A Study of Tommy Wilhelm's Failures in His Careers As Portrayed in Saul
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PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI A STUDY OF TOMMY WILHELM’S FAILURES IN HIS CAREERS AS PORTRAYED IN SAUL BELLOW’S SEIZE THE DAY A THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education By Alexsander Irfan Bramasto Student Number: 061214062 ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2011 i PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI ii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI iii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI iv PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI [happymonster.tumblr.com] v PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI vi PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I praise Jesus Christ for His mercy and blessing. He has always given me strength to cope with my hard days. Finally, after few months I could finish this thesis. I do realize that I would have never been able to finish this thesis without the help of others. Here, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Drs. L. Bambang Hendarto Y., M.Hum. who has guided me in completing this thesis and has given good advice in order to make this thesis better. I would like to thank all the lecturers of ELESP for their guidance, patience, and time. I also thank all the staff of Sanata Dharma University for helping me in the administrative matters. I would like to thank my parents for their supports, love, and prayer. My deepest thankfulness goes to my beloved mother for always strengthening me to finish my thesis and for each prayer she sends to Jesus Christ for me. My thankfulness is also for my beloved brother and sister who always support me. I would like to express my special gratitude to my beloved girlfriend, Maria Putri Sari Utami, who has encouraged me to finish this thesis. She has changed me in a way I cannot forget. I do love her now and forever. My grateful also goes to Satrio, Anneis, Tata, Ria and Oda for being delightful friends in these few months. Last but not least, I thank my friends at Jalan Legi no.11, Mutiara Futsal, mbah Ro, UKM Tarung Derajat, Kanjeng Sinuwun Band and ELESP 2006 for the time they spent with me. Finally, I thank those whose names cannot be mentioned one by one, for their help and support. Alexsander Irfan Bramasto vii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE …………………………………………............................... i PAGES OF APPROVAL …………………………................................... ii STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY …………….................... iv PAGE OF DEDICATION ……………………......................................... v LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS ……………… vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ………………………………....................... vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ………………………………........................... viii ABSTRACT ……………............................................................................ xi ABSTRAK ……………….………............................................................... xii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ………….…………….......................... 1 1.1. Background of the Study ……..……………………............................. 1 1.2. Problem Formulation ………………………………............................. 4 1.3. Objectives of the Study …………………………………...................... 4 1.4. Benefits of the Study ………………………………………................. 4 1.5. Definition of Terms ……………………………………….................... 5 1.5.1. Failure …………………………………………………..………… 5 1.5.2. Motivation ………………………………………………..………. 5 CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE …..………….. 6 2.1. Theoretical Review ………………………………................................ 6 2.1.1.Critical Approach ……………………………................................ 6 2.1.2. Character ……………………...…………………………............. 7 2.1.3. Characterization ……………….………........................................ 9 2.1.4. Motivation ...………………………............................................... 11 2.1.5. Goals in Somebody Life ..……...................................................... 13 2.1.6. Career ..…….................................................................................. 13 2.1.7. Failure ..…….................................................................................... 14 2.2. Theoretical Framework .......................................................................... 16 viii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY .............................................................. 18 3.1. Object of the Study ..……………………….......................................... 18 3.2. Approaches of the Study ….…………………….................................. 19 3.3. Method of the Study …..……..……….................................................. 20 CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS …..………………............................................. 22 4.1. The Description of Wilhelm’s Character ..………………..................... 23 4.1.1. Attractive ..…………...................................................................... 23 4.1.2. Stubborn ..…………….................................................................... 24 4.1.3. Dishonest ..……………................................................................... 25 4.1.4. Lonely ..……………....................................................................... 27 4.1.5. Cowardly ..…………….................................................................... 28 4.2. The Characteristics of a Failed Person Reflected in Wilhelm…………... 29 4.2.1. A Failure in Wilhelm’s Careers …….……………………............... 29 4.2.1.1 As an Actor …….……………………….……………….......... 30 4.2.1.2 As an Employee ….………………….………………….......... 32 4.2.1.3 As an Investor ….……………………………………….......... 35 4.2.2. The Characteristics of a Failed Person Found in Wilhelm ............... 36 4.2.2.1 Avoiding a Loss In Self-Estimate …………………….……… 37 4.2.2.2 The Defense Against Punishment …………………….……… 38 4.2.2.3 The Defense Against a Loss in a Social Value ………..……… 39 CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ............................ 42 5.1. Conclusions ………………………........................................................ 41 5.2. Suggestions ………………………......................................................... 44 5.2.1 Suggestions for Future Researchers …………………………… 44 5.2.2 Suggestion for Teaching-Learning Activities ……...………..… 44 REFERENCES ………………………………............................................ 46 APPENDICES …………………………….................................................. 48 APPENDIX 1 Summary of the Novel .……………………….............. 49 APPENDIX 2 Biography of Saul Bellow .………………………........ 51 ix PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI APPENDIX 3 Picture of Saul Bellow …………………………..……. 54 APPENDIX 4 Lesson Plan …............................................................... 55 APPENDIX 5 Answer Key …............................................................... 60 x PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI ABSTRACT Bramasto, Alexsander Irfan. 2011. A Study of Tommy Wilhelm’s Failures in His Careers as Portrayed in Saul Bellow’s Seize the Day. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University. This thesis analyses Saul Bellow’s novel entitled Seize the Day. The novel tells about the life of Tommy Wilhelm, the major character of the novel, who has to deal with failures in his life. One of the major issues described in the novel is Wilhelm’s failures in his careers. His failures in his careers are the root of other failures in his life. This study analyses the major character’s characteristics and the failures he faces in his careers. There are two main problems which are formulated in this study related to the major character: (1) How is Tommy Wilhelm as the main character described in the novel? (2) How are the characteristics of a failed person reflected in Tommy Wilhelm? The method employed in this study was a library study. There were two kinds of data sources used in this study namely primary and secondary source. The primary source was the novel itself, Seize the Day. The secondary sources were some books and some sources from the internet which provided information related to the study. This thesis applied the psychological approach to describe the characteristics of Wilhelm, to find out the failures in Wilhelm’s careers, and to find out the characteristics of failed person in Wilhelm’s personality. From the analysis, it can be concluded that Wilhelm is characterized as a handsome, stubborn, dishonest, lonely and cowardly man. Further, the analysis shows that Wilhelm tries to make his career at his early age. He wants to prove to other people that he can be a successful person without help from his father. He wants to be an independent person. However, his plan does not go well. He faces failures in his careers. He fails in every job he gets. First, he fails to be an actor. He fails to be an actor due to his lack of acting skill. Second, he fails to be an employee. He is kicked out from his job because he has an affair with his workmate. Third, he fails to be an investor. He takes a short way to change his condition by investing his last dollars. He gives his money to Dr. Tamkin, a person who persuades Wilhelm to invest his money. However, what Dr. Tamkin predicts before is not accurate. Wilhelm loses all of his money. Now, Wilhelm totally runs out of money and jobless. From the analysis, it is also revealed that there are characteristics of failed person in Wilhelm’s personality namely avoiding a loss in self-estimate, the defense