33 According to Murphy 1972, there are several ways to find out the
description of a certain character in the novel. Those are personal description, characters as seen by others, speech, past life, conversation
of others, reaction, direct comments, thought, and mannerism. Those ways help the writer to analyze Saeki’s characters and personality.
1. Personality Description
a. Elegant
Elegant refers to graceful or attractive in appearance or manner “Elegant”. Saeki can be said as an elegant woman. It can be analyzed
using Murphy’s theory 1972 which mentions that in order to find out the description a certain character as seen by others. The way Saeki dress up
indicates how she can be said an elegant woman. In Murakami 2005, Saeki wears a “blue half-sleeved dress” and a “cream-colored cardigan”.
Her hair is “loosely tied back” p. 42. The dress and how she ties her hair shows that she is not excessive
in dressing. The dress she wears and the hair style convinces that she knows how to dress up with an appropriate dress. The elegant character
can also be seen from the way Saeki carries herself. From the chairs I watch how she carries herself, every motion natural and elegant p.45.
The opinion is thought by Kafka when Saeki greeted him after the library tour. He watches Saeki’s attitude carefully.
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34
b. Smart
Smart people have or show their intelligence “Smart”. Oshima, Saeki’s assistant in the library is a son of Saeki’s bestfriend when she was
little. Oshima’s mother was very close to her so that she knew everything about Saeki. Saeki is a smart woman since she was a little.
“There are a couple of things you should know about Miss Saeki,” Oshima says. “When she was little, my mother and Miss
Saeki were classmates and very close. She got good grades, was good at composition, sports of all kinds, and could play the piano
well, too. She was the best whatever she tried…” p.165.
The above quotation is the conversation between Oshima and Kafka while they were on the way to the library. It shows that Saeki is a smart since she
was little.
c. Mysterious
Mysterious people are difficult to understand and keep and like to keep things secret “Mysterious”. Saeki is a mysterious woman. After the
death of her sweetheart, she suddenly disappeared and no one knew where she had been. After twenty years of her sweetheart’s death, Saeki
reappeared and became the head of Komura Private Memorial Library. Saeki’s way of thinking is relevant with one of the theory of Motives
as Tension-Reducing Devices which is used to support the main character’s way of thinking p. 114-116. According to Coleman 1976,
most of human biological functioning follows the pattern of searching a way to relieve unpleasant tension that is caused by the need.
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35 Therefore, the brain will produce the tension for everything needed
by the body. The tension will cause a depressed feeling by the body. That is why human have to reduce the feeling by finding the way out.
Therefore, Saeki’s way to reduce the unpleasant feeling of loosing her sweetheart indirectly builds her mysterious character.
Even now she’s slim and beautiful and has the same neat, smart look you see on the record jacket of “Kafka on the Shore.” But there’s one thing
missing: that lovely, innocent smile, but it’s always limited somehow, a smile that never goes beyond the moment 169.
The quotation above is the conversation between Kafka and Oshima. Oshima tells Kafka about Saeki. The death of her sweetheart has really
influenced Saeki’s personality. She smiles but she never smiles from her heart. Saeki’s life is really mysterious. People tend to guess her life than to
ask her directly. She keeps her sadness, love, resentment, only for herself. She does not have a best friend to share her feeling. She lives with her
own way.
d. Faithful
