However, positive comments are also accompanied with negative comment. The negative comment comes from Mark Krupnick, a professor of
English at the University of Chicago and also an ALS sufferer, in his article “Revisiting Morrie: Were his Last Words Too Good To Be True?” in Issues on
January, 2001. He says that: …The world has seen enough rivalry among victims. It’s more to the point
that professionally I’m a literary critic, and criticism is what critics do. That Morrie is himself uncritical is, in fact, part of my objection to him.
Morrie urges his owns nonjudgmental stance on everybody else-especially urging dying patients to think affirmatively-but there is a limit to the
usefulness of such an upbeat message. I think that people suffering from fatal disease such as ALS are better served by straight talk than by
Morrie’s homilies. Personally, I can deal better with extreme experiences- what is already here and what is to come- when it is described as
objectively as possible that when it is rendered with a moralistic glow http:www.forward.comissues200202.01.25books6.html accessed on
21 September 2006.
He means that Morrie’s wisdom is not all wise for ALS sufferers. For Krupnick, he think that other ALS sufferers are better to be served by a straight talk like how
to come the progress of the illness or how to accept reality that it is useless to recover fully from ALS than by Morrie’s aphorism about life which is only
homilies before he dies. There is a limitation in human ability to understand about morality when he or she faces death. Therefore, what is needed is only a reality
that he or she must accept his or her condition and not a moralistic glow about life.
Krupnick also adds that Morrie takes advantage of the authority with which ALS endows Morrie to teach other sufferers how to comfort themselves.
Maybe the sufferers will comfort about Morrie’s lesson, but it is only temporary PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
because it means that they deceive the reality that soon death waits them. Krupnick says, “It is hard to imagine truly traumatized persons being touched at a
deep level by such counseling” http:www.forward.comissues200202.01.25books6.html accessed on 21
September 2006. Krupnick has different point of view about Tuesdays with Morrie and also
the lesson about life which are offered by Morrie, but everyone has his or her own opinion.
There are five comments about Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. A positive criticism is given in four comments, but it is only a comment by
Krupnick that gives a negative comment. In Regard to all the comments about Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie, the writer agrees with the positive criticism
that this biographical novel is valuable because it offers some different views on life matters so the readers could get the lesson in how to make life meaningfully.
In spite of what Krupnick has said that this novel is only a temporary comfort, people do need a comfort to remedy and to reconsider all the things what people
have missed the time to share together even people are often busy about themselves and their works. People forget what is truly important in this life.
Therefore, the writer takes on positive comments side. After reading all comments above, the writer makes a conclusion about
what many people often comment towards Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. They give comment that the novel is full with moral lesson. They study the novel
only about the moral things in the novel. However, the writer finds different idea PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
about the novel. The different idea here is about self-actualization. The writer is going to reveal the self-actualization of the character in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays
with Morrie .
B. Review of Related Theories
There are some theories that the writer wants to apply, such as theory on character and characterization, the relationship between literature and psychology,
and theory on self-actualization. These theories will support the analysis of Tuesdays with Morrie
.
1. Theory on Character and Characterization
A character plays an important role in literary works. Without a character, the story will not run well. Because of its importance, therefore, there are many
definitions on character. One of them, it comes from Stanton in An Introduction to Fiction
. He explains that the term “character” refers to the mixtures of interests, desires, emotions and morel principles that form the individuals. He also adds that
every story usually has a main character that is significant to all events in the story 1965:17. Then, in A Glossary of Literary Terms, Abrams defines character as “a
person presented in a dramatic work, who are interpreted by the readers as being endowed with moral and disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say-
dialogue and by what they do-the action” 1981: 20. Furthermore, according to Barnet et al in Literature for composition, he
defines the term character into two meanings: 1 as the figure in a literary work; PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
and 2 as the personality that is the mental and moral qualities of a figure 1988: 71. The writer will use the definition of character as the figure in a literary work.
From this statement, the writer understands that there is a close relation between character and characterization so the writer is going to use both theories to make
this study clearer. Then, according to Beaty and Hunter in New World of Literature
, then say, “The particular traits or characteristic of a person suggest that person’s character-what it makes him or her distinctive” 1989:231.
Therefore, it can be said that a character needs some characteristics to form him or her and to distinctive him or her from other characters.
According to Allport as quoted by Larver and Scheier in Perspective on Personality
, the characteristics of a character are related with his or her behavior, thoughts, and feelings 1996:5. They will influence the way of thinking, feeling,
and behavior from a person. Therefore, to understand deeper about a character, it is important to know well about his or her characteristics.
Related with that, according to Murphy in Understanding Unseen, there are several ways in which an author attempts to make his characters or her
characters understandable to, and come alive for his readers or her readers so the readers can know what kind of person he or she is. They are personal description,
character as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation of others, reactions, direct comment, thoughts, and mannerisms1972:161-173. However, the writer
only chooses six ways to understand the character of Morrie so the writer can get a clue to find the characterization of Morrie. They are:
a. Character as seen by another : the author describes the character through the
eyes and opinion of another b.
Speech: the author can give the readers an insight into the character of one of the persons in book through what the person says.
c. Past life: by letting the reader learn something about a person’s past life the
author can give a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character. d.
Reactions: the author can give a clue to a person’s character by letting the readers know how that person reacts to various situations and events.
e. Direct comment: the author can describe or comment on a person’s character
directly. f.
Thoughts: the author gives the readers direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about.
2. Theory on relation between Psychology and Literature
Recognizing that there is a close relation between literature and psychology, Kalish in The Psychology of Human Behaviour implies that
“literature holds the mirror up to the man.” A good writer or novelist can communicate the feeling of their characters and make them seem more life-like
than the real people whose behavior the psychologist attempts to describe. The writer can use the understanding provided by the psychologist to enrich stories,
and psychologist can gain in their understanding of human behavior by drawing from deep sensitivity of good author 1973: 8.
As the relationship between literature and psychology is closely established, it can be said that the analysis of literary works may reflect certain
psychological factors. This undergraduate thesis explores one of psychological subjects. That is the self-actualization.
3. Theory on Self-Actualization
Theory on self-actualization is related with hierarchy of needs that is stated by Abraham Maslow in Duane Schultz’s Growth Psychology: Models of the
Health Personality Schultz, 1977: 60-63. These are the hierarchy of needs:
a. Physiological needs: these needs such as hunger, thirst, and shelter. This is the
first level of the hierarchy. When these needs are met, the next need of the hierarchy emerges as a dominant force in controlling and directing behavior.
b. Safety needs: these needs can be seen in people’s preference for familiar
surroundings, secure jobs, saving accounts, and insurance. c.
Love needs: these needs are the most common basis for behavioral problems in our society. These needs involve a hunger for affectionate relationships
with others, a need to feel part of a group, or a feeling that one belongs. d.
Esteem needs: the need for self-esteem motivates the individual to strive for achievement, strength, confidence, independence, and freedom. The related
need of esteem from others involve a desire for reputation, status, recognition, appreciation by others of one’s abilities, and a feeling of importance.
e. Self-actualization: when one has satisfied the first four levels of need, the final
development, it is self-actualization, can be reached. At the self-actualization PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
