28 mannerism. pp. 161-173. Some of the nine ways are applied to analyze
Veronika’s personality.
4.1.1. Before Living in the Mental Asylum
Veronika is a 24 year-old girl who lives by herself in a rented room of a convent. She lives in a small city of Ljubljana, Slovenia. She is beautiful and
attractive p. 5. Before she is living in the mental asylum, Veronika is described as an idealistic, sluggish, introvert, insecure, pretty, and attractive woman.
4.1.1.1. Idealistic
Veronika always put everything in order. She has planned the moment to kill herself for six months. On the day she commits suicide, Veronika give some
time for herself to clean her rented room, turn off the heat, and brush her teeth. Furthermore, Veronika takes the sleeping pills one by one from the table instead
of crushes them and then mixes them with water p. 1. Veronika’s idealism can also be seen when she is imagining her future life if
she is released from the mental asylum. I’ll go back to my rented room in the convent. I’ll try to read a book, turn on
the TV to see the same old programs, set the alarm clock to wake up at exactly the same time I woke up the day before, and mechanically repeat my
tasks at the library. I’ll eat a sandwich in the park opposite the theater, sitting on the same bench, along with other people who also choose the
same benches on which to sit and have their lunch, people who all have the same vacant look but pretend to be pondering extremely important matters.
p. 21 Veronika’s decision to kill herself by consuming sleeping pills is not an
instant. For nearly six months she is thinking other ways to end her own life. Veronika thinks that shooting her head and cutting her wrist will make the room
dirty by her blood, hanging and jumping off a high building will disfigure her well
29 maintained body, none of these options suits her. Veronika prefers a far more
romantic method by taking an overdose of sleeping pills since many movies and stories at that time present this method p. 3.
Veronika’s idealism can also be seen from her decision to undergo some routines within the mental asylum. She adapts herself to the routine obliged by the
hospital so that she can die as planned. Veronika is rising early, eating breakfast, going for a walk in the garden, then having lunch, going to the living room, going
for another walk in the garden, then having supper, watching television, and going to bed p. 46.
Through Veronika’s speeches, her reactions in dealing with the various situations, her manners, and her thoughts, we can conclude that Veronika is an
idealistic woman. She keeps her daily routines perfectly the same day by day. She thinks that taking an overdose of sleeping pills is the best way of ending her life
since it is romantic and not disfiguring her appearance in any way.
4.1.1.2. Sluggish
Veronika is described as a sluggish woman. She tends to choose the easy option. She decides not to throw away things that she does not like. After taking
an overdose of sleeping pills, Veronika reads a magazine about computer science although she is not interested in the subject at all. p. 2. Veronika lacks the desire
to get something better than what she already has. Veronika is also tied with the fear of taking the risk.
The author, Paulo Coelho, provides his explicit comment for Veronika’s sluggishness. Paulo’s comment can be found when Veronika is reading a
30 computer magazine. Paulo’s emphasis to Veronika’s passiveness is seen by
writing the word ‘passive’ twice in one sentence. To her surprise, though, the first line of text shook her out of her natural
passivity the tranquilizers had not yet dissolved in her stomach, but Veronika was by nature passive, and, for the first time in her life, it made
her ponder the truth of a saying that was very fashionable among her friends: “Nothing in this world happens by chance.” p. 2
Through Veronika’s decision to keep the magazine and Paulo’s direct comment on Veronika, we can say that Veronika is a sluggish woman. Veronika
decides to keep the magazine although she does not like it. Paulo directly gives his comments about Veronika who is passive by nature.
4.1.1.3. Introvert
Veronika is an introvert. Veronika chooses to keep her feelings for herself before she enters the mental asylum. Instead of hanging out with friends,
Veronika is watching TV in her room. She prefers enjoying time in the room she rents without any companion. However, Veronika always try to make other
people think of her as a perfect woman p. 67. Veronika creates a perfect image of herself as an effort to forget her loneliness.
Veronika believes that other people are annoying. Veronika is unable to accept other’s reaction because they are unpredictable. Thus, Veronika refuses to
be nice in a society. Since Veronika is too irritated by others’ reaction, she never tells anybody about what she truly feels p. 68.
Through Veronika’s reactions to other characters and her manner in daily life, it can be said that Veronika is an introvert who decides to make no emotional
31 contact with other people. It can also be said that Veronika feels loneliness
because of her introvert personality.
4.1.1.4. Insecure
Veronika becomes an insecure woman because she lacks of self esteem. The lack of self esteem becomes her reason in committing suicide. It can be seen from
Veronika’s feeling after she sees much news about the world. Veronika knows that everything going on in the world is wrong. She wants to improve the
condition but Veronika feels a complete powerlessness p. 7. Veronika goes beyond the feeling of powerlessness. Furthermore, Veronika
is described as someone who hates and disregards herself. This can be seen in Veronika’s confession to the nurse in the mental asylum. Veronika confesses that
she attempts the suicide because she wants to kill her old personality and behavior p. 65.
Through Veronika’s reaction to the news about the world and her speech, we can conclude that Veronika has a low self esteem. Veronika feels complete
powerlessness as she can do nothing to help the world. Veronika hates and disregard herself.
4.1.1.5. Pretty and Attractive
Besides being described as a mature woman, Veronika is also described as someone who has beauty and charm. Veronika’s beauty makes it easier for her to
have boyfriends. Veronika is aware of her own beauty. After her suicide attempt fails, Veronika is praising her own beauty. Moreover, Veronika imagines possible
romantic story as she has a beautiful face p. 21.
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