37 The mental asylum also provides entertainment to maintain the mood of its
inhabitant. The entertainment that provided by the hospital varied from a television and a large window that provides the scenery of the sky, to the piano
that provides an opportunity to sharpen artistic skills p. 41. The desperate Veronika is about to present a serious danger to her own life.
Thus, she is sent to the mental asylum as the consequences of her attempt of commiting suicide. People in the mental asylum do not care about each other’s
behavior although they know each other. Thus, the mental asylum gives Veronika the opportunity to act freely and spontaneously.
4.2.2. The Description of the Inhabitants
Some of the inhabitants of the mental asylum are forming a relationship with Veronika. They are Dr. Igor, Zedka, Nasrudin, Mari, and Eduard. To
analyze the characteristics of the inhabitants, the theories of characterization by Murphy is applied.
4.2.2.1. The Description of Dr. Igor
Dr. Igor is the head psychiatrist of the mental asylum. He is doing a research on the will of death. Dr. Igor is a logical person. There’s a slight difference
between being logical and being mean. Dr. Igor knows that Veronika decides to die due to depression. Dr. Igor sees Veronika as an opportunity to complete his
thesis p. 207. His decision to use Veronika as a guinea pig seems cruel. However, he is
doing it due to the high mortality rate in Slovenia. He is trying to find the cure to
38 desperation and to safe many souls. Furthermore, Dr. Igor’s comprehension of
psychology tells him that a person will attempt suicide more than once. 4.2.2.2.
The Description of Zedka Zedka is the first insane person that Veronika meets. Zedka is an indifferent
woman. Zedka keeps talking to Veronika about insanity although Veronika is rejecting her. However, Veronika decides to trust Zedka and respond to Zedka’s
invitation of conversation p. 32. Zedka thinks that everybody is insane. Thus, there is no shame to admit her insanity.
I’ll just say that insanity is the inability to communicate your ideas. It’s as if you were in a foreign country, able to see and understand everything that’s
going on around you but incapable of explaining what you need to know or of being helped, because you don’t understand the language they speak
there.” “We’ve all felt that.” “And all of us, one way or another, are insane.” p. 62.
Zedka suffers from depression due to the misfortunes that happened to her marriage. Her husband has a mistress. She was depressed because left alone by
her family. Thus, she lives in the mental asylum. 4.2.2.3.
The Description of Nasrudin Nasrudin is a sufi master who lives within the mental asylum. Nasrudin
never care about what other people think of him. This can be seen in the way he makes his first appearance to Veronika. Nasrudin enters the room as a drunken
man and then flirts a beautiful girl p. 97. Nasrudin becomes a tutor for a meditation session of a group named
Fraternity. Despite his status as a patient, Nasrudin has a good comprehension on spiritual knowledge.
39 As soon as the final group of outraged spectators had left, Nasrudin got up;
he was completely sober, his eyes glowed, and he had about him an air of great authority and wisdom. “Those of you who stayed are the ones who
will hear me,” he said. “You have passed through the two hardest tests on the spiritual road: the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage
not to be disappointed with what you encounter. It is you I will teach.” p. 98.
4.2.2.4. The Description of Mari
Mari is a good lawyer until she gets bored of her daily routine. She is tired of dealing with bureaucracy and law suits. Mari wants to have an adventure, to
work in some humanitarian organization p.120. Mari is a good mother but she always suffers from panic attack. The panic
attack occurs because Mari does not have enough courage to fulfill her dreams. The panic attack ruins her carrier as a lawyer forever. Furthermore, she almost
loses her wealth to cure the panic attack. Since she does not want to burden her husband, she decides to enter Villete. Mari has a close relationship with Eduard.
Mari is interested in Veronika because Eduard is also interested in Veronika. Mari becomes a good friend of Veronika.
4.2.2.5. The Description of Eduard
Eduard is the son of Yugoslavian ambassador. His parents pressure him to become successful in life, to follow his Father’s footsteps as the ambassador of
their party. Eduard’s parents go as far as control Eduard’s relationship. Based on His parent’s self-centered love, Eduard is sent to a school decided by his parents.
Due to Edward’s lack of freedom, He begins to dislike his parents. Eduard also begins to dislike the school and other students. His marks at school get worse as
time passes.
