Background of the Study
2 An akin statement asserts that literature is a form of art, which invents
new knowledge. Roger Fowler states that: Readers come away from a novel or poem feeling that they have been
given some knowledge which they did not possess before, or very often, that they have experienced a new insight into some familiar
problem or theme. 13
There are various reasons why readers read literary works. Some of them are because they want to spend their leisure time, to gain some new knowledge, or
to figure out that the topics are interesting and have similarities with their life story. It is not impossible that readers will admire the characters in the novels or
dramas they read because the authors describe the characters well. Wellek and Warren mention that “The novelists can teach you more about human nature than
the psychologists” 33. It means that an author can reveal the characters physically and mentally and write it in a good order than a psychologist can.
When someone admires someone else, it is not impossible that he will change his personality and try to imitate the person that he admires. Hurlock states
that “in identification, the individual tries to duplicate in his own life the ideas, attitudes, and behavior of the person he is imitating. When young children identify
themselves with parents, they use in their make-believe play the same kinds of behavior that their parents use in similar real-life situations” 96. In other words,
someone who is adored may influence one’s personality a lot. The fact that someone can develop his personality by adoring someone else is an interesting
topic that is chosen by the writer.
3 The Buddha, Geoff and Me is a novel that talks about personality
development. It tells us about the relationship between Ed and Geoff, who is a Buddhist so that this novel is full of the Buddha teachings. In this novel, there is a
good depiction of Ed’s personality development, which is caused by the significant person, Geoff. This novel was written by Edward Canfor-Dumas in
2005. In The Buddha, Geoff and Me, Edward Canfor-Dumas brings all his skills to bear in an absorbing story of everyday city life, where the characters stand out
with all their human strengths and weaknesses. It is a novel that tells us about the personality development of a man named Ed, the main character, which is
influenced by Geoff, his friend. Ed is a London citizen. He is having a hard time in his life to keep struggling in a hard city life. After breaking up with Angie, his
girlfriend, Ed has to face another problem. The company where he works is bankrupt so that Ed becomes jobless and he finds some difficulties to find a new
job. To Geoff, who is a Buddhist, Ed tells all his problems. Geoff teaches him the Buddha teachings but unfortunately Ed’s understanding in the Buddha teachings
is not straight. It is difficult to understand what Geoff says so that he rarely listens to Geoff.
Life has its up and down. Every time he finds a job, it will not last for a long time. Ed, who still loves Angie, tries to get her back but it seems to be a hard
thing because they always quarrel in their meetings. One day, Geoff gets a heart attack when he is working and he passes away. Ed gets a shock because of
Geoff’s death. He starts to rethink of what Geoff has told him and tries to understand it. In the end, he begins to practise Buddhism.
4 The reason why the writer chooses The Buddha, Geoff and Me novel is
not merely because the novel is interesting and the writer likes it but it is also because the background situation of the story has a similarity with the situation in
Indonesia right now. The monetary crisis that affects Indonesia causes the multi- dimension crisis where a lot of people lose their jobs because their companies go
bankrupt, corruption happens every where, the goods become expensive, the rate of crime is increasing, and even worse, people find that getting a job is very
difficult even for those who have high degree in education. The Indonesians have to survive in this hard situation otherwise they will suffer from depression. By
reading this novel, the writer learns how to face such situations. This study is limited on the analysis of Ed’s personality development on his religion, wisdom,
courage and his self-concept of sex since the writer does not have sufficient time to reveal all of the novel’s aspects.