Finally, since Jonathan is a smart and brave seagull he decides to choose his wanting to keep flying in the dark because he is able to fly in the dark. He knows
the key to do that. His desire to fly in the dark wins the negotiation process while his desire to get down and be a normal gull loses the negotiation process.
2. The Interpersonal Conflict
An interpersonal conflict is a conflict which happens between two or more people. This is an external conflict. Therefore, the conflict not only happens in the
character itself but it deals with other character in the story. According to Beebe and Redmon 297-300 there are three types of interpersonal conflicts. Those are pseudo
conflict, simple conflict and ego conflict. In this novelette, the conflicts faced by Jonathan are characterized as the ego conflict. People have the ego conflict because
their personal differences attached to each individual in a group. A conflict is caused by many things. According to Isenhart and Spangle 14-
15 there are seven sources of conflict. Those are data, interest, procedures, values, relationships, roles and communication. The interpersonal conflicts faced by
Jonathan are caused by his relationship with others. Jonathan faces the conflicts between himself, his parents and his flock. The conflict itself can be resolved by
negotiation, mediation, facilitation, arbitration, and judicial process. Here are the interpersonal conflicts faced by Jonathan:
a. Jonathan against his parents
The conflict between Jonathan and his parents happens because his parents do not agree if Jonathan keeps practicing and learning about flying every day. Here,
Jonathan’s relationship with his parents is in trouble. The conflict begins because
they fear about Jonathan’s condition. When morning comes Jonathan and his mother have a conversation. His mother worries him so much because Jonathan
becomes skinny. She asks Jonathan to stop flying. His mother asks him to fly for food Bach 14.
Although his mother worries so much with his condition, Jonathan still argues to his mother. He says to his mother that he is fine in that condition. It does
not matter for him to become skinny. He always learns to fly in sky. He says to his mother that he just wants to know further about flying high. He wants to know what
he can do and what he cannot do Bach 14. Hearing this conversation, Jonathan’s father gets angry with him. He speaks to Jonathan strictly. His father shows the
facts if Jonathan does not want to hear his parents and keep learning to fly in the air. His father will only let him fly for food. His father reminds him that seagulls’
reason to fly is for food. “See here, Jonathan,” said his father, not unkindly.
“Winter isn’t far away. Boats will be few, and the surface fish will be swimming deep. If you must study, then study food, and how to get it. This
flying business is all very well, but you can’t eat glide, you know. Don’t forget that the reason you fly is to eat.” Bach 15
After having this conversation, Jonathan nods obediently. In the next few days Jonathan stays with the flock. He tries to live like the rest of the flock. He tries
to get food among seagulls. He screeches and fights with other gull just to get fish and bread around the piers and fishing boats. He tries very hard to be the rest of
other gulls in his flock. He does these activities for few days. However, it does not work and he cannot stay any longer Bach 15.
To solve this conflict, Jonathan and his parents take win-lose solution. It is a conflict solution when there are two persons are facing the conflict. Then there is
only one person who can reach the goal and the other person does not reach his or her goal. Here, Jonathan’s parents can reach their goal. That makes Jonathan stop
flying and staying with the flock to live like the rest of seagulls in the flock. On the other hand, Jonathan cannot reach his goal, that is, to keep learning to fly. He must
be obedient to what his parents say about flying. He must live like the other gulls. Jonathan is smart enough to manage his conflict with his parents. He manages the
goals of his conflict before he decides to solve the conflict. Since he is a smart seagull, he decides to obey his parents. Jonathan is also smart enough to make his
parents feel happy. Besides, Jonathan also wants to know what he can do when he stops flying and lives like the other gulls. As time goes by, Jonathan cannot stay any
longer because his personality that is stubborn. He gives up. He thinks that everything he does in a few days with the flock is useless. Jonathan thinks that he
can spend those days to learn about flight. He can learn many things. After that, Jonathan flies away far out at sea. He learns to fly. Therefore, the conflict is solved
by lose-lose solution. It is a conflict solution when nobody feels satisfied with the decision in the problem solving.
It’s all so pointless, he thought, deliberately dropping a hard-won anchovy to a hungry old gull chasing him. I could be spending all this time learning
to fly. There’s so much to learn It wasn’t long before Jonathan Gull was off by himself again, far out at sea,
hungry, happy, learning Bach 15 Another conflict is when Jonathan then ignores the parent’s suggestions.
Even he knows that his body becomes skinny, Jonathan is still a hard worker and a stubborn seagull. He ignores his own condition. He practices every day, he only
thinks about flying and never thinks to eat. His body becomes so thin. But he feels happy with that because eating is not a matter for him but flying is a matter. Here,
in order to solve the conflict, Jonathan chooses lose-lose solution. Nobody gets what shehe wants. Jonathan cannot explain to his parents that he loves to fly in the
sky. He still can enjoy his life without eating and surviving like other gulls. On the other hand, his parents cannot ask him to keep staying longer with the flock and live
like normal seagulls in the flock.
b. Jonathan against the flock
