THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE MAIN CHARACTER’S ENVIRONMENTS AND EXPERIENCES IN FINDING THE MEANING OF LIFE IN PAULO COELHO’S VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE
THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE MAIN CHARACTER’S
ENVIRONMENTS AND EXPERIENCES IN FINDING THE
MEANING OF LIFE IN PAULO COELHO’S
VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESISPresented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
DAISY RIZQI PUTRI
Student Number: 034214027
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE MAIN CHARACTER’S
ENVIRONMENTS AND EXPERIENCES IN FINDING THE
MEANING OF LIFE IN PAULO COELHO’S
VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESISPresented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
DAISY RIZQI PUTRI
Student Number: 034214027
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
Jean Paul Sartre
Dedicated to:
My beloved parents
My brothers and sister
My beloved husband and daughter
UNIVERSITAS SANATA DHARMA
FAKULTAS SASTRA
JURUSAN SASTRA INGGRIS– PROGRAM STUDI SASTRA INGGRIS
PERNYATAAN KEASLIAN KARYA TULIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya menyatakan bahwa Skripsi dengan judul: The Contribution of the Main Character’s Environments and Experiences in Finding the Meaning of Life in Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides
to Die yang dimajukan untuk diuji pada tanggal 29 Agustus 2008 adalah hasil
karya saya.Dengan ini saya menyatakan dengan sesungguhnya bahwa dalam skripsi ini tidak terdapat keseluruhan atau sebagian tulisan orang lain yang saya ambil dengan cara menyalin, atau meniru dalam bentuk rangkaian kalimat atau simbol yang menunjukkan gagasan atau pendapat atau pemikiran dari penulis lain yang saya aku seolah-olah sebagai tulisan saya sendiri dan atau tidak terdapat bagian atau keseluruhan tulisan yang saya salin, tiru atau yang saya ambil dari tulisan orang lain tanpa memberikan pengakuan pada penulis aslinya.
Apabila saya melakukan hal tersebut di atas, baik sengaja maupun tidak, dengan ini saya menyatakan menarik skripsi yang saya ajukan sebagai hasil tulisan saya sendiri ini. Bila kemudian terbukti bahwa saya ternyata melakukan tindakan menyalin atau meniru tulisan orang lain seolah-olah hasil pemikiran saya sendiri, berarti gelar dan ijasah yang telah diberikan oleh universitas batal saya terima.
Yogyakarta, 31 Agustus 2008 Yang membuat pernyataan,
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN KAMPUS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma: Nama : Daisy Rizqi Putri Nomor Mahasiswa : 034214027
Demi kepentingan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya berjudul The Contribution of the Main Character’s Environments and Experiences in Finding the Meaning of Life in Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalty kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Dibuat di Yogyakarta Pada Tanggal: 31 Agustus 2008 Yang menyatakan (Daisy Rizqi Putri)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I firstly praise my Almighty Creator, Allah SWT for all the guidance, strength, and blessings given to me. I thank Allah SWT for having strengthened my faith in finishing this thesis. My greatest gratitude is dedicated to my beloved parents, Tri Yenni Suryaningsih and M. Syahrizal Nurhimawan, for the never ending love, understandings, and supports. Without them, I will not be what I am now. I also thank my brothers and sister, Yuslim, Anieph, Satya, Bintang, and Aflah for giving me so much help, supports, and a great brotherhood. I Love You All.
My chief debt goes to Dra. Theresia Enny Anggraini, M.A. as my advisor who has willingly spent her precious time and patience for correcting my thesis and for giving suggestions to make this thesis qualified. I would like to dedicate my gratitude to my co-advisor, Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum. for giving me his/her time to read, correct, and give suggestions to make this thesis better.
My special thanks go to Mama Naim, Papa Imam, Pak Suryono, Omic, Dinda, and the big family of Kauman who have given me much love, understandings, and supports. I am also thankful to the big family of Suryowijayan-Mbah As, Bude, Pakde, mbak Cik, si Om, Gendut, Nafis, Nadif, Nadia, and the little Farrel for giving me so much attention. I also thank Dara for helping me searching and finding some data in finishing this thesis and for encouraging me.
I would like to thank all my friends from English Letters Department, Monica “Piggy” Dian, Martumpal Jonatan, Richard A. Poeh, and Immanuella L.S. for such a great and beautiful friendship. I thank you for supporting me and being at my side in my worst times. I also thank my “brothers and sisters”, Bang Vian, Mba Ata, Mba Rakhma, Om Ans, Pipin and Si Ndutz Thria for giving me the beautiful and unforgettable friendship.
Last but not least, I would like to devote my gratitude to my beloved husband, Ommand A. Cakrawijaya for completing the missing piece in my heart.
I thank him for his love, understandings, and supports. I thank him for such a great life we have gone through together. I also thank his heart for having returned mine. I also thank my little angel, Aurelia Syifaanala Adnin whose smile can strengthen me in my each day. You are my sunshine...I Love You both.
Daisy Rizqi Putri
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ....................................................................................................i..........................................................................................ii
APPROVAL PAGE
.....................................................................................iii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE
MOTTO PAGE ..................................................................................................iv
DEDICATION PAGE ......................................................................................v
PERNYATAAN KEASLIAN KARYA TULIS ..................................................vi LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI .............................vii
.............................................................................viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................x
ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................xii
ABSTRAK ..........................................................................................................xiii
....................................................................1
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study ...................................................................1 B. Problem Formulation ........................................................................4 C. Objectives of the Study .....................................................................4
...................................................6
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies ................................................................6 B. Review of Related Theories ..............................................................8
1. Theory of Character ....................................................................8
2. Theory of Personality ..................................................................11
3. Theory of Hierarchy of Needs .....................................................17
4. Theory of Mental Illness .............................................................22
5. Theory of the Meaning of Life ....................................................24
C. Theoretical Framework .....................................................................26 ................................................................28
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study ............................................................................28 B. Approach of the Study.......................................................................30 C. Method of the Study...........................................................................30
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ..............................................................................34
A. The Personality of the Main Character .............................................34 B. The Depiction of the Main Character’s Environments and1. The Depiction of the Main Character’s Environments ................42
a. In the Outside World .............................................................43
b. In the Asylum ........................................................................47
2. The Depiction of the Main Character’s Experiences ...................49
a. Suicide ....................................................................................50
b. Fear of Death ..........................................................................51
c. Insanity ...................................................................................54
C. The Contribution of the Main Character’s Environments and Experiences in Finding the Meaning of Life .............................61
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION .........................................................................74
BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................78
ABSTRACT
DAISY RIZQI PUTRI. The Contribution of the Main Character’s
Environment and Experiences in Finding the Meaning of Life in Paulo
. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters,
Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2008.
Veronika Decides to Die tells about the finding of the meaning of life.
Veronika is a Slovenian woman that seems to have a perfect life. Instead of feeling satisfied, she finds this life meaningless. She decides to commit suicide that finally ends in failure. It brings her to stay in an asylum, Villette. Her new environment leads her to experience new things. Surprisingly, at the end, the world of insanity enables her to find what the meaning of her life exactly is.
The personality of the main character, Veronika, is the first point discussed in this study. The second point is the depiction of the main character’s important environments and experiences that have affected her personality determination. The last point is the revelation of the contribution of the main character’s environments and experiences in finding the meaning of life.
Since this study discusses about the main character’s personality growth and her finding of the meaning of life in order to create a healthy individual, the psychological approach is considered as the suitable one to be applied in this study. The method used in this study is library research.
Veronika is represented as a pretty and attractive woman who has a perfect life. However, she is also an introvert and passive person. It makes her feel afraid to take risks. Furthermore, she is obedient as what her parents had taught her during her life. She is used to follow and obey the rules given. Whenever she breaks the rules, she will be covered with guilt. Having observed her personality, it is found that Veronika has been trying to be an ideal person who always obeys rules and fulfils others’ expectations. She pretends to be another person and lives under the shadow of falseness. This falseness becomes the major reason that causes her basic needs to be dissatisfied. As it is stated by Maslow, the basic needs consists of the physiological needs, the safety needs, the love and belongingness needs, the self-esteem needs, and the self-actualization needs. Maslow emphasizes that the unfulfilled needs results in an ill personality that makes an individual views this life negatively. Hence, it is understood why finally Veronika decides to commit suicide even though her effort ends in failure that brings her to stay in Villette. Unpredictably, the asylum and the insanity lead her to experience new things that support her growing personality. It encourages her to be brave in determining her behaviour and actions without being bound to the rules and others’ expectations to fulfil her own dreams and needs. Having finally fulfilled her basic needs, Veronika’s personality turns to the healthier personality that enables her to view this life positively. She is able to enjoy small things that lead her to find her meaning of life that is to encourage her lover, Eduard, to live his former dreams to be an artist.
ABSTRAK
DAISY RIZQI PUTRI. The Contribution of the Main Character’s
Environmen and Experiences in Finding the Meaning of Life in Paulo
. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters,
Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2008.
Veronika Decides to Die merupakan sebuah novel tentang penemuan
makna hidup. Veronika adalah seorang wanita Slovenia yang memiliki sebuah kehidupan yang sempurna. Akan tetapi, ia tidak merasa puas dan bahkan menganggap hidup ini tidak berarti. Oleh karenanya, ia memutuskan untuk bunuh diri. Tetapi, usaha bunuh diri itu gagal. Hal ini menyebabkan dirinya harus tinggal di sebuah rumah sakit jiwa, Villette. Lingkungan baru ini memperkenalkan hal-hal baru pada Veronika. Bahkan pada akhirnya, ketidakwarasanlah yang membuatnya menemukan makna kehidupan sesungguhnya.
Kepribadian tokoh utama, Veronika, merupakan topik pertama yang dibahas dalam studi ini. Topik kedua adalah pengungkapan akan lingkungan dan pengalaman-pengalaman Veronika yang berperan besar dalam membentuk kepribadiannya. Topik ketiga adalah pengungkapan akan kontribusi yang diberikan oleh lingkungan, pengalaman, dan perkembangan kepribadian Veronika dalam penemuan makna hidup.
Dikarenakan studi ini membahas tentang perkembangan kepribadian tokoh utama dan penemuan makna hidup untuk membentuk individu yang sehat, pendekatan yang paling tepat adalah pendekatan psikologis. Metode yang digunakan adalah studi pustaka meliputi pengumpulan data dan teori-teori untuk mendukung studi ini.
Veronika digambarkan sebagai seorang wanita cantik yang tertutup dan pasif. Hal ini membuat Veronika merasa takut untuk mengambil resiko. Terlebih lagi, ia sangat mematuhi peraturan yang ada seperti yang telah ditanamkan oleh orang tuanya. Ia akan merasa bersalah jika melanggar peraturan tersebut. Veronika selalu berusaha menjadi individu yang ideal yang mematuhi serta memenuhi keinginan-keinginan orang lain. Ia harus berpura-pura menjadi orang lain dan hidup di bawah bayang-bayang kepalsuan. Kepalsuan inilah yang menjadi penyebab utama kebutuhan-kebutuhan dasarnya tidak terpenuhi. Sebagaimana dijelaskan oleh Maslow, kebutuhan dasar terdiri dari kebutuhan fisiologis, rasa aman, rasa cinta dan memiliki, penghargaan diri, dan aktualisasi diri. Maslow menekankan bahwa tidak terpenuhinya kebutuhan-kebutuhan ini akan menghasilkan kepribadian yang tidak sehat sehingga tidak dapat menyikapi hidup secara positif. Setelah Veronika tinggal di Villette, dunia ketidakwarasan ternyata dapat memperkenalkan hal-hal baru yang mendukung perkembangan pribadinya. Hal ini memberanikan dirinya untuk memutuskan sikap sendiri tanpa terikat oleh peraturan dan keinginan orang lain sehingga impian dan kebutuhannya dapat terpenuhi. Dengan demikian, kepribadian Veronika menjadi lebih sehat. Ia dapat menikmati hal-hal kecil dalam hidup dan dapat menemukan
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study Literary works always brings their own effects to the readers. Each reader
might have his/ her own pleasure in it. It depends on how the reader observes the work, their knowledge, experiences, education, concerns and interests. It is possible a point considered interesting for a reader might be boring and flat for other readers.
Literary works often give values for the readers as they can be considered as human reflection. An author often makes his/ her works as the expression of reality that happens in his/ her life and environment. As it is stated in Wellek and Warren’s Theory of Literature, literature is considered as the representation of life. Literary works are often utilized by the author as a medium to share certain thoughts and ideas of life (1956: 94). Literary works are not only used as the author’s expression but also, sometimes, a criticism of the reality. Through literary works, the readers are taken to see the reality in the real world further and deeper than in daily lives. Therefore, it is possible that the literary works are able to open the readers’ knowledge about life wider. Literary works even help the readers to understand life and all inside better to create a healthy and happy individual.
One of literary works written by a Brazilian writer, Paulo Coelho, entitled
Veronika Decides to Die is one of the examples that literary works are the reflections of the real world. In this novel, the readers can find the other parts of life that they never meet or even imagine before, the world of insanity. Through this novel, the readers may learn about the life of the insane people. It will be surprising when the readers find the fact that actually not all of the inhabitants of the asylum are really insane. There are some healthy people who choose to stay in the asylum than to stay in the society to seek someyhing they cannot find in the society, freedom.
This novel tells about the life of a twenty four years old Slovenian woman named Veronika. She is described as a young charming woman that seems to have a happy and perfect life. She has loving parents, friends, boyfriend, and a job. However, in one day, she decides to end her own life, to commit suicide. She takes an overdose of sleeping pills. She chooses this way to suicide because she does not want to make her parents and people who love her become more suffered, sad, and shocked if they find her with her shattered body as it is caused by other extreme ways such as shooting herself or jumping from a high building.
Not as what she had expected before, the pills do not cause her to die. She wakes up in a room of the most famous and feared asylum in Ljubljana, Vilette.
Here, she finds that she only has few days left before she dies because of a heart damage resulted by the pills overdose.
Surprisingly, Veronika finds a lot of values and understanding of life that she can not find outside the asylum. She meets a lot of people in Vilette who teach her some understandings both directly or indirectly. She is taught of what the meaning of insanity is by one of the patient named Zedka. In this asylum, Veronika is able to be herself. She is allowed and freed to act in the way she is. She feels some emotions that she never feels before such as fear, hatred, and even true love. Finally, she can realize what make her former life is so boring and worthless that encourages her to commit suicide. Veronika finally finds the meaning of her life. Therefore, this realization encourages Veronika to live longer as she is able to appreciate how precious each moment in her life is.
Reading this novel thoroughly, the writer is interested in the main character’s search of the meaning of life since meaning of life is very crucial for human to survive in this world. The writer is also challenged to understand further about how the world of the insane is, how the insane pass their life, and how they think and feel in their days.
Besides the novel discusses much about insanity and the psychological condition of human, it also takes the setting of place in an asylum with all its situations and circumstances. Therefore, the branch of study that is closely related to this novel is Psychology. Psychology is an academic field that studies both human and non-human’s mind, brain, and behaviour. It also focuses in studying human activities along with the individuals’ daily lives, mental illnesses, and its treatments (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/psychologicalapproach/).
This is the main reason why the writer chooses a psychological study to be applied in the research in order to find out the meaning of the main character’s life as one of the main problems that must be answered.
In Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge, Psychology is defined as the animal act because of certain reasons, how they grow and change, how they are different one another, and in what situations they feel disturbed. Psychology is closely related to human’s emotion, motivation, and personality. Besides, it also focuses on human activities including the problems of life and the treatment of mental illnesses (1993: 265).
B. Problem Formulation
The followings are three questions that will be analyzed in the study on Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die. They are:
1. How is the personality of the main character presented in the novel?
2. How are the main character’s environments and experiences depicted in the novel?
3. How do the main character’s environments and experiences contribute the finding of the meaning of life?
C. Objective s of the Study
Characterization will give some contribution in revealing the reasons why the characters in the novel act and behave to figure out their intentions. Since characterization is an important element found inside a literary works, it is necessary to know the representation of the main character’s personality.
Therefore, the first objective of the study is to identify the characterization of the main character in Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die.
The second objective of the study is to reveal the environments in where the main character belongs and her experiences in each environment. These two elements are important since they have great effects in personality determination. Having revealed these two elements, the last objective can be gained.
The third objective is to reveal the contribution of environments and experiences in finding the meaning of life that has become the main topic discussed in the novel. Therefore, the writer applies psychological approach as the branch of study that learn about human include their psychological disorders appeared in this novel that is insanity.
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies Veronika Decides to Die
is a work of a Brazilian writer named Paulo Coelho. Coelho himself has given some comments on this novel. He states that this novel is about how life is worth living.
Veronika Decides to Die - but then realises how very precious life is. Although she's a young girl with everything to live for, Veronika is not happy and feels that the only remedy for her malaise is suicide. But she survives and wakes up in the local lunatic asylum, only to be told that her heart is damaged and she has just days to live. More like a fable than a story, the main theme of Veronika Decides to Die is that life is worth living (www.google.com).
Through this novel, Coelho wants to share that everyone needs to find what the meaning of his life is in order to make him happy and healthy in life so that his life becomes valuable. This need will be the same for each human whatever his appearance, social status, race, and so on. From the story, he wants to show how the processes and what factors supporting in finding the meaning of life. Coelho makes the readers realize that life always changes. It depends on how we decide to pass it. It is that life is monotonous and worthless because we make it that way.
Anik Kuswandari in her thesis entitled Moral Lessons as Reflected in
Veronika’s Character Development in Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die
asserts that Veronika’s new environment supports her to find the meaning of life.In her new environment that is Villette enables her to find new kinds of people and new experiences she has never found before (2005: 29).
Kuswandari emphasizes that the new people as a part of the environment have introduced her to some new things such as craziness, purity, and freedom. It makes Veronika turn her personality and her way of viewing this life. At the end, this change leads her to the finding of the meaning of life (2005: 35-37).
Considering Coelho’s intentions and comments, as the writer of Veronika , and the study of Anik Kuswandari, this thesis will attempt to
Decides to Die
analyze on how the meaning of life is crucial to pursue. Furthermore, this thesis will present the meaning of life as a need that must be fulfilled by each individual in order to create a healthy and happy individual. It includes on what factors influence this finding, what the consequences and results when this finding is fulfilled or not fulfilled.
The fulfilment of the meaning of life will be differently achieved by different individuals since they have different and varied personality. It is caused by the fact that personality will lead an individual to certain ways of thinking, attitudes, and actions.
The main factors influence the finding of the meaning of life that are mainly focussed in this thesis are the experiences and environment. These factors are chosen since they are considered to have great significances and roles in personality growth and development.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character
M.J. Murphy in his book, Understanding Unseens, states that every author will try to make the characters in his work become alive and understandable for the readers in order to support them in understanding the story of the work. The ways to understand a character in a literary work is similar to the ways to understand people used in our every day life. We can learn some information about a person through his/her appearances, gestures, and speech. We can also learn about a person’s character through other people’s opinions. Through other people, we can gain some knowledge about the person’s past life. The events had happened in a person’s past life is considered important in determining his attitudes, actions, behaviours, and personality in the future time. The longer we are acquainted with the person, the more we understand him (1972: 161).
There are nine ways done by an author to describe the characters in his work as it is stated by Murphy in Understanding Unseens.
a. Personal description The first way to describe a character is by giving direct description about the character’s appearance and clothes in the work. It is possible to be done by the author since the author is considered of having the “eye of God” that enables him to know every element in the work, including characters. b. Character as seen by another The second way to describe a character is by using other people’s views and opinions. Through this way, the readers are able to grasp a character’s personality, appearance, and interests.
c. Speech Some information and clues about a character can also be revealed through the character’s speech. The readers will be able to conclude what personality someone possesses through the way he speaks, his diction, his intonation, and comments.
d. Past life Another way to describe a character is by giving some information about his past life. His past life will more or less affect how he behaves and does some actions in his present life. Further, his past life can affect or even change his personality. The author may give this information directly by giving comments, by using the character’s thoughts, by using the character’s speech in conversations, or by using other people’s point of view and comments.
e. Conversations of Others The author can also give descriptions of a character’s personality through the conversations of others. When people talk about certain person, there will be some clues about the person’s personality in the conversation. f. Reactions The author can also give descriptions of a character’s personality by letting the readers know how the character reacts and response various situations and events.
g. Direct Comment The author is also able to describe a character directly by giving his own comments and descriptions.
h. Thoughts Considering that an author has the “eye of God”, he is able to know of what a character is thinking about. The readers, then, have a privileged position as they are able to listen to the inmost thoughts of the character in a work. i. Mannerism
The last way used is through a character’s mannerism. Through a character’s mannerism, habits, or idiosyncrasies, the author can give the readers some clues about the character’s personality.
These are the ways stated by Murphy on how an author usually describes the characters in his work. An author does not describe a character by using a single way mentioned above. On the contrary, he will mix them in order to reveal characters and personalities piece by piece so that the readers will tend to think of the characters in the work as real people.
As it is stated by William Kenney in his book, How to Analyze Fiction, that A character is obviously relevant to us and to our experiences. If it is like ourselves or like others whom we know. Lifelikeness, then, is properly understood as one form of relevance. A character is relevant if there are a
Therefore, an author tends to describe a character in his work piece by piece as it is done by people in the real life. Also, the characters described are usually not much different with those in real life. It is done to avoid the readers difficult to understand the characters since they do not familiar with people who do not exist in real life. Moreover, they have no experience with this kind of people.
2. Theory of Personality
Personality has many meanings. This word is derived from the Latin word . In Hjelle and Ziegler’s Personality Theories, it is stated that the word
Persona
was originally denoted the masks worn by the theatrical players in ancient Greek dramas. The term came to encompass the actor’s role (1981: 6).
George Kelly who introduces the cognitive theory of personality regards personality as the unique way an individual possesses to make sense out of life experiences. It is believed as personal construct which means an individual has his own category of thought in interpreting and construing some aspects of reality in terms of similarities and contrasts. As it is stated by Kelly in A Cognitive
Theory of Personality,
Man looks at his world through transparent patterns or templets which he creates and then attempts to fit over the realities of which the world is composed. The fit is not always very good. Yet without such patterns the world appears to be such an undifferentiated homogeneity that man is unable to make any sense out of it (Hjelle and Ziegler, 1981:327). In other words, each individual has his own constructs of some aspects in the real world in understanding and construing some events in reality. Further, an experience. It then enables him to place a structure and meaning of the events they have experienced.
Gordon W. Allport’s in Hjelle and Ziegler’s Personality Theories defines personality as what an individual really is, an internal “something” that guides and determines all human activity.
Personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic, behaviour, and thoughts (Hjelle and Ziegler, 1981: 284). Since Allport defines personality as “dynamic organization”, it can be said that personality does change. He asserts in his theories that a person is not a static entity.
The term “Psychophysical systems” is used because Allport wants to show that in describing and studying personality, both “body” and “mind” must be considered (Hjelle and Ziegler: 1981:284).
As it has been mentioned above, Allport states that one’s personality is dynamic which means that it can change, grow, and or develop. There are so many aspects considered of having roles in determining personality.
One of the aspects is environment. Huber in his article Environmental defines environment as a physical surrounding where an individual
Psychology stays. Environment is said as an element that determines human behaviour.
Behaviour covers human’s covert and overt acts, thoughts, and emotions (1994: 494).
In A Need Theory of Personality, Henry Murray assumes that to understand an individual’s personality, someone needs to consider the dynamic interaction between persons and their environment. It implies an understanding that to determine an individual’s personality, one’s must recognize in what environment the individual belongs to.
Thus, persons cannot be properly understood apart from their surroundings- constitutional and environmental forces combine to produce behaviour (Hjelle and Ziegler, 1981: 172). Further, Murray formulates four determinants that have important significance in personality formation.
a. Constitutional determinants The first determinant stated by Murray is constitutional determinant is an individual’s total physical condition, such as sex, age, body type, etc.
The person’s total physical make up at any given time is what Murray means by constitutional determinants of personality. Included in this category would be such factors as the individual’s age, sex, body type, skin pigmentation, physical strength, disabilities, and conformity of physique to the culturally fashionable type. But these constitutional forces do not act in a vacuum. Rather, in Murray’s system, they are differentially important according to the person’s environment (1981: 168). In short, one must consider an individual’s physical condition placed in a social context to identify his personality. Since, according to Murray, an individual’s physical condition will have great significance only when it is placed along with social context.
Murray also provides an illustration to understand this determinant more fully. He illustrates a male who is thin, fragile, and physically weak. When these physical factors are placed in a social context, for example, in sport, this male will never successfully play football develop any aspects of personality and satisfy his needs as if he were able to participate in this sport. As Murray states,
While constitutional factors are part of personality determination, then, their precise effects upon the person are a function of their constant interactions with the environment (1981: 168). It can also be said that environment has a significant role that can not be sided in determining one’s personality. Watson and Tharp in Self-directed
Behaviour: Self-Modification for Personal Adjustment
emphasizes that environment has great effect in determining behaviour. It is stated that the changes of the situation direct an individual to change his behaviour. As an example, an individual will behave differently when he is in the classroom from his behaving in a formal dinner.
Because behaviour is a function of the environment, changes in your physical surroundings or in your social circumstances or in the behaviour of others will produce changes in your behaviour. Of course, this is not a simple one-way relationship. Our behaviour can affect our environment as well as be affected by it. The changes that result in the environment in turn affect our later behaviour (1934: 10).
The environment in where an individual belongs and experiences things has created an effect. Environment evokes an individual to behave according to the situation occurs. An individual then has learned behaviours and has been introduced to the new ones whenever the situation changes. It directs the individual to adjust specific situations. It means that the individual must notice the changes and be able to determine the modification of behaviour should be taken to control the situation (1934: 11).
b. Group memberships determinants The social groups such as familial, ethnic, religious, racial, political, regional, and socioeconomic groups, to which an individual belongs, also have great significances in constructing his personality. Group membership is said taking roles in formatting personality primarily since each group possess its own particular social environment and value systems.
Scott McNall in The Sociological Experience affirms that family is a first place in where an individual is introduced to rules, norms, and value systems.
Family functions to teach an individual to understand that rules are made to be obeyed and there will be sanctions if these rules are ignored (1969: 166-167).
Hence, as it is stated by Murray, certain needs will be both develop differently and expressed differently according to these two factors, the social environment and the value system. Simply, it can be concluded that two different individuals who belong to different groups will behave and act differently one another.
c. Role determinants Even though Murray views that role determinant of personality is the subclass of group membership determinants, Murray treats it separately from group membership determinants since it is so potent in differentiating individuals within a group.
An individual’s roles in society will more or less determine his personality since certain roles will result in different directions of personality development.
As Murray illustrates, the female sex roles in society will lead her to be inferior to males. d. Situational determinants Situational determinant is constructed of the day-to-day experiences of the individual. It includes both things that have been experienced a thousand times and those that only have been experienced only once since they will result in different effects to different person in a certain group. Situational determinant is also said as a category of factors shaping personality such as brief interpersonal contacts, family constellations, friendships with particular individuals, and divorced parents. As Murray assumes in his theory that,
These types of determinants, unique to one’s life situation, may play an extremely important part in helping shape the kind of person one will become (1981: 170). Drs. Irwanto in Psikologi Umum states that physical appearance and experiences influence personality determination. There are two kinds of experiences. The first is common experience. This kind of experience is the experience that most people also have experienced the same thing. As an example, the value system and norms that oblige children to respect their parents. Each individual will be taught to respect his parents and older people. It becomes a part of his personality and is the same with most of the people in society.
The second kind is the unique experience. Different from the common experience, the unique experience has been only experienced by an individual.
Since an individual has his own characters and tendencies, the responses he makes when facing certain situations are different with others. It directs him to experience things. These experiences form a part of his personality that is unique and different (2002: 228-229).
From the different theories above, it can be concluded that environment and experience are two factors which can not be separated from an individual’s personality formation and development. Both factors have great significances in personality since they may lead an individual to certain directions of personality development that finally result a unique individual. Since an individual has his own environment and experiences, there will never be two persons who are exactly alike in this world (1981, 168-170).
3. Theory of Hierarchy of Needs
In psychology, there are many theories of needs that are introduced. Each theory has its own consideration and understanding. The theory of needs applied in this thesis is The Hierarchy of Needs by Abraham Harold Maslow.
Different with Freud’s psychoanalytic theory that emphasizes unconscious and irrational forces as the controlling factors in behaviours, the theory introduced by Maslow is called as humanistic psychology. As the other psychologists, Maslow believes that human beings are free to make their own choices.
Human are considered as the conscious agents. It means that they are free in deciding, choosing, and doing their actions. As Sartre often express it: “I am my choices” (Hjelle and Ziegler, 1981: 365). Therefore, each human being is said to have certain motives in doing some actions in order to fulfil their needs.
Frank. G. Goble, in his book entitled The Third Force, the Psychology of , confirms Maslow’s theory that persons, whose basic needs are
Abraham Maslow
fulfilled, will have a healthier, happier, and more effective life. On the contrary, those whose basic needs are not completely fulfilled, show some psychological disorder symptoms (1971: 89).
Maslow believes that human beings are born with some innate needs. These needs are arranged in the order of their potency in a hierarchy of needs. The needs are: (1) Basic physiological needs, (2) Safety needs, (3) Belongingness and Love needs, (4) Self-esteem needs, and (5) self-actualization needs or the needs of personal fulfilment. The lower the need is, the stronger it is. The higher the need is, the weaker it is (Hjelle and Ziegler, 1981: 369).
The first four layers in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are called as Deficiency Needs or D-Needs. Meanwhile the top is called as Growth Need, Being Values, or B-Needs.
The picture below is the picture of Maslow’s pyramid of the hierarchy of needs.
Each layer has its own explanation. It is further explicated as follow:
a. Physiological needs Physiological needs are the basic, lowest and the strongest one in the hierarchy of needs. The needs are biological needs that cover the needs for food, drink, oxygen, activity and sleep, sex, protection from extreme temperatures, and sensory stimulation. These needs must be fulfilled at some minimal level by each human in his life. If these needs are not satisfying yet, the person will be not motivated by other higher needs. Maslow adds in Hjelle and Ziegler’s Personality
Theories (1981: 369),
For our chronically and extremely hungry man, Utopia can be defined simply as a place where there is plenty of food. He tends to think that, if only he is guaranteed food for the rest of his life, he will be perfectly happy and will never want anything more. Life itself tends to be defined as unimportant. Freedom, love, community feeling, respect, philosophy, may all be waved aside as fripperies that are useless, since they fail to fill the stomach. Such a man may fairly be said to live by bread alone (Maslow, 1970: 37).
Hence, it is obvious that the physiological needs control human’s thought and behaviours to gain satisfaction of these needs. Unless these basic needs are completely fulfilled, human will not pursue other higher level needs.
b. Safety needs After the physiological needs are fulfilled, human will start to pursue another need that is Safety or Security needs. The needs consist of the needs of certainty, order, structure and predictability in one’s environment, and safety from war, crime, natural disasters, riots, and societal disorganizations.
As it is stated by Hjelle and Ziegler that Maslow believes that the safety helplessness and dependency on adults. Infants will be frightened when they are suddenly dropped or startled by loud noises and flashing lights. Since they realize that they are powerless in such situations. These dangers can be neutralized when one has experience, knowledge, and education about them. When one knows some information about certain dangers, it makes him feel that he will find some ways to handle them. As a result, he will not feel completely powerless (Hjelle and Ziegler, 1981: 370).
c. Belongingness and Love needs Once the safety needs are fulfilled, the next needs will emerge in human motivation. The needs are the Belongingness and Love needs. These needs are expected to be found both in one’s society and family. Different from the Freudian, Maslow asserts that the belongingness and love needs are not similar with the needs of sex. He emphasizes that mature love involves giving and receiving. It requires more emotional fulfilment than sexual fulfilment.