The meanings of the decision to commit suicide as seen in Veronika, the main character of Paulo Coelho`s Veronika Decides to Die.

i

THE MEANINGS OF THE DECISION TO COMMIT SUICIDE AS

SEEN IN VERONIKA, THE MAIN CHARACTER OF PAULO

COELHO’S VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE

ASARJANA PENDIDIKANTHESIS

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

in English Language Education

By

Marianus Sadeg Jelau Student Number: 071214123

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

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY 2012

A fujana PeafrdikurThesis on \

THE

MEAFIINGS OT

THE DECISION TO

COMMIT

STIICIDE

AS SEEN IN

\TEROI\IIKA,

TM.MAIN

CHARACTtrR OT'PAT]LO

COELHO'S WNONIKA DECINES

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--.'14Jwe2012

A S arj ana P endidikan Thesis

TITE MEANINGS

OF

THE DECISION TO COMMIT

SUCIDE

AS

SEEN IN

VERONTKA,

THE

MAIN CHARACTER

OF

PAULO

COELHO'S

WROAUKA

DECIDES TO

DIE

By

MARIANUS SADEG JELAU

Student Number : A7

0l

4123

DefEnded before the Board of Examiners on 18 July'2012

and Declared Acceptable

Boand of Examinels

Chairperson Secretary Member Member Member

C Tutvandari, S.Pd., M.Pd.-Drs. Barli Brafir, M.Ed., Ph.D. Dr. Ant. Herujiyanto, M.A. C Tutyandari, S.Pd., M.Pd-I)ls. Barli Bram, M.Ed., Ph.D.

Yogyakarta I 8 _-July 201 2

Faculty of Teachef Training and Education Sanata Dharma University

iv

This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to

My beloved father, Yohanes

The Late mother, Paula

My dearest brothers and sister: Yanuarius,

Yeremias, Ignasius, Oktaviano, and Veronika.

STATEMENT _QT WORK'S ORIGINALITY

I honestly declare _{that this thesis, which I} have urritten" does not contain the works or

part ofthe _'nrorks of other people, oxcept tlosecited quotations and the refersncas, as a scientific paper _should

Yogyakalta June 09, 2012 The Writer

071214123 Marianus Sa{eg Jelau

LEMBAR PERITYATAAI\I PERSETUJUAI\I

PUBLIKASI KARYA

ILMIAH

I]NTT]K KEPENTINGAI\I AKADEMIS

Yang bertandatangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Sanata Dharma:

Nama

: Marianus Sadeg Jelau

Nomor

Mahasiswa

:07 l2l4l23

Demi kepentingan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:

THE MEANINGS OF TIIE DECISION TO COMMIT SUICIDE AS SEEN rN VERONTKA, THE MArN CHARACTER

OF PAULO COELHO'S VfROI\NKA DECIDES TO DIE

Beserfa perarrgkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan de{rqikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mongalihkan dalarn

bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan

_{data mendistibusikan}

secara terbatas,

dan mempublikasikannya

di internet atau media

_lain

_untuk

kepentirtgan akademis tanpa perlu meminta

ijin dari

saya maupun memberikan royalty kepada saya selarnatetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.

Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.

Dibuat di Yogyakarta Pada tangal: l4 Juni 201? Yang menyatakan

<

(Marianus Sadeg Jelau)

vii

ABSTRACT

Jelau, Marianus Sadeg. 2012. The Meanings of the Decision to Commit Suicide as Seen in Veronika, the Main Character of Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. Yogyakarta: English Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.

This study discusses Veronika Decides to Die, a literary work written by a Brazilian novelist, Paulo Coelho. Paulo Coelho’sVeronika Decides to Die tells about the life of the main character, Veronika, who decides to commit suicide by swallowing the sleeping pills. The objective of this study is to see the meaning of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide. There are two problems to be answered in this study (1) “How is Veronika, the main character of Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die is described in the novel?” and (2) “What are the meanings of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide?”

This study applies library research method. The primary data of this study is the novel of Paulo Coelho, entitled Veronika Decides to Die. The secondary data are gained from various books and the Internet sources which are closely related to this study. The theories used in this study are the theory of character, methods of characterization, the theory of psychoanalytical psychology, and the theory of motivation. The approach that is used in this study is psychological approach.

There are two findings after analyzing the novel. The first is about Veronika’s characteristics. Veronika is a woman of twenty-four-year old who is beautiful, pretty, and attractive. Veronika is also described as a sympathetic, an organized and a curious woman who has critical and logical thought. Furthermore, Veronika is described as a person who lacks of belongingness and love needs, self-esteem and self-actualization needs. The second is about the meanings of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide. The literal meanings of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide are that she is afraid of her future life; she is powerless in facing life, and she is afraid of her fate. The true meanings of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide are that Veronika cannot control the id and Veronika lacks of belongingness and love needs, self-esteem-needs, and self-actualization needs.

Finally, future researchers are suggested to explore more about the factors that influence Veronika’s decision to commit suicide as seen in Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. Moreover, the writer suggests the English lecturers to use Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Dieas material to teach Prose II in English Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University.

viii

ABSTRAK

Jelau, Marianus Sadeg. 2012. The Meanings of the Decision to Commit Suicide as Seen in Veronika, the Main Character of Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Penelitian ini membahas novel Veronika Decides to Die, sebuah karya sastra yang ditulis oleh seorang novelis Brazil, Paulo Coelho. Novel Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die menceritakan tentang kehidupan dari tokoh utama, Veronika, yang memutuskan untuk bunuh diri dengan menelan obat tidur. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk melihat makna dari keputusan Veronika untuk bunuh diri. Terdapat dua rumusan masalah dalam penelitian ini yang akan dijawab (1) “Bagaimana Veronika, tokoh utama dari novel Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die dideskripsikan dalam novel ini?” dan (2) Apa makna dari keputusan Veronika untuk mati?”

Penelitian ini menerapkan metode studi pustaka. Data utama dari penelitian ini adalah novel Paulo Coelho yang berjudul Veronika Decides to Die. Data tambahan diperoleh dari berbagai buku dan sumber-sumber internet yang berkaitan erat dengan penelitian ini. Penelitian ini menggunakan teori-teori seperti teori karakter, metode karakterisasi, teori psikoanalisis psikologi, dan teori motivasi. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan psikologis.

Ada dua temuan setelah menganalisis novel ini. Pertama tentang karakteristik Veronika. Veronika adalah wanita muda berusia 24 tahun yang cantik, ayu, dan menarik. Veronika juga digambarkan sebagai orang yang simpatik, teratur, dan selalu ingin tahu yang berpikiran kritis dan logis. Selanjutnya, Veronika digambarkan sebagai orang yang kekurangan kebutuhan akan rasa cinta dan rasa memiliki, harga diri dan aktualisasi diri.Kedua tentang makna dari keputusan Veronika untuk bunuh diri. Makna harafiah dari keputusan Veronika untuk bunuh diri adalah bahwa dia takut akan kehidupan masa depannya, dia tak berdaya dalam menghadapi kehidupan, dan dia takut akan kematiannya. Makna sebenarnya dari keputusan Veronika untuk bunuh diri adalah bahwa Veronika tidak bisa mengendalikan id dan Veronika kekurangan kebutuhan akan rasa cinta dan rasa memiliki, kebutuhan akan harga diri, dan kebutuhan akan aktualisasi diri.

Akhirnya, para peneliti berikut disarankan untuk mengeksplorasi lebih lanjut tentang factor-faktor yang mempengaruhi keputusan Veronika untuk bunuh diri seperti yang terlihat pada novel Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Dicides to Die. Selain itu, penulis menyarankan kepada para dosen Bahasa Inggris untuk menggunakan novel Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die sebagai bahan untuk mengajar Prosa II di Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Universitas Sanata Dharma.

ix

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Writing this thesis is a series of hard-work that is both energy and time consuming. What it would be without the blessing from the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, I would like to express my greatest gratitude to the Almighty God, Lord Jesus Christ, for His wonderful love and guidance so that I could finish this thesis.

I would like to express my gratitude for my lovely parents, my father Yohanes Jelau and the late mother Paula Di for their love and everything they have given. I also thank my brothers Yani, Yeri, Ighy, Viano, my sisters Veronika, Margaretha, Wati, and my lovely nephews Vicko, All and Paula for their love that motivate me to live.

My deepest gratitude goes to my advisor, Drs. Antonius Herujiyanto, M.A. for giving valuable corrections and advice on my thesis. I thank him for his patience and understanding. I also would like to thank all lecturers of English Education Study Program for teaching me for about four years. They all have inspired me to be all that I can be.

I would like to give my deepest thank to Ka’e _{Frengky for his help in} grammar correction and all my best friends Lala, Seto, Rara, Asep, Popon, Asti, Tommy, Wendy for being my best friend and give me spirit to study in PBI. I also give my respect to all my best friends Zeppot, Kele, Engkos, Denos, Tedong, Lia,

x

Ejun, Asri for love, support and all the great things we have done together. Moreover, I would like to thank Bu Dhani and Bu Tari for helping me during my study in PBI.

A special thank goes to Margaretha Rosita K. for his great love, patience, and attention. She is my place to share joys and sorrows. I would like to say thank you for accompanying me doing my thesis and helping me to solve my problems.

Last but not least, I would like to give my respect for those whom I cannot mention individually, but surely this thesis could not be done without their support and help. May God always bless us.

The Writer .

xi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITILE PAGE_...i

APPROVAL PAGE_...ii

PAGE OF DEDICATION ...iv

STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY_{... v}

PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI_...vi

ABSTRACT_...vii

ABSTRAK_...viii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS_...ix

TABLE OF CONTENT_{... x}

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

B. Objectives of the Study... 6

C. Problem Formulation... 6

D. Definition of Terms ... 7

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Review of Related Theories... 9

1. Theory of Character ... 10

2. Method of Characterization... 10

3. Theory of Psychoanalitical Psychology... 13

4. Theory of Motivation... 16

B. Theoritical Framework ... 22

C. Context of the Novel ... 23

CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study... 25

B. Approach of the Study... 26

xii CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS

A. Characteristics of Veronika, the main character of Paulo Coelho’s

Veronika Decides to Die_{... 29}

B. The meaning of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide ... 40

1. The litteral meaning of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide ... 41

2. The true meaning of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide ... 47

CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS A. Conclusions... 62

B. Suggestions ... 67

1. Suggestion for Further Researchers... 67

2. Suggestion for English Teachers ... 68

3. The Implementation of Teaching Prose II ... 69

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LIST OF APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1: The summary of Veronika Decides to Die_{... 74}

APPENDIX 2: Auto Biography of Paulo Coelho ... 76

APPENDIX 3: Syllabus of Prose II... 83

APPENDIX 4: Lesson Plan... 85

1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the introduction of this study; this chapter consists of four sections. The first section is the background of study, which presents the reason of choosing this topic. The second section is the problem formulation, which presents the problems of this study in the form of two research questions. The third section is the objectives of the study that contains the purpose of writing this thesis. The fourth part is the definition of terms, which provides the explanation of the terms used in this study.

1.1 Background of the Study

Literary works always bring their own effects to the readers which depend on how the readers interpret the work. The readers’ knowledge, experiences, education, concerns and interests affect the way in interpreting a literary work. It is possible that one similar literature is considered either good or bad based on the readers’ point of view.

According to Hudson (1958), literature conveys idea, truth, and even factual event. Literature is considered as a reflection of reality. It is a vital record of what people have seen, what they experienced of it, what they have thought and felt about those aspects of life itself which have the most immediate and enduring interest for

all of us as the readers (para.10). Since literature is considered as a vital record of what people have seen, experienced, thought and felt about reality or the truth of life, people can investigate the truth of life behind the text and the aim of it.

Literature is also a product of society. It is developed along with the development of the society in which it is produced. Wellek and Warren (1962) support that “literature is an expression of society and is determined by or dependent on its social setting, social change and development” (p. 96).

In making a good story, the society becomes an important background. The society gives an important effect to the composition. As Langland (1984) in Society and the Novel says that “the condition in the real world can be applied in the pattern of art” (p.5). It means that the real condition or the society can be a good basis for the writer to form a good literary work.

The real condition in our life can become an inspiration for the author to produce a literary work. In the novel the author also uses the real condition as his or her inspiration in producing a literary art. Hutchin (1986) in The New Encyclopedia Britannica said that “novel is a literary work. It is a genre of fiction, fiction may be define as the art craft of contriving, through the written words, representations of human life that instruct or divert or both” (p. 276).

Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die is one of the examples of literary works which was written based on the reflections of the experience of the author’s life. In this novel, the author provides the readers a story of life of the main character that

influences the main character’s paradigm of life. Through this novel, the readers may learn about how to view life and face all the challenges and problems in life.

Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die is chose to analyze because it is an interesting and very motivating novel. The story of this novel told about a young woman of age 24 who could not explore her talents and potentialities. This situation influenced her paradigm of life and led her to committed suicide. The story had delivered a great message to the readers including the writer of this study to explore all the talents and potentialities we have. The story of this novel motivates the writer to explore all the talents and potentialities to reach a better life. This novel entitled Veronika Decides to Die which is written based on the personal experience of the author’s life also inspires the writer to struggle in running the life and always view life positively. Another reason of choosing Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die as the novel to be analyzed is to see the meaning of one’s decision to commit suicide through the main character of Paulo Coelho’s

Veronika Decides to Die.

Furthermore, the writer provides the summary of Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. The summary is provided to help the readers of this study understand the story of the novel. The writer believes that if the readers of this study understand the story of the novel, they can also understand the analyses of the novel which is written in chapter 4 of this study.

Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Dietalked about the life of a young Slovenian woman called Veronika who decided to die and committed suicide on November 11,

1997. Veronika was the main character of Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. However, there were some other characters such as Veronika, Zedka, Mari, Eduard, and Dr. Igor.

Paulo Coelho described Veronika as a 24-year-old woman who worked as a librarian in Ljubljana, Slovenia, one of the republics created by the dissolution of Yugoslavia. The author described Veronika as the main character who decided to commit suicide by swallowing four packs of sleeping pills. There were two reasons lay behind Veronika’s decision to die. First, she thought that her life was monotones. The second reason was she felt powerless to fight against the wrong things that happen in her society.

Furthermore, Paulo Coelho described Veronika as young and attractive woman who had a perfect life because she had a loving family, friends, boyfriends, and a job in a library. However, Veronika had never felt a true love. Actually, Veronika’s parents loved her very much, but in the other side, that love had limited her to actualize her dream to be a pianist. Veronika’ parents did not want Veronika to be a pianist. Her parents asked her to study law and forget her dream to be a pianist. For the sake of her parents’ dream, Veronika had to sacrifice her dream to be a pianist. As the consequence, Veronika could not actualize herself because she did not want to hurt her parents.

Veronika lived her life as her parents’ expectation. This situation influenced Veronika’s way of thinking about life. She viewed life in a different

perspective from others. Veronika felt that life was meaningless. Veronika’s negative perspective about life led her to a decision to commit suicide.

On the morning of 11 November 1997, Veronika committed suicide by swallowing four packs of sleeping pills, but her suicide attempt was failed. Veronika’s failure in committing suicide led her to an asylum called Villete. In Villete, Veronika’s new environment, Dr. Igor told her that she only had few days to live because her heart had been damaged due to the overdose of sleeping pills.

Veronika started to feel afraid of her future life after knowing that she was still alive. Veronika was also afraid of her fate after knowing that she only had few days to live. Then, she started to think about another way to end her life. Veronika asked Zedka to give her some more sleeping pills. However, Zedka could not give her those pills.

Since she could not get some more sleeping pills, Veronika decided to live her life as other lunatics in Villete. In Villete, she did everything she had never done before such as playing a piano at night. In Villete, Veronika lived her life in a different way from her previous life. Veronika built relations with the patients in Villete such as, Zedka, Mari, and Eduard and experienced a new life.

During the time of waiting for her death, Veronika tried to express herself and explored all her talents and potentialities. She played a piano at night. Veronika also experienced some feelings such as love, hatred, and courage. Veronika fell in love with Eduard, a schizophrenic man. She experienced a new life which was totally different from her previous life. Veronika lived in a new situation where she could

actualize herself without pretending to be someone else just to fulfill her mother dreams and avoid from others’ judgments.

The writer would like to explore through the content of the story to find out Veronika’s characteristics and the meaning of her decision to commit suicide. In this study the writer will use some theories to support the analysis. Theories that will be used in this study are theory of character, method of characterization, theory of motivation, and theory of psychoanalytical psychology. Psychological approach is applied to see the deeper meaning of the novel.

1.2 Objectives of the study

The objective of this study is to see the meanings of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide as seen in Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. To find out the meanings of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide, the writer will focus on analyzing the characteristics and the psychology of Veronika, the main character of Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. The meanings of Veronika’s decision will be revealed in chapter IV of this study.

1.3 Problem formulation

There are two problem formulations of this study as the main points that will be analyzed in chapter IV. These two problem formulations are correlated; the first

problem formulation is linked to the second problem formulation. The meaning of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide can be revealed after knowing Veronika’s characteristics. The problems of this study can be formulated as follows:

1) How is Veronika, the main character of Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die, described in the novel?

2) What are the meanings of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide?

1.4 Definition of terms

The following part is the meaning of certain words used in the study. There are two terms to be explained in this part, they are suicide and true meaning. The purpose of defining these two terms is to avoid misunderstanding in perceiving some important terms in this research.

1.4.1 Suicide

The meaning of suicide in this study refers to the definition of suicide in ADAM’s Illustrated Health Encyclopedia which was adapted from adam.about.com. In ADAM’s Illustrated Health Encyclopedia, suicide is the act of deliberately taking one's own life. Suicidal behavior is any deliberate action with potentially life-threatening consequences, such as taking a drug overdose or deliberately crashing a car. Suicidal behaviors almost always occur in people with depression, bipolar

disorder, schizophrenia, and alcohol dependence. People who attempt suicide are often trying to get away from a life situation that seems impossible to deal with. Many who make a suicide attempt are seeking relief from: bad thoughts or feelings, feeling ashamed, guilty, or like a burden to others, feeling like a victim, and feelings of rejection, loss, or loneliness.

1.4.2 True Meaning

The true meaning here is the extrinsic aspects of the literary works. The definition of meaning in this study refers the definition of meaning explained by Audi. According to Audi (1999),

“Meaning is the conventional, common, or standard sense of an expression, or of a non-linguistic signal or symbol. Literal meaning is the non-figurative. Synonymy is the sameness of literal meaning. In another sense, meaning is what a person intends to communicate by a particular utterance. Meaning means the extrinsic aspects in the literary works. It is not the literal meaning. It is has two aspect, literal meaning or surface meaning and non6 literal meaning or deeper meaning” (p. 545).

9

CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL REVIEW

In this chapter, the writer will explore some theoretical reviews in order to support the analysis. This chapter is divided into three sections. The first section provides a review on related theories. This section comprises the important concepts of characters and methods of characterization, theory of psychoanalytical psychology and theory of motivation. These theories are used to help the writer in answering the problems in Coelho’s novel towards the reason of Veronoka as the main character who commits suicide. The second section is dealing with theoretical framework. In this section the writer states the theories that are used to analyze Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. In this part, the theories and reviews will be synthesized to make them operationally applicable to the problems. The third section deals with context of the novel. The historical approach when the novel was written by Paulo Coelho.

2.1 Review of Related Theories

In this part the writer will provide some theories related to the topic of this study. They are theories of character, methods of characterization, theories of psychoanalytical psychology and the theory of motivation. Those theories will be used to answer the problem formulations formulated in the previous chapter.

2.1.1 Theory of Character

Character is one of the most important elements in the literary works. According to Stanton (1965), “character is a person who does the action in a story” (p.17). Furthermore, Abrams (1981) explains that a character is “an individual who exists in a dramatic or narrative work and he/she has moral dispositional qualities that can be seen from his/her dialogue and action; dialogue and action have important roles in understanding the characters” (p. 20).

Milligan (1983, p. 155) states that there are two kinds of character in the fictional story: major character and minor character. A major character is the most important character in a literary work. He/she plays a very important role because everything he/she does becomes the content of the story. A major character becomes the centre of the story because he endures problems, conflict, happiness, sorrow, etc. from his/her actions; through which the readers know the author’s message of the story. The minor characters are characters that play less important role than major character does. Their appearance supports the main character to develop the story so that they appear only in a certain setting. They do not endure the problem of the story.

2.1.2 Methods of Characterization

Characterization is the way the author characterize the characters. Characterization plays an important role in building the idea of a story. Rohrberger

and Woods Jr. (1971, p. 20) in Reading and Writing about Novel define characterization as the process by which an author creates character, it is the device that he/she makes the readers to believe a character in the particular type of person he/she is. An author does this way to make a stereotype of someone existing in a real world situation comes real during the reading.

According to Murphy (1972, p. 161 -173), there are nine methods in which the readers can understand the character. The first method is related to personal description. Personal description related to the description about what the characters are like. It tells the readers the details of the characters’ appearance such as the face, skin complexion, eyes, hair, and the clothing.

The second method is about how a character is seen by the other characters. Instead of describing the character directly, the author can describe a character through the eyes and opinions of other characters in the story. Through this way the readers are able to grasp a character’s personality and appearance which can also determine a character’s characteristics.

The third method is related to speech. Some information and clues about a character can also be revealed through the character’s speech. The readers will be able to grasp the characteristics of a character through the way he/she speaks.

The fourth method is linked to the past life. Another way to describe a character is by giving some information about a character’s past life. A character’s past life will affect how she/he behaves in her/his present life. Moreover, a character’s past life can change his/her personality. The author may give this information directly by

giving comments, using the character’s thoughts and speech in conversations, or by using other characters’ point of view and comments.

The fifth method is about the conversation of other characters. The characteristics of a character can be revealed through a conversation of other characters. The author can give the readers some clues about the characteristics of a character in the story through the conversation of other characters.

The sixth method is related to the reaction. The author can also give descriptions of a character’s personality by letting the readers know how the character reacts to various situations and events. Therefore, through his/her reaction, the readers can understand the mental and moral qualities of a character in the story.

The seventh method is linked to the direct comment of the author. The author can describe or comment on a character in the story directly. In this way, the readers will understand easily the characteristics of a character in the story.

The eighth method is related to the thoughts. The author can give the readers direct knowledge of what a character in the story is thinking about. By knowing what in the character’s mind, the readers will know his/her characteristic.

The last method is about mannerism. The author can describe a character’s mannerisms, habits, or idiosyncrasies. It can tell the readers some clues about the characteristics of a character in the story.

2.1.3 Theory of Psychoanalytical Psychology

Hurlock (1974), in Personality Development, states that the individual aspect of human life concerns with the physical changes and individual’s personality development. Individual’s personality development is usually influenced by two factors, which are individual’s early experience within his family and the important events that happened outside the home or the social aspect (para.19-20). In 2000, Huffman, M. Vernoy and J. Vernoy define “personality as an individual’s unique and relatively stable pattern of thoughts, feelings, and actions that defines you as a person: how you are different from other people” (p. 464).

Moreover, Worchel and Shebilske (1989) in their book Psychology; Principles and applicationsexplain:

Personality as the unique set of behaviours (including thoughts and emotions) and enduring qualities that influence the way a person adjusts to his or her environment. Personality is seen as influencing, guiding, and motivating behaviour.” Personality is what someone really is toward his or her own life want to be. Personality is what makes people unique and causes them to act or see situations different from anyone else (p. 461).

Furthermore, Worchel and Shebilske (1989) describe Sigmund Freud’ Psychoanalytic theory; the structure of personality:

Freud believes that the individual’s personality is the scene of a never-ending battle: On one hand there are primitive and unacceptable drives striving for expression, while on the other hand there are forces trying to deny or disguise these impulses. Freud not only viewed the personality as a battlefield, but he also identified the participants in this battle: the id, the ego, and the superego (p. 471).

Sigmund Freud defines these three elements of personality. The first element of personality is known as the id. The second element is known as the ego and for the

third element is called the superego. These three elements of personality are working together to create complex human behaviors.

2.1.3.1 The Id

Id operates at the unconscious level of our personality. Each of us has a savage quality at the root of our personality. According to Freud, people are born with two instinctual drives that serve as the basic motivation for all behavior. One called eros and another one is called thanatos.

Eros is the drive for survival. Included in this drive are the needs to eat and drink, to be warm, and above all to engage in sexual activity. The energy force that propels the person to satisfy these drives is called libido.

Thanatos, is a destructive drive. The aim is to destroy others, but there is also a self-destructive aspect to it. In fact, Freud took the grim position that “the aim of all life is death.” This self-destructive impulse is seen not only in suicide, but also in the harmful excesses in which so many people engage, such as drinking alcohol, smoking, and overacting. It is the unconscious desire for self-destruction. The id, like savage, wants to satisfy these primitive drives in the most direct and immediate way. It is not concerned with logic, reality, or manners. It functions on pleasure principle, which dictates the immediate satisfaction of drives.

2.1.3.2 The Ego

The ego is a person’s view of physical and social reality. It tries to satisfy the id impulses by taking into account the possibilities of reward and punishment that exist in a situation. In other words, it works on the reality principle. Although each of us may have the primitive desires, it is clear that we could not function long in our social world if we give free expression to the savage within ourselves. For example, suppose you are very thirsty and see a nice cold beer in a restaurant. Your Id impulses would tell you to grab the beer and drink it. The Ego, however, would calculate the possible result of this action; the worst thing may happen. Thus, the Ego would direct you to order and pay for your own beer.

2.1.3.3 The Superego

We can view the Id as operating on the signal “I want it now.” The Ego answers this demand by saying “Let’s be realistic and get it in a way that won’t cause trouble.” These two forces, however, must also controlled by the Superego, which says, ‘Think. Is it right to want it?” The Superego represents our conscience. It includes the moral values of right and wrong that are largely instilled in us by our parents. The Superego makes us feel guilty when we have done the wrong thing. As you might imagine, people who are dominated by the Superego will be very uptight and self-conscience; they must constantly ask themselves, “Is it right to feel or act this way?” It is also the superego that motivates us to better ourselves and to live up to our ideals. According to Freud, the superego begins to emerge at around age five.

There are two parts of the superego. The first part is called the ego ideal. The ego ideal includes the rules and standards for good behaviors. These behaviors include those, which are approved of by parental and other authority figures. Obeying these rules leads to feelings of pride, value and accomplishment. The second part is called the conscience. The conscience includes information about things that are viewed as bad by parents and society. These behaviors are often forbidden and lead to bad consequences, punishments or feelings of guilt and remorse.

2.1.4 Theory of Motivation

The basis of Maslow's motivation theory is that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower factors need to be satisfied before higher needs can be satisfied. In psychology, there are many theories of needs that are introduced. Each theory has its own consideration and understanding. The theory of needs applied in this thesis is The Hierarchy of Needs by Abraham Harold Maslow.

Different from Freud’s psychoanalytic theory that emphasizes unconscious and irrational forces as the controlling factors in behaviors, the theory introduced by Maslow is called as humanistic psychology. As the other psychologists, Maslow believes that human beings are free to make their own choices. According to Hjelle and Ziegler, (1981), human are considered as the conscious agents. It means that they are free in deciding, choosing, and doing their actions (para.365). Therefore, each

human being is said to have certain motives in doing some actions in order to fulfill their needs.

Frank. G. Goble (1971), in his book entitled The Third Force, the Psychology of Abraham Maslow, confirms Maslow’s theory that persons, whose basic needs are fulfilled, will have a healthier, happier, and more effective life. On the contrary, those whose basic needs are not completely fulfilled show some psychological disorder symptoms (para.89).

Furthermore, Hjelle and Ziegler (1981) describe that Maslow believes that human beings are born with some innate needs. These needs are arranged in the order of their potency in a hierarchy of needs. The needs are: (1) Basic physiological needs, (2) Safety needs, (3) Belongingness and Love needs, (4) Self-esteem needs, and (5) self-actualization needs or the needs of personal fulfillment. The lower the need is, the stronger it is. The higher the need is, the weaker it is (369).

The first four layers in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are called as Deficiency Needs or D-Needs. Meanwhile the top is called as Growth Need, Being Values, or B-Needs. Figure 2.1 below is the picture of Maslow’s pyramid of the hierarchy of needs.

Figure 2.1 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

2.1.4.1 Physiological needs

Physiological needs are the basic, lowest and the strongest one in the hierarchy of needs. The needs are biological needs that cover the needs for food, drink, oxygen, activity and sleep, sex, protection from extreme temperatures, and sensory stimulation. These needs must be fulfilled at some minimal level by each human in his life. If these needs are not satisfying yet, the person will be not motivated by other higher needs. Hjelle and Ziegler in Personality Theories explain:

For our chronically and extremely hungry man, Utopia can be defined simply as a place where there is plenty of food. He tends to think that, if only he is guaranteed food for the rest of his life, he will be perfectly happy and will never want anything more. Life itself tends to be defined as unimportant. Freedom, love, community feeling, respect, philosophy, may all be waved aside as fripperies that are useless, since they fail to fill the stomach. Such a man may fairly be said to live by bread alone (p. 372).

Physiological Needs Safety Needs

Social Needs Esteem Needs Self-Actualization

Hence, it is obvious that the physiological needs control human’s thought and behaviors to gain satisfaction of these needs. Unless these basic needs are completely fulfilled, human will not pursue other higher level needs.

2.1.4.2 Safety needs

After the physiological needs are fulfilled, human will start to pursue another need that is Safety or Security needs. The needs consist of the needs of certainty, order, structure and predictability in one’s environment, and safety from war, crime, natural disasters, riots, and societal disorganizations.

As it is stated by Hjelle and Ziegler (1981), Maslow believes that the safety needs are readily observed to infants and young children because of their helplessness and dependency on adults. Infants will be frightened when they are suddenly dropped or startled by loud noises and flashing lights. Since they realize that they are powerless in such situations. These dangers can be neutralized when one has experience, knowledge, and education about them. When one knows some information about certain dangers, it makes him feel that he will find some ways to handle them. As a result, he will not feel completely powerless (para.370).

2.1.4.3 Belongingness and Love needs

Once the safety needs are fulfilled, the next needs will emerge in human motivation. The needs are the Belongingness and Love needs. These needs are expected to be found both in one’s society and family. Different from the Freudian, Maslow asserts that the belongingness and love needs are not similar to the needs of sex. He emphasizes that mature love involves giving and receiving. It requires more emotional fulfillment than sexual fulfillment. To fulfill these needs, one will try various ways. They might join with certain groups which share them their interests, having lovers, having friends, and many others. Furthermore, Hjelle and Ziegler (1981) explain:

Rather he contended that mature love involves a healthy, loving relationship between two people that includes mutual respect, admiration, and trust. Maslow also stressed that a person’s needs for love involve both giving and receiving love. Being loved and accepted is instrumental to healthy feelings of worth. Not being loved generates futility, emptiness, and hostility (p. 372).

2.1.4.4 Self-esteem needs

Hjelle and Ziegler (1981) explain that when the belongingness and love needs are fulfilled, one will pursue the next higher needs, self-esteem needs. Maslow divides these needs into two categories: self-respect and esteem from others. Self-esteem needs cover the desire for competence, confidence, personal strength, adequacy, achievement, independence, and freedom (para.372).

Meanwhile, one needs prestige, recognition, acceptance, attention, status, fame, reputation, and appreciation from others to satisfy the self-esteem needs. Goble (1971) defines that someone whose self-esteem needs are satisfied will be more confident and productive. On the contrary, one’s lack of self-esteem needs will cause inferiority, powerlessness, despair, and even with frustration (para.76).

2.1.4.5 Self-actualization needs

According to Hjelle and Ziegler (1981), the last and highest needs in Maslow’s pyramid of needs are the Self-actualization needs. Maslow introduces self-actualization as one’s capability to be everything he/she wants and is capable of it. These needs are the psychological needs which develop and exploit all of his/her capabilities, potentialities, and talents to be everything he/she wants. The development and exploitation of one’s capabilities, potentialities, and talents will enable him/her to improve him/herself thoroughly and reach a healthy mental condition. These needs include the opportunity and freedom to make one’s dreams and hopes come true (para.372).

Easily identifying actualization, there are some characteristics of self-actualized people as it is stated in Frank. G. Goble’s The Third Force, the Psychology of Abraham Maslow. People whose self-actualization needs are satisfied will do everything as best as they can. They are able to view life wisely and purely. They view life as what it is and do not consider life as what they want. They are not

emotional and more objective in undergoing life. These people will not let their hopes deceive them. They will still learn from others to improve themselves. Therefore, it causes them be more precise in making judgment on others.

Based on Maslow’s statement in A Theory of Metamotivation: The Biological Rooting of the Value-Life, the self-actualized people are already satisfied in their love needs. They have friends, feel loved and love worthy. Their self-esteem need is also fulfilled since they already respect themselves and have status in life. They do not feel anxiety, inferiority, worthlessness, or isolation. Moreover, they love their job and do it as best as they could since they feel that it is right and suitable for them.

Maslow (1969) adds that the self-actualized people possess their spiritual life. It is defining characteristics to create a full human nature. Having spiritual life means that they have already found the reason of their existence, their meaning of life. The meaning of life is a part of real self that reveals the identity and full humanness of an individual (para. 47)

2.2 Theoretical Framework

The theories reviewed in the previous part are very important for the writer to get into the analysis part. In analyzing Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die, the writer uses some theories. The theories are theory of character, method of characterization, theory of psychoanalytical psychology, and theory of motivation.

Theory of character, method of characterization, and theory of motivation will be useful to determine the characteristics of the main character in the novel and help the writer to answer the first problem formulation, in which the writer will give a clear description about Veronika’s characteristics in Paulo Coelho’s novel Veronika Decides to Die.

In order to answer the second problem formulation, the writer will use theory of psychoanalytical psychology and theory of motivation. These theories are used to find out the meaning of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide. Freud’s psychoanalytical psychology theory is applied to help the writer to explain about the first true meaning of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide which is related to the the analyses that Veronika cannot control the id. Furthermore, Maslow’s theory of Motivation is applied to explain the second true meanings of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide which is related to the analyses that Veronika is lack of belongingness and love needs, self-esteem needs, and self-actualization needs.

2.3 Context of The Novel

Veronika Decides to Die is a novel written by Paulo Coelho. This novel consists of 210 pages. The original version Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die was written Portuguese. The novel was translated into English by Margaret Jull Costa and published in 1999 in the United States of America by Harper Collins Publisher Inc.

New York. Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author who likes to use his personal experience as the inspiration in writing a literary works.

Veronika Decides to Die, is one of Coelho’s novels that is written based on his personal experience when he was sent to a mental hospital by his parents for three times because he wanted to be a writer. Besides Veronika Decides to Die, Paulo Coelho also wrote some other famous novels such asThe Alchemist, The Pilgrimage, Eleven Minutes, The Valkyries, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept, the Fifth Mountain, and Warrior of the Light: A Manual.

Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Dieis a novel which tells a story of a journey of life of a young Slovenian woman called Veronika. Veronika is the main character of this novel. The author of this novel described that Veronika was 24-year-old when she decided to commit suicide on November 11, 1997 by taking four packs of sleeping pills. The authors’ description about Veronika’s age above shows that Veronika, as the main character of the novel, lived in the situation of what it is described as a civil war when the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the early-to-mid 1990’s. As the consequences of this civil war, thousands of people, soldiers and civilians were killed. This is the social and political context of Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die.

25 CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methods of the study to solve the problems

formulated in chapter I. This chapter consists of three main points to discuss. The first

point is about the object of this study, which provides the information related to the

novel. The second point is approach of the study, which presents the information

about the approach used in analyzing the novel. The last point is the method of the

study, which informs the steps in conducting this study.

3.1 Object of the Study

The object of the study is Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. Paulo

Coelho is also the author of the best seller The Alchemist. This novel was translated

from Portuguese to English by Margaret Jull Costa and published in 1999 in the

United States of America by Harper Collins Publisher Inc. New York. This novel

consists of 29 sections and 210 pages long. This novel was firstly published in

Portuguese in 1999. Veronika Decides to Die is a novel written by a Brazilian

author named Paulo Coelho. Paulo Coelho who was born on August 20, 1946, in

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is an author who likes to use his personal experience in

Veronika Decides to Die is one of his novels that he wrote based on her

personal experience when he was a young man and he was sent three times to a

mental hospital by his parents because he wanted to be a writer. Through the life

of the main character of the novel entitled Veronika Decides to Die, Paulo Coelho

reveals his personal experience. Paulo Coelho created a fictional character named

Veronika who decides to commit suicide and who feels powerless to change

anything.

There are five major characters of this novel who play great roles. Veronika is

the main character; she is the center of the story. The other characters are Zedka who

suffers from depression, Mari who suffers from panic attack and Eduard, a

schizophrenic man with whom Veronika is falling in love. The last character is

Dr.Igor, who believes that the cause of insanity is Vitriol, a poison which the body

produces and Veronika is becoming the object of his experiment.

The major character that will be analyzed in this study is Veronika, but the

writer also regards other characters. However, the discussion on Veronika’s

characteristics cannot be separated from the other characters since they are play role

in influencing Veronika’s personality.

3.2 Approach of the Study

This study uses a psychological approach as one of the Critical Approaches—

Literature published in 1971. The Critical Approaches which are introduced by

Rohrberger and Woods, Jr are The Formalist Approach, the Biographical Approach,

the Sociocultural-Historical Approach, the Mythopoeic Approach, and the

Psychological Approach. According to Rohrberger and Woods, Jr a critical approach

to literature necessitates an understanding of its nature, function, and positive values.

Furthermore, Rohrberger and Woods, Jr. (1971) state that “one must know what

literature is, how to read it, and how to judge it” (p. 3). Moreover, Rohrberger and

Woods, Jr. believe that it is necessary to use the critical approaches, which consist of

five approaches, in order to understand a literary works.

In this study, the writer uses Freud’s psychoanalytic theory as the main

approach. Freud composed that humans have three elements of personality: the id, the

ego and the superego. Psychological approach is used to answer research questions

formulated in chapter I as the problem formulations. This approach can help the

writer to understand the main characters’ personality and the literal meaning of the

decision to commit suicide. The psychological approach is also useful for the writer

to find the extrinsic aspects of the novel or the true meaning. The psychological

approach helps the writer to interpret the psychological aspect of the main character

in the novel. The character is analyzed to draw the clear lines to the understanding of

3.3 Method of the Study

The method used in the study was library research. There are two kinds of

sources were used; the primary and the secondary. The primary source was Paulo

Coelho’s novel entitled Veronika Decides to Die. The secondary sources were books

and articles on theories and approach used in the analysis.

The research was conducted in several steps. The first step was to select a

literary work that was going to be analysed. In this step the writer chose Paulo

Coelho’s Novel entitled Veronika Decides to Die. The second step was having a

thorough reading of the novel for several times, in order to have a better

understanding of the story and the subject that is going to be analyzed. It helped the

writer in marking the main points of the content which was used to find the

significant elements. The third step was deciding the topic to be discussed and

formulating the problems related to the topic. The fourth step was collecting the

secondary sources, theories and approach, related to the topic or problems that would

be analysed. The secondary data were from some books and online references. The

next step was applying the theories and approach to answer the problem formulation.

The approach and theories were used to help the writer in analyzing the novel based

on the two problem formulations. The last steps were drawing conclusion based on

the result of the analysis and giving some suggestions to the future researchers who

29 CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

In this chapter, the writer tries to answer the questions formulated in the problem formulation. This chapter is divided in two parts. The first part deals with how Veronika, the main character of Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die,is described. In this part the writer will describe Veronika’s characteristics. In the second part, the writer will analyse the literal and true meanings of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide as seen in Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die.

4.1 Characteristics of Veronika, the main character of Coelho’s “Veronika Decides to Die”

Characters are the central point of the readers’ interest. Each character has a different role in making the novel more interesting and dramatic. Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die involves some major characters such as Veronika, Mari, Zedka, Eduard, and Dr. Igor. Veronika is the main character who is the focus of the story and the analysis of this study.

Murphy (1972) states nine methods of characterization that can be used to understand a character deeply, they are personal description, characters as seen by other characters, speech, past life, conversation of other characters, direct comment of

the author, character’s reaction to various situations and events, thoughts, and mannerism (para.160-173). In this analysis the writer will apply all those methods to understand the characteristics of the main character in Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die.

Furthermore, the theory of motivation will also be used to understand the personality of the main character. In this part, the main character will be analysed in details. Quotations from the novel will be used to support the characterization. The writer will only focus on describing the characteristic of Veronika, the main character of Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die to help the readers understand Veronika’s characteristics.

4.1.1 Veronika is young, pretty and intelligent

There are some descriptions of Veronika, the main character, portrayed by the author of this novel. Veronika, the main character of Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Diedescribed herself as a young, pretty and intelligent.

Since I only took sleeping pills, I’m not disfigured in any way: I’m still young, pretty, intelligent, I won’t have any difficulty getting boyfriends, I never did (p. 21).

Veronika’s description of herself is also supported by some remarks of the other characters. Veronika is known as a beautiful young woman of age 24. A nurse in Villete described her as a young and pretty woman. “…, I kept wondering why a

pretty young girl, with her whole life ahead of her, should want to kill herself…” (p. 65).

Moreover, Mari, one of the lunatics in Villete described Veronika as a young, pretty and healthy woman. How Mari described Veronika could be seen from her conversation with Eduard when they were talking about Veronika.

…”And it’s because of the girl,” said Mari. “We’ve seen a lot of people die here, always when they least expected it, and usually after they’d entirely given up on life. But this is the first time we’ve seen it happening to a young, pretty, healthy person with so much to live for.” (p. 150).

Veronika was in the age of twenty four when she decided to commit suicide. Veronika is considered as a mature individual who is able to make her own choices as revealed through a conversation between Dr. Igor and Veronika’s mother when Veronika’s mother came to see Veronika in Villete.

“…How old is she? “Twenty-four.”

“So she is a mature, experienced woman who knows what she wants and is perfectly capable of making her own choices…” (p. 78)

4.1.2 Veronika has an attractive appearance

Moreover, the author described Veronika as an attractive woman who could attract others’ attention to her appearance. “When she entered a room everyone would turn to look at her…” (p. 67). The description above shows that Veronika is a person who has attractive appearance which is able to attract people’s attention.

A more details description was made by the lunatics in Villete when Veronika was missing. The lunatics portrayed Veronika as a woman with green eyes and brown hair.

That night, when they were all together for supper, the inmates noticed that four people were missing… Finally, the girl with green eyes and brown hair was missing.” (p. 195).

The descriptions of Veronika’s appearance above prove that Veronika is an attractive and beautiful woman who can attract everyone’s attention.

4.1.3 Veronika is an Organized Person

Furthermore, beside her physical appearance, Veronika also has some other personal characteristics that can be seen through the way she thought and interacted with other people. The author described Veronika as an individual who had an organized life. It can be seen in the beginning of the novel.

“She does her routines of cleaning her room, brushing her teeth and lying down before she took the pills. She chooses to do all of her routines rather than doing anything else she never does before. She likes to keep everything right in order (p. 1)”.

Veronika’s choice to live in a convent with strict rules shows that Veronika is an organized person.

“She rented a room in the convent because the nuns required all the tenants to be back at a certain hour, and then they locked the door. Anyone still outside after that had to sleep on the street” (p. 44).

By living in a convent Veronika can maintain an organized life. The convent with strict rules limits her interaction with other people and it plays an important role to measure and organize her relationship with other people. Her decision to live in a

convent with the aim to have an organized life limits her to fulfill the needs of love and belonging.

Another example that shows Veronika as an organized person can be seen from Veronika’s monologue about her life.

I’ll try to read a book, turn on the TV to see the same old programs, set the alarm clock to wake up at exactly the same time I woke up the day before, and mechanically repeat my tasks at the library (p. 21).

Veronika’s characteristic as an organized person led her to follow the rules applied by the society even though she was still questioning about the rules that limit her to actualize herself. Moreover, it led her to be a well-prepared person. Veronika always planned everything well, even for her suicide attempt. In the beginning of the novel, the author described that Veronika prepared for her suicide attempt for nearly six months before she actually did it (p. 3).

As an organized and well-prepared person, Veronika always thinks before act and she plans everything carefully in order to make no mistakes. In her planning to commit suicide, Veronika considered every possible action to commit suicide that would upset everyone less. Veronika considered slashing her wrist, jumping off from a tall building, shooting and hanging before finally she took the pills. Veronika thought that taking the pills was the best option for everyone (p. 3). Veronika’s consideration on how to commit suicide proves that she is an organized person, well prepared, and well controlled.

Veronika’s characteristic as an organized person has kept her away from troubles and given her a secure feeling. Veronika’s decision to live in a convent with

strict rules provided her a chance to organize her life and kept her away from troubles. However, her characteristic as an organized person also led her to commit suicide. Her way to get four packs of sleeping pills proves that her characteristic as an organized person has helped her to commit suicide. In getting the sleeping pills, Veronika planned to tell a lie to her friends. She complained to her friends that she got a problem to sleep at night.

… In response to her complaints that she could no longer sleep at night, two friends of her managed to get hold of two packs each of a powerful drug, used by musicians at a local nightclub (p. 4).

4.1.4 Veronika is a critical, logical, and curious person.

Moreover, the author described Veronika as a, critical, logic and curious person who always gave comments and questioned something. In a certain situation Veronika questioned the God’s existence. “In her heart of hearts, though, there was still a doubt: What if God did exist?” (p. 8). After arguing with herself, Veronika decided to answer the question using her logic.

“If God exist, and I truly don’t believe he does, he will know that there are limits to human understanding. He was the one who created this confusion in which there is poverty, injustice, greed, and loneliness…if God exist, he will be generous with those creatures who chose to leave this earth early…” (p. 8). Using her logical thought Veronika concluded that if God did exist, He would know that she would end her life and God would not be shocked with her actions (p. 8). Veronika preferred to use her logic to answer her problem, and sometimes her logic tended to be cynical as when she reacted to Sufi master’s instruction in Villete.

“You see how far we’ve come?” said Veronika to Mari. “Some madman decided it was possible to grow flowers in winter, and nowadays, throughout Europe, we have roses all year round. Do you think even a Sufi master, with all his knowledge, could do that?” (p. 100).

Veronika’s logic thought prevented her to trust or to follow anything useless and beyond her logic. Veronika always used her logic to protect herself from being influenced by other people or other conceptions.

Moreover, the author characterized Veronika as a curious person. Veronika always tried to know something in detail; she did anything just to find out the detail information of something that she really wanted to know clearly.

“Veronika noticed her reaction at once, which alerted her instincts. Had she been here longer than she had thought? Was she still in some danger? She began to pay attention to each gesture, each movement the two men made; she knew it was pointless asking questions; they would never tell her the truth, but if she was clever, she could find out what was going on (p. 26-27).

Veronika’s reaction to the situation when she had a conversation with the two doctors shows that she was trying to know something in detail. During the conversation with the two doctors, Veronika noticed a change in the young doctor’s face and she became more aware of every gesture the two doctors made, and immediately she knew that there was something wrong with her. It shows that she is trying to watch for the details.

Veronika‘s ability to think logically and critically has helped her to organize and plan something for her life. It enabled Veronika to live prepared and well-ordered. However, in the other side, her logical and critical thought led her to commit suicide. How Veronika’s logical and critical though influenced her to commit suicide

can be seen from her reason of committing suicide. Veronika thought that she would gain nothing by continuing to live and everything is wrong in this world (p. 7).

4.1.5 Veronika is a sympathetic person

Besides Veronika is a logical and critical person, she is a very sympathetic person. During her life in Villete Veronika showed that she could be a very sympathetic person. She showed her concern when Zedka was getting a treatment, even though Zedka was a new person in Veronika’s life. Veronika screamed and shouted uncontrollably when she saw Zedka’s treatment. Veronika knew that the treatment hurt Zedka and so she did all she could to stop the treatment.

“Veronika started calling to Zedka, shouting, threatening that she would go to the police, the press, and the human rights organizations. “Calm down. You may be in a mental hospital, but you still have to abide by certain rules.” She saw that the man was utterly serious, and she was afraid. But since she had nothing to lose, she went on shouting.” (p. 49).

Veronika was shouted to get the attention from the nurse, to make the nurse stop the treatment. Although that Veronika was threatened by the nurse and for a while Veronika felt scare, but she still kept shouting because she knew that the nurse would not harm her anyway, even if she would not lose anything since she is already dying. Veronika’s effort to stop the treatment proves that Veronika is a sympathetic person who cares about others’ suffering.

On another occasion, Veronika also gave her sympathy to Eduard. Veronika tried to save Eduard from electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Veronika shouted when

she saw Eduard having ECT treatment. Veronika was shouted to stop it even though it was useless since Eduard had already been unconscious (p. 159).

Moreover, Veronika gave her attention to Mari.

“Veronika stopped playing for a moment and looked out at Mari in the garden. She was wearing only a light jacket against the cold night air. Did she want to die? (p. 113).

Veronika’s action to stop playing piano proves that she cared about Mari’s condition.

All that Veronika did to Zedka, Mari and Eduard shows that she cares about those people even though they are new people in her life. Even though that Veronika gave only a little attention to Mari, it still proved that Veronika cared about her. Veronika’s characteristic as a sympathetic person can also be seen in her second reason of her decision to commit suicide.

The second reason was more philosophical: Veronika read newspapers, watch TV, and she was aware of what was going on in the world. Everything was wrong, and she had no way of putting things right-that gave her a sense of complete powerlessness. (p. 7)

The quotation above shows that Veronika was very concerned with the social situation but she could not do anything to fix all the wrong things happened in her society. Veronika’s characteristic as a sympathetic person had given her guilty feeling because she had no power to express her sympathy by struggling against those wrong things as she did to Zedka, Mari, and Eduard.

4.1.6 Veronika lacks of belongingness and love needs, the self-esteem needs and the self-actualization needs

Maslow defines that to fulfill the belongingness and love needs one will try various ways. They might join with certain groups which can share them their interests, having lovers, having friends, and many others (as cited in Hjelle and Ziegler, 1981, p. 372). Comparing to the definition above, it can be concluded that Veronika was lack of belongingness and love needs since she had never joined a certain group during her life. Veronika chose to live in a convent that limited her interaction with others. Veronika had some friends and boyfriends, but she never had a best friend and a true lover. Veronika had never felt the sense of belonging since she never joined a certain group. Veronika built a relationship with some boyfriends, it was based on sexual desire that gave her the feeling of emptiness.

I’ll make love with them in their houses or in the woods, I’ll feel a certain degree of pleasure, but the moment I reach orgasm, the feeling of emptiness will return (p. 21)

The citation above shows that Veronika made love with some boyfriends was not because she loved them or she felt of being loved by those boyfriends. Veronika was lack of belongingness and love needs since she had never felt true love.

Furthermore, Hjelle and Ziegler (1981) explain that according to Maslow, the self-esteem needs cover self-respect and esteem from others (para.372). Based on that explanation, the writer can conclude that Veronika’s suicide attempt is an action of self disrespect. By attempting suicide, Veronika does not respect herself. Veronika’s

decision to commit suicide proves that she cannot regard and respect herself. Veronika’s desire to kill herself also proves that she lacks of the self-esteem needs.

“That’s why I was crying,” said Veronika, “When I took the pills, I wanted to kill someone I hated…” (p. 65).

The citation above shows that Veronika does not respect herself that is shown by her desire to kill herself.

According to Goble (1971), self-esteem is closely related to self-actualization. The self-actualization needs can be fulfilled if the self-esteem needs has already be fulfilled. On the contrary, if the esteem needs is not fulfilled yet, so the self-actualization needs will also not be fulfilled (para. 76).

According to Maslow, self-actualization needs are the psychological needs to develop and exploit all of his capabilities, potentialities, and talents to be everything he wants. Moreover, Maslow states that these needs include the opportunity and freedom to make one’s dreams and hopes come true. (as cited in Hjelle and Ziegler, 1981, p. 372).

Veronika was lack of self-actualization needs since she did not improve her talents and potentialities to actualize herself. In her childhood, Veronika realized that being a pianist was her biggest dream. Veroika realized that she had the talents and potentialities to be a great pianist as her teacher said in her first lesson.

Veronika had known since her childhood that her true vocation was to be a pianist. This was something she had felt ever since her first lesson, at twelve. Her teacher had recognized her talent too and had encouraged her to become a professional. (p. 94)

The citation above shows clearly that Veronika has a dream to be a pianist. However, she could not actualize her dream to be a pianist just to fulfill others’

dream. Veronika had to sacrifice her dream because she was afraid of hurting her mother.

Her parents would still have loved her, but, afraid of hurting them, she had not dared to pay the piece of her dream. That dream as now buried in the depth of her memory, although sometimes it was awoken by a concert or a beautiful record she happened to hear. Whenever that happened, though, the feeling of frustration was so intense that she immediately sent it back to sleep again (p. 94).

Veronika’s decision to sacrifice her dream to be a pianist proves that she cannot develop and exploit her talents and potentialities. Her parents’ expectations and dreams had prevented Veronika to actualize herself. This situation led Veronika to a feeling of frustration that influenced her behavior and her way of thinking about life.

4.2 The meaning of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide

This part will discuss the meanings of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide. In order to find the meaning of Veronika’s decision; the discussion will be divided into two parts. The first part will be discussed the surface meaning of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide. The second part will focus on discussing the deeper meaning of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide.

88 Appendix 5

CHARACTER IN LITERATURE

I. Character

Character is an individual (usually a person) in a narrative (usually a work of fiction or creative non-fiction). The act of presenting a character in writing is known as characterization. Characters are extremely important because they are the medium through which a reader interacts with a piece of literature. Every character has his or her own personality, which a creative author uses to assist in forming the plot of a story or creating a mood.

The different attitudes, mannerisms, and even appearances of characters can greatly influence the other major elements in a literary work, such as theme, setting, and tone. With this understanding of the character, a reader can become more aware of other aspects of literature, such as symbolism, giving the reader a more complete understanding of the work. The character is one of the most important tools available to the author.

A. Major Character

Main character is classified important and kept on performing that it feels dominating the whole story. The narration of this character is considered as the most important in a novel concern. He is the most narrated character, whether as the hero or the one who is affected by the action. Even in certain novels, a main character always present in every event and can be found in every page of the novel concern. Though his superiority values are not always the same, main character in a novel can be more than one

B. Minor Character

Minor characters add the key elements of the story that would make the story to have meaningful moments. The minor characters play the role of key that can unlock what is locked within and reveal the hidden excitements to the readers. The writers are unable to dispense those minor characters because they are driving force of the major characters and have important role in the play, for example, Tiresias from the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Minor characters are indispensable because they can be the driving force of the major characters throughout the story.

Many of the minor characters in the literatures and plays have important roles for the existence. The writers put the minor characters because they are the elements that will make their works more valuable. The minor characters can be the ultimate driving force of the stories, and add intensity to the stories, which attracts the readers. Many people may think the major characters are the ones that give the morals of the works but writers also use the minor characters to give the messages that they could not express through the major characters to the readers.

II. Types of Characters A. Protagonist (Hero)

Protagonist is the leading character in a work, often playing the role of the hero or heroine. It is the central figure with whom we usually sympathize or identify. The word “protagonist” comes from the Greek word protagonistes, meaning “first combatant”, and referred to the leading character, aided by the chorus, in classical Greek tragedy. A developing change in character is often seen in a protagonist from the beginning of the word to the end. In comedy, a protagonist’s development also follows the plot, but instead is carried from chaos into order.

B. Antagonist (Villain)

The antagonist is the main opponent of the main character in a work of literature. On the other words, it is the figure that opposes the protagonist and

creates the conflict. The antagonist doesn’t necessarily have to be a person. It could be death, the devil, an illness, or any challenge that prevents the main character from living “happily ever after.” In fact, the antagonist could be a character of virtue in a literary work where the protagonist represents evil. An antagonist in the story of Genesis is the serpent. He convinces Eve to disobey God, setting off a chain of events that leads to Adam and Eve being banished from paradise.

C. Foil Character

Foil character is the figure whose personality traits are the opposite of the main characters. This is a supporting character and usually made to shine the protagonist.

III. The Way Characters are Portrayed A. Round/Dynamic Character

A round character is a major character in a work of fiction that encounters conflict and is changed by it. Round characters tend to be more fully developed and described than flat or static characters. A number of elements in fiction reveal character, making the character dynamic, including descriptions of a character, the character’s dialogue, a character’s responses to the conflicts that arise in the plot, and a character’s thoughts. A character’s responses to conflict and his or her internal are also revelatory.

B. Flat/Static Character

A flat character is a minor character in a work of fiction that does not undergo substantial change or growth in the course of a story. Also referred to as “two-dimensional characters” or “static characters”, flat characters play a supporting role to the main character, which as a rule should be round. Though we don’t generally strive to write flat characters, they are often necessary in a story, along with round characters. A flat character has no depth and no change; we only see one side or aspect of them.

IV. The ways characters are revealed:

A. What the narrator says about the character B. What the other characters say about the character C. What the character says about himself or herself D. What the character actually does

References:

http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/glossary/g/flatcharacters.htm http://www.freeonlineresearchpapers.com/major-minor-charactors http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/glossary/g/RoundCharacter.htm http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/glossary/g/dynamic.htm

http://contemporarylit.about.com/cs/literaryterms/g/antagonist.htm http://www2.nkfust.edu.tw/~emchen/CLit/study_elements.htm http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-protagonist.htm

http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/allam/general/glossary.htm http://grammar.about.com/od/c/g/characterliteratureterm.htm

vii ABSTRACT

Jelau, Marianus Sadeg. 2012. The Meanings of the Decision to Commit Suicide as Seen in Veronika, the Main Character of Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. Yogyakarta: English Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.

This study discusses Veronika Decides to Die, a literary work written by a Brazilian novelist, Paulo Coelho. Paulo Coelho’sVeronika Decides to Die tells about the life of the main character, Veronika, who decides to commit suicide by swallowing the sleeping pills. The objective of this study is to see the meaning of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide. There are two problems to be answered in this study (1) “How is Veronika, the main character of Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die is described in the novel?” and (2) “What are the meanings of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide?”

This study applies library research method. The primary data of this study is the novel of Paulo Coelho, entitled Veronika Decides to Die. The secondary data are gained from various books and the Internet sources which are closely related to this study. The theories used in this study are the theory of character, methods of characterization, the theory of psychoanalytical psychology, and the theory of motivation. The approach that is used in this study is psychological approach.

There are two findings after analyzing the novel. The first is about Veronika’s characteristics. Veronika is a woman of twenty-four-year old who is beautiful, pretty, and attractive. Veronika is also described as a sympathetic, an organized and a curious woman who has critical and logical thought. Furthermore, Veronika is described as a person who lacks of belongingness and love needs, self-esteem and self-actualization needs. The second is about the meanings of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide. The literal meanings of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide are that she is afraid of her future life; she is powerless in facing life, and she is afraid of her fate. The true meanings of Veronika’s decision to commit suicide are that Veronika cannot control the id and Veronika lacks of belongingness and love needs, self-esteem-needs, and self-actualization needs.

Finally, future researchers are suggested to explore more about the factors that influence Veronika’s decision to commit suicide as seen in Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. Moreover, the writer suggests the English lecturers to use Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Dieas material to teach Prose II in English Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University.

viii ABSTRAK

Jelau, Marianus Sadeg. 2012. The Meanings of the Decision to Commit Suicide as Seen in Veronika, the Main Character of Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Penelitian ini membahas novel Veronika Decides to Die, sebuah karya sastra yang ditulis oleh seorang novelis Brazil, Paulo Coelho. Novel Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die menceritakan tentang kehidupan dari tokoh utama, Veronika, yang memutuskan untuk bunuh diri dengan menelan obat tidur. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk melihat makna dari keputusan Veronika untuk bunuh diri. Terdapat dua rumusan masalah dalam penelitian ini yang akan dijawab (1) “Bagaimana Veronika, tokoh utama dari novel Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die dideskripsikan dalam novel ini?” dan (2) Apa makna dari keputusan Veronika untuk mati?”

Penelitian ini menerapkan metode studi pustaka. Data utama dari penelitian ini adalah novel Paulo Coelho yang berjudul Veronika Decides to Die. Data tambahan diperoleh dari berbagai buku dan sumber-sumber internet yang berkaitan erat dengan penelitian ini. Penelitian ini menggunakan teori-teori seperti teori karakter, metode karakterisasi, teori psikoanalisis psikologi, dan teori motivasi. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan psikologis.

Ada dua temuan setelah menganalisis novel ini. Pertama tentang karakteristik Veronika. Veronika adalah wanita muda berusia 24 tahun yang cantik, ayu, dan menarik. Veronika juga digambarkan sebagai orang yang simpatik, teratur, dan selalu ingin tahu yang berpikiran kritis dan logis. Selanjutnya, Veronika digambarkan sebagai orang yang kekurangan kebutuhan akan rasa cinta dan rasa memiliki, harga diri dan aktualisasi diri.Kedua tentang makna dari keputusan Veronika untuk bunuh diri. Makna harafiah dari keputusan Veronika untuk bunuh diri adalah bahwa dia takut akan kehidupan masa depannya, dia tak berdaya dalam menghadapi kehidupan, dan dia takut akan kematiannya. Makna sebenarnya dari keputusan Veronika untuk bunuh diri adalah bahwa Veronika tidak bisa mengendalikan id dan Veronika kekurangan kebutuhan akan rasa cinta dan rasa memiliki, kebutuhan akan harga diri, dan kebutuhan akan aktualisasi diri.

Akhirnya, para peneliti berikut disarankan untuk mengeksplorasi lebih lanjut tentang factor-faktor yang mempengaruhi keputusan Veronika untuk bunuh diri seperti yang terlihat pada novel Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Dicides to Die. Selain itu, penulis menyarankan kepada para dosen Bahasa Inggris untuk menggunakan novel Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die sebagai bahan untuk mengajar Prosa II di Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Universitas Sanata Dharma.