4.1.3 Whit The Monk 4.1.3.1 Tough
Jessie believes that she needs something to excite herself, in her boring
activities as a mother who always stays at home and takes care the house. Her return to her hometown for her mother takes her to one condition, in which she meets a
junior monk and learns about life, things that she has never undergone before.
Whit is a junior monk at forty-four with his temporary vow. His depression of losing his wife and his child on a car accident takes him to the benediction to devote
him to the religion. His past keeps haunting him but he hangs tough. His name is Whit O’ Conner. He had been a successful attorney in Raleigh
thwarting developers and industrial pollutants on behalf of various conservation environmental groups. He had a wife whom he loves much. Everything changes after
his wife and his unborn child’s died in a car accident. It takes his attention and life. Firstly, the author describes him as a person who lives in his own depression
and a person who tries to find life. He left his job and chose the Benedictine for his life. Later in chapter 6 the author describes him as a tough person. His sense of
abandonment had been bottomless not just by Linda and his promise of family but by God, whom he’d actually believed in. this kind of believing one does before
immense suffering. p.55 Even in his days in the Benedictine, he is still not sure what he is doing in
that place. What he feels is a deep depression of losing something. He is not only lost his beloved family but also his faith to God. He doubts the existence of God.
However, he is not standing still regret his life but he keeps searching what is missing besides his life.
4.1.3.2 Persistent
According to the author, Whit is a person who is rather difficult to trust to certain belief or people. He has his own belief in judging something. Therefore, the
author states that Whit is someone who is searching for faith. The novel explains that Whit has less faith to religion. He does not really understand about God’s existence.
The main reason he comes over to the Benedictine because he wants to leave his past behind. He doubts God. Perhaps he would find there had never been God or he
would lose one God and find another. He didn’t know p. 59 Since he does not know exactly about his coming to the Benedictine besides
his intention to leave his past life, he spends most of his time writing in his note book. He writes down every doubt, sad feeling into his note. This character is
analyzed based on Murphy theory which is analyzing character by using direct comment 1972: 170. In this novel the author explains Whit’s character through the
author’s direct comment. …..and he’d written them all down. Question about evil and whether
it could exist without God’s collusion, about Nietzsche’s claim that God is dead, even theories that God is not being in heaven but
merely some guiding aspect in human personality. p. 59
He believes in something that is quite mythical; such as, a certain belief about Senora the Mermaid Saint that always hears and helps people in the Egret Island. The
Saint is symbolized as a chair and it is called Mermaid chair. From the moment he’d seen the mermaid chair, he’d loved Senora, not just for her mythical life but how
supposedly she’d heard the prayer of Egret. p. 60 Whit’s belief in Senora sometimes influences his thought about the existence
of God. The author’s direct comment, it is proven that Whit believes in something that is quite mythical, such as the mermaid chair and Senora.
4.1.3.3 Decisive
The good point in Whit is that he is daring enough to make a choice about his life. When he knows Jessie and he falls in love with her, he doubt whether he would
take his Solemn Vows or not. He cannot think clearly, his head is fulfilled with Jessie. However, he is bold enough to tell the truth about what he feels about God
and his condition right now. Although at the first time he chooses Jessie over his vow but later in the end of the story he chooses his own freedom
. ‘I can’t because I don’t know if the desire of my heart is God’ p. 259
This character is analyzed by analyzing the reaction of the character in facing a situation, Murphy 1972: 168. In the novel, Whit is asked to do the solemn vow
but he refuses that vow. He does not want to lie to himself that his desire in that moment is not God but Jessie. I leave the monastery February 1
st
. I took solemn vows last august, hut, ironically enough, decided at Christmas that I would not stay
after all. p. 376 After some considerations, Whit decided to leave both the solemn and his
feeling about Jessie. He accepts the reality that Jessie is another man’s wife and is still engaged in marriage. Moreover, he realizes that he is a man who looks for
peaceful heart not merely a relationship. He has tried to find it in the monastery but he cannot find it. Finally, he decides to leave the monastery and starts a new life. It is
shown from his letter to Jessie.
4.2 How Jessie’s Personality Develops
This part describes Jessie’s personality and its development after she is influenced by other characters. Furthermore, this part also discusses how those
people make Jessie aware of her dominant character, which is selfish. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
