After that moment, Blaze comes to Ronnie‟s house and apologizes to her. She confesses
that she had put a CD in Ronnie‟s tote bag in the shop. She signs an affidavit that said Ronnie had no idea what was going on. Ronnie asks what will
happen to Blaze after she admitted her action. “What‟s going to happen to you? Are they going to charge you?” Sparks, 2009:427. From Ronnie‟s respon shows
that Ronnie cares about Blaze. Blaze says that Ronnie is a nice person. “But you‟re a great person, Ronnie. You‟re honest, and you were nice to me
when you had no reason to be.” A tear leaked out of one eye, and she swiped at it quickly. “I‟ll never forget the day you offered to let me stay
with you, even after all the terrible things I had done to you. I felt such...shame. And yet I was grateful, you know? That someone still cared”
Sparks, 2009:429. Even though she has done a bad thing to Ronnie, Ronnie does not hate her.
Sparks tells the reader about Ronnie‟s characteristics through speech Murphy, 172: 164. From that conversation between Ronnie and Blaze, Blaze tells that
Ronnie is a nice person directly. “And she‟s always had a good heart” Sparks, 2009:24. That conversation
is said by Steve. Steve always convinces that his daughter is a nice person. Ronnie always has a good heart. Sparks describes Ronnie‟s characteristic using the other
character Murphy, 172:164. Both Steve and Blaze say Ronnie‟s characteristics
directly.
iii. Religious
Before the parental divorce, Ronnie and her family used to go to church together. After the divorce, Ronnie does not always go to church. Jonah and her
mother always go to church with Brian. When Brian comes to their house, Ronnie
locks herself in her room and does not follow them to the church together Sparks, 2009:27.
Ronnie finds her father‟s bible when she is waiting her father in the hospital. Ronnie‟s father has stomach cancer. Ronnie is surprised when she knows the fact
about her father‟s cancer. She reads the bible and for the first time after several years, she prays. “...and she found herself praying for the first time in years, she
begged God for enough time to make it possible” Sparks, 2009:380. She wants God to heal her father. After that time, Ronnie begins to pray regularly Sparks,
2009:410. When Steve comes to the house again, Ronnie asks about his favorite verses in the bible. She wants Steve to share anything about bible Sparks,
2009: 412. Ronnie always prays for her father. “She prayed fiercely for a miracle,
a tiny one” Sparks, 2009: 440. Sparks describes Ronnie as a religious person through reactions Murphy, 172: 168.
From Ronnie‟s reactions when her father sick, the reader can know Ronnie as a religious person.
b. Ronnie’s characteristics when she loses her father’s figure
In this part, Ronnie‟s characteristics when she loses her father figure will be explained. Ronnie experiences a very painful moment in her life that is her
parental divorce. She experiences parental divorce when she is fourteen years old. After her parental divorce, she lives with her mother and her little brother. She no
longer lives with her father together. She lives in New York, whereas her father moves to his hometown in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. She loses her
father figure.
During three years time after the divorce happensed, Ronnie‟s characteristic
have changed. She does not speak to her father after the divorce. She hates Steve because she thinks that Steve is the reason why that divorce happens.
i. Angry
When Ronnie and her family are on their way to her fa ther‟s house in North
Carolina, Ronnie involves in squabbles with her mother. “Just stop, Mom. Okay?
I‟m not in the mood” Sparks, 2009:8. Ronnie says that words to her mother because Kim plays Mozart‟s Sonata number 16 in C Major. It is one of the pieces
that Ronnie had performed at Carnegie Hall four years ago. Through reactions, Sparks tells about Ronnie‟s characteristics Murphy, 1972: 168. Like her father,
Ronnie is also a pianist. She is a very talented pianist. Even the prestigious music school like Juilliard offers her to study in there without admission tests. Ronnie
rejects it. In fact, she does not want to play piano anymore. Something like that happens again when Ronnie sees Steve plays piano in his home.
“I‟m old enough to make my own decisions. Don‟t you get that? You gave up the right to tell me what to do when you walked out the door. And would
you please listen to me” Abruptly, her dad stopped playing.
“I don‟t like this little game you‟re playing.” He seemed confused. “What game?”
“This Playing the piano every minute I‟m here I don‟t care how much you want me to play I‟m never going to play the piano again Especially not for
you” Sparks, 2009:74 Ronnie is angry with her father. She thinks her father plays the piano
deliberately. “Well, it makes me feel sick. Don‟t you get that? I hate the piano. I hate that I had to play every single day And I hate that I even have to see the
damn thing anymore” Sparks, 2009:108. She even says that she will not play
the piano for her father. She hates him and the piano because her father is her first piano teacher.
One day, Will asks Ronnie why there is a piano behind the plywood in Steve‟s house. And Ronnie tells that Steve build plywood because she does not
want to see the piano the house. Will blinked. “You hate the piano that much?”
“Yes,”she answered. “Because your dad was your teacher?” Sparks, 2009:255.
Ronnie is surprised by Will‟s question. “I felt like he hadn‟t only betrayed
the family. I felt like he‟d betrayed me personally, and I was just so angry about all of it that I swore I‟d never play or write another song again” Sparks, 2009:
256. Ronnie feels like her father betrayed her personally. Because of that, Ronnie does not want to play piano and write song anymore. From her father, Ronnie
knows piano. Before the divorce, Ronnie and Steve often play the piano together. Therefore, Ronnie is very angry to all things related to the piano.
ii. Rude
Ronnie also does not care anything about her father. She never wants to meet Steve when he visits her house in New York.
He cleared his throat, “Hi, sweetie. It‟s good to see you.” When Ronnie didn‟t answer, Kim scowled at her. “Don‟t be rude. Your
father‟s talking to you. Say something.” Ronnie crossed her arms. “All right. How about this? I‟m not going to play
the piano for you.” “Ronnie” Steve could hear Kim‟s exasperation.
“What?”She tossed her head. “I thought I‟d get that out of the way early.”
Before Kim could respond, Steve shook his head. The last thing he wanted was an argument. “It‟s okay, Kim.”
“Yeah, Mom. It‟s okay,” Ronnie said, pouncing. “I need to stretch my legs. I‟m going for a walk.” Sparks, 2009:20
Ronnie meets her father for the first time after the divorce three years ago. She does not say anything to him. Kim warns Ronnie because Ronnie speaks too
rude to Steve, Ronnie still does not listen to her. Ronnie really does whatever she wants to do. She does not want to speak with her father. According to Murphy‟s
theory about the way the author of novel explained their character, Ronnie‟s manners explain that Ronnie is a rude person. She changes into a rude person to
everyone.
iii. Rebellious
Besides Ronnie changes her attitudes, she also changes her appearances. Steve is shocked with her appearances when he meets her.
He was struck by how much she‟d changed since the last photo Kim had e- mailed. Gone was the all-American girl he remembered, and in her place
was a young woman with a purple streak in her long brown hair, black fingernail polish, and dark clothing. Despite the obvious signs of teenage
rebellion Sparks, 2009:20.
Ronnie changes her appearance. She colors her brown hair into purple and her nail, she also wears a black clothing. Steve thinks that appearances are signs
of teenage rebellion. From personal description, Sparks tries to describe about Ronnie‟s characteristics Murphy, 1972:162.
He paused, chastened. “You‟re right. I‟m sorry.” He reached for his glass again. “What did the judge say about her shoplifting?”
“Just what I told you on the phone,” she said with a resigned expression. “If she doesn‟t get into any more trouble, it‟ll be expunged from her record. If
she does it again though...”She trailed off.
“You‟re worried about this,” he started. Kim turned away. “It‟s not the first time, which is the problem,” she
confused. “She admitted to stealing the bracelet last year...” Sparks, 2009:24
Kim tells to Steve that Ronnie steals something in the shop. Ronnie also tells to Blaze that she stole in the shop.
“I used to shoplift,”she said, subdued. “A lot. Nothing big. Just more for the thrill of doing it.”
“Used to?” “Not anymore. I got caught. Actually, I got caught twice, but the second
time it was an accident. I went to court, but the charges were continued for a year. Basically, it means that if I don‟t get in trouble again, the charges will
be dismissed.”Sparks, 2009:86 Ronnie lives disorderly. She also breaks the curfew that her mother that has
been set by her mother. “...or the fact that Ronnie continually ignored her curfew...” Sparks, 2009:9. Ronnie and her mother usually fight about the
curfew. Kim thinks if she sets the curfew for Ronnie, Ronnie will obey it. But the fact, Ronnie does not obey the curfew.
Kim has a boyfriend after she divorced with Steve. His name is Brian. Brian often comes to Kim‟s house.
“How do the kids feel about him?” “Jonah seems to like him, but Jonah likes everyone.”
“And Ronnie?” “She gets along with him about as well as she gets along with you.” Sparks,
2009: 22 Jonah can accept Brian as her mother‟s boyfriend, but Ronnie cannot accept
it. Ronnie always hangs out if Brian comes to her house. She does not want to meet Brian.
Steve smiled. “Are you still going to church?”He asked.
