46 to the living room where the piano is put, Veronika’s hatred towards her parents
resurfaces. She lets the emotion flow. Instead of behaving and repressing her emotion, she pounds the keys on the piano. Veronika releases her emotion to the
piano. The “I” in Veronika is freely guiding the unconscious materials in the lower unconscious. Furthermore, Veronika finds peace in doing so. Veronika
becomes able to truly control her emotion. Veronika is able to enjoy her environment and to play the piano from her heart. Veronika succeeds in emerging
the “I”. By truly feels her emotion, Veronika’s old personality adapts to the newly found element, her repressed desire to be a pianist.
4.3.3. The Contact with Self
Firman and Gila 2002 state that the contact with self is the struggle to hear the callings from self. The previous stages explain how a person, Veronika, opens
the door to the unconsciousness. Within the contact with self, a person let the will of “I” directs and guides the aspects within unconsciousness pp. 58-61.
Veronika has to consciously enable a connection to all aspect of the unconscious. Veronika is still suffering from her inability to face someone from her past.
Veronika refuses to meet her parents when they are taking a visit to the mental asylum.
She didn’t want to see her mother; it would only upset both of them. It was best that her mother should think of her as dead. Veronika had always hated
good-byes. … The very moment she thought this, she noticed a sharp pain in her chest, and her arm went numb. Veronika felt her head spinning. A
heart attack p. 81
47 Her hatred arises when Veronika has to face her mother. Essentially, by
meeting her mother, Veronika is invited to feel and accept her repressed and unconscious aspects.
As a good mother, Mari wants to help Veronika. They become friends. Mari takes Veronika to the fraternity. In the fraternity, a sufi master guides the
members through meditation. During meditation, Veronika introspects her days in the mental asylum. Veronika becomes more aware of her hatred, love, fear,
curiosity, and a desire to live p.102. With the help of Mari and Nasrudin the sufi master, Veronika becomes more aware of her true nature. The “I” within Veronika
is being more open to Veronika’s self that contains her unconscious repressed feelings and desires.
4.3.4. The Response to Self
Since Veronika is being more open to self, she continues to answer the calling of self. Firman and Gila 2002 state that the response to self is a phase
when the “I” of a person practically respond the calling and the invitation of self. The response to self is a continual process of communication between the “I” and
the unconsciousness p. 63. Veronika’s response to self begins as she develops closer relationship with Eduard. Veronika and Eduard are developing not only an
empathic relationship, but also an empathic love. Veronika’s relationship with Eduard intensifies when she is willing to let
Eduard watches her playing the piano for the second time Eduard watches Veronika playing the piano for the first time when Veronika succeeds in emerging
48 the “I”. However, instead of playing the piano, Veronika decides to let her desire
to Eduard overflows. Her blood began to race, and the cold—which she had felt when she took
off her clothes—was fading. Veronika and Eduard were both standing up, face to face, she naked, he fully clothed. Veronika slid her own hand down
to her genitals and started to masturbate; she had done it before, either alone or with certain partners, but never in a situation like this, where the man
showed no apparent interest in what was happening p. 133.
Veronika gives freedom to the desire, one of the personal will of self. Veronika unleashes her desire to Eduard through masturbating in front of him.
Due to his choice to keep the image of a schizophrenic, Eduard’s responds are minimal. Eduard only replies with laughter and a smile. However, as the result of
releasing her deep desire to Eduard, Veronika’s soul becomes light. The pianist subpersonality is completely healed and brought back to the consciousness. All
the song she has learned in childhood returned to her memory. Furthermore, Veronika has no fear of death anymore. Both Veronika and Eduard are enjoying
great pleasures. A closer bond of relationship is established between the two of them.
Veronika’s relationship with Eduard helps Veronika to open the relationship between “I” and the deepest desire within self which is called Self-realization.
Veronika’s self which contains her true potential is now fully accessible due to the freedom given to Veronika’s repressed desire to a man, Eduard, which resides
within the field of unconsciousness of self. Thus Veronika is able to remember all the song she has learned. Furthermore, Veronika also realizes her desire to live a
meaningful life with her liberated soul.
49
CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND SUGGESTIONS
This chapter consists of three parts. The first part is conclusions, which presents the conclusions of the analysis and the answers of the formulated
problem. The second part is the implication to education. The third part relates to the suggestion for future research on Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die.
5.1. Conclusions
This study deals with three problems. The first problem is about the personality of the main character. By using the theory of character, Veronika is
classified as a round character. By using the theory of characterization, Veronika is described as a perfectionist, passive, introvert, low self esteem,
mature, brave, pretty, and attractive. Veronika’s dominant characteristic is introvert because she decides to make no emotional contact with other people.
The second problem deals with the descriptions of the mental asylum. By using historical background, the description of the mental asylum is acquired.
The mental asylum serves as a refuge not only for criminals and insane people, but also for the sane who look for an escape from their responsibilities in the outside
world. The mental asylum provides freedom to its patients to become whatever they want to be. The mental asylum also provides entertainment tables, chairs,
sofas, a piano, a television, and large windows through which the gray sky and the low clouds can be seen to maintain the mood of its patients. By using the theory
