Proximity Maintenance Attachment Theory

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4.2.3 Attachment Theory

Bowbly said that attachment is a special emotional relationship that involves an exchange of comfort, care and pleasure. Shimamura is attached to Komako because of comfort, care and pleasure that he can get with his closeness and emotional relationship with Komako. Shimamura and Komako exchange comfort, care and pleasure on their love relationship during his trips to the Snow Country.

4.2.3.1 Proximity Maintenance

Proximity maintenance can be understood as the desire to be near the people we are attached to. It can be seen from the statement in the novel that Shimamura has desire to always be near with Komako. As it became clear to Shimamura that he had from the start wanted only this woman, and that he had taken his usual roundabout way of saying so, he began to see himself as rather repulsive and the woman as all the more beautiful 32. Physical attraction can be considered as one factor that makes Shimamura feel comfortable to be with her. Komako’s cleanliness and the young look of her, make Shimamura feels comfortable. We can see it from Shimamura’s thought about Komako at her first appearance 18. Share the same interest in arts, especially in Kabuki, also a factor that makes Shimamura feel comfortable to be near with Komako, and he found that Komako knew more about actors and styles than he did 19. Komako’s affection and attention to Shimamura is another factor that makes Shimamura feel comfortable with Komako. Komako really cares about Shimamura and it makes Shimamura wants to always be near Komako. From PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 32 Komako’s manner that cares about Shimamura, he feels comfortable during his trip on the hot spring. One example that shows whether Komako cares about Shimamura is when he left his tobacco in the inn, she brought it for him, “I brought your tobacco. I went back up to your room a little while ago and found that you had gone out. ...Here.” 31. The similarities between Shimamura and Komako, is another factor that makes Shimamura feel comfortable to be with Komako. It can be seen from what is Shimamura’s think about Komako according to the narrator. “Her manner was as though she were talking of distant foreign literature. It occurred to Shimamura that his own distant fantasy on the occidental ballet, built up from words and photographs in foreign books, was not in its way dissimilar.” 42 The quotation above shows that Shimamura and Komako have the same attitude in treating their interest. Shimamura is on occidental ballet, while Komako is on novels and magazines.

4.2.3.2 Safe Haven