The significance of living in the mental asylum toward Veronika`s self-realization as seen in paulo Coelho`s Veronika Decides to Die.

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vi

ABSTRACT

Maharddikha, Leo Agung Christa. 2012. The Significance of Living in The Mental Asylum toward Veronika’s Self-Realization As Seen in Paulo Coelho’s Veronica Decides to Die. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Department of Language and Art Education, Faculty of Teachers Trainee and Education, Sanata Dharma University.

This study analyzed a novel written by Paulo Coelho entitled Veronika Decides to Die. The novel is worth analyzing since it tells about human being’s journey to reveal the truth within him/herself. It is a journey that changes a desire to die into a desire to live. Furthermore, the novel shows that human being is created to help each other in a society.

The objective of this study is to analyze how Veronika achieves self-realization by living in the mental asylum. There are three problems discussed in this study. The first is the description of Veronika. The second is the depiction of the mental asylum where Veronika lives, including the patients. The third is the significance of the mental asylum toward Veronika’s self-realization.

Since this study discusses Veronika’s personality growth to find the desire in life, the psychological approach is applied in this study. Theories of character and characterization are used to reveal each character’s characteristics. Theory of psychosynthesis is applied to discuss the third problem.

Based on the analysis, Veronika is described as an idealistic, mature, sluggish, introvert, insecure, pretty, and attractive woman. Due to desperation, Veronika commits a suicide attempt. By the current law in Slovenia, Veronika is sent to live within a mental asylum. Veronika realizes that the patients are not entirely insane. Both the sane and insane patients gain freedom to express themselves within the mental asylum. Although being filled with fear at first, Veronika chooses to free herself. With the help of a piano and the assistance of her insane friends, Veronika is able to achieve self-realization.

The implication of this study to education covers three points. The first point is related to Veronika’s environment change that supports her in achieving self-realization. Teachers are suggested to maintain a dynamic class environment. The second point is related to the freedom within the mental asylum. As the teacher is guiding the students, the students are free to express their thoughts and feelings. The third point is related to Veronika’s cooperation with the other character. A cooperative learning like small group discussion is suggested to improve the students’ motivation.

It is suggested for future researcher to conduct an analysis of parents’ treatments to their child’s personality growth. It is also possible to conduct an analysis on the effect of Veronika’s personality growth on the other characters. Keyword: mental asylum, psychosynthesis, self-realization

vii

ABSTRAK

Maharddikha, Leo Agung Christa. 2012. The Significance of Living in The Mental Asylum toward Veronika’s Self-Realization As Seen in Paulo Coelho’s Veronica Decides to Die. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan IlmuPendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Studi ini menganalisa novel oleh Paulo Coelho berjudul Veronika Decides to Die. Novel ini layak dianalisa karena menceritakan tentang perjalanan manusia untuk mengungkapkan kebenaran dalam dirinya sendiri. Novel ini menceritakan suatu perjalanan hidup yang mengubah keinginan untuk mati menjadi hasrat untuk hidup. Selain itu, novel ini menunjukkan bahwa manusia diciptakan untuk saling membantu dalam masyarakat.

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisa bagaimana Veronika mencapai realisasi diri dengan hidup di rumah sakit jiwa. Ada tiga masalah yang dibahas dalam penelitian ini. Yang pertama adalah deskripsi tentang Veronika. Yang kedua adalah penggambaran rumah sakit jiwa di mana Veronika tinggal, termasuk para pasien. Yang ketiga adalah hubungan antara rumah sakit jiwa dengan realisasi diri Veronika.

Dikarenakan penelitian ini membahas perkembangan kepribadian Veronika untuk menemukan hasrat dalam hidup, penulis menerapkan pendekatan psikologis. Teori karakter dan karakterisasi digunakan untuk mengungkapkan kepribadian masing-masing karakter. Teori psikosintesis diterapkan untuk membahas masalah ketiga.

Berdasarkan analisa, Veronika adalah wanita yang idealis, dewasa, lesu, introvert, kurang percaya diri, cantik, dan menarik. Veronika mencoba bunuh diri karena mengalami depresi. Berhubungan dengan hukum yang berjalan di Slovenia, Veronika harus tinggal dalam rumah sakit jiwa. Veronika sadar bahwa tidak semua pasien gila. Para pasien, baik yang waras ataupun yang gila, bebas mengekspresikan diri dalam rumah sakit jiwa. Meskipun awalnya diliputi rasa takut, Veronika memilih untuk membebaskan dirinya sendiri. Dengan bantuan sebuah piano dan teman-teman gilanya, Veronika mampu mencapai realisasi diri.

Implikasi dari penelitian ini untuk pendidikan mencakup tiga hal. Poin pertama terkait dengan perubahan lingkungan Veronika yang mendukung dirinya dalam mencapai realisasi diri. Guru disarankan untuk mengelola lingkungan kelas yang dinamis. Poin kedua berhubungan dengan kebebasan di dalam rumah sakit jiwa. Guru selain membimbing siswa juga memberikan kebebasan dalam mengungkapkan pikiran dan perasaan mereka. Poin ketiga terkait dengan kerjasama Veronika dengan karakter lainnya. Pembelajaran kooperatif seperti diskusi dalam kelompok kecil dianjurkan untuk meningkatkan motivasi siswa.

Peneliti yang akan datang disarankan untuk melakukan analisa pada perlakuan orang tua terhadap pertumbuhan kepribadian anak mereka. Analisa pada pengaruh perkembangan kepribadian Veronika kepada karakter lain juga dapat dilakukan.

viii  

"I've built a wall Not to Block anyone out but to See who Loves me

enough to climb over it."

-Vincent Valentine (Final Fantasy 7)-

This thesis is dedicated to:

J

esus

C

hrist

and

M

other

M

ary

-My Precious Family-

My Partner, Melania Shary Sacitta

ix  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I submit my deepest praise to God Almighty for all the guidance, patience, and blessing given to my life. I praise Mother Mary for Her existence that strengthens my faith in finishing this thesis. My greatest gratitude is dedicated to my beloved parents, Suprihartanta F.P. and Agatha Damai C., for the never ending love, trust, prayer, and care. I also thank my siblings, Pasifikus Christa Wijaya and Klaudia Christa Wardani, for giving me great support and brotherhood. Thanks for all the love given to me.

My utmost debt goes to my advisor and sponsor, Drs. L. Bambang Hendarto Y., M.Hum., who has spent his precious time and patience to guide me finish this thesis. I also thank him for his smile and kindness in enduring my dullness. Without his guidance and support, I will not be able to finish this thesis. I would love to give my gratitude to all English Education Study Program lecturers and staff, who have provided me valuable lessons, support, and great experiences in Sanata Dharma University.

I am thankful for my beloved friends, especially Lukas Arya Reza A.W., Bekti, Taufik, Thomas, Bondan, Deni, Sedik, Pramu, Momon, Mita, Nova, Rulla, Jojo, and all English Education Study Program students of 2005 for the unimaginable experience we have spent together. I am also thankful for my friends whose name can not be mentioned here one by one. Thanks for all the laughter and tears that make my life meaningful.

x  

My final gratitude goes to my power, my passion, and my love, Sariani Putranti also known as Melania Shary Sacitta. Thanks for your existence in my life, your cards, love, patience, understanding, loyalty, and assistance. Fate may not allow me to touch you any longer, but fate is not a reason to stop feeling you.

Leo Agung Christa Maharddikha

xi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

TITLE PAGE ... i

APPROVAL PAGES ... ii

STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ... iv

PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI... ... v

ABSTRACT ... vi

ABSTRAK ... vii

DEDICATION PAGE ... viii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS ... xi

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ... 1

1.1.Background of the Study ... 1

1.2.Problem Formulation ... 4

1.3.Objectives of the Study ... 4

1.4.Benefits of the Study ... 5

1.5.Definition of Terms ... 5

CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ... 7

2.1.Review of Related Studies ... 7

2.2.Review of Related Theories ... 8

2.2.1.Character and Characterization ... 9

xii

2.2.2.1.The Psychosynthesis Model of a Person ... 12

2.2.2.2.Middle Unconscious ... 13

2.2.2.3.Subpersonalities ... 13

2.2.2.4.Primal Wounding ... 14

2.2.2.5.Lower and Higher Unconscious ... 14

2.2.2.6.The Stages of Psychosynthesis ... 15

2.3. Historical Background ... 18

2.3.1.Mental Asylum ... 18

2.3.2.Mental Health in Slovenia ... 18

2.3.3.Newborn Country ... 19

2.3.4.Restriction to Freedom in Slovenia ... 20

2.3. Theoretical Framework ... 21

CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY ... 22

3.1. Object of Study ... 22

3.2. Approach of the Study ... 24

3.3. Method of the Study ... 24

CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS ... 27

4.1.The Description of Veronika ... 27

4.1.1.Before Living in the Mental Asylum ……… 28

4.1.1.1. Idealistic ……….……… 28

xiii

4.1.1.3. Introvert ... 30

4.1.1.4. Insecure ... 31

4.1.1.5. Pretty and Attractive ... 31

4.1.2.After Living in the Mental Asylum …………..… .... 32

4.1.2.1.Mature ... 32

4.1.2.2.Brave ... 33

4.2. The Description of the Mental Asylum and the Inhabitants ... 35

4.2.1.The Description of the Mental Asylum ... 35

4.2.2.The Description of the Inhabitants ... 37

4.2.2.1.The Description of Dr. Igor ... 37

4.2.2.2.The Description of Zedka ... 38

4.2.2.3.The Description of Nasrudin ... 38

4.2.2.4.The Description of Mari ... 39

4.2.2.5.The Description of Eduard ... 39

4.3.Veronika’s Self-Realization in the Mental Asylum ... 40

4.3.1.The Exploration of the Personality ... 42

4.3.2.The Emergence of “I” ... 45

4.3.3.The Contact with Self ... 46

4.3.4.The Response to Self ... 47

CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ... 49

xiv

5.1. Conclusions ... 49

5.2. Implications ... 51

5.3. Suggestions ... 52

REFERENCES ... 53

APPENDICES ... 55

Appendix 1 Cover of Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die ... 56

Appendix 2 Summary of Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die ... 57

1   

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter consists of five parts. The first part is background of the study, which talks about the reasons of conducting this study. The second part is problem formulation, which presents three questions to be discussed in the following chapters. The third part is objectives of the study, which explain the goals of the study. The fourth part describes benefits of the study, which concern the benefits and importance of this study. Finally, the fifth part is definition of terms, which provides the definition of some important terms that are used in this study.

1.1.Background of the Study

Each person is having their own life. It is normal to undergo depression as a person gets older and experiences unpredictable things in this world. However, depression is risky when it has become a mental disorder. That person is considered crazy by the society.

Matsumoto (2009) explains the state of depression from the psychological point of view that depression is a mental condition of a person that is noticed from the occurrence of negative mood, low energy, loss of interest in usual activities, pessimism, unrealistically negative thoughts about self and the future, and social withdrawal. Depression that happens for a long periods and thus affects daily functioning is considered as depressive disorders (p. 156).

Depression has various effects as stated previously by Matsumoto. In some cases, depression may lead someone to death. This can be seen from media such as television, radio, and newspaper. Jeff Z. Klein (www.nytimes.com, 2011) describes the death of Rick Rypien in New York Times. Rick Rypien was having depression for more than a decade. Although he was considered the best player in the National Hockey League, the depression made him took two leaves of absence from the Vancouver Canucks before he decided to commit suicide. Nichols (in.reuters.com, 2011) reports the death of Bernard Madoff and his wife. Bernard Madoff and his wife were enjoying luxurious life before Madoff’s $65 billion Ponzi scheme was exposed. Because Madoff and his wife were confused and depressed, they took pills as a suicide attempt on Christmas Eve 2008. Such acts would stimulate common comments that question the sanity of the doers.

Depression can also be portrayed in literary works since literature also concerns with life experience. Perrine (1969) states that literature exists to communicate others’ experiences which provide not only a story, but also an opportunity to use imagination to live more fully, more deeply, more richly, and with greater awareness (p.4). Through literature works the reader can participate in the experience told.

Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die portrays the effect of depression to someone’s life. Since the novel takes place in the mental asylum, where many madmen live, the reader can see various effect of depression. Paulo Coelho’s

Veronika Decides to Die is inspired by the author’s experience in time of depression and in the mental asylum.

 

The story begins with an act of suicide by the main character, Veronika. Veronika is a young and charming woman who lives within perfection. However, Veronika survives the suicide. Thus Veronika is sent to live for a week in a mental asylum. In the mental asylum, Veronika’s personality is growing. She becomes a better person with a better perspective about life and other people.

The story of Veronika has triggered the researcher’s curiosity. Veronika’s consciousness decides to end her life, but the real reason lies beneath the sea of unconsciousness. Veronika Decides to Die is analyzed from the psychosynthesis point of view because the novel holds deeper psychological aspect of a person.

More questions arise around the mental asylum. The researcher is eager to know the reason of Veronika’s mental growth within the mental asylum. Such close relationships only appear within the asylum. Before the suicide attempt, Veronika decides to isolate herself from any close relationship. It is described in the novel that after she is bound with the asylum, Veronika experiences some communications with some of the patients. Later on, the social relationship makes Veronika becomes more open. She is able to be herself among those who perceive her as an insane young woman.

The story of Veronika is inspiring because it brings out a common problem in life, depression. Furthermore, the author uses mental asylum to maintain the story. Veronika becomes herself not only because of the staffs within mental asylum, but also of the insane inhabitants. The normal Veronika is forced to live among insane people, a hideous condition of no escape. However, she decides to face her surroundings. She makes a choice to live although it means

that she has to live as an insane woman. She overcomes her fear little by little. Veronika’s life teaches us to let go of our past and face our present life. Besides,

Veronika Decides to Die gives us an example of how weak a person can be in solitude. That is why I chose Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die.

1.2.Problem Formulation

Based on the background of the study, the researcher formulates these three questions:

1.2.1. How is Veronika described in Veronika Decides to Die?

1.2.2. How are the characteristics of the mental asylum depicted in Veronika Decides to Die?

1.2.3. How does the mental asylum affect Veronika in the process of self-realization?

1.3.Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study are to answer the three questions stated in Problem Formulation. There are three objectives of the study. The first is to find out the characteristics Veronika are described in the novel. Afterward, this research will identify the characteristics of the mental asylum depicted in the novel. Finally, this research will try to reveal the significance of the environment, especially the mental asylum, toward Veronika’s self-realization.

 

1.4.Benefits of the Study

This study would give some benefits to the reader, English teachers, the students of English Language Education, of English Letter, of Psychology Study Program, and the other researchers. The readers of this research will find out the story of Veronika who accidentally and unwillingly lives in a mental asylum but then find a great enlightenment for her life. In addition, this study gives information about the life of those who live inside of a mental asylum.

The students of English Education Study Program and English Letters will find this study capable of giving them better understanding of the novel from the psychological point of view, especially through psychosynthesis. Psychosynthesis is rarely used. Thus, the research will give them more understanding of psychosynthesis. Furthermore, this research will provide more information about

Veronika Decides to Die for other researchers. It is hoped that this study could encourage more people to be interested in reading literary works.

1.5.Definition of Terms

1.5.1 Character

Abrams (1981) explains that character is a person in dramatic or narrative work who is endowed with moral and disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say in a dialogue and what they do throughout the story. Character is usually witty, sketch in prose of a distinctive person (p. 20). Furthermore, Abrams (1999) explains two kinds of character. They are flat character who does not

undergo changes and round character who is described as a portrayal of a real life and undergoes changes (p. 33).

1.5.2 Mental Asylum

Based on APA Dictionary of Psychology (2006), asylum is a refugee for criminals and insane people. The term mental asylum was changed to mental institution in the 19th century because mental asylum emphasizes more on refugee than treatment (p. 79). Furthermore, APA Dictionary of Psychology (2006), states that mental institution is a treatment-oriented facility where people who have mental disorders are provided with care and therapy by psychologists, psychiatrists, and auxiliary staff (p. 568).

1.5.3 Self-Realization

Firman and Gila (2002) state that Self-realization is “the ongoing dynamic relationship between “I” and self throughout all life experiences” (p. 191). It means that a person willingly accepts his/her unconscious part which holds the true potential. A person undergoes Self-realization as he/she acquire new experience in life whether the new experience is joyful or painful.

7   

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter is divided into four sections. The first section provides a review on related studies, in which some studies by other researchers on Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die are mentioned. The second section contains a review on related theories, in which fundamental concepts on character and characterization and psychosynthesis are explained briefly. The third section explains the historical background of Slovenia, including the mental asylum in the 20th century. The last section of this chapter provides the theoretical framework, in which the previously mentioned concepts and theories are described as contributing to the analysis of the novel.

2.1.Review of Related Studies

There are some researchers on Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die by undergraduate students of Sanata Dharma University which are important to consider. First is Theofilus (2007), a student of English Letters who uses the formalistic approach to analyze Veronika’s character development in relation to the minor characters. Theofilus explains the role of each minor character to Veronika’s growth inside the mental asylum. In conclusion, Veronika begins to appreciate life more than before and is able to be herself.

Second is Putri (2008), a student of English Letters who emphasizes on Veronica’s meaning of life. Putri applies the psychological approach. In her study,

Putri explains the roles of Veronika’s environment inside and outside of the mental asylum to help Veronika in finding a meaning of her life. Finally, Veronika is able to enjoy small things that lead her to find the meaning of life and love.

Third research was conducted by Yulianingsih (2006), a student of English Letters who uses psychological approach to analyze Veronika’s process of individuation. In analyzing the process, Yulianingsih correlates the theory of conformity and suicide. In the conclusion, Yulianingsih states that Veronika is able to fulfill her inner needs and able to listens to her heart.

Many researchers have conducted on Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. There are psychological aspects which deals with the factors of Veronika’s unpredictable decisions as told in the novel. In this study, the writer uses the theory of psychosynthesis. Through psychosynthesis, an analysis on the deeper aspect of Veronika’s self-realization is established. Thus psychosynthesis is preferred to analyze the novel.

2.2.Review of Related Theories

Some theories are needed to answer the questions in problem formulation. They are the theory of character and characterization and theory of psychosynthesis. Later on, the theories are integrated to find the appropriate answer the problems stated in the previous chapter.

 

2.2.1. Character and Characterization

Abrams (1999) explains two kinds of character. A person in a story who has some specific personality or rather special quality and does not undergo personality changes is considered as a flat character. Flat character usually appears as a hero and usually can easily be described in one word. On the other hand, round character is a person described not only as an example of some vice or virtue or type, but also more individualized being that undergoes changes. Round character usually appears in a story that portrays the real life or that tells the experience of the author. Thus, a round character is as difficult to describe as a real person in a real life (p. 33).

According to Murphy (1972), the personality of a person can be drawn from the outer appearance and the manner. One’s past life also determine the personality of a person. However, understanding the characters and personalities of a person in a literary work require more attempts. More attempts are required due to readers’ inability to see the characters in a novel directly. There are nine ways to understand the personalities of a person in a literary work (pp. 161-173), the explanation are as follows:

2.2.1.1. Personal Description

The author can directly describe not only a person’s appearance and clothing, but also the personality. He can describe clearly how the characters looks like and tell the reader the details of the character’s appearance such as the face, skin, eyes, and clothing. The reader can also acquire a person’s behavior and manner.

2.2.1.2. Characters as seen by others

The author describes particular character from other characters’ point of view and opinion. The author helps the reader to understand the character by revealing other character’s opinion about the character as a reflected image in how the character is perceived.

2.2.1.3. Speech

The author can give the readers an insight into the character of one of the persons in the literary work through what that person says. Whenever the person speaks, whenever he puts forward the opinion, he is giving the readers some clues to his characters.

2.2.1.4. Past Life

The author shows a person’s character by revealing the person’s past life. It can be done by direct comment from the author, through the person’s conversation, and through the medium of the other person.

2.2.1.5. Conversation of others

The author can also give the readers clues about a person’s character through the conversation, either by other people or by the things, they say about him.

2.2.1.6. Reactions

The author gives the clues by letting the readers know how the characters in the story react to various situations. Using this kind of characterization, the readers may expect to find the quality of the characters in dealing with those various situations.

 

2.2.1.7. Direct comment

Usually the author gives his comment and description explicitly towards his characters in the story. There is no medium that the author used to characterize a character. Thus, the reader can easily understand the personality of a character from the author’s direct comments in a novel.

2.2.1.8. Thoughts

The author may give the readers direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. Here, the author can tell the readers what different people are thinking.

2.2.1.9. Mannerism

The author can describe a person’s mannerism or habits both positive and negative one, which may also tell the readers something about his character.

2.2.2.Psychosynthesis

Roberto Assagioli, an Italian psychiatrist, is known as the father of psychosynthesis. Assagioli first studied psychoanalysis from Sigmun Freud. In 1965, Assagioli proposed a model of a person that is different from Freud’s and C.G. Jung’s. Assagioli names the model Psychosynthesis. The important difference is that Assagioli emphasize that soul or spiritual aspect is a reality within self. Meanwhile, Jung believed that spiritual aspect was subjective. Assagioli’s theory was rejected by many psychiatrists. However, 40 years after he proposed the theory, psychosynthesis becomes inspiration to many psychiatrists. After his death in 1974, Assagioli’s manuscripts are studied and developed. Some of the latest books that explain psychosynthesis are produced based on the

manuscripts. They are The Primal Wound (1997) and Psychosynthesis (2002) both by John Firman and Ann Gila.

Roberto Assagioli states that psychosynthesis is constructive. Psychosynthesis discusses not only basic internal aspects, but also all aspects of human being. The theory of Psychosynthesis by Roberto Assagioli contains the theory of personality and needs that are affected by human’s relationship with the environment. Furthermore, Assagioli provides the basic of psychosynthesis theory. The first is the psychosynthesis model of a person and the second is the stages of psychosynthesis (as cited in Firman and Gila, 2002, pp. 19-65).

2.2.2.1. The Psychosynthesis Model of a Person

Figure 1

Higher Unconscious

Middle Unconscious

Lower Unconscious

Assagioli provides his psychosynthesis model of the person as seen in figure 1. Since this model is established to develop a better understanding of a human being, this model consists of the “I”, the higher unconsciousness, the middle unconsciousness, and the lower unconsciousness.

“I

Field of Consciousness and Will

 

Assagioli presumes that self shall not be placed inside of the diagram. Self exists in all of the areas of the diagram and beyond. Thus, the diagram uses dotted lines to symbolize self’s possibility to acquire new experience that will affect a person. The dotted lines inside of the diagram symbolize the fact that the entire unconscious is affecting each other, including the “I”. The interaction of the elements on the diagram is explained as follows.

2.2.2.2. Middle Unconscious

The middle unconsciousness provides a space to integrate human being’s experiences, learning, gifts, and skills. This area is directly connected to the consciousness. Therefore, middle unconsciousness is having a close relationship to one person’s particular environment. The middle unconsciousness contains profundity, depth, and creativity which have an important role in human development. The development can be seen on how a human learns to walk and talk, learns and masters a new language, and develops social roles. Furthermore, the central of middle unconsciousness is subpersonalities.

2.2.2.3.Subpersonalities

Subpersonality is the synthesized experience that then creates a unique expression and behavior. For example, a person who has the love of music, the technical skill to play a piano, the natural ability, and the joy of performance expresses him/herself as a pianist, a pianist subpersonality. However, a person’s experience expands as he/she lives. Thus, this pianist subpersonality is only one of wide variety of subpersonalities. Other subpersonalities may occur as a person expresses other aspects within him/herself.

2.2.2.4.Primal Wounding

Not all of the subpersonalities can be accepted by the environment. When a person naturally expresses him/herself but then experiences a terrible feedback from the environment, that person will undergo primal wounding. The wounding occurs when a person is not accepted as who that person truly is. Primal wounding causes repression of the unaccepted subpersonality. For example in the case of pianist, the pianist will repress the love of music, the technical skill to play a piano, the natural ability, and the joy of performance. The pianist reppresses the subpersonality so that the pianist could reenter the environment. The repressed terrible experience is forgotten by the consciousness and kept safe in the lower unconsciousness. However, the love of music, the technical skill to play a piano, the natural ability, and the joy of performance are also repressed. They are forgotten and held in the higher unconsciousness.

2.2.2.5. Lower and Higher Consciousness

The lower unconsciousness and the higher unconsciousness take care of the repressed expressions and experience. The repressed expressions and experience is called the repressed materials. Nevertheless, the repressed materials could resurface to the consciousness. The only factor that could bring the repressed materials to the consciousness is feeling. A person may feel a familiar pain as that which triggers primal wounding although that person could not remember how and when he/she experienced the pain. That person acknowledges the pain similar to the pain inside of the lower consciousness. This is called surprised by pain. As the familiar pain continues, that person becomes aware of the horrible past life that affects his/her feeling. However, healing the lower unconscious is not only

 

healing the past, but also the present life. The pain within the lower unconscious is related to the experience in the higher unconscious. By healing the pain in the lower unconscious, the experience in the higher unconscious is sent to the “I”. A person may need to adapt the experience from the past to his/her present life and situation.

A person can also release the repressed materials in the higher unconscious when he/she is surprised by joy. The joy may come from the act of empathic love from others. The empathic love will inspire a person’s expression that leads to a feeling of wonder. Nevertheless, when a person is surprised by joy, the correlating pain in the lower unconsciousness is also brought to the surface of consciousness. Then, the original reason of repression can be accepted and the person can heal the pain.

2.2.2.6. The Stages of Psychosynthesis

The stages of psychosynthesis consist of five stages. They are stage zero (the survival of wounding), stage one (the exploration of the personality), stage two (the emergence of “I”), stage three (the contact with self), and stage four (the response to self). Stage one and two discuss the development of “I” which is related to the functions of consciousness and will. Stage three and four discuss how a person may become aware of the deeper motivation and then find the meaning in life. Furthermore, the stages of psychosynthesis are interrelated. Thus, each person may undergo different steps in achieving self-realization. Since each person is unique, it is possible for a person to start at stage two, and then stage

one, continues to stage three, and finally comes to stage four. Further explanations of each stage are as follows.

Stage zero or the survival of wounding is the process of repression when a person undergoes primal wounding. Primal wounding is commonly caused by the environment like family and friends. On most cases, primal wounding within a family is caused by the self-centered-love from parents to their child. The child is accepted not as who he/she truly is. The child is forced to be what the parents want. Anytime the child does not expresses him/herself as what his/her parents want, they control the child through guilt and shame. The child hides and forgets the will and the experience related to the primal wounding. Thus, the child becomes free to form a personality that evade the same wounding. With the help of the parents’ self-centered-love, the “I” is rejecting the will and experience to create a personality that his/her parents want. However, such personality is not the natural expression of self. Such personality is a mask (mostly known as persona in psychological field) that is produced to survive the primal wounding. The persona serves as barrier to sustain a safer and a more stable “I”. The process of “I” creating such personality is called defense mechanism, while the produced personality is named survival personality.

Stage one or the exploration of the personality occurs after the deconstruction of a person’s old personality. That person will then move on to a more natural expression. The deconstruction process is triggered by emphatic love. Emphatic love occurs within close relationship to other people. The closer the relationship, the wider the opportunity to naturally express him/herself. The

 

natural expression aid the appearance of “I”. The persona is breached from both inside (“I”) and outside (friends) by the close relationship. “I” becomes more open to the will and experience from the past that has been repressed. “I” is beginning to accept the repressed materials. The exploration of the personality makes a person become aware of the repressed materials. A person may become aware of not only the joy and wonder, but also the pain and suffering from the past. This stage can be identified as when a person has the question “Who am I?”

Stage two or the emergence of “I” is a stage when a person controls various elements of the personality. It is the process when “I” begins guiding the elements of personality and keep directing them. The process of directing and guiding is facilitated by will. In stage one a person becomes aware and conscious of the reason in forming survival personality. In stage two, that person realizes the true desire and guides the experience from the old personality to a more natural and original expression. The emerging “I” leads a person to a more stable personality as the experience of the old personality adapts to the accepted experience and begins to exist in harmony.

Stage three or the contact with self is the struggle to hear the callings from the self. As a person becomes more aware of the true desire, that person is invited to feel and accept the repressed unconscious experiences. Thus, by letting the will of the self guides and directs a person’s life, he/she begins the process of Self-realization.

Stage four which is called the response to self is a phase when the “I” of a person respond the calling and the invitation of the self. A person is working

truthfully with the development of spiritual quality. A person is being led to a healthier behavior with him/herself and others. In this stage, a person gives freedom to the personal will of self. Thus, that person continues opening the relationship between the “I” and the self which is called Self-realization. It means that the Self which contains the true potential of a person is fully accessible by a person (the “I”).

2.3.Historical Background

This part deals with the historical background of Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. Since this novel is set in two main environments (Slovania and the mental asylum) that affect the growth of Veronika, it is important to understand the historical background of Slovania and Villete Mental Asylum. Some explanations covering of Slovania and the mental asylum are as follow.

2.3.1. Mental Asylum

Based on Involuntary Internment in Slovenia (www. alzheimer-europe.org), Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia did not regulate the conditions to apply the treatment (straitjackets, isolation, shock therapy and bed straps) in psychiatric hospitals. However it was stated that the use of straitjackets, isolation, shock therapy and bed straps was limited for a short period of time, supervised and recorded in the patient’s medical file.

2.3.2. Mental Health in Slovenia

Based on Slovenia: difficulties and strengths of psychiatric research in A Small Country (http://bjp.rcpsych.org), Slovenia had a suicide rate of around 30

 

per 100.000 inhabitants per year suicide for decades. Thus, many researches on suicide were established. One of the first and most complete suicide registries in Europe was established more than 30 years ago by Professor Milcinski. Due to the changes in the legislation, the researches decreased over the past 5 years. The changes in legislation made the researchers focus on a more specific case. Later on, some researches on the in-patient suicide were conducted. The first paper reports the possible cause of in-patient suicide. The paper focused on recognizing depression in-patients with schizophrenia. The other report investigated the differences between in-patient suicides and suicides in the society. Other studies dealt with suicides in some specific groups, such as the young and the elderly, and among patients with alcohol-related mental disorders.

2.3.3. Newborn Country

Based on Slovenia: difficulties and strengths of psychiatric research in A Small Country (http://bjp.rcpsych.org), Slovenia is a small country with population of nearly 2.000.000 and an area of about 20.000 km2. Slovenia is a heterogeneous European country that extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the Alps. Slovenian political history begins in the 6th century, when the first Caranthania was established. From the 13th century until 1918, Slovenians were ruled by the Habsburgs. After 1918, Slovenia became a part of Yugoslavia and was given autonomy. However, as the political and economic crisis of Yugoslavia worsened, 87% of the voting population voted for independence in December 1990. Thus, Slovenia declared its independence on 25 June 1991 and united with the United Nations in May 1992.

2.3.4. Restriction to freedom in Slovenia

Based on Involuntary Internment in Slovenia (www. alzheimer-europe.org) involuntary internment was regulated by the Law on Non-Contentious Procedure (LNCP) and Law on Medical Activity. Under article 70 of the LNCP, a person could be sent to a mental institution or other institution by the court if that person was suffering from a mental disorder or mental illness, about to present a serious danger to him/herself or other people, and presenting a serious danger his/her own or other’s property. However, the Law on Medical Activity did not specify that admission to hospital was necessary to prevent causing harm or damage.

The information about the interned person, his/her medical condition, the reasons for internment and who brought the person to the mental health institution had to be reported to the court. Later on, the court informed the social welfare office, the mental health institution, and the interned person’s family that a court procedure has been started.

Within 3 days, the court would visit the interned person and interrogate him/her. However, the psychiatrist in charge would be investigated if the interned person’s mental health was not stabil. Furthermore, the interned person would also be examined by a psychiatrist from another mental health institute. Based on the information of the interned person, the court would then decide whether to prolong the internment or to release the interned person to the society. On the other hand, the mental institution could release the interned person if he/she is considered to be harmless.

 

2.4.Theoretical Framework

Theories of character and characterization are used to answer the first problem which is how the characteristics of the main character, Veronika, are described in Veronika Decides to Die. This theory will be used to find out the characteristics of Veronica who develop self-realization. Thus, there will be differences in Veronica’s characteristics before and after she lives in the mental asylum. The second problem is how the characteristics of the mental asylum are depicted in Veronika Decides to Die. Mental Asylum consists of the inanimate environment and the animate (the inhabitants). Theory of character and characterization are used to find out the characteristics of the inhabitants. Furthermore, the characteristics of the settings will be provided through studying the historical background of Slovenia and the mental asylum in 1997 and extracting the author’s description on the mental asylum within Paulo Coelho’s

Veronika Decides to Die. The characteristics of the mental asylum will provide a better understanding for the researcher in analyzing the role of the mental asylum to Veronika’s Self-realization.

Theory of psychosynthesis is used to answer the third question which is how the mental asylum supports Veronika in the process of self-realization. Psychosynthesis is used due to its constructing characteristics. Psychosynthesis requires all aspects of human being. In brief, psychosynthesis sees a person not only as an object which should be analyzed solely, but also as a subject who has an inner spiritual aspect and undergoes relationship with others which affect his/her growth.

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CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter consists of three parts to discuss. The first part is object of the study. The object of the study contains brief information of the novel Veronika Decides to Die. The second part is approach of the study. Approach of the study explains about the approach used to analyze the novel. The last section is method of the study. Method of the study explains the steps taken to analyze the novel in order to answer the questions formulated in the problem formulation.

3.1. Object of the Study

The novel used as the object of the study is Paulo Coelho’s novel entitled

Veronika Decides to Die. This novel was firstly published in Portuguese in 1998. The novel was then translated by Margaret Jull Costa. The English translated version was published in 1999 by HarperCollins Publishers Inc. The story of Veronika is narrated through 210 pages from third person point of view. The novel consists of twenty nine chapters and they are unique. Some of the chapters only consist of one to five pages. However, the reader would find each chapter meaningful.

Veronika Decides to Die is one of Paulo Coelho’s Novels that hold human’s value. Through this novel, the Paulo Coelho takes the reader to the world of insanity. Most scenes in the novel take place in the mental asylum where most of the inhabitants are insane or in need of mental medication. However, not all of the

 

inhabitants are insane. There are people who chose to stay in the asylum because they perceive the mental asylum as a comfortable place to reside in addition to the freedom it offers.

The novel unfolds the story of twenty-four-years-old Slovenian woman named Veronika who seems to have a perfect life. She is surrounded by everything a young woman could wish for. She is young and beautiful. She has many gorgeous boyfriends, a pleasing job, and a family. However, there is a constant emptiness inside of Veronika. Consequently, on the morning of November 11, 1997, Veronika decides to die. She takes a handful of sleeping pills, expecting to beautifully rest in peace.

Veronika’s suicide attempt fails. As a result, Veronika is considered crazy by her mother. Thus her mother sends Veronika to a local mental asylum. As Veronika wakes up at Villete, she finds out that she has not succeeded in achieving her goal to die. Although the overdose sleeping pills do not kill her, those pills bring her an irreversible damage to the heart. Only in the mercy of days, Veronika shall live.

The story goes on with Veronika endures about a week of self-discovery. Surprisingly, each life in Villete reflects the essence of human experience that Veronika has missed. Veronika reveals many things that she has not allowed to do and even feel. She begins to understand what it means to be alive and to live. Veronika’s emptiness that becomes the reason of her suicide attempt is filled at last. The true Veronika is finally free and decides to live a meaningful life.

3.2.Approach of the Study

There are many kinds of approaches in literature. This study uses the psychological approach and the historical approach. The psychological approach is mostly supported by Freud with his psychoanalysis. However, due to the development of psychology, the researcher chose psychosynthesis by Roberto Assagioli. Psychosynthesis actually develops from psychoanalysis. The difference is that as a psychiatrist, Roberto Assagioli understood the human being not as an object, but as a subject of continuous and active interactions with the surroundings. The writer also uses the historical approach. This approach is employed to analyze the historical backgrounds of Slovenia and the mental asylum in 19th century. This approach is applied to see whether historical background of Slovenia and the mental asylum influence the growth of the main character or not.

Veronika’s personality growth is affected by the environment. The environments are Veronica’s parents, the mental asylum, Zedka, Mari, Edward, and Dr. Igor. Thus, psychosynthesis is used due to its capability to answer the questions in problem formulation. The theory of psychosynthesis will be used to analyze the personality development of the main character in Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die.

3.3.Method of the Study

In order to gather the information and sources, the writer used library research. The first step in the research was collecting the data. There are two kinds of data used, they are primary source and secondary sources. The primary

 

source would be Paulo Coelho’s Veronica Decides to Die. The secondary sources would be any other resources from books and internet that provides theories and information for the analysis. The books in providing psychological theory and information are Psychosynthesis: A Psychology of the Spirit, The Cambridge Dictionary of Psychology, Psikologi Kepribadian, and Cognitive Therapy.

Sources from the internet were used to provide information about the historical background of Slovenia and the mental asylum in the 19th century.

In order to answer the question in problem formulation, more steps were taken. The first step deals with the researcher reading the novel thoroughly and repeatedly. By doing so, the researcher was able to have more understanding and extract interesting information from the novel.

The second step was formulating problem to be discussed. The first question dealt with the personality of the main character. The second question dealt with the characteristics of main the mental asylum, and the third question dealt with the significance of living in the mental asylum to main character’s growth that leads to Self-realization.

The third step was choosing the theories. The researcher chose the theory of character and characterization and the theory of psychosynthesis. Psychosynthesis mostly dealt with subpersonality, repression, and Self-realization. Psychosynthesis holds important aspect in analyzing the novel.

The fourth step was answering the problems that were previously formulated. Theory of characteristic was used to analyze the Veronika’s personality and those within the mental asylum including Zedka, Mari, Edward,

Dr. Igor, and Nasrudin. In order to support the analysis, the researcher would gather data from the novel and the internet. After the researcher understand the description of the mental asylum and the personality of each character, psychosynthesis was used to understand the growth of the main character related to the mental asylum.

Finally, some conclusions were drawn from the analysis. The researcher would be able to correlate the significance of the mental asylum to the Self-realization of the main character, Veronika.

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CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

This chapter is divided into three sections. The first section discusses the description of Veronika. The second section discusses the description of Villete Mental Asylum along with the patients. The third section is the discussion of Veronika’s self-realization in relation to Villete Mental Asylum.

4.1. The Description of Veronika

Characters take an important role in analizing and understanding the story of the novel. Abrams (1999) explains two kinds of character. A person in a story who has some specific personality or rather special quality and does not undergo personality changes is considered as a flat character. Flat character usually appears as a hero in the fictional story and usually can easily be described in one word. On the other hand, round character is a person described not only as an example of some vice or virtue or type, but also more individualized being that undergoes changes (p. 33). Aligned to Abrams theory, Veronika is considered as a round character because she has a complex personality and traits in her character which improves significantly in linear with the story.

According to Murphy there are nine ways to reveal the personalities of a character. They are: personal descriptions, character as seen by others, speech, past life, conversation with others, reactions, direct comments, thought, and

mannerism. (pp. 161-173). Some of the nine ways are applied to analyze Veronika’s personality.

4.1.1.Before Living in the Mental Asylum

Veronika is a 24 year-old girl who lives by herself in a rented room of a convent. She lives in a small city of Ljubljana, Slovenia. She is beautiful and attractive (p. 5). Before she is living in the mental asylum, Veronika is described as an idealistic, sluggish, introvert, insecure, pretty, and attractive woman.

4.1.1.1. Idealistic

Veronika always put everything in order. She has planned the moment to kill herself for six months. On the day she commits suicide, Veronika give some time for herself to clean her rented room, turn off the heat, and brush her teeth. Furthermore, Veronika takes the sleeping pills one by one from the table instead of crushes them and then mixes them with water (p. 1).

Veronika’s idealism can also be seen when she is imagining her future life if she is released from the mental asylum.

I’ll go back to my rented room in the convent. I’ll try to read a book, turn on the TV to see the same old programs, set the alarm clock to wake up at exactly the same time I woke up the day before, and mechanically repeat my tasks at the library. I’ll eat a sandwich in the park opposite the theater, sitting on the same bench, along with other people who also choose the same benches on which to sit and have their lunch, people who all have the same vacant look but pretend to be pondering extremely important matters. (p. 21)

Veronika’s decision to kill herself by consuming sleeping pills is not an instant. For nearly six months she is thinking other ways to end her own life. Veronika thinks that shooting her head and cutting her wrist will make the room dirty by her blood, hanging and jumping off a high building will disfigure her well

29 maintained body, none of these options suits her. Veronika prefers a far more romantic method by taking an overdose of sleeping pills since many movies and stories at that time present this method (p. 3).

Veronika’s idealism can also be seen from her decision to undergo some routines within the mental asylum. She adapts herself to the routine obliged by the hospital so that she can die as planned. Veronika is rising early, eating breakfast, going for a walk in the garden, then having lunch, going to the living room, going for another walk in the garden, then having supper, watching television, and going to bed (p. 46).

Through Veronika’s speeches, her reactions in dealing with the various situations, her manners, and her thoughts, we can conclude that Veronika is an idealistic woman. She keeps her daily routines perfectly the same day by day. She thinks that taking an overdose of sleeping pills is the best way of ending her life since it is romantic and not disfiguring her appearance in any way.

4.1.1.2. Sluggish

Veronika is described as a sluggish woman. She tends to choose the easy option. She decides not to throw away things that she does not like. After taking an overdose of sleeping pills, Veronika reads a magazine about computer science although she is not interested in the subject at all. (p. 2). Veronika lacks the desire to get something better than what she already has. Veronika is also tied with the fear of taking the risk.

The author, Paulo Coelho, provides his explicit comment for Veronika’s sluggishness. Paulo’s comment can be found when Veronika is reading a

computer magazine. Paulo’s emphasis to Veronika’s passiveness is seen by writing the word ‘passive’ twice in one sentence.

To her surprise, though, the first line of text shook her out of her natural passivity (the tranquilizers had not yet dissolved in her stomach, but Veronika was by nature passive), and, for the first time in her life, it made her ponder the truth of a saying that was very fashionable among her friends: “Nothing in this world happens by chance.” (p. 2)

Through Veronika’s decision to keep the magazine and Paulo’s direct comment on Veronika, we can say that Veronika is a sluggish woman. Veronika decides to keep the magazine although she does not like it. Paulo directly gives his comments about Veronika who is passive by nature.

4.1.1.3. Introvert

Veronika is an introvert. Veronika chooses to keep her feelings for herself before she enters the mental asylum. Instead of hanging out with friends, Veronika is watching TV in her room. She prefers enjoying time in the room she rents without any companion. However, Veronika always try to make other people think of her as a perfect woman (p. 67). Veronika creates a perfect image of herself as an effort to forget her loneliness.

Veronika believes that other people are annoying. Veronika is unable to accept other’s reaction because they are unpredictable. Thus, Veronika refuses to be nice in a society. Since Veronika is too irritated by others’ reaction, she never tells anybody about what she truly feels (p. 68).

Through Veronika’s reactions to other characters and her manner in daily life, it can be said that Veronika is an introvert who decides to make no emotional

31 contact with other people. It can also be said that Veronika feels loneliness because of her introvert personality.

4.1.1.4. Insecure

Veronika becomes an insecure woman because she lacks of self esteem. The lack of self esteem becomes her reason in committing suicide. It can be seen from Veronika’s feeling after she sees much news about the world. Veronika knows that everything going on in the world is wrong. She wants to improve the condition but Veronika feels a complete powerlessness (p. 7).

Veronika goes beyond the feeling of powerlessness. Furthermore, Veronika is described as someone who hates and disregards herself. This can be seen in Veronika’s confession to the nurse in the mental asylum. Veronika confesses that she attempts the suicide because she wants to kill her old personality and behavior (p. 65).

Through Veronika’s reaction to the news about the world and her speech, we can conclude that Veronika has a low self esteem. Veronika feels complete powerlessness as she can do nothing to help the world. Veronika hates and disregard herself.

4.1.1.5. Pretty and Attractive

Besides being described as a mature woman, Veronika is also described as someone who has beauty and charm. Veronika’s beauty makes it easier for her to have boyfriends. Veronika is aware of her own beauty. After her suicide attempt fails, Veronika is praising her own beauty. Moreover, Veronika imagines possible romantic story as she has a beautiful face (p. 21).

Veronika’s beauty can also be seen through other’s opinion about her. When Mari is having a conversation with Eduard about Veronika’s motives in committing suicide, Mari mentions that Veronika is a young, pretty, and healthy person (p.150).

Furthermore, Veronika’s physical appearance is stated in the novel although not in detail. This can be seen from Eduard’s first impression about Veronika. Eduard sees that Veronika has green eyes and brown hair (p. 148).

Through Veronika’s thought and others’ opinion and thoughts about Veronika, we can conclude that Veronika is a young woman with green eyes and brown hair who is pretty, and attractive.

4.1.2. After Living in the Mental Asylum

Veronika is sentenced to live in a mental asylum. Unexpectedly, her personality improves in the mental asylum. Veronika becomes a mature and brave woman.

4.1.2.1. Mature

Veronika is a mature woman. The time when veronica is committing suicide, she is twenty four years old. This can be seen in Dr. Igor’s statements when he is talking to Veronika’s mother. Dr. Igor states that Twenty four is considered as the age when someone is achieving maturity. Thus, Veronika is able to make her own decisions and choices (p. 78).

Besides being described as a twenty four years old woman, Veronika’s maturity can also be seen later on in the story after she realizes her true motive of committing suicide. She is able to accept her persona and chose to open herself

33 more. Veronika makes a confession to a nurse that works in the mental asylum about her true motives and feelings.

“When I took the pills, I wanted to kill someone I hated. I didn’t know that other Veronikas existed inside me, Veronikas that I could love. What makes a person hate themselves? Cowardice, perhaps. Or the eternal fear of being wrong, of not doing what others expect. A few moments ago I was happy, I forgot I was under sentence of death; then, when I remembered the situation I’m in, I felt frightened.” (p. 66).

Veronika’s conversation with the nurse makes Veronika feels fear. Veronika is about to become unable to control the fear, but she motivates herself based on her belief that she is mature enough to make the best choice for herself.

Through Dr. Igor’s perception of Veronika, Veronika’s conversation with the nurse, and Veronika’s thought, we can say that she is a mature woman. Veronika is already twenty four years old. Thus, she is mature enough to make a decision for herself. Veronika is able to accept her old way of being, her persona, and Veronika is willing to move on. Veronika can control her feelings well.

4.1.2.2. Brave

Veronika becomes a brave woman as she lives in the mental asylum. Because all the member of the fraternity insults her, Veronika feels shame, rage, and a desire to murder all of the members of the fraternity. Veronika allows herself to follow her feelings and desire. Veronika’s knowledge of the freedom in the mental asylum makes her accepts her desire. Veronika slaps the oldest man of the fraternity (pp. 42-45).

Veronika’s bravery can also be seen when she decides to escape the mental asylum with Eduard. Veronika is not afraid of the outside world, but is willing to

realize her dreams with Eduard. Not only being unafraid of the outside world, Veronika is not afraid of her heart problems.

In conclusion, Veronika is a kind of person who is idealistic, sluggish, introvert, insecure, mature, brave, pretty, and attractive. Veronika keeps her daily routines perfectly the same day by day. She thinks that taking an overdose of sleeping pills is the best way of ending her life since it is romantic and not disfiguring her appearance in any way. Veronika is already twenty four years old. Thus, she is mature enough to make a decision for herself. Veronika is able to accept her old way of being, her persona, and willing to move on. Veronika can control her feelings well. Veronika decides to keep the magazine although she does not like it. Paulo directly gives his comments about Veronika who is passive by nature. Veronika is an introvert who decides to make no emotional contact with other people. Veronika feels loneliness because of her introvert personality. Veronika feels complete powerless as she can do nothing to help the world. Veronika hates and disregard herself. Veronika is a young woman with green eyes and brown hair who is pretty, and attractive. Based on the analysis, it is obvious that before coming to the mental asylum Veronika is sort of a person who wants nothing more from her current life. She decides to maintain his daily routines. Veronika lacks the desire or the will to prolong her life. Thus, she commits suicide. However, Veronika’s personality improves as she lives in the mental asylum. Veronika becomes more mature and her dreams in life arise. Her desires provide Veronika the wide opportunity to move on.

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4.2. The Description of the Mental Asylum and the Inhabitants

The story of Veronika is set in two main environments. They are the mental asylum and Slovania. These two places are inseparable since the mental asylum exists within Slovenia. It is important to understand both places in order to find the significance to Veronika’s growth.

4.2.1. The Description of the Mental Asylum

The mental asylum is located in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Based on

Slovenia: difficulties and strengths of psychiatric research in A Small Country

(http://bjp.rcpsych.org), Slovenia was a small country with heterogeneous population. After the political and economic crisis of Yugoslavia worsened in 1990, Slovenia declared its independence on 25 June 1991, and became a member of the United Nations in May 1992.

The story of Veronika is set on November 1998. It means that Slovenia was on the early stage of rebuilding a country. Political and economic condition is still unstable. This condition affects the mental health of Slovenian.

Based on Slovenia: difficulties and strengths of psychiatric research in A Small Country (http://bjp.rcpsych.org), Slovenia had a very high suicide rate around 30 per 100.000 inhabitants per year for decades. Some psychiatrists conduct a research on inpatient suicides. The first paper reports the predictors of in-patient suicide, with special attention to unrecognized depression in patients with schizophrenia. The other report investigated the differences between in-patient suicides and suicides in the community. Other studies dealt with suicides in some specific groups, such as the young and the elderly, and among patients

with alcohol-related mental disorders. The novel also describes the increase of suicide rate in Slovania. Dr. Igor is reading the researches and the surveys about mental illness that increases after the war occurs. Thus, the number of suicides is increasing as well (p. 76).

Based on Involuntary Internment in Slovenia (www. alzheimer-europe.org), the high mortality rate on Slovenia caused the development of Law on Non-Contentious Procedure and Law on Medical Activity. A person can be involuntarily admitted to a mental institution or other institution by a court of law if a person was suffering from a mental disorder or mental illness, about to present a serious danger to him/herself or other people, and presenting a serious danger his/her own or other’s property.

The mental asylum serves as a refuge not only for criminals and insane people, but also for the sane who look for an escape from their responsibilities in the outside world. This can be seen from Zedka’s explanation to Veronika.

“Then, when there are government inspections, these men and women behave like dangerous maniacs, because some are here at the state’s expense. The doctors know this, but there must be some order from the owners that allows the situation to continue, because there are more vacancies than there are patients.” (p. 39).

The mental asylum provides freedom to its inhabitants. The inhabitants are not obliged to fulfill the criteria to be an ideal person. They are free to become anything they want to be because the simple fact that they live in a mental hospital. Veronika also realizes a simple fact that by living in the mental asylum, she is free from the compulsion to be coherent (p.27).

37 The mental asylum also provides entertainment to maintain the mood of its inhabitant. The entertainment that provided by the hospital varied from a television and a large window that provides the scenery of the sky, to the piano that provides an opportunity to sharpen artistic skills (p. 41).

The desperate Veronika is about to present a serious danger to her own life. Thus, she is sent to the mental asylum as the consequences of her attempt of commiting suicide. People in the mental asylum do not care about each other’s behavior although they know each other. Thus, the mental asylum gives Veronika the opportunity to act freely and spontaneously.

4.2.2. The Description of the Inhabitants

Some of the inhabitants of the mental asylum are forming a relationship with Veronika. They are Dr. Igor, Zedka, Nasrudin, Mari, and Eduard. To analyze the characteristics of the inhabitants, the theories of characterization by Murphy is applied.

4.2.2.1. The Description of Dr. Igor

Dr. Igor is the head psychiatrist of the mental asylum. He is doing a research on the will of death. Dr. Igor is a logical person. There’s a slight difference between being logical and being mean. Dr. Igor knows that Veronika decides to die due to depression. Dr. Igor sees Veronika as an opportunity to complete his thesis (p. 207).

His decision to use Veronika as a guinea pig seems cruel. However, he is doing it due to the high mortality rate in Slovenia. He is trying to find the cure to

desperation and to safe many souls. Furthermore, Dr. Igor’s comprehension of psychology tells him that a person will attempt suicide more than once.

4.2.2.2. The Description of Zedka

Zedka is the first insane person that Veronika meets. Zedka is an indifferent woman. Zedka keeps talking to Veronika about insanity although Veronika is rejecting her. However, Veronika decides to trust Zedka and respond to Zedka’s invitation of conversation (p. 32). Zedka thinks that everybody is insane. Thus, there is no shame to admit her insanity.

I’ll just say that insanity is the inability to communicate your ideas. It’s as if you were in a foreign country, able to see and understand everything that’s going on around you but incapable of explaining what you need to know or of being helped, because you don’t understand the language they speak there.” “We’ve all felt that.” “And all of us, one way or another, are insane.” (p. 62).

Zedka suffers from depression due to the misfortunes that happened to her marriage. Her husband has a mistress. She was depressed because left alone by her family. Thus, she lives in the mental asylum.

4.2.2.3. The Description of Nasrudin

Nasrudin is a sufi master who lives within the mental asylum. Nasrudin never care about what other people think of him. This can be seen in the way he makes his first appearance to Veronika. Nasrudin enters the room as a drunken man and then flirts a beautiful girl (p. 97).

Nasrudin becomes a tutor for a meditation session of a group named Fraternity. Despite his status as a patient, Nasrudin has a good comprehension on spiritual knowledge.

39 As soon as the final group of outraged spectators had left, Nasrudin got up; he was completely sober, his eyes glowed, and he had about him an air of great authority and wisdom. “Those of you who stayed are the ones who will hear me,” he said. “You have passed through the two hardest tests on the spiritual road: the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what you encounter. It is you I will teach.” (p. 98).

4.2.2.4. The Description of Mari

Mari is a good lawyer until she gets bored of her daily routine. She is tired of dealing with bureaucracy and law suits. Mari wants to have an adventure, to work in some humanitarian organization (p.120).

Mari is a good mother but she always suffers from panic attack. The panic attack occurs because Mari does not have enough courage to fulfill her dreams. The panic attack ruins her carrier as a lawyer forever. Furthermore, she almost loses her wealth to cure the panic attack. Since she does not want to burden her husband, she decides to enter Villete. Mari has a close relationship with Eduard. Mari is interested in Veronika because Eduard is also interested in Veronika. Mari becomes a good friend of Veronika.

4.2.2.5. The Description of Eduard

Eduard is the son of Yugoslavian ambassador. His parents pressure him to become successful in life, to follow his Father’s footsteps as the ambassador of their party. Eduard’s parents go as far as control Eduard’s relationship. Based on His parent’s self-centered love, Eduard is sent to a school decided by his parents. Due to Edward’s lack of freedom, He begins to dislike his parents. Eduard also begins to dislike the school and other students. His marks at school get worse as time passes.

Later on, Eduard realizes his passion in arts. Thus, he enrolls himself in an art school and learns how to paint seriously. However, his father once again forces Eduard to work at the embassy. As a result, Eduard pretends to be a schizophrenic who lives in the world of fantasy. Eduard becomes trapped in his own mask. He does not want to work at the embassy, but Eduard can not fulfill his dream either. His father also becomes desperate. Not so long later, Eduard is sent to the mental asylum.

Eduard continues to pretend as a schizophrenic until he meets Veronika. His meeting with Veronika raises his desire to live. Then, both Eduard and Veronika escape from the mental asylum to enjoy their days as free beings.

4.3. Veronika’s Self Realization in the Mental Asylum

As shown in figure 1, the psychosynthesis model of a person uses dotted lines to symbolize self’s possibility to acquire new experience that will affect a person. In life people meet many problems, either easy or difficult. However, depression normally occurs as a person gets older and experiences terrible things in this world. However, depression is risky when it is caused by primal wounding. A person who suffers from primal wounding may create a survival personality which reduce his/her full potential. The depression caused by primal wounding will occur for a long periods of time and considered as mental disorder. Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die is an example where the depression becomes mental disorder. Veronika decides to commit suicide at the age of twenty-four. Veronika’s depression occurs in her adulthood, but the cause of depression lies in

41 her childhood. This can be seen from Veronika’s personality of being too perfectionist. Veronika has perfectly a same daily routine. Furthermore, Veronika takes the sleeping pills one by one, instead of crushes them and mixes them with water. These behaviors are something that has to be developed through a long time.

Since childhood, Veronika has known that her true dream job is to be a pianist. Her teacher realizes Veronika’s talent and supports her to be a professional. In this state, Veronika is creating a pianist subpersonality. However, when Veronika tells her mother about the dream, her mother refuses. Veronika’s mother says that no one make a living by playing a piano. Her mother thinks that it is a ridiculous idea. Veronika’s mother asks Veronika to become a good wife. Being a good wife is the only way Veronika’s mother knows about being a woman. Veronika obeys her mother because Veronika thinks that her mother is older and wiser to know what is good and what is bad for her. As her mother suggests, Veronika continues playing piano just so that her future husband can be proud of her.

That love asking for nothing in return had managed to fill her with guilt, with a desire to fulfill another’s expectations, even if that meant giving up everything she had dreamed of for herself. It was a love that for years had tried to hide from her the difficulties and the corruption that existed in the world, ignoring the fact that one day she would have to find this out, and would then be defenseless against them (p. 69).

Veronika’s mother does not realize that she is applying self-centered love to Veronika. Veronika feels guilty that she has not become obedient. Veronika thinks that she has to become obedient to repay her mother’s love. Veronika begins to repress her subpersonality as a pianist. She is losing the desire and the

technical skill to play a piano. Based on the theory of psychosynthesis, Veronika is experiencing primal wounding. Thus, Veronika is creating a mask, a survival personality, so that she does not have to feel guilty anymore.

Veronika’s self realization occurs after she commits suicide attempt. As described in the historical background, a person would be sent to a mental institution if he/she is endangering other people or his/her own life. Veronika has to live in the mental asylum. The process of Veronika’s self realization is explained as follows.

4.3.1. The Exploration of the Personality

Roberto Assagioli says that psychosynthesis is constructive. Psychosynthesis discusses all aspects of human being, including the personalities and human needs. Furthermore, the theory of psychosynthesis explains that human’s growth is affected by human’s relationship with the environment. Assagioli provides the basic of psychosynthesis theory. The first is the psychosynthesis model of a person. This model depicts the relationship of the “I”, the higher unconsciousness, the middle unconsciousness, and the lower unconsciousness. The second is the stages of psychosynthesis. The stages of psychosynthesis consist of five stages. They are the survival of wounding, the exploration of the personality, the emergence of “I”, the contact with self, and the response to self. Stage one and two discuss the development of “I” which is related to the functions of consciousness and will. Stage three and four discuss how a person may become aware of the deeper motivation and then find the meaning in life, a self-realization (as cited in Firman and Gila, 2002, pp. 19-65).

 

Appendix 1

Cover of Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die

(1998)

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Appendix 2

Summary of Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die

The story begins on 11th November 1997, in Slovenia. Veronika is a young and charming woman who lives within perfection. In her youth, Veronika decides to die by taking an overdose of sleeping pills. However, Veronika survives the suicide. Thus, Veronika is sent to a mental asylum named Villete.

Dr. Igor, the head psychiatrist tells Veronika that she only has a few days to live. After she failed in hastening the death, Veronika decides to wait for the death to come. During her early life in Villete, Veronika realizes that she has nothing to lose and therefore she can do what she wants without having to worry about what others think of her. Because she has nothing to lose and the freedom in the mental asylum, Veronika allow herself to experience all the things she has never felt and done, including hatred and love.

Veronika enables close relationships with some of the patients.Veronika’s friends are Zedka who has clinical depression, Mari who suffers from panic attacks, and Eduard who has schizophrenia. With the assistance of her friends, Veronika is able to love herself. Furthermore, her love for Eduard leads Veronika to a desire of living a better life. Veronika’s personality is growing. She becomes a better person with a better perspective about life and other people.Veronika finally wants to live. Later on, Veronika and Eduard successfully escape from the mental asylum and decide to enjoy the rest of their life together.

Adapted from:

http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Veronika-Decides-to-Die-Paulo-Coelho-review-uutnunuqsm

 

Appendix 3

The Author’s Biography

Paulo Coelho De Souza was born on a rainy night on 24 August 1947 in Rio de Janeiro. Paulo was born in the state of coma. However, he grew up as a healthy person. Paulo’s childhood was filled with his rebellious acts and mischief. Paulo’s rebellion continued to his adulthood. His parents disagreed to let Paulo became a writer. Because his parents could not comprehend Paulo’s rebellious acts, they sent him to a mental institution. Paulo was sent to a mental institution three times, starting when he was seventeen.

Paulo’s desire to write was actualized in the age of thirty six. Paulo wrote his spiritual awakening experience of walking more than five hundred miles along the road to Santiago de Compostela, a site of Catholic pilgrimage. Paolo published the book as The Pilgrimage.

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After Paulo wrote The Pilgrimage, he quit his other job and devoted himself full-time to write. In his search for inspiration, Paulo travelled around the world. His experience of new places and people enabled him to write many inspiring and life-changing books. In 1996, Coelho founded the Paulo Coelho Institute which provides support to the children and the elderly.

Adapted from:

www.paulocoelho.com

vi

ABSTRACT

Maharddikha, Leo Agung Christa. 2012. The Significance of Living in The Mental Asylum toward Veronika’s Self-Realization As Seen in Paulo Coelho’s Veronica

Decides to Die. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program,

Department of Language and Art Education, Faculty of Teachers Trainee and Education, Sanata Dharma University.

This study analyzed a novel written by Paulo Coelho entitled Veronika

Decides to Die. The novel is worth analyzing since it tells about human being’s

journey to reveal the truth within him/herself. It is a journey that changes a desire to die into a desire to live. Furthermore, the novel shows that human being is created to help each other in a society.

The objective of this study is to analyze how Veronika achieves self-realization by living in the mental asylum. There are three problems discussed in this study. The first is the description of Veronika. The second is the depiction of the mental asylum where Veronika lives, including the patients. The third is the significance of the mental asylum toward Veronika’s self-realization.

Since this study discusses Veronika’s personality growth to find the desire in life, the psychological approach is applied in this study. Theories of character and characterization are used to reveal each character’s characteristics. Theory of psychosynthesis is applied to discuss the third problem.

Based on the analysis, Veronika is described as an idealistic, mature, sluggish, introvert, insecure, pretty, and attractive woman. Due to desperation, Veronika commits a suicide attempt. By the current law in Slovenia, Veronika is sent to live within a mental asylum. Veronika realizes that the patients are not entirely insane. Both the sane and insane patients gain freedom to express themselves within the mental asylum. Although being filled with fear at first, Veronika chooses to free herself. With the help of a piano and the assistance of her insane friends, Veronika is able to achieve self-realization.

The implication of this study to education covers three points. The first point is related to Veronika’s environment change that supports her in achieving self-realization. Teachers are suggested to maintain a dynamic class environment. The second point is related to the freedom within the mental asylum. As the teacher is guiding the students, the students are free to express their thoughts and feelings. The third point is related to Veronika’s cooperation with the other character. A cooperative learning like small group discussion is suggested to improve the students’ motivation.

It is suggested for future researcher to conduct an analysis of parents’ treatments to their child’s personality growth. It is also possible to conduct an analysis on the effect of Veronika’s personality growth on the other characters. Keyword: mental asylum, psychosynthesis, self-realization

vii

ABSTRAK

Maharddikha, Leo Agung Christa. 2012. The Significance of Living in The Mental Asylum toward Veronika’s Self-Realization As Seen in Paulo Coelho’s Veronica

Decides to Die. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Bahasa dan

Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan IlmuPendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Studi ini menganalisa novel oleh Paulo Coelho berjudul Veronika Decides

to Die. Novel ini layak dianalisa karena menceritakan tentang perjalanan manusia

untuk mengungkapkan kebenaran dalam dirinya sendiri. Novel ini menceritakan suatu perjalanan hidup yang mengubah keinginan untuk mati menjadi hasrat untuk hidup. Selain itu, novel ini menunjukkan bahwa manusia diciptakan untuk saling membantu dalam masyarakat.

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisa bagaimana Veronika mencapai realisasi diri dengan hidup di rumah sakit jiwa. Ada tiga masalah yang dibahas dalam penelitian ini. Yang pertama adalah deskripsi tentang Veronika. Yang kedua adalah penggambaran rumah sakit jiwa di mana Veronika tinggal, termasuk para pasien. Yang ketiga adalah hubungan antara rumah sakit jiwa dengan realisasi diri Veronika.

Dikarenakan penelitian ini membahas perkembangan kepribadian Veronika untuk menemukan hasrat dalam hidup, penulis menerapkan pendekatan psikologis. Teori karakter dan karakterisasi digunakan untuk mengungkapkan kepribadian masing-masing karakter. Teori psikosintesis diterapkan untuk membahas masalah ketiga.

Berdasarkan analisa, Veronika adalah wanita yang idealis, dewasa, lesu, introvert, kurang percaya diri, cantik, dan menarik. Veronika mencoba bunuh diri karena mengalami depresi. Berhubungan dengan hukum yang berjalan di Slovenia, Veronika harus tinggal dalam rumah sakit jiwa. Veronika sadar bahwa tidak semua pasien gila. Para pasien, baik yang waras ataupun yang gila, bebas mengekspresikan diri dalam rumah sakit jiwa. Meskipun awalnya diliputi rasa takut, Veronika memilih untuk membebaskan dirinya sendiri. Dengan bantuan sebuah piano dan teman-teman gilanya, Veronika mampu mencapai realisasi diri.

Implikasi dari penelitian ini untuk pendidikan mencakup tiga hal. Poin pertama terkait dengan perubahan lingkungan Veronika yang mendukung dirinya dalam mencapai realisasi diri. Guru disarankan untuk mengelola lingkungan kelas yang dinamis. Poin kedua berhubungan dengan kebebasan di dalam rumah sakit jiwa. Guru selain membimbing siswa juga memberikan kebebasan dalam mengungkapkan pikiran dan perasaan mereka. Poin ketiga terkait dengan kerjasama Veronika dengan karakter lainnya. Pembelajaran kooperatif seperti diskusi dalam kelompok kecil dianjurkan untuk meningkatkan motivasi siswa.

Peneliti yang akan datang disarankan untuk melakukan analisa pada perlakuan orang tua terhadap pertumbuhan kepribadian anak mereka. Analisa pada pengaruh perkembangan kepribadian Veronika kepada karakter lain juga dapat dilakukan.