money so that only those who come from rich families who have much money to support financial cost might do that. There are many people who
want to join law school can not join because of lack of financial support whereas Oliver who has fully support from his father wants to reject it just
because his selfish attitude can not accept his father’s kindness. Oliver curses his father’s kindness and rejects it as quotation below describes:
“But what does he do to qualify as a sonovabitch?”… I told her how I loathed being programmed for the Barett
Tradition…… “What I hate is that he expects no less”
Just saying what I had always felt but never before spokenmade me feel uncomfortable as hell,……” Erich
Segal 1970: 37
A good thing from a father gets bad reaction from a son and it often occurs in their daily life.
3.1. 3. Jenny versus Oliver’s Parents
In a romance, wealth has no effect when a man and a woman are in love each other. This condition can be seen on a couple of lovers who is
madly in love with as Jenny and Oliver. We know that Oliver derives from a rich family where as Jenny comes from a social zero family but they may
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knit their love harmoniously. They have no problem with their social status. This condition is a contrary to their parents, especially for Oliver’s parents.
Because Oliver parents are a rich family and come from high social status, they will observe selectively one who will be the future spouse of their sons
as Oliver’s mother does : “….. Doubtless mother was sizing up Jennifer,
checking out her costume not Boho this afternoon, Her posture, her demeanor, her accent.” Erich Segal 1970:53
By sizing up Oliver’s lover, his mother wants to make sure that his son will
not do something wrong in choosing his life’s companion. It is a form of parent’s affection toward their son by trying to give the best thing to their
sweetheart. Actually Jenny does not get much sympathy from Oliver’s parent
when she pays a first visit to Oliver’s family. Although Jenny has tried to conduct her best performance, yet Oliver’s mother still scrutinizes Jenny’s
social status as : “So your people are from Cranston, Jenny?”
“Mostly. My mother was from fall river.” “The Barretts have mills fall river, “
noted Oliver III. “ Where they exploited the poor for generations. “ added Oliver IV
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“ in the nineteenth century, “ added Oliver III” Erich Segal 1970:55
Nowadays, most of people trust that wealth possesses an important factor in reaching happiness in life, especially in a marriage life. Therefore
they believe without money and wealthy, one will not get happiness in marriage life. It is obviously showed by Oliver’s mother and father as well.
They just welcome Jenny’s visit to their house but there is no warm greeting upon her first visit.
Actually Oliver’s parents attitude is a normal one which will be found to other parents if they face the same thing as Oliver’s parents have.
They will observe all the facts and all possibilities which will befall their son’s life. Looking back to the case between Jenny and Oliver that they are
still studying and they are not mature enough to get married. Furthermore they have no job to support their new life. No wonder that Oliver’s parent
feel worried about this because young people customarily rely on their emotion than their logic. But Jenny and Oliver are in deeply love each
other. Young people do not know how hard to run marriage life including all responsibilities towards it. They just think that they will be happy if they
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could be together and it can be realized by getting marriage as Oliver’s argument to his father upon his marriage planning as :
“Your rebellion, “ He added.” You are rebelling, son” “Father, I fail to see how marrying a beautiful and
Brilliant Radcliffe girl constitutes rebellion. I mean, She’s not some crazy hippie-“ Erich Segal 1970: 61
The quotation above indicates that Oliver respect Jenny because Jenny is not like other young men and women. She is a good girl. For this
reason Oliver has the courage to contradict with his father. Although Oliver’s planning to get married is opposed by his father, yet Oliver’s is
still persisting to go on his own way. Day after day, Oliver’s relationship with Jenny is closer. They do not
care if their romance won’t get approval from Oliver’s parent. It also means that Jenny must prepare herself not to be accepted by Oliver’s parents.
Due to the student’s life far from their parents, they have freedom to do anything without getting an intervention from their parents including
their relationship with their sex opponent as depicted about Oliver and Jenny romance quoted :
“ Our first physical encounter was the polar opposite of our verbal one.
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I was all so unhurried, so soft, so gentle. I had never realized that this was the real jenny the soft one, whose touch was so
light and so loving.
And yet what truly shocked me was my own response. I was gentle. I was tender …. As I said, I had never seen
jenny with so much as her sweater opened an extra button. I was some what surprised to find that she wore a tiny jenny
golden cross. On one of those chains that never unclock. Meaning that when we made love, she still wore the cross.”
Erich Segal 1970: 41
Oliver’s and Jenny’s relationship grows to be serious as if they could not be separated anymore. Since they are in ardent love each other they are
not hopeless to find another way to get support upon their relationship. They know that Jenny’s father is very fond of Jenny. So that they believe
that their relationship will get support from him. For this reason, they pay a visit to Jenny’s father in order to get support from him as:
“ At dinner the pastries turned out to be merely as snackPhil tried to have a serious talk with me about you can guess
what. For some crazy reason he thought he could effect a rapprochement between Olivers III and IV. “ Let me speak to
him on the phone, father to father, “ he pleaded. “ Please,
Phill, it’s a waste of time. “ I can’t sit here and allow a parent to reject a child. I can’t.”…..
“ get him on the phone,” Phill repeated, “ I’II take care of this. “ No, Phill. My father and I have
Installed a cold line. “ Aw, listen Oliver he’ll thaw. Believe me I tell you he’ll thaw.” Erich Segal 1970 :68
Warm welcome and blessing from Jenny’s father upon their relationship is a turning point to their hazardous romance. They are more
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confident that their romance will run smoothly. It is no wonder if they get support from Jenny’s father since as we know that Jenny comes from a
social zero family whereas Oliver comes from a rich family. We may guess that in the mind of Jenny’s father he is sure that by getting married with
very rich person, his daughter’s future will shine brightly. It is something which is pursued by all parents towards his daughter‘s happy and secure life
in the future.. This condition is a contradiction with Oliver’s parent. Oliver parents
still can not bless their relationship since Oliver is regarded not ready to get married with Jenny. It is a crucial matter upon the conflict between Oliver
and his parents. In order to prevent their marriage planning, Oliver’s father gives a final warning to Oliver whether he chooses Jenny or else he will
lose his father’s affection and also his father’s financial support as the following quotation describes:
“ Oliver. “ He began a new round. “ You’re a minor-“ “ a minor that ?” I was losing my temper, goddammit.
“ You are not yet twenty one. Not legally an adult.” “ Screw the legal nitpicking, dammit ” ……
“ Marry her now, and I will not give you the time Of day. “ Who gave a shit if somebody overheard.
“ Father, you don’t know the time of day.” I walked out of his life and began my own.”
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Erich Segal 1970:62 The argument quoted above is a real condition which will happen if the
parents and also the son or daughter are too selfish and just think their own interest. Conflicts presented in this novel are very touching that has made
Erich Segal as one of the greatest novelists in English and American literature. He obviously conveys his message that either the parents or the
children must think before doing something, last but not least both parties have to curb their selfishness so that those will be able to avoid either a
family conflict or a friction in their household forever and never. It is a kind of moral lesson which is performed through this novel.
3.2.Inner Conflict 3.2.1. Oliver’s Inner Conflict to Marry Jenny
There is a mistake to most of parents in interpreting the happiness of their children. They think by providing a lot of money and also all luxurious
facilities to their children, they have given happiness to their children. All things are measured by material which are regarded pretty enough to satisfy
their descendant. Although by sight we look that the children of the haves
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look happy, yet some of them are unhappy because they do not get emotional affection by their parents. Simply happiness can not be measured
by money but there is another need should be fulfilled, namely affection and attention. By giving affection and attention to the children, they feel
that they are needed by their parents. They need a place to cry on when they face a problem so that they are not feeling lonely in their life. If all things
are measured by material life, there will be monotonous relationship between children and father as quoted below in the conversation between
Oliver and his father. “At dinner , we had yet another in our continuing
series of nonconversations, all of which commence With “How’ve you been ?” and conclude with “
Anything I can do?” “ How’ve you been ,son?”
“ fine, sir “Does you face hurt?”
“No, Sir.” It was beginning to hurt like hell.
“ I’d like Jack wells to look at it on Monday …….He’s specialist.’
“ The Cornell doctor wasn’t exactly a veterinarian” I said, hoping to dampen my father’s usual snobbish
enthusiasm for specialists, experts and all other “top people”. Erich Segal 1970: 28
It is clear that actually Oliver is getting bored upon his monotonous topic of
conversation since his father only gives attention more to his physical needs
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than to his emotional needs. It is actually a wrong deed which is unaware by most of parents in this world. Through this novel, Eric Segal wants to
convey his moral lesson to those who read this novel and to those who want to improve their attitude toward their children’s happiness. The parents
should give a balance attention to the development of physical and mental as well.
If the physical need is unbalance with his emotional need the children will try to get it through another person who will be able to give
peaceful and happiness as Oliver does. As we know that Oliver lives in overwhelming money yet he does not get happiness until he falls in love
with Jenny as described in the following quotation, “I sat there for a while, watching a neon sign blink “Clamp
and Oysters”. What I had loved so much about Jenny was her ability to see inside me, to understand things I never needed
to carve out in words”. Erich Segal 1970: 59
It is clear that Oliver needs attention and understanding upon his emotional development which he does not get from his father. Oliver feels that he is
needed by other person and feels that he is cared too. If these things are not soon realized by parents, their relationship to their son will be wide apart.
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The more parents are neglecting it the farther their relationship to their son will be. The father and the son will go on to their own way because they are
busy to handle upon their own business. The conflict happens because of Oliver’s intention to marry Jenny
comes out when he pays a visit to his parent house to introduce his lover Jenny as his girl friend. Oliver realizes that he must get blessing from his
father about his relationship with Jenny; therefore he asks her to come together to his house,
“Why I was taking her to meet them, any way? I mean, did I really need Old Stonyface’s blessing or anything? Part of it
was that she wanted to “ That’s the way it’s done, Oliver” and part of it was the simple fact that Oliver III was my
banker in the very grossest sense; he paid the goddamn tuition . Erich Segal 1970: 49
Although Oliver is an the opponent side of his father wish, yet he still acknowledges that he should honor his parents, especially to his father by
introducing his sweet heart to him. If Oliver’s father would like to realize that his son is getting a happiness in his life by having romance with
Jennifer, he ought to approve upon Oliver’s relationship. A duty of a father is to guide his son to the right way to reach a better future and happiness in
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life. If a father realizes his duty and a son also knows his duty too, there will be no a friction or conflict in a household and all things will run in
harmony it seems that there is no harmonious relationship between Oliver and his father because his father is too selfish as he often dictates upon
Oliver life as quoted below: “What I hate is that he expect no less,” just saying what I had
always felt but never before spoken made me feel uncomfortable as hell, but now I had to make Jenny
understand it all. “And he’s so incredible blasé when I do some through. I mean he just takes me absolutely for
granted.” Erich Segal 1970: 57
Facing his father’s attitude toward him, Oliver feels that he is only a mannequin so that he wants to break it up and to get new identity of his life.
It seems that it is a kind of rebellion upon his. It is a youthful spirit who feels oppressed upon his father’s arbitrariness to his life. By getting
married, Oliver thinks that he will get new identity. He will be honored by his wife and further will get affection from his wife although he ponders
upon his decision to get married and realize that he is in growing up phase to be mature in his life as described in the following quotation,
“My father’s basic comment concerned what he considered excessive velocity. Haste. Precipitous ness. I forget his exact
words, but I know the text for his sermon during our luncheon
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at the Harvard Club concerned itself primarily with my going too fast. He warmed up for it by suggesting that I not bolt my
food. I politely suggested that I was a grown man, that he should no longer correct or even comment upon- any
behavior”. Erich Segal 1970: 60
As a matter of fact there is inner fighting in Oliver’s heart whether he should obey his father’s instruction to study law first than to get married
later. In his pondering to choose a difficult choice on his life his father makes a great mistake by threatening him to choose his marriage or to
choose his father’s instruction to study in law faculty with the consequence that Oliver is forbidden to get married soon as the dialogue below explains,
“Marry her now ,and I will not give you the time of day ….. “Father, you don’t know the time of day”. I walked out of
His life and began my own.” Erich Segal 1970:62
It is a kind of moral lesson to a selfish father not to dictate his son’s life as he wishes. A father should have wisdom in order to solve different
opinion with his son so there is no need a conflict between them provided each of them would give away their selfishness in order to get better
condition in their life.
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3.2.2. Oliver’s inner conflict to Tell The Truth Of Jenny’s Sickness.
At the beginning of Oliver’s marriage life, all things run smoothly although as the consequence of it, he should lose his parent’s attention. He
does not care about that because he gets the thing that he has pursued in his life, that is happiness as stated in the following quotation,
“ Jenny, I’m sorry---“ “ Stop” She cut off my apology, then said very
quietly, “ Love means not ever having to say you’ re sorry “ I climbed up the stairs to where
she was sitting “I’d like to go to sleep. Okay?” She said. “Okay.”
We walked up to our apartment’s we undressed, She looked at me reassuringly.
“I meant what I said, Oliver. “ and that was all” Erich Segal 1970: 92
Oliver is a tough guy and it is proved by his perseverance to get either his study or his job. Although he is brought in a rich family which
everything has been prepared by his parents yet he still tries hard to overcome his difficulty by his own power. We may imagine how hard
Oliver’s marriage life as at the beginning, because beside he should earn some money to support this marriage life, he also must continue his study at
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law faculty. In order to overcome it, he tries to get scholarship from the dean of the Harvard law school as quoted below:
“Did I hear you right, Mr. Barrett?” “Yes, sir, Dean Thompson.”
It had not been easy to say the first time. It was no easier repeating it.
“ I’ll need a scholarship for next year, sir.” “Really?”
That’s why I’m here, sir. You are In charge of Financial Aid, aren’t you, Dean Thompson?”
“Yes, but it’s father curious. Your father-“ “ He’s no longer involved, sir”. Erich Segal 1970: 71
Oliver is not like a cry baby who always complains about his problem or trouble to his parents. He does not want to do that. He is a boy with
persistent attitude. He has made a choice and he will stick to it. He does not want to use his father’s great name to run smoothly his business. In order to
reach success in his life, he continuously makes every effort; luckily he is supported by his beloved wife who gets a job as a teacher.
My illustrious name enabled us to establish a charge account at a grocery store which would otherwise have
denied credit to students. And yet it worked to our
disadvantage at a place I would least have expected : the Shady Lane
School, where jenny was to teach”Erich Segal 1970:81
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Having passed their daily life during those fast three years in happiness and sorrow, finally Oliver is able to pass his study in a law
faculty. Actually Oliver is a smart boy so that he gets good remark upon his graduation.
Although he must study in a minimum facilities and condition, yet he is able to pass all the subjects successfully. Because he has graduated from
his law study, he can get better job for his future. Things change, his happiness turns to sadness. The inner conflict in
Oliver’s life begins when he takes his wife to a specialist doctor to check whether his wife is pregnant or not. In order to maximize the result of its
check up, he repeatedly brings his wife to the doctor. Oliver suspects that there is something hidden by the doctor about his wife’s health .Having
come and approached the doctor continuously, he finally gets the truth of his wife’s health condition which should be hidden to his wife as quoted
below. “ The doctor explained that what therapy they had For Jenny’s
form of leukemia was merely palliativeIt could relieve, it might retard, but it could not reverse.…..Therapy for a
while……..do I asked him what to do.I mean, what I should do. He told me to act as normal as possible for as long as
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possible. I thanked him and left normal normal ” Erich Segal 1970: 107
It is the hardest and the most crucial moment in Oliver’s life. He must act as normal as possible to hide the fact of jenny’s health. Actually he does
not have a heart to deceive Jenny as he does but he is forced to do that. Every time when he wakes up in the morning and he finds Jenny’s stay
around him, he thanks god that god still gives him time to see his beloved wife. Finally, Oliver feels his life is like in a hell by pretending everything
is in normal condition. He should face his life as it goes, but he feels bad because he has to conceal his wife’s real condition of health.
Oliver devotes his life to God in the hope that God pours miracle to cure Jenny so that Jenny could be in healthy condition. It is normal that
someone who is in desperate condition will ask for God’s help. When there is no hope anymore, one usually turns back his heart and his mind to God in
order to get peaceful spirits in his life. It is a general truth and something undeniable.
Jenny’s bad condition continues; she doesn’t seem to get better. At last Oliver couldn’t bear keeping the secret any longer because it annoys
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him very much. It becomes a heavy burden for him because he has told lies to his wife. Finally he makes up his mind to reveal Frankly about the truth
of his wife’s sick condition. By telling the truth Oliver feels he has released heavy burden. He
thinks his wife will die soon because there is no remedy for Leukemia. He doesn’t want that his wife dies without knowing anything about her
sickness. Out of several characters in Erich Segal’s Love Story, Oliver suffers
from inner conflict very much. Oliver parents, especially his father, is a strict and determined man. He also suffers inner conflict a little as his son
doesn’t want to follow his order. But he doesn’t care much what will happen to his son.
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IV.CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
4.1. Conclusion
