Philip is very satisfied because he has already found a figure of a father whom he feels easy. According to Philip‟s perception, Bruce is the appropriate figure whom
he can share everything he feels and wants. Bruce also can be a figure whom he can rely on. Bruce can fulfill his desire for a figure of a father.
2. On Philips Attitudes
Referring to the theory proposed by Hebert, a child who always gets attention and is always protected too much by parents will grow up to be a person who
possesses negative attitudes such as timid, dependent, passive, and submissive, awkward, apprehensive, and generally has self-deprecating Behaviors, lack of self-
reliance and the ability to cope realistically with their problems, uncritically obedient, and prefer to withdraw from the situation they find daunting Hebert 134. Because of
the close relationship with his father which contains of the excessive attention, some of those attitudes are rooted in Philip‟s personality. They are awkward, timid and
depen dent. Some of Murphy‟s theory, which states nine methods to reveal the
character‟s personality as follows: as seen by another, speech, past life conversation of others, reactions, direct comment, thoughts, movements, and personal description
are applied Murphy 161- 173. However, in characterization Philip‟s characteristics,
the researcher only uses some of those methods. Philip can be categorized as:
a. Awkward The excessive attention of Philip‟s father to Philip makes Philip become an
awkward person who cannot understand himself. His life becomes a confusing thing for him because he does not get his father‟s attention anymore since his father dies.
He feels alone. That sense makes him become a person who is confused of his own feeling. He often feels something wrong in his own feeling, and he has not got a
straight Courage 78. His confusing feeling has made Philip unable to control his own feeling. He
cannot stay in his room every evening and he is often angry Courage 75. The loss of his father‟s figure makes Philip try to find a figure to fulfill his lack of independence.
“…….I remember I used to pray that I‟d met some person- the one person- who‟d make me happy for ever. I used to try to imagine him but I couldn‟t; he
wasn‟t real, you see, though there was always something about him that was like my father Courage 121
In the process of searching for it, Philip meets with Bruce Quantock at a concert. Bruce is the figure who can make Philip feel comfortable Courage 80.
However, the presence of Bruce has not fully made Philip leave his demeanor. He starves of being loved. One day, when Philip and Bruce are fighting, Philip says, “At
least tell me you love me I‟m starving, I‟m lost, I‟ve nobody”. Bruce held Philip against him. “I love you Philip. I love you very much. Don‟t worry.” Courage 117.
Philip is very sad because of his confusing feeling. In addition to his not being able to determine what he wants, he finds it hard to determine what he should
do. Despite the sense that he cannot explain, he often refuses to receive attention from Bruce. His being unstable makes Bruce hard to understand his labile attitude.
”But it‟s my life ahead I‟ve got to think of, Bruce. It‟s my future as a man.” “Naturally.” Bruce was careful to fall in with his mood.
“and, top be frank, there‟ve been times since you came here when your future as a man has occurred to me also.”Courage 130.
Many unexplained feelings that linger in Philip‟s heart and mind make him confuse to decide his own path. As a result, Philip is not able to control himself. He
continues to be an awkward person. His relationship with his father is very influential in his life. It has rooted in his life so deeply. When going with Bruce to a restaurant,
for example, he sees two other figures like a father and a son chatting and watching each other just like him and his father. Philip suddenly becomes unable to control his
feeling. He suddenly sharpens his face and looks so painful Courage 209. Philip cannot manage his bewildering feeling. However, when Bruce asks about it, it is
difficult for Philip to answer. He even cannot explain his own feeling when he is confusing about it.
I can‟t explain, „he repeated. „None of it‟s your fault, anyway. It‟s something in me- in me do you understand? I have times when I get lost and
don‟t know what my love for you means or where it ends, Bruce. What do I want? I don‟t know. It shakes me up, not knowing but only feeling, all the
time.‟ Courage 211
Philip also blames himself frequently. One day, Philip is very worried about the landscape design that he hopes he can collect in advance of the examination. He is
very panic about the written paper. Then he begins to blame himself.
I can‟t do it,‟ he, murmured.‟ I can‟t do it. I‟m an idiot who‟s even forgotten how to spell.‟
„You‟re far from being an idiot, I assure you.‟ „no, I‟m just a sham. At heart I‟m still nothing but the ignorant kid whop
rowed you in Falmouth.‟Courage 206 His closeness with his father has made Philip loose his chance to develop his
own personality. The excessive attention that is given by his father forces Philip to depend on his father‟s strength and love. Thus, when his father does not exist beside
him anymore, Philip confuses to control his own life. Philip is not easy to find what he really wants and needs. He looses his confidence to understand his own feeling.
He becomes an awkward person who cannot understand his necessity and desire. It is reaffirmed with Hubert‟s theory, which states that a child who gets excessive
attention from his parent tends to behave as an awkward person Hebert 134.
b. Timid The intimacy between Philip and his father produces some negative attitudes
in Philip‟s personality. One of those attitudes is being a timid person. He is afraid to socialize. His close relationship with his father covers him from a chance to develop
his socialization sense. The closeness makes Philip shut his social access, including learning how to socialize. He finds difficulty in socializing and having friends.
Therefore, he feels,‟ Nobody has ever come to visit me in London.‟Courage 122.
Having lots of friends and expanding the association are not the options for Philip because he is not used to it since he is a child. Through his conversation with
Bruce, Philip says, “I‟m all right on my own. They‟re a scruffy lot, anyway.”
Courage 144. A partner that can be considered as a capable person to replace his father is enough to be a friend for him to share.
He does not have the courage to start or allow himself to enter the social sphere at large. He is even scared to meet with Bruce‟s friends. So, when Bruce‟s
friend wants to meet him, Bruce refuses. „There‟ll be somebody here I‟d like you to meet. However, why not bring the
private business along with you? We‟d be glad to see him,‟ It‟s not so easy, Wallace. „I repeated in extenuation „the boy‟s scared of
involving himself or getting himself involved.‟ Courage 106
Only with Bruce, Philip can share his life because he thinks Bruce can understand him well. Their closeness increases when Bruce invites him to stay in
Bruce‟s house. However, Philip begins to show his sense of fear. Philip‟s attitude becomes more complicated. Philip even prohibits Bruce to hang out with his friends
because he is afraid of loosing the love that has once been missing from his life after his father‟s death.
And indeed I had been briefed in advance as to how I was to answer any such invitation-briefed by Philip himself, categorically, over the past two months.
However deeply he was attached to me, our affair was strictly something between ourselves, a matter a deux. He had implored me not to involve him
with my friends, or more precisely my friends of an understood kind. He pictured them in act as scornful, rapacious, and terrifying. Courage 107
Philip does not want Bruce‟s excessive love and attention disappear from his life because of Bruce‟s friends. Bruce tries to refuse it on one occasion, but Philip is
angry and says, “Be kind, Bruce, be kind, I only want us to love another, without
those others getting in that way.” Courage 140. Bruce tries to understand the
circumstance that Philip has experienced in his past life. Bruce even attempts to help Philip to socialize and persuades him every day to reduce the fear. However, as fear
has been rooted on Philip‟s life, it is difficult for him to control himself, so he always
limit his social relation. “We oughtn‟t to get too restricted to our own private company. In the long
run it‟s bad for both of us- much too cramping…..Are you listening, my Philip?I don‟t want to turn us into one another‟s gaolers”
“we see enough people during the day,” Philip objected “That‟s true but not quite the same thing. In any case, you seem to have no
friends of your own- “
“I‟m uncouth; I‟m provincial,” Philip flung at Bruce.” What do you expect?” Courage 139
Bruce is continually keen on helping Philip to solve the problem. Even he
knows that the excessive togetherness between Philip and his father has strongly killed Philip‟s chance to have a sense to socialize though. When Philip tries to make
their live in seclusion, Bruce says, “You make these unworkable divisions. Be sensible, my Philip; This, we live in seclusion, you and I, is not good for us-not in the
long run, and as I see it.” Courage 156. In his childhood, Philip always spends his time with his father. The strong
love and attention that are given by Philip‟s father through their togetherness have made Philip comfortable and safe. This comfortable feeling makes Philip cover
himself unconditionally from the society. He feels happy enough to spend his time with his father. That makes him not trained to connect with other people. Therefore,
when his father has left him he never has a brave to socialize. Based on Hubert‟s
theory, a child who gets excessively attention from his parent tends to become a timid person Hubert 134.
c. Dependent The Feeling of dependence of a child on another person occurs when a child
never experiences how to rely on his own strength to complete the problems that he faces during his childhood because heshe always depends on hisher parent. As
explained by Lindenfield, parents who always help their child will make the child too dependent on them 24. In Philip‟s past life, his father is the decision maker for him
and Philip d epends on his father‟s decision.
This indirectly influences Philip‟s personality to rely on his own strength. His being dependent affects how he thinks, acts, and learns to hold on his own strength.
In his adult life, Philip is never able to determine what he really wants Courage 103. Philip cannot control himself and faces his own problems. His dependence
can be seen more clearly when he makes a relationship with Bruce Quantock who treats him like what his father does. Thus, Philip becomes increasingly depend on
Bruce. What he wants to do is what Bruce wants him to do Courage 77. He always asks Bruces opinion on how to run his life and fulfill his expectations. Every day he
invites Bruce to determine what he wants. „I could start by going to evening lectures-„
„nothing would please me better. I‟ll help you in anyway I can. That‟s understood.‟ His tension relaxed; he was already half the man he hoped to
become. And with the tip of his tongue he licked the dry hostility from his
lips.‟ I‟ll get a definite plan worked out before the end of the week, Bruce, I promise you.‟ Courage 132.
Not being convinced of his own ability makes Philip feel that he has made a mistake in deciding what he wants, as described in his conversation with Bruce. He feels that
he will do the wrong thing and people around him will hate him because of his decision. He needs a conviction from somebody to make him sure of his choice. It is
a way of defending himself Courage 97. The influence of the dominant attitudes that are shaped by the excessive
togetherness with his father has made Philips really not trained to build his own strength. The frequency of the togetherness covers Philip‟s access to gain his own
strength. Therefore, when the father dies, a lot of things related to personal power have not been formed yet in Philip‟s personality and so in his adult life, Philip still
needs someone who can lead and will be the place where he can transfer a sense of his dependence. His relationship with his true father has been the deepest emotional
experience of his youth, a feeling and dependence he has later transferred to him Courage 242
However, Philip‟s experienced dependency is not only a situation where a person relies on the ability of others to run hisher life in the determination of the
decision, but also what he has done is a proud thing according to others‟ perception. One evening when Philip and Bruce finish their dinner, Philip asks whether Bruce is
proud of him or not when he tries to socialize. „Were you proud of me, Bruce?‟
„ you tell me the answer.‟ „His relationship with his true father had been the deepest
Emotional experience of his youth, a feeling and dependence he had later transferred to me‟ Courage 242
How he depends on Bruce is the result of how he always depends on his father‟s strength in his childhood period. Philip‟s father, who always dominate, love,
care, and help Philip in solving his Problems has made Philip become too dependent on him. It is supported by the theory proposed by Lindenfield, which states, Parents
who always help their children will make their children too dependent on them Lindenfield 24.
3. On Philip’s Sexual Life
