4.1.1 Exposition of characters

As explained above, character is divided into three that are main character, secondary character, and complementary character. Those will be analyzed one by one bellow.

As explained above that Main character is categorized as the important one in the creation of a story and appears continually, the continual appearance in the story in this caused the reason that he seems to determine almost the whole part of the story. Shortly, main character is a character consistently supports the author’s idea, has much more portrayal than the other characters. In other words, main character is involved in the greatest part of the story rather than the other characters.

The main character acted in Danielle Steel’s Heartbeat (1991) is an American man called Bill Thigpen. Further the cases related to this main character exposed by the narrator of the story of this novel at the beginning structure are, as shown in the novel in the following quotation is about condition his physical condition. It could be seen in the following quotation:

His graying brown hair looked as though he had slept and woken several times and never remembered to comb it. The face was clean-shaven and kind, the lines strong, and yet something about him very gentle. He was not a man clearly defined by handsome, yet he seems strong, appealing, worth more than a second glance, a man one would have liked to spend time with. (P: 9)

Based on the quotation above, it can be analyzed here that the main character narrated in the quotation of the story of this novel above is about the main character called Bill Thigpen. The narration of this character occur at the beginning structure of the plot, in the quotation above, this main character is depicted as a man with graying brown hair and he was not a man clearly defined by handsome but he was liked by many people to spend the time as a result of his good appearance.

Further the thing related to the main character exposed by the narrator of the story of this novel at the beginning structure of the plot as shown in the following quotation is about his profession as an originator of the most successfully daytime soap on TV.

As the originator of the most successfully daytime soap on TV, whenever he was worried about the show, he stooped, wrote a segment or two, turned everything up side down, and then he was happy. His agent called him the most neurotic mother on TV, but he has also known he was the best. Bill Thigpen has an unfailing instinct for what made his show work, and he had never been wrong. Not so far (P: 10).

Concerning to the data above, it can be analyzed here that Bill Thigpen always wants done his works perfectly and he has an unfailing instinct for what made his show work, and he had never been wrong. Further the thing related to the main character exposed by the narrator of the story of this novel at the beginning structure of the plot as shown in this novel in the following quotation is about the name of his TV program. It could be seen in the following quotation.

A life worth living was still the hottest daytime soap on American TV and it was William Thigpen’s baby (P: 10).

With regard to quotation above, it can be explained here that the name of Bill Thigpen’s TV program is A Life Worth Living, Further the thing related to the main character exposed by the narrator of the story of this novel at the beginning structure of the plot as shown in this novel in the following quotation is about his social life, it could be seen in the quotation bellow:

He had started it as a way to survive when he had been starving in New York years before as a young playwright. He had started playing with the concept and then the first script during a time when he was between plays in New York. He had started out writing plays on off-off Broadway, and in those days he had been a purist. The theater above all. But he had also been married, living in Soho in New York, and starving. His wife Leslie, had been a dancer in Broadway shows, and at the time she was out of work too, because she was pregnant with their first baby. (P: 10)

From the quotation of the data above, it can be explained here about Bill Thigpen’s life which starving in New York years before as a young playwright. From the quotation above, we also can know that Bill Thigpen has a wife names Leslie, she had been a dancer in Broadway shows but at that time she was also out of work because she was pregnant with their first baby. They live in Soho in New York and very starving, at that time he was a young playwright until finally he was a producer of the most successfully daytime soup on American TV. The TV program of Bill Thigpen was very popular because it was liked by the public in New York it caused the program became the most successful daytime television soap in American TV.

Further the thing connected to the main character exposed by the narrator of the story of this novel at the beginning structure of the plot as shown in this novel in the following quotation is about the birth of his baby and the show almost at the same time. It could be seen in the quotation bellow:

And the baby, Adam, and the show had been born at almost the same time, one a strapping nine-pound baby bay with his father’s big blue eyes and a mist of golden curls…….(P: 11)

The data above applicable to the main character depicted at the beginning structure of the plot of Danielle Steel’s Heartbeat (1991) is about the birth of his baby and the show almost at the same time. Two year later their second son was born, and the program had won two critic’s awards and an Emmy. It was after the show’s first Emmy that the network suggested they moved the show to California. It made more sense creatively, production arrangements would be easier out there. To Bill it was a good news, but to Leslie, his wife, it wasn’t. Leslie doesn’t want move to California. In this novel narrated that Bill Thigpen leaved his wife and his boys because his wife doesn’t want go together with him and then he fall in love with other girl in California, the girl names Adrian. Before he have ever been met with Adrian in Safeway supermarket, at that time Bill had almost run her down with his cart. Adrian is a pregnant girl who have leaved by her husband, but nevertheless Bill Thigpen know about that, he keep to love Adrian and want to life with her together.

Next I would like to description the secondary character, as explained above; secondary character is the character that has an important role also in the story because a secondary character gives influence the role of the main character very much. The secondary character in this novel is Adrian. Adrian assumed secondary character is because she gives influence role of the main character very much. Further the cases related to this secondary character exposed by the narrator of the story of this novel at the beginning structure are, as shown in the novel in the following quotation is about her family background.

Her own were at the opposite extreme, from an upper – middle – class family in Connecticut, she had always gone to private schools, and she had one older sister (P: 48)

The data above interrelated to the secondary character depicted at the beginning structure of the plot of Danielle Steel’s Heartbeat (1991) is about her family’s background, and from the quotation we can knows that Adrian is a girl come from Connecticut, the quotation above also tells us that she has one older sister.

Next I would like to expose the complementary character. explained in the previous chapter, Complimentary character is the character that supports other character, in a story, the role the complimentary character however is less dominant that the secondary characters, their appearance is just to complete, serve and support the main character. The complementary character in this novel is Steven Thomson. Further the cases related to this main character exposed by the narrator of the story of this novel at the beginning structure are, as shown in the novel in the following quotation is about his physical condition.

He was handsome, athletic, outspoken, well educated, intelligent, bold, and some time a little too brassy. She had always admired his fire, his ambition, his drive, his energy, ….(P: 47)

Based on the data above, it can be analyzed here that Steven is a man who were determined to get what he wanted, who planed things out in great detail. Further the thing related to the complementary character exposed by the narrator of the story of this novel at the beginning structure of the plot as shown in this novel in the following quotation is about his marital status.

They had been married for almost three years, and the marriage had done them both good (P: 47).

The information above relevant to the complementary character depicted at the beginning structure of the plot of Danielle Steel’s Heartbeat (1991) is about his marital status. They had been married for almost three years. Further the thing related to the complementary character exposed by the narrator of the story of this novel at the beginning structure of the plot as shown in this novel in the following quotation is about his profession.

Steven had continued to rise in the agency meteorically in the past two and a half years, after moving to Los Angles twelve years before when he finished collage. He had worked in three different agencies over the years, and he was known in the industry as being smart, good at what he did, and more than occasionally ruthless. He had taken over clients from friends, and wooed them from other agencies in circumstances that occasionally bordered on the improper. But the agency where he worked never lost out from his maneuvers, nor did Steven. They were growing day by day, and so was Steven importance (P: 47)

The data above give us information about Steven carrier in the agency and his experience work at three different agencies over the years, and he was known in the industry as being smart, good at what he did, and more than occasionally ruthless. Steven Thomson worked in an advertisement bureau, and he is Adrian’s husband. . Before marry Adrian, Steven have told to Adrian that he do not want to have a child because he thought that children as a threat for their marriage and their live also their carrier in the future. The other reason that makes Steven doesn’t want to have a child is because his experience childhood, he doesn’t want his childhood will repeat again to his child in the future. he comes from a very poor family and very starving, his father have been an outworker on the assembly line in Detroit, with five kids, three daughters and two sons, of which Steven have been the youngest. He seldom talked to anyone about his childhood, because he hates them very much. Narrated in this novel that Steven finally divorce Adrian; because Adrian keep desire to maintain her baby. Actually there are many complementary characters in this novel, I would mention them one by one. Called complementary is because their role is not narrated so much in this novel, their appearances just to complete and support the role of main character and secondary character. They are Sylvia, Zelda, Adam and Tommy. Sylvia is a girl who has ever been closed with Bill Thigpen. She is the actress Bill Thigpen’s TV program but finally Sylvia married with other man names Stanley. Zelda is the good friend of Adrian and Adam and Tommy is Bill Thigpen’s children.