172. This study includes some of the ways proposed by Murphy in analyzing the character of Jonathan. Jonathan’s is characterized is:
1. Hardworking
Jonathan is a young seagull who loves to learn about flight and life. He always fails in practicing but he never gives up. He keeps trying again for many
times. A hundred feet in the sky he lowered his webbed feet, lifted his beak and
strained to hold a paint full hard twisting curve through his wings. The curve meant that he would fly slowly, and now he slowed until the wind was
whisper in his face, until the ocean stood still beneath him. He narrowed his eyes in fierce concentration, held his breath, forced
one….single….more…inch…of…curve..Then his feathers ruffled, he stalled and fell Bach 13.
Jonathan never stops practicing because he wants to reach his dream, his idealism that is flying faster in the sky. He encourages himself to try every single
movement just to make perfection. Jonathan works hard to fly in speed. Even he always fails in trying to fly
faster, he keeps struggling. He tries for ten times in the sky and in all ten times he fails. He goes down to the water and his feathers are in a mess. He cannot control
his body Bach 20. Jonathan really wants to do the best for his life. He tests himself to know what he can do or cannot do in the air. Although he fails many times, he
keeps trying again and he never gives up. Jonathan believes that he can do the best. He thinks that his body is just a cover, just the same with other seagulls but he has
soul and spirit to be different to reach his dream and to enjoy his life, to fly in the air with the speed of an eagle. His spirit to fly faster and more perfect is never
stopped. From ten times he fails and bursts into mess feathers and he tries again. He flies up to the sky. Now, he tries from two thousand feet. Then he rolls into his dive,
he moves his beak down, and he gives full power for his wings. Finally, he can stabilize his movements and he can pass through fifty miles per hour Bach 20.
Jonathan is not happy with his situation, as an imperfect seagull. He sees eagles flying high in the sky and he wonders why they can fly so high while he
cannot. Therefore, Jonathan learns to fly. He hopes that he can come out from his situation. He does not want to trap in his situation. Jonathan wants to fly freely in
the sky. His dream is he becomes an unlimited gull. In order to fly faster, Jonathan always practices every day. He fails many times but he keeps trying and practicing.
After Jonathan is able to fly like an eagle, he realizes that he is an unordinary seagull and he forgets his promises that he will be a normal seagull. Having
promises like that is just for an ordinary seagull. He climbed two thousand feet above the black sea, and without a moment
for thought of failure and death, he brought his forewings tightly in to his body, left only the narrow swept daggers of his wingtips extended into the
wind, and fell into a vertical dive 24.
When Jonathan spends his days alone flying in the sky, he meets two other gulls. He tests them and has conversation with them. Those gulls are from his flock
but Jonathan has never seen them before. They are elder than Jonathan and very pretty in flying. While flying in the sky, they say that Jonathan can fly higher. They
also talk to Jonathan that there is a place for seagulls who love to fly. They call it as heaven. Those two seagulls will put Jonathan in that place, their home and heaven
for seagulls, who believe in perfection Bach 47.
Becoming a perfect seagull is not easy for Jonathan. There is a process to be perfect. Jonathan practices every day. He works hard in every second he has. He
wants to know what he can and cannot do in the sky. He wants to reach his dream, flying higher and faster in the air. Jonathan wants to be perfect so that he can make
his dream come true. In processing to be perfect, Jonathan digs out all the potential he has. He knows that being perfect in flying gives him a new reason for life and
flying in the sky with the high speed will help seagulls to get more food. Jonathan encourages himself to reach his dream. One day, when Jonathan joins the flock on
the beach, he feels so happy. He thinks that the flock will be full of joy when they know he finds out a breakthrough.
When Jonathan Seagull joined the flock on the beach, it was full night. He was dizzy and terribly tired. Yet, in delight he flew a loop to landing, with a
snap roll just before touch-down. When they hear of it, he thought, of the breakthrough, they’ll be wild with joy. How much more there is now to
living Instead of our drab slogging forth and back to the fishing boats, there’s a reason to life We can leave ourselves out of ignorance, we can
find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. We can be free We can learn to fly Bach 27.
Jonathan says that seagulls can be free to decide what they want to do with their own body. They can dig out the potential inside their body. By digging their
own potential, they can reach their own dreams. They can learn to fly faster, get some delicious fishes easily under the water instead of fighting to get some bread
and fish on the fishing boats. Seagulls have skill and intelligence. They can use their intelligence to learn about flying and practice their skill to fly as much as they want
because they are free. Learning and practicing everyday make a seagull becomes excellence in flying.
Jonathan dares to take a chance. He digs out his own potential because he knows he has power to do something. He has intelligence and skill to know what he
can and cannot do. Jonathan realizes that he can express himself because he is the master of himself. Someone’s mind is the key to be perfect. If a person can control
their mind and manage it well then think positively, he will be successful and be a perfect person. One day, Jonathan speaks to his students. He encourages them to
practice more and realize what they can do. He says that a seagull’s body from wingtip to wingtip is nothing more than their thought. They have to think beyond
their vision. They must change their mindset, so that they can be free Bach 76-77. When Jonathan becomes an instructor for his six students that have passion
to learn about a new idea of flight and speed, he tells them there is something to understand besides the perfection of flying. He says to his students that they are
created as unlimited seagulls and they are free to express their selves. “Each of us in truth an idea of the Great Gull, an unlimited idea of freedom and precision flying is
a step toward expressing our real nature. Everything that limits us we have to put aside.” Bach 76. Jonathan has a great thought about perfection and freedom. He
thinks that being perfect should be free in expressing his spirit and digs out his body to see what potentials he has. Based on Murphy’s theory, it is one way from the
author to characterize the character in the novel, namely from hisher thought. Jonathan becomes different from other gulls because he forces himself to
practice every day. A person who wants to get the best in hisher life always works hard. In this novelette, Bach shows facts that Jonathan symbolizes a typical person
who always works hard in his life. He practices every time. He does not care about his body. One thing he cares about is doing his best and forcing himself to be a
perfect seagull. Based on Bach’s direct comment and Jonathan’s speech, it can be concluded that Jonathan Seagull is hard working.
2. Smart
