CHAPTER 1
Introduction
1.1.
Background of Choosing the Subject
This graduating paper deals with an American series entitled Percy
Jackson and the Olympians, often shortened to just Percy Jackson. It is a
pentalogy of adventure and fiction books written by Rick Riordan, a former
teacher who then became a novelist. More than 20 million copies of the books
have been sold in more than 35 countries. The series focuses on ancient Greek
mythology. The whole series tells us about a twelve-year-old dyslexic ADHD
(Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) boy, Percy Jackson. Every book
follows Percy Jackson's adventures with his point of view.
The first book of the series is The Lightning Thief, published in 2005 and
has been sold over 1.2 million copies in its first four years. It was adapted into a
film by Chris Columbus and 20th Century Fox, under the title Percy Jackson &
the Olympians: The Lightning Thief on February 12, 2010. It mainly describes
how Percy finds out his true identity as a demigod and how he accepts it by
finishing the quest given by the Gods. This first installment of the series is based
on Perseus' heroics. The second book, The Sea of Monsters, is based on Odysseus'
story, The Odyssey. The third episode, The Titan’s Curse based on legendary
Heracles' (or Hercules) story. Theseus' adventure becomes the base for the fourth
book, The Battle of the Labyrinth. The last part of the series, The Last Olympian is
based on Achilles' epic.
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The point of the story that attracts the present writer is how Riordan tells
the readers about ancient Greek mythology with modern touch without losing its
values. Also, Riordan does not omit the formula of an adventure story in the
series. For example, in adventure story, as Cawelti writes, the center of the story is
that of the hero—individual or group—“overcoming obstacles and dangers and
accomplishing some important and moral mission” (5). Percy, in this series also
struggling to overcome some obstacles and dangers through his quests. For
example, he has accomplished his mission finding the Zeus’ bolt and avoids
Kronos’ manipulation in TLT.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series tells us, the reader, about the most
common thing in a fiction book: the battle between good versus evil. Just like
Harry Potter against his arch nemesis, Voldemort; or Superman versus Lex
Luthor, the lead character here, Percy Jackson also struggles against the bad
power, Kronos. The difference from the other book is that Percy Jackson is based
on Greek mythology, which makes Percy and other characters are armored with
Godly superpower. The mythology does not only apply on their character, but also
on how their fate or destiny is going on. Their fate depends on the prophecy from
the Gods.
Percy, as a demigod, also has a prophecy that becomes like a guidance of
his life. However, the prophecy tells him basically about how great the Gods are,
no matter what he does to change his fate, he still on the Gods’ hands. His life is
mainly about how to survive from the monsters, demigods, and Gods who attempt
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on kill him, especially his arch nemesis and his puppet doll, Luke Castellan. They
plans things to kill Percy and brings the Golden Age where Kronos is the arbiter
and the Olympians are no longer the master of the the world.
In this graduating paper, present writer wants to focus on the main
antagonist of the series, Luke Castellan. He is a machination product of the true
villain, Kronos. Luke is choosen because in the writer’s perspective, he has the
most alteration of emotion. Also, the character Luke Castellan fits the definition
of tragic hero. He “accordingly moves us to pity because, since he is not an evil
man,” and “his misfortune is greater than he deserves,” but he moves us also to
fear, because we recognize similar possibilities of error in our own lesser and
fallible selves (Abrams 202).
1.2.
Research Question
1. What is tragedy? How does it apply in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and
the Olympians series?
2. What qualities do Luke Castellan have to make him considered as a tragic
hero?
1.3.
Objective of the Study
The objectives of the study are:
1. to understand the concept of tragedy and how it applies in Percy
Jackson and the Olympians series.
2. to learn the character of Luke Castellan as a tragic hero and his
motivation.
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1.4.
Focus of Examination
In line with the objectives of this paper, the focus of examination would be
the plot, characters, and settings―Robert Stanton defines these elements as the
factual structure of novel―of the pentalogy novel Percy Jackson and the
Olympians series. It focuses to analyze the characterization of Luke Castellan.
1.5.
Scope of the Study
In accordance with objective of the study, the scope of the study only
covers the actions of Luke Castellan and the structure of the story including plot,
character, and setting. These actions are reflected within the dialogues,
commentaries, and speeches when each character has to involve in certain events.
Although, in this story Luke is not the only character, the analysis on character
will be limited only on the other characters who have significant influence toward
Luke’s character (in this study, his mother, his father, Percy Jackson, Annabeth
Chase, and Thalia Grace are chosen). Also, the analysis will ignores other
elements such as theme, symbol, style, and other literary devices. The main focus
is determined by analyzing the plot and the dialogues to see Luke Castellan’s
actions which related to his act as the tragic hero in this story.
1.6.
Theoretical Approach
Theory or approach has an important role in a research. It could be
compared as a formula of research. A researcher could face a problem without a
clear and exact theory. In this paper, researcher uses two theories, structuralism
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and psychology; since combination between two theories or more in a research is
acceptable.
By using two approaches, this study also entails two steps of analyzing.
The first step uses structuralism approach. The present researcher uses
structuralism approach (facts of the story analysis proposed by Stanton, for
specific) as the first step in this research. The purpose of this approach in this
research is to analyze the plot, character, and setting. The second step uses
psychological approach as the continuance of analysis on character. The analysis
of character in his paper is only focuses on the lead antagonist of the series, Luke
Castellan. The purpose of the second step is to fathoming Luke Castellan’s
character as a tragic hero.
1.6.1. Structuralism
Structuralism has evolved since Aristotle’s era, but continuously
refurbished until gained its complete form in early 20th century (Ratna 5).
Structuralism is an approach that aims on detailed analysis of the relevancy and
relatedness between each aspects and elements (Teeuw 135).
A literature work, either its fiction novel or poem in the perspective of
structuralism is the completeness that is built in coherence by various elements of
its constructor (Nurgiyantoro 36). In addition, structuralism proposed to explain
the function and relevance between elements of literature work accurately –which
produces completeness (Ratna 76).
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The term ‘structuralism’ here does not always deal with the word
‘structure’. The main subject in this approach is either to examine or study on the
physical form of a text or to adjudicate whether the text is a good work of art or
not. Structuralism sees literature work as a structure of some elements which are
connected to each other. Lois M. Tyson in her book, Critical Theory Today (2006)
declares that in literature, structuralism has very important implications. However,
applying structuralism does not mean to judge whether a literature work is good
or not; structuralism means to discover the underlying principles that govern their
composition short (210).
As for this paper, the writer focuses on facts of story analysis. Fact of story
is a part of structuralism approach proposed by Stanton. He classifies the intrinsic
elements of story in three general points: facts, literary device, and theme. The
facts include plot, character, and setting. These points are chosen because it has
the biggest influence toward Luke Castellan.
1.6.2. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Aside from structuralism approach, to fulfill the objectives of the study,
the writer of this graduating paper considers psychological approach as the second
approach applied. Psychological approach is necessary when it comes to
fathoming a character. Moreover, psychology and literature has a relationship that
can be seen in Peter Barry’s book, Beginning Theory (1995), which describes that
the relation between psychology and literature in term “a form of literary criticism
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which uses some of techniques of psychoanalysis in the interpretation of
literature” (96).
In the present paper, the writer uses Abraham H. Maslow’s theory about
needs, known as Hierarchy of Needs. It is a humanistic theory of motivation based
on his observation that humans are a perpetually wanting animal. This hierarchy is
first proposed in his paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” (1943). Maslow
expanded a theory in which has a foundation –low level needs such as
physiological needs and safety must be relatively accomplished before the higher
level needs such as self-fulfillment are reached. In this hierarchy, when a need is
mostly accomplished, it will no longer motivate an individual and the next higher
need takes will arrive on the conscious state. Maslow proposed five basic needs
that become goals that guide human behavior:
1. Physiological Needs
2. Safety Needs
3. Love and Belongingness Needs
4. Esteem Needs
5. Self-Actualization Needs
This theory is chosen because in the present writer perspective, it will be
able to give clarity in the analysis of Luke Castellan as a tragic hero in the story,
because the concept of fulfilling the needs is in line with the concept of a perfect
hero. In addition, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs has met the criteria to
comprehend the character through his needs and the motivations behind them. The
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present writer also chooses this theory in order to accomplish the complete
understanding about the character.
1.7.
Method of Research
In collecting the data, the present writer conducts a library research. The
data are collected from the written materials found in library. The primary data of
the research is taken mainly from books since this research still count as a
literature study. The primary data is taken from the literary work of Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series with additional information from other
Riordan’s book The Demigod’s Diaries. The secondary data are the theories that
give support and better understanding for the research. The secondary datas are
provided by Kenny William’s book How to Analyze Fiction (1966) and An
Introduction to Fiction (1965) by Robert Stanton. These books become the main
sources for the theoretical approach. This data also contributes information about
Hierarchy of Needs theory by Abraham H. Maslow which is mainly gained from
his 1943 paper, A Theory of Human Motivation in Psychological Review. In
addition, the present writer uses Levin’s Tragedy: Plays, Theory, and Criticism
(1960) to dig further acknoledgment in tragedy. Aside data collecting from the
written materials found in library, accessing the internet and electronic media is
indeed helpful in acquiring the additional information required for the analysis.
The first step of analyzing the data is by using structuralism approach.
This approach is used to get deeper understanding about the function and
relevance between elements of literature work accurately. After that, the data are
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analyzed by using the Hierarchy of Needs. The last step in the analysis is make
deeper analysis to accomplish the objective of the study which is hoped to
produce data’s interpretation and conclusion.
1.8.
Literature Review
There is a previous study that discuss about Percy Jackson and the
Olympians series and written in the form of graduating paper by student of
English Department, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada. It
was written by Hikmat (2011) entitled Greek Mythology as seen in Rick Riordan’s
The Lightning Thief. In this paper, Hikmat focused on the depiction of Greek
mythology in the factual structure of a popular novel, which is Rick Riordan’s The
Lightning Thief. Hikmat’s graduation paper focuses on the intrinsic elements of
the book where the ideas of Greek mythology are represented. Thus, it is different
from this paper, which focuses on an item of the series (a character and a
psychological analysis through it). The object of the papers also different, while
Hikmat’s paper deals with the first out of five books of the series, meanwhile this
paper deals with the character of Luke Castellan whom involved in the whole
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
The second four papers also use the Hierarchy of Needs by Abraham
Maslow. The first is Maslow’s Needs Analysis on Alice in Lewis Caroll’s Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland by Bester Rajib (2008), An Analysis on the Growth
and Hierarchy of Needs in Roth’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by
Mifrahatunnisa (2010), Maslow’s Needs Analysis on Huck in Mark Twain’s The
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Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Saprio Utama (2010), and The Unfulfilled
Needs and the Effects of Unfulfillment in Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to
Terabithia by Erry Yuniarti Setianingtyas (2014).
The first paper, done by Rajib (2008) explained the method of Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs in Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. He explains the
development of Alice’s needs through each scenes and events in her adventure.
Same theory is applied in Mifrahatunnisa’s paper (2010). Using the same theory,
she aims the growth of the main character, Benjamin Button. In Utama’s paper the
focuses are the needs which involve in Huck’s behavior when he lives with other
characters. The last paper, written by Setianingtyas, the spotlights are the
unfulfilled needs and their effects towards the character. In conclusion, all of them
are different from the present paper, because this paper deals with the fulfillment
of basic needs of the main character. In addition, the object of the research is
completely different.
1.9.
Presentation
This paper is divided into four chapters. Chapter one deals with the
introduction of the framework of the whole paper. Chapter two presents the
theoretical framework, focuses only in further information about structural
approach and also discusses about facts. This chapter also provides the definition
of tragedy and tragic hero. Chapter three analyzes about the character Luke
Castellan through his actions and dialogues throughout the story and his
motivation of fighting against the Olympians which leads him into his tragic end.
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The analysis in this chapter is The final chapter, chapter four is the conclusion
which constitutes the result of the study.