REVIVING THE PASSION OF LIFE THROUGH SUICIDE OF VERONIKA’S CHARACTER IN PAULO COELHO’S VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE.

REVIVING THE PASSION OF LIFE THROUGH SUICIDE OF
VERONIKA’S CHARACTER IN PAULO COELHO’S
VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE

A THESIS

Submitted as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Sarjana Degree of
English Department Faculty of Adab and Humanities UIN SunanAmpel
Surabaya.

By:

FikaAlfiantiAljannah
Reg. number: A73211108

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SUNAN AMPEL SURABAYA
2015

i



REVIVING THE PASSION OF LIFE THROUGH SUICIDE
OF VERONIKA’S CHARACTER IN PAULO COELHO’S
VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE

A THESIS

Submitted as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Sarjana Degree of
English Department Faculty of Adab and Humanities UIN SunanAmpel
Surabaya.

The Advisor
ItsnaSyahadatudDinurriyah, M.A.
NIP: 197604122011012003

By:

FikaAlfiantiAljannah
Reg. Number: A73211108

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SUNAN AMPEL SURABAYA
2015
ii


ABSTRACT
Aljannah, FikaAlfianti. 2015. Reviving the Passion of Life through Suicide of
Veronika’s Character in Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to
Die.Thesis.English Department.Faculty of Adab and Humanities. State
Islamic University SunanAmpel Surabaya.
Advisor

: ItsnaSyahadatudDinurriyah, M.A

Keyword: revival, passion of life, suicide, individual psychology
This thesis deals with psychological approach which concerns the analysis
of reviving the passion of life through suicide ofVeronika’s character in Paulo

Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die.The study elaborates Alfred Adler’s individual
psychology to analyze the process of reviving life’s passion happened in
Veronika’s character. As addition, the formalist criticism involves in this thesis
with some limitation to describe the Veronika’s character and to analyze her
experiences in dealing with the suicide. The study aims to find out that the passion
of life can be revived through the attempt of suicide.
The method used in this thesis is qualitative, whichis used by making the
descriptive analysis through the actions and events that related to the
identification process of reviving life’s passion done by Veronika in the novel.The
study finds that there is an ability to revive the passion of life through the failure
suicide in Veronika. The peoples’ innate for striving is driven Veronika to
overcome her inferiority feelings. Moreover, the social interest influences
Veronika to create the power of herself, so that can change her style of life in
order to perceive the goals of life.

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INTISARI

Aljannah, FikaAlfianti. 2015. Reviving the Passion of Life through Suicide of
Veronika’s Character in Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die.Skripsi.
Program Studi Sastra Inggris. Fakultas Adab dan Humaniora. Universitas
Islam Negeri SunanAmpel Surabaya.
Dosen Pembimbing

: Itsna Syahadatud Dinurriyah, M.A

Kata kunci: kebangkitankembali, gairahhidup, bunuhdiri, psikologiindividu
Skripsi ini mengacu pada pendekatan psikologi yang dikonsentrasikan
untuk menganalisa kebangkitan kembali gairah hidup melalui bunuh diri pada
karakter Veronika di novel yang berjudul Veronika Decides to Die karya Paulo
Coelho. Kajian ini menguraikan teori psikologi individual oleh Alfred Adler
untuk meneliti proses bangkitnya kembali gairah hidup yang terjadi
padaVeronika. Sebagai tambahan, kajian ini melibatkan pendekatan formalism
untuk menggambarkan karakter dan meneliti pengalaman-pengalaman Veronika
yang berhubungan dengan kasus bunuh dirinya. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk
menemukan adanya gairah hidup yang kembali bangkit setelah terjadi percobaan
bunuh diri.
Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah kualitatif, yang menjelaskan

analisa deskriptif mengenai perbuatan-perbuatan dan kejadian-kejadian yang
teridentifikasi sehubungan dengan proses bangkitnya kembali gairah hidup
Veronika di dalam ceritera novel. Kajian ini berhasil menemukan adanya
kemampuan untuk membangkitkan kembali gairah hidup melalui kegagalan
bunuh diri pada Veronika. Kemampuan alamiah yang dimiliki setiap orang untuk
bertahan dalam memperjuangkan hidup mengarahkan Veronika untuk mengatasi
rasa rendah diri. Selain itu, ketertarikan social mempengaruhi Veronika untuk
menciptakan kekuatan, sehingga bias merubah gaya hidup demi tercapainya
tujuan dalam hidup.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Inside Cover Page

……………………………………………………

Inside Title Page

…………………………………………………… ii

Declaration

i

……………………………………………...……………. iii

Motto …………………………………………………...……………….

iv

Dedication

v

……………………………………………………..…….

Approval Sheet

……………………………………………….......

vi

Examiners Sheet

………………………………………………...…

vii

Acknowledgement

……………………………………………………

viii

Table of Content

…………………………………………………… x

Abstract

…………………………………………………………… xii

Intisari

…………………………………………………………… xiii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.

…………………………………… 1

Background of the Study
…………………………................
Statement of the Problems ……………………………………
Objective of the Study
……………………………………
Scope and the Limitation of the Study
……………………
Significance of the Study
……………………………………
Method of the Study ……………………………………………
Definition of Key Terms
……………………………………

CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW

1
6
6
7
7

8
10

…………………………… 12

A. Theoretical Framework
……………………………………
B. Individual Psychology
……………………………………
1. Inferiority Feelings: The Source of Human Striving
……
2. Striving for Success or Superiority
……………………
3. Fictional Finalism ……………………………………………
4. Social Interest
……………………………………………
5. The Style of Life and the Creative Self ……………………
C. Formalism
……………………………………………………
1. Character …………………………...……………………….

a. Main Character / Minor Character …...……………….

12
12
14
15
17
19
21
23
26
27

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b. Flat / Round Character
…………………………….
c. Static / Dynamic Character …………………………….
2. Characterization …………………………………………….
D. Related Studies
…………………………………………….

28
29
30
32

CHAPTER III ANALYSIS ……………………………………………. 35
A. The Experiences of Veronika in Dealing with Her Suicide …….
1. The Fail of Veronika’s Suicide Makes Her
Committed to the Villete……………………………….……
2. Waiting to the Death
……………………………………
3. Veronika’s Feeling During Her Coming in the Villete …....
a. Fearful ………………………...…………...……………..
b. Regret ………………………..…………………………..
c. Self-Defenses and SelfAwareness………………………………………………..
4. Meets the Other Patients in Villete
……,,……………..
a. Zedka Mendel ……………………..……………………..
b. Eduard …………..………………………………………..
c. Mari ………………………..…………………………..
5. Heart Attack
……………………………..……………..
B. The Veronika’s Process to Reviving Her Passion of Life
Seen from Alfred Adler’s Individual Psychology …..………..
1. Feelings of Inferiority
…………………………..………..
2. Striving for Success or Superiority
………………..…..
a. Striving for Superiority
……..……………………..
b. Striving for Success …………..………………………..
3. Fictional Finalism ………………………..…………………..
4. Social Interest
……………………………………..……..
5. Style of Life and Creative Self ……………………..……..
CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION

35
41
44
46
47
49
51
56
56
58
62
66
67
68
71
71
72
74
75
77

…………………………..……….. 80

REFERENCES

………………………….………………………... 82

APPENDIXES

…………………………………………………… 85

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A l j a n n a h | 1 
 

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
According to Grace in his book Response to Literature, literature gives
special knowledge of life that is not identical with that of real intellectual or
critical values. It is actually possible for a well-read person to make mature of life
without having great deal of experience (7). It means that every literary work is a
result of original thought among humans to represent their existence. It could be
formed as the ideas in human life, views, or their experiences. Therefore,
literature is human’s tool to learn life that also contains of the existence of human
experience. Love, hate, emotions, and ambitions are human’s feels that can create
the experiences.
Fathali M. Moghaddam, through his journal entitled From Psychology in
Literature to Psychology is Literature also says that psychology and literature
selectively examine particular parts of the whole of human experience. More
specifically, both psychology and literature adopt as one of their goals the better
understanding of overt behavior and the mental life of individuals, and how these
are related (505). It means that there is a close relationship between them. If
psychology deals with the study of observable patterns of human’s behavior, then
literature exhibits how human beings behave in dealing with problems and
environment. It provides that both of literature and psychology cannot be
separated from the condition of human in the daily life.

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A l j a n n a h | 2 
 

Talking about the problem in the life, hence, literature, then, has wide
range of knowledge in the life, including psychology. Reber mentions that
psychology is a science had created to understand the minds and behaviors of
various organisms from the most primitiveto the most complex (617).It means that
psychology has a great deal to study of human being. Meanwhile, literature relates
with imagery of human being. In addition, Abrams notes that psychological
criticism deals with a work of literature primarily as an expression, in fictional
form, of the state of mind and the structure of personality of the individual author
(247). It concludes that psychology is the one of consider discipline science that
develops in human character and personality. Moreover, psychology also can use
as a tool to raise the value and explore the literary works. Psychology is the
endlessly fascinating science of human mind and behavior and it can be a
rewarding tool for enhancing our understanding and appreciation of literature
(Gillespie 43). Clearly, it shows that literature can be explored by using
psychological approach.
Psychological literary criticism can be broadly divided into four kinds,
depending on what it takes as its object of attention. It can attend to the author of
the work; to the work’s contents; to its formal construction; or to the reader
(Eagleton 179). Eagleton also add that the most psychoanalytic criticism has been
of the first two kinds, which are in fact the most limited and problematical.
Rather, in psychoanalyzing the author just run into the same kind of problems
about the relevance of authorial intention to works of literature, than
psychoanalysis the content comments on the unconscious motivation of

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A l j a n n a h | 3 
 

characters. It commits to a lot of elements in the literary work itself, which is
build the story. That is why this research choose to analyze the work’s contents
which in this case is formed a novel.
Novel is a part of literary work. Novel is a kind of story that whose author
tries to create the sense while we are reading and experience actual life (Kennedy
180). In other words, novel can give many experiences, suggestion, and
motivation that can use to make a better life. Lawrence quotes that among many
kinds of literary works, a novel is seen as a literary work that can represent life in
all its fullness (16). Somehow, some characters – although it is part of author’s
imagination – in the novels reflect to real human in reality. Then, toward reading a
novel, people can learn about human.
Human nature has the conscious processing to always develop themselves.
Donald also states that human nature has been characterized by its flexibility not
its rigidity (3). It means that by blessing not only beauty of physic but also
miraculous brain and instinct, so that human can develop their existence of every
kind aspect in the life through experience. Furthermore, the experience becomes a
well-part of human life to learn and develop themselves. This individual
development will lead human into achieve their goal in the life. Automatically, the
ways to search the goal of life is primarily important since it becomes a passion of
people to stay alive and strive.
The issue of search the goal of life is raised in one of Paulo Coelho’s work
Veronika Decides to Die.Therefore, it material is chosen of the research. The
novel has origins interest by discussing about life and death; sane and insanity;

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A l j a n n a h | 4 
 

reality and identity; and love. Veronika Decides to Die is the novel written by
Brazilian author, Paulo Coelho. The novel was published by Harper Collins in
1999. In addition, Veronika Decides to Die is the result from Coelho’s promise.
Paulo Coelho had once promised himself not only to write his experiences in
mental hospital but also promised that he would not do his work until his parents
passed away. He just does not want to make any suffer again to his parents
because of her son had been a patient in a mental hospital. As being known that he
was confined to a mental hospital in Rio de Janeiro three times during teenager.
Coelho is also the author of The Alchemist that was published in 1988 and it
launched him as an international bestseller authors.
The novel Veronika Decides to Die has Veronika as the main character.
Veronika appears in the novel as young girl, 24 years old, who has everything in
her life but commits to suicide. She decides by herself the day on November 11,
1997 to kill herself by taking too many sleeping pills. Then, instead of dying,
Veronika finds herself awakes in Villete, a mental hospital. She feels increasingly
uncertain, when a young doctor told her that the rest of her life leaving one week
more. Knowing that her attempt to suicide fail and tell that she was about dying
less of a week, the fear comes to Veronika, and she is hopeless.
During the night, however, she began to feel afraid. It was one thing to die
quickly after taking some pills, it was quite another to wait five days or a
week for death to come, when she had already been through so much
(Coelho 30).
In the Villete, she meets many people that make her to think deeply.
Therefore, she develops the personality by herself. Moreover, Veronika’s social
interest also influences her to change her mind set about life in order to overcome

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A l j a n n a h | 5 
 

her inferiority feelings. Until stage on stage, she starts to revive the motivation of
her life and begins to build the goal in her life. Finally, she strives to survive and
respects by the meaning of her life. The case that happens through Veronika in the
novel seems has agreement with Adler’s individual psychology. Adler saw people
as being motivated mostly by social influences and by their striving for superiority
or success (Feist 65).
Surely, every novel has the elements, such as theme, character, and plot.
Character is one of the elements that interesting to explore. It is because character
is the imaginary people that author’s creates. Moreover, one of Paulo Coelho’s
work Veronika Decides to Die excites to analyze because there are many issues
and lessons in this novel that can be explore through the development character of
human mind that influenced by society and the future. Furthermore, the study will
be dealing by using psychological approach. The psychological analytic theory
that will be applying in the study is individual psychology by Alfred Adler.
By choosing a novel of Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die and
Adler’s theory, this research deals to make something fresh to analyze. Veronika
Decides to Die is a novel that tells more about the ways of Veronika search the
meaning of life than the case of her suicide or death. Coelho as the author clearly
describes the way of thinking of Veronika’s character until she develops herself to
achieve the meaning of life. So, it is interesting to analyze this novel through the
individual psychology, to deeply know what would happen if someone is forced to
face a precarious situation. It seems like Adler’s statement in his book The
Practice and Theory of Individual Psychology that, if we look at the matter

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A l j a n n a h | 6 
 

closely, we shall find the following law holding in the development of all psychic
happenings: “we cannot think, feel, will, or act without the perception of some
goal” (3). Moreover, though there are some theses that talking about Paulo
Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die but none of the thesis uses individual
psychology by Alfred Adler as a tool to analyze this novel. Therefore, the thesis
will discuss about reviving the passion of life through suicide of Veronika’s
character in Paulo Coelho’s Veronika decides to die.
B. Statement of the Problems
Based on the background stated above, the problems of the study will be
formulated to answer the following questions:
1. What does Veronika experience in dealing with her suicidein Paulo
Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die?
2. How are the revival life’s passion processes on Veronika’s character
explained through the mechanism of Adler’s individual psychology?
C. Objective of the Study
Observing the statement of problem stated in the previous, the study is
aimed to:
1. To know Veronika’s experiences in dealing with her suicide in Paulo
Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die.
2. Second objects of this study is to know the process of life’s passion
reviving experienced by Veronika’s character through the mechanism
of Adler’s individual psychology.

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A l j a n n a h | 7 
 

D. Scope and Limitation of the Study
The scope of this study focuses on Veronika as main character in the Paulo
Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. The limitation of this study is to know the
process of Veronika’s revival passion in her life. This study will discuss by using
the theory of individual psychology by Alfred Adler.

E. Significance of the Study
Regarding to the background and the objectives of the research is expected
to contribute a great significance both theoretically and practically. Theoretically,
the study findings will give additional information to literature researchers dealing
with psychoanalytic of individual psychology. Through the analysis chapter, the
research hopes to broad the readers’ concept of individual psychology. Moreover,
the research findings are supposed to answers the social issues, that how the
passion of life can revive through suicide in one of Paulo Coelho’s work Veronika
Decides to Die. Furthermore, this research expects to provide the relationship
between literature and psychology.
Practically, this study may be useful as references for other researchers to
conduct psychoanalytic research and as part of extending reading by the
researchers who might interested to observe or to expert in psychoanalytic,
especially in individual psychology. In addition, this research practically
contributes to moral and attitudes study of Islamic University of Sunan Ampel
Surabaya through the literary study that gives reflection of how to respect life and
society.

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A l j a n n a h | 8 
 

F. Method of the Study
1. Research Design
The study will employ qualitative method. Creswell says that qualitative
research is descriptive in which process, meaning and understanding gained
through the words (145). It means that qualitative data can be defined as
empirical information about the words, not in the form of numbers. A
qualitative research also allows the researcher to gain access the motives,
meanings, actions and reactions of people in the context of their daily life.
Laurence Neuman says that qualitative method refers to subjective meaning,
definitions, metaphors, symbols, and descriptions of specific cases (70).In
essence, qualitative research is oriented toward the search for meanings, that is,
the interpretation and meanings people give to events, objects, other people,
and situations in their environment and its focus in the nature of phenomena of
human beings, which in this case is conducted on the one Coelho’s novel
entitled Veronika Decides to Die.
2. Source of Data and Data Collection
Because the research design is qualitative, therefore the only technique
uses to collect the data is library based, which contains of printed book, pdf
file, and journals. The main source of data for this research is the novel itself,
Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. Meanwhile, the supporting data takes
both from digital and non digital sources. The supporting data here involves
printed book and journals such as the form of non digital sources; ebook, pdf

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A l j a n n a h | 9 
 

file, and online journals such as the form of digital sources. Both of them form
are the secondary data that relates to this study.
3. Data Collection
The study applies the method of data collection by having close reading
to the novel. From this main source, some relevant quotations are used as the
evidence in order to strengthen of the problems’ statement. The quotations are
form of phrases, sentences, and dialogue that reveals the issue of this study.
Yet of it, the related references from the supporting data also has to select. In
order to support the main data to analyze, it uses to collect some information,
theory, and discourse that relevant with this study.
4. Procedure of Data Analysis
The data which have been collected will be analyzed using the theory of
individual psychology by Alfred Adler. It is because this research uses
qualitative method, therefore in presenting the analysis, this research mainly
uses descriptive-analytical method. In analyzing the data, this research uses the
way as follow:
1. Reading the novel many times to get the best understanding of the
whole story.
2. Rereading the novel is to find out some relevant quotation that
related to the study.
3. Making data classification and determining the data. The data that
will be determined here is based on the Veronika’s experience in
dealing with her suicide.

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A l j a n n a h | 10 
 

4. Then the data will be analyzed using individual psychology theory
by Alfred Adler. It uses to know how the life’s passion revive in
Veronika’s character through the mechanism of Adler’s individual
psychology.

G. Definition of Key Terms
1. Asylum

:

the word ‘asylum’ comes from the middle ages,
from a person’s right to seek refuge in
churches and other holy places. The right to asylum
is something any civilized person can understand
(Coelho 17)
a safe refuge or haven offering protection; in
the United States, became a term used to describe
institutions for the mentally ill (Videbeck 498)

2. Revival

:

the restoration of something to its true nature and
purpose. Revival can also be to return or to
restore to consciousness of life (Kaiser 14-15)

3. Suicide

:

a symptomatic act connected most frequently ‘to the
frameworkof depression and melancholy.
Suicide interpreted as a substitute for psychosis,
seems linked both to an inability to tolerate reality
and to autoerotic regression. Suicide may appear to
be a response to prosecutory guilt, it is also a

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A l j a n n a h | 11 
 

projection of this guilt onto objects as well as a
liberation from their control through the death the
subject has chosen for himself (international
dictionary of psychoanalysis 1687).
4. Villete

:

the name of the famous and much-feared lunatic

asylum which had been in existence since 1991 (Coelho 12)

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A l j a n n a h | 12 
 

CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW

A. Theoretical Framework
This chapter aims to explain specifically about the theories applied as tool
to analyze the novel Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho. Concerning the
background of study and statement of problem stated in previous chapter, this
study uses psychological approach. Many psychological approaches can use to
analyze the literary works, but this study chooses to use individual theory suggest
by Alfred Adler. In analyzing Veronika Decides to Die, individual psychology is a
main tool to analyze this study. As addition, reminding that this study observes the
character in the novel, so the formalism theory of character and characterization
encloses in this study. In order to support the main theory, this theory also uses as
a tool to explore the analysis itself.

A. Individual Psychology
Although Alfred Adler has had a profound effect on such later theorists as
Harry Stack Sullivan, Karen Horney, Julian Rotter, Abraham H. Maslow, Carl
Rogers, Albert Ellis, Rollo May, and others (Mosak & Maniacci, 1999), his name
is less well known than that of either Freud or Carl Jung. At least three reasons
account for this. First, Adler did not establish a tightly run organization to
perpetuate his theories. Second, he was not a particularly gifted writer, and most
of his books were compiled by a series of editors using Adler’s scattered lectures.
Third, many of his views were incorporated into the works of such later theorists

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A l j a n n a h | 13 
 

as Maslow, Rogers, and Ellis and thus are no longer associated with Adler’s name
(Feist 69). From the explanation above, it has clearly knows that the theory of
individual psychology by Alfred Adler is difficult to find exclusifely in one books.
Sometimes, this theory categorizes in psychodynamic psychologies, but in other
times lists among humanistic, or behavioralities. Thus, it is why this theoretical
framework takes from several books.
According to Adler, individual psychology is a science that attempts to
understand the experiences and behavior of each person as an organized the entity
(Ryckman 78). Through his theory, Adler argues that an understanding of human
personality has possible only in light of an understanding of the person’s goals. In
contrast to Freud, who has a strict determinist, Adler adopts the teleological
position that current behavior is directing by future goals.
Toward the book of Psychodynamic Theories, Feist notices that teleology
is an explanation of behavior in terms of its final purpose or aim. Teleology is
usually concerned with future goals or ends, whereas Freud’s statement of
causality is ordinarily deals with past experiences that produce some present effect
(73). People have a purpose in life – to attain perfection – and are motivated to
strive toward attainment of this ideal. Adler proposes this movement toward
perfection or completion, because of inferiority feelings – a continual struggle
from minus to plus. Otherwise, people will try to escape themselves from the
worst to better condition.
Adler’s studies led him to believe that people are motivated more by social
influences and less pushed by the desires of the body than Freud was willing to

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concede. Adler coined the phrase inferiority complex. In order words, if Freud
believes that human’s behavior shapes from the past, then Adler sees that human’s
behavior leads from their goal in the future life. It equally such of what was write
in the book Personal Awareness that Adler seems to look ahead toward an
individual’s betterment, instead of considering everyone a prisoner of the past or
biology (Warga 44). Individual psychology deals with everyone is born with
feelings of inferiority that may be increased by experiences such as parental
rejection or over protection. Thus, everyone struggles constantly to overcome real
or imagined deficiencies. More specifically, the final statement of individual
psychology according to Adler’s theory is outlined. The follows is summarizing
from Adler’s statement based on the related book which content of individual
psychology:
1. Inferiority Feelings: The Source of Human Striving
Individual psychology holds that everyone begins life with physical
deficiencies that activate feelings of inferiority – feelings that motivate a
person to strive for either superiority or success. To Adler, people are born
with weak, inferior bodies—a condition that leads to feelings of inferiority and
a consequent dependence on other people (Schultz 132). It means that
inferiority is a normal condition to each person, and it is the source of human
to strive. Human continually developing themselves from minus to plus. As
many people with physical disabilities strive to compensate for their weakness
in order to being able to work normally as if normal people do. Individual
psychology notes that feelings of inferiority tend to be equated with

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A l j a n n a h | 15 
 

traditionally feminine behaviors such as passivity, submissiveness, and
dependence.
On the contrary, few people feel difficult of how to compensate their
inferiority feelings. Schultz adds that people with an inability to overcome
inferiority feelings intensives’ them, leading to the development of an
inferiority complex. People with an inferiority complex have a poor opinion of
themselves and feel helpless and unable to cope with the demands of life. An
inferiority complex can arise from three sources in childhood: organic
inferiority, spoiling, and neglect (133). For instance, people with inferiority
complex have never learn to wait for what they want, nor have they learn to
overcome difficulties or adjust to others’ needs. They will overcompensate the
feelings of inferiority. This feelings of inferiority complex naturally develop
because the bad treatment such as spoiling or neglecting ever done by their
circumstance before.
2. Striving for Success or Superiority
Feist writes, in his book of Psychodynamic Theories, that Adler calls
the single dynamic force striving for superiority. He limits the striving for
superiority to those people who strive for personal superiority over others and
introduces the term striving for success to describe actions of people who are
motivated by highly developed social interest (70). It means that from Adler’s
theories, each individual is guided by a final goal. This striving for success or
superiority may be frustrated by feelings of inferiority, inadequacy, or
incompleteness arising from physical defects, low social status, pampering or

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A l j a n n a h | 16 
 

neglect during childhood, or other causes encountered in the natural course of
life.
The theory describes his notion of striving for success or superiority as
the fundamental fact of life. Striving for success or superiority is not an
attempt to be better than everyone else, nor it is an arrogant or domineering
tendency or an inflate opinion of our abilities and accomplishments. Thus,
Adler suggests that people strive for success or superiority in an effort to
perfect ourselves, to make ourselves complete or whole. Each people develop
their personality and strive for perfection in their own particular way.
There are two additional points about striving for success or
superiority. J. Feist and G. J. Feist writes that according to this theory,
psychologically unhealthy individuals strive for personal superiority, whereas
psychologically healthy people seek success for all humanity (70). It
concludes that individual psychology emphasizes the nature of human being
as social beings. Therefore, the greatest achieve of individual psychology is
when people’s strive necessarily not only for their individual goals but also for
their social interest.
Not only inferiority complex, but individual psychology also recognize
the term of superiority complex. As of what explained in the previous part
before, that inferiority complex is the condition when people overcompensate
the feelings of inferiority. Some people strive for personal superiority without
any concern for others. Feist adds in his book that their – people with
inferiority complex – goals are personal ones, and their strivings are motivated

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A l j a n n a h | 17 
 

largely by exaggerated feelings of personal inferiority, or the presence of an
inferiority complex (72). It has psychologically unhealthy whereas people
strive by personal gain to be superiority. People with inferiority complex lead
them to set the high but unrealistically future goals. These condition named by
superiority complex. It seems like of what explained in the book of
Psychodynamic Theories thatpeople who see themselves as having more than
their share of physical deficiencies or who experience a pampered or neglected
style of life overcompensate for these deficiencies and are likely to have
exaggerated feelings of inferiority, strive for personal gain, and set
unrealistically high goals (Feist 96).
From the explanation above, it clearly knows that individual
psychology has distinguish between strive for personal superiority and strive
for success to attain completion of all humankind. People who strive for
success are motivated by the social interest, whereas people who strive for
their personal superiority are motivated by their personal achievement. The
importance is both of them are need not only inferiority’s feeling but also the
final goals to motivate people for strive.
3. Fictional Finalism
Individual psychology formalizes this concept as fictional finalism,
the notion that fictional ideas guide humans’ behavior as they strive toward a
complete or whole state of being. Toward the book, Schultz quotes that Adler
preferred the terms “subjective final goal” or “guiding self-ideal” to describe
this concept, but it continues to be known as “fictional finalism” (136).

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A l j a n n a h | 18 
 

Based on his book, Feist also conclude that people strive for personal
superiority or success to compensate for feelings of inferiority, but the manner
in which they strive is not shaped by reality but by their subjective perceptions
of reality, that is, by their fictions, or expectations of the future (73). It means
that according to the theory of individual psychology, people who strive for
personal superiority or success to attain completion always driven by their
future goals. Their expectation to the future has shape by subjective
perception. This subjective perception will guide people to their style of life.
Individual psychology leads the ideas on fictionalism that originates
with Hans Vaihinger’s book The Philosophy of “As-If”. Vaihinger believes
that fictions are ideas that have no real existence, yet they influence people as
if they really existed. Yet, Feist also clompetely gives it with an example of a
fiction that “Men are superior to women.” Although this notion is a fiction,
many people, both men and women, act as if it were a reality (73). It means
that people believe of what their perception, whether this notion is true or not.
Indeed, this fiction seems to have influence people to life with this subjective
perception’s view.
From adopting this view, individual psychology believes that there is
fictional goals which people go to achieve it. This fictional or imaginational
goals will make them strive and consciously give a direction onto their
behavior. As of what explained in Theories of Personality that the related
concept of fictional finalism is based on the writings of the philosopher Hans
Vaihinger, who maintained in The Pilosophy of “As-If” that people create the

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A l j a n n a h | 19 
 

ideas that guide their behavior. Adopting this view, Adler believed that people
strive for perceived or imagined goals that give direction to their behavior.
These goals are not tangible, they are imagined ideals (Ryckman 79).
Therefore, the direction which drives behavior become of what Adler’s calls
guiding self-ideal (fictional finalism). Thus, toward in fictional finalism, the
human’s style of life will be driven by.
4. Social Interest
Adler proposes the concept of social interest, which he defines as the
individual’s innate potential to cooperate with other people to achieve
personal and societal goals. Social interest is Adler’s somewhat misleading
translation of his original German term, Gemeinschaftsgefühl. A better
translation might be “social feeling” or “community feeling”. Roughly, it
means a feeling of oneness with all humanity; it implies membership in the
social community of all people (Feist 75). It was noticed before that this
theory sees people of the nature of human beings. Therefore, social interest is
innate for all people and it must be potentially developed in everyone.
Individual psychology emphasizes that people born with the weakness,
which is have the origins into giving a sense of social interest. It likes an
infant, who depends on some people around him or her. It such as their
parents. Infants intensively depend on their parents to could do anything of
what they need. The parents’ character to contribute social interest of child is
much needed. Mother is the first important person in giving the biggest
influence of the child’s social environment. Toward his book, Feist writes

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A l j a n n a h | 20 
 

based on the theory comprehension that ideally, mother should have a genuine
and deeprooted love for her child—a love that is centered on the child’s wellbeing, not on her own needs or wants. If mother favors the child over the
father, her child may become pampered and spoiled. Conversely, if she favors
her husband or society, the child will feel neglected and unloved (76). It
means that mother should give the healthy love relationship of their child
without any compulsion of what her want. Moreover, the healthy love
relationship should be learned of the balance by true caring of the family and
other people.
According to Adler’s standards, a successful father avoids the dual
errors of emotional detachment and paternal authoritarianism. A father’s
emotional detachment may influence the child to develop a warped sense of
social interest, a feeling of neglect, and possibly a parasitic attachment to the
mother. A child who experiences paternal detachment creates a goal of
personal superiority rather than one based on social interest. Meanwhile,
paternal authoritarianism may also lead to an unhealthy style of life. A child
who sees the father as a tyrant learns to strive for power and personal
superiority (Feist 77). In other words, father is the second person in order to
influence a child’s social environment. He must show to the child first of how
to treat his wife as well as to other people. He must demonstrates the good
attitude of how to caring should be or how to act would be in the family.
As addition, people actively struggle to solve what Adler regarded as
the three major problems of life—neighborly love, sexual love, and

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A l j a n n a h | 21 
 

occupation—and they do so through cooperation, personal courage, and a
willingness to make a contribution to the welfare of another (Feist 78). It
means that Adler believes the three major problems of life—neighborly love,
work,and sexual love—can only be solved through social interest. Thus,
healthy people will express their social interest through the useful style of life.
5. The Style of Life and the Creative Self
In his theory, Adler believes that people are forward moving,
motivated by future goals rather than by innate instincts or causal forces.
These future goals are often rigid and unrealistic, but people’s personal
freedom allows them to reshape their goals and thereby change their lives. It is
because they want to change their lives, so they will learn new attitude. This
attitude create what Adler’s call as style of life. Richard M. Ryckman – based
on Adler’s definition – writes in Theories of Personality that the style of life,
originally called the life plan or guiding image, refers to the unique ways in
which people pursue their goals (82). It concludes that person develops a
unique pattern of characteristics, behaviors, and habits, which Adler calls a
distinctive character, or style of life. Basic style of life includes the dominant,
getting, avoiding, and socially useful types.
This theory believes that psychologically healthy people express their
style of life through action. They will continually try to create new options for
themselves in effort to carry out the style of life, which lead them to achieve
the goals. The options will continually changes, so that they can choose
flexibility new options at any point in life. It seems as of what Feist stated

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A l j a n n a h | 22 
 

based on this theory that, psychologically unhealthy individuals often lead
rather inflexible lives that are marked by an inability to choose new ways of
reacting to their environment. In contrast, psychologically healthy people
behave in diverse and flexible ways with styles of life that are complex,
enriched, and changing (78).
Exaggerated feelings of inferiority lead to a neurotic style of life,
whereas normal feelings of incompletion result in a healthy style of life.
Whether a person forms a useless style of life or a socially useful one depends
on how that person views these inevitable feelings of inferiority (Feist 77). In
other words, each of person expresses the striving differently in their effort to
achieve the goals. It just depends on how person sees and overcomes their
feelings of inferiority. Basically, both person who strive for success or
superiority has have their own particular way to achieve the goals toward style
of their life. These different express of striving is create the term by Adler’s
calls creative power of the self.
The concept of the creative self is an outgrowth of Adler’s concern
with the mechanistic implications of his style-of-life construct. He conclude
that the concept of the creative self implies that people create their own
personalities, by actively constructing them out of their experiences and
heredities (Ryckman 82). It means that creative power of the self is the ability
to create an appropriate style of life. This theory believed that the individual
creates the style of life. Each person creates themselves, their personality, their
character; these are all terms Adler uses interchangeably with style of life. It

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A l j a n n a h | 23 
 

argues for the existence of individual free will that allows each of people to
create an appropriate style of life from the abilities and experiences given
people by both their genetic endowment and their social environment.
This theory believes that ultimately people are responsible for their
own personalities. People’s creative power is capable of transforming feelings
of inadequacy into either social interest or into the self-centered goal of
personal superiority. This capacity means that people remain free to choose
between psychological health and neuroticism. From this view, Adler
emphasizes that each people have fully contribution of what they choose to
accept or reject some points in their life, and to become what they want to be.
Therefore, individual psychology by Alfred Adler chooses as a tool to
analyze the novel. Veronika as the main character in Paulo Coelho’s Veronika
Decides to Die portrays much of her future instead of her past of life. Coelho as
the author does not tell too much about the past whole life of Veronika in the
novel. It appropriates with individual psychology by Alfred Adler, which focuses
on how human builds and raises the goal of life not only from their past of life.
Secondly, though there are some theses that observed Veronika Decides to Die but
none of the theses use individual psychology and analyze the revival passion of
life process of Veronika as the main character.
B. Formalism
Regarding that this study analyzes the experiences through the character in
Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die, therefore the supporting theory needs in order
to compensate the evidence of the analysis. This theory aims to help of collecting

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A l j a n n a h | 24 
 

the data that will be analyzed. As mentioned in the first chapter, this study is
qualitative-descriptive analytical method, which absolutely uses the way of
reading the novel itself as the primarily data source. So, it means that this study
sees the literary work as the literary itself, which has its own internal values.
Furthermore, the study uses theory of character and characterization as the
supporting theory.
The theory of character and characterization is a part of the formalism.
Formalism, sometimes called new criticism (even though it has been around a
long time), involves the careful analysis of a literary text’s craft (Gillespie 172). It
means that formalism is one of the critical approaches and mainly concern in
analyze of the literatures’ text. According to Newton, new criticism advocates
intrinsic elements – an impersonal concern for the literary work as an independent
object –