57 friend by Kizuki and Nagasawa. Thus, it emphasizes that Toru is unable to respect
himself because he thinks he is not worth the attention from his friends. Toru’s failure to fulfill esteem needs gives him a feeling of unconfident
that makes him feel uncertain of being able to get along better with pretty girls. Once when Hatsumi tries to find a girlfriend for Toru, Toru conveys that it is a
waste of time because he is too poor to go out with super-rich girls from Hatsumi’s top girls’ college p. 271. His lack of confidence makes him think that
he is not capable to interact or get along with girls from top university. Based on Maslow’s explanation about esteem needs, it can be concluded
that Toru lacks of esteem needs since he is a person with low self-esteem who often believes that he is unworthy of attention and feels unconfident. In addition,
based on Perlman and Peplau 1984 about factors that can cause loneliness, they state that low self-
esteem and shyness are a person’s characteristic the predisposing factors of loneliness. Since Toru has low self-esteem, it causes him
to feel the loneliness. Besides, he is also considered as a shy person because he is not confident. Thus, his low self-esteem and shyness is the causes of his
loneliness. The lack of self-esteem experienced by Toru makes him feel unworthy and
also unable to respect himself. As a result, he becomes not confident and unable to interact well with others. Therefore, he lacks of companion because he is not
confident that makes him unable to broaden his friendship with others and feel the sense of loneliness as well.
58
c. Lacks of Self-Actualization Needs
Maslow 1954 defines self- actualization as one’s capability to be
everything he or she wants and is capable of it as cited in Feist, 2009, pp. 283- 284. These needs are psychological needs that develop and exploit all of his or
her capabilities, potentialities, and talents to be everything he or she wants. Further, Maslow states that these needs include self-fulfillment and the realization
of all one’s potential. If it is compared to the Maslow’s explanation about self-actualization
needs, it can be said that during his life, Toru has not actualized himself well. In Norwegian Wood, Toru is described as a person who loves reading and he spends
most of his time by reading books. Since Toru is interested in spending his time by reading books, his friends in dormitory think that he wants to be a writer.
However, he says that there is nothing he wants to be p. 39. In addition, Toru decides to major drama in college although he does not have any particular
passion for the subject p. 21. Toru is failed to fulfill his self-actualization needs because he even does not know his own potential and talent thus he is unable to
exploit his capabilities and potentialities. The need for self-actualization is the desire to become more and
everything that one is capable of becoming. However, unlike other students in his age, Toru does not seem to become more because he does not have any goals or
intentions of becoming successful. Toru has not realized about what he wants in the future and it shows that Toru does not have any ambition for the future. Thus,
it proves that Toru is lack of self-actualization needs.
59 Toru’s failure to fulfill the love and belongingness needs, the esteem
needs, and the self-actualization needs influence the way he interacts with other people and sees his life. His unsatisfied needs also give him the tendencies to
experience loneliness. Toru does not have a lot of friends and he considers himself as someone who is unworthy of his friends’ attention. Moreover, Toru is not
confidence with himself and it makes him unable to make friends easily. In addition, Toru is unsure of what he wants to do with his life and unable to develop
his capabilities as well because he does not have any ambition to be successful.
