The influence of Jonathan`s character on resolving his personal conflict in Richard Bach`s Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

THE INFLUENCE OF JONATHAN’S CHARACTER ON RESOLVING

HIS PERSONAL CONFLICT IN RICHARD BACH’S

JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL

A Thesis

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree

in English Language Education

By

Wuri Krisharyanti Student Number: 051214082

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA

i

THE INFLUENCE OF JONATHAN’S CHARACTER ON RESOLVING

HIS PERSONAL CONFLICT IN RICHARD BACH’S

JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL

A Thesis

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree

in English Language Education

By

Wuri Krisharyanti Student Number: 051214082

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA

iv

STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY

I honestly declare that this thesis, which I have written, does not contain the work or parts of the work of other people, except those cited in the quotations and the references, as a scientific paper should.

Yogyakarta, June 23, 2010 The Writer

v

DEDICATION PAGE

And exercise yourself toward godliness.

For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is

profitable for all things, having promise of the life that

now is and of that which is to come.

I Timothy 4: 7b-8

This thesis is particularly dedicated to:

Jesus Christ

My beloved parents,Drs. Rino Suharyanto and Parinem

My beloved brothers:

Wahyu Kristiono

Wisnu Krisharyanto

Widhiatma Krisnugroho

And to all my friends…….

Dear God we give you thanks for the gift of life and for the times

you have been with us help us….

To live with gratitude and celebration, to live deeply, with purpose

To live freely, with detachment,

To live wisely, with humility, to live justly, with compassion,

To live mindfully, with awareness,

To live gratefully, with generosity,

To live fully, with enthusiasm,

Help us……..

That we may become ever more one with you

Amen

vi

LEMBARAN PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN

PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS

Yang bertanda tangan dibawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma :

Nama : Wuri Krisharyanti

Nomor Mahasiswa : 051214082

Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul: THE INFLUENCE OF JONATHAN’S CHARACTER ON RESOLVING HIS PERSONAL CONFLICT IN RICHARD BACH’S JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan ke dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.

Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.

Dibuat di Yogyakarta

Pada tanggal : 23 Juni 2010

vii

ABSTRACT

Wuri Krisharyanti. (2010). The Influence of Jonathan’s Character on Resolving His Personal Conflict in Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Yogyakarta: Teachers Training and Education Faculty, Department of Language and Arts Education, English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.

This study analyses Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a novelette written by Richard Bach. The novelette tells about life experience as its main issue. The story is about the character of Jonathan, a seagull that gets a punishment from his leader of the flock because he breaks the rule among seagulls. The problems arise when Jonathan is trying to learn perfection of flying. Jonathan gets bored with the routine activity as a seagull. Then, he learns to fly better than the flock because he believes that there is still another way to live besides finding some food with the simplest way of flying. Until one day, he is outcast. After that accident, Jonathan lives alone. He learns everyday about flying until he met other seagull in his new place. All were outcast.

The goal of conducting this study was to know more deeply about the influence of Jonathan’s character on resolving his personal conflict. To attain the goal, this study focused on three questions. The first question is about the character of Jonathan. The second question is about Jonathan’s personal conflicts, both intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts. The third question is the influence of Jonathan’s character on resolving his personal conflicts.

The method which was applied to this study was library research study. The primary source was the novelette itself, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The secondary sources were obtained from several books on literature. The researcher combined some theories of character, characterization, theory of conflicts, conflict resolutions, and managing conflicts.

This thesis applied psychological approach which was aimed to describe Jonathan’s character, to comprehend the patterns of human personality and behavior.

From the analysis, the researcher found that Jonathan was the main character. He is characterized as a young seagull, hardworking, smart, curious, brave and stubborn. Since Jonathan is a young seagull, he always hard work, curious, brave and stubborn. These characters create conflict among Jonathan, his parents, the flock and his instructor, Sullivan. These conflicts were categorized as ego conflict. Jonathan’s characters that are smart and hardworking helped him in solving his conflict.

Finally, the researcher gives two suggestions to complete this thesis. The first one is for the future researcher(s) on Jonathan Livingston Seagull in the next years. Another suggestion is to implement Jonathan Livingston Seagull as the teaching material in paragraph writing class.

viii ABSTRAK

Krisharyanti, Wuri. (2010). The Influence of Jonathan’s character on Resolving His Personal Conflict in Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Yogyakarta: Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Jurusan Bahasa dan Seni, Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Skripsi ini menganalisa novelet, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, yang ditulis oleh Richard Bach. Novelet ini mengangkat tema Pengalaman hidup yang menceritakan karakter Jonathan, seekor burung yang dijatuhi hukuman pengasingan karen melanggar aturan. Permasalahan muncul ketika Jonathan berusaha mempelajari kesempurnaan dalam terbang. Jonathan merasa bosan dengan kegiatan rutinnya sebagai seekor burung camar. Kemudian dia belajar terbang agar lebih baik dari kawanannya karena dia meyakini bahwa masih ada cara lain untuk hidup selain hanya untuk mencari makanan dengan kemampuan terbang yang paling sederhana. Sampai suatu hari ia di asingkan. Setelah kejadian itu Jonathan hidup sendirian. Dia belajar setiap harinya, hingga suatu hari dia bertemu dengan burung-burung camar lainnya di tempat ia tinggal sekarang. Semuanya adalah burung-burung yang di asingkan.

Tujuan dari skripsi ini adalah untuk mengetahui lebih jauh mengenai pengaruh karakter Jonathan dalam menyelesaikan konflik pribadi yang dia alami. Untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut, skripsi ini menitikberatkan pada tiga pertanyaan. Pertanyaan pertama tentang karakter Jonathan. Pertanyaan kedua tentang konflik pribadi yang di alami baik dari dalam maupun dari luar diri Jonathan. Pertanyaan ketiga tentang pengaruh karakter Jonathan dalam menyelasaikan konflik pribadinya. Untuk mencapai tujuan-tujuan tersebut, metode yang diterapkan adalah studi pustaka. Sumber utama dalam skripsi ini adalah novelet itu sendiri, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Sumber-sumber lain yang juga digunakan oleh peneliti dalam skripsi ini diperoleh melalui buku-buku tentang karya sastra. Penulis juga menggunakan beberapa teori karakter, pengkarakteran, konflik, resolusi konflik dam manajemen konflik.

Skripsi ini menerapkan pendekatan psikologi yang bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan karakter Jonathan, mengartikan bentuk kepribadian dan perilaku manusia.

Berdasarkan analisa, peneliti menemukan bahwa Jonathan adalah tokoh utama. Dia dikarakterkan sebagai seekor burung camar muda yang bekerja keras, pintar, selalu ingin tahu, pemberani dan keras kepala. Karakter-karakter inilah yang menimbulkan konflik antara Jonathan, orang tuanya, kawanannya dan instrukturnya, Sullivan. Karakter Jonathan yang pintar dan bekerja keras membantunya dalam menyelasikan konflik tersebut.

Akhirnya, peneliti memberikan dua saran untuk melengkapi skripsi ini. Saran pertama adalah untuk peneliti novelet Jonathan Livingston Seagull selanjutnya. Saran lainnya untuk penerapan novelet Jonathan Livingston Seagull sebagai materi mengajar Bahasa Inggris di kelas paragraph writing.

ix

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Jesus Christ who always gives me His love and blessing. He never leaves me alone during the hardest time I had. He guides, gives me spirit and strength so that I can finish my thesis.

Secondly, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my sponsor, Drs. L. Bambang Hendarto, M. Hum., for his guidance, kindness and suggestions during my thesis writing process. I really thank him for his patience, support and time in reading, correcting and helping me to finish my thesis. I would also like to thank all PBI lecturers for their lecturing, support and help during my study in Sanata Dharma University. I also thank to PBI’s secretariat staff Mbak Dani and Mbak Tari for their kindness and always being very nice.

Thirdly, I give my special gratitude to Sanata Dharma University library staff for being very nice to me. The staff members have been very helpful and supportive. During my study in Sanata Dharma University I enjoyed my study very much.

Fourthly, I would like to express my deepest and greatest gratitude to my beloved parents, Bapak Drs. Rino Suharyanto and Ibu Parinem, who always support me and give me their love, guidance and spirit during my life. They give their attention and motivation to me and have reminded me to finish my thesis as soon as possible. To my brothers, Mas Wahyu, Mas Wisnu and Dik Widhi, I really love them all. I thank them for all their love, support and prayers. I also express my gratitude to Boze for his kindness, attention and love.

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My next gratitude goes to all of my best friends in English Language Education of 2005. They are Ria Agatha (Molen), Wuri (Kuncis), Bunga (Bunca), Melati (Imelz ndutz), Ari Wisudawati, Dhae, Andre haha, Ruma (mama), Indro, Koko, Panda. I would like to thank them very much for giving me support and friendship since I began my study in this university so I can finish my duty. They are my great friends. My deepest gratitude goes to Christina Rindang Kurniasari and Demitrius Rosano who have helped me a lot in writing my thesis by reading and giving feedback to my thesis, and to members of Pondok Unyil (Lili, Manda, Ani, Atik, Lia and Yohana).

The next gratitude goes to Ibu Damai, my friend and my second mother. She has taught many things about life and given me a chance of being one of her teaching staff in ABBI for more over two years. Finally, to all my friends whose names cannot be mentioned one by one I thank them for time and every moment we have shared together. May God bless them now and forever.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE ... i

APPROVAL PAGES ... ii

STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ... iv

ABSTRACT ... vii

ABSTRAK ... viii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS ... xi

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study ... 1

B. Problem Formulation ... 4

C. Objectives of the Study ... 5

D. Benefits of the Study ... 5

E. Definition of Terms ... 6

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Theoretical Review ... 8

1. Critical Approaches ... 8

2. Character ... 9

a. Definition ... 9

xii

3. Characterization ... 9

a. Definition ... 9

b. Method and Characterization ... 10

4. Conflict ... 11

a. Definition ... 11

b. Types of Conflict ... 11

c. Causes of Conflict ... 13

d. Conflict Resolutions ... 14

e. Conflict Managements ... 18

B. Review of Related Studies ……… 19

C. Theoretical Framework ... 20

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study ... 21

B. Approach of the Study ... 22

C. Method of the Study ... 23

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS A. The Characterization of Jonathan in Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull ... 25

1. Hardworking ... 26

2. Smart ... 30

xiii

4. Brave ... 34

5. Stubborn ... 36

B. The Personal Conflicts Faced by Jonathan ... 37

1. The Intrapersonal Conflict ... 38

a. Learning to Fly ... 38

b. Flying at night ... 41

2. The Interpersonal Conflict ... 44

a. Jonathan against his parents ... 44

b. Jonathan against his flock ... 47

c. Jonathan against Sullivan ... 49

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS A. Conclusions ... 53

B. Suggestions ... 55

a. Suggestions for Future Researchers ... 56

b. Suggestions for Teaching Implementations ... 56

REFERENCES ... 69

APPENDICES ... 61

Appendix 1 Syllabus of Paragraph Writing ... 62

Appendix 2 Lesson Plan for Teaching Paragraph Writing ... 64

Appendix 3 Teaching Material ... 66

Appendix 4 Summary of Jonathan Livingston Seagull ... 77

1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

There are five parts in this chapter. They are background of the study, problem formulation, objectives of the study, benefits of the study and definition of terms. The first part describes background of the study. The second part formulates the problem to solve. The third part is objectives of the study. It states the purpose of writing this thesis. The fourth part explains the benefits of the study that explain the significance of this study. The last part in this chapter is definition of terms. It explains the important terms in the title to avoid misunderstanding or misinterpreting.

A. Background of the Study

People always deal with conflicts in their daily life. Conflicts or problems can direct people into unhappiness or happiness. Sometimes conflicts may create crisis in someone’s relationship with other. For example, a son screams to his parents, and then his father slaps him. The father thinks that his son is impolite to the parents. Yet, the son gets angry to his father. This situation creates conflict between the son and his father. In this case, the son feels unhappy because he is scolded by his father. On the other hand, the father also feels unhappy because he knows that his son is impolite.

Conflict is something that everyone does not want to have because conflicts are able to ruin someone’s relationship with other people. According to Worchel and Cooper conflict is a state that requires a person to make two or more mutual

incompatible action (460). While Noller and Fitzpatrict state that conflicts happen when the family members disagree about the events or situation in their lives (99). Conflicts happen when people try to defend their own opinion, idea and thought toward other people. When conflict happens, it disturbs someone’s relationship with others especially when conflicts happen in a family.

Worchel and Cooper categorize conflicts into two (460-462). Those are intrapersonal conflict and interpersonal conflict. The first conflict, the intrapersonal conflict, is a conflict within an individual when he or she makes a decision between two or more alternatives while other people do not behave as what the individual expects them to do. The second conflict is interpersonal conflict. It is a conflict that happens between two or more people when they are involved in achieving a contrary goal.

Facing conflicts and resolving them are very important because people will improve their knowledge about conflicts and the conflicts resolution. Conflicts can destroy everything, yet it does not mean that people cannot resolve or handle the conflict. There are some steps of resolving the conflict. First is concerning of how to face the conflict, think wisely, and resolve the conflict. Second is avoiding the conflict. People usually tend to avoid conflicts or sometimes ignore them when they think they cannot have a good resolution for the conflict.

Conflicts happening in real life are portrayed in literary work such as poem, short story, novel and drama. Hudson (10) explains that literature is the expression of life through the medium of language. This means that a novel as a work of literature can be used to reflect someone’s life, thought, opinion, experience and someone’s feeling about his/her life. Wellek and Warren (27) state that literary

work is not only the language but also the human experiences in a complex situation that is created by the novelist. It means we can find a character of a human with his/her responsibility, image, thought, belief, feeling, problems or conflicts in a novel.

The chosen novel, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, is an example of novel that portrays conflicts because the novel talks about a seagull’s experience that represents a human’s life. In this novel, a seagull named Jonathan, lives with his flock. As a representation of a human, the seagulls in this novel represent as a human, Jonathan faces a conflict within himself, with his parents, his flock, and Sullivan. The conflicts begin when Jonathan is thinking about perfection. Jonathan is really eager for being able to reach a perfection of flying and yet his parents do not agree with his thought. His parents say that a seagull does not deserve to reach a level of perfection to fly. Considering his parents’ statement, he stops learning to fly and then join his flocks to find food. During a week with the flock, Jonathan still does not find happiness. His want to reach the perfection of flying cannot be stopped. Therefore, he decides to go and learn to fly again.

Few days after learning to fly, Jonathan comes back to his flock in the seashore. There Jonathan realizes something. The flock gathers in group and they make a circle. There must be something wrong happening among the flock and it must be a serious problem. When Jonathan arrives there, the leader of the flocks shouts to Jonathan and asks him to stand in the centre of the flocks. That is terrible for him. The leader suspects him of doing something that is learning to fly to reach perfection. It makes the leader feel humiliated. By doing this, Jonathan breaks the rule, and he is punished. The punishment for a seagull that breaks the rule is being

an outcast. As a result, Jonathan must go out and leave his flocks and live alone in his life. It is not easy for him, because leaving his flocks means he has to live apart with his parents. It becomes another conflict for him.

Jonathan life experience represents human life. When a person has his/her willingness to be different and he/she tries something new that totally contradicts with the society he/she lives, then the society will outcast the person since he/she is different. People always judge other people and then drive him/her away when this person has different thought, idea, or opinion. The author portrayed human’s life/problem and the real condition of a society through Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

This novel, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, is a fable. The novel tells about life experience of Jonathan, a seagull that gets a punishment from his leader of the flocks because he breaks the rule among seagulls. Jonathan is trying to learn perfection of flying because he gets bored with the routine activity as a seagull. He wants something new and believes that there is still another way to live besides finding some food with the simplest way of flying. He thinks that he can fly like an eagle, flying so high, fast, and being perfect. This novel is interesting to analyze since the author, Richard Bach, describes human life through the experience life of a seagull. From the main character, Jonathan, people can learn how conflicts can appear and how to face the conflicts then resolve them. That is what the study is about.

B. Problem Formulation

Based on the background of the study that is discussed, there are three research questions as the problem formulation. The questions are:

1. How is Jonathan characterized in the novel? 2. What are the personal conflicts faced by Jonathan?

3. How does Jonathan’s character influence him in resolving his personal conflicts?

C. Objectives of the Study

There are three aims that can be achieved from this study. First, this study attempts to describe the character of Jonathan in the novel Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Second, this study attempts to find out the personal conflicts faced by Jonathan. Third, this study attempts to analyze the influence of Jonathan’s character in resolving his personal conflicts.

D. Benefits of the Study

There some benefits of this study. In this study, the writer as a researcher expects to get a better understanding about Jonathan’s characters and his personal conflicts. The writer also expects the readers of this thesis, especially for those who are interested in Jonathan Livingston Seagull and willing to have a study of Jonathan; it will help them to study the literary work itself. This thesis also gives them some additional information in understanding the novel and helps them in analyzing the characters of Jonathan in Jonathan Livingston Seagull. They also can learn how to solve the problems. In general, this study can give beneficial information of personal conflicts and how to solve the conflicts.

Other benefits of this study are for PBI students. By reading this thesis, the students of PBI will gain a lot of information to understand the story of the novel. The novel, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, can be as one of references to improve their English skill.

E. Definition of Terms

In order to avoid misunderstanding and misinterpretation, the researcher defines some important terms that are used in the study.

Influence

Drever proposes that the word ‘influence’ means any past or present condition, experienced as or actually playing a part in determining one’behaviour, or course of thought in the present (134). While in this study, influence means the power of somebody’s character to affect his or her way of thinking in resolving his or her personal conflict.

Character

Abrams states that ‘characters’ are the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, which are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say – dialogue – and what they do – in action (23). Another opinion related to character also given by Stanton in An Introduction to a Literature. In this book, Stanton states that “character” is commonly used in two ways; it designates the individuals who appear in the story and it refers to the mixture of interest, desires, emotions, and moral principle that make up each of the individuals (17). In this study “character” means not only a person who can act as the main character in a dramatic story or novel but also the characteristics of the character itself.

3. Resolve

McKean says that resolve is a settle or find a solution to a problem, dispute, or contentious matter; decide firmly on a course of action (1441). In this study, the word resolve is the way of someone solves his/her problems.

4. Resolution

Drever says that resolution is a decision regarding a line of product to be pursued; a firm adherence to a decision that has been taken; a character trait, marked by firmness of purpose in persisting in a course of action decided on (244). In this study the word resolution is to solve or settle problems.

5. Conflict

Jones and Gerard as cited in Worchel and Cooper, state that conflict is a state that requires the person when he is motivated to make two or more mutual incompatible action (460). Hocker and Willmot, also stated their definition about “conflict” as cited in Isenhart and Spangle. Based on their definition, “conflict” is an expressed struggle between at least two independent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scare resources and interference from the other party in achieving their goal (3). They also divide a conflict into two types. First, interpersonal conflict and second is intrapersonal conflict.

Interpersonal conflict is a conflict which happens between two or more people when they are involved in achieving the incompatible goal. While intrapersonal conflict is a conflict within an individual when he or she makes a decision between two or more alternatives while other people do not behave as what the individual expects them to do. In this study, the conflict which is discussed by the writer is both intrapersonal and interpersonal conflict.

8

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter consists of two parts. They are review of related theories and theoretical framework. The first part presents critical approaches, character, and characterization include definition and methods and characterization. The second part presents theoretical framework. Here, the writer will describe the contribution of the theories in solving the problems of the study.

A. Theoretical Review

1. Critical Approaches

In analyzing a novel, a researcher needs critical approaches. It is needed to avoid the subjectivity of the researcher in his/her study. Rohberger and Woods state that there are five approaches that can be used to analyze a novel (6-15). First is the formalist approach. It concentrates on the total integrity of the literary work. Second is the biographical approach. This approach focuses on the importance of the author’s ideas and personal life.

Third is the sociocultural-historical approach. This approach describes the social, cultural and historical background as the references. The next approach is the mythopoeic approach. It attempts to discover particular patterns of human thought that shared a same universal belief to certain community mind. The last is the psychological approach. This approach is also used to analyze the pattern of human personality and behavior. Throughout the psychological approach, the researcher can analyze the character’s thought, personality and behavior deeply.

a. Definition

Characters play an important role in a story of a novel. According to Abram, characters are the persons that presented in a dramatic or narrative work, which are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say – dialogue – and what they do – in action (23). It means that, the readers can interpret a character in a story through their conversation, and their activity. Through their conversation and act in the story, the readers know the emotional, dispositional and moral of the characters.

b. Kinds of Character

Foster states that there are two kinds of characters in a novel; flat and round character (51). A flat character is static and does not develop, while a round character is complex and represents many traits and qualities.

Henkle says that characters can also be divided based on the prominence and function: major and secondary characters. Henkle (87-100) explains that major characters deserve the attention from the readers and other characters. The secondary characters perform more limited functions. He also says the characters can be protagonist and antagonist. Holman and Harmon state that the antagonist is the one who directly opposes the protagonist (27). According to Holman and Harmon (400) that protagonist is the leading figure both in terms of importance in the play and ability to enlist the readers’ interest and sympathy.

3. Characterization

a. Definition

Rohberger and Woods (180) state that characterization is the process by which an author creates the character, a particular type of person. Murphy (161)

states that characterization is the way of an author to convey the characters and the personalities naturally so that the reader gets to know and understand the characters. Characterization in a literary work is needed by the author since it helps the author to convey the story by the characters and the reader will understand the story easier. Furthermore, the author uses the characterization to guide the reader to understand and use their own interpretation to interpret the story that they read in a novel. Holman and Harmon (81-82) state that characterization is a process of creating an unreal person.

b. Methods and Characterization

Murphy (161-172) states that there are nine ways to make characters understandable and come alive for the readers. First is personal description. Here, the author may draw details about the characters’ appearance, for example how the characters are built, his or her skin color, hair, hand, eyes and so on. Second is character as seen by another. It means that the author can describe through the eyes and opinions of another character. The readers notice the different opinion and judgment on the character. The readers may know the personality by the characters opinion or statement is the third way in understanding the character in a story.

The fourth way is past life. In past life, the author may give direct or indirect comment through the person’s thought his or her conversation or the medium of another person. The fifth is conversation of others. The characters can be analyzed by what people think or say about him or her. Sixth is reaction. The author shares a clue to a person’s character by letting the reader know how that person reacts to various situation and events. Next is direct comment. Here the author gives his or her personal comment or description of the character directly in the story. Next step

is thought. The author expresses the character’s thought in the story. By knowing the character’s thought, the readers can analyze what goes in his or her mind. The last is mannerism. The author can illustrate a person’s mannerism, habit or modes of behavior which may also tell the readers something about the character.

4. Conflict

One of the experiences that men have concerns facing the conflict and how to solve them. Facing the conflict and resolving the conflict they have are one of the examples from experience that men have. There are three points will be discussed in this section namely definition of conflict, the kinds of conflict, and the conflict resolution.

a. Definition

Conflict is a condition when a person cannot complete the mutual action together or in the same time. Jones and Gerard as cited in Worchel and Cooper (460), state that conflict is a state that requires a person when he is motivated to make two or more mutual incompatible actions. However, Hocker and Willmot as cited in Isenhart and Spangle (3) state that conflict is an expressed struggle between at least two independent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scare resources and interference from the other party in achieving their goal.

b. Types of conflict

Conflicts consist of two types. The first type is intrapersonal conflict and the second conflict is interpersonal conflict. Worchel and Cooper (460-464), clarify intrapersonal conflict is a conflict within an individual when he or she makes a decision between two or more alternatives while other people do not behave as what

the individual expects them to do. Worchel and Cooper also say that intrapersonal conflict consists of four kinds (460-464). Those are approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance, approach-avoidance-avoidance, and double approach-avoidance conflicts.

An approach-approach conflict is a conflict in which a person can only choose one action toward two positive goals. This conflict is the simplest conflict because the person has to choose and make a decision between two attractive alternatives.

Approach-approach conflict is rather different with an avoidance-avoidance conflict because in avoidance-avoidance conflict a person has two equally unattractive alternatives and the person has to make decision between the two unattractive alternatives.

Approach- avoidance is a conflict when a person must choose one goal which has both attractive and unattractive qualities. The person is trapped in this conflict because he/ she is afraid and doubt to choose the goal.

Last is a double approach-avoidance conflict. This is the most common conflict situation and it contains two goals which both have positive and negative sides. In choosing the goal, a person influences by some factors. Those factors are the kind of the goal, how close a person is to the goal, and the amount of the goal.

The second conflict is the interpersonal conflict. It is a conflict which happens between two or more people when they are involved in achieving the incompatible goal. A condition when two people or parties disagree with the way in achieving the goal causes interpersonal conflict. The example of real situation for this conflict is a conflict happens between a taxi driver and his passenger. The conflict arises when the passenger does not want to pay the taxi cost. He gets out

soon and run away, yet the taxi driver catch him. In the next seconds, the taxi driver hit him then put him into the police office.

Beebe and Redmon (297-300) state that the interpersonal conflict can be divided into three types. They are pseudo conflict, simple conflict, ego conflict. Pseudo conflict is a conflict caused by the lack of understanding between the individual and parties. Simple conflict happens because of the differences on definition, goal, ideas, and perceptions. For example there are two students learn pronunciation. Yet their pronunciation is different. Because of that, they argue each other. The last is ego conflict. It happens when the personal defenses attached to each individual in a group.

c. Causes of Conflicts

Conflicts arise because there is different idea, thought, needs and attitude. People believe that conflicts happen when a person or parties cannot reach the same goal because the different idea thought, needs, attitudes and behavior appears among them. Isenhart and Spangle (14-15) state that there are seven sources of conflict. First is data. People often have differences of opinion about the best source, reliability, or interpretation of data. Second is interest. It means that conflict specifically happens when two or more parties have different interest. Third is procedure. Here, parties will not involve in a discussion if they do not agree with the procedure in solving the problem.

Fourth is value. The hardest conflict will occur when the priority of values is different. Fifth is relationship. A conflict exists when people cannot trust each other or respect each other’s feeling. Sixth is role. A conflict appears because of the imbalance role of the people among the rules toward their own roles. Seventh is

communication. Conflict frequently results from how something is said and not interprets among people.

d. Conflict Resolutions

Everybody has their opinion, idea, and thought that may lead to a conflict with others. Worchel and Cooper propose some ways in resolving conflict. They also state that people must be careful with their intrapersonal conflict. Hence, Worchel and Cooper (460-464) suggest several solutions to handle intrapersonal conflicts. First is approach-approach type. By this type, people can solve their conflict by defining the motivation to achieve the goal. For example a person who get two nice jobs but he has to go to one. He has to choose one of two jobs offered to him. The first job is far away from his town, he has to leave his parents, yet the salary is high. The second job is near from his house, he has not need to leave his parents, and yet the salary is low. These jobs have an equal positive side. Therefore, the person has to choose which one is the most benefit for him. Theoretically this type of conflict should be easy to resolve.

Second is avoidance-avoidance approach. In this type a person tends to leave the conflict. When someone decides to avoid the conflicts and then leaves it. It means the conflicts are so difficult to solve. The example is a person having tooth ache and hating to go to the dentist. Here, he has to choose one of the unattractive alternatives. He continues with the pain that is horrifying for him or going to the dentists, who he also hates. This person is stuck in between two difficult choices he does not like but ends up doing either.

Third is approach-avoidance. A person cannot make any decision toward the conflicts itself and it is not easy to have a resolution. For example there are a child and a stranger. This child has been taught not to receive candy from a stranger

even a stranger offers him/her favorite candy. She/he wants to take the candy but she/he knows that she/he cannot take the candy from the unknown person. This child is afraid to do that because she/he remembers about the previous training from her/his parents. From the example given, the resolution for this conflict is by avoiding the approach given by other person.

Fourth is double approach-avoidance. This approach tends to approach and avoid the goals because people have to choose between two or more goals, each of which has its own consequences. For example, couples who just merit want to buy a house to live in. they are confused whether choosing a house in a country or city. Choosing a house in the country means they will get fresh air, relax, room to live, and peace. Live in the country also means need hours to get the office and long distance from city. Choosing a house in the city also has to face the both problem and advantages of city life.

There are two sub-types of conflict resolution. The first sub-type is determining one goal and as a consequence giving up the other option. The second sub-type depends on the value of each goal. When the positive aspects of goal are higher than the negative, the goal can be reached.

Besides the conflict resolution for intrapersonal conflict, people also have to pay attention with the conflict resolution for interpersonal conflict. There are some ways to solve the interpersonal conflict. Alder and Towne (376-380), state that there are three manners in taking decision like do or do not do to solve the problems of interpersonal conflicts. Those three manners are win – lose, lose – lose, and the last is win – win.

Win – lose solution is when there are two persons are facing the conflict, then there is only one person who can reach the goal and the other person does not reach his or her goal. It makes one party feels disappointed. Second is lose – lose solution. Nobody feels satisfied with the decision in solving the problem. Yet, many conflicts occur in this manner. Third is win – win solution. Either of these two sides feel satisfied with the decision which is taken in this manner. Win – win solution gives the best decision for both sides and does not try to find a mistake. It is good when people can find the right answer of his or her problem without blaming others.

Isenhart and Spangle (45-152), state that there are five alternatives to resolve the conflicts; they are negotiation, mediation, facilitation, arbitration, and judicial process. Negotiation is as much about a state of mind as it is a strategic choice for managing problem. In having an effective negotiation, people have to be able to share a lot of information in the discussion about the needs, issues, and interest. There are two types of negotiation. The first one is integrative. It is a constructive and problem solving process. Between two persons or parties exchange the information and analyze the problem while protecting their relationship and interests. The second one is distributive. In this type, both sides said their goals and advantages in achieving the goals. Both parties are forcing their demands and threats.

Mediation is a problem solving process in which the third party is needed. The third party functions as a guide and as a neutral party. It means the third party has no right to argue or influence both parties in achieving their goal. Goldberg, Sander, and Rogers as cited in Isenhart and Spangle (72) say that mediation will be successful if the disputants are cooperative with the negotiator.

Success of mediation depends on the disputant’s willingness to accept the mediator’s role as a process expert for resolving differences, as well as disputant’s willingness to share information that might lead to mutual beneficial agreement (Isenhart and Spangle 72).

Through mediation, the disputants feel comfortable since in mediation the disputants feel protected because the mediation setting serves as a safe context for sharing information that might not otherwise be shared. Mediation also changes the focus of discussion. The mediator changes positional statements become interest topics to discuss that express needs, concerns, and fears. Mediation is good for the disputants who cannot reach the same goal. Since the third person or the neutral party who is emotionally uninvolved with the dispute is able to identify and clarify the central of underlying issues of a complex situation.

The next alternative is facilitation. According to Frey as cited in Isenhart and Spangle (107) facilitation is any meeting technique, procedure, or practice that makes it easier for groups to interact and/or accomplish their goal. Isenhart and Spangle (107) state that he third party is needed as a facilitator who accommodates the discussion process. Usually, facilitation applies in a large or complex conflict.

Facilitation is the role of a person who serves as an impartial or neutral discussion leader, who guides a group through a specified set of procedures for the purpose of accomplishing a purpose or goal, and who enforces ground rules that manage verbal interactions between group members (Isenhart and Spangle 107).

Arbitration is an alternative that is applied when the parties cannot find the beneficial advantages goal for both parties. Then the parties who are in conflict select the arbitrator to make decision for the problem they faced. The last is a judicial process. It is an alternative that combines legal and non legal procedures,

social norms, and legal laws in the process of conflict resolution. A court functions as a third party.

e. Conflict Managements

Considering the ability of the individual in controlling the conflicts Beebe and Redmon (314-326) propose four kinds of conflict management. Those are managing emotions, managing information, managing goals, and managing the problem.

The first one is managing emotions. People should be able to analyze every signs such as anger, fear, frustration, and sadness which often appear. Therefore, people should manage their emotion in order to have a good decision because emotion will influence people in taking decision in logical and rational approach to solve the problems they have.

Second is managing information. Unclear information, misunderstanding and misinterpretation can create a conflict, therefore, people have to manage the information that they receive. By managing the information, people can manage the conflict. They also can avoid conflict itself because of the misunderstanding, unclear information, and misinterpretation information.

When an individual misinterprets, or misunderstand information, then there will be a conflict among individual and other parties because they will have different opinions and ideas. Consequently, it is important for an individual or parties to manage a goal. The managing goal is the third conflict management.

The last is managing the problems. In managing the problems, an individual needs to define the problems and analyze it. Afterwards, individual needs to determine the goal, generate several solutions, and select the best solution.

A.Review of Related Studies

There are two previous studies conducted on this similar novelette, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The first study was conducted by Yosafat Diazwikarta in 2008. He analyzed the novelette, Jonathan Livingston Seagull from the point of view of perfection. His study entitled The Influence of Learning in Perfection on One’s Achievement as Reflected in The Character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull in Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull. His study is about the influence of learning in perfection for Jonathan. From his analysis, the researcher knows that perfection becomes Jonathan’s higher purpose for life that is to be free, to be a creature of excellence and intelligence and skill. By learning perfection, Jonathan has strong spirit, innovative ability, courage to never give up, high desire to know and understand, and love to help others.

The second study was conducted by Yosep Rahmat Pratama in 2009. His study entitled Perceptions of Achieving A Successful Life Revealed in Amy Tan’s The Kitchen God’s Wife and Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull. He compared between two novels and he analyzed the novels from the point of view of perceptions. He found out that perception about success was influenced by certain cultural value and philosophy. For Chinese people success is “a matter of luck” and it is more to the harmony, which is created by creating a balanced condition on the elements that exist in this life. It is influenced by the philosophy of Yin- Yang and Feng Shui while American culture sees success as perfection. It is influenced by American philosophy that “practice makes perfect”. However, both Chinese and America cultures also define success as a journey.

While in this study, the researcher analyzes the novelette, Jonathan Livingston Seagull from the point of view of personal conflicts that are faced by

Jonathan both interpersonal and intrapersonal. This study entitled The Influence of Jonathan’s Character on Resolving His Personal Conflict in Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull. This study is to find out the influence of Jonathan’s character on resolving his personal conflicts when he faces the conflict.

C. Theoretical Framework

There are some theories applied to answer the problems formulated in this study. The theory of critical approach is used as a tool to analyze the problems in the novel. There are five approaches and this study is applied on the psychological approach. To get a deep understanding, the researcher uses the theory of character and characterization. The theory is used to analyze the character in the novel. This theory is used to help the researcher to figure out what kinds of Jonathan’s characters in the novelette are. By understanding what character and characterization are, researcher is able to find out Jonathan’s character that is characterized in the novel and how the character influences him on resolving his personal conflict.

In analyzing the conflict faced by the character, the researcher uses the theory of conflict. The researcher uses theory from Worchel and Cooper to analyze the type of conflicts faced by the character of Jonathan. In analyzing the conflict, the researcher analyzes the types of conflict, causes of conflict, resolutions of conflict, and managements of conflict. To analyze the conflict resolution, the researcher uses theory proposed by Isenhart and Spangle.

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CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter covers three main parts: object of the study, the novel Jonathan Livingston Seagull, approach of the study which explains the use of the approaches in analyzing the novel and method of the study which contains the steps taken in doing the analysis.

A.Object of the Study

The object of the study is a novel written by Richard Bach entitled Jonathan Livingston Seagull. This novel was published in 1970 and it became the best seller throughout the United States by the end of 1972. The novel reached the top of the New York Times Best seller list in 38 weeks. In 1973, the novel became the topped the Publisher Weekly list of best selling novels in the United States.

Richard Bach was famous with his enormous works included fiction and nonfiction such as Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1970), Illusions: The Adventures of A Reluctant Messiah (1977), One (1989), Out of Mine (1999). From those works, Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Illusions became the best-seller in 1970s. The novel, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, was published by Macmillan Publisher. It consists of 93 pages. There are three parts in the novel.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull talks about a seagull, which loves to fly rather than to catch some food, like what other seagulls do. Jonathan learns about life and flight and self-perfection. This novel describes a daily life of a seagull which eagerly flies for love and shares the experience to others in a society that got in

trouble. In this study, the researcher focuses on describing the conflict faced by Jonathan.

He is a seagull which does not believe in physical limitation. He enjoys flying because he loves to fly and learns not only to fly but also to share the experience for those he cares about. Jonathan has a personal conflict that is interesting to analyze. He has his own way to solve his personal conflict. This study tries to analyze the character of Jonathan in resolving his own conflict in his life. To analyze the conflict faced by Jonathan, first of all, the researcher analyzes the character of Jonathan, then knowing his characteristic. Afterwards, the researcher states to examine the conflicts faced by Jonathan and how he solves his conflicts.

Richard Bach created Jonathan as a seagull who loves to learn about fly and life and self-perfection. The atmosphere that is created in the novel describes the conflicts faced by Jonathan as a young seagull who wants to express his ability, his willingness and his belief.

B. Approach of the Study

To analyze the influence of Jonathan’s character on resolving his personal conflict, the researcher will use the psychological approach to get a better understanding of character in Jonathan Livingston Seagull. By using the psychological approach, the writer can analyze and notice the characteristic of the character itself such as mind, behavior, and appearance. Through the psychological approach, the researcher can analyze Jonathan’s character when facing a conflict in his relation with others. For that reason, the writer applied the psychological approach in this study.

C.G. Jung states, “The psychological mode works with material drawn from man’s conscious life with crucial experiences, suffering passion, and the stuff of human fate in general” (89). From the statement above, the researcher knows that the psychological approach is suitable to be applied in this study to analyze the character and the conflict resolutions faced by the main character

 

C. Method of the Study

The method of the study used in this study was library research. Here, the researcher gathered the data by taking some important notes, reading books, and doing research in analyzing the novel. The primary sources gathered from the deep analysis of the novel, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Other sources such as the psychology approaches, theory of character, theory of characterization, theory of conflicts, theory of conflict resolutions and theory of managing conflicts became the secondary sources.

In conducting this study, the researcher took some steps. The first step was reading the novel, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, many times. Therefore, the researcher got better understanding about the story in the novel. For the first time, the researcher read the novel without any pauses. After that, the writer kept reading the novel, yet in this section the writer reread the novel and underlined some important things. The aim was to formulate the problems of the study. Next was formulating the problems in the study.

The researcher was interested in Jonathan’s character, a young seagull that preferred to learn about life and flight rather than to catch food. In defending his willingness, Jonathan faced by some conflicts. Since the writer interested in

analyzing the conflict faced by the main character in the novel, Jonathan, it was an obligatory for the writer to analyze the character of Jonathan in the novel. After analyzing the character, the writer continued the study in analyzing the conflicts.

In formulating the problem formulation, the researcher made three questions. The first question was about Jonathan’s character. The second question was about the conflict faced by Jonathan. The third question was about the influence of Jonathan’s character in resolving his personal conflict. The researcher used psychological approach in analyzing the novel as the method. The method was proposed by Rohrberger and Wood’s in their book, Reading and Writing about Literature. To answer the questions formulated in the problem formulation, the researcher collected data from library and browsed in the internet to enrich the information needed. After those steps done, the writer concluded the result of the analysis of problem formulation.

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CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

This chapter consists of three main parts. The first part is the characterization of Jonathan’s character found in Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The second part is the description of the personal conflicts faced by Jonathan. The last part is the explanation of the influence of Jonathan’s characteristic in resolving the conflict.

A.The Characterization of Jonathan in Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Foster (51) says that there are two kinds of characters in a novel. They are flat and round character. A flat character is the simplest character in the novel, while a round character is more complex and represents many traits and qualities. Based on this theory, Jonathan’s character in Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a round character.

Jonathan is a protagonist character. His character is able to make the readers give him sympathy. Jonathan is a young seagull. Holman and Harmon state that the protagonist is the leading figure both in terms of importance in the play and ability to get the reader’s attention and sympathy (400).

Murphy states that there are nine ways in which the author uses to make his/her character understandable and the readers think that the character comes alive. There are personal descriptions, character seen by other, speech, past life, conversation with others, reaction, direct comment, thoughts and mannerism

(161-172). This study includes some of the ways proposed by Murphy in analyzing the character of Jonathan. Jonathan’s is characterized is:

1. Hardworking

Jonathan is a young seagull who loves to learn about flight and life. He always fails in practicing but he never gives up. He keeps trying again for many times.

A hundred feet in the sky he lowered his webbed feet, lifted his beak and strained to hold a paint full hard twisting curve through his wings. The curve meant that he would fly slowly, and now he slowed until the wind was whisper in his face, until the ocean stood still beneath him. He narrowed his eyes in fierce concentration, held his breath, forced one….single….more…inch…of…curve..Then his feathers ruffled, he stalled and fell (Bach 13).

Jonathan never stops practicing because he wants to reach his dream, his idealism that is flying faster in the sky. He encourages himself to try every single movement just to make perfection.

Jonathan works hard to fly in speed. Even he always fails in trying to fly faster, he keeps struggling. He tries for ten times in the sky and in all ten times he fails. He goes down to the water and his feathers are in a mess. He cannot control his body (Bach 20). Jonathan really wants to do the best for his life. He tests himself to know what he can do or cannot do in the air. Although he fails many times, he keeps trying again and he never gives up. Jonathan believes that he can do the best. He thinks that his body is just a cover, just the same with other seagulls but he has soul and spirit to be different to reach his dream and to enjoy his life, to fly in the air with the speed of an eagle. His spirit to fly faster and more perfect is never

stopped. From ten times he fails and bursts into mess feathers and he tries again. He flies up to the sky. Now, he tries from two thousand feet. Then he rolls into his dive, he moves his beak down, and he gives full power for his wings. Finally, he can stabilize his movements and he can pass through fifty miles per hour (Bach 20).

Jonathan is not happy with his situation, as an imperfect seagull. He sees eagles flying high in the sky and he wonders why they can fly so high while he cannot. Therefore, Jonathan learns to fly. He hopes that he can come out from his situation. He does not want to trap in his situation. Jonathan wants to fly freely in the sky. His dream is he becomes an unlimited gull. In order to fly faster, Jonathan always practices every day. He fails many times but he keeps trying and practicing. After Jonathan is able to fly like an eagle, he realizes that he is an unordinary seagull and he forgets his promises that he will be a normal seagull. Having promises like that is just for an ordinary seagull.

He climbed two thousand feet above the black sea, and without a moment for thought of failure and death, he brought his forewings tightly in to his body, left only the narrow swept daggers of his wingtips extended into the wind, and fell into a vertical dive (24).

When Jonathan spends his days alone flying in the sky, he meets two other gulls. He tests them and has conversation with them. Those gulls are from his flock but Jonathan has never seen them before. They are elder than Jonathan and very pretty in flying. While flying in the sky, they say that Jonathan can fly higher. They also talk to Jonathan that there is a place for seagulls who love to fly. They call it as heaven. Those two seagulls will put Jonathan in that place, their home and heaven for seagulls, who believe in perfection (Bach 47).

Becoming a perfect seagull is not easy for Jonathan. There is a process to be perfect. Jonathan practices every day. He works hard in every second he has. He wants to know what he can and cannot do in the sky. He wants to reach his dream, flying higher and faster in the air. Jonathan wants to be perfect so that he can make his dream come true. In processing to be perfect, Jonathan digs out all the potential he has. He knows that being perfect in flying gives him a new reason for life and flying in the sky with the high speed will help seagulls to get more food. Jonathan encourages himself to reach his dream. One day, when Jonathan joins the flock on the beach, he feels so happy. He thinks that the flock will be full of joy when they know he finds out a breakthrough.

When Jonathan Seagull joined the flock on the beach, it was full night. He was dizzy and terribly tired. Yet, in delight he flew a loop to landing, with a snap roll just before touch-down. When they hear of it, he thought, of the breakthrough, they’ll be wild with joy. How much more there is now to living! Instead of our drab slogging forth and back to the fishing boats, there’s a reason to life! We can leave ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. We can be free! We can learn to fly! (Bach 27).

Jonathan says that seagulls can be free to decide what they want to do with their own body. They can dig out the potential inside their body. By digging their own potential, they can reach their own dreams. They can learn to fly faster, get some delicious fishes easily under the water instead of fighting to get some bread and fish on the fishing boats. Seagulls have skill and intelligence. They can use their intelligence to learn about flying and practice their skill to fly as much as they want because they are free. Learning and practicing everyday make a seagull becomes excellence in flying.

Jonathan dares to take a chance. He digs out his own potential because he knows he has power to do something. He has intelligence and skill to know what he can and cannot do. Jonathan realizes that he can express himself because he is the master of himself. Someone’s mind is the key to be perfect. If a person can control their mind and manage it well then think positively, he will be successful and be a perfect person. One day, Jonathan speaks to his students. He encourages them to practice more and realize what they can do. He says that a seagull’s body from wingtip to wingtip is nothing more than their thought. They have to think beyond their vision. They must change their mindset, so that they can be free (Bach 76-77).

When Jonathan becomes an instructor for his six students that have passion to learn about a new idea of flight and speed, he tells them there is something to understand besides the perfection of flying. He says to his students that they are created as unlimited seagulls and they are free to express their selves. “Each of us in truth an idea of the Great Gull, an unlimited idea of freedom and precision flying is a step toward expressing our real nature. Everything that limits us we have to put aside.” (Bach 76). Jonathan has a great thought about perfection and freedom. He thinks that being perfect should be free in expressing his spirit and digs out his body to see what potentials he has. Based on Murphy’s theory, it is one way from the author to characterize the character in the novel, namely from his/her thought.

Jonathan becomes different from other gulls because he forces himself to practice every day. A person who wants to get the best in his/her life always works hard. In this novelette, Bach shows facts that Jonathan symbolizes a typical person who always works hard in his life. He practices every time. He does not care about his body. One thing he cares about is doing his best and forcing himself to be a

perfect seagull. Based on Bach’s direct comment and Jonathan’s speech, it can be concluded that Jonathan Seagull is hard working.

2. Smart

As a smart seagull, Jonathan can think better than others. In his practicing flying he always has some questions such as how to fly faster, why he cannot fly higher, how to control the speed and how to turn. He can find the answer for his own question by practicing again and again.

Away behind the cliffs in the sea shore, Jonathan practices alone. He fails many times, but he never gives up. He keeps trying to fly faster like an eagle. Until one time, he realizes that what he needs just to make little movement and changes in flying. In his own thinking, Jonathan doubts himself. He knows that he does not have shorts wing like a falcon. It seems that it is impossible for him to fly. Yet for a moment he realizes, everything he needs to fly faster in the air is just a short wing. He just needs a falcon’s short wing. Jonathan gets the answer of his own question, how to fly faster and more perfect. All he needs just to fold most of his wings and fly on just the tips alone (Bach 24). Jonathan realizes a new way to practice and he knows the answer by himself.

One morning on the beach after practicing folded-wing snap roll when Jonathan is out with his instructor, Sullivan, Jonathan asks some questions to Sullivan. He wonders why he and his instructor are alone. He also does not understand where he comes from. Then Sullivan says that there are thousand seagulls that come to that place but Jonathan comes to that place faster than those

birds. Most of them come very slowly. Sullivan is very proud of Jonathan because he learns many things.

“Where is everybody, Sullivan? “ He asked silently, quite at home now with the easy telepathy that these gulls used instead of screes and gracks. “Why aren’t there more of us here? Why, where I came from there were…..” “The only answer I can see, Jonathan, is that you are pretty well a one-in-million bird. Most of us came along ever so slowly. But you, Jon, learned so much at one time that you didn’t have to go through a thousand lives to reach this one.” (Bach 53-54).

After that conversation, Sullivan asks Jonathan to practice again. In the first practices Jonathan fails. Yet Sullivan gives him support to keep trying. Finally, Jonathan passes the practice. One evening, when gulls are standing together on the sand thinking, Jonathan encourages himself to come to the Elder Gull, Chiang, and asks something. He asks about home and where he lives now. He asks where they are going from this place and he wants to know another place outside of the place. Those questions always bother him. Chiang, who knows that Jonathan is a smart student, understand that Jonathan wants to become better than others.

He says to Chiang that they are not really in the heaven like he was thinking of. Hearing that, Chiang, The Elder, just smiles to Jonathan and he says to Jonathan that he is learning again. Jonathan is learning something new in his life. Jonathan does not understand. He asks to The Elder, “Well, what happens from here? Where we are going? Is there no such a place as heaven” (Bach 55).

Jonathan is a new bird in that place. He loves to fly very much. Therefore, he wants to learn more and practice more about flying. He wants to know everything that he does not know and he asks his instructor about flying. He learns everyday and practices every time he wants. In a short time, he can fly faster and better than before. By practicing every day, finally Jonathan comes to the level of

perfection in speed. Since Jonathan is a smart seagull, he learns faster from his daily ordinary experiences. A month goes by and now Jonathan can fly very fast in the air (Bach 60).

According to Murphy (161-172), there are nine ways to analyze a character in the story. Based on Jonathan’s thought, speech, the character as seen by another and direct comment, it can be concluded that Jonathan is a smart seagull.

3. Curious

As a young seagull, Jonathan is very curios of everything about flying. He always wants to know something new. He always wants to discover something hidden. In his practicing, Jonathan tries every single movement of flight in the air. He always practices every day and every time he wants. He spends his day from morning until night just to learn. One night, his curiousness is answered. He knows the key of flying high and fast like an eagle. Then, he starts practicing again. He tries to fly higher than before. In the next a few minutes, he wonders how fast he is in the air, if he flies little bit higher than before. Therefore, he starts to close his eyes. He flies in a hundred forty miles per hour. He is against the wind. Fortunately, the speed is under control. Being able to control his speed, Jonathan is eager to know his ability if he flies from five thousand feed instead of two thousand feet (Bach 25).

One day, Jonathan flies alone in the air because he is outcast. When Jonathan flies over the sea, he meets with two brilliant seagulls. They say to Jonathan that there is a home, heaven, for outcasts. When he starts landing in the heaven for the outcast seagulls, he has a lot of questions. He is curious why there

are just few seagulls. He thinks that heaven must be full of gulls. There must be a flock of seagulls. Suddenly he feels so tired. He does not understand why he is so tired. In his opinion, there is no tiredness in heaven.

He was flying over a sea, toward a jagged shoreline. A very few seagulls were working updrafts on the cliffs. Away of to the north, at the horizon itself, flew a few others. New sights, new thoughts, new questions. Why so few gull? Heaven should be flocked with gulls! And why am I so tired, all at once? Gulls in heaven are never supposed to be tired, or sleep (Back 52).

Here, in his new home Jonathan learns many things from his instructors, Sullivan and Chiang. His curious is answered. In this place, they use telepathy to talk to each other. In his new home, Jonathan sees how Chiang can disappear and appear again only in a flash, and even, and appears in the same millisecond at Jonathan’s shoulder. He wonders of Chiang’s performance. In that moment, Jonathan forgets about heaven to which he asks his instructor. He is very curious to know how Chiang can do that, and how far he can go (Bach 58).

A curious person always wants to know things he/she does not know. He/she always tries to discover something new. Furthermore, Jonathan is really eager to start flying as Chiang does. When Chiang says that he can start to learn right that moment, Jonathan is very happy. His eyes show that. Therefore, he asks Chiang to teach him (Bach 58). When Jonathan comes to Chiang and asks him, “Can you teach me to fly like that?”, Jonathan is trembled to conquer another unknown. Then Chiang says to Jonathan that he can start learning as soon as possible as long as he wants. It does not take much time for Jonathan to learn about flying. He is very happy because he will learn to fly soon. He says to Chiang, “I want to fly like that,” and strange glowed in his eyes. “Tell me what to do.” (Bach 58)

Further, when Jonathan is able to fly like what Chiang does and after Chiang goes away to another place, Jonathan thinks about his past. Then he wonders if there is a gull like him, who wants to break his limits, to discover the real meaning of flying (Bach 61).

If he had known there just a tenth, just a hundredth, of what he knew here, how much more life would have meant! He stood on the sand and fell to wondering if there was a gull back there who might be struggling to break out of his limits, to see the meaning of flight beyond a way of travel to get a breadcrumb from a rowboat (Bach 61).

Based on Jonathan’s thought and his conversations with others, it can be concluded that Jonathan is curious. He always wants to know and discover something hidden that he does not know.

4. Brave

Jonathan is also characterized as a brave seagull. He is brave enough to take a challenge. Through a lot of practices, he can fly higher than other gulls do, flying at high speed. When the wind is just like a monster roaring at his head, he tries to move his wingtips into the faintest twist he has. Jonathan knows that doing such kind of movements is not easy. However, he chooses to do it because he needs to practice so that he can reach his dream. As we know flying in that high speed takes too many risks.

The wind was a monster roar at his head. Seventy miles per hour, ninety, a hundred and twenty and faster still. The wing-strain now at a hundred and forty miles per hour wasn’t nearly as hard as it had been before at seventy, and with the faintest twist of his wingtips he eased out of the dive and shot above the waves, a gray cannonball under the moon (Bach 25).

Since Jonathan has courage inside him, he takes the risks of flying at high speed to reach his dream, flying in the air like an eagle. In his practicing, Jonathan

knows that he is probably killed if he cannot control the speed and his movements while he flies in the air. However, he keeps his fear off and still flies.

Once, he can reach his terminal velocity. He thinks that it is a breakthrough of a new way of life for seagulls. Then Jonathan is going to tell his flock. Unfortunately, when he comes back to his flock, he faces a big trouble. His flock assumes that Jonathan is trying to break the rule of seagull by living for flying. Even Elder in the Council Flock seagull accuses him of violating the rule. A seagull never speaks back to the Council Flock but at that time Jonathan’s voices is raised. Then, he speaks back to the Council Flock. Speaking back to the Council Flock is not allowed. As his punishment, he is sent out of the flock and becomes an outcast (Bach 35).

As an outcast, he lives in another place with his new flock. They all are outcasts. In his new place he gets many lessons from his instructor, Sullivan and the Elder Gull, Chiang. Here, they use telepathy to talk to each other. One evening, when the other gulls gather together stand on the sand, thinking of something that Jonathan does not know. Jonathan encourages himself by walking to the Elder Gull, Chiang. He asks him about flying to (Bach 54).

Doing a lot of practices supervised by Chiang, Jonathan develops his skill of flying and Jonathan passes the practice. Both Chiang and Jonathan are going back to the flock. All of the seagulls there look at Jonathan in awesome. They are proud of Jonathan because he can transform to another dimension like what Chiang does. It is stated that Jonathan is brave. He put aside his fear so that he can learn how to transform into another place. He is not afraid of making mistakes. He fails for many times. However, he is not desperate. His instructor, Sullivan, even is surprised at

what he sees. Sullivan says that Jonathan shows no fear of learning compared to any gull he has seen in ten thousand years. Knowing that complement, Jonathan feels in happy (Bach 60).

Based on Jonathan’s thought, direct comment given by the author, and character seen by other, it can be concluded that Jonathan is brave.

5. Stubborn

Jonathan is a stubborn seagull. It can be seen from his reaction to the situation he is facing. When his mother reminds him of being a normal gull, by low-flying and eating Jonathan speaks back to his mother. Jonathan is very skinny because he never eats and rests like other gulls. He always spends his time on learning about flying. However, Jonathan is not worried of being skinny. He says to his mother that everything he does is just to develop his ability. What he can do or cannot do in the air (Bach 14).

Once, when Jonathan tries to defend himself, his father forces him stop thinking about flying. Jonathan stops practicing. Then, on another day, Jonathan joins his flock. Fighting and struggling for his life because of what he has to do, live like the rest of other gulls in his flock. For few days, he tries to survive by screeching and fighting with the flock around the piers and fishing boats. He also dives on scraps of fish and bread. Jonathan works very hard to remain with the flock. However, Jonathan thinks that he cannot live in such kind of life. He decides to fly away from the flock and then learns about flying again because by doing this, he feels very happy. Jonathan thinks that all he has done with the flock is just

most loved to do, and that was to fly. They were magnificent birds all of them, and they spent hour after hour every day practicing flight, testing advanced aeronautics.

One evening Jonathan heard that an Elder Gull would soon be moving on to the next world. He mustered up his courage and walked up to that gull to ask him something that was stirring deep inside of him. The following exchange was a turning point in Jonathan's life. From this moment on Chiang took Jonathan under his wing, so to speak. He became his mentor and his best friend. The Elder Gull taught him much about flight, but most importantly about going beyond his limits. He learned how to disappear and reappear in a different location and many other awe inspiring things. He told him that the gulls who scorn perfection for the sake of travel go nowhere, slowly.

Those who put aside travel for the sake of perfection go anywhere instantly. Pretty soon all the gulls were in awe of Jonathan. But as he grew wiser, he also grew humbler, for such is the nature of wisdom. Everyone asked for him to teach them what he knew. Jonathan, in his humility told them that he had just arrived in this new world, and it was them that needed to teach him. After months of studying and learning with Chiang, it was time for the Elder to move on. Before leaving he reminded Jonathan to keep working on love. As the days went on Jonathan couldn't help but think about the past. He thought of all the gulls who were living and dying over breadcrumbs.

Then he wondered whether there was a gull who was made an outcast for living his truth in the face of the other gulls. The more he practiced his kindness lessons, the more he wanted to go back to Earth. For in spite of his lonely past, Jonathan Seagull was born to be an instructor, and his own way of demonstrating love was to give something of the truth that he had seen to a gull who asked only a chance to see truth for himself. Since his meeting with Chiang, Jonathan began to believe in him self and the power of love more than he had ever known.

As his spirit became stronger, his soul became kinder, and out of kindness he wanted to take back to others what he had learned. The others told Jonathan to stay and help the birds that were coming to their world instead. It would be too difficult to go back to the world where he was once deserted. He agreed for some time, but he couldn't help but remember his old life. He thought to himself how far ahead he would have been if Chiang had shown up the day he was outcast. He decided that he indeed needed to go back.

Jonathan appeared just in time to witness the rejection of Fletcher Lynd Seagull by his flock. Fletcher flew away with anger in his eyes. Jonathan Seagull flew next to him and told him that by casting him out, they had only hurt themselves. He asked Fletcher to forgive them, for they knew not what they were doing. Soon, Jonathan had become to Fletcher, what Chiang was to him. He taught Fletcher how to go beyond limitations and to touch Heaven. As time went on other outcasts joined Jonathan. At night Jonathan would tell them that they were only as limited as they believed. He told them at their whole body was nothing but thought,

and if they could break the chains of thought, they could break the chains of their bodies too. All this sounded like science fiction to these gulls who could not believe it at first.

One day Jonathan told them that it was time to go back to the others. They were ready now to help the other seagulls to see. They all refused to go, so Jonathan flew all alone into the sky. The gulls were concerned about their teacher going alone, so they soon joined him. Jonathan taught his students flying lessons right above the other flocks. But down below, the others were warned not to watch, for looking at an outcast would make one into an outcast too. Shortly the few students became more and more, and were coming from all places. Soon a sickly looking bird came and told Jonathan that he wanted nothing else but to fly.

Unfortunately his wings were injured, so he could not. To this he was told by Jonathan, You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way. Believing this he spread his wings and flew. He shouted with great glee as the others watched him in wonderment. Before long, thousands of birds flocked around and began to listen to what was being told by Jonathan. As he taught others, he inspired multitudes to come and join. He became like another messiah, only he told the gulls that he was no more divine than they were, except that he took the risk to learn.

Soon, it was time for Jonathan to move on to the other world, but he left his work with Fletcher Seagull to continue. In this wonderful story of triumph and love, Jonathan Livingston Seagull was able to find his own inner strength through teaching others about the gifts that they had inside. He became enlightened in the process of enlightening others. In this delightful novel, the reader has flown into the world of the birds and shall come out transformed through a myriad of inspiration, wisdom and literary excellence.

Taken from:

(

Summary by Sangeeta Kumar of San Diego, USA. http://freezoneamerica.com/Clearbird/study2004/manual/91seagull.htm)

APPENDIX 5

BIOGRAPHY OF RICHARD BACH

Born in 1936 in Oak Park, III., son of Ronald Robert and Ruth Helen (Shaw) Bach. The American Richard Bach, is the great-great-great-great (how many more should I add?:) grand son of JS Bach the great composer we all know. He attended Long Beach State College (now California State University, Long Beach) in 1955).

An airplane pilot, he got married with his first wife and had six children, then divorced and left his family in part because he didn’t believe in marriage. One of his children, Jonathan, wrote a book about his relationship with his father he never knew, Above the Clouds. Everything concerning airplane was his field, including motion picture stunt pilot, Air Force tactical fighter pilot, an aviation technical writer and flight instructor. He even got involved as a narrator & stunt pilot in the movie Nothing by Chance, based on his book.

Though aviation was his true passion, he always wanted to write; since high school, one of his gym teachers made him realize his potential. Since 1959 he had this idea of a bird learning to pass beyond the walls of limitations, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, which came through a “Cinemara on my wall”. Almost all his books used airplanes as a way to pass the message. In Running From Safety, Mr. Bach shares with us his childhood: at age 8, he lost his one of his brother: Bobby. From his book, we also know that he has a much old brother: Roy.

R. Bach met his wife, Leslie Parish through the shooting of the movie Jonathan Livingston Seagull in 1973, based on his book. It is said that he sued the production for changing the movie without his permission. In fact, those who saw the movie noticed that his name wasn’t mentioned, only the copy rights for the title “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”. My only explanation would be that he didn’t want to be part of this. And if I put together what Bach said in his book Bridge Across Forever and what I’ve read, Leslie was some sort of a moderator between the two parties to get for the movie.

Then, they went their way, far enough from Hollywood, somewhere between 1977 and 1981. Finally, they got married in 81. Since then, Richard Bach tried what he called the closest thing to flying: paragliding. Recently Leslie and Richard got discovered.

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ABSTRACT

Wuri Krisharyanti. (2010). The Influence of Jonathan’s Character on Resolving His Personal Conflict in Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Yogyakarta: Teachers Training and Education Faculty, Department of Language and Arts Education, English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.

This study analyses Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a novelette written by Richard Bach. The novelette tells about life experience as its main issue. The story is about the character of Jonathan, a seagull that gets a punishment from his leader of the flock because he breaks the rule among seagulls. The problems arise when Jonathan is trying to learn perfection of flying. Jonathan gets bored with the routine activity as a seagull. Then, he learns to fly better than the flock because he believes that there is still another way to live besides finding some food with the simplest way of flying. Until one day, he is outcast. After that accident, Jonathan lives alone. He learns everyday about flying until he met other seagull in his new place. All were outcast.

The goal of conducting this study was to know more deeply about the influence of Jonathan’s character on resolving his personal conflict. To attain the goal, this study focused on three questions. The first question is about the character of Jonathan. The second question is about Jonathan’s personal conflicts, both intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts. The third question is the influence of Jonathan’s character on resolving his personal conflicts.

The method which was applied to this study was library research study. The primary source was the novelette itself, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The secondary sources were obtained from several books on literature. The researcher combined some theories of character, characterization, theory of conflicts, conflict resolutions, and managing conflicts.

This thesis applied psychological approach which was aimed to describe Jonathan’s character, to comprehend the patterns of human personality and behavior.

From the analysis, the researcher found that Jonathan was the main character. He is characterized as a young seagull, hardworking, smart, curious, brave and stubborn. Since Jonathan is a young seagull, he always hard work, curious, brave and stubborn. These characters create conflict among Jonathan, his parents, the flock and his instructor, Sullivan. These conflicts were categorized as ego conflict. Jonathan’s characters that are smart and hardworking helped him in solving his conflict.

Finally, the researcher gives two suggestions to complete this thesis. The first one is for the future researcher(s) on Jonathan Livingston Seagull in the next years. Another suggestion is to implement Jonathan Livingston Seagull as the teaching material in paragraph writing class.

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ABSTRAK

Krisharyanti, Wuri. (2010). The Influence of Jonathan’s character on Resolving His Personal Conflict in Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Yogyakarta: Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Jurusan Bahasa dan Seni, Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Skripsi ini menganalisa novelet, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, yang ditulis oleh Richard Bach. Novelet ini mengangkat tema Pengalaman hidup yang menceritakan karakter Jonathan, seekor burung yang dijatuhi hukuman pengasingan karen melanggar aturan. Permasalahan muncul ketika Jonathan berusaha mempelajari kesempurnaan dalam terbang. Jonathan merasa bosan dengan kegiatan rutinnya sebagai seekor burung camar. Kemudian dia belajar terbang agar lebih baik dari kawanannya karena dia meyakini bahwa masih ada cara lain untuk hidup selain hanya untuk mencari makanan dengan kemampuan terbang yang paling sederhana. Sampai suatu hari ia di asingkan. Setelah kejadian itu Jonathan hidup sendirian. Dia belajar setiap harinya, hingga suatu hari dia bertemu dengan burung-burung camar lainnya di tempat ia tinggal sekarang. Semuanya adalah burung-burung yang di asingkan.

Tujuan dari skripsi ini adalah untuk mengetahui lebih jauh mengenai pengaruh karakter Jonathan dalam menyelesaikan konflik pribadi yang dia alami. Untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut, skripsi ini menitikberatkan pada tiga pertanyaan. Pertanyaan pertama tentang karakter Jonathan. Pertanyaan kedua tentang konflik pribadi yang di alami baik dari dalam maupun dari luar diri Jonathan. Pertanyaan ketiga tentang pengaruh karakter Jonathan dalam menyelasaikan konflik pribadinya. Untuk mencapai tujuan-tujuan tersebut, metode yang diterapkan adalah studi pustaka. Sumber utama dalam skripsi ini adalah novelet itu sendiri, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Sumber-sumber lain yang juga digunakan oleh peneliti dalam skripsi ini diperoleh melalui buku-buku tentang karya sastra. Penulis juga menggunakan beberapa teori karakter, pengkarakteran, konflik, resolusi konflik dam manajemen konflik.

Skripsi ini menerapkan pendekatan psikologi yang bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan karakter Jonathan, mengartikan bentuk kepribadian dan perilaku manusia.

Berdasarkan analisa, peneliti menemukan bahwa Jonathan adalah tokoh utama. Dia dikarakterkan sebagai seekor burung camar muda yang bekerja keras, pintar, selalu ingin tahu, pemberani dan keras kepala. Karakter-karakter inilah yang menimbulkan konflik antara Jonathan, orang tuanya, kawanannya dan instrukturnya, Sullivan. Karakter Jonathan yang pintar dan bekerja keras membantunya dalam menyelasikan konflik tersebut.

Akhirnya, peneliti memberikan dua saran untuk melengkapi skripsi ini. Saran pertama adalah untuk peneliti novelet Jonathan Livingston Seagull selanjutnya. Saran lainnya untuk penerapan novelet Jonathan Livingston Seagull sebagai materi mengajar Bahasa Inggris di kelas paragraph writing.