Tom to be a revengeful and a temperamental man. Encouraged by the hatred and the bad relationship, he finally leaves the family Williams 1741-1742.
Children absolutely need the present of their parents to be their guidance in all cases. If they lose one of them, it will degrade the children’s contentment in learning
new good things for the sake of their life.
Knowing the fact that Tom is influenced by the matriarchal family, I will thoroughly discuss Tom’s personality traits. The psychological approach and the
other thoughts as mentioned in chapter two help to do so. All the changes occur to Tom is affected by his being in the matriarchal
family. Amanda, the mother of the family, cannot conduct a good educational- environment for her children. She fails to fulfill the fundamental function of the
family as presented by Soekanto 1990: 85. Moreover, she loses her part to implement the importance of a parent’s roles in educating children, presented by
Joseph and Bird 1972: 29-45. This situation gives no chance, especially, to Tom to learn supportive personalities to take care the family sincerely in his life.
4.3 .3.1 Tom is Discriminative
Soekanto 1990: 85 confirms that one of the family functions is the place of primary socialization. In Tom’s case, the family is not the place to do it. The family is
only a kind of jail for him. There is only a girl loved sincerely by Tom in the apartment. She is Laura, Tom’s elder sister. Tom’s love to his elder sister is proved
by his agreement to Amanda’s wanting to find a gentlemen caller for Laura Williams 1712-1713.
TOM: All right What about Laura? AMANDA: We have to be making some plans and provisions for her. Shes
older than you, two years, and nothing has happened. She just drifts along doing nothing. It frightens me terribly how she just drifts along Williams
1712. AMANDA: Will you? [He opens door. Imploringly] Will you? [He
startsdown
] Will you? Will you, dear? TOM [calling back]: YES Williams 1713.
From Tom’s agreement, it is apparent that Tom loves his sister and cares about her. He also wants to see Laura to have a gentlemen caller who can make her life brighter
and happier. Tom is also attached to his sister. He cannot erase his fully affectionate
feeling to his sister Williams 1741. TOM: ….Then all at once my sister touches my shoulder. I turn around and
look into her eyes ... Oh, Laura, Laura, I tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be ….
Tom is leaving the apartment but he cannot forget Laura completely. The further he goes away from the apartment, the more he feels his love to Laura. The close feeling
of Tom to Laura proves that he loves Laura sincerely. Although Tom possesses the affectionate feeling, but it is not for Amanda
who has treated him inappropriately. He cares so much to Laura because he closes to her emotionally. He also cares to her because she has patient to him—she asks To m
to apologize Williams 1709. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
4.3 .3.2 Tom is Temperamental
According Joseph and Bird 1972: 29-45, in order to educate children in a proper manner, parents need to be able to do nine ways which are equally important.
On the other hand, in Amanda’s matriarchal family, she cannot implement such important role properly.
AMANDA: Comb your hair You look so pretty when your hair is combed [Tom slouches on sofa with evening paper. Enormous caption Franco
Triumphs. ] There is only one respect in which I would like you to
emulate your father. TOM: What respect is that?
AMANDA: The care he always took of his appearance. He never allowed himself to look untidy. [He throws down the paper and crosses to
fire- escape
] Where are you going? TOM: Im going out to smoke Williams 1714.
In the play, Tom’s acting of smoking indicates that he does not like doing what his mother asks to do. This also means that Amanda cannot provide “responsibility,
coping, strength, and security” to him as suggested by Joseph and Bird 1972: 29-45. In a family, parents’ role in educating their children is highly important for
their development. Here, Amanda’s matriarchal family cannot support Tom to grow with positive thinking. Amanda cannot provide what Tom needs to grow in a good
family environment. She fails to be a good mother in the matriarchal family Williams 1698.
AMANDA [to her son]: Honey, dont push with your fingers. If you have to push with something, the thing to push with is a crust of bread. And chew
chew Animals have sections in their stomachs which enable them to digest flood without mastication, but human beings are supposed to chew their
food before they swallow it down. Eat food leisurely, son, and really enjoy PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
it. A well-cooked meal has lots of delicate flavors that have to be held in the mouth for appreciation. …
TOM: I havent enjoyed one bite of this dinner because of your constant directions on how to eat it. Its you that makes me rush through meals with
your hawk-like attention to every bite I take. Sickening - spoils my appetite - all this discussion of - animals secretion - salivary glands – mastication
AMANDA [lightly]: Temperament like a Metropolitan star [He rises and crosses downstage
.] Youre not excused from the table. TOM: Im getting a cigarette.
Amanda insists Tom to eat properly and chew his meal to enjoy eating. The way Amanda advises Tom is similar to advise a child. This condition makes Tom feels
uncomfortable. He cannot also enjoy his meal because the constant advises Amanda delivers. The constant advises from Amanda enrages him. He cannot accept such
treatment. Somehow, she knows the art of conversation with the gent lemen callers in her
past Williams 1699”. AMANDA: One Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain, your mother received
seventeen gentlemen callers Why, sometimes there werent chairs enough to accommodate them all. We had to send the nigger over to bring in folding
chairs from the parish house.
TOM: How did you entertain those gentleman callers? A M A N D A: I understood the art of conversation
TOM: I bet you could talk. AMANDA: Girls in those days knew how to talk, I can tell you.
The art of conversation to make Amanda’s gentlemen callers stay together in the room can be comprehended as six ideas. First, Amanda knows how to talk pleasantly
to them. Second, Amanda knows how to make the gentlemen callers feel at home. Third, Amanda knows how to utter her feelings and thoughts interestingly. Fourth,
Amanda knows how to emotionally embrace the entire gentlemen callers so that they PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
are not feeling neglected. Fifth, Amanda knows how to gather their respect. Sixth, Amanda knows how to conduct a good conversation atmosphere. Irresistibly, the art of
conversation has made Amanda succeeded in conversing with them. The fact that Amanda has been able to entertain the gentlemen callers with the art
of conversation is on the contrary with her inability to talk to Tom. Amanda’s inability to implement a good art of conversation makes Tom acts temperamentally. Parents are to
“learns to converse with their children in psychological language expressive of empathy and acceptance” Joseph and Bird, 1972: 100. From the dialogue of drama script, it is
clearly seen that Amanda cannot advise Tom with empathy—she cannot understand and enter into Tom’s feelings. To confirm, the fact that Tom acts temperamentally is caused
by Amanda’s bad treatment to him Pressey et al, 1939: 445-446.
4.3 . 3.3 Tom is Untruthful
