Background of the study

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

This chapter is divided into four parts. The first part is the background of study. This part discusses the topic of the study and why it is chosen. The Second part is the aim of the study. The aim of the study states the purpose of the whole study and this is obtained by answering the questions in the problem formulation as the guidance. The third part is the problem formulation. In the problem formulation there are three questions dealing with the topic. The last part is the benefit of the study it discuss the benefits of the study in the teaching-learning process.

1.1 Background of the study

According to Hudson, “Literature is a vital record of what men have seen in life, what they have experienced of it, what they have thought and felt about those aspects of which have the most immediate and enduring interest for all of us. It is thus fundamentally an expression of life through medium of language 10.” Literature is a means of recorder of what has happen in life long ago until the present. We can grab the image and see many aspects of life through literature. According to Grace, “Literature gives us a specific knowledge of life that of real experiences and provides a profitable supplement in terms of intellectual and critical values. It is actually possible to make a mature evaluation of life without having had a great deal of experience 7.” Literature communicates thoughts, feelings and attitude towards life, so a work of literature contain immense knowledge that can make people feel that they had experienced a thing although actually they had never been, they only read, hear or see a work of literature, but not like math and science that mainly based on fact, literature largely based upon analysis and interpretation. There are no definite answers in literature, except the factual information about an authors life and the basic information about setting and characterization. The rest is a highly subjective reading of what an author has written; every person brings a different set of values and a different background to the reading, so as result, no two people see the piece of literature exactly the same. A novel is an art product that tells a story about the world. De Laar said that: “A novel is a work of art in so far as it introduces us into a living world; in some respects resembling the world we live in, but with an individuality of its own 163.” In a novel, a portrait of life is commonly seen, an image similar to the life we live, but with its own portrayal. In this thesis I analyze Mitch Albom’s novel entitled Tuesdays with Morrie. I am interested to analyze Morrie’s character and the influence of Buddhist philosophies on Morrie’s view of life. In this novel, Morrie Schwartz, a Sociology professor creates and follows life values that based on love, compassion, acceptance, and communication. Morrie is determined to accept his own death and the concept of death itself. Morrie consciously detaches himself from the experience when he suffers his violent coughing spells, each of which comes loaded with the possibility of his last breath. Referring to the topic I want to analyze Morrie’s character and his view of life based on Buddhist philosophy. There are two main characters in this novel. First is Mitch Albom who is also the author of the novel. He is Morrie’s student back in college. The second character is Morrie Schwartz an old Sociology professor who got ALS. He has a unique personality which includes his way to cope with life. Tuesdays with Morrie tells about Morrie Schwartz, Mitch Alboms former university professor in Brandeis University. He was diagnosed with ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; it is a deadly, brutal disease that strikes the deceased neurological system. Mitch and Morrie shared a relationship more like between father and son than teacher and student. They were so close back then, but they were separated as Mitch graduated. Sixteen years after his graduation from Brandeis, Mitch is feeling frustrated with the life he had chosen to live. One night when Mitch scribbling the TV channel he sees Ted Koppel interview with his mentor on Nightline, he takes the initiative to reconnect with his long lost friend. After Morries television appearance, Mitch contacts his beloved professor and travels from his home in Detroit to Morries home in West Newton to visit him. After that he started meeting with Morrie on Tuesdays. After their first Tuesday together, Mitch returns regularly every Tuesday to listen to Morries point of view on The Meaning of Life. Mitch learns a lot about life and what is really important from Morrie.in his meeting, in his lessons, Morrie advises Mitch to accept death that one should not cling to anything, as everything that exists in this world is temporary. Morrie stresses that one must accept death and aging, because both are inevitable, and live a life stand on love, acceptance, and human goodness, in a way that uphold ethical values. They continuously met every Tuesdays until Morrie had passed away after the fourteenth meeting. Mitch records his discussions with Morrie on tape so that he may compile notes to write a book, Tuesdays with Morrie, a project which he refers to as his thesis.

1.2 Objective of the Study