An analysis of the theme of the idiot through characterization, plot, and setting

Studying and analyzing literary work is not an easy task for the students. This is caused by the language used in literary work and the students' incapability to combine the elements of literary work. However, Students can get benefits from literary work because literary work contains people's values, thoughts, problems, and conflicts. Besides literary work will enlarge students' knowledge and build their intellectual. Considering the benefits the students can get, the writer then conducts the study on the theme of Dostoevsky's novel The Idiot. The writer chooses Dostoevsky's novel with consideration that Dostoevsky is regarded as a famous writer in Russia, and, furthermore, his works mostly convey the idea about facing reality. This study intends to answer the following research questions: (1) How is the theme developed through characterization. (2) How is the theme developed through plot. (3) How is the theme developed through setting. (4) What is the theme of The idiot. This study concerns with finding the theme In The Idiot. The writer used practical criticism and intrinsic approach which concern with the elements existing inside the literary work itself, and the literary analysis which not only divides the literary work into its parts, like theme, characters, plot, and setting, but also finds the meaning of its parts and its contribution to the whole. In analyzing the theme, first the writer analyzed the characters, plot and setting, for theme is developed through those elements. Then she contributed each of the elements to the whole, the writer finally comes to the central theme of the novel. After analyzing, the writer found the result of the novel. Money and love is usually described as valuable things, and brings people's happiness, the belief is not true. In fact, what the author really wants to state is those two valuable things (money and love) make people suffer more or even bring them to death. Finally, the writer concludes that The Idiot is a kind of sadness and despair novel because of the extreme view of love and money