INDIVIDUAL CHOICE AS A WAY TO SHOW THE FREEDOM ON HUMAN EXISTENCE SEEN IN GRAHAM GREENE’S A BURNT-OUT CASE AND IWAN SIMATUPANG’S ZIARAH
INDIVIDUAL CHOICE AS A WAY TO SHOW THE
FREEDOM ON HUMAN EXISTENCE SEEN IN GRAHAM
GREENE’S A BURNT-OUT CASE AND IWAN SIMATUPANG’S
ZIARAH
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
BERNADUS PURNAWAN
Student Number: 014214141 ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
Then you’ll find the strength
That will guide your way
If you will learn to begin
To trust the voice within
Christina Aguelera - Singer This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to My beloved Mom and Dad
Thanks for your never ending love…
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all I would like to say my deepest gratitude to Jesus Christ who always gives the light on my way that I can finish my thesis.
With million of loves and kisses my gratitude goes to my Mom and Dad who never say “tired” for the patient and never ending love they give to me. I thank also to my dearest brother Limpat for his uncountable support and care.
I would like to thank my advisor Paulus Sarwoto, S.S., M.A. and co advisor Gabriel Fajar Sasmita Aji S.S., M.Hum who always give me help and guidance during my undergraduate thesis writing. I also thank my academic advisor Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd, M.Hum. and Maria Ananta, S.S. who have given me many worthy upbringings for years during my study in this university.
My special gratitude to all of my hectic and chaotic friends in English Letters Sanata Dharma University Fariz ‘Gadibol”, Imbi “Genjik’, Oseph ‘Pukon’, Garry ‘Garong’, Sandi ‘Sendel’, Fredi ‘Kong-Kong’, Iksan’Kotos’, Deny ‘Item’, Petrus ‘Sepep’, Sigit ‘Kuntet’, Bertus, Vava, Ian, Endra, Obed, Yongki, Tito, Wisnu, Bimo,John, Jimmy,Tommy (thanks guys for coloring my days, I won’t forget you all) And the girls; Ayu, Sinda, Erna, Dita, Dian, Olin, Farah, Mila, Amanda, Iwul, Voni, Lia, Jutek, vanny (you are still and always the best). Last but not least, I thank all English Letters’ Lectures and USD staffs, friends, relatives, and all people that I cannot mention one by one who have helped me in writing this undergraduate thesis.
Bernadus Purnawan
TABLE OF CONTENTS
5 Theories on Literature and Existential Philosophy………….... 22
B. Freedom on Human Existence ……………………...………………… 53
2. Iwan Simatupang’s Ziarah........................................................ 40
1. Graham Greene’s A Burnt-out Case………………………….. 31
31
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY…………………………………………….. 26
A. Object of the Study…………………………………………………….. 26 B. Approach of the Study………………………………………………..... 28 C. Method of the Study………………………………………………….... 30CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS…………………………………………………...... 31
A. Individual Choices ………………………......………………………..C. Theoretical Framework……………………………………………..… 25
6. Theories on Comparative literature…………………………... 23
4. Theories on Existentialism …………………………………… 20
TITLE PAGE……………………………………………………………………… i APPROVAL PAGE………………………………………………………….......... ii ACCEPTANCE PAGE……………………………………………………………. iii MOTTO PAGE……………………………………………………………………. iv DEDICATION PAGE……………………………………………………………... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………….. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………….. vii ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………….. viii ABSTRAK………………………………………………………………………… ix
3. Theories on Individualism ……………………………………. 16
2. Theories on Characterization...……………………………….. 15
14
B. Review on Related Theories………………………………………...... 14 1. Theories on Characters……………………………………….
2. On Iwan Simatupang’s Ziarah………………………………... 11
1. On Graham Greene’s A Burnt Out case……………………….. 8
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION………………………………………………. 1
A. Background of the Study…………………………………………........ 1 B. Problem Formulation………………………………………………….. 5 C. Objectives of the Study…………………………………………….…. 6 D. Definition of Terms……………………………………………………. 6CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW…………………………………..... 8
A. Review on Related Studies…………………………………………….. 8
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION…………………………………………………. 71
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………… 73
ABSTRACT
BERNADUS PURNAWAN. Individual Choice as a Way to Show the Freedom
on Human Existence Seen in Graham Greene’s A Burnt-Out Case and Iwan
Simatupang’s Ziarah. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of
Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2007.
Truth is subjective, and every man is free to make a choice in his life according to his belief. A Burnt-Out Case and Ziarah try to reveal this kind of idea, which the characters make individual choices to show that they can live by their own selves independently without the help from others to find their freedom. More important in the choices, is that each character must be conscious and responsible with them.
This thesis discusses two problems. Firstly the writer analyzes the individual choices made by the characters in both novel A Burnt-Out Case and
Ziarah. Secondly the writer analyzes how those individual choices show the
freedom of human existence.In analyzing this study the writer used library research method, in which the writer searched many books and articles related to the study. From the research the writer found that philosophy of existentialism is the most suitable approach applied in the study.
The result is that although the novels are different on their cultural backgrounds and languages, they reveal the same idea of existentialism that individual choice can bring man into a freedom. It is really proven from the choice taken by each character in both novels. Each character shows that human being is a unique being that he has the capability to think, so he determines his life according to what he believes in. Sometimes each character should make his own world by isolating himself in a place which is far away from public to gain his will that is freedom. Afterwards, this study explains the value of individualism which is important for each human being in doing his action. Because when a man makes a choice he makes of himself, so he should concern towards himself and be responsible with it. Without responsibility the choice he made will be nothing, because although a man is free in his existence he should has responsibility in it
ABSTRAK
BERNADUS PURNAWAN. Individual Choice as a Way to Show the Freedom
on Human Existence Seen in Graham Greene’s A Burnt-Out Case and Iwan
Simatupang’s Ziarah. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra,
Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2007.
Kebenaran bersifat subyektif, setiap manusia bebas untuk membuat pilihan menurut pendapatnya masing-masing. Novel A Burnt-Out Case and Ziarah mencoba untuk mengungkap ide ini dimana tokoh-tokoh yang ada di novel-novel tersebut mengambil pilihan pribadi untuk menunjukkan bahwa mereka dapat hidup mandiri tanpa bantuan dari orang lain dalam meraih kebebasannya. Lebih penting lagi, yaitu bahwa masing-masing karakter membuat pilihan itu dengan secara sadar dan bertanggung jawab terhadapnya.
Skripsi ini mediskusikan dua masalah. Pertama, penulis menganalisis pilihan-pilihan pribadi yang dibuat oleh tokoh-tokoh didalam kedua novel. Kedua, penulis menganalisis bagaimana pilihan-pilihan pribadi tersebut menunjukkan kebebasan pada eksistensi manusia.
Didalam menganalisis, penulis menggunakan metode penelitian pustaka. penulis mencari berbagai buku dan artikel yang berhubungan dengan analisa studi. Dari penelitian tersebut penulis menemukan bahwa pendekatan filsafat eksitensialisme merupakan pendekatan yang paling cocok untuk diaplikasikan didalam studi ini.
Hasilnya ditemukan bahwa walaupun novel-novel tersebut berbeda didalam latar belakang budaya dan bahasanya, novel-novel tersebut mengungkap ide eksitensialisme yang sama bahwa pilihan pribadi dapat membawa manusia pada kebebasan. Ini sangat dibuktikan dengan pilihan yang diambil oleh masing- masing karakter di kedua novel. Masing-masing tokoh menunjukkan bahwa manusia adalah makhluk yang unik. Dia mempunyai kemampuan untuk berfikir sehingga dia bisa menentukan kehidupannya sendiri sesuai dengan apa yang dia inginkan. Kadang tokoh-tokoh di kedua novel harus membuat dunianya sendiri dengan cara mengasingkan diri di tempat yang jauh dari keramain untuk mendapatkan keinginannya yaitu kebebasan. Selain itu, studi ini menjelaskan pentingnya sifat individual pada manusia dalam melakukan sebuah aksi. Karena ketika manusia sedang membuat pilihan dia melakukannya hanya untuk dirinya sendiri, sehingga dia harus memperhitungkan dirinya sendiri disamping itu dia harus bertanggungjawab terhadap pilihannya. Tanpa adanya tanggungjawab pilihan yang dibuat oleh seseorang bukanlah apa-apa, karena walaupun manusia itu bebas didalam kehidupannya dia harus mempunyai rasa tanggungjawab terhadap eksistensinya.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study It is a human nature that everybody wants to make a change in this life, a
change that can bring each individual to find the truth of life. In undergoing this life each individual has an aim to reach a freedom in the future days, because of that a man must have courage to choose in this life. Life itself is a choice for every human being, and it is taken to determine what life he wants to be. Every step of human life is always faced with choices. Every human being has his own goal in this life. Everyone decides his own life, whatever it is. In his book entitled
Existentialism Mary Warnock says that; It is, in fact, to choose it as a goal, to set it up as an ideal to be aimed at.
There is therefore no question at all, in Sartre’s view, of discovering any
absolute values in the world. There just are no such things. If a man says
that something is good or that it is bad, he is choosing it as a goal; he is not describing a property that it has(pg: 123). Bad or good of the choice is not the matters, because if a man is choosing something, he is choosing for himself not for others. Each individual is different to one another in valuing something, including how to value this life. Individual power has big role for every person, because a man only finds his truth in himself.
Although a man lives in the society, he decides his life himself. Every person has his own ideal of life that can be different from the others. Bad according to society is not always bad for man himself, because of that Individual mind must be dare against the public perspective to find the truth of life.
The existence of human beings is inseparable with their will to be free. Man exists in this world to seek freedom, and every man has his own way to find the freedom in his existence. Graham Greene and Iwan Simatupang try to explain through their novels A Burnt-out Case and Ziarah that freedom can be found in every individual choice, because each man has his own ability to think and to choose how to live his life. Man is free when he himself individually free, meaning that if a man wants to be free, he should be dare to use his individual choice to find the truth of his life. Each individual has his own idea about the truth. It depends on the individual perspective. As Kierkegaard notes in Makers of
the Modern Theological Mind: SOREN KIERKEGAARD written by Elmer H.
Duncan; When the question of the truth is raised subjectively, reflection is directed subjectively to the nature of the individual’s relationship; if only the mode of this relationship is the truth, the individual is the truth, even if he should happen to be thus related to what is not true (pg. 87-88).
It is a truth if it is subjective, because of that individuality is the most important thing in this idea. On the other hand every individual choice is a truth, because this choice is very subjective. Everybody is free to make choice in undergoing this life. Everybody has prerogative right in choosing what life he wants to be that other people cannot interfere with it, therefore Public should be able to appreciate somebody’s life whatever it is. No one can judge the job of other person, because bad or good of someone cannot be measure from the profession he has. Whatever one’s job is, it is a choice as long as he is responsible with it, others have nothing to do with it.
Graham Greene’s A Burnt-out Case and Iwan Simatupang’s Ziarah are nationally and linguistically different but they reveal the same idea of individual choice, of which the main characters are trying to use their own choices to find what they mean by freedom in their existence. Every choice made by human being is a symbol that he is free, because in making a choice he makes it for himself, he knows what is good and bad for him, all the truth is only in himself.
By making a choice a man also proves in his existence that he can stand by his own and does not depends to other people. Man makes his own destiny and is free to the life he has. And for the choices he made, a man should be responsible with them.
In A Burnt-Out Case, Greene tries to show obviously what individual choice is through the character of Querry. In the story Querry is described as a person who leaves his success in the past life and tries to begin a new life. He leaves everything he has, including his vocation as an architect and all his money he has. He does not like his life anymore and he prefers to go by himself with no friend on his side to a very remote area of leproserie in Congo. He wants to go in a place where no one in his past life can find him. He wants to forget every piece of his past life and throw far away from his life. He wants to bury it deeply from his memory. He needs something new in his life in which he can live freely without any bother from the people around him who is always take honor to him because of his works in making beautiful buildings in his country. He is already bored with the behaviors of the people around him who always disturb his personal life. Being a famous person has made Querry does not really have a privacy, so he runs away from it and chooses to live in Africa. In making this decision Querry is not interfered by other people around him, it is pure his own choice because he had been already bored with the life he went through. He wants to find another life to find freedom and truth that he could not find in his past life.
Iwan Simatupang’s Ziarah is just another novel which explains what individual freedom is. In this novel there are two central characters, they are the cemetery supervisor and ex-artist. Before being the supervisor in cemetery, he was a student of doctoral degree in final semester. And he was the one of the smartest students in the class. He is also the one and only heir of his parents’ wealth. His choice as a supervisor in cemetery has made his parents and the people who love him shock. According to him money and academic title are not special for him, his choice to work in the cemetery is just merely a choice that he must take to find individual freedom. He wants to exist in his own life, in which he can appreciate his own life.
In Iwan Simatupang’s Ziarah, the Ex-artist is described as a person with super talented in painting. He changes his vocation is merely to find individual freedom in his existence. He leaves all his money and his fame because he was not happy with this condition. For him, life is not just to seek wealth and be adored by other people, so he turns around his life by becoming a painter for the wall of a cemetery. This change makes people in the town are surprised at him.
They cannot believe it that the famous artist with a big amount of money in his account is working at the cemetery to paint the wall. But for the ex-artist, it is his own choice, a choice which is pure from his conscious thinking. He is happy living as a cemetery wall painter. He does not care what people are thinking about him. Truth is very subjective and personal, so he makes his choice based on what he means by truth. The most important in his life is he himself. Whatever his decision is, as long as it is his individual choice he will undergo it with full of consciousness and responsibility.
Existentialism is very close with individual choice and freedom. As truth is subjective, so every individual choice made by human being is also truth. And in this life a man must make a choice to complete his existence as full human being who is able to think for himself independently. In his existence as individual being, a man cannot be separated with his will to find freedom, including in his choice. Others may say anything, but in the end the decision is always in the man himself. Because there will be no collective truth in existentialism, the only truth is individual. In this study I try to explain this idea through Graham Greene’s A
Burnt-out Case and Iwan Simatupang’s Ziarah related with theories of
existentialism.B. Problem Formulation
Referring to the explanation above this study attempts to answer the following two interrelated questions:
1. How do the characters in Graham Greene’s A Burnt-out Case and Iwan Simatupang’s Ziarah make their individual choices in their lives?
2. How do the individual choices show the freedom on human existence in both novels?
C. Objectives of Study
There are two objectives of study in this thesis, the first is to know the choice made by each character in both novel Graham Greene’s A Burnt-out case and Iwan Simatupang’s Ziarah. Secondly, the objective is to know how the individual choices made by the characters show the freedom in their existence.
D. Definition of Terms
To avoid misunderstanding for some terms used in this study, it is necessary to explain them so that the readers comprehend what the writer wants to say. Those terms are:
1. Exist Warnock notes that exist is “able to think for themselves” (1979: 12). It is the idea that makes human being is different from the others being. Man has ability to think to make an action and find freedom in his existence.
2. Existence Macquarrie in his book Existentialism says a man makes his life as his own awareness to be different from others. His centre attention lies on the idea that the existence of human being is his existence as a unique being to become an individual person that is distinct from everyone else;
“an existent is not just an ‘it’; the existent says ‘I’, and in uttering the personal pronoun lays claim not just to a unique place and perspective in the world but to a unique being. ‘Mineness’ is a term that has sometimes been used to express the awareness that my existence is unique and distinct from the existence of everyone else. I am not just a specimen of a class. I am I. And this last statement is not merely a tautology. It is an assertion of my unique individual being as an existent who stands out as
3. Being According to Gabriel Marcel in his book The Philosophy of Existentialism explains that a man who is able to think and the source of knowledge he should make an action according to what he believes in and independently.
“Being, in this case, is equivalent to doing. Man reveals himself, under observation, as an organized unit of behaviors and comportments. But the characteristic of this manner of being is its self-determination: the existence of an act postulates its autonomy” (1964: 80)
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies
1. On Graham Greene’s A Burnt Out case
It is only a little who said that Greene’s works especially A Burnt Out case is an existential novel. They believe that A Burnt Out case is psychological novel of which the character tries to struggle his inner desire. A critic says that Greene concentrates on portraying the internal life of his characters, their mental, emotional and spiritual depths. They are usually deeply troubled by internal struggles, world-weariness and cynicism and living in seedy, sordid or rootless circumstances . Novel of Psychological is also stated by Towson Talisman for Greene’s A Burnt-Out
Case, he notes in his essay entitled The Apollonian - Dionysian Paradox in the
Modern Novel that Graham Greene, in his novel, A Burnt-Out Case, chooses a
predominantly Apollonian mode of behavior tempered with Dionysian humanitarianism as the resolution of the paradoxical duality of human experience . He tries to use the character of Querry to describe the apollonian character in which this character always uses his rational order in doing his action, while Dionysian character is represented by Rycker who always wants to get pleasure in his life. Talisman believes that psychological aspects have a big role in forming the character of
Besides psychological themes, Greene often raises catholic issues in his novels. Greene who grew up in a catholic environment has made him as a well known catholic writer. Kevin McGowin in his article entitled Graham Greene,
The Major Novels: A Centenary explains that Graham Greene's most esteemed
novels today are generally those known as his "Catholic" novels, in which that religion plays a large part in character and plot <http://www.eclectica. org/v8n4/mcgowin_greene.html>. Catholic idea has influenced Greene in writing his novels, and A Burnt-Out Case is one of the examples. The characters that appear in his novels are always related with catholic issue. The same with McGowin, Carol Fewster also agrees that A Burnt-Out Case is a catholic novel . Fewster gives comment that this is the last catholic novel he has made. This novel is so down to earth in which Greene tries to tell to the reader to concern with worth of living.
Although Greene was a catholic writer, he tried to encounter Catholicism in his novels, and it can be seen in A Burnt-Out Case and his other works. Greene is aware that one can still live with or without religion.
“A Burnt-Out Case therefore affords an audacious (but valid) claim that is
possible for a man of intelligence, modesty, honesty, and remorse to make his life without a god. The claim adumbrates a borderline existentialist tenet, which believes in an individualism that is free from any social and external influence in order to achieve autonomous decision-making in life and ultimately giving a tight grip on one's fate” <http://mattviews. blogspot.com/2006/01/9-burnt-out-case-grahamgreene.html#links/>
Man is free to have or not a religion and it is a right for every human being. Every man makes his own choice for himself without the influence from the outside, including decision in a faith.
Graham Greene was a souvenir from twentieth century, many people adore his incredible works which often raise unique and different themes.
Greene’s chief concern is the moral and spiritual struggles within individuals . It is true that Greene often brings the idea of individualism and how a man must struggle to defend his individual choice. Existentialism is an idea Greene wants to have in his novel A
Burn-out Case. The most attention in this novel is that Greene tries to raise
individual power, especially on the character of Querry.However, there is a critic also who tries to encounter graham Greene’s existentialism, it is stated that the description of Querry in "A Burnt-Out Case" is surely intended to reflect on Greene: selfish, vain, deceptive, coldly, irresponsible . It seems that the quotation above does not mirror the whole content of the novel. It is hard to believe that Querry is irresponsible person, his choice to go to Congo in a leproserie is symbol of his responsibility towards his own life. He really knows what is good for him and for the others.
Moreover Jeffrey Meyers gives comment in his book “Greene’s Travel
Books.” Graham Greene: A Revaluation: New Essays that “Greene explores the
themes of failure and seediness, misery and sordidness, humiliation and disaster” (1990: 51). However, Greene tries to use the “unhappiness” for a specific purpose.
In A Burnt-Out Case Greene shows the power of individual in dealing with such
feeling. Misery is used to find a freedom for Querry, because he has been already bored with a pleasure life. He wants to have a different life.
2. On Iwan Simatupang’s Ziarah
Unlike Graham Greene’s A Burnt-Out Case, Ziarah is a novel that most of its critics believe that this is a novel which raises theme of existential philosophy, in a book entitled Inspirasi? Nonsense! Novel-novel Iwan Simatupang Kurnia says that Ziarah is a novel which has been influenced by philosopher from France, especially in the idea of Existentialism;
“Kutipan-kutipan itu mengindikasikan semacam konsep dasar Iwan dalam penulisan Ziarah (demikian pula untuk novel-novelnya yang lain, yakni Merahnya merah, Kering, dan Kooong). Petikan kalimat-kalimat filsuf itu berpusat pada upaya mendefinisikan manusia secara mendasar dengan tema-tema “eksistensi sejati”, “pertanggungjawaban atas hidup”, “kebebasan manusia”, “sikap pandang semestinya seorang penulis”, dan “bagaimana manusia itu”. Konsep-konsep itu, sedikit banyak terjabarkan dalam keseluruhan Ziarah maupun tiga novel lainnya. Dari sumber konsepnya, dari tiga filsuf yang dikutipnya sebagai landasan proses kreatifnya, memang memberi pesan kuat bahwa Iwan tercekam pesona gaya filsafat eksistensialisme dan fenomenologi, yang khususnya dia ambil dari Prancis” (1999: 4)
[“The passages indicate a kind of main concept for Iwan in writing Ziarah (and also the other novels, such as Merahnya Merah, Kering, and
Kosong). The center of the philosophical passages lies on how to define
basic human with ‘real existentialism’, “living responsibility”, “human freedom”, “attitude as a writer”, and “how human beings should be”.
Ziarah and the other his three novels describe this kind of concept. From
the sources that Iwan took from the three philosophers for his basic creative process, they give a strong message that Iwan was influenced by existential philosophy and phenomenology, especially those which he took from France” (1999: 4)]
Kurnia believes that responsibility and human freedom are the ideas that Simatupang wants to gives to the reader in his novel Ziarah. Basic intention of existentialism is on how human beings are free from every single thing of their actions. In making this action man must be conscious and responsible with it. And this is a concept Simatupang wants to raise in his novel. Ziarah.
Toda in his book entitled Novel Baru Iwan Simatupang also agrees that Ziarah is an existential novel, he notes that;
“Iwan memilih imaji “gelandangan” sebagai “wadah” pembiasan terbaik dari posisi dan status tokoh dalam kesadaran antinomy eksistensil tersebut di atas. Manusia gelandangan, menurut hemat Iwan (surat, 21/10/1968) memiliki posisi dan status “manusia terbuka”, mengujuk ke sekian arah/penjuru, “fatum” mereka tidak mengenal determinisime- determinisme” (1980: 71)
[“Iwan chooses “drifter” imagination as a “place” for best description of the position and character status in existential antinomy consciousness. According to Iwan (letter, 21-10-1968 ) drifter has position and status as “open man” that can go anywhere he like to, he is free from the determinisms around him”(1980: 71)]
In Ziarah, Simatupang gives a character of “drifter” as a symbol of freedom. It is different from the Character of the major whose all of his decisions must be concerned with the public, while a drifter is free. He should not discuss his choice to the other because he is free for anything he decides in his existence.
Another critique on this novel made by Yulia I. Suryakusuma, which is put in a book consisting collection of critiques on Iwan Simatupang’s works entitled
Iwan Simatupang: Pembaharu sastra Indonesia, she says that “Ziarah yang menokohkan manusia-manusia yang sangat aneh, mengambil sebagai tema bahwa sebagai makhluk spiritual adalah kebebasan, sedang sebagai makhluk alamiah, menghayati keharusan- keharusan. (1985:145)
[“Ziarah, of which the characters are very weird, brings a theme that as a spiritual being, man is free. While as a nature being, man should be obedient to order” (1985: 145)]
In this novel, Simatupang tries to emphasize that every man must seek freedom in his existence in this world. Be brave to make a choice is one example of freedom belongs to a man. But sometimes someone’s choice is not suitable to the others or of the cemetery supervisor and the ex-artist in the novel are dealing with. They often face the disagreement in their choices towards the collective truth, but they keep defending their choices, as long as those are their own choices and do not break the order, so they will be responsible with those choices.
The same idea also raised by Sihar Ramses Simatupang in his essay Iwan
Simatupang: Musafir di Lorong Kelam Jiwa Manusia responding Ziarah; “Iwan Maratua Dongan Simatupang dikenal juga sebagai sastrawan yang tidak hanya menghasilkan karya sastra, hampir seluruh karyanya nyaris merupakan sebuah eksperimentasinya pada dunia filsafat yang dia gauli: eksistensialisme. Seakan seorang Albert Camus-nya Indonesia, dia sisipkan beberapa rangkai filsafat dalam karyanya sendiri” .
[“Iwan Maratua Dongan Simatupang is well known as a writer who does not only write a literary works, but almost his works are experiments in philosophical realm that is; existentialism. As if he is the Albert Camus from Indonesia, he puts philosophical passages in his works” ]
Many of philosophical lessons can be got from Ziarah. Samatupang was a talented writer, he uses existentialism as the centre idea in his novel.
In this undergraduate thesis the writer wants to develop other studies that already analyzed those works before, especially those which study about existentialism for these works. But in this case the writer will focus in the idea of individual choice which the works share in finding the freedom of human existence. This study will be different from the others because the writer tries to compare between Graham Greene’s A Burnt-Out Case and Iwan Simatupang’s
Ziarah. He wants to prove that works of literature are interconnected with one
another.B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theories on Character
Since this study tries to analyze on the characters in the novel how they reveal the idea that the writer wants to raise, the theories of character and characterization are needed. According to Stanton in An Introduction to Fiction, character has two meanings. It can mean the individuals who appear in the story, and it also refers to the mixture of interests, desire, emotions and moral principles that shape each of these individuals (1965:17).
Abrams, in A Glossary of Literature terms, states that character is the person who appears in dramatic or narrative work that has both moral and dispositional qualities. Those kinds of qualities can be seen through his action and speech constitutes his motivation (1981: 20). Moreover Abrams adds that character is “the person presented in a dramatic work, which is interpreted by readers as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional of qualities that are expressed in what they say—the dialogue—and do—action” (1981: 23) While Rohrberger and Woods focus on the major and minor character.
They explain that “character in a novel can be divided into major and minor characters. Major character is the most important character, the central character, the one to whom all the events in the story have relevance” (Rohrberger and Woods, 1971: 20). The same with Rohrberger and Woods, Stanton agrees that major character usually always develops in a story. He said “the events in the story cause some changes either in the central character or in the reader’s attitude toward the major character” (Stanton, 1965: 17). Major character is often called the protagonist or the hero (Van de Laar and Schoonderwoerd, 1963: 164). All the events in the story will focus on the major character. It makes this character static and develops as the story goes. It is why major character is important in a fiction.
2. Theories on Characterization
In Reading And Writing About Literature Rohrberger and Woods say that the process by which an author creates a character is called characterization. There are two principal ways an author can characterize his characters. First, he can use direct means to describe physical appearance, intellectual, moral attributes, and the degree of sensitivity of the characters. Second, he can use dramatic means and place of the character in situation to show what the character is by the way he behaves or speaks (1971: 20).
Not quite different from the critic before, but here Holman and Harmon give three methods of characterization; firstly, by the explicit presentation from the author of the character through direct exposition; secondly, by the presentation of the character in action; and thirdly, by the representation from within a character (1986: 81). They also believe the important in lifelike characterization in fictions such as drama, novel, short story, or narrative poem.
Meanwhile Jones Yelland and Easton explain that characterization is the
creation imaginary persons. In some literary works, the author pictures certain qualities of his own nature while in other works, he just presents the characters of the real or imaginary people and does not involve more than just in the background. Characterization is meant to help the reader in understanding the character’s reason for doing such thing. Moreover, the readers will be emotionally involved when they read the story (Yellend, 1953:30). If the characters in a fiction are lifelike, it will make the readers gets easy to understand the story.
3. Theories on Individualism
Individualism often refers to the idea that emphasizes the important of the individual power. Fairchild says that “Basically, individualism is an attitude which stresses the supremacy or the importance of the individual person or personality” (1962: 92). Individualism is quite the same with selfish but in positive meaning. By trying to be selfish man can decide what the best for him.
Individualism also concerns in human freedom. As a free individual being, a man is free in making decision which concerns with him, because he lives for himself not for others. Machan in Capitalism and Individualism: Reforming the
Argument for the Free Society said that,
Only human beings can help to bring about goodness and badness, of their own initiative or choice. Each human being has the capacity to initiate his or her own qualitative individuation as a matter of what he or she chooses to do. In short, each person has free will. And in the case of human beings, they may choose to act either in accordance or in defiance of their nature, with the standards amount to moral standards. In addition, each person has the responsibility toward every deed in his or her life (1990: 61)
Individually, a man is free as long as he is responsible with his choice. Every man has individual right to have freedom in doing something whether it is against the collective truth or not.
The power of individuality is also represented by Bradley in a book entitled Existentialism written by Mary Warnock, he explains that, There is no possibility of acts of will themselves being common to more than one person. I cannot exercise your will or make your decision, any more than I can, literally, speak with your voice or walk with your legs. You may advise me or command me, but in the end, even if I do what you tell me, or what anyone would have done, I do it myself. My acts are my own. So it is possible that the value of my act of will may attach to it as mine, whereas if you had done the same thing there would have been no value in your act of will (Warnock, 1970: 5-6)
Though one’s life is being surrounded by people, his decision is his own decision only. People around him can advise or give comment towards him to do what they feel good for them, but all decision is absolutely on him. It is only him who has right to make a choice in his life and others are just part of his choice. Moreover Sartre in Being and Nothingness also notes that we must decide for ourselves how to live, what is good and what is bad, and that this is a purely personal decision, which no one can take on behalf of another (Warnock, 1970: 94)
Macquarrie explains that individualism is to stand in the possibility of becoming at one with oneself, of fulfilling oneself (though this might be by giving up oneself) or of being divided in oneself, separated from what everyone knows how to call his ‘true self’(1973: 75). According to him, in individualism a man is living for himself. And it is what he calls ‘true’self in which a man will find the truth if only he can become one with himself.
Individual also means independent, one is asked to value himself because only himself who can make success for his future. Public is not always good to follow, one must have a self awareness that he is higher than anything around him. In a book entitled The Virtue of Selfishness: A New Concept of Egoism Ayn Rand says that;
The theory of individualism is a central component of the objectivist philosophy. Individualism is at once and ethical-political one. As an ethical-political concept, individualism upholds the supremacy of individual rights, the principle that man is an end in himself, not a means to the end of others. Individualism holds that man should think and judge independently, valuing nothing higher than the sovereignty of his intellect (1964: 135)
One must believe in himself, and it is the most suitable phrase to describe what Rand has said about individualism. Everyone has a power to act individually, he should not depend to the others because the truth is in himself.