THE INFLUENCE OF THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF BUSHIDO ON TOTTO-CHAN’S PERSONALITY, IN TETSUKO KUROYANAGI’S TOTTO-CHAN: THE LITTLE GIRL AT THE WINDOW A THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in Englis
THE INFLUENCE OF THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF BUSHIDO
ON TOTTO-CHAN’S PERSONALITY, IN TETSUKO KUROYANAGI’S
TOTTO-CHAN: THE LITTLE GIRL AT THE WINDOW
A THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Felisitas Kanyamurti
Student Number: 05 1214 046
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION
FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2009
THE INFLUENCE OF THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF BUSHIDO
ON TOTTO-CHAN’S PERSONALITY, IN TETSUKO KUROYANAGI’S
TOTTO-CHAN: THE LITTLE GIRL AT THE WINDOW
A THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Felisitas Kanyamurti
Student Number: 05 1214 046
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTEMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION
FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2009
ABSTRACT
Kanyamurti, Felisitas. (2009). The Influence of the Seven Principles of Bushido
on Totto-chan’s Personality, in Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s Totto-chan: the Little
Girl at the Window. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program,
Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.
Every country has different guideline as a basic principle in society to behave. The basic principle can be written or unwritten. Japanese believe in their country’s unwritten basic principles called the seven principles of Bushido. However, Bushido has been taught from generation to generation and engrafts its meaning in every Japanese heart. This study discusses Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s Totto-chan: the Little Girl at the Window. In this novel, those principles are revealed by the dialogues, actions, and manners of the characters. Those principles, however, also bring some influence to the main character’s personality.
This study raises two problems to be solved. The first problem is how the seven principles of Bushido are revealed in Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s Totto-chan: the Little Girl at the Window. The second problem is how the seven principles manifest their meanings to Totto-chan.
This study uses library study to collect data. The main source of this study is Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s entitled Totto-chan: the Little Girl at the Window. The secondary sources are some books and articles which are closely related to this study, such as theory of critical approach, self-actualization in the theory of human needs, characteristics of self-actualized person, theory of character, theory of characterization, and some review on Japanese culture. This study applies two approaches, the first one is socio-cultural-historical and the other one is the psychological approach.
The analysis finds that the seven principles of Bushido, namely Gi, Yu, Jin, Rei, Makoto, Meiyo, and Chugo, are revealed by the dialogues, actions, and manner of the characters in Totto-chan: the Little Girl at the Window. The characters, Mr. Kobayashi and teachers, Totto-chan’s parents also Totto-chan’s friends, help Totto-chan to understand and engraft its meaning in her heart. The effect of those principles is that Totto-chan experiences the process of self- actualization and the self-actualization contributes to her personality trait. Those findings provide some evidences that Bushido influences the life and behavior of the Japanese.
This study also provides a suggestion for teaching learning activity. The suggestion is using a part of the novel Totto-chan: the Little Girl at the Window in Intensive Reading II Class in English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.
Key words: Bushido, personality, self-actualization
ABSTRAK
Kanyamurti, Felisitas. (2009). The Influence of the Seven Principles of Bushido
on Totto-chan’s Personality, in Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s Totto-chan: the Little
Girl at the Window. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan
Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan and Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Setiap negara memiliki pedoman yang berbeda-beda sebagai salah satu prinsip dasar untuk berperilaku dalam masyarakat. Prinsip dasar tersebut dapat secara tertulis maupun tidak tertulis. Jepang memiliki suatu prinsip dasar tidak tertulis yang sangat dipercaya oleh Bangsa Jepang disebut dengan tujuh prinsip- prinsip Bushido. Walaupun Bushido tidak tertulis, Bushido sudah diajarkan dari generasi ke generasi dan setiap arti Bushido tertanam di setiap hati Bangsa Jepang. Dalam novel karya Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, Totto-chan: the Little Girl at the Window, prinsip-prinsip Bushido tercermin dalam percakapan, tindakan, dan sikap setiap tokoh. Selain itu prinsip-prinsip tersebut juga membawa beberapa pengaruh terhadap kepribadian tokoh utama.
Ada dua permasalahan yang dibahas dalam penelitian ini. Permasalahan pertama adalah bagaimana Bushido terungkap dalam karya Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, Totto-chan: the Little Girl at the Window. Permasalahan kedua adalah bagaimana perwujudan makna dari tujuh prinsip tersebut terhadap Totto-chan.
Penelitian ini mengunakan studi pustaka dalam pengumpulan data. Sumber utama dalam penelitian ini adalah novel karya Tetsuko Kuroyanagi yang berjudul Totto-chan: the Little Girl at the Window. Sumber kedua yang dipakai adalah beberapa buku dan artikel-artikel yang erat hubungannya dengan topik penelitian ini, seperti teori tentang pemecahan masalah, perwujudan diri dalam teori kebutuhan manusia, karakter orang yang terbentuk dari perwujudan diri, teori karakter, teori penokohan, dan beberapa resensi tentang budaya Jepang. Penelitian ini menggunakan dua pendekatan yang pertama adalah pendekatan sosial budaya dan sejarah serta yang kedua adalah pendekatan psikologi.
Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa tujuh prinsip Bushido, yang disebut dengan Gi, Yu, Jin, Rei, Makoto, Meiyo, dan Chugo, tercermin melalui dialog, tindakan, dan sikap yang dilakukan setiap karakter dalam Totto-chan: the Little Girl at the Window. Karakter- karakter tersebut, Kepala Sekolah dan guru-guru, orangtua Totto-chan, dan juga Teman-teman Totto-chan, membantu Totto-chan untuk memahami dan meresapkan makna Bushido dalam dirinya. Sebagai pengaruh dari prinsip-prinsip tersebut adalah Totto-chan mengalami proses perwujudan diri dan perwujudan diri tersebut berperan dalam pembantukan karakternya.
Penelitian ini juga memberikan saran berupa kegiatan pembelajaran. Saran yang dapat diberikan adalah dengan menggunakan salah satu bagian dari novel Totto-chan: the Little Girl at the Window di kelas Intensive Reading II Program Study Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Kata kunci: Bushido, kepribadian, perwujudan diri
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I praise the Lord, Jesus Christ, as I have finished my thesis. He guides me in every step I made, gives me His bless and love. Thank you, Lord.
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to V. Triprihatmini, S.Pd.,
M.Hum., M.A., my sponsor, for her patience and guidance in finishing this thesis.
My gratitude also goes to F.X. Ouda Teda Ena, S.Pd., M.Pd., for his ideas and supports, and to the lectures, secretariat staff, and library staff of English Education Study Program for their support in finishing my thesis.
My gratitude goes to my beloved family: my parent, Aloysius Bekti
Subagyo, Ambrosia Sari Ningsih, and my sisters, Maria Erika and Clara
Dewi, for their patience to always remind me for finishing my thesis.I would like to thank Theofilus Ardentya and family, for their love, patience, and support in finishing this thesis. I would like to thank Suster
Benedicte CB, Yeni, Esti, Dhina, Maria, Stela, Savitri, Achie, Christine, and
everybody who always support me with their laughs and loves. My gratitude goes
to the members of Chicken Coop Chinaman, Sun Bright English Course, and
Elite English Course (EEC), who always beside me in finishing play
performance and SPD office. Jeanne Gabriella Jiwanggi, my beloved student, who is always supporting me in many ways. To the friends of mine whom I passed these years through the process of studying in English Education Program: Rindang, Berlin, Esti, Verdi, Topik, and Fandi.
Felisitas Kanyamurti
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PageTITLE PAGE ..........................................................................................................i
APPROVAL PAGES ............................................................................................ ii
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY...................................................iv
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAHUNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS…………………………………..…..…v
ABSTRACT ...........................................................................................................vi
ABSTRAK............................................................................................................. vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS….……………………………………………......viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………......ix
LIST OF APPENDICES…………………………………………………….….xi
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………..1
1.1 Background of the Study………………………………………1
1.2 Problem Formulations…………………………………………4
1.3 Problem Limitation……………………………………………5
1.4 Objectives of the Study………………………………………..5
1.5 Benefits of the Study…………………………………………..5
1.6 Definition of Terms…………………………………………....6
CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE…………………….9
2.1 Review of Related Theories…………………………………...9
2.1.1 Theory of Critical Approach…………………………….9
2.1.2 Self-actualization in the Theory of Human Needs……..11
2.1.3 Characteristics of the Self-actualized Person…………..16
2.1.4 Theory of Character……………………………………17
2.1.5 Theory of Characterization……………………………..18
2.2 Reviews on Japanese Culture………………………………...19
th th
2.2.1 Japanese Culture in the 12 – 19 Century………….....20
2.2.2 The Seven Principles of Bushido………………………21
2.3 Theoretical Framework………………………………………24
CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY…………………………………………...26
3.1 Object of the Study…………………………………………...26
3.2 Approach of the Study………………………………………..28
3.3 Method of the Study………………………………………….28
CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS…………………………………………………….31
4.1 How the Seven Principles of Bushido are Revealed in Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s Totto-chan: the Little Girl at the Window…….31
4.1.1 Gi……………………………………………………….32
4.1.2 Yu………………………………………………………36
4.1.3 Jin………………………………………………………40
4.1.4 Rei……………………………………………………...42
4.1.5 Makoto…………………………………………………44
4.1.6 Meiyo…………………………………………………..46
4.1.7 Chugo…………………………………………………..47
4.2 The Manifest of Seven Principles of Bushido to Totto-chan...48
4.2.1 Acceptance of self, others, and nature…………...…….49
4.2.2 Spontaneity……………………………………………..51
4.2.3 Sympathy for humankind………………………………54
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS……………………..56
5.1 Conclusions…………………………………………………..56
5.2 Suggestions…………………………………………………..58
REFERENCES….………………………………………………………………60
APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………..62
LIST OF APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1 The Summary of Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window........63 APPENDIX 2 Biography of Tetsuko Kuroyanagi……………………………….65 APPENDIX 3 Lesson Plan in Teaching Intensive Reading……………………...67 APPENDIX 4 Material…………………………………………………………...71 APPENDIX 5 Reading Material “Put It All Back!”……………………………..73
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This chapter is divided into six sections. The first section is Background of
the Study. This section explains the background knowledge of the study. It also explains why the novel was chosen as the primary data of this study. The second section is Problem Formulation that contains questions to be answered as the focus of this study. The third section is the Problem Limitation. This section explains the limitation of the problem formulation as the focus of this study. The fourth section is Objectives of the Study. This section mentions the main purpose of this study. The fifth section is Benefits of the Study that contains the advantages of this study. The sixth section is Definition of terms. It explains the terms used in this study to make a better understanding for the readers about this study.
1.1 Background of the Study
Literature is one of special written art works. Literature draws the social phenomena, the attitude, and even the culture in society itself. Literature is special because it gives people very clear reflection on their live. So, by reading literary works, people can understand about their selves, about society around them, or about the culture. Literature facilitates people to learn about society and culture without having direct experience by them selves.
2 Hudson (10) says that literature is a vital record of what men have seen about life; what they have experienced of it, what they have thought, and felt about those aspects of which have the most immediate and enduring human interest. It is fundamentally dealing with an expression of life through the medium of language.
Literature allows people to reflect about life. People can see life and its aspects very clearly through reading the literary works. People do not have to experience the atmosphere, but they can feel it as if they were in the novel. There are three genres in literature, namely fiction, poetry, and drama. According to Millligan (4) novel is classified as fiction that has a close relationship to human life. Novels convey reality. Every novel may have their way and style in telling us about the story. In general, novel describes or tells the life just how it is happened.
Talking about education, it always becomes an interesting subject of discussion by many people because this subject has a long and interesting history.
The changes on it involve many efforts from so many people in this world. Many authors had brought this issue into their writing. Tetsuko Kuroyanagi is the one of great writers in telling the educational experiences. She has an interesting way to tell a story through her novel. Her diction is always perfect. Moreover, she conveys the meaning clearly. To make the novel enjoyable to everyone, she uses her own experiences in her childhood in telling the story. The characters and the society descriptions are also explained clearly and understandably. Tetsuko Kuroyanagi really knows how to make the readers understand and get involved in the story. Because of its strengths, I chose Tetsuko’s novel as the primary source.
3 When people are talking about education, people should include matters that influence the particular issue such as culture, what the society believe, and psychological situation about self-actualization. Since it includes many matters, the practicality of the issue may vary and it will be challenging to find out how it differs among countries. That is the reason why I chose Tetsuko’s literary work, which is a Japanese novel, to find out about the Japanese culture and the seven principles of Bushido from the Japanese ancestors’. Furthermore, I am eager to find out the influence of those principles to Totto-chan.
Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window is actually telling us about Tetsuko’s childhood. In Japan, this novel was first published in 1981. Tetsuko tells us about Totto-chan’s childhood and school life experiences in the middle of World War II. Totto-chan is a kind of high-spirited child and she always wants to know about everything around her. She is willing to learn many things and to try new things by her own way to satisfy her curiosity. Totto-chan’s mother tries to find other schools for Totto-chan where there is a freedom to express children’s feeling. The school is Tomoe Gakuen, an extraordinary school. There, she meets Mr. Kobayashi, the headmaster. After talking to Mr. Kobayashi, a good relationship between Mr. Kobayashi and Totto-chan is created. The book goes on describing the life, the friends, the lessons at school, and the colorful atmosphere of Totto-chan. All of these are presented to the readers through the eyes of a child.
Besides Totto-chan as the main character, there is another important person in the novel. That is why I also present protagonist characters through the headmaster, Mr. Kobayashi and the teachers, Mother and Daddy, also Totto-
4 chan’s friends. Mr. Kobayahi is one of important characters in the novel in molding the students. He is a kind of man who understands children. Moreover, he tries to develop children self-actualization in their qualities of mind, body, and soul. At Tomoe Gakuen, he creates a happy atmosphere for his pupils. World War
II has started. It does not appear in at Tomoe until the school is bombed and destroyed. Mr. Kobayashi always motivates his pupils to be good children as the fulfillment of their self-actualization needs. He always tries to build his pupils’ self-confidence and teaches them about life in the society.
This novel gives an illustration about Japanese society in the World War
II. Nowadays, Japan grows as a powerful country and it is not easy after a great booming. Japan rebuilds their life very fast since the World War II. In the process of rebuilding the society, Japanese are motivated by the seven principles of Bushido. The seven principles of Bushido appear in the novel. I am interested in revealing the seven principles of Bushido that the Japanese holds as self- actualization through the characters in this novel. Those principles, apparently, have a great impact to Totto-chan.
1.2 Problem Formulation
The questions to be answered in this study can be formulated as follows:
1. How are the seven principles of Bushido revealed in Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s Totto-chan: the Little Girl at the Window?
2. How do the seven principles manifest their meanings to Totto-chan?
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1.3 Problem Limitation
The limitation of this study is on how the seven principles appear in the novel and how the seven principles manifest their meaning to Totto-chan. For the second problem limitation, I will discuss the theory of human needs. I will focus only on the self-actualization as one of the needs in human needs theory. I also use the characteristics of self-actualized person to reveal the self-actualization of the main character. Self-actualization is the highest stage of the human needs by Abraham Maslow. I will discuss it further more on the chapter three.
1.4 Objectives of the Study
The first objective of this study is to find out how the seven principles of Bushido are revealed in the novel. The second objective is more specified, to find out how the seven principles of Bushido manifest their meanings to Totto-chan.
1.5 Benefits of the Study
There are some benefits can be obtained from this study, among others and for readers, PBI students who are interested in literary works, English teachers, and other researchers. By reading this study, readers can get better understanding about how other countries role their society to overcome the problems. The other benefit is for PBI students who are interested in Japanese literary works. This study is to help them in gathering the information with the same topic. For English teachers, reading this study helps them to make a material design in teaching reading comprehension about a culture that is implied from a novel. This novel
6 itself can give a good motivation to the teachers in teaching their pupils using interesting ways. Furthermore, it helps the teachers and the students to have good relationship at school to create a fun environment. This study also helps the other researchers to get more information about the novel.
1.6 Definition of Terms
In order to have a clear understanding of this study, I include the definition of terms used in this thesis.
The Seven Principles of Bushido
Taisen Deshimaru “The Zen Way to the Martial Arts” uses the Seven Principles of Bushido in the samurai era. All the samurais must hold those seven principles as their guidance. The seven principles are: a. Gi : the right decision, rectitude.
b. Yu : bravery tinged with heroism.
c. Jin : universal love, benevolence toward mankind, compassion.
d. Rei : right action.
e. Makoto: utter sincerity, truthfulness
f. Meiyo : honor and glory g. Chugo : devotion, loyalty.
The meaning of Bushido itself is: Bu -- martial arts; shi -- warrior; do -- the way. These principles already become Japanese life principles from generation to generation. Bushido has influenced Buddhism, and vise versa. The elements of Buddhism found in Bushido are pacification of the emotions, tranquil compliance
7 with the inevitable, self-control in the face of any event, a more intimate exploration of death than of life, and pure poverty <http://www.shotokai.com/ingles/filosofia/principles.html>.
Personality
In Lester D. Crow and Alice Crow’s Reading In General Psychology (228- 231), psychology is often said as the study of human behavior and the progress of man’s self development. Human behavior and development are influenced by the environment and the potential that man have. That is why psychology can be said as the study of personality.
In this book, the most famous work of personality is Sigmund Freud’s theory of personality. Freud states three elements, namely the id, the ego, and the superego, can affect human personality. Those three elements have their own function.
The first component is the id. The id is that aspect of self that encourages the fulfillment of personal needs and urges, possibly through personally and socially harmful behavior (229). This component is the only one component that every human has since he or she is born. The second is the ego. The ego represents conscious states and acts (229). Human will have this ego if they are able to develop their id first. Id gives some impulses to ego so that a human being can act appropriately in society. This component deals with the reality. The third is the superego. The superego was one of personality trait that controls participation in selfish or self-centered activities (229). As the last component of personality, superego holds very important part. This component of personality
8 provides human being to be able to make judgment, build a sense of right or wrong. Since the id gives impulses to the ego then the superego acts what the ego has decided to act.
Manifest
Based on Oxford Dictionary, there are some meanings of manifest. The first is something clear and obvious. Second is to show something clearly. The third is to demonstrate something. The last is to show itself and to appear.
In this study, manifest refers to the second meaning. Manifest is to show something clearly.
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter is divided into three sections. The first section is Review of Related Theories. Review of related theories examines the relevant theory applied
in this study. The second section is Review on the Historical Background. The third section is Theoretical Framework. Theoretical framework clarifies the contribution of the theories in answering the problem formulation.
2.1 Review of Related Theories
This section presents some theories and reviews which can be used in analyzing the novel. In this study, I have two problem formulations. In answering the problem formulations, I will apply two critical approaches. Socio-cultural- historical approach will be used in answering the first problem. Besides that, I will also use some reviews of Japanese culture.
For the second problem formulation, I will use the psychological approach. To support the answer, theory of character and characterization are used to find out a clear description of Totto-chan as the main character. I will combine those theories with the theory of human needs. In this study, I will use Maslow’s theory of human needs to analyze the main character self-actualization.
2.1.1 Theory of Critical Approach I have to be able to make a reasonable judgment in analyzing this study.
Therefore, I will employ two of the theories of critical approaches. Those critical
10 approaches will help me in analyzing and exploring the values which are revealed in the novel. Moreover, it is used to get better understanding. Rohrberger and Woods’s (3) distinguish five critical approaches. Those principles are the formalist approach, biographical approach, socio-cultural – historical approach, mythopeic approach, and psychological approach.
In this thesis, I will employ the socio-cultural – historical approach. According to Rohrberger and Woods (9-10), socio-cultural-historical approach insists that the only way to locate the real work is be in the reference to the civilization that produces it. The historical approach investigates the social, cultural, and intellectual context that produced the work. It is important to explore the time and place of the work itself. The historical approach often seeks to understand the impact of a work in today’s life.
Besides socio-cultural-historical approach, I will also apply psychological approach. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia (1947), psychological approach believes that a literature work is the reflection of life itself and the real representation of human motivation and behavior. This approach allows me to choose the focus on the creativity process of the author, the artist’s motivation or behavior, or analyzing fictional characters’ motivations and behaviors.
Using both approaches leads me to analyze the novel from the socio- cultural-historical and psychological point a view. Socio-cultural-historical approach enables me to investigate and dig out some understanding about the society or the place. Society creates culture, which becomes one of the guidance, besides religion, on their life. In society, culture takes an important role. Besides
11 the culture, time also brings big influence to the society. The setting of time of the novel is around 1945, we can call it history. Society, culture, and history have a certain relation. Therefore, by using the socio-cultural-historical approach, I can analyze the novel deeper and keen.
Second approach is psychological approach. Using this approach enables me to have better understanding the main character behavior. Psychological approach also helps me to dig out some psychological characteristics influenced by the moral values in the main character. Through the experiences in the main character’s life, I can analyze the manifest of the culture to the behavior of main character.
2.1.2 Self-actualization in the Theory of Human Needs
Reviewing on self-actualization theory, in this study, I employ several theories. Based on Vernon J. Nordby and Calvin S. Hall, the psychologists researching on self-actualization are Abraham Maslow (116), Carl Gustav Jung (95), and Kurt Goldstein (66). Three of them are talking about self-actualization with different views.
Jung said about personality is referred to as the psyche (97). Psyche consists of three components. They are the conscious ego, the personal unconscious and its complexes, and the collective unconscious and its archetypes. Jung also stated the important dynamic concepts are psychic energy or libido, value, entropy, and equivalence. Developmental concepts are those of individuation, the transcendent function, and symbolization. Furthermore, Jung
12 stated that a typology has been very influential. It consists of the attitudes of extraversion and introversion, and the psychological functions of thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuiting. As the final concept of Jung is synchronicity.
Unlike Jung, Kurt Goldstein’s principal concept is organism (68). Goldstein divided the organism functions based on the three dynamic concepts. The functions are equalization, self-actualization, and “coming to terms” with the environment. The abstract attitude and concrete attitude is the famous works of Goldstein.
Another expert who is talking about self-actualization is Abraham H. Maslow. The famous work of Abraham Maslow about individual personality is the hierarchy of needs. In discovering the human needs, Maslow borrowed some concepts from other experts. However, Maslow found some original values. There are metaneeds, self-actualizing persons, and peak experiences (117).
After several reading and finding others sources, I prefer to employ self- actualization theory by Abraham Maslow as the basis of this study. The other reason is Abraham Maslow is the psychologist who discovers the core of traits that distinguish self-actualizing individuals (117).
In Hebert L. Petri’s book Motivation: Theory and Research (301), there are five stages on Maslow’s theory of human needs. It is well-known as the hierarchy of needs. Before someone can fulfill the self-actualization, which is the highest level in the hierarchy, it is crucial for the human being to satisfy the lower level of their needs.
13 The first stage is physiological needs. As the basic stage, it becomes the strongest needs among the other human needs to be able to survive physically.
The needs are hunger, thirst, sex, sleep, oxygen, and the other biological needs.
The second stage is safety needs. The safety needs represent a need safety or security in our environment, such as protection, law, and stability. This safety needs also include the personal security, financial security, and health. Because of the reason, people mostly chose to have secure jobs, familiar surroundings, and insurances.
The third stage is belongingness and love needs. In this stage, human needs to feel as a part of a group, and to have relationship with the others. These needs are different from sexual needs. It is more to get affection from family and from the surroundings, have a work group, and have relationship with others as a part of a society.
The fourth stage is esteem needs. Esteem needs present a normal human desire to be accepted and valued by others. It is called a positive need because this need likes an evaluation of oneself.
The last is self-actualization. This is the final stage of development in the hierarchy of human needs. Someone will come to this stage if they are already satisfied the first, second, third, and fourth needs. It is the needs which are motivated human to grow, to find self-fulfillment, and to realize one’s potential.
Based on Maslow’s The Farther Research of Human Nature (44), there are eight ways leading to self-actualization. The eight ways are:
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1. Concentration According to Maslow, “First, self-actualization means experiencing fully, vividly, selflessly, with full concentration, and total absorption” (44). In experiencing a moment in life, individuals have to be aware of everything happens around them. Therefore, it is important for individuals to forget their resistance and introversion. This is the moment of self-actualizing.
2. Growth choices In life, individuals have to make a lot of choices. In making decision, it can lead to the progress choice or the regress choice. More than those choices which an individual has to make, there is a growth choice to choose one option, the right choice. To make a growth choice in life, someone has to open his or herself to the new and the challenging experiences and not afraid to the possible failure or disappointment. That is why self-actualization called as an ongoing process (44).
3. Self-awareness Self-awareness is a moment when an individual becomes aware of their own potentials and their inner nature. In this phase, an individual can decide their own likes and dislikes or the right or wrong for their own.
4. Honesty Sometimes there is a time when doubt comes to someone’s mind. It is not easy to make an honest decision. Self-actualization happens when an individual can make an honest action based on their heart and take the responsibility of it.
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5. Judgment By following those first four steps can guarantee individuals to have a better life. When individuals dare to follow their own taste, they can feel that they already make a good judgment for their own. They will find a better choice about what is right or wrong for him or her.
6. Self-development Self-actualization is also an ongoing process developing individual’s potentialities. It means that working to do well the thing that one wants to do (46).
It is a never ending process to make real the potentials in life.
7. Peak experiences Peak experiences are transient moments of self-actualization (46). At this moment, individuals are already aware of their own potential and where their good at. Individuals can think clearly, have better understanding to others, and have less conflict with their selves.
8. Lack of ego defenses This is the hardest thing to do. Individuals have to be able to make defenses although sometimes it hurts to make a defense to something unpleasant.
When individual has to make a defense, individual must be aware to the other defense the society.
This novel tells about Totto-chan’s childhood experiences. Therefore, from those eight ways in leading to self-actualization, I will only focus on the first way about direct experiences that can help someone to actualize herself or
16 himself. It helps me in analyzing the manifest of seven principles of Bushido in Totto-chan self-actualization.
2.1.3 Characteristics of the Self-Actualized Person
In Hebert L. Petri (305), Maslow makes a list of characteristics self- actualized person. Those characteristics are more efficient perception of reality and more comfortable with it, acceptance of self, others, and nature, spontaneity, problem centering, detachment (need for privacy), independence from culture and environment, continued freshness of appreciation, mystic experience or oceanic feeling, sympathy of humankind, interpersonal relations, democratic character structure, means and ends, philosophical, unhostile sense of humor, and last is creativity. From those characteristics, I will only apply some of those characteristics which can support me to analyze the main character, Totto-chan.
1. Acceptance of self, others, and nature Self-actualized individuals were also analyzed as accepting themselves and their own foibles without guilt or extremely anxiety (305). They will accept people for what the way they are.
2. Spontaneity Self-actualized person has spontaneity, simplicity, and naturalness in their actions and thoughts. They will follow their intuition in their acting and behaving. They will do what they think it is right to do. However, they will behave based on the code of ethics they have and it makes them look unconventional.
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3. Sympathy for humankind Self-actualized person has feeling for the others. They also tend to have a feeling of togetherness, aware, and sensitive to their surrounding.
In the novel Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window, the influence of the culture toward the main character’s self-actualization is very interesting to be analyzed. It is because the culture that Japanese believe as their moral value can reflect the power of the society in controlling Totto-chan’s life and behavior.
Those three characteristics are appeared toward Totto-chan’s self-actualization experiences as a process to develop Totto-chan personality. Based on the descriptions from the author of Totto-chan, self-actualization will be analyzed.
2.1.4 Theory of Character
In this study, I use the theory of character and characterization in understanding Japanese culture through Totto-chan character in the novel.
Japanese culture deals with the society and the historical background of the environment. Because of that reason, I mostly use the socio-cultural-historical approach to analyze the novel. The theory of character and characterization is used when I want to examine Totto-chan’s character as the main character in the novel. I apply this theory by relating the theory with their behavior and action.
According to Abrams (23), characters are the person’s described in a literary work, who have the moral and natural qualities that can be identified by seeing what they say as in the dialogue and what they do as in the action. Characters have emotion, temperament, moral, and social values that become the
18 basic motivation of his or her speech and actions. During the story, a character can have some changes or in stable. The experiences that are happened to the character can affect their thoughts, ideas, or their environment or society.
Meanwhile, according to Hugh Holman (81) in his book says character is a brief draft that describes a personage who has definite quality. This quality relates to the idea of moral construction of human personality. Each character has his own value, thus represents a sort of human being.
All definitions above try to say that the moral principle is represented through the character. In this novel, Totto-chan is presented in dramatic and narrative way with dialogue and actions. Furthermore, those dialogue and actions are meant for Totto-chan to express herself. Through the dialogue and actions, readers can understand more about Totto-chan thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Her behavior, as represented in the novel, expresses her emotion, her temper, and even moral principles. Using this theory, I can analyze those behavior, dialog and actions, and get the fact beyond the moral principles.
2.1.5 Theory of Characterization
Based on Abrams definition of character, it is obvious that what the characters say and do is very important in analyzing the character. Through the actions and dialogues, readers can see the interaction of the character to other characters in a literary work. Moreover, they can determine what kind of person he or she is. This theory is seeing from how character is revealed by those aspects.
19 Meanwhile, Hugh Holman (81) explains characterization in three ways.
The first is the explicit presentation, which means that the author gives direct exposition of the character. The second is the presentation of character in action, which means there is no explicit comment from the author, and the readers examine the character’s characteristic from the action. The last is the representation from within a character, “without comment on the character by the author, of the impact of actions and emotions on the characters itself”. The purpose is the readers can understand the attitude of each character clearly.