Mother-Daughter Relationships In Painter's Better Than The Movies

This research aims to determine the development of Elizabeth Buxbaum's character as the main character in the novel Better Than the Movies. This novel talks about the strong relationship between a mother and her child, which influences the child's character and decisions in life, especially in romantic relationships. To analyze the researcher, the problem formulation is (1) How does the mother influence Elizabeth’s character? (2) How does Elizabeth change her perspective on the ideal man?
This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach to answer this problem. The data used is purely from the novel. This method is used to identify, classify, and analyze data. Secondary data from journals, books, and other articles is also needed in research. Researcher used the theory of New Criticism and character development to analyze the relationship between mother and child and the development of Elizabeth's character. New criticism is a theory that critics should concentrate on the text directly, not other sources. Meanwhile, character development theory by Hurlock (2008) states that character is a literary construct developed by the author at a specific moment. The research results show that the mother greatly influences Elizabeth's character, especially in how she views men in romantic relationships. Elizbeth's character development is reflected through a transformation in Liz's view of the standard ideal man, which makes her let go of her mother's values to achieve her happiness.