The self-actualization of Morrie Schwartz as revealed in Mitch Albom`s tuesday with Morrie.

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ABSTRACT

YUNI RIYANTI. The Self-Actualization of Morrie Schwartz as Revealed in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2007.

Tuesdays with Morrie tells about Morrie Schwartz who has different characteristics from common people. One of many things which makes him different is he does not think about earthly things anymore. He can receive everything which is predestined by God and see them positively. He understands what is more important in this life; one of them is helping other people with all of his heart and soul. He shares his experience in facing his life to other people in order to give them an understanding about the way to live in this world so that they will not feel hopeless. His way in giving his experience above can show that he indirectly actualizes himself. It happens when he shares his experience

The writer’s objectives in doing this study are: (1) to find the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz which are related with self-actualizing person and can lead him to be self-actualizing person; (2) to reveal the self-actualization of Morrie Schwartz through his characteristics which have similarities with the characteristics of self-actualizing person.

The writer does library research by using the novel as the primary source. The writer applies psychological approach. Maslow’s theory of self-actualization is used by the writer to explain the self-actualization of Morrie Schwartz and theories on character and characterization to show Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics.

As the result of this study, the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz are open-minded, helpful, strong, attentive, compassionate, patient, and wise. His characteristics lead him to be a self-actualizing person. As a self-actualizing person, he has democratic character structure, a concern in social interest, can focus on other people’s problems, accepts oneself, and experiences peak experience. The relation between his characteristics and a self-actualizing person is shown in next explanation. He is open-minded which means he has democratic character structure. This person never distinguishes race, religion, social class, and level of education. He has concern in social interest and desire to help other people. As an attentive person, he can focus on other people’s problems. Patience which is kept in his own self makes him become a person who has capability to accept oneself in whatever condition. Then, he experiences peak experience and decides to be peace with death. There is no need to be afraid of death since he also has experienced a mystical experience which shows his life in the future clearly.

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ABSTRAK

YUNI RIYANTI. The Self-Actualization of Morrie Schwartz as Revealed in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2007.

Tuesdays with Morrie menceritakan tentang Morrie Schwartz yang memiliki karakteristik berbeda dari orang pada umumnya. Salah satu hal yang membuatnya berbeda adalah ia tidak memikirkan tentang hal duniawi lagi. Ia dapat menerima segala hal yang ditakdirkan oleh Tuhan dan melihatnya secara positif. Ia memahami hal yang lebih penting dalam hidup ini; salah satunya adalah membantu orang lain dengan ikhlas. Ia berbagi pengalamannya dalam menghadapi hidup kepada orang lain dengan tujuan memberikan mereka pemahaman tentang cara untuk hidup di dunia ini sehingga mereka tidak merasa putus asa. Cara ia dalam memberikan pengalamannya di atas, dapat menunjukkan bahwa ia mengaktualisasikan dirinya secara tidak langsung. Hal itu terjadi ketika ia berbagi pengalamannya.

Tujuan penulis dalam studi ini adalah: (1) untuk menemukan karakteristik Morrie Schwartz yang berkaitan dengan orang yang telah mencapai aktualisasi diri dan yang dapat membimbingnya menjadi orang yang telah mencapai aktualisasi diri; (2) untuk mengungkapakan aktualisasi diri Morrie Schwartz melalui karakteristiknya yang memiliki persamaan dengan karakteristik orang yang telah mencapai aktualisasi diri.

Penulis melakukan studi pustaka dengan menggunakan novel tersebut sebagai sumber utama. Penulis menerapkan pendekatan psikologi. Teori Aktualisasi Diri Maslow digunakan penulis untuk menjelaskan aktualisasi diri Morrie Schwartz, serta beberapa Teori Karakter untuk menunjukkan karakteristik Morrie Schwartz.

Hasil dari studi ini menunjukkan karakteristik Morrie Schwartz, yaitu berpikiran terbuka, suka menolong, tegar, perhatian, merasakan iba, sabar, dan bijaksana. Karakteristik tersebut mebimbingnya menjadi orang yang mencapai aktualisasi diri. Ia memiliki struktur karakter yang demokratis, peduli pada kepentingan social, fokus pada masalah orang lain, menerima dirinya sendiri, dan mengalami pengalaman puncak. Hubungan antara karakteristik Morrie Schwartz dengan orang yang mencapai aktualisasi diri dijelaskan sebagai berikut. Ia berpikiran terbuka berarti ia memiliki struktur karakter yang demokratis. Ia tidak pernah membedakan ras, agama, kelas sosial, dan tingkat pendidikan. Ia peduli pada kepentingan sosial dan ingin membantu orang lain. Sebagai orang yang perhatian, ia dapat fokus pada masalah orang lain. Kesabaran yang dijaga dalam dirinya menjadikannya orang yang dapat menerima dirinya sendiri dalam kondisi apapun. Kemudian, ia mengalami pengalaman puncak dan memutuskan untuk berdamai dengan kematian. Tidak ada yang perlu ditakuti tentang kematian karena dia juga mengalami pengalaman mistik yang menunjukkan kehidupannya di masa mendatang.

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THE SELF-ACTUALIZATION OF MORRIE SCHWARTZ

AS REVEALED IN MITCH ALBOM’S

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

YUNI RIYANTI Student Number: 034214118

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA 2007

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THE SELF-ACTUALIZATION OF MORRIE SCHWARTZ

AS REVEALED IN MITCH ALBOM’S

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

YUNI RIYANTI Student Number: 034214118

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA 2007

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BELIEVE IN EVERYONE

BUT

DO NOT BELIEVE IN

THE DEVIL INSIDE THEM

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FOR

MY BELOVED PARENTS

AND MY UNPREDICTABLE OWN SELF

BE STRONG SO NOTHING CAN DISTURB

MY PEACE OF MIND

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First, I would like to express my gratitude to God who gives me this wonderful chance. Everything is possible because of Thee. I would like to thank my Advisor, Dra. Theresia Enny Anggraini, M.A. for her guidance, advice, and detailed correctness. Thank you for being so patient and understanding during this time. I would also thank the lecturers who have taught me so much knowledge during my study, especially to my academic advisors, E. Arti Wulandari, S.S., M.A. and Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum. Also thank you to secretary and library staffs who have provided me with information that I required all this time.

Then, thank you for my boyfriend, Aditya Kusuma, who becomes a part of my life and giving me more colorful life. I am grateful for your love, support, help, and kindness. My appreciation is for my family: my mother, my father, and my sister, who have surrounded me with affection. Thank you to my friends in English Letters generally, in class D specifically, especially to Afrilla Nita Sary and Dewi Kurniawati; you are my friends that I can count on. Thank you for my friends in my boarding house who also help and support me during my thesis writing, especially to Nina Setyorini who always cheers me up and makes me laugh. You are my funniest friend I have ever had.

“Human beings without well behavior will not be able to recover chaos”

Yuni Riyanti.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ……… 1

A. Background of the Study ……….. 1

B. Problem Formulation ……… 4

C. Objectives of the Study ………. 4

D. Definition of Terms ……….. 5

CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ………... 7

A. Review of Related Studies ……… 7

B. Review of Related Theories ……….. 12

1. Theory on Character and Characterization ... 12

2. Theory on relation between Psychology and Literature ... 14

3. Theory on Self-Actualization ... 15

C. Theoretical Framework ……… 21

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ………... 22

A. Object of the Study ………... 22

B. Approach of the Study ……….. 24

C. Method of the Study ………. 24

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ………. 27

A. The Characteristics of Morrie Schwartz ………... 27

B. The Revelation of Morrie Schwartz’s Self-Actualization …… 40

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ………... 57

BIBLIOGRAPHY ………. 61

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ABSTRACT

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ABSTRAK

YUNI RIYANTI. The Self-Actualization of Morrie Schwartz as Revealed in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2007.

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Human beings sometimes have a difficult time understanding the significance of life. They may mistakenly think that life is only for searching money and career. During the life time, more people work hard for money and career; less people realize the significance of the life itself. Human beings do not live forever. They will die someday and it cannot be predicted. Therefore, the significance of life has to be understood. The significance of life here is human beings should reach their own goal in life. The goal in life here is not always related with oneself, but with other people. For example, the goal is for focusing on other people’s problems and solving those problems with all our heart and soul. However, that kind of thing is difficult to find in human beings’ life.

It is difficult to find because most of human beings only think about their own selves. The concept of individual, egocentric, and selfish is created in their mind and soul. Human beings think that they can do everything they want to do by their own selves. That is why, human beings feel very busy and they almost never think about other human beings. If human beings are difficult to think about other human beings, it will be difficult too for human beings to think about other’s problems. It is a valuable thing if there is a person who can think and focus about other people, think and focus about other people’s problems; even can solve the

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problems of other people with all his or her heart and soul. That kind of person has one of self-actualization’s characteristics.

In this undergraduate thesis, the writer is going to analyze the self-actualization which has been achieved by the character, Morrie Schwartz. Self-actualization is very rare to find in common people. A person who has subjective experience and how he can perceive and value what he has obtained. An individual who has achieved self-actualization tends to seek the ultimate purpose of behavior rather than the superficial or apparent purpose. Self-actualization is the peak of needs. When a person has achieved it, he will get the significance of life. This person can receive what God does and see everything positively.

The character of Morrie Schwartz in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie is a kind of person who can receive what God does. He can receive everything which he has gotten positively and he knows what his main purpose in this life is.

The character of Morrie Schwartz is chosen because he has the characteristics of self-actualizing person who can show the importance of life, but it is forgotten. It can be proven by the statements which are given by Rev. L. Annie Forester, Minister Emerita in St. John’s Unitarian Church, Cincinnati, Ohio. She says that, “A wise and loving story that teaches us those things we ought to know already, but have somehow forgotten”.

Other opinion is said by Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club. She says that:

I love this book. I’ve been telling all my friends, “You have to read this.” Mitch Albom was given a wonderful gift from his teacher Morrie Schwartz and now we have the great pleasure of auditing the same class. As a coach, humanist, and “religious mutt,” Morrie gives his former

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student a crash course on living: clear and ruthless hindsight on what matters most when your days are numbered (1997: I).

The opinion shows that Morrie Schwartz as the character in the novel has many experiences in facing his life and gives it to other person through a story. The experiences are not as ordinary experiences. As Amy Tan says, it can shine and leave us forever warmed by its afterglow.

Morrie Schwartz can be considered as a self-actualizing person because he can give other person the right chosen how to live and it only can be given by Morrie Schwartz. Even, he is called as a saint man like what is said by Jeff Daniels:

Sometimes if you take a second look around you’ll notice we are amongst angels. Only a man -no, a saint- like Morrie Schwartz could take his own impending death and teach us how to live. After reading Tuesdays with Morrie you’ll understand that class is never dismissed (1997: II).

Self-actualizing person is like Buddha that leads the follower a way to live in this world. It is also the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz that can show other people the way to live. Joanna Bull, Founder and Executive Director in Gilda’s Club, says that:

All of the saints and Buddhas have taught us that wisdom and compassion are one. Now along comes Morrie, who makes it perfectly plain. His living and dying show us the way (1997: II).

The character of Morrie Schwartz who is considered as a self-actualizing person understands about what is important in this life. He does not think about the earthly matters anymore, but he gives other people understanding that founding a relation between each other with love, affection, and compassion is the important thing in this life. That kind of thing is more important than other earthly

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things in this world. It is showed by an opinion of Dr. Jane Greer, an author of How Could You Do This to Me? Learning to Trust After Betrayal. She comments that:

Poignant and powerfully moving, Tuesdays with Morrie captures the essence and spirit of a truly gifted teacher and his unwavering belief that the most important lesson in life is connecting to one another through compassion and love. Mitch Albom gives his cherished mentor the greatest gift of passing it on to us all (1997: II).

Those comments, opinions, or statements cause the writer to become certain that the character of Morrie Schwartz in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie has different characteristics. The writer is interested in analyzing Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics because of those comments. Many people say that Morrie Schwartz is different from other people in facing and seeing this life. Those are some reasons why the writer is interested with the character of Morrie Schwartz and also the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz.

B. Problem Formulation

The problems that will be discussed in this study are:

1. What are the characteristics of the main character, Morrie Schwartz, presented in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie?

2. How does the main character, Morrie Schwartz, reveal his self-actualization?

C. Objectives of the Study

The aim of this undergraduate thesis is to emphasize the study of self-actualization of the main character. There are two objectives of this study. Firstly,

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what the characteristics of the main character, Morrie Schwartz, are presented in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. Secondly, how the main character, Morrie Schwartz, reveals his self-actualization.

D. Definitions of Terms

In order to avoid confusion and misunderstanding, the writer presents the key terms that are going to be used in this undergraduate thesis.

1. Self-actualization

Abraham Maslow in Duane Schultz’s Growth Psychology: Models of the Health Personality states that self-actualization can be defined as the supreme development and the use of all our abilities, the fulfillment of all our qualities and capacities. We must become what we have the potential to become. Even though the lower-order needs are satisfied-we feel secure physically and emotionally, have a sense of belonging and love and feel ourselves to be worthy individuals-we will feel frustrated, restless, and discontent if we fail to attempt to satisfy the need for self-actualization. If that happens, we will not be at peace with ourselves and cannot be described as psychologically health (1977: 64).

2. Character

Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms defines character as “a person presented in a dramatic work, who are interpreted by the readers as being endowed with moral and disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say-dialogue and by what they do-the action” (1981: 20).

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3. Characterization

According to Holman and Harmon (1986: 81) in A Handbook to Literature, characterization is the creation of revealing imaginary persons so that they exist for the readers as life like.

4. Characteristics of Character

According to Allport as quoted by Larver and Scheier in Perspective on Personality, the characteristics of a character are related with his or her behavior, thoughts, and feelings (1996:5).

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CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL REVIEW

A. Review of Related Studies

Tuesdays with Morrie is based on a true story from an old dying man’s life, Morrie Schwartz, with a young man, Mitch Albom, who talks about his life as the greatest lesson. This biographical novel is not merely about a story of a dying man’s last words which are said in common way but it is deeper about a man whose spirit is endless. It is about a man who understands this life thoroughly. It is emphasized by Stephanie Bowen, a book explorer of creative world writing at UCLA and CNN’s staff, in her article entitled “Tuesdays with Morrie” in CNN on May edition, 1998. She says that:

Tuesdays with Morrie is more than just a dying man’s last words. It is an inspirational recount of a man’s life-a man whose passion for the human spirit has continued to live long after his last breath (http://edition.cnn.com/books/review/9805/06/index.html accessed on 20 September 2006).

Bowen also comments on Morrie’s view about his experiences with death. She states:

Morrie speaks to every person because he is every person. He has led a simple yet meaningful life that inspires you to live yours to the fullest. Perhaps his story is more powerful because you’re not only taking in his wisdom, but you are experiencing his death. In his words, he is fortunate enough to know he is dying, to take stock of his life as it comes to an end. He handles this with bravery and compassion, and when the final moment comes you feel as though you’ve lost a dear friend (http://edition.cnn.com/books/review/9805/06/index.html accessed on 20 September 2006).

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These sentences mean that Morrie is the same as an ordinary people who also experiences death. However, the difference is in his point of view about death. For common people, death is a scary thing but for Morrie, death is a lesson on how to live. It is also a lesson to more appreciate his life. In his view, Morrie considers death as an opportunity to seek what meaningful life is and realizes that death is a part of nature so he handles it bravely, compassionately, and wisely.

Bowen also adds that Albom’s life has changed dramatically because of the discussion about life in “Tuesday’s classes” with Morrie. In a true testament, Albom tells that now he spends more time with his wife, taking more time off work, and he is investing in the relationship with people in his life that he cares about most. He faces life with less fear than before and realizes that life only comes around once. Reunion with Morrie brings him to do the best thing in life so there is no regret turning back time

(http://edition.cnn.com/books/review/9805/06/index.html accessed on 20 September 2006).

Another opinion comes from Charles Derber, a Boston College sociology professor. As quoted by Jim Suhr, an Associated Press writer, in his article “Sick Professor, Ex-student Talk of Life’s Lessons” in Chronicling Tuesdays with Morrie on February, 1998; Derber says, “The fact that Mitch’s is so widely read is testimony that he captured something valuable. Morrie would be smiling about this”(http://www.s-t.com/daily/02-98/02-15-98/e07li216.html accessed on 20 September 2006). Derber means that Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie is a

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successful book because it is widely read and this condition is a proof that Albom succeeds finding valuable lessons in life through Morrie.

Other positive criticism comes from Chuck Salter in Issue 30. He criticizes the character Morrie as a wisdom teacher. He states:

Why the enormous interest in what retired college professor had to say? The answer is simple: Morrie offered candid, heartfelt insight into many of the philosophical question that so many of us ask ourselves (or should be asking ourselves) about life, work, community, relationships, aging, and death. And he offered all of this insight from a unique perspective…The only way to live. Take in from Morrie, a teacher to the last (1999: 198). This quotation explains the fact why Morrie, an old retired college professor, attracts many people to read his words in Tuesdays with Morrie. It is because Morrie answers honestly for those questions of life elements that nowadays, people ask and look the answers for. Morrie offers a different perspective about living happily and wisely.

Tuesdays with Morrie does not only attract its readers but also the popular TV show in America, Oprah Winfrey. As quoted by Gloria Hillard, CNN Entertainment News Correspondent, in her article “Tuesdays with Morrie: Winfrey Produces TV Film” in CNN on February edition, 1999; Oprah Winfrey comments that Tuesdays with Morrie is a lovely book. When she loves a book, she recommends it to her audiences. She says that she loves the book because of Morrie Schwartz. He is an extraordinary man who gives her inspiration to be a stronger woman and increase her conscious to help other people

(http://www.archieves.cnn.com/1999/SHOWBIZ/TV/12/02/tuesdays.morrie.html accessed on 20 September 2006)

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However, positive comments are also accompanied with negative comment. The negative comment comes from Mark Krupnick, a professor of English at the University of Chicago and also an ALS sufferer, in his article “Revisiting Morrie: Were his Last Words Too Good To Be True?” in Issues on January, 2001. He says that:

…The world has seen enough rivalry among victims. It’s more to the point that professionally I’m a literary critic, and criticism is what critics do. That Morrie is himself uncritical is, in fact, part of my objection to him. Morrie urges his owns nonjudgmental stance on everybody else-especially urging dying patients to think affirmatively-but there is a limit to the usefulness of such an upbeat message. I think that people suffering from fatal disease such as ALS are better served by straight talk than by Morrie’s homilies. Personally, I can deal better with extreme experiences-what is already here and experiences-what is to come- when it is described as objectively as possible that when it is rendered with a moralistic glow (http://www.forward.com/issues/2002/02.01.25/books6.html accessed on 21 September 2006).

He means that Morrie’s wisdom is not all wise for ALS sufferers. For Krupnick, he think that other ALS sufferers are better to be served by a straight talk like how to come the progress of the illness or how to accept reality that it is useless to recover fully from ALS than by Morrie’s aphorism about life which is only homilies before he dies. There is a limitation in human ability to understand about morality when he or she faces death. Therefore, what is needed is only a reality that he or she must accept his or her condition and not a moralistic glow about life.

Krupnick also adds that Morrie takes advantage of the authority with which ALS endows Morrie to teach other sufferers how to comfort themselves. Maybe the sufferers will comfort about Morrie’s lesson, but it is only temporary

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because it means that they deceive the reality that soon death waits them. Krupnick says, “It is hard to imagine truly traumatized persons being touched at a deep level by such counseling”

(http://www.forward.com/issues/2002/02.01.25/books6.html accessed on 21 September 2006).

Krupnick has different point of view about Tuesdays with Morrie and also the lesson about life which are offered by Morrie, but everyone has his or her own opinion.

There are five comments about Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. A positive criticism is given in four comments, but it is only a comment by Krupnick that gives a negative comment. In Regard to all the comments about Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie, the writer agrees with the positive criticism that this biographical novel is valuable because it offers some different views on life matters so the readers could get the lesson in how to make life meaningfully. In spite of what Krupnick has said that this novel is only a temporary comfort, people do need a comfort to remedy and to reconsider all the things what people have missed the time to share together even people are often busy about themselves and their works. People forget what is truly important in this life. Therefore, the writer takes on positive comments side.

After reading all comments above, the writer makes a conclusion about what many people often comment towards Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. They give comment that the novel is full with moral lesson. They study the novel only about the moral things in the novel. However, the writer finds different idea

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about the novel. The different idea here is about self-actualization. The writer is going to reveal the self-actualization of the character in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie.

B. Review of Related Theories

There are some theories that the writer wants to apply, such as theory on character and characterization, the relationship between literature and psychology, and theory on self-actualization. These theories will support the analysis of Tuesdays with Morrie.

1. Theory on Character and Characterization

A character plays an important role in literary works. Without a character, the story will not run well. Because of its importance, therefore, there are many definitions on character. One of them, it comes from Stanton in An Introduction to Fiction. He explains that the term “character” refers to the mixtures of interests, desires, emotions and morel principles that form the individuals. He also adds that every story usually has a main character that is significant to all events in the story (1965:17). Then, in A Glossary of Literary Terms, Abrams defines character as “a person presented in a dramatic work, who are interpreted by the readers as being endowed with moral and disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say-dialogue and by what they do-the action” (1981: 20).

Furthermore, according to Barnet et al in Literature for composition, he defines the term character into two meanings: (1) as the figure in a literary work;

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and (2) as the personality that is the mental and moral qualities of a figure (1988: 71). The writer will use the definition of character as the figure in a literary work. From this statement, the writer understands that there is a close relation between character and characterization so the writer is going to use both theories to make this study clearer. Then, according to Beaty and Hunter in New World of Literature, then say, “The particular traits (or characteristic) of a person suggest that person’s character-what it makes him or her distinctive” (1989:231). Therefore, it can be said that a character needs some characteristics to form him or her and to distinctive him or her from other characters.

According to Allport as quoted by Larver and Scheier in Perspective on Personality, the characteristics of a character are related with his or her behavior, thoughts, and feelings (1996:5). They will influence the way of thinking, feeling, and behavior from a person. Therefore, to understand deeper about a character, it is important to know well about his or her characteristics.

Related with that, according to Murphy in Understanding Unseen, there are several ways in which an author attempts to make his characters or her characters understandable to, and come alive for his readers or her readers so the readers can know what kind of person he or she is. They are personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation of others, reactions, direct comment, thoughts, and mannerisms(1972:161-173). However, the writer only chooses six ways to understand the character of Morrie so the writer can get a clue to find the characterization of Morrie. They are:

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a. Character as seen by another : the author describes the character through the eyes and opinion of another

b. Speech: the author can give the readers an insight into the character of one of the persons in book through what the person says.

c. Past life: by letting the reader learn something about a person’s past life the author can give a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character. d. Reactions: the author can give a clue to a person’s character by letting the

readers know how that person reacts to various situations and events.

e. Direct comment: the author can describe or comment on a person’s character directly.

f. Thoughts: the author gives the readers direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about.

2. Theory on relation between Psychology and Literature

Recognizing that there is a close relation between literature and psychology, Kalish in The Psychology of Human Behaviour implies that “literature holds the mirror up to the man.” A good writer or novelist can communicate the feeling of their characters and make them seem more life-like than the real people whose behavior the psychologist attempts to describe. The writer can use the understanding provided by the psychologist to enrich stories, and psychologist can gain in their understanding of human behavior by drawing from deep sensitivity of good author (1973: 8).

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As the relationship between literature and psychology is closely established, it can be said that the analysis of literary works may reflect certain psychological factors. This undergraduate thesis explores one of psychological subjects. That is the self-actualization.

3. Theory on Self-Actualization

Theory on self-actualization is related with hierarchy of needs that is stated by Abraham Maslow in Duane Schultz’s Growth Psychology: Models of the Health Personality (Schultz, 1977: 60-63). These are the hierarchy of needs: a. Physiological needs: these needs such as hunger, thirst, and shelter. This is the

first level of the hierarchy. When these needs are met, the next need of the hierarchy emerges as a dominant force in controlling and directing behavior. b. Safety needs: these needs can be seen in people’s preference for familiar

surroundings, secure jobs, saving accounts, and insurance.

c. Love needs: these needs are the most common basis for behavioral problems in our society. These needs involve a hunger for affectionate relationships with others, a need to feel part of a group, or a feeling that one belongs.

d. Esteem needs: the need for self-esteem motivates the individual to strive for achievement, strength, confidence, independence, and freedom. The related need of esteem from others involve a desire for reputation, status, recognition, appreciation by others of one’s abilities, and a feeling of importance.

e. Self-actualization: when one has satisfied the first four levels of need, the final development, it is self-actualization, can be reached. At the self-actualization

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level, the person’s behavior is motivated by different conditions than at the lower levels.

Abraham Maslow in Duane Schultz’s Growth Psychology: Models of the Health Personality states that

Self-actualization can be defined as the supreme development and the use of all our abilities, the fulfillment of all our qualities and capacities. We must become what we have the potential to become. Even though the lower-order needs are satisfied-we feel secure physically and emotionally, have a sense of belonging and love and feel ourselves to be worthy individuals-we will feel frustrated, restless, and discontent if we fail to attempt to satisfy the need for self-actualization. If that happens, we will not be at peace with ourselves and cannot be described as psychologically health (1977:64).

Maslow in Duane Schultz’s Growth Psychology: Models of the Healthy Personality (Schultz, 1977: 69-78) illustrates a number of specific characteristics that describe self-actualizing persons:

i. Self-actualizing persons perceive objects and persons in the world around them objectively. They have an efficient perception of reality that enables them to perceive reality as it is.

ii. Self-actualizing persons acquire a general acceptance of nature, others, and oneself. It is a matter of accepting one self, their shortcoming, and their strength; without complain or worry.

iii. Self-actualizing persons are those who attain spontaneity, simplicity, and naturalness in behaving. They do not have to hide their emotion but can display them honestly.

iv. Self-actualizing persons have a focus on problems outsides themselves. They give concerns on the works they are doing.

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v. Self-actualizing persons have need for privacy and independence. They have a strong need for detachment and solitude. Their behaviors and feelings are strongly self-centered and self-directed. It means that they have the ability to make up their own minds, reach their own decisions, and exercise their own motivation and discipline.

vi. Self-actualizing persons are autonomous functioning. This is a simple first step toward self-actualization. If a person is an autonomous functioning, she or he has realized that satisfaction of the growth motives comes from within. vii.Self-actualizing persons have a continued freshness of appreciation. The

self-actualizing persons continually appreciate certain experiences, no matter how often they are repeated, with a fresh sense of pleasure, awe, and wonder. They take little for granted but continue to be thankful for what they possess and can experience.

viii.Self-actualizing persons experience mystical, or “peak” experiences. It is when the self is transcendenced and the person is gripped by a feeling of power, confidence, and decisiveness, a profound sense that there is nothing he or she could not accomplish to become.

ix. Self-actualizing persons concern in social interest. They possess strong and deep feelings of empathy and affection for all human beings, as well as a desire to help humanity.

x. Self-actualizing persons acquire the interpersonal relations. They are capable of stronger relationship with others than are persons of average mental health.

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They are capable of greater love, deeper friendship, and more complete identification with other individuals.

xi. Self-actualizing persons have democratic character structure. There is no certain limitation on building relationship with people, such as social class, level of education, political or religious affiliation, race or colour. They hold the essence of equality that every person has the same opportunity to know others.

xii.Self-actualizing persons are capable to recognize discrimination between means and ends, between good and evil. The self-actualizing persons hold that they are enjoying the process of achieving something as well as the goal they achieve. Therefore, they give consent both on the means and the ends. In additional, they have well-defined understanding on good and evil so that they cannot easily be influenced by the confusing situation that enables them to make decisions.

xiii.Self-actualizing persons acquire unhostile sense of humor. This characteristic deals with the ability of persons in making fun of humanity in general, not in specific individuals.

xiv. Self-actualizing persons can present his or her creativeness. This means that they are original, inventive, and innovative, although not always in terms of producing an artistic creation. It is more of an attitude, an expression of psychological health, and is concerned more with the way people perceive and react to the world than with finished products of an artistic nature.

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xv.Self-actualizing persons have resistance to enculturation. They are able to resist social pressures to think or act in certain ways. They maintain an inner detachment, an aloofness from their culture, guided by themselves rather than by others.

Maslow in Petri’s Motivation: Theory and Research comes to conclusion that there are actually two types of self-actualizing people, differentiated in regard to peak experiences. Some self-actualizing persons rarely have peaks experiences, while others experience peaks so much more often. Those self-actualizing individuals that experience peaks are called trancenders or peakers, and those who do not are called nontrancenders or nonpeakers. Both peakers and nonpeakers share all of the characteristics of self-actualization with the exception of the frequency of peak experiences. Peakers think and talk in language concern with honesty, truth, beauty, perfection, and soon (1981: 310).

Self-actualizing person live in a way that they believe is best for their own growth and fulfillment regardless of what others may think. Maslow does not consider self-actualizing person as a perfect individual (Morris, 1990: 515). It tends to say that self-actualizing people is those who is capable to discover, maintain, and develop themselves.

Carl Roger raises another theory of actualization. He shows that self-actualization is a process of becoming oneself, of developing one’s unique psychological characteristics and potentialities. He believes that humans have an innate urge to create and that the most important creative product is one’s own self. The tendency to actualize, as a motivating force is much stronger than the

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pain and struggle and any accompanying urge to cease the effort to develop (Shultz, 1977: 27). S.I Hayakana also implies in his book Symbol, Status, and Personality that a self-actualizing person never allows convention to obstruct him or restrain him from doing anything that he assumes very important and basic (1950: 56).

According to the three theories raised by Maslow, Rogers, and Hayakana, Self-actualization is the process in which a person tries in recognizing his or her own self, developing the abilities, personal uniqueness, and actualizing his or her potentials as a human being that is capable of becoming what he or she wants to achieve. Those theories mainly emphasize that each person has their own uniqueness, abilities, talents, skills, potentials that are different one another. Self-actualization is not the final destination of a perfect personality. Maslow shows that it is one of the characteristic of a healthy personality’s person.

The self-actualization is revealed when a person has his or her own uniqueness, abilities, and potentials which are very different from other people and he or she is capable in doing or becoming something by using all his or her capabilities.

The writer applies the theory on self-actualization by Abraham Maslow to show the characteristics of the self-actualizing person as the continuation of the analysis of the characteristics of the character, Morrie Schwartz, and how Morrie Schwartz’s self-actualization can be revealed by looking at his characteristics.

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C. Theoretical Framework

In this part, the writer will apply two theories, theory on character and characterization, and theory on self actualization. Then, the writer will use the relation between literature and psychology. Theory on character and characteristics will be used to describe the characteristic of Morrie Schwartz, the character that will be analyzed.

By understanding and applying the relationship between literature and psychology, the writer understands that literature has a strong relationship with psychology. Since this study is related with psychology, the writer is going to combine both literature and psychology when analyzing this study.

The main theory of this study is theory on self-actualization. The writer focused on theory of actualization by Abraham Maslow. Theory on self-actualization shows that self-self-actualization is the level that can be reached after human needs are satisfied. This theory will show how the characteristics of the main character, Morrie, reveal his self-actualization.

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CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

In this undergraduate thesis, the novel Tuesdays with Morrie is used. It is a biographical novel written by Mitch Albom and published in New York by Doubleday in 1997, first edition. The book is interesting because of the way in telling story. The way is showed when reading the book; there are some items that are like class matters, such as the curriculum, the syllabus, and the student. Those things make the reader feel that he or she will attend a new class and the novel is the book which will be used in the class.

In addition, Tuesdays with Morrie is also rewarded as “The New York Times” best-seller list for two years running with the five million copies in print. It has been translated into 30 languages in 34 countries. Besides Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom also writes Bo, Fab Five, Life Albom I-IV, and The Five People You Meet in Heaven: Tuesday with Morrie continues with making the film of it. As the result, Alboms get Emmy Awards in 2000 including those for “Best Actor” and “Best Supporting Actor”. Then, he makes its theatrical version, which comes closely on the heels of a successful paperback released (http://www.albom.com/index.htm accessed on 6 October 2006). Therefore, it shows that this novel has succeeded touching many people’s hearts.

This study will focus on the character of Morrie Schwartz. He is in wheelchair; the Lou Gehng’s disease has taken Morrie’s legs. It is in August

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1994; the doctor says that Morrie has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a brutal, unforgiving illness of neurological system. Morrie is dying because there is no medicine for this dead disease.

It is the first Tuesday of their meeting. It is just like when they meet as a student and a professor in class. Mitch brings a tape recorder for the conversation. He thinks the tape recorder will make Morrie uncomfortable, but in the other hands, Morrie wants all the things that they talk about are recorded because he does not want all important things in this life lose and their conversation only becomes useless. They take the place for talking in Morrie’s bedroom, but Morrie is sitting in his wheelchair because Morrie says that we are dead if we are in bed. That is why Morrie is not in bed to show that he still has spirit to live.

They talk about the meaning of life, all the things that they cannot pay with wealth, fame, power, and prestige. They talk about death, fear, aging, greed, marriage, family, society, forgiveness, perfect day and many more. On the first Tuesday, they talk about the world. “The world” where people live, but they cannot really own what they want. The second Tuesday, they talk about “feeling sorry for yourself”. When they are talking, Morrie suddenly drops his tears on cheeks. It is the second time that Mitch sees his professor crying. The first time Mitch sees him crying is when he graduates from his university. Actually Mitch does not understand why his professor is not shamed to cry in front of him. Mitch himself never cries although he often interviews the victims of disaster, the family of the death man, etc. However, Morrie says to him that it is fine for men to cry if

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they feel sorry for themselves. Crying is not only for women. Crying is one of the ways to make people feel sorry.

B. Approach of the Study

In order to have a profound analysis on Mitch Albom novel Tuesdays with Morrie, this study applies psychological approach as the appropriate approach to deal with the self-actualization depicted in the character of Morrie Schwartz. Rohrberger and Woods (1971: 31) define psychological approach as follows

Psychological approach is the effort to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent patterns, but from a different body of knowledge that is psychology. This approach uses the psychological theories to explain human motivation, personality, and behavior patterns written in literary objects.

The definition above about psychological approach will help the writer to explain Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics. The analysis will focus on the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz. The characteristics will show how the character, Morrie Schwartz, is presented in the story. Moreover, analysis will concern with the revelation on the self-actualization of the character, Morrie Schwartz, is showed to present himself as psychologically healthy human being that is capable of developing himself. Therefore, psychological approach is the most appropriate approach in this study.

C. Method of the Study

In this undergraduate thesis, the method that was used was library research. The primary source was the novel itself, Tuesdays with Morrie. The

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secondary sources were Duane Schultz’s Growth Psychology: Models of the Health Personality, Floyd L. Ruch’s Psychological and Life, Murphy’s Understanding Unseen, Stanton’s An Introduction to Fiction, Abram’s A Glossary of Literary Terms, and Barnet et al’s Literature for Composition.

The first step was to understand about the content of novel, it was an intrinsic element. It meant to know about who the characters were, where the setting was, what significance was, and what new knowledge that could be obtained from the novel. The writer applied the first step by reading the novel thoroughly.

The second step was answering the first problem, which was the characteristics of the character, Morrie Schwartz. In this step, the writer would apply Murphy’s theory in finding the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz in the analysis. Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics could be seen from another person’s opinion about him, the speech of him, his life in the past, his reactions in situations and events, the author’s comments directly, and Morrie’s thoughts.

The third step was answering the second problem, how the character, Morrie Schwartz, revealed the actualization. In revealing the self-actualization of Morrie Schwartz, the writer would apply Abraham Maslow’s theory of self-actualization in the analysis. The writer would apply it by finding the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz that were the same with the characteristics of self-actualizing person which were formulated by Abraham Maslow.

The last step was drawing a conclusion of the research which contained the review of the previous discussions. The discussions here were the first and

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second problem formulations which have been answered in the analysis. Then, those answers were concluded.

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CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS

This chapter will answer the problems that have been proposed already in the previous chapter. There are two problems that need to be analyzed. The first problem is what the characteristics of the character, Morrie Schwartz, are presented in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. The second is how the character, Morrie Schwartz, reveals his self-actualization.

A. The Characteristics of Morrie Schwartzs

Physically, Morrie has funny characteristics that can make people smile when see him at the first time. Generally, he is just the same with other people, but his size of body, his teeth, his ears, and his nose that can make people laugh. However, he likes everything in his body, especially because it can make people feel happy by smiling at him and once again, he will not be angry.

He is a small man who takes small steps, as if a strong wind could, at any time, whisk him up into the clouds. He has sparkling blue-green eyes, thinning silver hair that spills onto his forehead, big ears, a triangular nose, and tufts of graying eyebrows (Albom, 1997: 3).

Morrie is a kind of person that likes to smile too. When someone meets him and talks to him and then what is been talked about makes him smile, it is like when he is talking about jokes. It means that when he smiles or even laughs, he always does that things with all of his heart and he will never be hypocrite.

Although his teeth are crooked and his lower ones are slanted back-as if someone has punched them in-when he smiles it’s as if you’d just told him the first joke on earth (Albom, 1997: 3-4)

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Morrie likes to dance. He usually dances in a church in Harvard Square every Wednesday night for something called “Dance Free”. People who see him do not realize that he is not an ordinary people. Morrie is only considered as an old person who entertains those people. Many people who come to that church and watch him do not know his amazing skills besides dancing. No one in that church knows that Morrie Schwartz is a professor in Brandeis University in the city of Waltham, Massachusetts.

No one there knew he was a prominent doctor of sociology, with years of experience as a college professor and several well-respected books. They just thought he was some old nut (Albom, 1997: 5-6).

Those are characteristics of Morrie Schwartz physically. When characteristics of Morrie Schwartz are analyzed by applying Murphy’s theory, the writer can find that Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics are open-minded, helpful, strong, attentive, compassionate, patient, and wise.

But it was also becoming clear to me-through his courage, his humor, his patience, and his openness-that Morrie was looking at life from some very different place than anyone else I knew (Albom, 1997: 63).

Those are the characteristics that are inside of Morrie and he is also a kind of person that can see and receive this life different from other people. Different here means that Morrie can receive something bad positively. It is not like other people that cannot accept something bad in their life. Many people only can accept something good and that what makes Morrie different from other people.

One of the characteristics of Morrie is an open-minded person. He is always open to everything. He can understand many differences and receive that those differences are exist in his life. He uses all differences in this world to

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enrich his knowledge and capability. The differences here for instance religions and philosophies. Morrie never considers that one religion has higher or lower value than the other religions. He regards all religions has the same value, only the way of teaching is different. As it is known in this world that many people with different religions always think that their own religion is the one that can be accepted although they know that there are so many religions in this world which are impossible to be vanished. However, it does not happen to Morrie. He is also open to different philosophies and often applies them to his life.

Morrie borrowed freely from all religions. He was born Jewish, but became an agnostic when he was a teenager, partly because of all that had happened to him as a child. He enjoyed some of the philosophies of Buddhism and Christianity, and he still felt at home, culturally, in Judaism (Albom, 1997: 81-82).

From the quotation above, it is known that he applies philosophy of Buddhism, philosophy of Christianity, and philosophy of Judaism in his life. He understands those philosophies are different, but by combining each other, he may get balance in facing his life. Culturally, he is a Jewish, but he still can accept philosophy of Christianity. In the contrary, the fact is that this situation rarely happens for common people. It is impossible for common people to think about or even to apply that situation in their life. That is why Morrie is different from common people and it is extraordinary that he has such a think like that.

The next characteristic of Morrie Schwartz is helpful. He helps people by sharing or giving his experiences in his life. He tells people about his life in order to give inspiration or something useful. He does not want it to be late because he will feel disappointed if it is too late.

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“Mitch,” he continued, softly now, “you don’t understand. I want to tell you about my life. I want to tell you before I can’t tell you anymore.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I want someone to hear my story. Will you? (Albom, 1997: 63)”

He really likes to help people, especially when they fail in this life. He thinks that helping people in such condition is the right choice in order to make them does not feel hopeless. He tries to bring their spirit back by sharing his experiences in facing this life so that they will not keep thinking about failures. He makes effort to recovery hopeless people because he thinks that life is not worthy if it is faced with hopelessness.

“I give myself a good cry if I need it. But then I concentrate on all the good things still in my life. On the people who are coming to see me. On the stories I’m going to hear (Albom, 1997: 57)”

He shows that if a human being feels sad because he or she fails in this life and then crying, it is a normal thing to do, even he does cry. However, he is not only stuck on that sadness and he is not hopeless. He wants to show people that feeling sadness for long time is not good. It is better to make effort to do something which is useful or maybe to think about something which is considered as a good thing in this life. Morrie gives an example in order to bring the spirit back; it is by remembering that a human being is always needed by other human beings.

Morrie helps hopeless people by sharing his own experiences. For example, he thinks about people who will come to visit him; it means that Morrie will feel happy because of their visit and may be, those people will get something value from him when he shares his experience. In other words, Morrie shows that human being needs each other so there is no need to be hopeless because of the failure. That is one of his ways to help people to get better life.

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Besides helping other people who are hopeless, Morrie also becomes a helpful teacher for his students. Morrie is different from common teacher. What makes him different here is he does not only teach subjects or lessons which are should be taught, but he also teaches something about this life. Common teachers usually only teach subjects or lessons that they should teach and rarely teach the significance of life. In the other side, Morrie always teaches something about life to his students within his meetings when he teaches his subjects or lessons. He is helpful to his students because he gives his students solutions not only about subjects’ problems, but also solutions about life’s problems.

“I’m going to say it again,” he said. “Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.” He smiled, and I realized what he was doing. He was making sure I absorbed this point, without embarrassing me by asking. It was part of what made him a good teacher (Albom, 1997: 82).

Morrie helps his students, especially Albom, by giving him an understanding that money is not always the important thing in this life, not everything can be bought by money, for example relationship. He helps his student how to make a good relationship with other people which cannot be related with money. Something like this is seldom taught by common teachers. Morrie also tries to make his students understand about how to be a true human being.

He warns me that money is not the most important thing, contrary to the popular view on campus. He tells me I need to be “fully human.” He speaks of the alienation of youth and the need for “connectedness” with the society around me (Albom, 1997: 46-47).

Morrie also helps his students to believe each other. Believing other persons is something difficult to build because it can only be felt by our heart.

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Morrie helps his students to understand about believing each other because he knows this kind of thing has to be taught to everyone. By giving explanation to his students, he is certain that what he tries to be done will be useful for his students. Morrie emphasizes that trusting or believing can be felt more than can be seen.

“You see,” he says to the girl, “you closed your eyes. That was the difference. Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them, too-even when you’re in the dark. Even when you’re falling. (Albom, 1997: 61)”

From the quotation above, it can be seen that Morrie tries to give understanding about believing or trusting other people whenever the place is and whatever the condition is. He wants his students know if they want to be trusted or believed by other people, they should trust or believe other people firstly. It does not matter about the place and the condition. Morrie helps his students to understand this by giving a proof; it is when the girl nearly falls to the floor, suddenly her friend grabs her so she does not fall to the floor. It proves about trusting each other. Trusting should use the feelings, especially when the eyes are closed or in the dark place and Morrie can prove it.

Finally, one student…dark-haired girl…crosses her arms over her chest, closes her eyes, leans back, and does not flinch…For a moment, I am sure she is going to thump on the floor. At the last instant, her assigned partner grabs her head and shoulders and yanks her up harshly (Albom, 1997: 61). Once more Morrie helps his student, Albom, when he writes a thesis. It may be a usual help that is also done by other teacher, but it is Morrie who suggests his student to write a thesis, not the student himself who proposes to the teacher. That is the difference. Morrie knows when his student is capable to write

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a thesis and he will tell it to his student directly. He will help his student from the beginning, such as asking what kind of thing is that makes his student interested and letting his student write what is considered as the most interesting thing.

Morrie suggests I try an honors thesis…Me? I ask. What would I write about? “What interests you?” he says. We bat it back and forth, until we finally settle on, of all things, sports…And, with his help, by spring I have a 112-page thesis…I show it to Morrie with the pride of a Little Leaguer rounding the bases on his first home run (Albom, 1997: 67).

Besides open-minded and helpful, Morrie has other characteristics; it is strong. Morrie is a strong person in facing this life, but it does not mean when he is ordered or commanded by another person, he is just to be submissive. It cannot be regarded as a strong person, but a weak person. He uses his strength to solve his problems and face the life that has been a part of him positively. He never surrenders to his condition or situation and always tries to find a way of solving all problems so that he becomes a person who can be considered as a strong person. Some people may be cannot think clearly if they are conditioned in a very harmful way or in a dying condition. They may not do anything, as it is called submissive, or they may commit suicide. However, Morrie is not that kind of characteristic person. He knows what should be done when he is in that condition. Never does he surrender in his life and all his experiences in this life which create him to be stronger person. Even, his condition now can be said not in a good way. Although his physic is not too good, his mind, his intelligent, and his brain do not show degeneration or damaged.

Morrie was in wheelchair full-time now…He had begun to cough while eating, and chewing was a chore. His legs were dead; he would never walk again…Yet he refused to be depressed. Instead, Morrie had become a lightning rod of ideas (Albom, 1997: 18).

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Morrie’s condition is really not good physically and even for eating which is something enjoying for other people is a little bit difficult for him, but it is not a big matter for him. He thinks that although it is difficult to eat, he still can do it by himself so what has to be worried about. He cannot walk with his legs anymore and he has to use wheelchair. If that condition is experienced by common people, the possibility is they will give up their life and even may think that God is not fair to them. Morrie is not that kind of person who gives up and stops enjoying what he has gotten. He never blames anyone and himself, or even God. He never feels that his condition right now will reduce his intelligence. He still can give something useful for other people who need his help, for example he helps people by sharing his experiences. He never regrets everything that he has experienced, whether it is pleasing or making sad. He refuses to be frustrated because of his condition now. In the other hand, he can give many ideas about something meaningful to other people. “He jotted down his thoughts on yellow pads, envelopes, folders, scrap paper. He wrote bite-sized philosophies about living with death’s shadow (Albom, 1997: 18).” His refusal to be depressed and his effort to help other people with his ideas show that he is a strong person.

Moreover, the characteristic of Morrie is attentive. He is very attentive to everyone, without exception. He gives all his attentions to his family, his students, and people surround him, and even people who are in a long distance. Those people usually communicate with Morrie by letter and Morrie always answers their letters. He rarely feels tired to give his attention for other people. In fact, he really likes to hear other people’s problems and tries to solve those problems.

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Although his condition is not really good, he does not need to be pity by other people. He just wants to be a friend for sharing each other.

He told his friends that if they really wanted to help him, they would treat him not with sympathy but with visits, phone calls, a sharing of their problems-the way they had always shared their problems, because Morrie had always been a wonderful listener (Albom, 1997: 12).

That quotation makes no doubt that Morrie cares with everyone who wants to talk about their problems very much. He always can be a good companion in every situation, whether it is happy or sad. He even will not refuse if there is any phone call from someone who only wants to share his or her story. He will never be disappointing every people who meet with him. When he is talking with other people, he never makes them feel bored. People sometimes feel difficult to talk about their problems with their own family and they prefer to talk about their problems with Morrie because he always wants to listen on their problems with all of his heart and soul. He can do that only because he really cares with other people’s problems.

The other characteristic of Morrie Schwartz is compassionate. His compassion is dedicated to other people who suffer from illness or sadness. He does not care whether he is acquainted with the people or not. The important thing for him is he can feel the people’s suffering too as if he also suffers for himself. People sometimes do not care with something that happens to other people. They may see some people suffer from pain, but they do not feel it in their heart and soul. They just pretend that they do not see it. It is not the same with Morrie, he cannot do what common people do. He can feel the pain that other people feel

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with all of his heart and soul, it is not just sympathy, but he feels it also with empathy.

Now that I’m suffering, I feel closer to people who suffer than I ever did before. The other night, on TV, I saw people in Bosnia running across the street, getting fired upon, killed, innocent victims…and I just started to cry. I feel their anguish as if it were my own (Albom, 1997: 50).

Morrie himself is suffering, but he still can feel the suffering of other people although they are so far away from him. It is one of many things that make him different from common people. Many people may know or also see the war in Bosnia, but it may happen that they do not feel anything. They cannot feel the suffering because it does not happen to them or their family. That is what can be felt by common people, but Morrie can feel different way. He even drops his tears for other people’s suffering that he does not know who they are. It rarely happens for common people to cry because of other people’s suffering. Morrie can cry because he can feel the suffering that is felt by the people in Bosnia, although it is only on TV. He can imagine as if he was the person who suffers from pain. Morrie can feel the suffering of other people and cry for it although he is not near with the person who suffers and he does not have a relationship with the person who suffers. It shows that he is a compassionate person towards everyone without exception.

Furthermore, Morrie has a characteristic of patient. He can be considered as a patient person because he receives everything that is already given by God whether it is good or bad. He can accept what he has gotten patiently. Common people sometimes think that God is not fair when something bad is happened to them. They cannot receive it patiently. However, Morrie will not think like the

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way common people think. In facing this life, he will never be angry when something which is needed by him cannot be gotten. He regards that patience is better than anger.

Although his condition is not really good, he still can receive it without regret. His patience is shown when he cannot do something, but he will not be angry or hopeless. He keeps on continuing his life and does something else which still can be done by him. He is always patient in facing his life. “Accept what you are able to do and what you are not able to do”; “Accept the past as past, without denying it or discarding it (Albom: 1997, 18).” For Morrie, patience is important and needed in order to make his life balance. To be patient means that to get better life for him. He does not need to be angry because anger does not make his life develop. Morrie is patient by letting what he has done before as the past and receiving what he gets in present time without regret or disappointment.

Morrie suffers from disease which is cannot be cured, but he still can accept it patiently without complaining. He will not complain to anyone, whether it is his family, doctor, himself, or even God. Complaining for something bad which is given by God is usually done by common people. In the contrary, Morrie can accept something bad from God patiently without complaining.

I was astonished by his complete lack of self-pity. Morrie who could no longer dance, swim, bathe, or walk; Morrie who could no longer answer his own door, dry himself after a shower, or even roll over in bed. How could he be so accepting (Albom, 1997: 36)?

It is clear that Morrie has a limitation in doing something for the sake of his own need. He does not need to be pitied by other people because he thinks that he can really accept it so there is nothing to be worried of. Morrie’s consideration about

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his rejection of a pity from other people does not mean that he is an arrogant person and does not need other people’s help. He does such a thing because he wants to show other people that there is nothing to be sad and he feels fine with his condition. He just wants to give understanding that he can accept his condition although it is not really good.

Morrie cannot do what is considered as something private for example taking a bath or drying his body after bathing. It can be said that his privacy is no longer had by him absolutely, but he never blames anyone. What can be done by him with his condition is just accepting patiently. For common people, loosing privacy is something terrible, something cannot be thought, even less accepted. It is impossible for common people to accept that their privacy is not theirs. However, for Morrie it does not matter if he looses his privacy. He still can live in a good way although his condition is very bad. The important thing for him is other people can learn from him about patience in living this life and an effort not to complain.

The last characteristic of Morrie that can be analyzed about him is that he is a wise person. His wisdom is not represented by his age, but by his attitude and his thinking in facing this life. He can be a wise person towards everyone; his students, his family, people who know about him, and even towards himself. Many people can be considered as a wise person, but sometimes they cannot be wise towards themselves. That is why Morrie is different from common people.

His wisdom towards himself is shown when he knows that his life is no longer in this world. He does not blame everyone, even God. He just accepts it

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and he can pick the advantages from it because he knows that his time is limited. “It’s horrible to watch my body slowly wilt away to nothing. But it’s also wonderful because of all the time I get to say good-bye (Albom, 1997: 57).” His wisdom is proved when he still can get something useful in his bad condition. He realizes that his disease cannot be cured anymore, but it gives him time to always say goodbye to everyone so he will not be worried that he has not said goodbye yet if he dies someday. Something which is worried very much by many people is if they die, they will have no time to say goodbye to everyone, especially to someone who they love very much. That is why Morrie considers himself as a lucky person because he still has time to say goodbye before he dies. That is an example of Morrie’s wisdom towards himself.

Besides the example above, Morrie is also wise in facing death generally. He gives an understanding about death to everyone. Morrie’s wisdom about death can be seen when he says something to his student, it is “The truth is, Mitch,” he said, “once you learn how to die, you learn how to live (Albom, 1997: 82).” Morrie can make a balance between live and die. He teaches that people have to do something or work not only for their life in this world, but they also have to think that someday they will die so everything that they do will be useful before and after they die.

Morrie knows the condition of people about death. “Everyone knows they’re going to die,” he said again, “but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently (Albom, 1997: 81).” One of Morrie’s wisdom which is not

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had by other people is he believes that he will die so he does everything useful not only for him, but also for other people.

Another Morrie’s wisdom in facing death is by trying to apply philosophy of Buddhism. It is something that maybe never be thought by common people. However, Morrie really applies it in his life.

“Do what the Buddhists do. Everyday, have a little bird on your shoulder that asks, ‘Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?’ (Albom, 1997: 81)”

Morrie advises other people also to do what the Buddhists do in facing the death. If it is really done with all of heart and soul, he believes that everyone will not be afraid about death so that they will do everything becomes useful in their life. By believing that someday Morrie will die, he is really ready to die so that he can accept the death peacefully and without complaining. Death which sometimes cannot be accepted by common people, even less to prepare it, but Morrie truly can accept and even prepare for that. It is clear that Morrie is wise in facing his own death.

B. The Revelation of Morrie Schwartz’s Self-Actualization

In the previous analysis, the writer has analyzed the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz. Then, the writer will analyze how Morrie Schwartz reveals his self-actualization based on his characteristics. After analyzing the first problem formulation, the writer discovers that the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz show many different characteristics from common people. His characteristics show

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development in the way he faces this life. The development also shows how Morrie Schwartz perceives this life differently.

This part will discuss the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz as a self-actualizing person. The development of Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics can lead him to be a self-actualizing person. Self-actualization which is attained by Morrie Schwartz is the result of his characteristics development.

Maslow in Duane Schultz’s Growth Psychology: Models of the Health Personality states that autonomous functioning “is a simple first step toward self actualization (Schultz, 1977: 70).” It means that a person will attain self-actualization if he or she is an autonomous functioning person. It is a kind of person who realizes his or her own self and can control him or herself. Morrie realizes the existence of himself in his condition. He has motivation to grow which comes from within himself. It can be seen when he admits his dying condition.

“You know, Mitch, now that I’m dying, I’ve become much more interesting to people…People see me as a bridge. I’m not as alive as I used to be, but I’m not yet dead. I’m sort of…in-between…I’m on the last great journey here-and people want me to tell them what to pack. (Albom, 1997: 32-33)”

The quotation shows that Morrie realizes his dying and he does not only admit his condition, but he also can give something useful for other people. He realizes about what other people expect from him and tell it to them; it is the way he perceives the death. It does not matter for him to tell it; even it is a wonderful thing for him to make other people pleased. As an autonomous functioning, Morrie has his own way in facing his condition and facing other people; he knows

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CHAPTER V CONCLUSION

This undergraduate thesis focuses mainly on the self-actualization of the character, Morrie Schwartz. The writer considers that analyzing the character, Morrie Schwartz, is the valuable focus to show the further exploration on self-actualization. Therefore, in this thesis, the writer formulates two problem formulations to understand deeper about the character, Morrie Schwartz. The first problem formulation is about the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz. The second is how the character, Morrie Schwartz, reveals his self-actualization.

The characteristics of Morrie Schwartz are analyzed by applying Murphy’s theory. The characterization of Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics is shown through another’s opinion and view, his speech, his thought, his past life, his reaction toward every situation, and Albom’s direct comment.

Based on the theory, it is found that Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics are open-minded, helpful, strong, attentive, compassionate, patient, and wise. His open-minded characteristic is found by Albom’s direct comment that Morrie Schwartz can accept the differences of many religions and philosopher’s teachings. His helpful characteristic is known from his effort to help people by sharing his experiences facing the life so people will not be hopeless if they fail in this life. It is also shown from Albom’s depiction about Morrie Schwartz as a helpful teacher for his students. His strength is described in his capability that he does not want to be submissive but to be strong in facing his life. His attentive characteristic is

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depicted on his speech and Albom’s view toward Morrie Schwartz’s willingness to be a good listener

Moreover, Morrie Schwartz’s compassionate characteristic is showed by his care for other’s suffering even when he is dying. Morrie Schwartz’s patience can be shown on his effort facing his suffering without complaining. Then, his wisdom is depicted on one of his views, such as death. He accepts death compassionately and peacefully. Even, he can develop himself to be more useful for other although he is in dying condition.

The second problem focuses on how the character, Morrie Schwartz, reveals his self-actualization. Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics present several self-actualizing person’s characteristics. He is an autonomous functioning person who realizes his dying condition and can control it; even he can be useful for other people. He perceives other person objectively, in this case is about aging. He accepts that aging cannot be avoided so he should not be envy with young men. He is pleasure with his aging and enjoys it.

The other characteristic is he can accept himself without complaint or worry; it is the development of his patient characteristic. He sees his life as a unique life and he can find something important from it. He is a simple and natural person in seeing reality. For example, he tells what he feels about love, he displays his emotion, feeling of love, and never hides it. He has capability to focus on other people’s problems. He cares with other people’s problem rather than his own problem. For him, giving attention on other’s problems makes him alive and

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concerning other’s problems is one of important things that should be done by him. This capability is related with his attentive characteristic.

Moreover, he needs for privacy and independence. It is shown in his detachment from envy and he decides it by himself without any influence from other people. He has behaved self-directed in choosing his own life which also shows his strength in facing life. He is a creative person, for example his original idea of “living funeral”. He will not make his students or people around him bored because he always creates a new interesting topic in new talking. Since he has experienced everything in his life, he has so many things in his mind to be shared. His idea will give the listener new worthy knowledge. There is no something useless when talking with him.

Next, Morrie Schwartz’s concern in social interest shows his willingness to help other people; it is by giving advice for people who are sad or hopeless. He uses all his capabilities and skills to help people although they are in a long distance. He is sympathetic with others. He will help them every time they need it, no matter what his condition is. Then, he also acquires interpersonal relationship which makes him become a person who understands about relation deeper than common people. For him, relationship will not disappear; it will stay forever in this world although the person who builds it has died.

He never differentiates religions, races, origins, and many more. He respects all differences in this world. Morrie Schwartz can be called as an easy going person. He never makes a problem whether a person is educated or not. He accepts every kind of people.

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Furthermore, Morrie Schwartz always appreciates everything, even little thing that is usually forgotten by common people, for example a window in his bed room and he also appreciates the changes of trees. Those are simple thing, but his appreciation is always fresh everyday. He also experiences a mystical thing when he sleeps. Another experience which can prove that he is a self-actualizing person is his peak experience. It is when he is transcendence to be a powerful, decisive, and profound sense. He has a power to actualize himself the same as nature. He can accomplish to become what he wants. He decides that dying should be faced with peace so when people die, there is nothing to be worried.

Morrie Schwartz is a kind of man who is free from culture and environment. It means that he will not be influenced by the culture in his country or other culture in other country. He also cannot be changed by his environment or society. He has his own point of view in seeing this life which is totally different from common people. He has different activities from common people and it shows that he has built his own culture. That is why Morrie Schwartz has a resistance to enculturation.

The self-actualization is revealed through the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz. The analysis of his characteristics is done to clarify his actualization. Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics give evidence that he is a self-actualizing person. His characteristics are related with the characteristics of self-actualizing person; it is the development of his characteristics which leads him has the characteristics of self-actualizing person.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 4th ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1981.

Albom, Mitch. Tuesdays with Morrie, first edition. New York: Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1997.

Barnett, Sylvan, Morton Berman and William Burto, Literature for Composition. 2nd ed. Boston: Scott, Foresman, and Co., 1988.

Beaty, Jerome and J. Paul Hunter. New World of Literature. New York: W. W. Norton and Company Inc., 1989.

Bowen, Stephanie. “Tuesdays with Morrie.” CNN. May 1998.

<http://www.edition.cnn.com/books/9805/06/index.html> (20 September 2006).

Hayakana, S I. Symbol, Status, and Personality. New York: Harcourt, Brace, and World, Inc., 1950.

Hillard, Gloria. “Tuesdays with Morrie: Winfrey Produces TV Film.” CNN. February 1999.

<http://archives.cnn.com/1999/SHOWBIZ/TV/12/02/tuesdays.morrie.ht ml> (20 September 2006).

Holman, C. Hugh & William Harmon. A Handbook of Literature. 5th ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 1986.

Kalish, Richard. The Psychology of Human Behaviour-3rd ed. California: Brooks/Cole Publication. Co., 1973.

Krupnick, Mark. “Revisiting Morrie: Were His Last Words To Good To Be True?” Issues. January 2001.

<http://www.forward.com/issues/20002/02.01.25/books6.html> (21 September 2006).

Larver, Charles S. and Michael F. Scheier. Perspective on Personality. 3rd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1996.

Morris, Charles G. Psychology: An Introduction. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall., Inc. 1990.

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Murphy, M. J. Understanding Unseen. London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd., 1972.

Petri, H. L. Motivation: Theory and Reasearch. California: Wadsworth Publishing Company. 1981.

Rohrberger, Mary & Samuel Woods. Reading and Writing about Literature. New York: Random House. 1971.

Schultz, Duane. Growth Psychology: Models of the Healthy Personality. New York: D Van Nostrand. 1977.

Stanton, Robert. An Introduction to Fiction. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc., 1965.

Stone, Irving. The Biographical Novel.

<http://ecpclio.net/megafile/msa/speccol/sc5300/sc5339/000060/000000/ 000001/restricted/ecp-10-240/stone01.html> (21 September 2006). <http://www.albom.com/index.html> (6 October 2006).

The self-actualization of Morrie Schwartz as revealed in Mitch Albom`s tuesday with Morrie.

THE SELF-ACTUALIZATION OF MORRIE SCHWARTZ

AS REVEALED IN MITCH ALBOM’S

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE

THE SELF-ACTUALIZATION OF MORRIE SCHWARTZ

AS REVEALED IN MITCH ALBOM’S

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BELIEVE IN EVERYONE

BUT

DO NOT BELIEVE IN

THE DEVIL INSIDE THEM

FOR

MY BELOVED PARENTS

AND MY UNPREDICTABLE OWN SELF

BE STRONG SO NOTHING CAN DISTURB

MY PEACE OF MIND

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TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE

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