ABSTRACT
In this study, the writer will analyze and explain more about the character of Nikky, the son of Victor, in play titled “One for the Road” written by Harold Pinter. According to Wyne, the word “character” comes from Greek “karasso” which means “to mark”, the mark or engrave, which focus on how to apply the value of kindness in the form of an action or behavior. The method that used in this study is close-reading. By reading the text we know what the character of Nikky is.In conclusion, from this study, the writer will analyze about the character of Nicolas so that the readers can understand more about the character of Nicolas.
Keyword: Character, Nikky, One for the Road, Politic, Political, Horror
1. INTRODUCTION
1. 1. Writing Background
The word play comes from Greek language “ drau” means “action” or does something. Play is an illustration of an action, said Aristoteles. Just like Aristoteles said, Moulton said that a play is an action that presented in front of many people. Other definition comes from other expert. Harywaman explained that the word play is from Greek “draomi”. It has meaning doing, obtain, action, and reaction. But to Seomanto, the word play come fron French language “drame” meaning that play should explain the story about middle level life.
The performances of play are full of code and symbol that keep the story in line from the beginning until the end of the performances. Especially the play which has an unexpected plot ending. It makes the play more interesting and can attract people to watch the play.
The writer chooses One for the Road as the title of the play to analyze because the writer wants to analyze the character of Victor’s son, Nikky.
1.2. Writing Purpose
The purpose of this writing is to know the intrinsic element and extrinsic element of this play. Besides, the writer wants to analyze more about the character of Nicolas.
2. PLAYWRIGHT BIOGRAPHY
Harold Pinter, son of a Jewish tailor, was a British born on October 10, 1930 in the London borough of Hackney. Pinter was met with the anti-Semitism expressions and from that he showed an important signs for becoming a playtist. He left from London for surviving at the age of nine and then came back to London at the age of twelve. He left from London because of World War. After came back, he attended the Hackney Grammar School and played Macbeth and Romeo. After playing the role of those productions directed by Joseph Brearley, it made him choose a career in acting. He was accepted at the Royal Academy of Playtic Art in 1948. In the next two year, in 1950, his first poem was published. In 1951, he was accepted at the Central School of Speech and Play and in the same year, he received an award for his performance of Shakespeare in Anew McMaster’s famous Irish repertory company.
In 1957, Pinter made his first play in title The Room and it was presented in Bristol. Other his early plays were The Birthday Party, The Dumb Waiter, The Caretaker, The Homecoming, and others. Pinter was known as the famous British playwright in the second half of the 20th century. He used “Pinteresque” to describe an atmosphere and environment that appears in play. Harold Pinter turn the theater to its basic elements such as an enclosed space and unpredictable dialogue. The first play of Pinter was a variation of absurd theatre but then it should be characterized as a “comedy of menace”.
From 1956 until 1980, Pinter and Vivien Merchant were married. Vivien Merchant was an actress whom Pinter met when he met on his tour. Daniel, their son, was born in 1958. May be because Vivien was his wife and also she was an actress, she appeared in many of Pinter’s play. But their marriage was not long-last. They divorced and then Pinter married to Fraser after his ex-wife died because of acute alcoholism. Pinter died on December 24, 2008 at the age of 78.
3. THEORY AND METHODS
3.1. Theory
Literature is the imaginative work reflects the human life into something that more beautiful, aesthetic and anti-mainstream. It can represents almost every aspects of life. Based on Wellek and Warren (1956: 3), literature comes with human social life expression. Literature expresses human life in an ambigious way. Literature can also be a media for the author to express and deliver their ideas and thoughts about an event that is happening in their social life. Jones (1986: 1) says that literature not only the one that performed, but also all the written material such as history books, philosophical works, novel, poems, plays, articles, dictionaries, etc. Based on those examples, he divides them into two main groups. The first is writing that present information or informative literature such as articles, newspapers, etc. and the second group is imaginative literature such as poems, poetry, novels, plays etc.
3.2. Methods
As the writer might be said in the previous page, the method of this study is close reading. The writer use this method after reading the script of the play One For the Road. The word “close reading” is not the exact technical use, it does not involve a set of methodology. Close reading has short and sensitively explores and exposes of the text. This method need some activities such as multiple readings, viewing the text, looking the extrinsic aspects of the text etc.
4. RESEARCH OBJECT
4.1. Material and Formal Object
The media that used in this paper is written literary work or printed material to be analyzed. Printed material means any publications, documents, recording, newspapers, magazines, books, photographs, and drawings. The formal object of the writing is political issue that happens in the play One for the Road written by Harold Pinter. A political issue is something deals with the government or the politics that includes party politics or political system, environmental or other issues that determined by the voting public.
4.2. Summary of the Play
One for the Road is a play written by Harold Pinter. This play begins with Victor that is investigated by Nicolas. Then, his wife Gila is also investigated by Nicolas. All member of his family being tortured by Nicolas, including his seven-year-old son, Nicky that is imprisoned in different room of his house. Nicolas confronts Gila , he refers to sexual torture of her.
5. ANALYSIS
5.1. Intrinsic Analysis
• The Character of Nikky
Nikky is a seven-year-old boy that in this play has less part than other character. Nikky is the son of Victor and Gila. Not only his parents but he also being tortured by Nicolas. He is an innocent boy just like the other boy in the same age as him. But he is also smart enough. When Nicolas asks him to choose which airplane he like the real and the fake one, he answers that he likes both of the kind of airplanes.
NICOLAS
What do you really like?
NIKKY
I like aeroplanes.
NICOLAS
Real ones or toy ones?
NIKKY
I like both kinds of ones.
NICOLAS
Do you?
(pause)
Why do you like aeroplanes?
Pause
NIKKY
Well… because they go to fast. Through the air. The real ones do.
NICOLAS
And the toy ones?
NIKKY
I pretend they go as fast as the real ones do.
After Nicolas asks him about things he like, then he is asked about his parents. But from the answer that he gave, seems like he does not really love his parents. It can be seen from the dialogue that he avoids the question and asks where his mother is. Then he admits that he does not love and like his mommy and daddy after given the some question by Nicolas. He does not answer those question but he chooses to quite.
NICOLAS (CONT’D)
Do you like your mummy and daddy?
NIKKY
Yes.
NICOLAS
Why?
Pause.
NICOLAS (CONT’D)
Why?
Pause
NICOLAS (CONT’D)
Do you find that question hard to answer?
Pause.
NIKKY
Where’s mummy?
NICOLAS
You don’t like your mummy and daddy?
NIKKY
Yes. I do.
NICOLAS
Why?
Pause.
5.2. Extrinsic Analysis
• Political Horror
In this play, Pinter presents us unusual story about a family that become a “victim of torture” because of the political regime. The political regime think that they can do everything and claim to be doing God’s will. In this case, Nicolas is a representative of the political regime as the elite of the political people. His powerful and intimidating arguments in his dialogue show his power beyond citizen. It leads to the abuse of the authority. One for the road explains that the victim of the abuse of the authority can be branded as a public enemies without any proof shown. The social definition in this play is also manipulated by the political regime. The innocent people can be branded as a criminal out of nowhere.
The play begins with Victor enter the room, there is Nicolas waiting for him. His is full of scars and marks of physical abuse. We see from their conversations, Nicolas tries to destroy all of Victor’s body, beliefs and ideas. Nicolas attacks the physiological to control Victor’s mind.
To make this more horror, Pinter put Nicolas everywhere, everywhere there is Nicolas but in fact there are police, army and other political members that can make the play become more horror. Nicolas is the pawn of the power-hunger individuals and didactic political regime. It is clear that in this play he always use treachery and technique that the prisoner can feel the fear, tension, and intimidate at the same time and to keep Victor in state of constant. He doesn’t tell and ask to the point straightaway, he tends to be careful when using his words. Nicolas acts like he is pro to the citizen and being civil.
In this play, Pinter talks about the gap between the subjective and the objective definitions of self and reality. There are two different ideologies between the prisoner and the persecutor. The nature characteristic of Nicolas is turning everyone into his lust power object either physical or political. It happens to Victor and Gila, Nicolas trn them into his slaves so that they can practice his master’s ideology.
The term of tolerance for ideological diversity is something inevitability that should be recognized. Once Victor is proclaimed as a traitor by the state, there is no one defending him. It is because of the propaganda machinery and dominant ideology. Victor can not speak because all the time Nicolas always cut his conversation and the give an abuse and a shame logic talk. Nicolas uses the concept of solidarity, patriotism, honesty, heritage, and culture in terms to accuse Victor. The insecurities of the dictatorial regime only can survive depends on the strict adherence to an ideology and the public hysteria against a common enemy.
6. CONCLUSION
6.1. Summary
To conclude, this play serves a lot of political issues that happen in the world. The regime is terroring us in each scene of the play. The family
of Victor becomes a victim of this political issue.
6.2. Suggestion
This paper might need more explanation and research to make it clear. And to do that, we need to make another research based on the other knowledge, experience, and read other paper about this topic.
REFERENCES
Pinter, Harold. 1985. One for the Road. London: Methuen.
The Nobel Prize. 2005. Nobel Prize Literature Harold Pinter Bio-bibliography on htts://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2005/pinter/25653-bio-blibliography- 2005 (accessed on October 1st, 2019).
Cahyaningsih, A. 2015. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study. Paper.
Bardzell, Jeffrey. 2008. Discourse Analysis vs. Close Reading on https://www.google.cm/amp/s/interactionculture.net/2009/03/24/discourse- analysis-vs-close-reading/amp/ (accessed on October 1st, 2019).
Anonym. Chapter : 6 Political Discourse in One for the Road, Victoria Station, Thr Hothouse, and Mountain Language. Paper.