Dystopian sub-genre characteristics as represented in James's the Children of Men: A narrative structure analysis

ENGLISH: The term of genres refers to the particular texts that have the similarity of meaning and gives particular identity/meaning to the texts. The researcher finds the connection between the term of genres and Tzvetan Todorov’s idea about narrative structure. While the term of genres is used to classify the particular texts that have the same meaning, the narrative structure theory argues that there is a meaning behind the structure of the texts. Dystopia is a kind of genres in fiction which refers to particular texts that have the meaning about a fictious world that is filled with oppressive society. One example of literary works that represents the dystopian sub-genre characteristics is the Children of Men novel by P.D. James. Thus, this research aims to analyze the way in which the narrative structure is formed in James’s the Children of Men novel, by the use of narrative structure theory by Tzvetan Todorov, and the way in which the narrative structure represents the dystopian sub-genre characteristics by the use of Terri Chung’s dystopian characteristics theory. The researcher did close reading technique and underline the quotations to collect the data then analyzed them by using Todorov’s narrative structure, and Chung’s dystopian characteristics theory. The results of this research show that the novel contains all of five narrative stages, and the process of changing narrative stages are absolutely influenced by the changes that happens in Theo’s life, and this is the way the narrative structure in the novel is formed. In addition, this research also finds that a state of equilibrium stage contains dystopian society characteristics; and type of dystopian control, as this stage is mostly filled with background information and the initial condition of the narrative. Next, in the disruption of equilibrium, there are only the dystopian protagonist characteristics found in this stage, as this stage focuses on the on the way in which the protagonist starts to realise the flaws of the society after witnessing ...