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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
This chapter consists of the background of the study, review of related literature, theoretical framework, approach of the study, and method of the study.
The background of the study explains the reason of conducting the study. The review of related literature shows some theories which are employed in the study.
The theoretical framework presents how the theories are applied in the study. The approach of the study describes the approach used in the study. The method of the
study presents some steps of conducting the study.
A. Background of the Study
Works of literature can be divided into four genres, namely short stories, novels, poetry, and plays Rohrberger and Woods, 1971. Further, according to
Barnet, Burto, and Cain 2005, literature tells about human experiences which are thoroughly made by the author so that it gives the readers things to value.
Therefore, reading literary works, such as novels enables the readers to understand human experiences which are portrayed through what happens to the fictional
characters. An example of human experiences which is portrayed in a novel can be about intrapersonal conflict in pursuing one’s dream.
Dream is something that people want to achieve in life. Therefore, people are willing to do everything to make it come true. However, living out one’s
dream is not always easy. There is a possibility that people may face a difficulty when trying to pursue their dreams. Another possibility is that they may face
2 failure in pursuing their dreams. Nonetheless, all of those possibilities make their
lives worth living. Further, facing the difficulty or failure may lead people to stop pursuing
their dreams. Then, they sometimes choose to live in a comfortable life in which everything can be handled easily. Yet, it does not always make them happy.
When people have a dream to pursue, living in a comfortable life does not always bring them happiness. However, pursuing a dream requires people to face
the difficulty. When these choices appear at the same time, it is possible to bring people into uncertainty. It is because every choice has a consequence. Thus, it is
hard for them to make a decision. Further, this situation can trigger an intrapersonal conflict. Lewin states that an intrapersonal conflict occurs when
people, at the same time, face two or more opposing forces that make them move from one direction to another as cited in Weiner, 1980. According to Kennedy
and Gioia 2010, conflict usually exists when there are some persons or things that inhibit the protagonist from achieving his or her goal.
The Alchemist, a novel written by Paulo Coelho, tries to describe such experience. The novel tells about Santiago. He is a young shepherd from
Andalusia. One day, while staying in an abandoned church, he dreams twice about a hidden treasure in Egypt. He wants to search for the treasure. However, in
pursuing his dream, he has to deal with several intrapersonal conflicts. Therefore, this study aims to find out Santiago’s intrapersonal conflicts in
pursuing his dream. There are two problems which are formulated in this study.
3 The first is “How is Santiago described in the novel?” The second is “What are
Santiago’s intrapersonal conflicts in pursuing his dream?” Furthermore, this paper hopefully can give the readers an understanding of
the meaning of a novel entitled The Alchemist especially in dealing with intrapersonal conflict. Future researchers who are interested in the novel can
analyze the motivation of Santiago in pursuing his dream. Besides, they can also analyze the symbols in the novel such as “the alchemist” or “the treasure”.
B. Review of Related Literature
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