This was what Bill had prayed for, and this was just what he was getting- in full measure. Revenge was sweet, dammit, but how many would he
have to kill to quench his thirst? Seward, 2000: 117.
The quotation shows that his experience after he kills Japanese soldier, Bill is
thinking that revenge is sweet but he is in doubt of his action in killing Japanese, he knows that he will not satisfied as long as he keeps his hatred and desire to pay
his revenge towards the Japanese. He will keep killing and killing without any satisfaction. His action in killing the Japanese can be considered as evidence that
Bill has changed into another person who is different from Bill before the war starts.
The influence of peer environment towards Bill Macneil’s personality development can be seen through his past experience in Nanking. In Nanking, Bill
Macneil’s childhood lover, Ellen, was raped by the Japanese soldier. Because of that incident, Bill starts to change his belief and attitude especially towards the
Japanese. Bill, who used to consider Japan as his second home after America, starts to hate everything about Japanese. The incident in Nanking can be
considered as the starter of his personality development especially his hatred towards the Japanese which start to grow.
From the discussion above, it can be said that the aspects that influence Bill Macneil’s personality development are the environmental determinants.
Environmental determinants consist of culture, social class, family and peers environment or the experiences outside home. Each aspects plays important role
towards Bill Macneil’s personality development. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
C. The Most Significant Aspect Which Influences Bill Macneil’s Personality Development
There are several aspects which can influence someone’s personality. They are genetic and environmental determinant. Environmental determinant
consists of culture, social class, family and peer environment. From the previous section, it can be seen that the environment determinant plays the important role
towards the development of Bill Macneil’s personality. There are several aspects of environmental determinants which influence
Bill Macneil’s personality development. Each aspect of environmental determinants gives significant influence towards Bill’s personality development,
but there are two aspects of environmental determinant that play significant roles. They are peer environment and family.
First is the peer environment. In peer environment, the experiences outside home are important in shaping someone’s personality, it can be bad or good, in
past or present experiences. Bill’s past experience especially in his childhood, the Nanking tragedy traumatize him a lot. In Nanking, Bill sees the cruelty of the
Japanese soldiers who kill and rape the Chinese. The Japanese soldier also rapes his childhood lover Seward, 2000: 74-75. The Nanking tragedy changes Bill
Macneil’s belief and attitude towards the Japanese and the incident becomes the trigger of his personality development.
Another experience which gives influence to his personality development occurs during the World War II. In the battlefield, Bill sees his fellow compatriot
is hung in a tree and the body has been used for bayonet practice by the Japanese. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
Bill notices that from the numerous number of stabbing wounds in the body of his compatriot. There, he also sees his compatriot’s head is separated from the body;
his head is placed on the man’s lap with his genitalia is stuffed in his compatriot’s mouth. This kind of cruelty is intolerable and makes Bill’s blood rushes in anger.
Seward, 2000: 129. During the war Bill also sees his most trusted friend Slats Honda is killed
by the Japanese while he is trying to save Bill’s life. Honda saves Bill’s life by sacrificing his own life.
The grenade fell to the ground four feet from Macneil’s right. He was slow to react, so Honda threw his body on the grenade, which exploded as soon
as he covered it. Seward, 2000: 194.
The quotation shows Bill’s best friend sacrificing his own life to save Bill. Losing his best friend and witnessing the cruelty of the Japanese in the war only creates
Bill Macneil’s hatred towards the Japanese becomes greater. Second is the family. The family which consists of Neil Macneil, Sarah
Macneil, Shipton Macneil and Helma Graf, Bill’s girlfriend. They give their influences towards Bill Macneil’s personality development. Neil Macneil’s
influence is to change Bill’s perception towards the Japanese. Neil knows that Bill hates the Japanese, but Neil thinks that Bill can not consider a single outrage
dominates his entire life. The
influences which
come from
Sarah and Shipton Macneil are also important in shaping Bill’s personality.
The only news of import had been that his sister Sarah was now the protégée of a high-ranking Japanese officer in Shanghai. Seward, 2000:
113. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
“We know that your younger half-brother is training to be a Zero pilot…” Seward, 2000: 204.
From the quotation above, Sarah’s decision to become the protégé of high-rank Japanese and Shipton’s action by joining Japanese army only make Bill Macneil’s
hatred towards the Japanese becomes greater. Last is the role of Helma Graf. Helma is Bill Macneil’s girlfriend, she is a
compassionate woman. Her attitudes and behaviors give important role in Bill’s personality.
“Chankoro told me the whole story. I’m terribly sorry about that, but going to war with Japan will not restore thy Ellen. We must show our love
through forgiveness. Please, oh, please Thee must not even think of going to war.” Seward, 2000: 26.
The quotation shows that Helma insists that Bill should not go to war and Bill
should forgive what the Japanese did to Bill’s childhood girlfriend. Helma tells Bill that joining the war and killing the Japanese can not restore Bill’s childhood
girlfriend, Ellen Woods. From the discussion above, it can be said that the most significant aspect
of environmental determinant which influences Bill Macneil’s personality is the peer environment, because peer environment especially Bill Macneil’s
experiences outside home give the biggest contribution towards his personality development. In his youth or his past experience, Bill has a terrible incident with
the Japanese in Nanking. The incident makes Bill start to change his belief and attitude especially
towards the Japanese. Bill who used to love and considered Japan as his second home after the United States now begins to hate anything about Japan since the
Nanking incident. The Nanking incident becomes the earliest trigger of Bill’s personality development. Since the tragedy, Bill hates everything related to the
Japanese and his hatred becomes greater because of his family aspects especially from Sarah and Shipton who are affiliated with the Japanese. His hatred is getting
worst during and after World War II when Bill lost his best friend, Slats Honda. Bill also sees the cruelty done by the Japanese during the World War II which
increases his dislike on the Japanese. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
