From zero o'clock to a librarian: exploring the symbols portrayed in The Midnight Library

This item is published by Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Ampel Surabaya

Citrasari, Maulida Hilmi (2023) From zero o'clock to a librarian: exploring the symbols portrayed in The Midnight Library. Undergraduate thesis, UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya.

Text
Maulida Hilmi Citrasari_A93219099 ok.pdf
Download (2MB)

Abstract

The research goal is to investigate the symbolism in the novel The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. The novel is about a depressed woman named Nora Seed who attempts to kill herself at midnight. However, between life-and-death state, she arrived at a library and met the librarian, Mrs. Elm. In this library, Nora visited many alternative lives of hers and regained the spirit to live again. Two problems are examined in this paper: (1) How are the symbols portrayed in the novel, and (2) How does the symbol support the plot of the story in the novel? This study utilizes a qualitative approach since the result will be descriptive rather than numerical. Aside from Symbolism theory to identify the symbols, New Criticism theory is included to analyze the intrinsic elements of the novel, specifically the plot. The researcher reads the novel several times to gain a deeper understanding and then highlights the details that matter. Later, the researcher classifies the findings to analyze them. This paper discovers that there are four symbolisms in this novel, namely: (1) midnight, which symbolizes the end and the beginning of Nora's life; (2) the Midnight Library, which represents Nora's interests; (3) The books in the Midnight Library symbolize the dreams that Nora pursued, and (4) The librarian represents Nora's wise side. Additionally, the symbols support the plot by representing the story's situation (midnight) and using thematic symbols (the books, the library, and the librarian). Furthermore, this study may be helpful, particularly for English literature students and people fascinated with learning about symbolism and literary analysis.