The feminine side of God in Coelho`s by The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept.

THE FEMININE SIDE OF GOD IN COELHO’S BY THE RIVER PIEDRA I SAT DOWN AND WEPT

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

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

in English Letters

By

DIANA MEIRAWATI Student Number: 084214010

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA 2013

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THE FEMININE SIDE OF GOD IN COELHO’S BY THE RIVER PIEDRA I SAT DOWN AND WEPT

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

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

in English Letters

By

DIANA MEIRAWATI Student Number: 084214010

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA 2013

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“Here am I, the servant of Lord; let it be done

with

me according to your word”

(Luke 1:38)

Go in search of your Gift. The more you

understand yourself, the more you will

understand the world.

(Paulo Coelho)

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For Vincentius de Paulo Soediyono T.A in Heaven, for

our unforgettable togetherness taught me to reflect the

journey in the past is learned as the first step to face the

future,

for Veronica Amie S., for the love and enthusiasm we

have shared together for being a strong woman.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all, I am deeply grateful to my Lord Jesus Christ for blessing me in every single day of my life’s journey. I also thank Mother Mary who becomes my spiritual inspiration, her love gives me strength to always be ready in facing the mystery of life.

My greatest gratitude goes to my advisor, Dr. F.X. Siswadi, M.A. for his advice, understanding, and encouragement. He is very patient to support and give me correction and suggestion along my undergradute thesis writing. He inspires me to be a crtitical and tough person. I also thank my co. advisor, Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum. for her willingness in reading my undergraduate thesis. I thank her for giving suggestions, corrections and comments on my undergraduate thesis.

My appreciation is also given to all lecturers in English Letters Department at Sanata Dharma University for providing a good education. I thank Mbak Ninik who always helps me in completing my secretarial needs and also library staff for their assistance along my study.

My deepest gratitude is dedicated to my beloved parents, Vincentius de Paulo Soediyono T. A. in Heaven and Veronica Amie Senowati. I thank my mother for her support, prayer, and care. I also thank my beloved brother, Aurelius Tulus Aji Y.. His encouragement supports me to finish this undergraduate thesis.

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I thank God for giving me special persons who contribute some sweet experiences during my collegiate life; I thank Aditya Dwi Kurniawan for the support, love, and togetherness that we have built between us, my best friend Saverin Punkas - Pi’in. I thank her for the laugh and tears which bring our friendship more colorful forever and ever, also Deni, Yeyen, Momon, Achen, Rani, Lando, Rinrin, Arin, Topan, Ajeng, Rintan, Rina and all my classmates in A class. I thank them for the unforgettable experiences.

I thank all my friends in PSM CANTUS FIRMUS who have wonderful talents. They are my new family and I learn how to more appreciate myself from them. I also give my greatest gratitude to Pak Mbong who can transform himself to be my teacher, father and also brother. He teaches me to develop my talent in singing wisely. I learn many things from him about classical song, life and loyalty.

Last but not the least, I also thank all my friends in Beauty and the Beast the Musical; actors and actress, wardrobe, make up, setting, lighting, music, ticketing, and refreshment team who become my new family during my last semester in this university. I love them, I thank them for our sweet togetherness that we have built. We have shared our experiences among us to present a wonderful performance. I am thankful especially to Ms. Linda and Ms. Dewi, for inspiring me to be a better person.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE ………. APPROVAL PAGE ………... ACCEPTANCE PAGE ………. MOTTO PAGE ………... DEDICATION PAGE ………... ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ………….... LEMBAR PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH …………... STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ………... TABLE OF CONTENTS ……….. ABSTRACT ………... ABSTRAK ……….. CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ………... A. Background of the Study ………. B. Problem Formulation ………... C. Objectives of the Study ……… D. Definition of Terms ………. CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ……… A. Review of Related Studies ………... B. Review of Related Theories ………

1. Theory of Character and Characterization………... 2. Theory of the feminine Side of God……….. C. Theoretical Framework ………

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ………

A. Object of the Study ……….. B. Approach of the Study ………. C. Method of the Study ……… CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ………. A. Analysis of the Characters……….……….

1. The Characterization of Pilar ………..……… a. Nurturing ………...………. b. Compassionate ………... 2. The Characterization of Pilar’s lover ………..

a. Religious ……….……….

b. Intellectual ………... c. Talented …...... B. Analysis of the Characterization of Pilar and Her Lover Revealing

the Feminine Side of God ... 1. The Veneration of Virgin Mary ………...……

a. Pilar ……….

b. Pilar’s lover……...

i ii iii iv v vi viii ix x xii xiii 1 1 7 7 7 9 9 12 13 15 20 21 21 22 23 25 25 25 26 28 29 29 30 31 32 33 33 35

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2. The Reflection of Total Surrender from Mother Mary as the Model of Faith …... a. Pilar ……... b. Pilar’s lover ... 3. The link between Mother Mary and the Divine ...

a. Pilar ... b. Pilar’s lover …….... CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ………

BIBLIOGRAPHY ………....

APPENDIX ………. 37 37 39 41 41 43

45 48 50

xii ABSTRACT

DIANA MEIRAWATI. Feminine Side of God in Coelho’s By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2013.

Patriarchy is found in many fields of human life, including in a religious field. Thus, it creates a paradigm that God is a man. In Catholic religion, people know Mother Mary, a woman who gives a new paradigm that God has a feminine side. This study analyzes how the characterization of Pilar and Pilar’s lover reveals the feminine side of God in a novel entitled By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept written by Paulo Coelho.

To analyze the novel, the writer formulates two research problems as follows: (1) how are Pilar and Pilar’s lover described? (2) how does the characterization of Pilar and her lover reveal the feminine side of God?

This undergraduate thesis uses the library research. The main data is taken from the novel By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept written by Paulo Coelho. The writer applies moral philosophical approach to analyze the problems in this topic because this approach morally focuses on what is taught in a literary work. Therefore, moral philosophical approach is suitable to be applied in this topic because this study focuses on how the characterization of Pilar and her lover reveals the feminine side of God in this novel.

The result of the first analysis discovers that Pilar is described as a nurturing and compassionate woman. Pilar’s characterization is shown from her speech, reaction and thought. Pilar’s lover is characterized as a religious, intellectual and talented man. The characterization of Pilar’s lover is seen from his speech, the personal description, the direct comment, the character as seen by another and the conversation of others.

The result of the second analysis discovers that the characterization of Pilar and her lover has one mission to reveal the feminine side of God although they have different ways. In the veneration of Virgin Mary, Pilar recommences her faith in God by praying and her lover venerates Mother Mary by understanding his spiritual life. In the reflection of total surrender from Mother Mary as the model of faith, Pilar surrenders to leave Zaragoza and join her lover’s mission and her lover surrenders to God by receiving God’s gift to help the needy. In the analysis of the link between Mother Mary and The Divine, the characterization of Pilar and her lover reveals that Mother Mary and her divinity has a proccess of adaptation from a history.

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ABSTRAK

DIANA MEIRAWATI. Feminine Side of God in Coelho’s By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept. Yogyararta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2013.

Patriarki ditemukan di banyak bidang kehidupan manusia, termasuk di dalam bidang keagamaan. Oleh karena itu, hal ini menciptakan sebuah paradigma bahwa Tuhan seorang laki-laki. Di dalam agama Katolik, orang-orang mengenal Bunda Maria, seorang wanita yang memberikan pandangan baru bahwa Tuhan memiliki sisi femininitas. Studi ini menganalisis bagaimana penokohan dari Pilar dan kekasihmya dalam memaparkan sisi femininitas Tuhan di dalam sebuah novel berjudul By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept yang ditulis oleh Paulo Coelho.

Guna mendapatkan hasil dari analisis ini, penulis memformulasikan dua permasalahan sebagai berikut: (1) bagaimana Pilar dan kekasihnya dideskripsikan? (2) bagaimana penokohan Pilar dan kekasihnya memunculkan sisi femininitas Tuhan?

Skripsi ini menerapkan studi pustaka. Data utama diambil dari novel yang ditulis oleh Paulo Coelho berjudul By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept. Penulis mengaplikasikan pendekatan filosofi moral untuk menganalisis permasalahan-permasalahan yang diangkat di dalam kajian ini karena pendekatan ini secara moral merujuk pada apa yang diajarkan di dalam sebuah karya sastra. Oleh karena itu, pendekatan filosofi moral tepat untuk diaplikasikan karena kajian ini menekankan tentang penokohan Pilar dan kekasihnya memunculkan femininitas Tuhan di dalam novel yang diangkat.

Dari hasil analisis pertama ditemukan bahwa Pilar dideskripsikan sebagai seorang wanita yang penuh perhatian dan belas kasih. Penokohan Pilar ditunjukkan melalui perkataan, reaksi dan pemikirannya. Kekasihnya Pilar digambarkan sebagai seorang laki-laki yang religius, pandai dan bertalenta. Penokohan kekasihnya Pilar dipaparkan melalui perkataan, penggambaran diri, tanggapan langsung, karakter yang dilihat oleh tokoh lain dan percakapan dari tokoh lain.

Dari hasil analisis kedua ditemukan bahwa penokohan Pilar dan kekasihnya memiliki satu misi untuk memaparkan sisi femininitas Tuhan meskipun mereka memiliki cara yang berbeda. Di dalam penyembahan kepada Bunda Maria, penokohan Pilar membangun kembali kepercayaannya terhadap Tuhan dengan berdoa dan penokohan kekasihnya menyembah Bunda Maria dengan memahami kehidupan spiritualitasnya. Di dalam merefleksikan kepasrahan total dari Bunda Maria sebagai dasar keyakinan, penokohan Pilar menunjukkan kepasrahan dirinya dengan meninggalkan Zaragoza dan ikut serta dalam misi kekasihnya dan penokohan kekasihnya berpasrah diri kepada Tuhan dengan menerima karunia Tuhan untuk menolong orang-orang yang membutuhkan. Di dalam analisis hubungan antara Bunda Maria dan keilahian, penokohan Pilar dan kekasihnya memaparkan bahwa Bunda Maria dan keilahiannya memiliki sebuah proses pengadaptasian dari sebuah sejarah.

1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Nowadays patriarchal practices still take place in many fields of human life. A patriarchal system is a part of the world‟s “heritage”, which can be found around the world. It is incomplete to speak of the patriarchal system without taking a look at the history of industrial revolution which breaks out in Europe 1760 and it needs men‟s hand to operate machine in a factory in which physically women do not have powerful energy as men. It causes women to “grow up” and

“develop” inside of a house since men are the breadwinners of the family. As a result, women take the second position after the men because power is in the

men‟s hand (http://wps.ablongman.com/long_levack_wc_1/43/11053/2829693. cw/index.html). The impact of industrial revolution for women is also felt by Javanese, one of Indonesian tribes. One example of the impact is woman has a duty to work inside a house such as taking care of the children, cooking, and cleaning the house, in other word woman has position in the back. No space for

woman to look outside because it is the man‟s job. In Javanese, the situation above pictures Javanese women as “Konco wingking” which means a woman generally deals with housework and take care of the children, while her husband goes out to work (http://awinur.blogspot.com/2011/10/gender-and-inheritance-java-tribe-and.html).

The above illustration clearly shows negative impact of patriarchal system for women which is described based on political and social point of view. Furthermore, patriarchy is also found in religious field such as Christian tradition.

Elizabeth Johnson‟s article entitled Mary and the Image of God as quoted in Donnelly‟s Mary, Woman of Nazareth Biblical and Theological Perspectives

stated that masculine point of view or androcentric dominates religious language and imagery of God. It is stated as follows

The Christian tradition‟s patriarchy with its accompanying androcentric structures of thought has shortchanged the fullness of religious language and imagery of the divine, locking the divine mystery into the single predominant image of a male person or persons (Johnson, 1989: 28). The above quotation shows that patriarchal system influences the development of several religions in the world that also causes the imagery of God to become more dominant image of male person. For example, Jews, Protestant, Catholic and Islam. In reality, people sometimes take for granted the patriarchal system which lives in Jews, Protestant, Catholic and Islam. For example, those religions teach that Eve is born out of the thirteenth Adam‟s rib as is told in Holy Bible and Al-Quran. If Christian, Catholic and Moslem do not understand the verse of Eve and Adam which mentioned above correctly, it creates a wrong understanding that afflicts woman‟s position. Related to that case, the writer agrees with Nawal El

Saadawi‟s statement in her book entitled The Hidden Face of Eve that woman is in the inferior position because the birth of Eve is understood literally and it is applied in a social order of society (2011: 183). Nawal El Saadawi also states that on the other hand, based on anthropological perspective a woman has existed before the monotheistic religions born. That skeptical thinking cause negative

impact for women because people do not separate between anthropological perspective and a belief in a religion. As a result women get a subordinate position.

The case of patriarchal system above happens because of the domination of male, then it creates a paradigm that God is a man. It might be different paradigm if people realize that God also has feminine side. In Catholic church, Catholics are taught to understand the feminine side of God. Here, woman‟s characteristic is exposed to picture God. Johnson, as quoted in Coyle‟s Mary in the Christian Tradition, states that

Since it is women whose bodies bear, nourish, and deliver new persons into life and, as society is traditionally structured, are most often charged with the responsibility to nurture and raise them into maturity, language about God as mother carries a uniques power to express human relationship to the mystery who generates and cares for everything (Coyle, 1996: 96).

Johnson‟s quotation shows that women who have capability of bearing, nourishing and caring are chosen to picture God. It declares a unique power of God who cares for human‟s need. Then, there is a special woman who applies her

feminine characteristics in answering the God‟s will. She is Mother Mary who shares her experience in understanding God.

In the Holy Bible, the Apostles give their experience in meeting and understanding God based on their point of view as men and the Catholic may learn from the Apostles how to build their spiritual experience in God. On the other hand, to understand God based on woman point of view, the Catholic may learn from Mother Mary who is only found in the devotion of Mother Mary.

Despite the Holy Bible written by the Apostles, Catholic Church has introduced Mother Mary to its Catholics as “Mother of God”. The council of Ephesus stated thousands years ago that

If anyone does not confess that Emmanuel is truly God, and therefore that the blessed Virgin is truly Mother of God, theotokos, for she bore according to the flesh him who is word from God, let him be anathema (Coyle, 1996: 23).

It has a meaning that Virgin Mary is Mother of Christ, Mother of Jesus; she who bore Jesus in the world may be called the Mother of God. Here, the writer emphasizes how Mother Mary reflects her experience in answering the God‟s will

and how she totally surrenders to accept God‟s word. One quotation as ”Here am

I, the servant of the Lord; let it be done with me according to your word” (Luke

1:38) pictures Mother Mary‟s way responses to the angel and it interprets that she totally surrenders to God‟s will and she depends on God‟s initiative. Additionally, Catholics also adapt the characteristic of Mother Mary in experiencing Catholics‟ life. Mother Mary‟s characteristic leads the writer to analyze feminism perspective in understanding the feminine side of God.

It is very urgent now to talk about the feminine side of God while the domination of male is in the superior position. But then, the appearance of Mother Mary contributes to a new paradigm that God is not always understood as the powerful Almighty who indicates man‟s appearance. On the other side, God also has meek, motherly and affectionate personality as woman‟s appearance. Additionaly, study of Marian tradition becomes the primary reason for raising the female represntation of God from the mainline Christian perception of God as Father and Son and Spirit (Donnelly, 1989: 26).

Therefore, to see the understanding of feminine side of God the writer tries to provide an analysis from Coelho‟s novel entitled By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept. This novel mentions Immaculate Conception, Virgin Mary, and the miracle of the Virgin which reveal the existence of Mother Mary who serves the feminine side of God. There is a quotation found in this novel which is related to the above description as follows.

“Wait,” I said, grabbing his arm. “You didn‟t answer me.”… “I want to know anyway.”

Taking a deep breath, he led me to a corner of the room. “All of the great

religions- including Judaism, Catholicism, and Islam- are masculine. Men are in charge of the dogmas, men make the laws, and usually all priests are

men.”

“Is that what the woman meant?”

He hesitated before he answered. “Yes. I have a different view of things: I

believe in the feminine side of God.” (Coelho, 1996: 11).

The above quotation shows that there is a debatable argument about the position of women in a Church who do not have a chance to take the Church „role and God is described as a man not a woman. When Mother Mary introduces a new paradigm of God, Catholics may learn the feminine side of God from her. The writer chooses this novel as the object of the study because the feminine side of God is revealed through the experience of the character who realizes the existence of Mother Mary. In other words, the writer analyzed the feminine side of God through a woman‟s glasses. For this case, the writer argues with what Edward Said as quoted in Sears‟s Fantasizing the Feminine in Indonesia that to learn the feminine experience, women‟s point of view is the main subject to be analyzed because women can understand their feminine experience. It is stated as follows.

I mean simply that if you agree with Gramsci that an intellectual vocation is socially possible as well as desirable, it is an inadmissible contradiction

at the same time to build analyses of historical experience around exclusions, exclusions that stipulate, for instance, only women can understand feminine experience, only Jews can understand Jewish suffering, only formerly colonial subjects can understand colonal experience (Sears, 1999: 9).

Coelho‟s novel tells the story of Pilar, a woman who learns her faith in God from her spriritual experience. Pilar is the main character in this novel and from her point of view; the writer analyzes Pilar‟s experience in meeting other character who influence her understanding in God. The male main character also plays an important role in this novel to reveal the feminine side of God. The writer hypothesizes that Pilar applies her feminine experience to learn the feminine side of God. From that above explanation, it is said that Mother Mary with her feminine side can understand God through her Son, Jesus. It also might be paralleled to Pilar with her feminine side who understands God through her childhood friend. The writer also assumes that Coelho‟s By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept seems to reveal a special meaning of the feminine side of God through the appearance of Mother Mary, why the veneration of Virgin Mary becomes important or there is a reason figure of Mary influence Pilar‟s lover. Therefore, the writer analyzes the feminine side of God based on characterization of Pilar, how Pilar learns and experiences her journey in Catholic spirituality scope. The writer also analyzes feminine side of God which is revealed by characterization of Pilar‟s lover. The writer assumes that the different backgorund between Pilar and her lover influence their way to learn the feminine side of God. Every moment that they meet has special part in their heart and it recovers their faith in God.

B. Problem Formulation

Based on the topic of this study the feminine side of God learned by Pilar

in Coelho‟s By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept, the writer needs two problem formulations in analyzing this study as follows.

1. How are Pilar and Pilar‟s lover described?

2. How does the characterizations of Pilar and her lover reveal the feminine side of God?

C. Objectives of the Study

To answer the first question which is related to the intrinsic elements, character and characterization, firstly the writer finds out the characterization of the character. Then, the writer needs to review a theory on character and characterization from the literary perspective in order to help the writer to analyze the character and characterization.

To find out the answer to the second question, the writer analyzes how the feminine side of God is revealed by the characterization of Pilar and her lover. Therefore, the theory of the feminine side of God is needed in order to analyze the feminine side of God which is revealed in the novel.

D. Definition of Terms 1. Feminine Side of God

The feminine side of God in this study means the maternity of God such as nurturing, caring, and compasionate character as is shown in the Marian tradition.

Maternity with its nurturing and warmth; unbounded compassion; power that protects, heals and liberates; all-embracing immanence; recreative energy: thus is borne out the hypothesis that the Marian tradition is fruitful source of female imagery of God (Donnelly, 1989: 54).

2. Characterization

Holman and Harmon in A Handbook of Literature states that characterization is the ways the author reveals the characters of imaginary person in the story (1986: 81).This means that characterization is the way in which the author presents the characters.

9 CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL REVIEW

A. Review of Related Studies

In order to get deeper analysis on Paulo Coelho‟s By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept, the writer needs to review opinions, criticisms or even analysis from other writers about this novel. Then, after doing the library research, the writer finds that Coelho‟s novel entitled By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept has been used by some students for their undergraduate thesis with using different point of view and aprroach. Later, the following review also presents some criticisms and comments on this novel.

By The River Piedra I sat Down And Wept is a novel about a woman named Pilar who tries to find her true love. After eleven years, Pilar finally finds her lover but she has to face the fact that the man who she loves is a missionary. Therefore, Pilar feels that her love is meaningless. That statement was stated in Lusia Wikanita in her undergraduate thesis Plot And Symbols to Reveal the Message in Paulo Coelho’s By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept, she states that she feels love is meaningless knowing that the man enters the seminary. It means that her love is indirectly refused. She blames God and releases her from religion she believes (2006: 47). From that quotation, it can be noted that Pilar, the main character believes that love which she desires is only a dream. Besides, Pilar also cannot accept the fact that her lover is a missionary who only sacrifices his life to God. Hence, Pilar blames God.

The other criticism commented by Susanti Kristianingrum in her undergraduate thesis A Psychological Study of Self Actualization through Characterization of the Main CharactersinPaulo Coelho’s By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept. By focusing on the main character named Pilar, Susanti Kristianingrum states that the recovery of her faith in God is the product of her moral character (2005: 33). The above quotation shows that firstly Pilar blames God because she can not reach her love, but then Pilar recovers her faith in God from her lover and it shows her moral character.

Fernando Morais, the most important journalist in South America and the one who makes a biography of Paulo Coelho through his novelA Warrior’s Life a

Biography of Paulo Coelho, states that

The image remained in his head for months, until he decided to use it as a representation of Good and Evil. With The Devil and Miss Prym, Coelho was completing a trilogy that he called „And on the Seventh Day‟, which began with By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept (1994) and was followed by Veronika (1998). According to him, „they are three books that desccribes a week in the life of normal people who suddenly find themselves confronted by love, death and power‟ (Morais, 2009: 538). It implies that By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept is the first part of triology „And on the Seventh Day‟ which emphasizes complicated journey of one‟s life in struggling a love. Although the journey takes a week, one may experience every moment that one meets in finding a love.

Another statement also added by Fernando Morais in his book A Warrior’s

Life a Biography of Paulo Coelho that according to Paulo, that book is about the fear of loving and of total surrender that pursues humanity as though it were a form of original sin (2009: 514). It implies that Coelho‟s By The River Piedra I

Sat Down And Wept emphasizes the obstacle of human being that sometimes is trapped from a sin.

Geraldo Galvão Ferraz as quoted in Morais‟s A Warrior’s Life a

Biography of Paulo Coelho states that

The critic Geraldo Galvão Ferraz, of the São Paulo Jornal da Trade, branded By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept as „a poorly mixed

cooktail of mediocre mysticism, religion, and fiction, full of clichés and stereotypical characters who spend the greater part of their time giving solemn speeches‟. The author‟s approach to what he calls ‟the feminine side of God‟ was ridiculed by another journalist as „a Paulo Coelho for girls‟ (Morais, 2009: 517).

Ferraz‟s statement above criticizes the novel is a disapproving combination of religion and mysticism which shows stereotypical character. He argues that the novel is an old cliche, it is seen from the way of man character, Pilar‟s lover delivers his speech by giving an old fiction and religion. Another journalist also adds that „the feminine side of God‟ which is used by Coelho only represents the feminine side to picture a woman. As Ferraz‟s criticisms shows his contradictory statement that the novel By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept is a mediocre combination of mysticism and religion, the writer has different point of view of certain religion scope revealed in this novel.

Anna Hassani also states her opinion in bookreviews.nabou.com/reviews/bytheriverpiedra.html that

In this best-selling novel Coelho talks about a long-forgotten aspect of God: His feminine side, the so-called the Goddess”. The feminine face of God has been, as Coelho explains, present in every religion on the face of the earth: paganism (Great Mother), the ancient fertility goddess, Isis, the Virgin Mary. This Goddess presented as generator of all life, is present in the love the two main characters feel for each other. It is as if Her presence haunts their realtionship.

The above quotation shows that Hassani‟s analysis focus on the relationship between Pilar and her lover provides the feminine side of God like Great Mother, Isis, and Virgin Mary. Hassani has analyzed the love relationship to reveal the feminine side of God.

The writer focuses on how Pilar and her lover learn the feminine side of God in Catholic religion through their journey. The feminine side of God is raised in Catholic religion. Meanwhile, that religion stands on patriachy. Besides, the writer‟s focus here shows that this undergraduate thesis has different topic with some students who have taken Coelho‟s novel By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept as their thesis before. The writer positions this undergraduate thesis as the progress of Anna Hassani‟s opinion. If Anna Hassani analyzes the love relationship between Pilar and her lover to reveal the feminine face of God like paganism (Great Mother), the ancient fertility goddess, Isis, and the Virgin Mary. Then, the writer more explores the characterization of Pilar and her lover to reveal the feminine side of God.

B. Review of Related Theories

This section consists of theory on character and characterization and theory on the feminine side of God which consist of total surrender as the model of faith, the veneration of Virgin Mary and the link between the figure of Mary and imagery of The Divine. Those theories are applied in this analysis.

1. Theory of Character and Characterization

Character plays an important role in the literary work particularly in drama and prose. It is used to help the reader in order to understand the main message in the story. Since the character is the key to reveal the message, therefor the writer has to find and analyze the character.

According to Robert and Jacob (1989: 143) in Fiction An Introduction to Reading and Writing state that “character is an extended verbal representation of a human being, the inner self that determines thought, speech and behaviour.” From the quotation above, it means that the character‟s thought, speech and behaviour are the representation of human being.

Further, the writer uses the theory on characterization by Murphy. There are many ways to understand the characterization of character in a literary work. According to Murphy (1972: 161-173) in his book Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and Novels for Overseas Students states that there are a nine ways the author characterizes the characters.

a. Personal Description

The author describes character‟s appearance and clothes. It consists of the face, skin, eyes, and the castaway‟s extraordinary clothing. Those appearances show personal description of a character.

b. Characters as Seen by Another

The author gives the description of a character through the eyes and opinions of another. Other character gives character‟s desription through her

choice of words and phrases, like unquiet eyes, dim smile, rare sound of her voice, unapproachable aspect, gazing at him stealthily.

c. Speech

The author describes the character through a person in the book who gives his or her opinion into the character. It can be seen when he or she speaks or make conversation with other. His or her speech gives some clue to a character.

d. Past Life

To shape a character, the author gives a clue to the events, such as direct comment, thr person‟s thought or through his or her conversation.

e. Conversation of Others

The author describes a character by showing other person. The other persons do conversation with other people and they say things about a character. Those conversation contributes a clue to describe a character that they spoken about.

f. Reactions

The author describes a character by giving the reaction of a character to many kinds of situations and events.

g. Direct Comment

The author gives a description or comment on a person‟s character directly.

h. Thoughts

The author describes direct knowledge of what a person‟s thought. He or she has different idea from other people and he is able to do what people cannot do in a real life.

i. Mannerisms

A person‟s mannerisms, habits, or idiosyncrasies are described bt the author to give a clue to a character.

In other words, it is said that by knowing personal description; characters as seen by another; speech; past life; conversation of other; reactions; direct comment; thoughts; and mannerisms, therefore the characterization of the character can be revealed easily. All elements have contribution to find the way in describing the characterization of the character.

Further, the writer applies some of nine ways Murphy‟s theory in analyzing the characterization of characters because the writer indicates some ways of Murphy‟s theory based on the evidence in the novel which shows the characterization of the characters in this study.

2. Theory of the Feminine Side of God

Theory on the feminine side of God is applied in analyzing the way of Pilar and her lover to understand the feminine side of God. The writer uses Elizabeth Johnson‟s theory on Mary and the Image of God that through Mary‟s

characterization, she becomes “the other face of God”. It means that Mary brings a new paradigm to picture that God has feature of caring, saving, and compassionate character. Therefore, the feminine side of God here breaks

patriarchalization in Catholic tradition. The concept of God in character of a man shaped from the patriarchy culture which produces a paradigm that God is a man. But then, the appearance of Mother Mary gives a different figure of God. The explanation above is stated based on Elizabeth Johnson as quoted in Donelly‟s

Mary, Woman of Nazareth Biblical and Theological Perspectivesss below

In that time and place, the God presented for belief had been shaped by a long process of patriarchalization as a result of which the divine image became ever more remote and judgemental. Mary became the beloved “other face” of God, the figure who bore the life-giving, compassionate, caring, saving, and closely intimate qualities so characteristic of the Abba whom Jesus preached (Johnson, 1989:43-44).

a. The Veneration of Virgin Mary

Catholic tradition has a firm conviction to venerate Mary as the mother of Jesus Christ. It is stated that the veneration of Mary as mother of Christ has always been an important part of Catholic devotion; her praise has been sung in every age of the church; her example is offered as an example of the ideal Catholics life (Brantl, 1962: 74). Therefore, it is very important to devote Mary because during her life, she surrenders her whole life to God. Her surrender is the example for the Catholics in developing their faith to God.

Besides, Catholics have a way to devote Mother Mary, one of them is celebrating The Immaculate Conception. It is done by Catholics as the sign and expression to venerate Mother Mary. Pope Pius IX describes the Immaculate Conception as mentioned below.

The Immaculate Conception : Pope Pius IX

We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved free

from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful (Brantl, 1962: 78). The above quotation shows that Catholics have a belief that veneration to Mother Mary is an important thing in Catholic‟s way of life.

b. The Reflection of Total Surrender from Mother Mary as the Model of Faith

Mother Mary is pictured as a woman who has total surrender in accepting God‟s plan. It is seen through Her answer “Be it done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Further, Ivone Gebara and Maria Clara Bingemer as quoted in Coyle‟s Mary in the Christian Tradition reflect theologically that Mary is a woman with faithful figure. They say that the figure of a Jewish woman who gave birth to the messiah under the law of judaism is the sign that God‟s kingdom has arrived (Coyle, 1996: 9). Ivone Gebara and Maria Clara Bingemer as quoted in Coyle‟s Mary in the Christian Tradition also comment that

The “fullness of time” that the apostle mentions is both end and beginning; it is the end of a journey during which God led God‟s people, God speaking to the people “in fragmentary and diverse ways”; it is the beginning, of a new state of things in which God takes human flesh and a human face within history, in the midst of a people, of which the woman Mary is the faithful figure (Coyle, 1996: 9).

The above quotation shows that through Mother Mary, people realizes that the mystery of God in the “fullness time” is the central of history when the Son of God was born. Here, Mother Mary with her total surrender participates in the God‟s plan. A young woman in a patriarchal society in that time has a strong bravery to take a risk because she believes to God. Therefore, Mother Mary‟s way is considered as the total surrender to God and it becomes the model of faith.

c. The Link between the Figure of Mary and Imagery of the Divine Development of the study of Marian tradition moves from time to time. It is signaled from many kinds of title given to Mother Mary such as Our All Holy, Immaculate, Most Blessed and Glorified Lady, Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary. Every title has certain history to picture Mother Mary. It is the same as well as the figure of Mary and imagery of The Divine. Johnson‟s theory (1989: 31) on

Mary and the Image of God as quoted in Donnelly‟s Mary, Woman of Nazareth Biblical and Theological Perspectives stated that figure of Mary and imagery of the divine have morphological similarities between the post-Constantinian eclesial cult of Mary and the cult of the great mother in the Mediterranean world where Christianity was moving. In other words, between Catholic faith and the mystery of cults give an evidence that there is a process of adaptation and deeper understanding in figuring Mary and imagery of The Divine. This symbolism opens the female representation of God.

Related to the process of assimilation between Mary and the female representation of God, Elizabeth Johnson as quoted in Donnelly‟s Mary, Woman of Nazareth Biblical and Theological Perspectives that

Places in nature where female deities had been honored with pilgrimage and prayer became associated with Mary: grottoes, springs, promontories, mountains, lakes, woods. Shrines and temples to the goddess were rededicated to Mary the mother of God, outstanding examples being found in Rome, Athens, Chartres, and Ephesus (Johnson, 1989: 32).

The statement above shows that pilgrimage and prayer search for some places in nature where they can communicate or pray to Mother Mary. Grottoes, springs,

promontories, mountain and lake become a place where female deities are respected, in this case those places are associated with Mother Mary.

The appearance of Mother Mary produces a phenomenon in Chatolic Church which has strong mainline of patriarchy. The Marian tradition has broken the structure of Bibilical and traditional faith which over-masculinized. Therefore, people search for female metaphore who has an image of The Divine. It is stated in Johnson‟s statement as quoted in Donnelly‟s Mary, Woman of Nazareth Biblical and Theological Perspectives below.

The theological distortions of the period were very real, yet the phenomenon offers another interpretive principle for our inquiry: especially where the Marian tradition breaks the boundaries of the structure of biblical and traditional faith, there one can look for a source of female metaphores for the ultimate saving mystery of the divine, created by a dynamic of compensation for an over-masculinized and harsh, i.e. deficient patriarchal concept of God (Johnson, 1989: 37).

Further, Edward Schillebeeckx‟s statement as quoted in Donnelly‟sMary, Woman of Nazareth Biblical and Theological Perspectives also gives his strong reason about the relationship between figure of Mary and The Divine. He states that Mary is the translation and effective expression in maternal terms of God‟s mercy and grace. The feminine and maternal aspect of divine love needs expression through the figure of a woman (Donnelly, 1989: 37-38). From Schillebeeckx‟s theory, it can be noticed that Mother Mary has a maternal aspect of divine love which cannot be pictured through God in masculine dimension.

C. Theoretical Framework

Based on the problem formulation, the writer needs the theories which are mentioned above. The theory of character and characterization are used to answer the first problem formulation. Those theories are applied in the study to identify the characterization of the character.

Related to the second problem formulation, the writer also has to understand the theory on the feminine side of God which mentions the veneration of Virgin Mary, the reflection of total surrender from Mother Mary as the model of faith, and the link between the figure of Mary and imagery of The Divine. Those theories lead the writer to point out how the feminine side of God is pictured in this novel and how the characters understand the feminine of God itself.

21 CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY

This chapter consists of three parts, they are object of the study, approach of the study and method of the study. The object of the study covers the identity and the description of the data, the data is taken from a work of literary. Then, approach of the study explains what approach that is used in analysing the literary work. The last part is method of the study which states the procedure to analyse the work.

A. Object of the Study

The object of the study is a novel written by Paulo Coelho. He is a great writer from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is the author of The Alchemist and The Zahir, he also has other novels which become international bestseller. One of them is By The river Piedra I Sat Down and Wept which is used as the object of this study. This novel is an English version of Na margem do rio Piedra eu sentei e chorei, it is the original Portugese edition and it is translated into English version by Alan R. This novel is published by Harper Collins Publisher in 1994 and it is the first edition. By The river Piedra I Sat Down and Wept sold 70,000 copies on the first day publication (Morais, 2009:396).

Paulo Coelho’s By The river Piedra I Sat Down and Wept consists of 180 pages. There are one main female character and one anonymous male character who plays important role in the novel. The story describes spiritual experience of Pilar, a twenty nine years old woman, who meets up again with her lover after

eleven years they are seperated. Unexpectedly, she has to accept that her lover has grown into a missionaire and a devotee of Immaculate Conception. Pilar’s spiritual experience begins when the man asks Pilar to accompany him in a conference that he organized during a week. Every moment in their journey teaches Pilar about different side of God which is called a feminine side of God. On the other hand, the reunion between Pilar and the man places the man in a dilemma, between serving people in his life time as a missionaire or living with Pilar.

On the bank of the river Piedra, Pilar memorizes her experiences in meeting the man and writes them in a handwriting. She writes all her feelings. At the end, on the bank of the river Piedra a final decision is made by Pilar and her lover, the truth which reflects their deepest feeling.

B. Approach of the Study

In this study the writer uses moral philosophical approach to reveal the feminine side of God. According to Guerin in A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature, the moral philosophical criticism concerns on what is taught in the literary work itself. It is a critic which educates the reader to think critically in moral teaching.

The important thing is the moral or philosophical teaching. On its highest plane this is not superficially didactic, though it may at first seem so. In the larger sense, all great literature teaches. The critic who employs the moral-philosophical approach insists on ascertaining and stating what is taught. If the work is in any degree significant or intelligible, this meaning will be there (Guerin, 2011: 62).

Further, Guerin (2011: 62) also stated that moral philosophical emphasizes on getting at the total meaning of a literary work when the work seems to call for them. Therefore, this criticism is used to find out the values of life which exist in the literary work.

This criticism is chosen to analyze Coelho’s By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept in order to see what are the feminine sides of God which are revealed in this novel. Since moral philosophical approach more focus on what is taught in a literary work, here the writer emphasizes what are the feminine sides which are learned by Pilar from her lover.

C. Method of the Study

The writer was doing the library research. In the first step, the writer read the whole story of this novel. In reading the story, the writer tried to identify the important intrinsic element in the novel. The writer found that character and characterization were the intrinsic elements to be analyzed. Those intrinsic elements were related to the title of the study which analyzed about the character. After the writer found the intrinsic element which was used as the first problem formulation, the writer found the second problem formulation which was related to the feminine side of God.

Then, the writer used additional sources in order to solve the problem formulation which were stated. The writer used Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs’ book entitled Fiction An Introduction to Reading and Writing, Second Edition to explain what character is. Other sources was from Murphy in his book

Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and Novels for

Overseas Students to help the writer in order to analyze the characterization of the character. In this study, the writer used moral philosophical approach, the writer used A handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature by Wilfred L. Guerin. To analyze the second problem formulation, the writer used theory from George

Brantl’s book entitled Catholicism and Doris Donnnelly’s book entitled Mary, Woman of Nazareth Biblical and Theological Perspective.

In conducting the analysis, the writer began with the analysis of the character. That first analysis used the theory on character and charcterization that was mentioned above as the guidance to answer the first problem formualtion. Then, the writer went to the second part of the analysis which dealed with feminine side of God learned by Pilar and her lover. The theory of the feminine side of God was used as the hedges of the femine side of God that reflected in the novel. In this part, the writer tried to relate how the characters applied the feminine side of God and what the other chararter learn from that teaching. After the analysis was finished, the writer concluded all discussions in a form of paragraph. The conclusion covered the first analysis and the second analysis.

25 CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

This chapter presents the analysis of the problems that have been formulated in the first chapter. First, the writer analyzes the characterization of main characters, Pilar and her lover. Second, the writer analyzes the characterization of Pilar and her lover reveals the feminine sides of God.

A. Analysis of the Characters

Character is one of important elements in the literary work such as a drama and a novel. According to Murphy (1972: 161-173), there are nine ways to characterize the characters.The writer applies Murphy‟s theory on characterization in analysing the characterization of Pilar and her lover. This analysis is divided into two parts, the characterization of Pilar and the characterization of Pilar‟s lover.

1. The Characterization of Pilar

Pilar is the female main character in this novel. The analysis below shows that Pilar is described as a nurturing and compassionate woman. As what the writer stated in the previous chapter, the writer applies some of the nine ways Murphy‟s theory to analyze characterization of Pilar. The writer applies three ways Murphy‟s theory of speech, reaction and thought because those three ways help the writer to show the characterization of Pilar to reveal the feminine side of God and those three ways can relate the characterization of Pilar and feminine side of God. Further, the deeper analysis is explained as follows.

a. Nurturing

Pilar is a woman who grows in her lover‟s shadow. She has a huge desire to meet her childhood friend after eleven years they are separated. They just share their experience through a letter. One day, in his letter, the man asks Pilar to come to a small group in Madrid, the place where the man gives a lecture. Pilar is very enthusiastic to prepare herself to meet him again. Although she finds some information that her lover has a willingness to enter a seminary, but she goes to come in his sermon.

That Pilar is a nurturing woman can be analyzed from one of the situations when her lover is giving a sermon and many people gather around him. Suddenly, two women say to Pilar about her lover. It is stated as follows that her reaction represents her as a nurturing woman.

“He‟s giving us back what was ours,” said a woman seated next to me. A strange thing to say.

“What is he giving back?” I asked. “What was stolen from us. Religion.” (Coelho, 1994:5)

The above quotation shows that Pilar feels strange when they discuss about her lover and it is very rare to be heard by Pilar. Pilar keeps on questioning that woman‟s statement, this is strange that the man gives back their religion. Therefore, after the sermon ends critically Pilar meets her lover and she honestly asks her lover about that. It can be seen through the quotation as follows that her speech represents her as a nurturing woman.

“Yes, before your lecture, a woman said that you were giving her back what had been hers. What did she mean?”

“But it‟s important to me. I don‟t know anything about your life; I‟m even surprised to see so many people here.”

He just laughed, and then he started to turn away to answer other people‟s questions.

“Wait,” I said, grabbing his arm. “You didn‟t answer me.” “I don‟t think it would interest you, Pilar.”

“I want to know anyway” (Coelho, 1994:10).

Based on the quotation above, it can be noticed that Pilar is a nurturing woman; she has a willingness to ask her lover the meaning of her conversation with two women that she meets. Pilar shows her caring to her lover by asking the life of her lover during they are separated. Pilar wants to know his life and Pilar tries to understand the life of his lover.

The writer finds that Pilar is a nurturing woman, it can be analyzed from her speech and her reaction. Pilar‟s speech shows that she needs a clear explanation from the man, she asks the background of the woman‟s statement. Then, Pilar asks to her lover although the man tries to avoid to answer Pilar‟s question but she still asks to her lover until he answer it.

That Pilar is a nurturing woman can be seen from her thought. It is stated as follows.

I spend day after day with my texts and notebooks, making the superhuman effort just to purchase my own servitude, I thought. Why do I want that job? What does it offer to me as a human being, a woman?

Nothing! I wasn‟t born to spend my life behind a desk, helping judges dispose of their cases (Coelho, 1994: 25).

From the above quotation, Pilar shows her thought that she has her own definition of a caring woman who always has a willingness to help each other. Pilar realizes that to work behind a desk does not represent herself because she thought that she was born to help other people and take care of people.

b. Compassionate

Pilar is also analyzed as a compassionate woman. Pilar has sympathy to the case that she meets. The quotation below shows that Pilar‟s speech represents her as a compassionate woman.

“It was he. Come in, please.” I recalled the previous night. When we arrived at the cathedral, a man had told me I was with a man who performed miracles. “We‟re in a hurry,” the padre said. “No! No, we‟re not,” I said, in my halting French. “I‟m cold and I‟d like some coffee.” The woman took me by the hand, and entered the house (Coelho, 1994: 121).

The situation in the quotation above describes when Pilar meets the superior of the monastery. They are on the way to look for Pilar‟s lover but suddenly a woman comes to their direction. The woman asks Padre and Pilar to stay for a while in her house but Padre refuses her request. Knowing the woman‟s expression little bit sad, Pilar agrees to come to the woman‟s house. Here, Pilar shows her compassion by giving her sympathy to the woman and Pilar does not want to hurt the woman‟s feeling.

Pilar‟s speech shows that she is a compassionate woman. The way Pilar speaks and accepts the woman‟s request represents Pilar‟s characterization as a compassionate woman.

That Pilar is a compassionate woman can be seen from the quotation below when she has a conversation with the superior of the monastery. The quotation below also a proof that Pilar is a compassionate woman; it can be seen from her speech.

“I don‟t want a lesson in religion, Padre. I‟m in love with a man, and I want to know more about him understand him, help him. I don‟t care what everyone else can do or can‟t do”

The padre took a deep breath. He hesitated for a moment and then said “A scientist who studied…” (Coelho, 1994: 128).

The above quotation shows the conversation between Pilar and Padre. They are talking about Pilar‟s lover. In the beginning Padre gives a long story about the life of Pilar‟s lover in the monastery and their conversation comes to the Pilar‟s statement. Pilar says that she falls in love with a special man; therefore she needs to know more about him. Pilar has compassion to help the man she loves and Pilar has strong feeling of sympathy to the man that she loves.

From Pilar‟s speech about her willingness to understand and help her lover, the writer classifies Pilar as a compassionate woman.

1. The Characterization of Pilar’s lover

The second character that the writer analyzes is Pilar‟s lover. This second character is an anonymous male character, therefore the writer mentions him as Pilar‟s lover or the man. The writer descibes Pilar‟s lover as a religious man, intellectual man and talented man. Based Murphy‟s theory on characterization (1972: 161-173) that is mentioned in the previous chapter, the writer analyzes the characterization of Pilar‟s lover through the speech, the personal description, the direct comment, the character as seen by another, and the conversation of others. Further analysis on characterization of Pilar‟s lover is descried as follows.

a. Religious

Pilar‟s lover is a missionaire and he is taught to be a religious man. He learns Catholic teaching from the monastry that he enters. The writer classifies Pilar‟s lover as a religious man because of his speech shows the veneration to God. It is seen from his speech when he says “may the Virgin protect us from here

on,”(Coelho, 1994: 47). Pilar‟s lover expression shows that he is a religious man. According to Murphy (1972: 163), someone‟s speech chows her or his characterization. The quotation above shows that the speech of Pilar‟s lover represents that he is a religious man.

The other proof can be seen when Pilar‟s lover has a willingness to enter a seminary and he learns Catholic teaching and he tries to apply that teaching in his life. He also learns about certain group of prayer in order to have spiritual experience to make a closer relationship to God. From Pilar‟s lover speech about his expereience life, the writer classifies him as a religious man. It is seen in the quotation below that his speech represents him as a religious man.

“I entered a monastery close to here. For four years, I studied everything I could. During that time, I made contact with the Clarifieds and the Charismatics, the sects that have been trying to open doors that have been closed for so long to certain spiritual experiences. I discovered that God was not the ogre that had frightened me as a child. There was a movement afoot for a return to the original innosence of Christianity.”(Coelho, 1994: 81)

b. Intellectual

The second characterization of Pilar‟s lover is an intellectual man. It means that Pilar‟s lover is a smart person who has an ability to speak in front of people. He is very fluent in giving sermon in the conference. He has a confident to give a long speech to many persons. His speech in his conference shows that Pilar‟s lover is an intellectual man. Every word that comes up from his mouth can inspire people who listen to him. His speech below shows that he is an intellectual man.

“You have to take risks, he said. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen. Every day, God gives

us the sun- and also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything that makes unhappy... ” (Coelho, 1994: 7-8).

The other proof that shows Pilar‟s lover is an intellectual man is seen from his personal description which is described by Pilar. When Pilar meets her lover for the first time after eleven years, Pilar sees her lover is a different boy that grows become a mature and smart person. Pilar describes his lover that his eyes are shining and he looks wonderful. From the personal description in the quotation below, the writer defines him as an intellectual man.

I was even more surprised when I saw him enter the room. He was quite different from the boy I had known- but of course, it had been twelve years; people change. Tonight his eyes were shining- he looked wonderful (Coelho, 1994: 5).

c. Talented

The writer defines Pilar‟s lover as a talented man. Talented here is considered as a man who gets a special gift from God. In this case, Pilar‟s lover is known as a man who can perform miracle. It is pictured from the quotation below that the direct comment to Pilar‟s lover represents him as a talented man.

“You are with a very special man,” he said.

“A man who performs miracles” (Coelho, 1994: 94).

That short quotation above describes a man who speaks to Pilar and he says that Pilar is with a man who can perform miracle from God. That direct comment from the man is considered by the writer to define Pilar‟s lover as a talented man.

The other evidence that Pilar‟s lover is a talented man can be shown from Pilar‟s thought when she realizes that his lover can cure a person who gets sick. It is pictured from the quotation below that Pilar‟s thought represents him as a talented man.

I was in love with a man who was capable of performing cures. A man who could help others, bring relief to suffering, give health to the sick and hope to their loved ones (Coelho, 1994: 124).

The direct evidence is also pictured by Pilar‟s lover. He says to Pilar that he has an ability to cure the sick. When Pilar and her lover meet together, he shares what they get from Charismatic practice and day by day people know it and he is famous because of his special thing. From Pilar‟s lover speech, the writer defines him as a talented man. It is shown from the quotation below.

“The fact is that I developed a gift. I am able to cure, when God so wills it.”

…

“I developed my gift through the Charismatic practices that you saw,” he went on. “… I would restore many of the sick to good health. My reputation began to spread, and every day people lined at the gates of the seminary, seeking my help. In every infected, smelly laceration, I saw the wounds of Jesus” (Coelho, 1994: 163).

The above quotation shows that Pilar‟s lover is a talented man who can perform a gift from God, he can cure the sick to have good health. Pilar‟s lover also has a strong belief that Holy Spirit appear and through God‟s will, he can perform miracle to cure the sick.

B. Analysis of the Characterization of Pilar and Her Lover Revealing the Feminine Side of God

After the writer analyses the characterization of Pilar and Pilar‟s lover, the writer goes on the analysis of the feminine sides of God revealed by the characterization of Pilar and her lover. This analysis provides three layers of feminine side of God which are learned by Pilar and her lover. The writer positions every layer based on how Pilar and her lover learn the feminine side of

God. Firstly, Pilar and her lover are introduced to the veneration of Virgin Mary. Then, reflecting total surrender from Mother Mary as the model of faith becomes the second layer in understanding the feminine side of God. The third layer, Pilar and her lover learn the link between Mother Mary and The Divine. Further, the writer applies the characterization of Pilar and her lover to reveal the feminine side of God.

1. The Veneration Of Virgin Mary

Venerating Virgin Mary becomes important part of Catholic devotion. It is stated in the theoretical review that through Mother Mary, Catholics learn the meaning of total surrender. By knowing Mother Mary, Catholics are taught to develop their faith to God and Mother Mary is an example of the ideal Catholics life (Brantl, 1962: 74). Here, the writer positions veneration of Virgin Mary as the first layer to learn the feminine side of God.

a. Pilar

Mother Mary is known as an example of the ideal Catholics life. The reason Mother Mary called as the example of the ideal Catholics‟ life because her way to surrender her whole life to God. Although Catholics are taught to work and pray for being a better person, Catholics are also taught to surrender their life to God.

In this novel Pilar is described as a nurturing and compassionate person. The characterization of Pilar shows that she has a willingness to learn how to be an ideal Catholics. It is begun when Pilar has a willingness to pray. Pilar‟s prayer means that she recommences her relation to God. During her prayer, she finds the

path of faith which makes her experiences the appearance of Mother Mary. It is stated as follows.

For the first time since I had abandoned the path of faith, I felt a strong desire to pray. Although I was seated in a pew. My soul was kneeling at the feet of the Lady before me, the woman who had said, “Yes,” when She

could have said “no.” The angel would have sought out someone else, and there would have been no sin in the eyes of the Lord, because God knows His children‟s weakness. (Coelho, 1994: 85)

Pilar‟s prayer becomes a sign that she starts to know Mother Mary. The situation of the above quotation pictures that Pilar is in the church and she prays in front of Mother Mary‟s statue, she does not only see the existence of the statue, but she also feels the existance of Mother Mary who lives in her heart and communicates with her. Pilar cares to herself and tries to open her heart and mind that she has a great help to find her way.

After Pilar recovers her faith and knows about Mother Mary, she tries to learn something that encourages her faith from Mother Mary. Pilar‟s way to venerate Mother Mary can also be seen when she says “may the Immaculate Conception teach me to love as She loves” (Coelho, 1994 :104). It means that Pilar venerates Mother Mary based on her experience in meeting Mother Mary in her prayer. She believes that Mother Mary leads her in her life. Pilar‟s experience in meeting Mother Mary shows that she is a nurturing woman, she cares to herself that she realizes Mother Mary loves her through her prayer.

In the previous analysis, the writer states that Pilar is a nurturing woman. To venerate Virgin Mary, loyalty is needed in order to describe that to be an ideal Catholic is not easy. Mother Mary shows that although she faces a difficult time, she still has a faith in God. Here, Pilar reveals that after she finds her faith, she has

a loyalty to keep her faith. Pilar‟s loyalty shows that she cares to herself. It is shown in the following quotation.

Then the world changes and we change with it. But I didn‟t want to be that way anymore. Fate had returned to me what had been mine and now offered me to change myself and the world. (Coelho, 1994: 156)

The above quotation shows that Pilar has a faith in order to face many problems that she meets. She learns from Mother Mary for being a loyal woman who keeps her faith in God in every situation that she faces.

b. Pilar’s lover

The writer also analyzes the way of Pilar‟s lover venerates Virgin Mary. Pilar‟s lover is pictured as a religious, talented and an intellectual man. The writer analyzes those characteristics to reveal the feminine side of God. There is a quotation below.

The mystery of life fascinated me, and I wanted to understand them better. I looked for signs that would tell me that someone knew nothing. I went to India and Egypt. I sat with masters of magic and of meditation. And finally I discovered what I was looking for: the truth resides where there is faith.” (Coelho, 1994: 79)

He goes to India and Egypt to do meditation to find his faith. After his journey, he finds what he searches for, he finds what he believes. It is shown from the quotation of Pilar‟s lover such as “may the Great Mother inspire me” (Coelho, 1994: 84) and “may the Virgin protect us from here on,” he said. (Coelho, 19994: 47). The expression of Pilar‟s lover shows that he is a religious man. Mother Mary is an example of religious person who trusts in God. Characteristic of religious person is needed to venerate Mother Mary. As the writer mentions in the previous chapter that Brantl quotes the definition of Pope Pius IX that Catholics need to

declare and pronounce Virgin Mary (1962: 78). Pilar‟s lover has a belief that God has a feminine side and he can learn it from Mother Mary who inspires his life. It is quoted in the quotation below.

One of the faces of God is the face of a woman. She is present in the first chapter of the Bible- when the spirit of God hovered over the waters, and He placed them below and above the stars. It was the mystic marriage of earth and heaven. In every religion and in every tradition, she manifests Herself in one form or another- She always manifests Herself. Since I am a Catholic, I perceive Her as the Virgin Mary. (Coelho, 1994: 60-61)

Pilar‟s lover tries to venerate Mother Mary based on the biblical perspective and his sharing with special person during his journey. The above quotation shows that Pilar‟s lover experience in having a faith in Mother Mary. Pilar‟s lover is an intellectual man who has a deep knowledge about feminine side of God. The characteristic of intellectual person is needed to understand the feminine side of God as an ideal of Catholics life in venerating Mother Mary.

As a talented person who receives a gift from God, he venerates Mother Mary through his experience to meet Mother Mary.

“the truth is that instead of going to the monastry, I went up on the mountain and conversed with the Great Mother” (Coelho, 1994: 166). The short quotation above shows that Pilar‟s lover has a gift to meet Mother Mary and make conversation with Her. He has an ability to communicate with Mother Mary not only by praying but also by meeting Her as he meets other people.

2. The Reflection of Total Surrender from Mother Mary as The Model of Faith

In the previous chapter, the writer mentions theory from Coyle that Mary is a faithful figure who has total surrender in accepting the God‟s will (1996: 9). Here, the writer applies the theory that is mentioned above in analysing how Pilar and her lover reflect total surrender that they learn form Mother Mary.

a. Pilar

Firstly, the writer analyzes the way Pilar reflects total surrender from Mother Mary. It is signaled when Pilar decides to go to Madrid to meet his lover. She surrenders to God about what she decides. She has a willingness to meet her lover and leave her study.

One day I learned that he had begun to give lectures. This surprised me, I thought he was too young to be able to teach anything to anyone. And then he wrote to me that he was going to speak to a small gorup in Madrid- and he asked me to come. So I made the four-hour trip from Zaragoza to Madrid (Coelho, 1994: 4).

The quotation above is a proof that Pilar has a bravery to make a decision to go to Madrid and leave her study in order to meet her lover. It also shows that Pilar is a nurturing woman; Pilar cares to her lover by meeting him. Other quotation shows that Pilar surrenders to be the instrument of God to serve other people. It is quoted below.

Thank you Lord, for helping me to serve. Teach me to be worthy of that. Give me the strength to be a part of his mission, to walk with him on this earth, and to developed my spiritual life anew. May all or days be as these have been- going from place to place, curing the sick, comforting those in sorrow, speaking of the Great Mother‟s love for all of us (Coelho, 1994: 161).

It shows that Pilar does not only venerate Mother Mary, but also she learns the meaning of total surrender from Mother Mary. She learns that she can feels her love when she helps the needy, when she surrenders to God she can make her dream comes true. The above quotation also explains that Pilar has a willingness to be part of her lover‟s mission. Pilar‟s way shows that she is a compassionate woman. It means that she surrenders to God by developing her spiritual life through help the needy, cure the sick, go from place to place speak of Mother Mary‟s love. The proof that Pilar presents an act of total surrender is seen through her decision to not force her lover to choose her since he is a missionaire who sacrifices his life to serve God. On the other hand, she surrenders to God by becoming the part of his mission. She has a willingness to serve and help for those who need to be helped. It means that Pilar shows her sympathy to help the needy. Pilar‟s willingness shows her surrender to continue her life. Pilar is a nurturing and compassionate woman who decides her way to be part of his lover‟s mission. She puts a side her individual will to live together with the man she loved. By venerating Virgin Mary, Pilar learns the meaning of total surrender which shows her faith in God. The feminine side of God that Pilar learns is from the way of Mother Mary accepts the God‟s will by surrendering Her life. God who has compassioante, caring and saving character helps Pilar to find her faith again. Pilar allows herself to receive total surrender.

At that time, Pilar has found her faith. She has a passion to recover her faith in God. She starts to reconcile her relationship with Mother Mary. As the writer mentions in the previous chapter that Mother Mary‟s expression is also

believes. He discovers spiritual experience to venerate Mother Mary. His meeting with Mother Mary calls him to develop his gift to perform miracle.

Then, from the analysis on the reflection of total surrender from Mother Mary as the modal of faith, the writer concludes that Pilar learns the feminine side of God by not only venerating Mother Mary, but also by reflecting total surrender which is taught by Mother Mary. Pilar’s decision to leave her study and meet her lover is an example that she surrenders to what she decides. At the end, she finds that her decision proves that her surrender brings her to get close relationship to God. She has a will to join her lover’s mission to help the needy, cure the sick, and speak of Mother Mary’s love. She surrenders to be the instrument of God. While, Pilar’s lover learns the meaning of total surrender from Mother Mary by receiving gift from God to help the needy and let the gift work with him.

The third analysis on the feminine side of God is the link between Mother mary and The Divine. Here, Pilar learns that Mother Mary and Her divinity has a proccess of adaptation from a history. Here, Pilar also learns from her lover that Mother Mary associates to some places in nature, such as grotto, spring and river. There are pilgrims who search for peace situation in praying to Mother Mary.

From the way Pilar and her lover learn the feminine side of God, the writer concludes that although Pilar and her lover have different ways to learn the feminine side of God, they come to the same final decision. They have one path to speak of Mother Mary’s love.

48

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brantl, George. Catholicism. New York: George Braziller Inc, 1962.

Coelho, Paulo. By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept. Brazil: Editora Rocca Ltd, 1994

Coyle, Kathleen. Mary in the Christian Tradition. Manila: Divine Word Publication, Inc, 1996.

Donnelly, Doris. Mary, Woman of Nazareth Biblical and Theological Perspectives. New York: Paulist Press, 1989.

Guerin, Wilfred L. A handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. New York: Oxford Universiy Press, 2011.

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

Johnson, Elizabeth. “Mary and the Image of God” in Mary Woman of Nazareth: Biblical and Theological Perspective. Ed. Doris Donnelly. New York: Paulist Press, 1989.

Kristianingrum, Susanti. “A Psychological Study of Self –Actualization through Characterization of The Main Characters in By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept”. A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis. Yogyakarta: Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2005.

Morais, Fernando. Warrior’s Life The Authorized Biography. New York: Harper Collins Publisher, 2009.

Murphy, M.J. Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Students. London: George Allen and Urwin, Ltd, 1972.

Roberts, Edgar V. and Henry E. Jacobs. Fiction An Introduction to Reading and Writing, Second Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1989.

Saadawi, Nawal El. Perempuan Dalam Budaya Patriarki. Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar Offse, 2011.

Sears, Laurie J. Ed. Fantazising the Feminine in Indonesia. Durham: Duke University Press, 1999.

49

Wikanita, Lusia. “Plot And Symbols to Reveal The Message in Paulo Coelho’s By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept”. A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis. Yogyakarta: Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2006.

Online References

Hassani, Anna “By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept-Book Review”. <bookreviews.nabou.com/reviews/bytheriverpiedra.html> (12 April 2011)

<http://wps.ablongman.com/long_levack_wc_1/43/11053/2829693.cw/index.ht ml> (26 July 2011)

<http://awinur.blogspot.com/2011/10/gender-and-inheritance-java-tribe-and.html> (28 July 2011)

50 APPENDIX

“How wonderful that God may be a woman. I said to myself... If that’s true, then

it was certainly God’s feminine face that taught us how to love...” (Coelho, 1994:

141)

An expression is told by Pilar when she takes a journey with her lover on the fifth day. At first, Pilar is doubt to leave Zaragoza in order to meet her lover, but then she decides to leave her study and come to the new life that brings her to the new experience. Time goes by, the man that Pilar loves is quite different from the boy she has known. Her first love becomes a missionary who gets a gift from God to do some miracles in the world. She tries to believes it. During a week, they make a trip together from town to town. Pilar tries to understand her lover’s spiritual life, his mission to help the poor and the needy. Besides, Pilar also experiences the way she recovers her faith in God. From Mother Mary, Pilar learns something that she never met before. Pilar and her lover are persons who experience a magic moment in their lives. Prayer, guidance from The Virgin and god is the only way to openn their heart and mind before they decide to choose. On the banks of the river Piedra, Pilar sat down and wept. On the banks of the river Piedra, finally they find their own path.

xii

ABSTRACT

DIANA MEIRAWATI. FeminineSideofGodinCoelho’sBy The River Piedra

I Sat Down And Wept. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of

Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2013.

Patriarchy is found in many fields of human life, including in a religious field. Thus, it creates a paradigm that God is a man. In Catholic religion, people know Mother Mary, a woman who gives a new paradigm that God has a feminine side. This study analyzes how the characterization of Pilar and Pilar’s lover reveals the feminine side of God in a novel entitled By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept written by Paulo Coelho.

To analyze the novel, the writer formulates two research problems as follows: (1) how are Pilar and Pilar’s lover described? (2) how does the characterization of Pilar and her lover reveal the feminine side of God?

This undergraduate thesis uses the library research. The main data is taken from the novel By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept written by Paulo Coelho. The writer applies moral philosophical approach to analyze the problems in this topic because this approach morally focuses on what is taught in a literary work. Therefore, moral philosophical approach is suitable to be applied in this topic because this study focuses on how the characterization of Pilar and her lover reveals the feminine side of God in this novel.

The result of the first analysis discovers that Pilar is described as a nurturing and compassionate woman. Pilar’s characterization is shown from her speech, reaction and thought. Pilar’s lover is characterized as a religious, intellectual and talented man. The characterization of Pilar’s lover is seen from his speech, the personal description, the direct comment, the character as seen by another and the conversation of others.

The result of the second analysis discovers that the characterization of Pilar and her lover has one mission to reveal the feminine side of God although they have different ways. In the veneration of Virgin Mary, Pilar recommences her faith in God by praying and her lover venerates Mother Mary by understanding his spiritual life. In the reflection of total surrender from Mother Mary as the model of faith, Pilar surrenders to leave Zaragoza and join her lover’s mission and her lover surrenders to God by receiving God’s gift to help the needy. In the analysis of the link between Mother Mary and The Divine, the characterization of Pilar and her lover reveals that Mother Mary and her divinity has a proccess of adaptation from a history.

xiii

ABSTRAK

DIANA MEIRAWATI. Feminine Side of God in Coelho’s By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept. Yogyararta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2013.

Patriarki ditemukan di banyak bidang kehidupan manusia, termasuk di dalam bidang keagamaan. Oleh karena itu, hal ini menciptakan sebuah paradigma bahwa Tuhan seorang laki-laki. Di dalam agama Katolik, orang-orang mengenal Bunda Maria, seorang wanita yang memberikan pandangan baru bahwa Tuhan memiliki sisi femininitas. Studi ini menganalisis bagaimana penokohan dari Pilar dan kekasihmya dalam memaparkan sisi femininitas Tuhan di dalam sebuah novel berjudul By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept yang ditulis oleh Paulo Coelho.

Guna mendapatkan hasil dari analisis ini, penulis memformulasikan dua permasalahan sebagai berikut: (1) bagaimana Pilar dan kekasihnya dideskripsikan? (2) bagaimana penokohan Pilar dan kekasihnya memunculkan sisi femininitas Tuhan?

Skripsi ini menerapkan studi pustaka. Data utama diambil dari novel yang ditulis oleh Paulo Coelho berjudul By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept. Penulis mengaplikasikan pendekatan filosofi moral untuk menganalisis permasalahan-permasalahan yang diangkat di dalam kajian ini karena pendekatan ini secara moral merujuk pada apa yang diajarkan di dalam sebuah karya sastra. Oleh karena itu, pendekatan filosofi moral tepat untuk diaplikasikan karena kajian ini menekankan tentang penokohan Pilar dan kekasihnya memunculkan femininitas Tuhan di dalam novel yang diangkat.

Dari hasil analisis pertama ditemukan bahwa Pilar dideskripsikan sebagai seorang wanita yang penuh perhatian dan belas kasih. Penokohan Pilar ditunjukkan melalui perkataan, reaksi dan pemikirannya. Kekasihnya Pilar digambarkan sebagai seorang laki-laki yang religius, pandai dan bertalenta. Penokohan kekasihnya Pilar dipaparkan melalui perkataan, penggambaran diri, tanggapan langsung, karakter yang dilihat oleh tokoh lain dan percakapan dari tokoh lain.

Dari hasil analisis kedua ditemukan bahwa penokohan Pilar dan kekasihnya memiliki satu misi untuk memaparkan sisi femininitas Tuhan meskipun mereka memiliki cara yang berbeda. Di dalam penyembahan kepada Bunda Maria, penokohan Pilar membangun kembali kepercayaannya terhadap Tuhan dengan berdoa dan penokohan kekasihnya menyembah Bunda Maria dengan memahami kehidupan spiritualitasnya. Di dalam merefleksikan kepasrahan total dari Bunda Maria sebagai dasar keyakinan, penokohan Pilar menunjukkan kepasrahan dirinya dengan meninggalkan Zaragoza dan ikut serta dalam misi kekasihnya dan penokohan kekasihnya berpasrah diri kepada Tuhan dengan menerima karunia Tuhan untuk menolong orang-orang yang membutuhkan. Di dalam analisis hubungan antara Bunda Maria dan keilahian, penokohan Pilar dan kekasihnya memaparkan bahwa Bunda Maria dan keilahiannya memiliki sebuah proses pengadaptasian dari sebuah sejarah.