baik dan mengejar

kebahagiaannya, ia memutuskan untuk pindah ke kota besar, di Chicago.

Kekejaman dari lingkungan sosial di masyarakat modern Amerika mempengaruhi

pemahaman Carrie tentang arti kebahagiaan. Pada akhirnya, dia terjebak oleh

keinginannya yang tak berujung untuk mengejar kekayaan dan harta benda

mewah.

Ada dua pokok permasalah yang berkaitan dengan studi ini. Pokok

permasalahan pertama adalah untuk mengetahui bagaimana karakter dari tokoh

utama utama, Sister Carrie, yang dijelaskan dalam cerita. Pokok permasalahan

kedua adalah bagaimana karakter dari tokoh utama, Sister Carrie,

mengungkapkan gagasan determinisme sebagai aspek naturalisme.

Dalam menjawab pokok permasalahan tersebut, teori determinisme sangat

diperlukan dalam studi. Determinisme adalah segala peristiwa yang terjadi di

alam semesta ditentukan oleh hasil keadaan. Hal ini terkait filosofi kepastian dan

setiap kejadian bisa menjadi akibat dari sebab-sebab yang menentukannya.

Penulis menerapkan pendekatan moral-philosophical untuk menganalisa

penelitian. Pendekatan ini digunakan untuk mengajarkan sastra sebagai metode

untuk menyelidiki isu-isu filosofis yang terdapat di dalam novel karena fokus dari

penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisis gagasan determinisme melalui character

tokoh utama.

Hasil pembahasan masalah menunjukan bahwa tokoh Sister Carrie memiliki

beberapa karakteristik yang terdapat di dalam cerita. Beberapa karakteristik

tersebut ialah kurangnya pengalaman, sifat takut-takut, tidak berakal sehat atau

jernih dalam mengambil keputusan, berambisi, selalu gelisah, tidak

mandiri/bergantung kepada orang lain, materialistis, mudah tergoda, dan suram.

Gagasan determinisme dapat dicerminkan melalui tokoh utama, Sister Carrie,

melalui faktor internal (keturunan, naluri, dan gairah) dan faktor eksternal

(masyarakat, lingkungan, dan peluang).


1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Naturalism is about human being who belongs to entirely in order of nature. A

person inherits personal traits and a compulsive instinct, especially hunger, the

accumulative drive, and sex, and is then subject to the social economic forces in

the family, the class, and environment into which that person is born. Naturalism

is held that human being doesn’t have soul nor any mode of participating in a

religious or spiritual world beyond the nature (Abrams, 1988: 175). It means that

human being exists because of nature. The existence of human being must follow

the nature’s rules. How the nature only relates with the reality human condition,

with no god or other religious beliefs in charge. The social condition, and

environment also has inevitable force in shaping human character. The characters

of people can be known through identifying their relationship to their

surroundings.

A naturalistic approach to and interpretation of life concentrated on depicting

the social environment and dwelt particularly on its deficiencies and on the

shortcomings of human beings (Cuddon, 2013: 462). It proves that naturalism

describes the accurate picture of life which the character of human beings are

influenced by their environment or social conditions.


2

In literature, naturalism develops determinism as an aspect of naturalism. It is

supported by the statement of Edward Quinn, who said that determinism is the

view that all events in the universe, including those human history, are determined

by the conditions that produced them. In literary studies, determinism played a

key role in the formulation of Naturalism since the 19th

century (2006: 115).

Moreover, according to Newlin, the knowledge of philosophical naturalism is

more than helpful supplement to critical analysis, for misunderstanding of its

ideas has seriously undermined literary study. The discussion of determinism is

needed and cannot be ignored/avoided (2011:124). Thus, this research is going to

discuss about the idea of determinism as an aspect of naturalism.

Determinism refers to the philosophy of certainty and every events can be the

result of a consequence of a natural world. According to Holman, determinism is

the belief that acts of the will are actually the result of causes that determine them.

Determinism has the potential determining forces, such as fate, necessity, will of

God, the scientific law, and economic forces (1980:138).

Since this study is going to discuss the idea of determinism as an aspect of

naturalism, the moral philosophical approach is needed to analyze the study.

According to Aristotle’s theory, moral philosophy has the purpose as neither

speculation about the nature of goodness, nor analysis of the language of

obligation, but rather the practical task of making people good. The method leads

to a concrete discussion concerning the conditions and causes of human goodness

within his own particular circumstances (Celano, 2015: 12). This statement


3

supports the idea of moral philosophy as a branch of philosophy concerns on

human’s nature. Human’s nature is related to human’s rules in life, which

containing the right and wrong act based on the circumstances which they live.

Therefore, this approach is appropriate to examine on how the character of life

depends on the circumstances or environment.

In the story of Sister Carrie, the idea of determinism as an aspect of

naturalism portraits Carrie’s characterization as the main character who struggle

with other forces in the story. The portrayal of Carrie’s character is protagonist

which tries to survive in the urban society, including becomes a mistress to men.

The author of the novel is Theodore Dreiser. He is one of well-known

American naturalist writer. He was born in August 27, 1871 in Terre Haute,

Indiana, US. In 1889, he worked as the journalist in Chicago for Chicago

newspaper and several articles on writers. After living for two years in Chicago,

Dreiser became disgusted with the social condition in Chicago, which related on

the treatment toward the lower class living condition of less privileged. He

published his first book, entitled Sister Carrie in 1900 which caused a lot of

controversy. It is because the story of Sister Carrie itself portrayed the moral and

social condition the Victorian American era, which Dreiser determined to expose

the cruelty of social environment in modern American society, and also because

the book never mentioned God or other religious beliefs there.

The theme of the story in Sister Carrie is about poverty which related to the

great difference treatment between the rich and the poor, prostitution, and money-


4

oriented world. Through the story of Sister Carrie, Dreiser develops the idea of

determinism as an aspect of naturalism. He classifies Carrie’s character, and how

her personality can develop by her surroundings, her relationship with others, and

the circumstances which she lives in.

From explanation above, environment plays important role that can affect the

character. Thus, in this research, the writer is going to study the idea of

determinism as an aspect of naturalism as seen in the main character of Sister

Carrie by Theodore Dreiser.

There are some reasons why the Sister Carrie is a novel that is worth

studying. The first is the writer is attracted to study naturalism which is related to

character of human being with their surrounding and the environment. The novel

is interesting to be studied as determinism idea is reflected in the novel. It can be

found in the characterization and action of Sister Carrie to survive in the urban

society.

The second is the topic is worth to be studied as the writer wants to show to

the readers the idea of determinism that reflected in the novel and how big its

influence to change human character.


5

A. Problem Formulation

Based on the background above, two problems are discussed in this study. The

two problems are

1. How is the main character, Sister Carrie, and the settings described in the

story?

2. How does the main character, Sister Carrie, and the setting reveal the idea of

determinism through her characteristics?

B. Objectives of the Study

There are several objectives of the study which are the questions that stated in

the problem formulation. There are two objectives related to problem formulation.

The first is to observe how the main character revealed through the story. The

main character plays important thing in the novel in order to identify the study

further more. The study is to find out the characterization of main character that

represented in the novel in order to answer the second question related to the idea

of determinism as an aspect of naturalism through the main character.

The second is to observe the main character reveal the idea of determinism as

an aspect of naturalism. It is related how the character could change and reveal the

idea of determinism. How the main character could be influenced by the

environment. The study is to identify the power of environment or the concept of

the idea of determinism that applied through the main character’s life in the novel.


6

C. Definition of Terms

In order to clarify the discussion, the writer defining the terms that applied in

the thesis. There are three terms that are needed to be clarified. The terms are

determinism, naturalism, and character.

The first term is Determinism. According to C. Hugh Holman, determinism is

the belief that all apparent acts of the will are actually the result of causes which

determine them. When used as a term to describe a doctrine in a literary work,

determinism has a wide range of philosophical possibilities. The possible

determining forces are many. In classical literature it may be fated (1980: 124).

According to Timothy O’Connor at <https://plato.stanford.edu/>, determinism

is the world is governed by determinism if and only if, the way things go

thereafter is fixed as a matter of natural law. There are philosophers who deny its

reality, either because of the existence of free will or on independent grounds;

accept its reality but argue for its compatibility with free will; or accept its reality

and deny its compatibility with free will.

In addition, according to Carl Hoefer at <https://plato.stanford.edu/>, the roots

of the notion of determinism surely lie in a very common philosophical idea: the

idea that “everything can, in principle, be explained, or that everything that is, has

a sufficient reason for being and being as it is, and not otherwise”. It means that

determinism is very simply stated, is the theory that all events are caused; we live

in an ordered universe and all change occurs with law-like regularity. This is

related to the view about the nature of things and the world. It is sometimes


7

argued that determinism implies that everything in the future can be, in principle,

predicted, and that events in the past are, in principle, explainable.

The second term is Naturalism. According to Harmon and Holman, naturalism

is a term for a literary movement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth

centuries. The definition of naturalism is about everything that exists in nature,

conceived as the world of objects, actions, and forces that yield their secrets to

objective scientific inquiry. The naturalistic view of human beings is that of

animals in the natural world, responding to environmental forces, and internal

stresses and drives, none of which they can control or understand (2003: 329).

Related to naturalism, according to Harmon and Holman, naturalism tends to

differ from Realism. In naturalism, the author is selecting the view of human life

as a representative of life. The author used the structure that reveal the pattern of

ideas—in this case, scientific theory—to form the picture of life based on the

author’s view of life (2003: 330).

Meanwhile, the second definition comes from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate

Dictionary in 2002, it defines naturalism as an action, or thought based only on

natural desires and instincts. It also states that naturalism is a theory denying that

an event or object has a supernatural influences. The theory is a kind of a theory

in literature emphasizing scientific observation of life and describing the picture

of human life as it is (Frederick, 2002: 772).

The third term is character. Characters are the persons presented in a dramatic

or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral,


8

dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say—the

dialogue, and by what they do—the action (Abrams, 1988: 24). The character

could change or remains stable. It depends on how person’s emotional or action

developed from the start until the end of the story.

According to J Gideon Sarantino in his screen writing on August 18, 2014 at

<https://gideonsway.wordpress.com/>, the character which appears mostly in the

screen time or the story is called main character. Main characters are the one’s

telling and driving the story while the protagonist experiences the story. They

drive the plot through the main characters eyes. So, the story is told through the

main character’s point of view.


9

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A. Review of Related Studies

In this study, the writer finds some reviews to avoid reduplication. There are

two studies that the writer chooses. The first study is about the same theory

related to the writer’s topic. The second study is about the other criticism in the

same novel and author that the writer uses to study.

The first study has been done by Renny Amit from Sanata Dharma University

in 2007, entitled “Naturalism as Seen in Natsume Soseki’s Botchan.” In her study,

the writer is studying how the idea of naturalism influenced not only in the

European literature but also the Japanese literature. This study is about how the

idea of Naturalism reflected in the story by using Determinism theory to analyze

the main character in Natsume Soseki’s Botchan.

Botchan who is the main character of the story. Botchan believes he has no

free will because he is strongly influenced by the heredity, chances, and the

environment. His way thought reflects the idea of naturalism (Amit, 2007: 57).

She studies how the naturalism is reflected through the main character in the

story, Botchan. He is described as he has no free will and being controlled by

environment. The idea of naturalism is reflected through Botchan as the main

character.


10

The first study is related from the present study as the writer uses the same

theory, which is Determinism theory to analyze the main character through novel.

What makes the present studies is difference from the previous studies is different

book is used to analyze the reveal the idea of naturalism through the main

character.

The study is done by Sondang Maduma Simanjuntak from Sanata Dharma

University in 2011, entitled “The Portrait of American Urban Life in the Late 19th

Century as Seen through Dreiser’s Sister Carrie.” In her study, the writer was

analyzing the setting inside the novel. She studied Sister Carrie as the novel

which portrays American urban life in the late nineteenth century especially in

Chicago. The thesis is elaborate the setting of the novel and analyze it to reveal

the portrait of the real society in Chicago such their habits, the occupations, and

the lifestyle of the society. The narrator described the area by describing Minnie’s

flat and her surroundings.

Minnie’s flat as the one-floor resident apartments were then being called, was

in a part of West Van Buren street inhabited by families of laborers and clerks,

men who had come, and were still coming, with the rush of population

pouring in at the rate 50.000 a year. It was on the third floor, the front

windows looking down into the street, where, at night, the lights of grocery

stores were shining and children were playing (Maduma, 2011:24).

The statement above represents the environment and the society which live as

the residents of Minnie’s apartment. They are working class society who work at

the factories. From the statement, it is also described that their population in

Chicago grows rapidly. Those are shown that through the setting that described

through the novel, the portrayal of American urban life in the late 1800s such as


11

the condition of America, the society who live there, and the environment could

be found.

The second study is related with from the present study as the writer uses the

same novel, Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser to study. In the previous study,

Sociocultural Historical Approach and theory of setting are used to analyze the

literature work. Whereas, in the present study, the writer uses different theory and

approach as the writer uses Determinism theory and moral-philosophical approach

to analyze the present study.

Roy W. Meyer in his article entitled “Naturalism in American Farm Fiction”

explained about the definition of naturalism.

The definition of naturalism as “pessimistic realism” characterized by

objectivity, frankness, amorality, and a bias in the selection of characters, with

emphasis on those of strong physical drives and little intelligence and those at

the mercy of their neuroses (Meyer, 1961 : 27).

According to Meyer, naturalism is related with pessimistic realism which

means that its pessimism is expressed through melodramatic situation. Pessimistic

realism is also strongly influenced by the character of human beings as there is

powerful effect because of character which in way they influence the naturalism

aspect. So, there is a belief to see the characters as helpless victims of circum-

stance.

The next study is from Donna M. Campbell in her journal, entitled “Bitter

Tastes: Recognizing American Women’s Naturalism”. She explained about the

naturalist writers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth-century.


12

Writers in the first group, consisting primarily of Crane, Dreiser, Norris, and

London, were called “naturalists.” It is their work that set the limits of what

we know as American naturalism: the late nineteenth and early twentieth-

century period in which it was written; its practitioners, who were by and large

white, male, and young; its settings, typically urban jungles or an unforgiving

wilderness; its characters, often poor and ill- educated, victims of primal

forces that they could neither control nor understand; and its deterministic

philosophy of heredity and environment (Campbell, 2014: 648).

Campbell stated that the naturalist writers at that time typically focused on its

settings, characters, such their characters are often poor and ill-educated. The

writers usually describe those character as they are part of the naturalism’s

characters which are influenced by primal forces.

After looking at some researches related to the present study, this present

study will develop the idea of naturalism theory from the related studies as the

purpose of the research. The writer decides to take the idea of determinism as an

aspect of naturalism that applied to the novel in the smaller scope as the writer

only identifies the main character of the story and how does the main character

revealed the idea of determinism as the focus of the study. So, in this study, the

focus is to find out the main character female and the idea of determinism through

the main character in the novel.

A. Review of Related Theories

1. Theories on Character and Characterization

The theory of characters is stated by Abrams in his book.

Characters are the persons represented in a dramatic or narrative work,

who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with particular moral,


13

intellectual, and emotional qualities by inferences from what the persons

say and their distinctive ways of saying it—the dialogue— and from what

they do—the action ( Abrams, 1988: 33).

According to Abram, motivation is the ground of people’s character for their

speech and actions, such character’s temperament, desires, and moral nature. So,

the character could be “stable” or unchanged from the beginning until the end of

the work.

From the previous statement, it is clear that the study of characters are

important element in the narrative. However, the study of characters is limited to

general observation about characteristics of characters in the story. Therefore, to

analyze the broad descriptions of characters traits, the theory of characterization is

needed

According to Abram, characterization is a broad distinction which is

frequently made between alternative methods for “characterizing” the person in a

narrative: showing and telling. In showing, the author merely presents his

characters behind what they say and do. In telling, the author himself intervenes

authoritatively in order to describe, and often to evaluate, the motives and

dispositional qualities of his characters. For example, in the fine opening chapter

of Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen first show us Mr. and Mrs. Bennet as they

talk to one another about the young man who has just rented Netherfield Park,

then tells us about them, and so confirms and expands the inferences and

judgments that reader has begun to make from what he has been shown.


14

Meanwhile, according to Jens Eder, characterization is the process of

character building or construction of characters to make the story progresses. It

provide the detail and clear about the character’s personality through the way

character expresses his inner states or opinions through conversation with another

character in the story. The details are not only create the impression of character’s

personality, but they will create the broader themes of the fictional world or novel.

The statement is supported by Jens Eder in his book.

Characterization essentially involves the manifestation of inner states,

desires, motives, intentions, beliefs, through action, including speech acts.

We can ask why a speaker said what he did and propose an intentional

description as an answer (Eder, 2010: 187).

Speech acts, as the mention above, embody speakers’ intention, emphasize

that comprehends of narratives attempt to understand why actions, events and

states occur in the text, because that understanding contributes to a kind of higher,

level coherence, a deeper understanding.

2. Theories of Naturalism

According to Cuddon in his book, naturalism relates to a naturalistic approach

to and interpretation of life concentrated on depicting the social environment and

dwelt particularly on its deficiencies and on the shortcomings of human beings

(Cuddon, 2013: 462). It proves that naturalism describes the accurate picture of

life which the character of human beings are influenced by their environment or

social conditions.


15

The second definition comes from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary

in 2002, it defines naturalism as an action, or thought based only on natural

desires and instincts. It also states that naturalism is a theory denying that an event

or object has a supernatural influences. Therefore, there is no religious issues or

belief that is addressed at all. The theory is a theory in literature emphasizing

scientific observation of life as it is (Frederick, 2002: 772).

Another theory is coming from John Peck and Martin Coyle. They said that

the realistic mode is appealing because it is as varied as life itself, but we should

usually be able to identify a basic pattern of a convincing examination of the

experiences of characters caught in problematic situations. At the end of the

nineteenth century a cruder form of realism, called naturalism, appeared. In

naturalism a more documentary-like approach is in evidence, with a great stress

on how environment and heredity shape people.

According to Daniel Robinson in his book, he said that:

Aristotle's universe, therefore, while material and efficient causes play

their part in it, is shot through with final causation.They are immanent

and form an essential element of Nature herself. They are not presented as

the work of a Creator. For Aristotle there is no Creator. The Cosmos is

eternal. But Nature herself especially living Nature is full of unconscious,

immanent purposes which steadily guide the lines of development which

we find (Robinson, 1939: 29).

According to Shipley, naturalism is characterized by the idea of determinism

which human life is controlled by internal and external forces. External forces are

society, environment, and chances, while internal forces are heredity, instinct, and

passion. Those factors control human’s life (1960: 278).


16

In addition, Abrams states in his book that:

Naturalism is about human being belongs to entirely in order of nature. A

person inherits personal traits and a compulsive instinct, especially

hunger, the accumulative drive, and sex, and is then subject to the social

economic forces in the family, the class, and environment into which that

person is born. Naturalism is held that human being doesn’t have soul nor

any mode of participating in a religious or spiritual world beyond the

nature (Abrams, 1988: 175).

According to Abram, naturalism is characterized by characters who exhibit

strong animal drives such as greed and sexual desire, and who are helpless victims

both of glandular secretions within and of sociological pressures without. The end

of the naturalistic novel is usually "tragic," but not, as in classical and Elizabethan

tragedy, because of a heroic but losing struggle of the individual mind and will

against gods, enemies, and circumstances. Instead the protagonist of the

naturalistic plot, a pawn to multiple compulsions, usually disintegrates, or is

wiped out (Abrams, 1988: 262).

According to Morina, another characteristic of Naturalism is the impartiality

and detachment from the story. Naturalist writer tries to create a certain tone,

which he considered as objective. At the same time, this author tries to appear as

neutral, creating the nameless characters. This requires the author to focus on

what happens in the course of events and the character of the subject and not

primarily on the character. Another characteristic of Naturalism is determinism.

Determinism is largely against the notion of free will (Morina, 2015: 233).


17

3. Theories on Determinism

Since this study is concerning on the idea of naturalism, the theory of

Determinism is needed in the study. In literature, determinism cannot be separated

with the idea of naturalism in order to avoid misunderstanding of the idea of

naturalism. Therefore, the discussion of determinism is needed and cannot be

ignored/ avoided. The statement is supported by the statement of Keith Newlin in

his book.

The knowledge of philosophical naturalism is more than a helpful

supplement to critical analysis, for misunderstanding of its ideas has

seriously undermined literary study. Thus, good intentions

notwithstanding, discussion of determinism cannot be justifiably ignored

or avoided without leaving intact the misunderstandings that lead to claims

of naturalism’s inconsistency (Newlin, 2011: 124).

Another theories which state that determinism as a character of naturalism are

from Oxford Handbook of American Literary Naturalism. It stated the knowledge

of philosophical naturalism is more than helpful supplement to critical analysis,

for misunderstanding of its ideas has seriously undermined literary study. The

discussion of determinism is needed and cannot be ignored/avoided (Newlin,

2011:124).

Determinism refers to the philosophy of certainty and every events can be the

result of a consequence of a natural world. According to Holman, determinism is

the belief that acts of the will are actually the result of causes that determine them.

Determinism has the potential determining forces, such as fate, necessity, will of

God, the scientific law, and economic forces (1986:138).


18

In addition, according to <https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/determinism-

causal/>, the roots of the notion of determinism surely lie in a very common

philosophical idea: the idea that everything can, in principle, be explained, or that

everything that is, has a sufficient reason for being and being as it is, and not

otherwise. It means that determinism is very simply stated, is the theory that all

events are caused; we live in an ordered universe and all change occurs with law-

like regularity. This is related to the view about the nature of things and the world.

It is sometimes argued that determinism implies that everything in the future can

be, in principle, predicted, and that events in the past are, in principle, explainable.

4. Theories on Setting

Abrams states that setting of a narrative or dramatic work is related to the

place, historical time, and social circumstances in which its action occurs in a

book; the setting of a single episode or scene within such a work is the particular

physical location or area in which it takes place (1998:284).

According to Kennedy & Gioia setting can help us to understand what

happens in the novel. It can make things happen by prompting character to act,

bring them to realizations, or cause them to reveal their inmost natures. It is

related to time and place. The time of the story includes hour, year, or century.

For example, when we read a historical novel in the 19th

century, we are soon

aware that we are reading about life in the 1990s. Besides the setting include the

time of the story, the idea of setting may crucially involve the physical


19

environment of a story: a house, street, a city, a landscape, a region. We have to

recognize its locale, where the writer sets the stories in one geographic area. For

example, a writer, often a native of the places, tries to bring the story to the

readers who live elsewhere (2012: 92-93)

C. Theoretical Framework

This study aims to reveal the idea of determinism as reflected in the main

character and the setting in Theodore Dreiser’s novel, Sister Carrie. In order to

find out the idea of determinism in the main character, the writer needs some

theories to study. The theories that are needed to analyze the main character are

theories on character and characterization, theories on determinism, theories on

naturalism, and theories on setting. The theory on character and characterization is

applied in the study to answer the first problem formulation. The first problem of

the study is related to how the main female character is described. Therefore, the

theory of character and characterization is important to the study as the writer

analyses the main character in the story. After answering the first problem

formulation, the writer needs theories on determinism, naturalism, and setting to

answer the second problem formulation. The second problem of the study is

related to how the main female character reveals the idea of determinism as an

aspect of naturalism. Therefore, theories on determinism, naturalism, and setting

are needed in the study.


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CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

The object of the study in this thesis is a novel entitled Sister Carrie. The

novel was written by Theodore Dreiser. He was one of well-known American

naturalist writers in twentieth century. One of his famous novels was also his first

novel, entitled Sister Carrie. The novel was published in November 1900. The

novel is translated by Pennsylvania and sixth edition. It was marred by this

editorial interference and censorship and has been the basis of American editions

and foreign translations until the present (Dreiser, 1981: ix).

Sister Carrie is a novel about a character, Carrie Meeber, who comes from

Columbia city in Wisconsin. In the novel, she is described as an eighteenth years

old young girl who has beautiful appearance but is poor. In order to get better life,

she decides to move to Chicago to find a job. At the beginning of the story, she is

described as inexperienced, timid, and full of illusion. As the time goes by, how

Carrie loses those illusions is presented at the end of the story.

B. Approach of the Study

In this study, moral-philosophical approach is used to analyze the study.

Moral-philosophical approach is related to the basic position of such critics which


21

is related to the larger function of literature to teach morality and to investigate

thoroughly philosophical issues. It would interpret literature with a context of the

philosophy thought of a period or group (Guerin and Labor, 2005: 29-30).

The approach insists on ascertaining and stating what is taught, such the

meaning and morality. However, since the focus on the study is to analyze the

idea of determinism which related to philosophical issue, the approach is not used

to teach literature as a good way to teach morality, but to investigate the

philosophical issues in the novel.

B. Method of the Study

The method which is used to analyze this study is the library research method.

There are some sources that are needed in this study. The primary source is the

novel, entitled Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser. The other sources are from the

books, e-books, and sites on the internet about the similar discussion of the study.

There were several steps which were used to conduct the study. The first step

was doing the close reading to the primary source in order to understand the novel

thoroughly. The second step was deciding the topic and theory of literature to

apply in the study, after the topic and theory are decided, problems formulations

were formulated related to the novel. The third step was determining an approach

which was appropriate related to the problem formulations. The fourth step was

performing analysis through discussions to answer the problems formulation.

There will be two discussions related to problems formulation. The first is


22

discussing the Carrie’s characters and characteristics using the theory of character

and characterization to answer the first problem. The second is discussing how the

aspects of determinism as an aspect of naturalism are reflected through main

character by applying the theory of determinism and naturalism to answer the

second problem. The last step was making the conclusion based on the analysis.


23

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

The purpose of the study is to reveal the idea of determinism as an aspect of

naturalism which reflected through the main character of the story as the character

could change because of environment. In this analysis part, the problems would be

divided into two parts; the first, the analysis of the main character in the story; the

second, the analysis of how the main character reflected the idea of determinism

as an aspect of naturalism.

A. The Characteristics of Main Character in the Story

The main character is the most important aspect to the study. The character

could change or remains stable. It depends on how person’s emotional or action

developed from the start until the end of the story. Therefore, in this part, the

writer will analyze the main character that described through the novel.

There are several characteristic of the main character, Caroline Meeber, which

are described through the story.

1. Inexperienced

At the beginning of the story, Caroline Meeber or also called Sister Carrie as

the given name by his parents, is described as an 18-year-old girl who travels


24

alone from Columbia city to Chicago. She is described as young as it is stated

below:

She was eighteen years of age, bright, timid, and full of the illusions of

ignorance and youth. She gazed at the green landscape, now passing in

swift review, until her swifter thoughts replaced its impression with vague

conjectures of what Chicago might be (Dreiser, 1900:3).

The narration above shows how Carrie‟s youth which always full of hope and

illusion about her future in Chicago but she‟s inexperienced since she‟s still

young. The narrative shows how she doesn‟t have idea about what the condition

of urban society as she only lived in her hometown. Her hometown is described as

a countryside whereas the environment is the contrary of urban society, such the

most people in her hometown are not money oriented, while in the urban society

most of people have to be money-oriented to make a living.

Carrie‟s youth character is shown as she lacks of experience of urban society

life. She‟s never leave her hometown before so that she has no idea about the

reality or condition of urban society really is.

Carrie said nothing, but bent over her work. She felt as though she could

hardly endure such a life. Her idea of work had been so entirely different.

All during the long afternoon she thought of the city outside and its

imposing show, crowds, and fine buildings. Columbia City and the better

side of herhome life came back (Dreiser, 1900:38).

She‟s only imagines what urban society be like. Her characteristic which is

inexperienced makes Carrie realizes that the big city is beyond her imagination. In

the narrative above, it is shown how Carrie‟s idea of work in urban society

changes after she experiences the hardship of working life.


25

2. Timid

Carrie is just an eighteenth years old girl who leaving her hometown for the

first time to live in big city. At this point, Carrie is feeling timid as she faces new

situation in big city by herself. While on the way to the town, Carrie meets Drouet

on the train. Carrie feels timid to talk to Drouet as he‟s only a stranger to her. The

conversation below shows how Carrie feels timid to the stranger who wants to

talk with her.

"Oh, yes, I am," answered Carrie. "That is, I live at Columbia City. I have

never been through here, though." "And so this is your first visit to

Chicago," he observed. All the time she was conscious of certain features

out of the side of her eye. Flush, colorful cheeks, a light moustache, a grey

fedora hat. She now turned and looked upon him in full, the instincts of

self-protection and coquetry mingling confusedly in her brain (Dreiser,

1900:5).

Carrie feels like it‟s not right to talk so much about her situation and condition

to the people who she‟s just meet, especially to talk about her own identity and

problem to unfamiliar people. The conversation above shows how Carrie feels

timid as she has the instinct of self-protection.

It was with weak knees and a slight catch in her breathing that she came

up to the great shoe company at Adams and Fifth Avenue and entered the

elevator. When she stepped out on the fourth floor there was no one at

hand, only great aisles of boxes piled to the ceiling. She stood, very much

frightened, awaiting someone (Dreiser, 1900:33).

The quotation above shows Carrie‟s timidity when she hardly finding a job in

the company. She is described as she‟s too frightened to wait for someone in the

company. This occurs because she‟s in the new situation where she doesn‟t

recognize people around her. She‟s becoming frighten to do anything she wants in


26

order to avoid some negative reaction from people, such humiliated, criticized,

rejection, etc. The result, she is becoming lack of comfort or timid.

3. Unconscious

Carrie‟s unconsciousness is shown through her conversation with Drouet on

the train. She, suddenly, feels afraid after she‟s leaving her hometown alone. She

finally realizes what she has done so far, such as leaving her hometown to a big

city without anyone accompanying her, after she has the conversation with Drouet

on the train. It‟s like she‟s unconscious after she has a little conversation with

Drouet. She wasn‟t aware of what she has done or her decision to leaving her

hometown beyond her consciousness.

She did not hear this very well. Her heart was troubled by a kind of terror.

The fact that she was alone, away from home, rushing into a great sea of

life and endeavour, began to tell. She could not help but feel a little choked

for breath—a little sick as her heart beat so fast. She half closed her eyes

and tried to think it was nothing, that Columbia City was only a little way

off (Dreiser, 1900:10).

Carrie‟s unconsciousness is related to her inner self or mind which affects her

behavior and emotions. When Carrie decides to leave her sister to follow Drouet,

she has unconscious desire to live together with Drouet so that she can be happy

and live in easier way. She doesn‟t aware about what she has done. She leaves her

only relative in Chicago, Minnie, and cuts the relationship with her sister after she

falls on Drouet‟s seductive to be her mistress.

Carrie‟s unconsciousness can also be seen in the sentences below.


27

Carrie had no excellent home principles fixed upon her. If she had, she

would have been more consciously distressed. Now the lunch went off

with considerable warmth. Under the influence of the varied occurrences,

the fine, invisible passion which was emanating from Drouet, the food, the

still unusual luxury, she relaxed and heard with open ears. She was again

the victim of the city's hypnotic influence (Dreiser, 1900:74-75).

In the narrative, Carrie is described as a girl who had not guided by her family

as she had no excellent home principles upon her. She missed the guidance and

affection from her family. Therefore, Carrie is senseless. She falls on Drouet‟s

seduction because she thinks that Drouet and Hurstwood can give Carrie affection

which she has never had before. She lives in luxurious way like the upper-class

society do because of Drouet. She got expensive clothes, foods which she‟s never

got before.

A blare of sound, a roar of life, a vast array of human hives, appeal to the

astonished senses in equivocal terms. Without a counsellor at hand to

whisper cautious interpretations, what falsehoods may not these things

breathe into the unguarded ear! Unrecognised for what they are, their

beauty, like music, too often relaxes, then weakens, then perverts the

simpler human perceptions (Dreiser, 1900:4).

In the narrative, she symbolizes people‟s voice as the music, which is beauty

and relaxes to hear. Statement above shows how Carrie acts senseless because she

lost the presence of counsellor, who can be her father, as she‟s never got attention

and guidance from her father. Because she lost the presence of her “counsellor”,

she acts without guidance and she takes people‟s voice as her guidance to act.

Therefore, she seeks for men to replace her presence of her father to fulfill her

needs. As the result, she is always concern to fulfill what she lacked at her

hometown.


28

Carrie‟s unconsciousness is also showed when she thinks that the voice of

people is the voice of God. Because of her family was lacking to guide and direct

Carrie, she becomes senseless as she reconsiders that the voice of people which is

like the voice of God to her.

It was no just and sapient counsellor in its last analysis. It was only an

average little conscience, a thing which represented the world, her past

environment, habit, convention, in a confused way. With it, the voice of

the people was truly the voice of God. "Oh, thou failure!" said the voice

(Dreiser, 1900:87).

4. Desireful

Carrie leaves her hometown because she is desirable. She feels dissatisfied to

live in her hometown, and comes to Chicago with her imagery dream that in

Chicago, she will get a new home, such living together with her sister, Minnie,

and she will get a job which leads her to success. She thinks that everything will

beautiful as she expected.

After living for a while in Chicago, she decides to leave her sister, Minnie, to

live with Drouet because she thinks that only Drouet who will satisfy all she

needs. She is the mistress of Drouet, and she wants to be a wife to secure her

position. She wants a marriage, but Drouet doesn‟t pay attention to Carrie‟s

desire.

After she met Hurstwood, Drouet‟s friend, who is wealthier than Drouet.

Carrie‟s desire to marriage moves to Hurstwood. Her desire increases for the lust

of material things, so that she decides to leave Drouet and be Hurstwood‟s


29

mistress. Here, Carrie‟s desire to marriage is reflected in the conversation between

Carrie and Hurstwood below.

"You'll stay with me, won't you?" he asked. "Yes," she said, nodding her

head. He gathered her to himself, imprinting kisses upon her lips and

cheeks. "You must marry me, though," she said (Dreiser, 1900:260).

5. Insecure

Carrie couldn‟t stand of being poor anymore. Carrie is always insecure

because of her position. She feels insecure that her position as mistress will not

safe enough to live. She thinks that Drouet can leave her whenever he wants

because they are not legally bound by. Carrie is afraid of losing Drouet as the only

one who can get Carrie out of poverty and satisfy Carrie‟s needs. Therefore,

marriage to Carrie is the only way to secure her “position” as being wife to

someone who will guarantee her life, then, she will live without worry about life

at all.

Her old father, in his flour-dusted miller's suit, sometimes returned to her

in memory, revived by a face in a window. A shoemaker pegging at his

last, a blastman seen through a narrow window in some basement where

iron was being melted, a bench-worker seen high aloft in some window,

his coat off, his sleeves rolled up; these took her back in fancy to the

details of the mill. She felt, though she seldom expressed them, sad

thoughts upon this score. Her sympathies were ever with that underworld

of toil from which she had so recently sprung, and which she best

understood (Dreiser, 1900:134).

6. Dependent

After she knows that Drouet is a salesman in Chicago city, she tries to open

out about her personal life to him, she tells Drouet about her currently living with


30

Minnie, her sister who live in Chicago with her baby and her husband in small

flat where usually inhabited by families of laborers and clerks. Carrie tells Drouet

about how she feels inconvenience to live with her sister and her husband who is

unwelcome and always presses Carrie to pay rent for living in their house, while

Carrie is only a low wage worker in a shoe factory.

Carrie ends up becoming a worker in a shoe factory because she got rejected

in several companies because she has no experience of working. One day, she

gets injured in running a machine while working and she has to lose her job.

One day, after she loses her job because of the accident, she meets Drouet

again. He spoils and fulfills Carrie‟s needs, such gives her money, dines with her

in expensive restaurant, and takes her shopping. Then, Carrie thinks that Drouet

is someone who she needs in life. She can depend on him as it is shows in the

sentences below.

She conceived a true estimate of Drouet. To her, and indeed to all the

world, he was a nice, good-hearted man. There was nothing evil in the

fellow. He gave her the money out of a good heart—out of a realization of

her want. He would not have given the same amount to a poor young man,

but we must not forget that a poor young man could not, in the nature of

things, have appealed to him like a poor young girl (Dreiser, 1900: 60).

After Drouet asks her to be his lover, she agrees. In another word, Carrie

agrees become his mistress because Drouet doesn‟t have the intention to marry

Carrie. Because of worrying to live in poverty and working as laborer in her

lifetime, she chooses to be his mistress. She decides to stay together and move in

Drouet‟s place. She believes that she can get out from the poverty and live the

way Drouet live with no worry of no money in that way.


31

7. Materialistic

Carrie is materialistic as she thinks that money is all she needs in life. She

thinks that money is important thing and everybody needs money in order to be

happy. The narrative below shows about her understanding on money.

As for Carrie, her understanding of the moral significance of money was

the popular understanding, nothing more. The old definition: "Money:

something everybody else has and I must get," would have expressed her

understanding of it thoroughly--She felt that she was immensely better off

for the having of them. It was something that was power in itself (Dreiser,

1900: 59).

In the story, after Carrie meets Drouet, she is also meet Drouet‟s friend,

Hurstwood. Hurstwood falls on Carrie‟s beauty at the first sight. He is attracted to

Carrie and he wants to make Carrie as his lover. Carrie is also attracted with

Hurstwood‟s higher position than Drouet as the manager of Fitzgerald and Moy's.

Her materialistic is also shown through her obsession on material desire.

Carrie‟s obsession of material desire is shown through her desire for nice clothes

and material goods. Her desire is stated in the beginning of the story, when she

meets Drouet.

A woman should some day write the complete philosophy of clothes. No

matter how young, it is one of the things she wholly comprehends. There

is an indescribably faint line in the matter of man's apparel which

somehow divides for her those who are worth glancing at and those who

are not. Once an individual has passed this faint line on the way downward

he will get no glance from her. There is another line at which the dress of a

man will cause her to study her own. This line the individual at her elbow

now marked for Carrie. She became conscious of an inequality. Her own

plain blue dress, with its black cotton tape trimmings, now seemed to her

shabby. She felt the worn state of her shoes (Dreiser, 1900: 6).


32

In the narrative above, it is shown that Carrie has her absolute mark to weigh

up people from their clothes. How the man‟s apparel symbolize wealth of person.

From her understanding to view life, no matter how young she is, others will only

attract to look upon her if she has a nice cloth on her. It is how Carrie‟s view

toward Drouet‟s nice clothes. How she‟s feeling inequality and inferiority after

she looks on Drouet‟s apparel because she doesn‟t have a nice cloth to wear on.

He reached down in his hip pocket and took out a fat purse. It was filled

with slips of paper, some mileage books, a roll of greenbacks. It impressed

her deeply. Such a purse had never been carried by any one attentive to

her. Indeed, an experienced traveller, a brisk man of the world, had never

come within such close range before. The purse, the shiny tan shoes, the

smart new suit, and the air with which he did things, built up for her a dim

world of fortune, of which he was the centre. It disposed her pleasantly

toward all he might do (Dreiser, 1900: 8).

From the narrative above, it is shown how Carrie is attracted on Drouet‟s fat

purse which means that he has a lot of money in his purse. Beside Drouet‟s

money, Carrie is also attracted on Drouet‟s material goods, such his shiny tan

shoes, and his smart new suit which those are described in story.

Another statement of Carrie‟s materialistic is shown when she‟s attracted with

the way Drouet treats Carrie, such spending a lot money to buy Carrie‟s clothes,

and having a fancy dinner in elegant restaurant. Here, Drouet gives pleasant things

to Carrie, or in another word, he fulfills Carrie‟s material pleasure.

In the store they found that shine and rustle of new things which

immediately laid hold of Carrie's heart. Under the influence of a good

dinner and Drouet's radiating presence, the scheme proposed seemed

feasible (Dreiser, 1900: 66).


33

In Carrie‟s understanding, she thinks that money, clothes and material goods

are pleasure of life, which she has to fulfill her desire in order to be happy.

8. Easily tempted

In the story, Hurstwood kidnaps Carrie to come along with him. As she knows

the truth, she‟s mad to him but she is tempted by Hurstwood‟s sweet words to her

as he ensures her with the hope that he will marry her and have a good life in New

York. He lures her to leave Chicago city to start a new life in New York with him.

It is shown in the conversation between Hurtswood and Carrie below.

"… I'm going to get a divorce just as soon as I can... If I can have you I

won't ever think of another woman again." Carrie heard all this in a very

ruffled state. It sounded sincere enough, however, despite all he had done.

"When I say you wouldn't come unless I could marry you, I decided to put

everything else behind me and get you to come away with me. I'm going

off now to another city…We'll go and live in New York, if you say."

(Dreiser, 1900: 246)

From the conversation above, it is shown how Carrie is swayed by his luring

words. Carrie thinks that marriage is the way she would be rescued or she will

have the „guarantee position‟ to have a good future.

9. Gloomy

At the end of the story, she becomes famous actress and rich but she still

unhappy or gloomy. Carrie feels that she‟s connected with Laura‟s character when

she‟s acting. The condition, is supported by the character of a girl, Laura, who is

abandoned by the family and society. Laura is a character who reminds on her


34

own state of life. It is shown her act of Laura, a character who always suffering

and full of tears.

The part of Laura, as Carrie found out when she began to examine it, was

one of suffering and tears. As delineated by Mr. Daly, it was true to the

most sacred traditions of melodrama as he found it when he began his

career (Dreiser, 1900: 147).

On the stage, Carrie feels desire of playing her role. She got excellence in her

performance when she acts as Laura. All at once, after an exit, Carrie was

frowning alone on the stage and the audience was giggling and laughing at her

performance (Dreiser, 1900: 398). Carrie‟s sadness performance becomes the

appeal to audiences, even in comedy genre.

Oh, the tangle of human life! How dimly as yet we see. Here was Carrie,

in the beginning poor, unsophisticated, emotional; responding with desire

to everything most lovely in life, yet finding herself turned as by a wall

(Dreiser, 1900: 447).

The paragraph above shows her gloomy, such being isolation in the work. She

becomes the popular celebrity but she‟s still unhappy and lonely. She realizes that

she‟s trapped by the illusion of happiness. Her desire to pursuit the material goods

and fame is perhaps unworthiness.

Even had Hurstwood returned in his original beauty and glory, he could

not now have allured her. She had learned that in his world, as in her own

present state, was not happiness (Dreiser, 1900: 448).

In the paragraph above, it is shown how Carrie is gloomy. In the end, she

learns that in Hurstwood‟s world, when he‟s still having a lot of money, material

goods, and higher position in the job, was not happiness. Same with the state of


35

Hurstwood before, she learns that in her present state, after she got a lot of money,

material goods, and fame, she‟s still unhappy.

B. The Idea of Determinism Reflected in the Main Character

According to French philosopher Baron D‟Holbach, determinism is a theory

related to human action which is influenced by internal and external forces. It

means that human has no free will. His actions and decisions will be depended by

the circumstances.

That which a man is about to do, is always a consequence of that which he

has been—of that which he is—of that which he has done up to the

moment of the action: His total and actual existence, considered under all

its possible circumstances, contains the sum of all the motives to the action

he is about to commit (1999:102).

The belief which characters do not have free will is called determinism.

According to Shipley, determinism can be seen through internal forces

(hereditary, instinct, and passion) and external forces (society, environment, and

chance). Here are internal and external forces which are reflected in the main

character of Carrie.

1. Internal forces

Internal forces in Carrie‟s character is divided into three factors. The first is

hereditary. Hereditary is related to the physical appearance of Sister Carrie. The

naturalistic aspect is reflected in Drouet‟s and Hurtswood‟s way of thinking of

Carrie as they are attracted on the physical appearance of Carrie and they want to


36

make Carrie as their lover. As for them, Carrie is a young girl who has

extraordinary beauty. Her beauty making men to chase her. Here is Drouet‟s

statement when he successfully lures Carrie to live with him.

Good clothes, of course, were the first essential, the things without which

he was nothing. A strong physical nature, actuated by a keen desire for the

feminine, was the next. A mind free of any consideration of the problems

or forces of the world and actuated not by greed, but an insatiable love of

variable pleasure. His method was always simple. Its principal element

was daring, backed, of course, by an intense desire and admiration for the

sex (Dreiser, 1900: 6).

Carrie‟s beauty also determines her success to be a famous actress in the end

of the story. The following statement shows Carrie‟s beauty.

Now, because Carrie was pretty, the gentlemen who made up the advance

illustrations of shows about to appear for the Sunday papers selected

Carrie's photo along with others to illustrate the announcement. Because

she was very pretty, they gave it excellent space and drew scrolls about it.

Carrie was delighted (Dreiser, 1900: 397).

Another hereditary aspect is also shown in the family relation between Carrie

and her family. Carrie is described as she had no excellent home principles upon

her. Carrie lost the presence of her father as she‟s never got attention and guidance

from her father. Because she lost the presence of her father which also her

“counsellor”, she acts without guidance and she takes people‟s voice as her

guidance to act. Therefore, she seeks for men to replace her presence of her father

to fulfill her needs.

The second is instinct. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, definition

of instinct is behavior that is mediated by reactions below the conscious level. So,


37

instinct is the form of unconsciousness which it happens naturally, without

learning and thinking about it. In Carrie‟s character, instinct can be found through

Carrie‟s unconsciousness is related to her inner self which affects her behavior

and emotions. It is shown in the quotation below.

She did not hear this very well. Her heart was troubled by a kind of terror.

The fact that she was alone, away from home, rushing into a great sea of

life and endeavour, began to tell. She could not help but feel a little choked

for breath—a little sick as her heart beat so fast. She half closed her eyes

and tried to think it was nothing, that Columbia City was only a little way

off (Dreiser, 1900: 10).

She didn‟t aware about what she has done or her decision to leaving her

hometown beyond her consciousness. She leaves her only relative in Chicago,

Minnie, and cuts the relationship with her sister after she falls on Drouet‟s

seductive to be her mistress. Then, later on moves to be Hurstwood‟s mistress.

She was sad beyond measure, and yet uncertain, wishing, fancying.

Finally, it seemed as if all her state was one of loneliness and

forsakenness, and she could scarce refrain from trembling at the lip. She

hummed and hummed as the moments went by, sitting in the shadow by

the window, and was therein as happy, though she did not perceive it, as

she ever would be (Dreiser, 1900: 107).

She unconsciously trapped in the illusion that happiness could be found on the

material things. She got influenced by the urban society lifestyle to pursue her

happiness. At the end of the story, even though she has everything which she

hunger for, such wealthy, beauty, and fame as an artist, she‟s feeling sad and

lonely.

The third is passion. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, definition of

passion is a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about


38

doing something. So, it is related to a strong feeling/ sexual desire which causes

people to act in a dangerous way. There‟s a change in Carrie‟s character which

from the beginning of the story, Carrie who is timid and doesn‟t have excitement

in her previous work as a laborer, later on after she moves in New York, she finds

her own excitement or enthusiasm as an actress in acting industry.

Fulfilling her part capably brought another notice in the papers that she

was doing her work acceptably. This pleased her immensely. She began to

think the world was taking note of her (Dreiser, 1900: 394).

In Carrie‟s character, passion can be found through her character which she

pursues her dream to be an artist. While she becomes an artist in New York, she

got her own salary. Meanwhile, Hurstwood is jobless and can‟t support Carrie‟s

basic needs anymore, Carrie decides to break her relationship with Hurstwood and

leave him alone in poverty and despair.

Timid as Carrie was, she was strong in capability. The reliance of others

made her feel as if she must, and when she must she dared. Experience of

the world and of necessity was in her favour. No longer the lightest word

of a man made her head dizzy. She had learned that men could change and

fail (Dreiser, 1900: 385).

After Carrie‟s decision to leave him, he becomes homeless, then commits

suicide. Here, Carrie‟s character is changing from dependent person to be

independent person. In the end, Carrie is trapped by illusion of happiness which

could be found in the fame of as an artist. Even though she becomes a famous

artist, she remains unhappy.


39

2. External forces

External forces can be divided into three categories. The categories are

society, environment, and chance.

a) Society

Society in Carrie‟s hometown differs from the society in big cities, such

Chicago and New York. In the Carrie‟s hometown, which is rural area in

Wisconsin as the part of Columbia city. The area is typically an open land with

few of buildings and people who live there. Most people usually work as farmers

because agriculture is the main industry in the rural area. Therefore, the society

there is not typical of modern industrial civilization like urban society. They

usually focus on working rather than giving attention to social status, so that

there‟s no division based on social status. While in the urban society, people

always comparing each other based on the social status, such a social division of

communities and labor. In rural communities, there is little room for job mobility

rather than in the big city. There‟s also no fast mobility for social adaptation such

in the urban city. People are loving nature, most of them usually believes in gods

and goddesses. In the compare to the society in the big city, people are most

realistic and not typically religious but instead they‟re materialistic.

In a material way, she was considerably improved. Her awkwardness had

all but passed, leaving, if anything, a quaint residue which was as pleasing

as perfect grace. Her little shoes now fitted her smartly and had high heels

(Dreiser, 1900: 397).


40

Based on the paragraph below, Carrie‟s characteristics are develop as she

comes from the rural area in Wisconsin to the big city, Chicago. After living in

Chicago, her characters are develop. She learns that she has to live the way

society live there in order to survive in the urban society. As time goes by, she got

accustomed with luxurious life style in the urban society as she lives there.

b) Environment

It related to social conditions of the story. A story taking place in in modern

American society in Chicago such as poverty, a great difference treatment

between the rich and the poor, and money-oriented world. It is shown in the

quotation below.

Carrie said nothing, but bent over her work. She felt as though she could

hardly endure such a life. Her idea of work had been so entirely different.

All during the long afternoon she thought of the city outside and its

imposing show, crowds, and fine buildings. Columbia City and the better

side of her home life came back (Dreiser, 1900:38).

Chicago, here, is described as big city with fine buildings which its condition

is difference with Columbia city as the village with agriculture fields. Because of

her poor condition, Carrie decides to leave her hometown, Columbia, to go to the

big city, Chicago to increase her dream.

After Carrie leaves her hometown, she realizes that Chicago isn‟t as beautiful

big city as she expected. She has to struggle to get proper job, deal with the


41

treatment of the urban society, and live in poor condition. The condition is shown

below.

Carrie looked out through the window into the busy street. There it was,

the admirable, great city, so fine when you are not poor. An elegant coach,

with a prancing pair of bays, passed by, carrying in its upholstered depths

a young lady (Dreiser, 1900:71).

Her vision to have a better life in Chicago is slowly disappear as she faces the

reality and the harsh life in urban society. Here, her characters are developed

because of different views on the social condition in the urban society. She

becomes desireful and materialistic.

The glamour of the high life of the city had, in the few experiences

afforded her by the former, seized her completely. She had been taught

how to dress and where to go without having ample means to do either

(Dreiser, 1900:301).

In her understanding, money is the most important thing for her in order to

survive and live well in the society. In other word, she can be happy in Chicago if

she has a lot of money because she can fulfill her needs and anything that she

wants in Chicago. As she meets Drouet and Hurstwood, she becomes heavily

dependent to them. She realizes that she needs their money to support her life in

the urban society.

c) Chance

A chance is related to a set of circumstance that makes it possible to do

something. It is shown in the quotation below.


42

“Carrie's new state was remarkable in that she saw possibilities in it. She

was no sensualist, longing to drowse sleepily in the lap of luxury. She

turned about, troubled by her daring, glad of her release…” (Dreiser,

1900:71).

The conversation above shows that after Carrie agrees to be Drouet‟s mistress,

Carrie thinks that it is a chance for her to avoid poverty. A chance, here, is related

to the possibility which she takes to get out of her poor living condition by

becoming Drouet‟s mistress.

So, Carrie is described as becoming a dependent women to men‟s power after

she has been living in Chicago. Her timid character which is described in the

beginning of the story also disappears later on. It because she is getting to know

Drouet‟s power and she learns that she can get out from the poverty if she can

trust and lean her life to Drouet. It is considered as her chance to live well on

Drouet‟s support and later moves to Hurstwood‟s support.

At the end of the story, Carrie also got a chance to be a famous actress in New

York City. It is stated below:

Whatever a man like Hurstwood could be in Chicago, it is very evident

that he would be but an inconspicuous drop in an ocean like New York. In

Chicago, whose population still ranged about 500,000, millionaires were

not numerous. The rich had not become so conspicuously rich as to drown

all moderate incomes in obscurity (Dreiser, 1900:263).

Carrie is attracted by the manager in acting industry and she gets promotion

because of her looks. Carrie‟s beauty and her circumstance makes her possible to

be a famous actress. Her circumstance, which in New York, is a great big city


43

with high population in the world. The city is known for its modernity of mass

distribution, factory production, and large consumption of luxuries in the city.


44

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

In this last chapter, the conclusion of a whole discussions will be drawn in this

study. The conclusion is needed to give explicit explanation and answers of two

problem formulations which have been discussed in the previous chapters. The

two problem formulations are: first, how the main character, Sister Carrie,

described in the story; second, how the main character, Sister Carrie, reveals the

idea of determinism in the story.

Firstly, the main character, Sister Carrie, becomes the object of the study.

Sister Carrie is described as a young beautiful country girl who comes from

Wisconsin to move to Chicago. Her characteristics, such inexperienced, timid, and

unconscious are shown in the beginning of the story as she is born and grown up

in rural area in Wisconsin, which is also her hometown.

In Carrie’s childhood, Carrie is described as a girl who had not been guided by

her family as she had no excellent home principles upon her. She missed the

guidance and affection from her family. Therefore, she looks for affection on men

because she thinks that men can give her affection which she has never had before

from her family. Carrie’s desire to men later on changes to be insecurity because

she’s afraid of losing men’s affection. Those are leading Carrie to another

characteristics, such are desireful and insecure. Then, after she moves to the big


45

cities, such Chicago, and New York, Carrie is described as dependent,

materialistic, easily tempted, and gloomy.

Carrie is a dependent girl. After she lives in Chicago, she worries to live in

poverty and working as laborer in her lifetime. She decides to be a mistress to

men to get out from those difficult situation. In another word, she chooses to

depend on men to take care of her life.

Carrie is considered as materialistic because her obsession of material desire

to men's fat purse. They fulfills Carrie’s material pleasure, such spending a lot

money to buy Carrie’s clothes, and having a fancy dinner in elegant restaurant. In

Carrie’s understanding, she thinks that money, nice clothes, material goods are

pleasure of life, which she has to fulfill her desire in order to be happy.

Carrie is easily tempted. Carrie is easily swayed by men’s luring words. One

of the examples, she is tempted by Hurstwood’s sweet words to marry her and

have a good life in New York because she thinks that marriage is the way she

would be rescued or she will have the ‘guarantee position’ to have a good future.

Carrie is gloomy, shown in the end of the story. She successfully pursuit her

dream, becomes famous actress and rich but she still unhappy and lonely. She

realizes that she’s trapped by the illusion of happiness. Her desire to pursuit the

material goods and fame is perhaps unworthiness

Determinism which reflected to the main character, Sister Carrie, can be seen

through internal forces (hereditary, instinct, and passion) and external forces

(society, environment, and chance).


46

Internal forces in Carrie’s character is divided into three factors. The first is

hereditary. Hereditary is related to the physical appearance of Carrie and in the

family relation between Carrie and her family. The second is instinct. Instinct can

be found through Carrie’s unconsciousness which affects her behavior and

emotions through her inner self. She didn’t aware about what she has done or her

decision to leave her hometown beyond her consciousness. The third is passion.

Passion is related to a strong feeling/ sexual desire which causes people to act in a

dangerous way. It is found through her character which she pursues her dream to

be a famous artist and decides to break her relationship with Hurstwood to get

more money.

External forces can be divided into three categories. The first is society.

Society in Carrie’s hometown differs from the society in big cities, such Chicago

and New York. In the Carrie’s hometown, which is rural area in Wisconsin as the

part of Columbia city. However, after living in Chicago, Carrie’s characteristics

are developed as she learns that she has to live the way society live there in order

to survive in the urban society. The second is environment. It related to social

conditions of the story which taking place in modern American society such

poverty, a great difference treatment between the rich and the poor, and money-

oriented world. Those are influencing Carrie’s characteristics, such desireful and

materialistic. The last is a chance. A chance is related to a set of circumstance that

makes it possible to do something. Because of Carrie beauty, she got a chance to

be a mistress to men. It is consider as her chance to live well on Drouet’s support

and later moves to Hurstwood’s support. Because of her looks, Carrie is also


47

attracted by the manager in acting industry and she gets promotion to be a famous

actress in New York. Carrie’s beauty and her circumstance makes her possible to

be a mistress and also a famous actress.

In the story of Sister Carrie, Determinism portraits Carrie’s characterization

as the main character who struggles with other forces in the story. The portrayal

of Carrie’s character is influenced by the society as she tries to survive in the

urban society, including becomes a mistress to men to avoid poverty. As the time

goes by, she entrances the bourgeois society, then she makes her life style is also

changing to upper class society. However, the idea of Determinism reflected that

Carrie is a victim of ‘environment’ as her character and personality are controlled

by her circumstances. In the end, Carrie seems fated to be unhappy and lonely

even though Carrie successfully escaped from poverty.


48

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https://gideonsway.wordpress.com/2014/08/18/how-a-protogonist-differs-from-a-main-character

determinism as seen through the main character …i also want to thank my second family, komsel...

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