2. Social class
The second aspect which gives the contribution towards Bill Macneil’s personality development is the social class. Bill Macneil is the oldest son of a
successful businessman and the owner of Macneil Brothers’ Trading Co., Neil Macneil. In general Bill can be categorized as a rich person or high social status
because he is the heir of the Macneils family corporation. As he came from wealthy family, he manages to study in San Francisco Seward, 2000: 3.
The Macneils is very rich; they own many real estates and many other assets in Japan.
“I intend to shift all our liquid assets out of Japan. In fact, out of Asia entirely. Our main office will move to United States… I’ll sell as much of
our real estates as I can as well as our holdings in Japanese corporations.” Seward, 2000: 2.
In his family, every one of the members of the family has the ability to run
the family business. Every year, they held annual meeting to discuss about the condition of the family business.
Her father grinned wryly. “You know we’re not, my dear. I’ve had a summary of our financial condition prepared. Copies will be given to each
of you later. As usual, read, digest, and destroy. As you will see, we own les than last year…Seward, 2000: 2.
From the quotation above, it can be seen that Neil discusses the financial problem
with his children to teach them how to run the company in the future. Bill Macneil’s high social status gives him some privileges. One of them is
that he can study in America. Another privilege can be seen through the situation while Bill is in the ship the City of Glasgow.
“Excuse me, Mister Macneil. “The stubby, white-haired captain stood beside Bill, touching the enameled visor of his white hat with two fingers.
“I regret we don’t have an owner’s cabin aboard these freighters, sir, but I don’t think we’ve ever had the pleasure of having Macneil aboard. Is your
cabin satisfactory? I’d be glad to let you have mine, but it would be tomorrow before I could have it cleaned and ready for you.” Seward,
2000: 16.
From the quotation above, it can be seen that as a member of Macneils, Bill has a
certain privilege. In the ship, Bill is asked by the captain to have the captain’s cabin if the ordinary cabin is not satisfying Bill. Bill rejects it politely because his
cabin is quite satisfactory. The influence of the social class in Bill Macneil’s personality development
can be seen in the change on his attitude. He cares about his girlfriend’s condition when they are in the ship City of Glasgow. Bill can show his caring attitude
because of he has the privileges as a person who comes from high social status.
3. Family
The next environmental determinant which influences Bill Macneil’s personality development is the family. The influence of the family can be direct
way or indirect way. The first influence comes from Neil Macneil, he is the father of Bill Macneil.
Neil Macneil is described as a loyal American, he insists that every member of Macneil has to get out from Japan, but when the war is over he wants
to rebuild his company in Japan. He is too old to rebuild his company again; he wants Bill Macneil to rebuild and to continue the existence of the family’s
company in Japan. “We may have to get out of Japan, Bill, but we‘ll be back. May be not me;
I’m too old. But my family will.” “Ship’s too young to think about the carrier. I can’t tell yet what he might
become. All he seems to think about now is his mother. And Chankoro? PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
God only knows. If she marries that pianist, no telling where she’ll end up. No, it’s you, Bill, whom I count on to carry on for me. It has to be you.”
Seward, 2000: 24
From the quotation, it can be seen that Bill Macneil’s father insists him to get out
from Japan but when the war is over, Neil will ask him to go back and rebuild the family’s company. But in Bill’s point of view, his father intention is just to stop
Bill from joining the war. Bill hesitates about his father loyalty to America because Neil has lived in
Japan for most of his life, he also has a Japanese wife and he gets his wealthy mostly from working in Japan. This kind of reasons makes Bill feels in doubt
about his father’s loyalty to America. Their conflict came down to opposing views about Japan. His father was a
loyal Americalife. He was married to a Japanese woman and had two children by her. The wellspring of Neil’s fortune was in Japan, with
tributaries flowing in from other Asian countries. Seward, 2000: 24.
Neil Macneil knows about his son’s hatred towards the Japanese. Neil tries to
refresh Bill memory in the past that in his youth Bill always stands for the Japanese when he plays fistfight.
“Do you really hate them so much, Son? Why? What has turned you against them so? I remember those summers when you used to have
fistfights with the children of our China branch managers about the Chinese and the Japanese. You always stood up for the Japanese.”
“You know very well what happened.” “You mean Nanking.’
“Of course.” “But Son, you can’t let the single outrage dominate the rest of your life.”
Seward, 2000: 24-25
The quotation above illustrates Neil Macneil’s effort to open Bill’s mind about his hatred towards the Japanese. Neil wants Bill to forget the incident in Nanking,
since it will only increase Bill’s anger and vengeance towards the Japanese and it will ruin Bill’s life.
The next influence comes from Bill Macneil’s sister, Sarah Macneil. She is described as very attractive woman and she is an example of nearly perfect
woman. She is very beautiful and the most important, she has a good personality. And Sarah: always smiling, ever serene, eager to please, ready to protect,
impossible to dislike. Her personality overwhelmed her beauty in a viewer’s eyes, but if one should be so fortunate as to chance upon her
sleeping, then it was her beauty-the oval face, exquisite daintiness, hair as black as a crow’s wing, large dark upturned eyes, long lashes, perfect nose
and lips-that made a viewer yearn to tarry and drown in her loveliness. Seward, 2000: 8.
Her beauty and her attractive personality make her able to work with the Japanese Air Force leader General Doihara. Sarah does not want to leave Japan during the
war because she wants to fulfill her promise to he late fiancé, Nathan Blum. In order to survive during the World War II, Sarah changes her name into Chinese,
Lin Hsao Mai. The only news of import had been that his sister Sarah was now the
protégée of a high-ranking Japanese officer in Shanghai. My God Macneil thought. What the hell does the protégée mean? Was she a
goddamned Japanese officer’s mistress? His sister? Maybe his father had it wrong. Seward, 2000: 113.
The quotation above explains that Bill is in a sense of disbelieve that her beloved sister has become a Japanese officer’s mistress, he hopes that the news that he
heard from his father is wrong. Bill’s hope does not come true. During his conversation with the president
of the United States, Bill knows that the news about Sarah becomes the mistress of a Japanese officer’s is true.
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