The role of setting on the main character in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

ABSTRACT

Setting is the element of fiction that refers to where and when (place and time) a character does an action. Setting cannot be separated from other elements of fiction because it has a function to make the story become life-like, concrete and clear.

This study analyses the kinds of setting that are used in the novel and also the role of settings on the main character of Oliver Twist Setting in which an action happens includes setting of time or place, and prevails political, moral, and social attitudes of the society in which the character lives in the story.

The research problems in this study are: (1) What kinds of setting are used in the novel, (2) How is the role of setting on the main character on Oliver Twist. In analyzing this novel, a descriptive qualitative method is used because the kinds of setting and also the role of setting on the main character are richly described. The data are taken from the novel entitled Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens by taking into account the intrinsic elements.

After analyzing the data, kinds of setting and the role of setting on the main character of Oliver Twist are found Setting that is used in Oliver Twist is neutral setting. It is also found the social setting which includes the setting of place as dominant setting that influences the life of the main character, Oliver Twist. It is concluded that the neutral setting (place and time) in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens have role as the only one element to the main character, Oliver Twist. His movements in every place and the time that was passed by him bring Oliver from the bad condition, in the parish workhouse that is full of suffer to the good condition that is living with the warm family.

Based on the findings, it is suggested to future researchers to study the other aspects of literature in this novel or study the setting of place in London as intrinsic element of Oliver Twist and be compared with the real setting of London at that time as extrinsic element using genetic structuralism theory.