24 “Tekkah market.Very cheap.”
“But nice. I wish I know how to put together things like this” “That’s what you always say, Su. Just be yourself. You dress okay.”
p. 81 It often makes her difficult to talk to others, especially strangers and men.
It also happens when Suwen is in the university. She cannot join her friends drinking beers, dancing, and talking about many things because she is not able to
let herself enter into their world. Although she ever tries to join them, she fails to be confident to interact with them. Suchen Christine Lim writes about her
insecure character by a direct comment in the novel, “She seemed to shrink like a
morning glory flower in the evening, having little or no confidence in her own ability to attract others an
d hold her own in conversation” p. 176.
2. Introvert
In the novel, Suwen never shares her problems with others. She always keeps her problems by herself even though her friends try to make her share her
problems. As one of her best friends, Nica often tries to make Suwen share her problems, especially about her feeling towards Mark.
In several conversations between Suwen and Nica, Nica tries to interrogate her feeling towards Mark and her relationship with Mark. However, Suwen does
not tell the truth of her feeling to Mark. She keeps it and she does not share it to anyone, including Nica. Furthermore, Suwen always says that Mark is a good
friend to her and there is not any special relationship between her and Mark when Nica starts to interrogate her. One of the conversations between Nica and Suwen
s hows Suwen’s introvert character and it is found by using Murphy’s theories of
character and characterisation.
25 “Now that ,Mark’s here, your life will change, what,” Nica said one day.
“No, why should it change?” she protested. “Don’t bluff lah Of course it will change. Your loved one is here.”
“No, listen...” “I am listening. Tell me about Mark. How did you meet him?”
“Well, actually, we became good friends after a first fight.” p. 77 When Nica starts to talk about Mark and ask about her relationship with
Mark, Suwen often avoids talking about Mark. She pretends that she does not understand what Nica talks or asks her. In addition, she answers
Nica’s question about her relationship with Mark shortly and briefly. She does not share to Nica
what she feels towards Mark. By using Murphy’s theories of characterisation, her
introvert character can be seen from her conversation with others. “Does Mark live in the countryside?”Nica asked, looking at her shrewdly.
“Yes, on the Scottish border.” “Hmmm, how are the two of you getting on?”
“Okay, we are good friends.” “I know you are good friends, dumbo. Anything else?”
“I don’t know what you want to know. I enjoy his company and enjoys mine.” p. 105
When Suwen and Mark go for a walk, Ma rk tries to kiss Suwen’s lips.
Unfortunately, Suwen rejects to be kissed by Mark. After that, Suwen and Mark never talk anymore. Suwen avoids meeting, calling, talking, and interacting with
Mark in several occasions. As one of her best friends,Nica knows what happen between Suwen and Mark because Mark tells Nica before leaving for Bali.
However, Nica wants to know the story from Suwen even though Suwen does not tell her about that. Her introvert character makes her not to share her feeling and
stories to Nica and it is shown in their conversation below. “Oh, for crying out loud You sure know how to pamper your own
feelings Are you mi ssing Mark?”
“NO” Suwen yelled into the mouthpiece
26 “Hey, there’s no need to shout. I can hear you. Mark called me before he
left for Bali. He sounded real low. What’ve you done to him?” “Nothing”
“You didn’t give him a reason to go off like this, did you?” “I don’t know.”
“You’re sure you don’t know? You’re always keeping things from me, I know you.” p. 197
Her introvert character also makes her difficult to interact with others in the society. She almost does not have many best friends during her childhood and
she only has a few close friends in her adulthood. Furthermore, she avoids interacting with her classmates when she is in college.
During her study in school, she does not have many friends. She fills her days with sketching and painting because she feels alive by doing these two
activities. When most girls choose to go home in summer holiday, Suwen chooses to spend her summer holiday in the dormitory alone. She does not want to go
home because she does not want to meet her mother, who sends her abroad. She chooses to spend her summer holiday in the college even though it sometimes
makes her feel lonely. Her introvert character can be found in the novel by using one of Murphy’s theories of characterisation. It is Suwen’s behaviour or manner
as seen in a part of the novel. She withdrew deeper into herself. She made no friends during her two
years in school although she had classmates and dorm-mates with whom she went shopping or cycling. She went for walks in the woods by herself
and took up sketching and painting to fill the lonely days of the next two summers when most of the girls went home to their families. p. 175
When her classmates spend their weekends by going to some pubs and cafes, Suwen spends her weekends by going for a walk or sketching. She never
joins her friends going somewhere and she chooses to do something alone. In
