29 anxious to anything in their life. In A
deline’s case, she is ignored by her mother since the beginning of her life. Although Adeline and her mother still live in the
same house, but her mother never takes care of her. However, Adeline still feels safe because she knows that her mother is there, near her. When she is thirteen,
her mother is brought to the asylum and they never see each other anymore. Adeline felt depressed. Although Adeline never expresses the feeling explicitly,
but it is inside her heart. She starts to feel anxious because her mother is not there anymore. There also will be a stranger anxiety which means the fear to meet
strangers when their mother is absent Allers, 1951. She is afraid of her life. She has the big fear to pass through her life. Fear is the correlative feeling of insecure
as the feature of life in childhood.
2. Introverted
Living without people who love Adeline and care about, makes Adeline to have an introvert personality. Adeline does not have any close friend except her
twins and herself. She never talks to other people except her twins. It happens because she does not know how to talk by the normal language. Even, she and her
twins have a special language which can only be understood by them. When a new person enters Adeline’s life, it is not easy for her to trust the person.
Any warmth I show her is met by utter indifference. She seems incapable of all the normal range of human emotion p. 167.
Of course a child who never knows about the affection cannot utter her emotion. In all situations where Hester tried to build a communication with Adeline, it
30 seems useless because Adeline always refuse it. Adeline seems to have her own
world which cannot be disturbed by others. It is as though there is a mist in Adeline, a mist that separates her not
only from humanity but from herself. And sometimes the mist thins, and sometimes the mist clears, and another Adeline appears. And then
the mist returns and she is as before p. 168.
It seems that Adeline lives in her own world, acts like another girl, and back to be herself. This is a phase where no one can ever understand. Hester tries
to give her attention to Adeline and she does many things to grab Adeline’s heart.
However, it is not as easy as she thought. Adeline is different. Adeline never shows her acceptance and interest to Hester. When Hester is telling stories in the
classroom, Adeline sit at the corner of the room and acts as if she is sleeping. Although she acts like that, but between her lashes, she is watching and listening
to Hester’ stories. Adeline does not want Hester to know it. Still her head rested on her arm, still her eyes appeared closed, yet I
had the distinct impression she was listening to me. I continued to look as if I was reading only to Emmeline. But all the time I was
keeping an eye on Adeline. And she wasnt only listening. I caught a quiver of her lids. I had thought her eyes closed, but not at all
—from between her lashes, she was watching me p. 322
Adeline’s introvert personality is the effect of the rejection parenting system. Rejection style will generate children whose characteristics are
aggressive, submissive, silent, sadistic, and difficult to socialize Yusuf, 2010. Adeline is rejected by her mother. That is why she is difficult to socialize and
have the introvert personality. Moreover, Adeline realizes that Hester loved Emmeline more than she loved Adeline. Hester appreciates Emmeline but she
31 never shows her effort to make Adeline interested in the class. Then, Adeline
decides to lock herself in an empty hall inside her mind.
3. Ignorant
Adeline is never taught how to behave and act to face things in her life. She loves to react based on her own willingness. In the family, there is no such a
role model who is able to teach her. There is only one person who cares to Adeline. She is Missus, the housekeeper of Angelfield family. However, she is
not capable to train the twins to be discipline. She had a plan. Under their noses, in the heart of all their chaos, she
meant to raise two normal, ordinary little girls. Three square meals a day, bedtime at six, church on Sunday.
But it was harder than she thought p. 81.
Despite of all of Missus’ effort to discipline the girls, it always gives no result. This situation is going on as the time goes by. There is a teacher who called
to educate the girls. One night, she finds rooms open while they are not in use. She sets a rule that every room which is not in use should be locked. It is difficult
because the twins always find the way to play in the rooms. What need is there, she asked,
For rooms to be left open when they are not in use? You can see what happens: The girls go in as they please and make chaos where there
was order before. It makes unnecessary work for you and for me p. 162
Moreover, Adeline is different from the other normal girls in her age. If a normal
girl will feel fear or worry, Adeline never feels it. There is nothing she is afraid of. One day Adeline and Emmeline go to the village and they find a perambulator.
