to earn money. After working for two years, she saves enough money and then travels to Rio de Janeiro.
She worked two years solidly, paid money each month to her parents for her keep, and, at last, she did it She saved up enough money to go and
spend a week’s holiday in the city of her dreams, the place where film and TV starts live, the picture postcard image of her country: Rio de Janeiro
Coelho 18
During her vacation, she meets a Swiss man, Roger, who offers her to become an artist abroad. Realizing that she will not get the second chance, she
decides to accept the job. Moreover, she wants to travel and experiences something new. She believes that this is a good way to realize her dream. She tries
to convince her parents that the job is something she needs to have a better life. Then, with the blessing of her parents she goes to Swiss with Roger.
2. Maria’s Struggle for a Better Life
Maria has to struggle for the things she wants. She realizes that she is only a poor girl from the backland of Brazil. Therefore, she tries to struggle for a better
life. In this part, the theories of motivation, struggle for life and human needs are applied. According to Maslow qtd in Schultz 62-64, there are five basic needs.
They are physiological needs, safety needs, love and belongingness needs, self- esteem needs, and self-actualization needs.
In her journey of life, Maria has to struggle to achieve her better life. She has to deal with life problems. According to Bernard 64 individuals also may
consciously and rationally implement strategies that enable them to cope with stresses and problems in life. Furthermore, she also needs adjustment to overcome
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the stresses and problems in her life. Based on Braun, Linder and Asimov 478- 480 there are three adjustments namely problem solving, acceptance of the
situation and defense mechanism. Maria applies all the three adjustments. Maria’s struggle can be seen through her jobs as a worker in Brazil, a salsa
dancer, a model and a prostitute. How she deals and copes with the jobs is analyzed as follows:
a. Becoming a Shop-Assistant in Brazil
Maria, the major character in the novel, realizes that she comes from a low class family. Therefore, she decides to take a job in a draper’s shop after
finishing her secondary school. Smith 282 states that motivation is categorized as an internal process that influences the direction, persistence and vigor of goal
directed behavior. At that time, for Maria, earning money is the biggest motivation since she has to support her family financial condition. They have to
fulfill their physiological needs. According to Maslow qtd in Schultz 62, physiological needs are the most important needs among all.
In the shop, Maria realizes that the owner falls in love with her because of her beauty. Since she knows how to use her beauty, she tries to make use of her
boss to get a higher salary and extra money. She knew how attractive she was, and although she rarely listened to her
mother, there was one thing her mother said that she never forgot: “Beauty, my dear, doesn’t last.” With this in mind, she continued to keep
her boss at arm’s length, though without putting him off completely, and this brought her a considerable increase in salary … Coelho 17
After working for two years, Maria gets enough money to help her parents to meet their daily needs. She gives some of her money to solve their financial
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