OPAL’S UNHAPPY-CHILDHOOD STEMMED FROM ASPERGER’S SYNDROME AS SEEN THROUGH THE PERSONIFICATIONS IN JANE BOULTON’S THE JOURNAL OF AN UNDERSTANDING HEART
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
DONI AGUNG SETIAWAN
Student Number : 054214025
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2011
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Tomorrow is coming today
Lies between the space of every single breath
Do you mind to stop dreaming and calling yesterday?
-Doni Agung Setiawan-
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To whom I call ‘Ibuk’ and ‘Bapak’
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This is the most tighten home assignment that I can finish during my study in
Sanata Dharma University. Nothing is perfect, of course, but in this long work, I try to do to make it better.
There are many supports and helps in doing this work, therefore I would like to express gratitude to my beloved parents, mbak Endah, and mas Koko. I also would like to say thanks to my brothers, Agaton, Fred, Tj, and Gedhek for the entertainment in this pressure, I thanks to the big family of Teater Seriboe
Djendela for the greatest work we’ve done together, to my unique friends; Bayu and Antok, Natan, Grek, Wahmuji for the interesting ideas, and all of my beloved friends for the nice friendship in this long study.
I would like to thanks Ibu Elisa Dwi Wardani, S. S., M. Hum. and Bapak
Tatang Iskarna, S. S., M. Hum. for the guidance, ideas, support, and the patience during the writing process of this work. The last, I would like to give my special thanks to Anna Palute, for the colorful life she paints on me.
Doni Agung Setiawan
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ………………………………………………………………. i APPROVAL PAGE………………………………………………………… ii ACCAPTANCE PAGE ………………………………………………...... iii MOTTO PAGE …………………………………………………………….. iv DEDICATION PAGE …………………………………………………….... v LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN...... vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ………………………………………………... vii TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………………... viii ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………….... x ABSTRAK …………………………………………………………………... xi
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION …………………………………………. 1 A. Background …………………………………………………………... 1 B. Problem Formulations ………………………………………………... 5 C. Objectives of the Study ………………………………………………. 6 D. Definition of Terms …………………………………………………... 6
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ……………………………… 9 A. Review of Related Studies …………………………………………… 9 1. Steve Mcquiddy’s The Fantastic Tales of Opal Whiteley…….. 9 2. Stephen H. Williamson’s Mental Health Report on Opal Whiteley. 11
B. Review of Related Theories…………………………………………... 14 1. Theory of Personification………………………………...... 14 2. Theory of Asperger’s syndrome in Girl…………………………... 14 3. Loneliness and Unhappiness in Young Girl……………………… 17
C. Theoretical Framework ………………………………………………. 20
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ………………………………………. 22 A. Object of the Study …………………………………………………... 22 B. Approach of the Study ……………………………………………….. 24 C. Method of the Study ………………………………………………….. 25
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ……………………………………………….. 27 A. The Examination of Personification in The Journal of An Understanding Heart………………………………………………. 27 B. Opal’s Unhappy-Childhood Seen Through the Personification in The 69 Journal of An Understanding Heart…………………………………. a. The Intensity of the Interaction between Opal and the 69 Personified Objects…………………………………………..
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b. Opal’s Behavior Disorder……………………………………. 85 c. Opal’s loneliness…………………………………………….. 104 d. Opal’s Unhappy-Childhood…………………………………. 108
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION …………………………………………… 115
BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………... 121
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ABSTRACT DONI AGUNG SETIAWAN. Opal’s Unhappy-Childhood Stemmed from Asperger’s Syndrome As Seen through the Personifications in Jane Boulton’s The Journal of An Understanding Heart. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2011. Opal Whiteley, a lonely girl who is adopted by Whiteley family after losing her true parents in the age of four, has amazed many people after her childhood diary is published in her age of twenty. The diary records Opal’s daily life including her interaction with animals, plants, and the nature surrounding her. The interaction between Opal and those objects is interesting because she treats them as human being. In the scope of poetry, however, the endowment of human attributes addressed to those objects is stated as personification. The personifications written in some stanzas in The Journal of An Understanding Heart show Opal’s Unhappy-childhood. There are two objectives to be attained in this study. The first objective is to show the personifications in The Journal of An Understanding Heart. The second objective is to see Opal’s unhappy-childhood through the personifications. The writer used library research in this study to get most necessary references, while the approach applied here is psychological approach. The analyses are sequenced into, first, examining the personifications and, second, examining the interaction between Opal and the personified objects to see Opal’s unhappy- childhood. This study finds that there are personifications in some stanzas in The Journal of An Understanding Heart. The interaction between Opal and the personified objects shows that Opal has behavior disorder. That disorder is stated as Asperger’s syndrome. Asperger’s syndrome in girls are difficult to diagnose because their behavior seem like normal girls. Thus, Opal’s behavior disorder is not known by her parents, therefore she does not get any special treatment for her condition. The result is that she feels alone along of her childhood as her syndrome disables her to make relationship with other people, especially children around her age. Escaping her loneliness, Opal has more intense interacted with the objects that are considered as humans. Her intense interaction with the personified objects makes her more and more has difficulty to communicate with other. This condition makes Opal often feels alone along and being unhappy during her childhood.
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ABSTRAK DONI AGUNG SETIAWAN. Opal’s Unhappy-Childhood Stemmed from Asperger’s Syndrome As Seen through the Personifications in Jane Boulton’s The Journal of An Understanding Heart. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2011. Opal Whiteley, gadis kecil kesepian yang telah diadopsi oleh keluarga Whiteley setelah ia kehilangan kedua orang tua aslinya ketika ia berumur empat tahun, telah membuat banyak orang terkesan setelah buku harian masa kecilnya diterbitkan di usianya yang ke dua puluh. Buku harian tersebut merekam kehidupan Opal sehari-hari, yang meliputi interaksinya dengan banyak binatang, tumbuhan, dan alam di sekelilingnya. Interaksi antara Opal dengan obyek-obyek tersebut menjadi hal yang menarik karena dia memperlakukan obyek-obyek tersebut seperti halnya manusia. Dalam ruang lingkup puisi, penambahan atribut ke-manusia-an kepada obyek-obyek tersebut merupakan personifikasi. Personifikasi-personifikasi yang tertulis dalam bait-bait di buku The Journal of An Understanding Heart menunjukkan masa kecil Opal yang tidak bahagia. Ada dua tujuan yang akan dicapai dalam penelitian ini. Tujuan pertama adalah untuk menunjukan personifikasi-personifikasi yang ada dalam The Journal of An Understanding Heart. Tujuan kedua adalah untuk melihat masa kecil Opal yang tidak bahagia melalui personifikasi-personifikasi tersebut. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian pustaka yang mengambil beberapa sumber dari buku dan dokument-dokumen dari jaringan internet, sedangkan pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan psikologis. Urutan pembahasan dalam penelitian ini adalah, pertama, meneliti personifikasi- personifikasi dan, kedua, menunjukkan masa kecil Opal yang tidak bahagia melalui interaksi antara Opal dengan obyek-obyek yang terpersonifikasi. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa ada beberapa personifikasi pada bait-bait di The Journal of An Understanding Heart. Interaksi antara Opal dengan obyek-oyek yang terpersonifikasi menunjukkan bahwa Opal memiliki perilaku yang menyimpang. Penyakit tersebut dinyatakan sebagai sindrom Asperger. Sindrom Asperger pada anak perempuan sulit untuk diketahui karena perilaku mereka seakan-akan normal. Demikian, perilaku Opal yang menyimpang tersebut tidak terkenali oleh kedua orang tuanya, oleh karena itu ia tidak mendapatkan perlakuan khusus atas kondisinya. Akibatnya, ia meresa kesepian di sepanjang masa kecilnya sebagaimana sindrom tersebut membuatnya sulit untuk menjalin relasi dengan orang lain, terutama dengan anak seusianya. Sebagai pelarian atas kesepiannya, Opal semakin intens berinteraksi dengan obyek-obyek terpersonifikasi yang telah ia anggap seperti manusia. Interaksi yang semakin intens tersebut membuat ia semakin kesulitan untuk berkomunikasi dengan orang lain. Kondisi tersebut membuat Opal sering merasa kesepian dan tidak bahagia di sepanjang masa kanak-kanaknya.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background
Rene Wellek and Austin Warren say in his book that the natural and sensible
starting point for work in literary scholarship is the interpretation and analysis of
the work it self. After all, only the work itself justifies the interest in seeing the
life of an author (Wellek and Warren, 1956: 139). It is, indeed, also happened in
the study of poetry. True poetry, Guerin quotes Crane’s statement, is always a
direct outpouring of personal feeling; that its values are determined by the nature
of the emotion which it expresses (Crane in Guerin’s, 1999: 25). Thus, David
Daiches explains that poetry differs from science both in its objective to
perpetuate and communicate a valuable kind of psychological adjustment, and in
the kind of meaning it attributes to words, which is emotive rather than scientific
or referential (Daiches, 1981: 134).
The phenomenal one who writes a poetical diary is Opal Whiteley, a lonely
girl who is adopted by Whiteley family after losing her true parents in the age of
four, has amazed many people after her childhood diary is published in her age of
twenty. The diary that records Opal’s unique experience during her childhood is
controversial; some people hesitate of the originality of the writing process as it
seems impossible to be written by a girl around fifth-sixth. Because of the
controversy, many critics do investigation through Opal’s diary and biography.
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Stephen H. Williamson is the one who shows the fact that the diary is written
during Opal childhood. Williamson is also the one who refuse the claim that Opal
has schizophrenia, he shows that Opal has Asperger’s syndrome as the reasonable
fact that can explain the peculiar characteristic of Opal. Williamson said that
People with Asperger’s syndrome often excel at one intellectual activity, but can
have poor social skills. They may be near genius IQ’s, and lack common sense.
People with Asperger’s syndrome can have brilliant imaginations and can be very
difficult to talk out of a fixed belief (Williamson, 2010). Williamson explains that
people with Asperger’s syndrome are brilliant in something that becomes the
interest. Opal Whiteley is good in writing as she has superior rote memory that
turns her to have a lot of vocabulary.
Dr. Tony Atwood, a leading expert on Asperger’s Syndrome, explains that
girls with Asperger’s syndrome are more like ‘little philosopher’ who are expert
one subject, commonly, the focus is in animals or classic literature (Atwood,
1999).
However, that Opal has Asperger’s syndrome can be proven through the diary
and the claim that she has Asperger’s syndrome makes many people believe that
the diary is originally written during Opal’s childhood.
As the diary is controversial, the question that probably appears as the
response of people toward the diary is that what is the interesting thing in that
diary? The most common reviews say that it is a fantastic diary that records her
trip through the woods around Cottage Grove, Oregon’s Lane Country. Opal 3
befriended animals, plants, and nature surrounding her, as like as the story of
Alice in Wonderland, Opal seems to have the ability to communicate with them.
It is true that in the diary, Opal often talks to her animal friends and sometimes
she can hear and understand what the plants are saying.
The diary of Opal Whiteley inspires many people such us musicians, movie
makers, and writers. Robert Nassif Lindsey creates a musical called “a rare
achievement” by the New York Times, Lindsey’s musical premiered off-
broadway and won the Richard Rodgers Production Award in 1992 from a
committee chaired by Stephen Sondheim. Cathy Kaemmerlan writes a one-
woman play sponsored by Young Audiences of America, a nonprofit group out of
Atlanta, Georgia, Kaemmerlan puts on shows for elementary school around the
country. Another musical are created by Robert Adams in Santa Barbara,
California, and musical selection for voice and piano by Gary Smart. There is also
a serene forest setting created near Opal’s childhood home in Cottage Grove,
Oregon.
The poem writer who is inspired by Opal diary is Jane Boulton, the author of
the modern edition of The Journal of An Understanding Heart. Bruce Brown, a
researcher investigates Opal diary and biography writes:
The only modern edition of The Journal of an Understanding Heart is generally excellent, both in its selection from the original and in editor Jane Bouton's decision to set Opal's words in verse form. Originally published in 1976 by Macmillan and reissued last year by Tioga Publishing Company of Palo Alto, California, Opal makes a satisfying and surprising bedtime story that may have you, reading on to yourself quietly after the little ones have gone to sleep (Brown, 1986). 4
In this study, the writer chooses Jane Boulton’s adaptation work as the object
of the study. Under the title The Journal of An Understanding Heart, Boulton
changes the form of the diary into poetry form and also corrects the misspelling of
Opal’s words. The reason of choosing Jane Boulton’s work is because the diary of
Opal finally belongs to the genre of poetry in which in the analysis, the work is
examined as poem; a long poem-diary or, as Kennedy said, the style of this poem
is included as narrative poem.
Since the work is stated as a poem, however, it has the intrinsic element of
poem such as imagery, tone, figurative language, symbol, atmosphere, rhyme,
rhythm, meter, etc. One of the intrinsic elements in the poem that is examined in
this study is personification that Kennedy and Gioia describe as a figurative
language in which a thing, an animal, or an abstract term is endowed with human
characteristic. Personification allows an author to dramatize nonhuman world in
tangibly human terms (Kennedy and Gioia, 2002: 676).
The reason in doing the research on personifications is due to the fact that the
personifications in the poem have clear evidence implying Opal’s unhappy-
childhood. The interesting thing that can be seen through the personifications is
Opal’s behavior disorder. It can be seen in the way Opal treats some animals and
plants differently; she gives some names of the classic figures to some of her
animals friend such as Peter Paul Rubens (The pig), Solomon Grundy (the piggy),
Minerva (the hen), Shakespeare (the horse), Brave Horatius (the dog), Lars 5
Porsena (the crow), Edmund Spenser, Oliver Goldsmith, Sir Francis Bacon, and
John Fletcher (the little chickens), and also to her beloved tree she names Michael
Raphael.
However, in the scope of poetry, those objects are personified in such a way
Opal treats them as human being as the endowment of human attributes addressed
to them. The interaction between Opal and those personified objects shows Opal’s
behavior disorder as Williamson states as Asperger’s Syndrome. That interaction
also shows Opal’s loneliness. She is alone as her syndrome makes her difficult to
make a relationship with other people, and as the result of her loneliness, she
continuously interacts with her non-human friend. This case makes her more and
more difficulty to interact with others; she is being separated with other people,
especially children around her age. The consequence of her loneliness is that she
often feels unhappy. Opal does not get her right to be treated differently as she
has Asperger’s syndrome.
Thus, in this study, the writer tries to examine Opal’s unhappy-childhood by
examining the interaction between Opal and the personified objects, seeing her
behavior disorder, and the last, showing her unhappy-childhood as her having
lack of attention of other people.
B. Problem formulation
In this study, there are two problem formulation to be examined. The first
problem is purposed to examine the intrinsic element of the poem-diary, and the 6
next problem is purposed to examine the extrinsic element of the poem-diary.
Here the two problem formulation are:
1. What are the personifications found in The Journal of An Understanding
Heart?
2. How is Opal’s unhappy childhood seen through the personifications in The
Journal of An Understanding Heart?
C. Objectives of the Study
This study, based on the problem formulation, has two objectives. The first
problem formulation is to find the personification and to find the personified
objects on some stanza in The Journal of An Understanding Heart. The
examination of the personifications in The Journal of An Understanding Heart is
purposed to explain the endowment of human attribute addressed to the
personified objects.
The next problem formulation is to examine the intensity of the interaction
between Opal and the personified objects. Examining the intensity of the
interaction between Opal and the personified objects, the study tries to explain
Opal’s behavior disorder to proof Opal’s unhappy childhood.
D. Definition of Terms
There are some terminologies listed to be clarified to avoid misunderstanding
in this study. The definitions of those terminologies are taken from Kennedy’s
and Gioia’s book titled An Introduction to Poetry, tenth edition, and Longman
Dictionary of Contemporary English. To avoid misunderstanding, the writer 7
compares some of the definitions that are taken from the dictionary with
necessary meaning to be meant in this study. Here the terminologies are:
1. Asperger’s Syndrome
Asperger’s syndrome, based on Tony Atwood, is a term which is taken from
the name of the founder, Hans Asperger. The term is used to describe someone
who thinks and perceive the world differently than normal people. The most
common characteristic of people with Asperger’s syndrome is that they has
difficulty to interact with other people as like autism. But people with Asperger’s
syndrome may have brilliant imagination and very genius in something that
becomes the interest. Boys with this syndrome usually excellent in science and
girls with this syndrome is good in classic literature and writing (Atwood, 1999).
2. Loneliness
Loneliness in this study, as the term is refers to Opal’s condition, based on
Janiss R. Bullock, is a significant problem that predisposes negative consequences
such as being sad and alone as a result of having no body to play with (Bullock,
1998).
3. Personification
Kennedy and Gioia describe personification as a figure of speech in which a
thing, an animal, or an abstract term is endowed with human characteristic.
Personification allows an author to dramatize nonhuman world in tangibly human
term. (Kennedy and Gioia, 2002: 676)
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4. Unhappy-childhood
In this study the term unhappy is related with sadness, in which it indicates
the human condition of far away from being happy. Based on Longman
Dictionary of Contemporary English, the term unhappy is described as not happy;
feeling worried or annoyed because of the happening situation (Longman, 1995).
The term unhappy-childhood refers to Opal’s unhappy condition during her life in
the childhood time.
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
1. Steve McQuiddy’s The Fantastic Tale of Opal Whiteley
Steve McQuiddy is one who did the investigation through Opal’s live. In his
writing about Opal, he has observed the data by interviewing some people and
also did analysis through some critics’ work. Based on McQuiddy’s investigation,
as he interviews Opal’s grandmother, Opal is said as a queer girl; “When she
wasn’t chattering or asking question, or reading or writing, she would be looking
at nothing with big eyes, in what some people call a ‘brown study’, but what I call
inattention and absentmindedness” (McQuiddy, 1996: 4). According to her
grandmother, Opal would not respond to the punishment, “Switching didn’t seem
to make her any different. She would climb up in a big evergreen over the pigpen,
and get to studying about something, and drop out of the tree into the mud. Lizzie
would spank her or switch her, or if Lizzie wasn’t feeling up to it, I would”
(McQuiddy, 1996: 4).
McQuiddy says that Opal is the one who likes nature. By Opal’s diary,
McQuiddy explains Opal’s adventure into the wood with her beloved friends;
Brave Horatius the shepherd dog and her other animal friends to illustrate that
Opal seemed to have a special way with wild creatures. It is like what Opal’s
father says that Opal could tame anything in the forest, and one person who knew
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Opal says that birds and butterflies would sit in her hand. Quoting Opal’s diary,
McQuiddy states that for Opal, all nature was alive, and all beings of the natural
world members of o grand chorus of the earth; “Earth-voices are glad voices, and
earth-songs come up from the ground through the plants, and in their flowering,
and in the days before these days are come, they do tell the earth-song to the
wind. And the wind in her going does whisper them to folks to print for other
folks, so other folks do have knowings earth’s songs. When I grow up, I’m going
to write for children—and grownups that haven’t grown up too much—all the
earth-song I now do hear” (McQuiddy, 1996: 4-5).
Opal is genius in her own way. According to McQuiddy’s investigation, by
having joined the local chapter of Junior Christian Endeavour, a religious
organization for rural children, Opal translated her knowledge into lectures on the
scientific and spiritual wonder of nature. Parents would bring their children to
hear her speak, and find them selves enchanted as well. McQuiddy quotes Hoff
research on a relation in The Singing Creek; the words of a woman who had
known Opal in Junior Endeavour: “She told stories. I remember the one time the
lesson was about the resurrection, and she told us about how, just as a person is
buried, a seed is buried, and how from the seed there comes later a beautiful
flower, and how death is not really death but being born into a new environment”
(McQuiddy, 1996: 5).
Based on McQuiddy’s investigation, it can be seen that Opal’s childhood is
unique: she was different child than the other children. Opal had a big interest in 11
nature. She spent most of the time by exploring her world mostly by animals and
plants, talking and playing with them as if they were human. Opal was genius in
her way that she was able to write and tell her experiences. Her lesson to children
is one of her genius that she could understand the world of nature and also she has
such method to retelling to others.
Reviewing this study, the writer wants to show that this study is different with
McQuiddy’s investigation. McQuiddy deals with the biography of Opal Whiteley,
while this study focus in examining Opal’s unhappy-childhood through the
personifications in Jane Boulton’s adaptation, The Journal of An Understanding
Heart.
2. Stephen H. Williamson’s Mental Health Report on Opal Whiteley
Stephen Williamson is the one who disagree on some experts claims that Opal
had schizophrenia. Following his idea, it is said that people with schizophrenia
may have hallucinations and fixed ideas that seem very strange to others. Such as
many homeless people who have schizophrenia, they have great difficulty
organizing their lives. And that condition, the hallucinations and delusions
interfere with people’s ability to process information in which they are often
unable to care for themselves (Williamson, 1994)
Williamson believes that Opal did not have hallucinations. Due to Opal
believe that she was related to the French family, William, based on his
investigation, says it was true. In his following investigation, William explains 12
that the fairies, in which some experts claim as Opal’s hallucinations, refers to
dragonfly insects. William says that Opal never talked to anything that was not
real; Opal also used the word ‘fairy’ to mean the spirit or soul. William writes:
At the beginning of the last century many people still believed in "fairies". Opal often writes about seeing "fairies" and "little people". In folklore a "fairy" is a small creature, generally with a human form. Fairies are also said to live in the everyday world such as trees, streams, flowers and hills. Opal believes the fairies bring her pencils and paper to write with. Opal believed that all things had a living spirit - it's "fairy". In her childhood diary she writes that yellow jackets are fairies too. In her 1918 book, The Fairyland Around Us, Opal writes that her grandmother and her uncle taught her about fairies. It is important to note that Opal NEVER writes about imaginary creatures that do not exist. Often when she uses the word "fairy" she is writing about the soul within a living animal or plant. This is much closer to the Native American and Celtic belief system. She is not hallucinating and seeing things that are not there. Many researchers have made this mistake. I had to read many different texts she wrote to notice the difference (Williamson,1994).
Refusing the idea that Opal did not have schizophrenia, Williamson shows that
Opal had Asperger’s syndrome. Opal presented a complex mix of psychiatric
symptom; a condition in which Opal’s behavior is often like a person who has
obsessive compulsive disorder. Williamson writes:
She also shows signs of OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Opal is always counting things like rocks, trees and the number of steps she takes. Opal's had few close relationships. She may have been briefly married, but that is in dispute. While she could develop strong bonds with older adults and younger children Opal had great difficulty making friends among people her own age. This seems to have been the pattern throughout her life. Her male relationship were almost exclusively with men old enough to be her father or grandfather and her women friends tended to be grandmotherly types as well (Williamson, 1994).
Thus, based on Williamson explanation, people with Asperger’s tend to have
trouble in personal relationship; they tend have few interests or hobbies, but they 13
can learn these to an almost genius level. Some can learn and absorb subjects they
are interested in faster than normal people. People with Asperger’s often have
superior memory skills. Williamson says that Opal had a very formal way of
speaking and using word at her young age is characterized as Asperger’s
syndrome. Most people with Asperger’s have normal or slightly above normal
intelligence. Opal was clearly genius in her nature studies and writing
(Williamson, 1994)
Williamson makes diagnostic criteria for Aspherger’s that fit Opal.
Williamson states that Opal has difficulty developing peer relationship (children
with Asperher’s syndrome may be more comfortable with adult rather than other
children), Opal is fascinated with map, globe, and routes, Opal has superior route
memory, preoccupation with a particular subject to the exclusion of all others; she
amasses many related facts, sensitivity to the environment, loud noises, clothing
and food textures, and odors, Opal is pedantic as she has formal style of speaking;
often called “ little professor”, verbose (well documented in Cottage Grove), Opal
is socially and emotionally inappropriate responses, Opal has extensive
vocabulary as she has Read commences at an early age (hyperlexia), and she has
Difficulty with “give and take” of conversation (Williamson, 1994).
In this study, the writer is in agreement with Williamson’s statement that Opal
has Asperger’s syndrome. However, the writer would like to support
Williamson’s idea by showing the facts to indicates Opal’s Asperger’s syndrome
in the intensity of the interaction between Opal and the personified objects. 14
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Personification
Based on Kennedy and Gioia, they described personification as a figure of
speech in which a thing, an animal, or an abstract term is endowed with human
characteristic. Personification allows an author to dramatize nonhuman world in
tangibly human terms (Kennedy, Gioia, 2002: 676). The same idea is written in
Barnet’s book; it is said that personification is the attribution of human feelings or
characteristic or abstraction or to inanimate objects (Barnet, 1993: 461). By using
this theory, the writer in this study tries to find out the whole personification in
the poem-diary of Opal Whiteley that is adapted by Jean Boulton, then the writes
tries to do the analysis to find Opal’s activities through those personifications in
which those will be used to show Opal’s unhappy childhood.
2. The Diagnostic Assessment of Girls with Asperger’s Syndrome
This part is a review on Dr. Tony Atwood papers that the titles are Diagnosis
of Asperger Syndrome and The Pattern of Abilities and Development of Girls with
Asperger’s Syndrome. Dr. Tony Atwood is a leading expert of Asperger’s
syndrome who completes the diagnose of this syndrome that is first found by Dr.
Hans Asperger. In 1944, Hans Asperger identified the syndrome as a set of
behavior patterns apparent in some of his patients, mostly males. Dr. Asperger 15
noticed that although these boys had normal intelligence and language
development, they had severely impaired social skills, were unable to
communicate effectively with others, and had poor coordination. Atwood, in his
paper, explains that the simplest way to understand the syndrome is that it
describes someone who thinks and perceives the world differently from other
people. Atwood says that the term ‘Asperger’s syndrome’ is used based on the
perspective description of the first founder, Hans Asperger (Atwood, 2011).
Based on Atwood’s research, the majority of children referred for a diagnostic
assessment are boys. A recent analysis of over one thousand referrals to the clinic
over twelve years, established a ratio of males to females of 4 to 1. Atwood notes
that girls with Asperger’s syndrome may be more difficult to recognise and
diagnose due to coping and camouflaging mechanisms, which can also be used by
some boys. Atwood writes:
One of the coping mechanisms is to learn how to act in a social setting, as described by Liane Holliday Willey in her autobiography, Pretending to be Normal (Willey 1999). The clinician perceives someone who appears able to develop a reciprocal conversation and to use appropriate affect and gestures during the interaction. However, further investigation may determine that the child adopted a social role and script, basing this persona on the characteristics of someone who would be reasonably socially skilled in the situation, and using intellectual abilities rather than intuition to determine what to say or do. A camouflaging strategy is to conceal confusion when playing with peers by politely declining invitations to join in until sure of what to do, so as not to make a conspicuous social error. The strategy is to wait, observe carefully, and only participate when sure what to do by imitating what the children have done previously. If the rules or nature of the game suddenly change, the child is lost (Atwood, 2011). 16
Commonly, Girls with Asperger’s syndrome have problems with social
understanding, Atwood considers it as a failure to develop peer relationship. In
his paper, Atwood writes that:
Social ability and friendship skills are highly valued by peers and adults and not being successful in these areas can lead some children with Asperger’s syndrome to internalise their thoughts and feelings by being overly apologetic, self-critical and increasingly socially withdrawn. The child, sometimes as young as six or seven years old, may develop a clinical depression as result of insight into being different and perceiving him- or herself as socially defective. Intellectually, the child has the ability to recognise his or her social isolation, but lacks social skills in comparison to intellectual and age peers, and does not know intuitively what to do to achieve social success. Brave attempts by the child to improve social integration with other children may be ridiculed and the child deliberately shunned. Teachers and parents may not be providing the necessary level of guidance and especially encouragement. The child desperately wants to be included and to have friends but does not know what to do (Atwood, 2011).
The consequence of that condition, girls with Asperger’s syndrome may
escape their depression in imagination. Atwood explains that they would develop
vivid and complex imaginary world, sometimes with make-believe friends. Some
girls with Asperger’s syndrome can develop the ability to use imaginary friends,
characters and worlds to write quite remarkable fiction. This could lead to success
as an author of fiction, or as a travel journalist (Atwood, 2011). In his other paper,
Atwood writes:
When a child would like more friends but clearly has little success in this area, one option is to create imaginary friends. This often occurs with young girls who visualise friends in their solitary play or use dolls as a substitute for real people. Girls with Asperger’s Syndrome can create imaginary friends and elaborate doll play which superficially resembles the play of other girls but 17
there can be several qualitative differences. They often lack reciprocity in their natural social play and can be too controlling when playing with their peers (Atwood, 1999).
The most popular special interests of boys with Asperger’s Syndrome are
types of transport, specialist areas of science and electronics, particularly
computers. Girls with Asperger’s Syndrome can be interested in the same topics
but clinical experience suggests their special interest can be animals and classic
literature. Atwood explains that these interests are not typically associated with
boys with Asperger’s Syndrome. The interest in animals can be focused on horses
or native animals and this characteristic dismissed as simply typical of young
girls. Girls with Asperger’s Syndrome can also develop a fascination with classic
literature such as the plays of Shakespeare and poetry. Both have an intrinsic
rhythm that they find entrancing and some develop their writing skills and
fascination with words to become a successful author, poet or academic in
English literature (Atwood, 1999)
3. Loneliness in Young Girls
Kendra Cherry writes an article that the title is Loneliness; Causes, Effects,
and Treatment for Loneliness. In the article, she quotes Robert Churchil’s
statement that loneliness is a universal human emotion, yet it is both complex and
unique to each individual. Loneliness has no single common cause, so the
preventions and treatments for this damaging state of mind vary dramatically. A
lonely child who struggles to make friends at his school has different needs that a 18
lonely elderly man whose wife has recently died. In order to understand
loneliness, it is important to take a closer look at exactly what we mean by the
term "lonely" as well as the various causes, health consequences, symptoms and
potential treatments for loneliness (Loneliness; Causes, Effects, and Treatment for
Loneliness, 2011).
There are some factors causing loneliness. Cherry quotes the idea of John
Cacioppo’s, a University of Chicago psychologist and one of the top loneliness
experts, loneliness is strongly connected to genetics. Other contributing factors
include situational variables, such as physical isolation, moving to a new location
and divorce. The death of someone significant in a person's life can also lead to
feelings of loneliness. Loneliness can also be a symptom of a psychological
disorder such as depression. Cherry also says that Loneliness can also be
attributed to internal factors such as low self-esteem. People who lack confidence
in themselves often believe that they are unworthy of the attention or regard of
other people. This can lead to isolation and chronic loneliness (Loneliness;
Causes, Effects, and Treatment for Loneliness, 2011).
Another idea concerning loneliness, Janis R. Bullock writes the article that the
title is Loneliness in Young Children. According to Bullock, loneliness can be a
significant problem for young children. She writes:
Loneliness is a significant problem that can predispose young children to immediate and long-term negative consequences. However, only recently have research and intervention in educational settings focused on young children who are lonely. It is becoming increasingly clear that many young children understand the concept of loneliness and report feeling lonely. For 19
example, kindergarten and first-grade children responded appropriately to a series of questions regarding what loneliness is ("being sad and alone"), where it comes from ("nobody to play with"), and what one might do to overcome feelings of loneliness ("find a friend") (Cassidy & Asher, 1992). In a more recent study (Ladd, Kochenderfer, & Coleman, 1996), kindergarten children's loneliness in school was reliably measured with a series of questions such as, "Are you lonely in school?"; "Is school a lonely place for you?"; and "Are you sad and alone in school?" These studies suggest that young children's concepts of loneliness have meaning to them and are similar to those shared by older children and adults. This Digest presents an overview of loneliness with suggestions for practitioners on how they can apply the research in early childhood settings (Bullock, 1998).
For the consequence of loneliness, Bullock quotes Ramsey’s idea. It is written
that:
Children who feel lonely often experience poor peer relationships and therefore express more loneliness than peers with friends. They often feel excluded—a feeling that can be damaging to their self-esteem. In addition, they may experience feelings of sadness, malaise, boredom, and alienation. Furthermore, early childhood experiences that contribute to loneliness may predict loneliness during adulthood. Consequently, lonely children may miss out on many opportunities to interact with their peers and to learn important lifelong skills. Given the importance placed on the benefits of peer interactions and friendships to children's development, this potential lack of interaction raises many concerns for teachers who work with young children. Peer relations matter to children, and lonely children place as much importance on them as do other children (Ramsey in Bullock, 1998).
There are several factors contribute to feeling of loneliness, Bullock quotes
Kochenderver’s and Ladd’s idea that is written:
Several factors contribute to feelings of loneliness in young children. Some that occur outside of the school setting are conflict within the home; moving to a new school or neighborhood; losing a friend; losing an object, possession, or pet; experiencing the divorce of parents; or experiencing the death of a pet or significant person. Equally important are factors that occur within the child's school setting, such as being rejected by peers; lacking social skills and knowledge of how to make friends; or possessing personal characteristics 20
(e.g., shyness, anxiety, and low self-esteem) that contribute to difficulties in making friends. Kindergarten children who are victimized by peers (e.g., picked on, or physically or verbally attacked or taunted) report higher levels of loneliness, distress, and negative attitudes toward school than nonvictimized children (Kochenderfer & Ladd in Bullock, 1998).
C. Theoretical Framework
As it is mentioned at the first chapter, this study has two problem formulation.
The firs problem is about the examination of personification in The Journal of An
Understanding Heart. The theory that is used to solve this problem is theory of
personification, that is, based on Kennedy’s and Gioia’s, a figure of speech in
which a thing, an animal, or abstract term is endowed with human characteristic.
This theory is needed in this study to find the personified objects in the poem-
diary and to explain the way Opal treats those objects as they are human.
The last problem in this analysis is to examine Opal’s unhappy-childhood
through the personification in the poem-diary. There are some steps to answer this
problem, first, is examining the intensity of the interaction between Opal and the
personified objects, second, is examining Opal’s behavior disorder, third, is
examining Opal’s loneliness, and the last, is examining Opal’s unhappy
childhood.
To explain Opal’s behavior disorder, the writer agrees with Williamson’s
statement that Opal has Asperger’s syndrome. Thus, this study applies Atwood
theory of the diagnose of Asperger’s syndrome in girls to prove that Opal has 21
Asperger’s syndrome by seeing the intensity of the interaction between Opal and
the personified objects.
That Opal has Asperger’s syndrome is a clear evidence to become the cause of
Opal’s loneliness. Examining this case, Bullock’s explanation on loneliness in
young children and Cherry’s argument on the causes, effects, and treatments of
loneliness are applied to support the explanation.
By examining the intensity of the interaction between Opal and the
personified objects, Opal’s behavior disorder and loneliness, it will be seen that
during Opal’s childhood, she is unhappy.
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
This study is using Jane Boulton’s The Journal of An Understanding Heart as
the object of the study. This book is the only modern edition of Opal’s diary in
which Boulton adapted as poetry form and edited some misspelling words. Jane
Boulton’s The Journal of An Understanding Heart originally published in 1976
by Macmillan and reissued in 1984 by Tioga Publishing Company of Palo Alto,
California. The Macmillan edition, that is the subject in this study, is published in
1996 by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Limited St Martins Tower, 31 Market
Street, Sydney by arrangement with Carol Southern Books, New York.
The original diary of Opal had inspired many people; under the title ‘Opal’,
Robert Nassif Lindsey creates a music that won the Richard Rodgers Production
Award in 1992 from a committee chaired by Stephen Sondheim. Catchy
Kaemmerlan creates a one woman play under the title In Opal Word. The work
put on shows for elementary school around the country. Other musicians are
Robert Adams with his Opal, and Garry Smart with Opal’s Diary. There is also a
park created; a serene setting near Opal’s childhood home in Cottage Grove,
Oregon. And the recent work is a film under the title Opal, written and directed
by Dina Ciraulo. The movie is released in 2010.
Opal’s diary is a record of the girl’s adventure with a whimsical retinue of
friends, including Felix Mendelssohn (Opal’s favorite mouse), Virgil (a toad),
22
23
Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus (a woodrat), Aphrodite (the mother pig),
Shakespeare (the horse), Lars Porsena (the crow), Petter Paul Rubens (the pig that
follows her to school), and Michael Raphael (the tree), along with a fine
supporting cast of marginal lumber camp characters such as “the man who wears
grey neckties and is kind to mice”, Saddie McKibben (and old woman around
forty), and ‘the girl who has no seeing.’
The diary records Opal’s activities in her daily life where she spent most of
her time playing with her animal friends having an exploration trip in the wood
and fields in Lumber Camp, Oregon. In her childhood time, sometimes Opal had
conversation with potatoes that she told them her experiences and imaginations,
and with Michael Raphael, a tree in which Opal climb and talk with when she felt
sad inside.
In Jane Boulton’s adaptation, the diary is divided into five parts. Even this
diary is changed in the poetry form, but the words are Opal’s except the corrected
misspelling words. There is no subtitle in each part, so that the whole parst are
under the title The Journal of An Understanding Heart.
The first part is introducing the animal friends of Opal and describing the
environment where the event takes place. The second part is describing Opal’s
experiences at school and her relation with her teacher and schoolmates. In this
part also shows Opal’s conversation with the potatoes and the three. The third part
is about the winter time in the Lumber Camps. The next part is describing the
spring season when Opal had a lot of trip in the wood and river with her animal 24
friends. The last part is written during the rainy season in the Lumber Camps. In
this part is colored by Opal’s sadness in which some of her animal friends died.
B. Approach of the Study
In the analysis, this study uses psychological approach; that is an approach
which involves the psychological study of a particular artist. This approach
employs psychology to understand the subject’s motivation and behavior
(Kennedy and Gioia, 2002: 641).
Psychological criticism deals with a work of literature primarily as an
expression, in fictional form, of the state of mind and the structure of personality
of the individual author. But, unfortunately, based on Guerin, the limitation in this
approach is that this approach ignores the aesthetic value of the text in favor of
psychoanalyzing author and characters (Guerin, 2011: 222). This approach
emerged in the early decades of the nineteenth century, as part of the romantic
replacement of earlier mimetic and pragmatic views by an expressive view of the
nature of literature (Abrams, 1999: 247). Abrams wrote:
By 1827 Thomas Carlyle could say that the usual question "with the best of our own critics at present "is one "mainly of a psychological sort, to be answered by discovering and delineating the peculiar nature of the poet from his poetry." During the Romantic Period, we find widely practiced all three variants of the critical procedures(still current today) that are based on the assumption that a work of literature is correlated with its author's distinctive mental and emotional traits: (1) reference to the author's personality in order to explain and interpret a literary work; (2) reference to literary works in order to establish, biographically, the personality of the author; and (3) the mode of 25
reading a literary work specifically in order to experience the distinctive subjectivity, or consciousness, of its author (Abrams, 1999: 248).
This approach is needed in this study as the main discussion is about Opal’s
unhappy childhood that is seen through the personifications in some stanza in the
whole poem of The Journal of An Understanding Heart. In the personifications, it
will be seen the intensity of the interaction between Opal and the personified
object in which the interaction includes Opal’s motivation and behavior.. In
psychological discussion, every human being has a drive or impulse such as
hunger, fear, thirsty, lonely and so on to fulfill the need or desire. In this case,
Opal interaction with personified object in the personifications written comes
from her loneliness. Though, this study needs to use this approach to answer the
problems formulation.
C. Method of the Study
This study is a library research that the primary source is Jane Boulton’s The
Journal of An Understanding Heart. The secondary sources are printed and on-
line sources. The printed sources that are used in this study are; Kennedy’s and
Gioia’s, an Introduction to Poetry, tenth edition, Barnet Berman Burto’s, An
Imtroduction to Literature, Tenth Edition, Guerin, Wilfred L, Earle Labor, Lee
Morgan, Jeanne C. Reesman, and John R. Willingham, A Handbook of Critical
Approaches to Literature Sixth Edition, and M.H. Abrahm’s a Glossary of
Literary Terms, seventh edition. The on-line sources that are used in this study 26
are; Stephen Williamson’s The Mental Health Report of Opal Whiteley, Tony
Atwood’s Diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome and The Pattern of Abilities of girl
with Asperger’s Syndrome, and Steve McQuiddy’s The Saga of Opal Whiteley.
The steps of the analysis started from the examination of personifications in
some stanza in The Journal of An Understanding Heart. The personifications
were listed per personified objects and examined by using the personification
theory. The examination included the explanation in how the personified objects
are endowed with human attributes.
The next step was the analysis on the intensity of the interaction between Opal
and the personified object, Opal’s behavior disorder, Opal’s loneliness, and
Opal’s unhappy-childhood. To explain Opal’s behavior disorder, the writer agrees
with Williamson’s statement that Opal has Asperger’s syndrome. Thus, this study
applies Atwood theory of the diagnose of Asperger’s syndrome in girls to prove
that Opal has Asperger’s syndrome by seeing the intensity of the interaction
between Opal and the personified objects.That Opal has Asperger’s syndrome is a
clear evidence to become the cause of Opal’s loneliness. Examining this case,
Bullock’s explanation on loneliness in young children and Cherry’s argument on
the causes, effects, and treatments of loneliness are applied to support the
explanation. By examining the intensity of the interaction between Opal and the
personified objects, Opal’s behavior disorder and loneliness, it will be seen that
during Opal’s childhood, she is unhappy.
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
1. The Examination of Personifications in The Journal of An Understanding
Heart
In The Journal of An Understanding Heart, there are some objects that are
personified by the way Opal gives the endowment human attribute to them. Those
objects are the tree (Michael Raphael), the pig (Peter Paul Rubens), the piggy
(Solomon Grundy), the hen (Minerva), the little chicken (Oliver Goldsmith, John
Fletcher, Sir Francis Bacon, Edmund Spenser), the dog (Brave Horatius), the
horse (Shakespeare), the woodrat (Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus), The crow
(Lars Porsena), and other objects such as the mouse (Felix Mendelssohn), the
toad (Virgil), caterpillars, potatoes, unions, flowers, the wind, the earth, the
leaves, the birds, the river, and also the sky.
In this part of the analysis, the way Opal Whitely’s treating the animals,
plants, and other things as well as human being is stated as personification.
According Kennedy’s and Gioia’s, personification is figure of speech in which a
thing, an animal, or an abstract term is endowed with human characteristic
(Kennedy and Gioia, 2002: 676). Based on that theory, this part begins with the
examination of each personified object that Opal had written in The Journal of An
Understanding Heart. Those personified objects that are examined in this study
are:
27
28
a. Michael Raphael (the tree)
In the poem-diary, the tree becomes one of the personified objects as seen in
some stanzas in part I, II, III, and V. The tree is personified as a man as Opal
endows some human attributes to it; Opal uses pronoun ‘He’, and possessive
pronoun ‘him’ as the replacement of pronoun ‘it’ and possessive pronoun ‘its’
which refers to the tree. Opal also has a conversation with the tree as well as she
talked with human being. Here are the stanzas that show the way the tree is
personified and also the explanations of those personifications:
Part I, stanza 26, lines 1-12, page 10
When I feel sad inside I talks things over with my tree. I call him Michael Raphael. It is a long jump from the barn roof into his arms. I might get my leg or my neck broken And I’d have to keep still a long time. So I always say a little prayer And do jump in a careful way It is such a comfort to Nestle up to Michael Raphael. He is a grand tree. He has an understanding soul.
At the beginning of this stanza, Opal says that when she feels sad inside, she
talk over with the tree. That statement shows that Opal considers the tree as it can
hear what Opal is talking about and understand about Opal’s sadness. It seems
that the tree is considered as human being as the endowment of human ability to
hear and understand Opal’s problem. Moreover, Opal says that the tree is a grand
tree that has an understanding soul. The tree is also personified as a man as the 29
use of pronoun ‘he’, and possessive pronoun ‘his’ to replace pronoun ‘it and
possessive pronoun ‘its’. That Opal states the tree’s ‘limb’ as ‘arm’ is also one of
the endowment of human attribute given to the tree. As the endowment of human
attribute given to the tree, therefore the tree is personified.
Similar with the previous explanation, the next stanza shows that the tree is
personified. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part I, stanza 27, lines 1-4, pages 10-11
After I talked to him and listened to his voice, I slipped down out of his arms, But I slid off the wrong limb And landed in the pig pen
In this part, it is described that Opal is not only talking to the tree, but also has
listened to it as it has a capability to say something. The first and the second line
in this stanza also show the use of possessive pronoun ‘his’ to replace ‘its’ and the
use of the word ‘arm’ to replace the tree’s limb. Linguistically, possessive
pronoun his refers to human, and either the word ‘arms’. There replacement of
that word makes the three to be personified in which those words belong to
human attribute.
The next stanza occurs in the part II. The context of this stanza is that Opal is
having a conversation with her friend, the girl who has no seeing, to whom she
tells about the trees talking. The personified object in this stanza is the threes.
Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part II, stanza 53, lines 1-3, page 46
30
One day I told her about the trees talking, then she did want to know about the voices, and now I do help her to hear them.
The first line in this stanza ‘One day I told her about the trees talking,’
signifies that Opal does not only personify one tree that she called Michael
Raphael, but also the other trees as she wrote ‘the trees talking’; the endowment
of human characteristic is seen as the trees are said to be able to speak as human,
therefore the trees are personified.
Another personification that refers to Michael Raphael is in stanza 20 in the
part III. It is about Opal conversation with the tree in which she can explore her
problem to the tree as it can understand her story. Here is the stanza and the
examination:
Part III, stanza 20, lines 1-6, page 62
From there I did go to talk with Michael Raphael. He does so understand. All troubles that do trouble me I do talk over with him. While I was telling him about the mistake of the angels, I did hear a little voice.
The tree is personified as Opal write: ‘I did go to talk with Michael Raphael’,
‘He does so Understand’, ‘I do talk over with him’, and ‘While I was telling him’.
From the lines that Opal wrote, those give strong illustration that the tree is
endowed with human capability to listen and understand what Opal told to it. As
the endowment of human characteristic given to the tree, therefore it is
personified. 31
The last record about the tree is in stanza 59 in part V where it shows the last
time for Opal to see the tree. This stanza shows Opal’s illustration of the pain
from the sound that she hears when the saw slaughters the tree. Here is the poem:
Part V, stanza 59, lines 1-26, pages 152-153
Some day I will write about the great tree that I love. Today I did watch and I did hear its moans as the saw went through it. There was a queer feel in my throat and I couldn’t stand up. All the woods seemed still except the pain-sound of the saw. It seemed like a little voice was calling from the cliffs. And then it was many voices. They were all little voices calling as one silver voice come together. The saw—it didn’t stop— it went on sawing. Then I did have thinks the silver voice was calling to the soul of the big tree. The saw did stop. There was a stillness. There was a queer sad sound. The big tree did quiver It did sway. It crashed to earth. Oh, Michael Raphael!
The tree is personified together with the saw and the voice as they are alive,
have feeling, and have a queer sad sound. In this part, Opal writes: ‘today I did
watch and did hear it moans as the saw went through it’. That is a clear
illustration that makes the tree is well personified as it can moan when the saw 32
starts sawing it. While other things that are personified are written in ‘the pain-
sound of the saw’, ‘a little voice was calling from the cliffs’, ‘the silver voice was
calling to the soul of the tree’. The description in this stanza creates an illustration
that the tree and those inanimate objects are alive. Such as animate characteristic
given to those inanimate objects makes those to be personified, and the
endowment of more attribute addressed to it makes it to be personified.
b. Peter Paul Rubens (The Pig)
The interaction between Opal and the pig that she calls Peter Paul Ruben
shows Opal’s treatment as the pig is human being. Opal’s treatment finally makes
the pig to be personified as the human attribution given to it. That the pig is
personified is seen in some stanzas in part I and II. Here are the stanzas and the
explanations:
Part I, stanza 54, line 5-8, page 19
The grunts he gave were such nice ones. He stood there saying: “I have come to your school. What class are you going to put me in?”
Pronoun ‘he’ in this stanza refers to the pig. The personification in this stanza
occurs as the pig is personified as a man by the given pronoun ‘he’. In the second
line which followed by the third and fourth line, it is written that the pig were
saying: “I have come to your school. What class are you going to put me?” thus
signifies that Opal considers the pig’s grunting as it is human language. This case 33
is clearly showing the endowment of human attribute addressed to the pig,
therefore the pig is personified.
The next stanza is the continuity of the previous stanza which describes the
event in the school when the pig is disturbing the class by its grunting. The pig is
personified as Opal’s thought that her friend should be glad by the appearance of
the pig, and also Opal’s thought of the pig’s grunting could be understood by
other people. The pig is also personified when Opal brings it to pray together.
Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part I, stanza 55, line 1-12, pages 19-20
The children all turned in their seats. I’m sure they were glad he was in school— and him talking there in that dear way. I guess our teacher doesn’t have understanding of pig talk. She came at him in a hurry with a stick. When I made interferes she did send us both home in a quick way. On the way we dug up many little plants to plant in my cathedral. And we had prayers and came home.
In this stanza, some lines indicate the way the pig is personified. In line 2, 3,
and six, the use of objective pronoun ‘him’ and pronoun ‘he’, as the objective
pronoun and the pronoun belong to human attribute, thus the pig is personified.
Another line that gives clear evidence in which the pig is personified is seen in
line 4 and 5: “I guess our teacher doesn’t have understanding of pig talk.” The
word ‘talk’ in this case refers to the pig grunt. Since the word talk belongs to 34
human activity, thus, the pig is personified. The last line that indicates the way the
pig is personified is line 11: “We had prayers.” The use of the word ‘prayer’
refers to human ability that if it is referred to the pig, then it personifies the pig.
The next stanza belongs to the second part of the poem-diary, in which it
describes Opal and the pig in praying. Opal thinks that the pig’s grunting means
‘amen’, therefore, it is possible if Opal thinks that the pig understands human
praying. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part II, stanza 42, lines 1-6, pages 42-43
And at eventime we did. And Peter Paul Rubens did grunt Amen in between times. Now every way we do pray for the man that was hungry and had a kind look in his eyes
In this stanza, the clues that indicate personification occur in the third and
fourth lines as seen in the phrases ‘did grunt Amen’, and ‘every way we do pray’.
Those phrases create an illustration that the pig has ability to understand the way
human pray. As the endowment of human attribute given to the pig, therefore it
is personified.
The next stanza describes the activity between Opal and the pig when Opal
brings it to the church. Through what Opal has written in this stanza, it can be say
that for Opal, it is necessary that the pig is allowed to have a kind of activity such
as going to the church as Christian people do. Here is the stanza and the
examination: 35
Part II, stanza 54, lines 1-16, page 47
When I came near the barn I thought of Peter Paul Rubens. Cathedral service would be good for his soul. I went inside to get his little bell and did put it on him. There was a time when there was no little bell. That was before one day I did say to the man that wears grey neckties and is kind to mice, “I do have needs of a little bell for my lovely pig to wear to church.” Now Peter Paul Rubens always knows he is going to the cathedral when I put that little bell around his neck. It does make lovely silver tinkles and he goes walking down the aisle.
Beside the use of pronoun ‘he’ and possessive pronoun ‘his’, the pig is
personified as Opal says: “I do have needs for a little bell for my lovely pig to
wear to church,” and she wrote in the line 12-14: Now Peter Paul Rubens always
knows/ he is going to the cathedral/ When I put the bell around his neck. The pig
is personified because it is considered to have a need to go to the church as
Christian people’s need to pray to God.
c. The piggy (Solomon Grundy)
Solomon Grundy is a piggy that is personified in such a way Opal endows
human attribute to it. In the poem-diary, the piggy appears in some stanzas in part
IV and V. Opal names the piggy Solomon Grundy which is uncommon name to
be given to animal. Opal also uses pronoun ‘he’ and objective pronoun ‘him’ that
stands for piggy as the replacement of the pronoun and objection pronoun ‘it’. 36
The interesting point in this part is that Opal christens the piggy; thus the piggy is
strongly personified as being christened is one of human characteristics. Here are
the stanzas and the examinations:
Part IV, stanza 12, lines 1-6, page 96
We did christen Solomon Grundy. He is such a dear baby pig. He was borned a week ago on Monday. And this being Tuesday, we did christen him for the rhyme the grandpa does sing about Solomon Grundy being christened on Tuesday.
That the piggy in this stanza is personified can be seen in the first line: “We
did christen Solomon Grundy.” In this line, the human attributes given to the
piggy is that being christen is only allowed by human. In the line 2 and 3; “He is
such a dear baby pig/ He was borned a week ago on Monday”, the given pronoun
‘he’ is not appropriate to replace pronoun ‘it’ that refers to the piggy because,
linguistically, pronoun he refers to the man. The next line; “And this being
Tuesday, we did christen him for”, the piggy is personified by the using objective
pronoun ‘him’ and the action of christening it. The last line; “Solomon Grundy
being christened on Tuesday”.
The next stanza is about Opal’s work to make a christening robe for the pig;
this shows that her treatment is uncommon treatment to animal as animal has no
need to have christening robes. Thus, the pig is personified. Here is the stanza and
the examination:
Part IV, stanza 13, lines 1-5, page 96
37
I made him a christening robe out of a new dish towel but the aunt had no appreciations of the great need for a christening robe.
In this stanza, it can be seen in the first line; “I made him a christening robe”,
that the use the objective pronoun ‘him’ refers to the piggy, and Opal’s action to
make a christening robe for the piggy makes it personified as animal has no need
to wear such christening robes. However, Opal supposes that the pig would wear
it for the christening process. Thus, the piggy is equalized as human being as it is
considered to follow the christening process and therefore the piggy is
personified.
The next stanza, the piggy is personified as a man as is the using objective and
possessive pronoun ‘him’ and ‘his’ that stands for the piggy. Here is the stanza
and the examination:
. Part IV, stanza 16, lines 4-9, page 98
After the naming of him, I did say the lord prayer softly over the head of Solomon Grundy. After I said amen, I did poke him in among all his sisters and near unto his mother
In this stanza, the first line shows the use of objective pronoun ‘him’ which
refers to the piggy. The use of that objective pronoun makes the piggy to be
personified as a man. Another using of objective pronoun ‘him’ lies in the seventh
line, and the next two lines shows the use of possessive pronoun ‘his’. The use of 38
the objective and possessive pronoun ‘him’ and ‘his’ for piggy, linguistically,
refers to the man, therefore the piggy is personified.
The next stanza shows the event in which the pig is personified in such a way
Opal treats it as it seems to have human ability to understand what Opal means to
it. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part IV, stanza 22, lines 1-2, 6-10, 14-17, page 100
Solomon Grundy is grunting here beside me. I showed him the books … I did bow my head and ask my guardian angel to tell them there in heaven about Solomon Grundy being christened today. Then I drew him up closer to my apron and I patted him often. … The more pats I gave Solomon Grundy the closer he snuggled up besides me. I will sing him a lullaby before I take him back to his mother.
In this stanza, the use of objective pronoun ‘him’ as the replacement of
pronoun ‘it’ stands for the piggy personifies it. the use of objective pronoun ‘him’
can also be seen in the second line: “I showed him the book”, in the ninth line:
“Then I drew him up closer to my apron”, in the tenth line: “and I patted him
often”, in line sixteenth: “I will sing him a lullaby”, and in the last line: “before I
take him back to his mother”. While the use of pronoun ‘he’ as the replacement of
pronoun ‘it’ can be seen in fifteenth line: “the closer he snuggled up besides me”.
Another personification occurs in eight line: “about Solomon Grundy being 39
christened today” that being christen is only human allowed to human being and
therefore the piggy is personified.
The next stanza shows that the piggy is personified by the given pronoun
‘him’ and possessive pronoun ‘his’ to replace ‘it’ and ‘its’. That the piggy is
personified also can be seen in forth line that the piggy is said wearing the
christening robe; this makes a sense that the piggy has a need to wear the
christening robe. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part IV, stanza 23, lines 1-7, page 100-101
Today I went to visit my dear love with Solomon Grundy in one arm and Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus in the other. Solomon Grundy wore his christening robe and he looked very sweet in it. I gave him a nice warm bath before we did start, so as to get all the pig pen smell of.
In this stanza, the forth line shows the use of possessive pronoun ‘his’ in:
“Solomon Grundy wore his christening robe”, and in this line, structurally, the
form of the sentence is active sentence, which means that the piggy is not being
worn the christening robe, but it is wears the christening robe. It means that the
piggy has the ability as like human being wearing the clothes. Another
personification lies in the fifth and sixth line, that show the use of pronoun ‘he’
and objective pronoun ‘him’ which linguistically refers to the man. As the
endowment of human attributes addressed to the piggy, therefore it is personified.
The next stanza shows the use of pronoun ‘he’, objective pronoun ‘him’,
possessive pronoun ‘his’ as the replacement of pronoun and objective pronoun ‘it’ 40
that stands for the piggy. The replacement makes the piggy to be personified as a
man. Another personification is also seen in the line 5, in when the pig grunt is
stated as a question to Opal. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part IV, stanza 25, lines 1-7, page 101
Solomon Grundy did grunt a little grunt. So I did sing to him: “Did he smile his works to see? Did he who made the lamb make thee?” He grunted a grunt with a question in it. “Indeed he did, Solomon Grundy, indeed he did And the hairs of thy baby head—they are numbered.”
The second line in this stanza shows the use of objective pronoun ‘him’, and
continued in the fifth line: “He grunted a grunt with a question in it”, in which the
use of pronoun ‘he’ and the modified noun ‘grunt with a question in it’ makes the
piggy to be personified; the objective pronoun and the pronoun that stand for the
piggy, linguistically, replace the objective pronoun and the pronoun it that stand
for animal and the modified noun shows as if the piggy seems to have the ability
of human thought. As the endowment of human attribute addressed to the piggy,
therefore it is personified.
d. The dog (Brave Horatius)
Along her childhood, Opal is often accompanied by her dog that she calls
Brave Horatius. In some stanzas in the whole poem, it is seen that the way Opal
treats her dog is personified it. That the dog is personified is found in some
stanzas in the poem. Here are the stanzas and the examinations:
Part II, stanza 22, line 1-10, page 34 41
While I was listening to the voices of the night, Brave Horatius did catch the corner Of my nightgown in his mouth And did pull in most hard way To go back to the house we live in. He barks when he thinks it is going-home-time. I listen. Sometimes I go back and he goes with me. Sometimes I go on and he goes with me. He knows most all the poetry
Beside the dog is personified by the use of pronoun ‘he’, and possessive
pronoun ‘his’ as the replacement of pronoun ‘it’ and possessive pronoun ‘its’ as
seen in line 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, and 10, the dog is personified as Opal said that the dog
understand the time to go home as it is written in line 6, and Opal says that the
dog knows most all the poetry. That lines show that the dog has the ability to
understand poetry as if it is human being, thus, as the endowment of human
attribute addressed to the dog, therefore it is personified.
The next stanza shows that Opal considers the dog understand human praying;
she says that the dog responses what she does as it is human being, thus the dog
is personified. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part IV, stanza 98, lines 1-5, page 129
When I did finish prayers Brave Horatius did bark Amen. I gave him a pat and then did say, “Blessed be pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
In this stanza, Opal said that the dog barks amen after Opal finishes her
praying. Opal says that the dog’s barking means ‘amen’. It can be say that Opal 42
considers the dog as it can understand human praying as human being. It is also
seen in line 4-5 that the dog is considers being able to understand human praying
as Opal says: “Blessed be pure in heart, for they shall see God.” The dog is
personified is also seen in the use of objective pronoun ‘him’ to replace ‘it’ as
seen in line 3. As the given human attribute addressed to the dog, therefore it is
personified.
The next stanza shows that Opal talks with the dog as it is human being; thus
implies that Opal considers the dog understand what she told to it, therefore the
dog is personified. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part V, stanza 97, lines 10-15, page 165
Brave Horatius put his nose by my hand. I gave him pats. He looked at me. I told him, “C’est la pleine lune.” (It’s the full moon) We went on to the hill where its coming was.
Besides of the use of pronoun ‘he’ as a replacement of pronoun ‘it’ that stands
for the dog, the personification occurs in which Opal tells something to the dog in
French language as seen in line 14: “C’est la pleine lune. (It’s the full moon) This
line implies that Opal considers that the dog understands what Opal says; it
involves the endowment of human ability to use human language, therefore the
dog is personified.
e. The potatoes 43
Opal has interesting interactions with the potatoes in her grandfather’s field.
In her poem diary, Opal’s thinking about the potatoes is different; she has
conversation with the potatoes, sings Ave Maria song for them, and also considers
that the potatoes have eyes to see the world. All of those interesting interactions
between Opal and the potatoes are recorded in some stanzas in part II and IV in
her poem-diary. Here are the stanzas and the examination:
Part II, stanza 10, line 1-11, page 29
Today the grandpa dug potatoes in the field I followed along after I picked them up and piled them in piles. Some of them where very plump. And all the time I was picking up potatoes I did have conversation with them. To some potatoes I did tell about my hospital in the near woods and all the little folk in it and how much prayers and songs and mentholatum helps them to have well feels.
The potatoes in this stanza are personified as Opal has conversation with
them. It is written that to some potatoes, Opal tells about the hospital with the
woods that all the little folk were in it in which prayers, songs, and mentholatum
have them to have well feels. It can be said, through the conversation, that Opal
considers the potatoes understands the conversation as they have human ability to
listen and understand what Opal says. Therefore, Opal’s treatment personified the
potatoes.
The next stanza is about Opal’s idea toward potatoes. In this part is recorded
Opal’s talking to the potatoes and also and the description that potatoes are 44
interesting which have many eyes to see inside the earth. In this stanza, they way
Opal writes about the potatoes is personified them. Here are the stanza and the
analysis:
Part II, stanza 11, line 1, 8-15, page 29-30
To other potatoes I did talk about my friends— … Potatoes are very interesting folks. I think they must see a lot of what is going on in the earth. They have so many eyes. Too, I did have thinks of all their growing days there in the ground, and all the things they did bear.
In the first line in this stanza, it can be said that the potatoes seems to be able
to hear and understand Opal’s talking. Therefore, Opal add human characteristic
such as the ability to hear and understand human talking. Another endowment of
human characteristic is seen in the line 8-15 that the potatoes are said to be able to
see and bear something happened in the earth. The endowment of human
characteristic addressed to the potatoes makes those to be personified.
The next stanza describes Opal’s activity counting the eyes of the potatoes
that the word ‘eyes’ refers to the buds of the potatoes. The replacement then
personifies the potatoes. Here are the stanza and the examination:
Part II, stanza12, line 1-3, page 30
And after, I did count the eyes that every potato did have, and their numbers were in blessings.
45
The potatoes in this stanza are personified as they are said to have eyes in
which those are blessing. Thus occur in first line: “And after, I did count the
eyes”, and the third line: “and their numbers were in blessings”. That the word
‘eyes’ in this stanza refers to the buds of the potatoes, therefore the potatoes are
personified as ‘eye’ does not belong to potatoes.
The next stanza shows Opal’s suspicion that the potatoes wear brown robes,
which the brown robes actually refer to the peels of the potatoes and Opal sings
Ave Maria song to the potatoes. Opal’s suspicion and treatment toward the
potatoes personified them. Here are the stanza and the examination:
Part II, stanza 24, line 1-5, page 34-35
All potatoes were in rows. One row was forty-four and one was sixty. A choir with a goodly number of folks in it— all potato folks wearing brown robes. Then I did sing one “Ave Maria.”
The sentence in the fourth line in this stanza: “all potato folks wearing brown
robes”, makes a sense that the potatoes have no peels; they seem to have ability to
wear the brown robes as their peels. Thus for Opal, the potatoes are considered to
be christen that is indicated by the words ‘brown robes’. Opal’s considering in
this case makes the potatoes are personified as become christen by wearing the
brown robes that the potatoes seem to have a need to do so. Moreover, the sense
of personification for the potatoes is substantiated by Opal singing Ave Maria
song. 46
The next stanza shows that Opal describes the potatoes as they have eyes to
see the world in the underground. As the given increment characteristic for the
potatoes to have an ability to see, therefore the potatoes are personified. Here is
the stanza and the examination:
Part IV, stanza 50, 1-11, page 111
All day today I did be careful to leave an eye on every piece. And I did have meditations about what things the eyes of the potatoes do see there in the ground. I have thinks they do have seeing of black velvet moles and large earthworms. I have longings for more eyes. There is much to see in this world all about.
In this stanza, it is seen the use of word ‘eyes’ as the replacement of the word
‘buds’ that stands for potatoes in line 2: “to leave an eye on every pieces”, in line
4: “the eyes of the potatoes”, and line 9: “I have longings for more eyes”. The
replacement makes a sense that the potatoes have the eyes to see, and it is right
that it is substantiated in some line that Opal wrote that the potatoes see the
world: “the eyes of the potatoes/ do see there in the ground/I do think they have
seeing of black velvet moles/and large earthworm”. By the given more
characteristic for the potatoes such an ability to see, therefore the potatoes are
personified.
47
f. The chickens
During her childhood, Opal experiences a unique interaction with some
chickens in the hen house of her family. One of the hens she named Minerva, the
hen which has some little chickens. In Opal interaction with those chickens, it
seems that Opal seriously wants the little chickens to be christened; Opal makes
some christening robes to those little chickens for the christening process. The
stanzas in this part are the written records that show the way the chickens are
personified. Here are the stanzas and the examination:
Part IV, stanza 47, lines 1-11, page 109-110
Minerva had one baby four days ago And one baby three says ago And soon she will have fifteen children. I told her names I picked for her children. There is Edmund Spenser and John Fletcher And Sir Francis Bacon and Oliver Goldsmith. And when I did tell her She ate all the grain in my hand. It is so nice she has so many children. I do so like to pick out names.
‘She’ in line 3 in this stanza refers to the hen and ‘children’ refers to the little
chickens. The replacement of those words signifies that the chickens are endowed
with human attribute, thus they are personified. Another personification occurs in
line 4 that Opal tells the hen about the names she picked out for those little
chickens; it signifies that Opal considers the hen to be able to understand what she
says. However, the names that she picked out for those little chicken are
uncommon names given to the animal; Edmund Spenser is the name that refers to 48
an famous English poet who is recognized as one of the premier craftsmen of
modern English verse in its infancy, John Fletcher is the name that refers to a
Jacobean playwright who remains an important transitional figure between the
Elizabethan popular tradition and the popular drama of the restoration, Sir Francis
Bacon is the name that refers to a famous English philosopher, scientist,
statesmen, lawyer, jurist, ad author, while Oliver Goldsmith is a name that refers
to an Irish writer, poet, and physician known for his novel The Vicar of
Wakefield. Those names, however, signify that Opal considers those little
chickens as more than animal; those are endowed with human attribute and
therefore they are personified.
The next stanza records the event in which Opal makes the little chickens
christening robes and then brings them to the cathedral to christen them. They
way Opal treats the chickens, makes them personified. Here is the stanza and the
examination:
Part IV, stanza 48, lines 1-12, page 110
Now there is need for me to get those christening robes done for her children. On the day of their christening I will carry them in a little basket to the cathedral. They are very delicate. Today I did show Minerva the little cap with ruffles on it that I have just made for her to wear at their christening. I made it like Jenny strong’s morning cap. When I told Minerva she did chuckle some more chuckles.
49
In this stanza, the personified objects are the hen and the little chickens. In
line 1-6, it is seen that Opal really needs the little chickens to be christened; she
makes the chicken christening robes and carries them to the cathedral. It signifies
that Opal makes equalization between human and the chickens as Opal treats
them like human being who needs to hold religion such as being christen. In line
7-12, the personified object is the hen which it personifies by Opal’s making it the
little cup with ruffles to wear at the christening time and the use of pronoun ‘she’
and objective pronoun ‘her’ to replace pronoun and objective pronoun ‘it’. This
seems that Opal makes equalization between the chickens and human being as
seen by the endowment of human attribute addressed to the chickens, thus, they
are personified.
In the next stanza, the personified object is one of the little chickens that Opal
names Oliver Goldsmith. It is personified as Opal treats it like human being. Here
is the stanza and the examination:
Part IV, Stanza 60, lines 1-8, page 114
The chickens waited waits in the corner of the basket while I did put the christening robes on the others. Oliver Goldsmith had a little bow on his. He would not keep still while I was getting him into his robe. He peeped three times.
Opal says that the chickens waited waits for hers putting the christening robes
on the others baskets; thus Opal thinks that the chickens are waiting the turns to 50
be wore on the christening robes. This implies that for Opal, the chickens seem
like human who understand about the ritual of christening process. However, that
the chickens are personified are supported by which Opal writes in line 5-8 that is
the description about one of the little chickens, Oliver Goldsmith, which Opal
says it would not keep still while she is getting it into the robe. Moreover, the
little chicken, Oliver Goldsmith, is personified by which Opal use pronoun ‘he’
and possessive pronoun ‘his’ and objective pronoun ‘him’ to replace ‘it’ and ‘its’.
As the human attribute given to the chickens as seen by that replacement and by
which Opal considers them as human being for the christening process, therefore
the chickens are personified.
The next stanza describes the process of the christening time. That Opal
considers the chickens as they need to be christened is the way they are
personified. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part IV, stanza 61, lines 1-18, page 114-115
Sir Francis Bacon did wear the christening robe with the ruffle of lace around it, and before I did get him put back in the basket he did catch his toe in that ruffle of lace. Then he peeped. I took his toe out of the ruffle. After I did get little brown John Fletcher and all the rest of the children into their robes then I did take out of my pocket the little white cap with the ruffles on it. I tied it under Minerva’s bill. She was a sweet picture in it coming down the cathedral aisle by my side. 51
It is not often that Minerva talks, but she did chuckle all the time while her babies were being christened.
In this stanza, the personified objects are the hen and the little chickens. In
line 1-6, the personified object is one of the little chickens, Sir Francis Bacon, to
which Opal treats it as human to be christened as Opal dresses it the christening
robe with the ruffle of lace around its neck. Moreover, in line 1-6, the use of
pronoun ‘he’, possessive pronoun ‘his’ and objective pronoun ‘him’ are to replace
pronoun and objective pronoun ‘it’ and possessive pronoun ‘its’ and the
replacement makes it personified. In line 7-12, the personified objects are the rest
of the chickens which one of them is named John Fletcher. As similar with the
previous object, in this part Opal treated the chickens as human by her dressing
them christening robe. And, the last personified object in this stanza is the hen, to
which Opal uses pronoun ‘she’ and possessive pronoun ‘her’ to replace pronoun
‘it’ and possessive pronoun ‘its’ that the replacement personifies it as ‘she’ and
‘her’ belong to human attribute. However, that the hen is personified is also seen
in which Opal says that Minerva is not often talks, in line 16: “It is not often that
Minerva talks”. Thus, as the endowment of human attribute addressed to the
chickens, therefore they are personified.
g. The horse (Shakespeare)
In Opal’s childhood time, she has a unique interaction with her neighbor’s
horse. Opal usually meets the horse in the field and in the wood. She names the
horse Shakespeare; that is an uncommon name given to the animal that this name 52
refers to the famous classic poet and tragedian of England. In some part in the
whole poem, Opal describes her experience with the horse concerning her
perception toward it; Opal considers the horse as more than it is as Opal endows
human attribute addressed to it and the endowment makes the horse is
personified. Here are the stanzas and the examination:
Part I, stanza 56, 1-11, page 20
When the cornflowers grow in the fields I do pick them up, and make a chain of flowers for Shakespeare’s neck. Then I do talk to him about the one he was named for. He is such a beautiful grey horse and his ways are ways of gentleness. Too, he does have likings like the likings I have for the blue hills beyond the fields.
William Shakespeare in this stanza, as Opal wrote in line 7, refers to the grey
horse. The name that Opal gives to the horse is not a common name for naming
the animal; moreover, William Shakespeare is the name that refers to the great
classical poet and tragedian of England. By the name that Opal gives to the horse,
it seems that for Opal, the existence of the horse is more than it is; it can be seen
through Opal’s treatment to the horse as she makes a chain to it and talk to it
about the reason of the name Opal gave to the horse. In line 8-11, Opal describes
that the horse has the ways of gentleness and it has likings like Opal’s likings for
the blue hills beyond the field. It can be seen that Opal, by the word ‘gentleness’
in line 8, gives such human attribute to the horse, and it is too excessive that Opal 53
describe that the horse has similar likings of her. Opal’s unusual treatment toward
the horse makes it personified as the horse is given some human attribute as seen
in the way Opal names it, describes it, and from the use of pronoun ‘he’, objective
pronoun ‘him’, and possessive pronoun ‘his’ to replace ‘it’ and ‘its’ that stands
for the horse.
In this following stanza, that the horse is personified, in this stanza, is seen
through the name that Opal gives to it, the use of pronoun and objective pronoun
‘he’ and ‘him’ to replace pronoun and objective pronoun ‘it’ that stands for the
horse, and Opal’s treatment to the horse. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part IV, stanza 2, lines 1-17, page 92-93
William Shakespeare is having a rest day. He is not working in the woods with the other horses. Tiredness was upon him. I gave hiss nose rubs and his neck and ears too. And I did tell him poems and sing him songs. After I did sing more sleeps come upon him. While he was going to sleep the breaths he did breathe were such long breaths. And I gave him more pats on nose. I’ll come at supper time so he may go in the barn with the other horses.
In this stanza, Opal recently uses pronoun ‘he’ and objective pronoun ‘him’ as
a replacement for pronoun and objective pronoun ‘it’ that commonly referring the
animal. Thus implies that Opal has a unique interaction with the horse, as she had 54
considered the horse more than it is as it can be seen also in such a way Opal told
poems and sang some songs to the horse. Opal’s treatment toward the horse
endows human attribute given to the horse as it is considered to be understood
Opal’s mean telling it poems and sing some songs to it; thus, the horse is
personified.
In the next stanza, the horse is personified as seen when Opal tied to talk with
it; it signifies that Opal considers the horse to be able to talk like human being.
Thus, the horse is personified. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part IV, stanza 3, lines 1-10, page 93
I did. Sleeps was still upon him. I went to pet his front leg but it was stiff. I pettet him on the nose— but it was cold. I called him but he did not answer. I Now go to tell the man who wears grey neckties and is kind to mice about his long sleep.
Objective pronoun ‘him’ and possessive pronoun ‘his’ in this stanza refers to
the horse as the replacement of objective pronoun ‘it’ and possessive pronoun ‘it’
which Opal addresses to the horse. Also in this stanza, that the horse is
personified can be seen in which Opal says that the horse did not answer her
calling. Of course, as the horse does not understand human language, it can
answer Opal’s calling, but in this context, Opal considers the horse more than 55
animal, but as it is human as Opal’s treatment given to it. Therefore, in this
stanza, the horse is personified.
The dead horse in the next stanza is personified as seen by which Opal has
given uncommon treatment; what Opal does to the dead horse is excessive as the
treatment is not for the dead animal, but closely as Opal lose someone that she
loved. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part IV, stanza 4, lines 1-19, page 93-94
We are come back. Now I do have understanding. My dear William Shakespeare will no more have wakeups again. Rob Ryder cannot give him whippings no more. He just goes because tired feels was upon him. I have covered him over with leaves. To find enough, I went to the far end of the near woods. I gathered them in my apron. Sometimes I could hardly see my way because I just could not keep from crying. I have such lonesome feels. I have thinks his soul is not far gone away. There are little blue fleurs a-blooming where he did lay him down to sleep.
In this stanza, that the horse is personified can be seen simply in the use of
pronoun ‘he’ and objective pronoun ‘him’ as the replacement of pronoun and
objective pronoun ‘it’. The replacement personifies the horse as it endows human
attribute to the horse as pronoun ‘he’ and objective pronoun ‘him’ is linguistically
refers to human being. The dramatic event in this stanza also allows the horse to 56
be personified as Opal treats it. This is uncommon activity of human being to the
dead animal; Opal covered the dead horse with leaves that Opal gathered with her
apron in the wood. Thus implies that Opal subjected the horse as well as human
being, therefore, the horse is personified.
h. The objects occur together in the stanzas
In Boulton’s The Journal of An Understanding Heart, Opal usually writes her
experiences when she is playing with her animal friends; those are written in
some stanzas in the book. In those stanzas, there are some personified objects
occur together. Here are the stanzas and the examination:
The next stanza shows some personified objects that Opal describes them as
they have such a human characteristic; the endowment of human attribute given
to them makes them personified. Here are the stanza and the examination:
Part I, stanza 60, line 7-21, page 21-22
Back with me came the dog, Brave Horatius, and the crow, Lars Porsena, and the woodrat, Thomas Chatterson Jupiter Zeus, and the toad, Virgil, and the mouse, Felix Mendelssohn. When we were all come I did climb right into the pig pen and did tie on Aphrodite’s new ribbon. I sang a little thank song and we had prayers and I gave Aphrodite little scratches on the back with a stick like she does like. That was to make up her for not getting a walk.
57
Opal gives names of classic figures for the animal such as Brave Horatius,
Lars Porsena, Virgil, Felix Mendelssohn, and Aphrodite that those name are
unusual name for animal. This shows that Opal has different Point of view to
consider the existence of animal. In this stanza, strong personification occurs in
line 16: “and we had prayers,” thus mean that in this line, Opal considers that the
animal could pray as she could. The word ‘pray’ refers to human activity in
making a wish to the God. Therefore, those animals are personified. Another
personification occurs in the use of pronoun ‘she’ that stands for the pig to replace
pronoun ‘it’ which, linguistically, refers to animal.
In the next stanza, there are some personified objects that occur together; they
are personified as Opal endows human attribute to them. Here are the stanza and
the examination:
Part II, stanza 66, lines 1-9, page 51
All my friends do feel lonesome feels for Brave Horatius. Lars Porsena, the crow, hardly has knowing what to do. Peter Paul Rubens did have going with me three times on searches, but today the pig pen fence was fixed most tight. I couldn’t unfix it with a hammer, so he couldn’t go with me.
In the first line of this stanza, Opal describes that her friends, which are
animals, have lonesome feeling. The word ‘lonesome’, according to Longman
Dictionary of Contemporary English, means people condition of being alone.
Thus, since lonesome feeling refers to human feeling, therefore the animals are 58
personified. Another personification appears in the last line in this stanza that the
use of pronoun ‘he’ to replace pronoun ‘it’ that stands for the pig makes it
personified as pronoun ‘he’ is human attribute.
i. Others objects
In this part, there are some events in which Opal Whiteley sees animals,
plants, and the nature surrounding her in a different way. Opal considers that
those things, animals, and plants have more characteristic as closely similar with
human characteristic. Those are personified as Opal describes them in a different
way. Here are the stanzas and the examinations:
Part I, stanza 11, lines 1-8, page 6
One way the road does go to the house of the girl who has no seeing. When it gets to her house it does made a bend and it does go its way to the blue hills. I tell her about the threes talking I tell her clouds ships are sailing over the hills in a hurry
In this part, things that are personified are the road, the trees, and the clouds.
The road is personified as it is seen in line 1-5, in which Opal says that the road
goes to the house of the girl who has no seeing, the road gets to her house, the
road makes a bend, and it goes to its way to the blue hills. The more characteristic
given to the road is that it has a movement as it is indicated in the use of verbs
‘goes’, ‘gets’, and ‘make’. While the trees are personified as seen in line 7: “I tell
her about the threes talking”, in which the three is endowed human attribute by it 59
is said to be able to talk. And the last things which are personified are the clouds;
which Opal says they are the clouds ships which are sailing over the hills in a
hurry.
The wind and the earth in this stanza are personifies as Opal endows some
human attribute to them. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part II, stanza 21, line 1-4, page 34
At night the wind goes walking in the field talking to the earth voices there. I did follow her down potato rows. And her goings made ripples on my nightgown.
The objects which are personified in this stanza are the wind and the earth
voice. The wind is personified as Opal says that the wind goes walking in the
field, talking to the earth voice, and it’s goings to made ripples on Opal’s
nightgown, and by the use of objective pronoun ‘her’ to replace ‘it’ that stands for
the wind. Opal’s description to the wind endowed additional characteristic to the
wind as seen in the use verbs walking and talking clearly personifies the wind.
While the earth voice in this stanza is personified in which it is said that the wind
talks to the earth voice, thus implies that both of them could talk each other. It can
be seen that there is an endowment of more characteristic given to the earth voice;
therefore, both the wind and the earth voice are personified.
The personified objects in the next stanza are the leaves and the wind: they are
personified as Opal said that they have such conversation like human being. Here
is the stanza and the examination: 60
Part II, stanza 50, lines 1-11, page 45
Now are come the days of leaves. They talk with the wind. I hear them tell of their borning days. They whisper of the hoods they wear. Today they talk of the time before their borning days. They tell how they were a part of the earth and the air before their tree-borning days. In grey days of winter they go back to the earth again. But they do not die.
The leaves in this stanza is personified in which Opal states that the leaves can
talk and whisper: “They talk with the wind/ I hear them tell of their borning days/
They whisper of the hoods they wear/ today they talk of the time/ before their
borning days/ They tell how they were a part of the earth.” The word ‘talk’ and
‘whisper’ belongs to human activity, thus the leaves are considered to be able to
understand human language and whisper about the hoods that Opal says the
leaves wear. By the endowment of such human ability to talk and whisper,
therefore the leaves are personified.
The personified object in the next stanza is the black cap; it is personified as
Opal considers it to be able to understand what Opal saying. Here is the stanza
and the examination:
Part III, stanza 10, lines 11-13, page 59
Every time I do meet this new old bird I do say, “I have happy feels to see you black cap.”
61
In this stanza, that Opal says: “I have happy feels to see you black cap”
implies that Opal considers the bird to be able to understand Opal’s saying. It
means that the bird must understand human language. Opal’s saying to the bird
indirectly personified it as Opal considers the bird understands what she has said.
In the next stanza, Opal describes that the plants and the wind can talk each
other like human being; therefore they are personified. Here is the stanza and the
examination:
Part III, stanza 61, lines 1-14, page 77
While we did have waiting at the bend of the road, the wind did say, “Je vien.” [I am coming] The plants did answer make, “Nous entendons.” [we are waiting] Then the wind say, “Le printemps viendra bientot.” [spring will come soon] And the plants did answer, “Nous fleurions bientot.” [we will blossom soon] I did have glad feels.
In this stanza, both the wind and the plants are personified by Opal’s showing
their conversation that the language they use is French and translated by Opal in
English. The conversation between the wind and the plants involves the
endowment of human character such the ability to use French language. By that
endowment of human characteristic, therefore, the wind and the plants are
personified. 62
The next stanza shows the morning, the sky, and the earth are personified as
the endowment of human characteristic addressed to them. Here is the stanza and
the examination:
Part IV, Stanza 1, lines 1-8, page 92
Morning is glad on the hills. The sky sings in blue tones. Little blue fleurs are early blooming now. I do so like blue. It is glad everywhere. When I grow up I am going to write a book about the glad of blues. The earth sings in green.
The objects that are personified in this stanza are the morning, the sky, and the
earth. In the first line, the morning is personified when Opal states that the
morning has glad feeling. The word ‘glad’ is closely refers to human feeling;
therefore the morning in this line is personified. Another object, the sky, is
personified in which Opal says that the sky sings in blue tones; it implies that the
sky is considered to be able to sings with the tones like human being, thus, by the
endowment of human characteristic, the sky is personified. The last object that is
personified in this stanza is the earth by Opal says that the earth is sing in green;
similar with the sky, the earth is considered to be able to sing like human,
therefore the earth is personified.
The next stanza, Opal says that the unions can speak as human does, therefore
the unions are personified. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part IV, stanza 7, lines 1-4, page 94-95
63
Then the mama did have me to weed unions. My back did get some tired feels but unions were saying, “We thank you for more room to grow.”
The unions in this stanza are personified when Opal says that the unions say:
“We thank you for more room to grow.” It can bee seen that the language which
is used by the unions is human language; it shows the endowment of human
characteristic given to the unions, therefore the unions are personified.
In the next stanza, the unions are personified as Opal states that they have
need for something. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part IV, stanza 11, lines 1-3, page 96
Today I did go to weed her onions for her. They did have looks like they have needs for more room to grow in.
That Opal says the unions have needs for more room to grow in, it makes
sense that the unions also have a kind of desire, like human has, to something.
The endowment given to the unions in this part is seen through the desire that
Opal addresses to the unions; thus the unions are personified.
The personified objects in the next stanza are the flowers in which Opal says
that they have sound to be heard. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part V, stanza 23, lines 1-4, page 137
In the morning of today was churning work. While I did make the handle with cross sticks go up and down I did have hearings of the flowers in the field.
64
The flowers in this stanza are personified when Opal says she can hear the
flowers in the field, it can be said that, according to Opal, the flowers has such
voice to be heard. This case implies that Opal endows more characteristic to the
flowers that normally they do not have. Thus, as the additional characteristic
given to the flowers, therefore they are personified.
In the next stanza, the personified objects are caterpillars; they are personified
as Opal wants them to be christened. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part V, stanza 44, lines 6-12, page 146
When I did have them well feed I did make tries to get them into their christening robes so they can be christened before they do grow more old and before they do grow too big to wear their christening robes.
The words ‘they’ and ‘them’ in this stanza refer to the caterpillars. Opal’s
making some christening robes for caterpillars implies that Opal considers the
caterpillars need to be Christian like human being as to be Christian belongs only
to human faith, therefore the caterpillars are personified.
The personified objects in the next stanza are the clouds and the wind; they
are personified as the endowment of human attribute given to them. Here is the
stanza and the examination:
Part V, stanza 56, lines 1-5, page 151
The clouds go slow across the sky. No one seems to be in a hurry. Even the wind walks slow. 65
I think the wind is dreaming too. This is a dream day.
The objects that are personified in this stanza are the clouds and the wind. In
the first line, Opal writes that the clouds go slowly; the word ‘go’ is used to
replace ‘move’. The replacement creates a sense that the cloud seems to have
some purpose of the ‘going’. As the clouds considered having purpose, there is
more characteristic given to those clouds, therefore the clouds are personified.
Another object that is personified in this stanza is the wind, in which Opal says
that the wind walks slowly and the wind is dreaming too. The endowments given
to the wind are seen by the word ‘walk’ and ‘dreaming’, therefore the wind is
personified.
The next stanza shows that plants are personified as Opal says they could talk
like human being. Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part V, stanza 58, lines 16-22, page 152
At the end of the warm days I water the wild flowers and I water the plants that do grow in the garden. I can almost hear the tomato plants say, “We were waiting for you” every time I give them sprinkles.
In this stanza, the objects that are personified are the tomato plants. It is seen
in line 20-22: “I can almost hear the tomato plants say/ “We were waiting for
you”/ every time I give them sprinkles.” That the tomato plants are personified
lies when Opal says she hears the tomato plants’ saying: “We were waiting for 66
you”. The endowment of human characteristic such the ability of talking in
human language given to the tomato plants makes them personified.
In some stanzas in Opal’s poem, there is a unique interaction between Opal
and the crow that Opal names Lars Porsena, a name that belongs to the Etruscan
king who against the city of Rome and the name is not common name given to the
animal. It implies that Opal considers the crow as special crow as Opal gave a
special name to it. In the relation between Opal and the crow, it can be seen some
endowment of human attribute given to the crow; thus makes the crow is
personified. Here are the stanzas and the examinations:
Part V, stanza 49, lines 1-4, page 148
The waters of the brook lap and lap. They come in little ripples over the grey stones. They are rippling a song. It is a goodbye song to Lars Porsena.
Lars Porsena and the water that Opal writes in this stanza, both are
personified; the water is stated rippling a goodbye song to Lars Porsena. The
dramatization that Opal describes in this stanza shows the endowment of human
attribute such as the ability to sing goodbye song. The water is excessively
described as it could understand such sadness feeling to the death of the crow.
Here the crow becomes the main object of the dramatization; the crow is
considered to be more than it that the death is not simply said.
The next stanza, as similar with the previous stanza, is about the death of Lars
Porsena. This stanza shows that Opal considers the crow as more than animal, but 67
by the way Opal writes the dramatic even through her description about the
raindrops fallen down, indirectly Opal personifies the crow as it is human being.
Here is the stanza and the examination:
Part V, stanza 53, lines 1-5, page 150
The raindrops were coming down in a slow, sad way. The sky was crying tears for the hurt of Lars Porsena. And I was too.
Similar with the previous analysis, the raindrop, the sky, and the crow are
personified in which Opal dramatizes the even by the endowment of human
attribute given to the rain as seen in line 1-2: “The raindrop were coming down/ in
a slow, sad way”. The word sad in this part makes the raindrop seems to have a
sadness like human. In line 3: “The sky was crying tears”, crying is human
activity that Opal endows to the sky, and the crow, as the main object that
becomes the cause of the appearance of the dramatization, indirectly personified.
The next stanza shows that the crow is personified as Opal endows some
human attribute and she considers the crow as more than animal. Here is the
stanza and the examination:
Part V, stanza 54, lines 1-6, page 150
I had not knows what to do. I did cuddle him up close in my arms And I washed off some of the blood, But more and more came And sleepy feels were upon him. I did sing “Sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus.”
68
The objective pronoun ‘him’ that is seen in this stanza refers to the crow. The
objective pronoun ‘him’ is used to replace ‘it’ that means Opal considers the crow
as more than animal. Moreover, in this part Opal sings the song for human death
that is seen in the last line: “I did sing “Sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus” “. Thus,
as Opal’s considers the crow as more that animal, and Opal’s treatment as the
treatment for human being, therefore the crow is personified.
Another personified object in The Journal of An Understanding Heart is a
woodrat. Opal names the woodrat Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus. That is the
name that belongs to the three classic figures; Thomas Chatterton is an English
poet and forger of pseudo-medieval poetry, while Jupiter is the equivalent of
Zeus; the king of God and the God of sky and thunder in the Greek pantheon.
Commonly, Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus is not a familiar name given to the
animal. Thus, Opal considered the woodrat as more than animal. It can be seen
through her treatment toward it; she uses pronoun ‘he’ to replace ‘it’, she states
that the ways of the woodrat was the ways of gentleness, and she also thinks that
the woodrat can think what she does. Here are the stanza and the explanation:
Part II, stanza 31, line 6-15, page 37
When I came near to him he did squeak more of his cheese squeaks. It was most hard-having hearing of him and not having cheese for him. I could hardly keep from crying. He is a most lovely woodrat and all his ways are ways of gentleness. He is just like the mama’s baby— when he squeaks he does have expects 69
to get what he squeaks for.
The woodrat is personified in this stanza is seen in the use of pronoun ‘he’,
possessive pronoun ‘his’, and objective pronoun ‘him’ in line 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13,
14, and 15. Another personification is seen when Opal says that the woodrat has
the ways of gentleness and it is like the mama’s baby that the squeaks is its
expectation for something, as the baby’s crying for something. Thus, Opal
considers the woodrat as more than it is, but as like as human being, therefore, the
woodrat is personified.
2. Opal’s Unhappy-Childhood Seen Through the Personifications in The
Journal of An Understanding Heart
A. The Interaction Between Opal and Personified Objects
There are some objects to which Opal interacts during her childhood time,
but in this study, there are only a few objects that can be stated as personified
objects as Opal endows human attribute addressed to those objects.
In this part, it would be explained the intensity of the interaction between
Opal and the personified objects written in some stanza in The Journal of An
Understanding Heart. Those objects are: the tree (Michael Raphael), the pig
(Peter Paul Rubens), the piggy (Solomon Grundy), The Chickens (Minerva,
Edmund Spenser, Oliver Goldsmith, John Fletcher, and Sir Francis Bacon),
the horse (Shakespeare), The dog (Brave Horatius), the woodrat (Thomas 70
Chatterton Jupiter Zeus), The crow (Lars Porsena), the potatoes, tomatoes,
flowers, plants, and the nature surrounding Opal.
The purpose of analyzing the intensity of the interaction between Opal and
the personified objects in this study is to find the way Opal treated those
personified objects, the way Opal sees them and meaning of their existence in
Opal’s childhood. The explanation on the intensity of the interaction between
Opal and the personified objects is examined per each of the personified
objects. Here are the explanations:
a. The Tree
During her childhood, Opal often spends her time talking with the tree that
she called Michael Raphael. Opal climbs and shares her experiences, her
feeling, and her mind to it: “When I feel sad inside/ I talks things over with
my tree/ I called him Michael Raphael/ It is a long jump from the barn roof
into his arms.” For Opal, the tree is more than a kind of plant which has a big
stem with a lot of branches and leaves, but the tree that she called Michael
Raphael is like human being which Opal feels comfortable to close to it. Opal
says that the tree is a grand tree that has an understanding soul: “It is such a
comfort to/ nestle up to Michael Raphael/ He is a grand tree/ He has an
understanding soul” (Boulton, 1984: 10). From the quotation, it can be seen
that Opal considers the tree as well as human being as she prefers to use
pronoun ‘he’, she prefers to say that it is the grand tree rather than a big tree
that her choice of word makes the sense of the appearance of the tree is 71
different, and the most important thing is that she says it has an understanding
soul. It seems that Opal’s idea toward the tree shows her lack of attention. She
wants to be able to express her mind and only to the tree she feels comfort to
do that.
In the interaction between Opal and the tree, Opal does not only talk with
it, but she also hears the tree voices; Opal considers that the tree can talks like
human being as she can understand what the tree talks to her: “After I talked
to him and listen to his voice/ I slipped down out of his arms” (Boulton, 1984:
10). The tree is the only thing that Opal can share her sadness. Opal has often
climbed the tree when she has a lot of trouble. It is because Opal considers
that the tree is the only one that understands her. She says that: “From there I
did go to talk with Michael Raphael/ He does so understand/ All troubles that
do trouble me/ I do talk over with him” (Boulton, 1984: 62). It seems that the
tree is important for Opal more than her family or her human friends that Opal
prefers to shares her sadness to the tree rather than her family or her human
friends.
That Opal is very close with the tree makes Opal takes a deep love toward
it. Unfortunately, the interaction between Opal and the tree is not long; Opal
is very sad when the tree is cut. In her last meeting with the tree, Opal writes
her sadness of the fallen tree: “Someday I will write about/ the great tree that I
love/ Today I did watch/ and did hear its moans/ as the saw went through it/ 72
There was a queer feel in my throat/ and I couldn’t stand up” (Boulton, 1984:
152).
b. The pig
One of Opal’s animal friends is a pig that she named Peter Paul Rubens.
In the interaction between Opal and Peter Paul Rubens, Opal treats it
excessively as the pig is more than animal. That Opal gives the name Peter
Paul Rubens is one of the clues that shows Opal’s perception that she
considers the pig more as Peter Paul Rubens is the name that refers to a
Belgium baroque painter who was very famous in his time and after his death.
Opal gives that name to the pig as the existence of it is important for Opal,
therefore Opal needs to give a special name to that pig. With Peter Paul
Rubens, Opal often spends her day playing in the wood. In Boulton’s The
Journal of An Understanding Heart, it is recorded the first time Opal
describes the appearance of the pig when she starts to go to school; the pig is
following her. After that, Opal has a close relationship with the pig.
That Opal is close to the pig is seen through her tendency to interpret
animal voice to be human language, for example, Opal says that the pig’s
grunting means something as it seems talking in human language ; “The
grunts he gave were such nice one/ He stood there saying:/ “I have come to
your school/ What class are you going to put me in?” (Boulton, 1984:19). In
this case, Opal seems that she has the ability to understand the pig’s grunting
because she has a close relationship with the pig. Opal feels that she is 73
different with others as she thinks that the other people cannot understand
what animal means. Opal says: “And him talking there in that dear way/ I
guess our teacher doesn’t have/ understanding of pig talk/ She came at him in
a hurry with a stick” (Boulton, 1984: 20).
In the interaction between Opal and the pig, it is seen that their activity
include religious activity such as going to the cathedral and praying together.
Opal considers that the pig understands their way to go to cathedral for
praying. Opal says: “On the way we dug many little plants/ to plant in my
cathedral/ And we had Prayers/ and come home (Boulton, 1984: 20). In
another part of her writing, Opal also says: “And at eventime we did/ And
Peter Paul Rubens/ did grunt Amen in between times/ Now everyway we do
pray” (Boulton, 1984: 42-43). It seems that for Opal, the pig has a need of
something such as to go to the church, praying, and another thinks close to
religion activity. Another record shows the interaction between Opal and the
pig in religious activity. Opal writes: “When I came near the barn I thought/ of
Peter Paul Rubens/ Cathedral service would be good for his soul/ I went
inside to get his little bell” (Boulton, 1984: 47). It seems that between Opal
and the pig, there is a deep relationship in which it makes Opal thinks that she
understands the pig better as she knows what the pig needs. It is possible that
for Opal, the position of the pig is equal as human being; she considers that
the pig is not only the pig, but it seems like human that she can treat it as a
close friend as well as human being. 74
c. The piggy
Rather similar with Peter Paul Rubens, the piggy as Opal calls Solomon
Grundy is one of Opal’s animal friends. Between Opal and Solomon Grundy
there is a unique interaction to which Opal often treats it differently; she
christens Solomon Grundy. In that interaction when Opal christens Solomon
Grundy, she says that: “We did christen Solomon Grundy/ he is such a dear
baby pig/ he was borned a week ago on Monday/ And this being Tuesday, we
did christen him for/ the rhyme the grandpa does sing about/ Solomon Grundy
being christened on Tuesday” (Boulton, 1984: 96). This case implies that
Opal considers the piggy as more than animal. Opal believes that animal also
has soul as human being has, and every soul needs to hold religion. As her
impression toward the piggy, she wants it to be christened, therefore she
makes a christening robe for the piggy and christens it.
In another case of the interaction between Opal and Solomon Grundy,
sometimes she prays for it: “I did say the lord prayer softly/ over the head of
Solomon Grundy/ After I said amen, I did poke him/ in among of all his sister/
and near onto his mother” (Boulton, 1984: 98). It shows that Opal takes a
deep love toward the piggy and this indicates that Solomon Grundy is not just
Opal’s pet friend to which Opal plays with, but it is considered to be an
important part of Opal’s that she needs to take care over it. Opal’s love toward 75
Solomon Grundy is also seen when she read her books to it, and even she
sometimes sings it a song: “Solomon Grundy is grunting beside me/ I showed
him the books/…/ I did bow my head and ask my guardian angel/ to tell them
there in heaven/ about Solomon Grundy being christened today/ then I drew
him up closer to my apron/ and patted him often/…/ The more pats I gave
Solomon Grundy/ the closer he snuggled up besides me/ I will sing him a
lullaby/ before I take him back to his mother” (Boulton, 1984: 100)
d. The dog
In Opal’s childhood, she has always been accompanied by her dog that
she names Brave Horatius. Of course, the dog belongs to the Whiteley’s
family. The interesting thing in the interaction between Opal and the dog is
that Opal treats the dog as more than animal; she reads the poem for the dog,
prays together with it, and she thinks that the dog can understand exactly what
she means.
Opal often spends her night separately from her family to see the sky or
listening to the voice of the night. At that such of time, she is just
accompanied by her dog because she cannot met the other animal’s friend
such as her chickens, the pig, the horse, and the other animal friend which she
can only meet in the day. To the dog, she often tells the poem. Opal says:
“While I was listening to the voices of the night/ Brave Horatius did catch the
corner/ Of my nightgown in his mouth/ And did pull in most hard way/ To go
back to the house we live in/ He barks when he thinks it is going-home-time/ I 76
listen/ Sometimes I go back and he goes with me/ Sometimes I go on and he
goes with me/ He knows most all the poetry” (Boulton, 1984: 34)
Opal is a religious child that most of her time, she often prays for many
things. Sometimes she is praying together with her plants or animal friends. In
the interaction between Opal and the dog, it is seen also the even in which she
spent her time for praying with the dog. The interesting thing in her praying is
that she always considers the dog, or her other non-human friends to be able
to understand what she thinks, for example, she says that the dog understand
when she is praying. She writes that: “When I did finish prayers/ Brave
Horatius did bark Amen/ I gave him a pat and then did say; blessed be pure in
heart, for they shall see god” (Boulton, 1984: 129).
e. The potatoes
Opal has not only talked with animals and plants, but she also talks with
potatoes. When her grandfather digs the potatoes in the field, Opal follows
him. At the field Opal finds the potatoes to which she talks her experiences.
Opal thinks that the potatoes are her friend that she can talk to. It seems that
Opal enjoys interact with the potatoes as she says: “Today the grandpa dug
potatoes in the field/ I followed along after/ I picked them up and pilled them
in piles/ Some of them were very plump/ And all the time I was picking up the
potatoes/ I did have conversation with them/ To some potatoes I did tell
about/ my hospital near woods/ and all the little folk in it/ and how much 77
prayers and songs/ and mentholatum helps them to have well feels.” (Boulton,
1984: 29).
Opal thinks differently toward the potatoes. Opal describes that the
potatoes has a lot of eyes to see what is going on in the earth, and the potatoes
could hear all the things in the ground. Opal says: “Potatoes are very
interesting folks/ I think they must see a lot/ of what is going on in the earth/
they have so many eyes/ too I did have thinks/ of all their growing days/ there
in the ground/ and all the things they did hear” (Boulton, 1984: 30). It is
interesting that Opal has different point of view toward the potatoes; what she
thinks about the potatoes indicates that she is easily to appreciate something
that she is interested. According to her point of view, that she describe the
potatoes have eyes to see inside the earth and they could hear everything in
the ground is real; she does not means that what she says is her imagination
only. That is her ability when she is interacting with something; she seems to
be able to understand something that other people cannot.
Another interesting treatment of Opal toward the potatoes are seen when
she says: “And after, I did count the eyes that every potatoes did have/ and
their numbers were in blessings” (Boulton, 1984: 30). In the other part of her
writing, she says: “all potato folks wearing brown robes/ Then I did sing one
‘Ave Maria’” (Boulton, 1984: 35). And also: “All day today I did careful/ to
leave an eye on every piece/ and I did have meditation about what things/ the
eyes of the potatoes/ do see there in the ground” (Boulton, 1984: 111). This 78
uncommon treatment toward the potatoes indicates that Opal enjoys having
interaction with the potatoes. She feels comfortable as this condition makes
Opal to be able to see the potatoes differently.
f. The chickens
Opal’s happiness is clearly seen when she spends her time with her
chickens. She enjoys the event when she is naming her little chickens and also
christening them. That Opal begins to name the little chickens is happened
when the hen, that she names Minerva, has just cracked its eggs. A few days
later, Opal names them one by one: “Minerva had one baby four days ago/
And one baby three says ago/ And soon she will have fifteen children/ I told
her names/ I picked for her children/ There is Edmund Spenser and John
Fletcher/ And Sir Francis Bacon and Oliver Goldsmith/ And when I did tell
her/ She ate all the grain in my hand/ It is so nice she has so many children/ I
do so like to pick out names” (Boulton, 1984: 109-110). The names that she
gives to all of her little chickens are interesting names. Those names are
actually refers to some classical artist that Opal has ever heard the story of
each from her true parents. Edmund Spenser is the name that refers to an
famous English poet who is recognized as one of the premier craftsmen of
modern English verse in its infancy, John Fletcher is the name that refers to a
Jacobean playwright who remains an important transitional figure between the
Elizabethan popular tradition and the popular drama of the restoration, Sir
Francis Bacon is the name that refers to a famous English philosopher, 79
scientist, statesmen, lawyer, jurist, ad author, while Oliver Goldsmith is a
name that refers to an Irish writer, poet, and physician known for his novel
The Vicar of Wakefield.
Through the names that Opal gives to the chickens, it can be said that
Opal likes to study such as the story of classical artist. She has good memories
toward the story she has ever heard. She also has an uncommon interest that
she has a need to christen some of her animal friends. Opal has not only
named her chickens, but she also christens them. This has been recorded in
her writing that she writes: “Now there is need for me to get those/ christening
robes done for her children/ On the day of their christening/ I will carry them
in a little basket/ to the cathedral/ They are very delicate/ Today I did show
Minerva the little cap/ with ruffles on it that I have just made/ for her to wear
at their christening/ I made it like Jenny strong’s morning cap/ When I told
Minerva she did chuckle/ some more chuckles” (Boulton, 1984: 110).
In the case of christening process, Opal thinks that those chickens are in
the same idea with what she has in mind. Opal explains that the little chickens
are waiting for the christening process as have a need to do so. Opal puts the
christening robes one by one to her chickens and she feels happy to do that.
She says: “The chickens waited waits/ in the corner of the basket/ while I did
put the christening/ robes on the others/ Oliver Goldsmith had a little bow on
his/ He would not keep still while I was/ getting him into his robe/ He peeped
three times” (Boulton, 1984: 114). And she continues: “Sir Francis Bacon did 80
wear the christening/ robe with the ruffle of lace around it/ and before I did
get him put back in the basket/ he did catch his toe in that ruffle of lace/ Then
he peeped/ I took his toe out of the ruffle/ After I did get little brown John
Fletcher/ and all the rest of the children/ into their robes/ then I did take out of
my pocket/ the little white cap/ with the ruffles on it/ I tied it under Minerva’s
bill/ She was a sweet picture in it/ coming down the cathedral aisle by my
side/ It is not often that Minerva talks/ but she did chuckle all the time/ while
her babies were being christened” (Boulton, 1984: 114-115).
g. The Horse
In Boulton’s The Journal of An Understanding Heart, some stanzas show
a unique interaction between Opal and her neighbor’s horse. Opal names the
horse Shakespeare. For Opal, that she names the horse Shakespeare is not just
without reason; Opal means something for the name she gives to the horse,
she says: “When the cornflowers grow in the fields/ I do pick them up/ and
make a chain of flowers/ for Shakespeare’s neck/ Then I do talk to him/ about
the one he was named for/” (Boulton, 1984: 20). In this part, Opal tells the
horse about the one it is given the name Shakespeare; that name belongs to an
important classical poet and tragedian of England. This case shows that Opal
loved the horse so much. For Opal, the horse is not only animal, but she
considers the horse as her friend.
In the interaction, as Opal takes a deep love to the horse, she treats the
horse as it is human being. Therefore, in some way Opal treats the horse 81
excessively; it is a kind of uncommon treatment for animal such as talking
with it, telling it poems, and even singing it some songs. It is also seen when
the time of the horse comes close to the death, Opal says: “Tiredness was
upon him/ I gave his nose rubs/ and his neck and ears too/ and I did tell him
poems/ and sing him songs/ after I did sing more/ sleeps come upon him”
(Boulton, 1984: 92-93).
When the horse dead, Opal feels that she has lost one of her beloved
friend. Her sadness is seen through her treatment toward the dead horse. Opal
says: “He just had goes/ because tired feels was upon him/ I had covered him
over with leaves/ To find enough, I went to the far end/ of the near wood/ I
gathered them in my apron/ Sometimes I could hardly see my way/ because I
just could not keep from crying/ I have such a lonesome feels” (Boulton,
1984: 93-94). That Opal covers the horse with leaves while she was crying
indicates that she want to do the best for the friend she has. She feels lonely
when the horse is dead; it is because in the interaction between Opal and the
horse, Opal considers the horse as more than animal, but as a very good
friend.
h. Other Objects
Along her childhood, Opal has many interesting interactions with plants
and animals. In this part, there are some objects that in the previous analysis,
they are stated as personified objects to which Opal describes them and even
treats them in different way. 82
Opal has a few human friends; one of them is that Opal calls the girl who
has no seeing. To that girl, Opal tells that the trees talking and also the clouds
sailing in a hurry. Opal writes: “I tell her about the trees talking/ I tell her
clouds ships are sailing in a hurry” (Boulton, 1984: 6). This case shows that
Opal does not only write her interesting experience, but she also tells to the
other person about her belief that everything can have such a human
characteristic. This is also seen in the other part of her writing: “At night the
wind goes walking in the field/ talking to the earth voices there” (Boulton,
1984: 34). From what she writes in her diary, it seems that Opal believes that
there is a conversation between the earth and the wind that she can hear and
understand.
During her childhood, Opal intimates with nature and her surrounding. It
is seen in the way she can describes the conversation between the plants and
the wind. It happens as she is close with them to observe what is going on. In
some part of her writing, she writes: “Now are come the days of leaves/ They
talk with the wind/ I hear them tell of their borning days/ They whisper of the
hoods they wear/ Today they talk of the time/ before their borning days/ They
tell how they were a part of the earth/ and the air before their tree-borning
days/ In grey days of winter they go back to the earth again/ But they do not
die” (Boulton, 1984 : 45). In the other part, she also writes: “While we did
have waiting/ at the bend of the road/ the wind did say, “Je vien.”/ [I am
coming]/ The plants did answer make,/ “Nous entendons.”/ [we are waiting]/ 83
Then the wind say,/ “Le printemps viendra bientot.”/ [spring will come soon]/
And the plants did answer/ “Nous fleurions bientot.”/ [we will blossom soon]/
I did have glad feels” (Boulton, 1984: 77).
Opal is different child than other children. She can describe whatever she
sees around her. She even can hear that the sky and the earth sing in their own
tone, as Opal says, those are blue and green tones. She writes that: “Morning
is glad on the hills/ The sky sings in blue tones/ Little blue fleurs are early
blooming now/ I do so like blue/ It is glad everywhere/ When I grow up I am
going to write a book/ about the glad of blues/ The earth sings in green”
(Boulton, 1984: 92).
Besides she can hear any kinds of voice that she describe in human
language, in the interaction between Opal and her surroundings, she also
considers that she can understand the talking of unions, flowers and tomatoes.
In some part of her diary, she writes that: “Then the mama did have me to
weed unions/ My back did get some tired feels/ but unions were saying/ “We
thank you for more room to grow” (Boulton, 1984: 94-95). She also writes:
“Today I did go to weed her onions for her/ They did have looks like they
have needs/ for more room to grow in” (Boulton, 1984: 96). In the case that
she has interacted with flowers, she writes: “In the morning of today was
churning work/ While I did make the handle/ with cross sticks go up and
down/ I did have hearings of the flowers in the field” (Boulton, 1984: 137).
And also: “At the end of the warm days/ I water the wild flowers/ and I water 84
the plants/ that do grow in the garden/ I can almost hear the tomato plants say/
“We were waiting for you”/ every time I give them sprinkles” (Bouton, 1984:
152).
It seems quite strange that Opal can listen and even speak to the plants.
But another strange event is recorded as Opal writes that she has also
christened the caterpillars and makes such christening robes for them. She
writes that: “When I did have them well feed/ I did make tries to get them/
into their christening robes/ so they can be christened/ before they do grow
more old/ and before they do grow too big/ to wear their christening robes”
(Boulton, 1984: 146).
Opal’s other animal friend that makes Opal feels deeply sad when she has
lost it is a crow that she names Lars Porsena. Opal describes that she often
spends her time in the wood playing with the crow and some of her animal
friends. Opal loves the crow so much, therefore, when someone shoots the
crow, Opal is very sad. Her sadness is seen as she describes the death of Lars
Porsena in a sadness way: “The raindrops were coming down/ in a slow, sad
way/ The sky was crying tears/ for the hurt of Lars Porsena/ And I was too”
(Boulton, 1984: 150). She continues: “I had not knows what to do/ I did
cuddle him up close in my arms/ And I washed off some of the blood/ But
more and more came/ And sleepy feels were upon him/ I did sing “Sanctus,
sanctus, Dominus Deus” (Boulton, 1984: 150). 85
The last important object to which Opal interacts is the woodrat that she
names Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus. Almost everyday Opal meets the
woodrat to give it some food or just playing around with it. Fortunately, the
woodrat seems to be a domesticated animal when Opal gets close to it. The
woodrat is a special one that Opal loves it so much. Opal said that the way the
woodrat has it the way of gentleness, and perhaps that is the reason for Opal
to give a special name to it. That is the name that belongs to the three classic
figures; Thomas Chatterton is an English poet and forger of pseudo-medieval
poetry, while Jupiter is the equivalent of Zeus; the king of God and the God of
sky and thunder in the Greek pantheon. And from what she writes, it can be
say that for Opal, the woodrat is not only an animal, but is a good friend of
Opal. Thus Opal writes: “When I came near to him/ he did squeak more of his
cheese squeaks/ It was most hard-having hearing/ of him and not having
cheese for him/ I could hardly keep from crying/ He is a most lovely woodrat/
and all his ways are ways of gentleness/ He is just like the mama’s baby—/
when he squeaks he does have expects/ to get what he squeaks for” (Boulton,
1984: 37).
B. Opal’s Behavior Disorder
Some experts have seen Opal’s disorder in her diary. It is due to the fact
that in her diary, the abnormality is seen as Opal talks with the plants and
animals, christens her pigs, chickens, and caterpillars, considers that the buds
of potatoes as their eyes to see inside the earth, and she considers that plants, 86
animals, and the nature surrounding her are able to talk as she can understand
them better.
In Williamson’s article, it is written that some experts claim that Opal has
schizophrenia as she has bizarre ideas, or Opal is like people with bipolar
disorder as she is prone to long manic bursts of energy and creativity. Some
experts who are familiar with signs of child abuse can also see recovered
memories and multiple personalities in Opal’s behavior (Williamson, 2010).
But, Stephen Williamson is one of those experts who refuses that Opal has
schizophrenia. Continuing Williamson idea that Opal has not schizophrenia,
he claims that Opal is closely similar with people with Asperger’s syndrome.
In explaining his statement that Opal has Asperger’s Syndrome, Williamson
writes that:
There is one condition that appears to include each of the behaviors that Opal had. Asperger's Syndrome. This has only recently been recognized as a form of autism which is now known to have a wide spectrum of severity. People with Asperger's tend to have trouble in personal relationships. They tend have few interests or hobbies, but they can learn these to an almost genius level. Some can learn and absorb subjects they are interested in faster than "normal people". They may count numbers, and do activities in specific steps repeatedly. They may also accumulate or hoard possessions about things they are interested in. Despite these positive qualities, people with Aspergers/Autism can seem to lack empathy with others and even "common sense". It's not that they lack empathy, they just have difficulty picking up on the same social cues the rest of us do. People with Aspergers/Autism often have superior memory skills. Opal amazed people with her ability to remember books and facts (Williamson, 2010).
Supporting the idea that Opal has trouble in personal relationship, Tony
Atwood, a leading expert of Asperger’s syndrome explains that Girls with 87
Asperger’s syndrome have problems with social understanding, Atwood
considers it as a failure to develop peer relationship. In his paper, Atwood
writes that:
The child, sometimes as young as six or seven years old, may develop a clinical depression as result of insight into being different and perceiving him- or herself as socially defective. Intellectually, the child has the ability to recognize his or her social isolation, but lacks social skills in comparison to intellectual and age peers, and does not know intuitively what to do to achieve social success. Brave attempts by the child to improve social integration with other children may be ridiculed and the child deliberately shunned. Teachers and parents may not be providing the necessary level of guidance and especially encouragement. The child desperately wants to be included and to have friends but does not know what to do (Atwood, 2011).
Through the personifications in The Journal of An Understanding Heart,
it can be seen that Opal mostly writes her experiences with animals, plants,
and nature surrounding her rather than with her peer. This case signifies that
Opal is more interested in those objects rather than her peer. Here are the
poems:
Part I, stanza 26, lines 1-12, page 10
When I feel sad inside I talks things over with my tree. I call him Michael Raphael. It is a long jump from the barn roof into his arms. I might get my leg or my neck broken And I’d have to keep still a long time. So I always say a little prayer And do jump in a careful way It is such a comfort to Nestle up to Michael Raphael. He is a grand tree. He has an understanding soul.
88
This stanza shows that Opal has close relationship with the tree. Opal talks
to the tree and she is pleasant to nestle up to the tree that she calls Michael
Raphael. As Atwood states that girls with Asperger’s syndrome have poor
skill to make relationship with peer, this stanza shows the clue that Opal
prefers to talk with the tree rather than to play with her peer. Similar clue is
shown through another stanza:
Part II, stanza 53, lines 1-3, page 46
One day I told her about the trees talking, then she did want to know about the voices, and now I do help her to hear them.
Atwood explains that girls with Asperger’s syndrome has the ability to
recognize their social isolation but lack social skills in comparison to
intellectual and age peers, and does not know intuitively what to do to achieve
social success. This stanza shows the different perspective between Opal and
her friend; Opal thinks that she can hear the trees’ talking and she also wants
to help her friend to hear the talking of the trees. On the other hand, Opal’s
friend doesn’t know about the trees’ talking. This case shows the different
perspective of Opal to perceive the world surrounding her that results in
misunderstanding conversation to other. The effect of that condition is that
Opal is hardly to get acceptance of other.
The same condition is seen through another stanza:
Part I, stanza 55, line 1-12, pages 19-20
The children all turned in their seats. 89
I’m sure they were glad he was in school— and him talking there in that dear way. I guess our teacher doesn’t have understanding of pig talk. She came at him in a hurry with a stick. When I made interferes she did send us both home in a quick way. On the way we dug up many little plants to plant in my cathedral. And we had prayers and came home.
That Opal perceives the world differently is seen in this stanza as she
considers that everybody in the class doesn’t understand the pig’s talking.
Meanwhile, Opal thinks that she understands what the pig wants to do as seen
in this stanza:
Part I, stanza 54, line 5-8, page 19
The grunts he gave were such nice ones. He stood there saying: “I have come to your school. What class are you going to put me in?”
Thus, Opal truly means that she is serious when she says that she can
understand the pig’s talking. As the result of her believes then, people
consider her as she is stubborn girl. Indeed, people do not see her behavior
disorder as her appearance seems like normal girl. Atwood explains that girls
with Asperger’s syndrome may be more difficult to recognize and diagnose
due to coping and camouflaging mechanisms, which can also be used by some
boys (Atwood, 2011). 90
Opal has difficulty to develop peer relationship, but she can easier to make
a friend with any kind of animals. That may become the consequence of her
depression condition; girls with Asperger’s syndrome may escape their
depression in imagination. Atwood explains that they would develop vivid
and complex imaginary world, sometimes with make-believe friends. Some
girls with Asperger’s syndrome can develop the ability to use imaginary
friends, characters and worlds to write quite remarkable fiction. This could
lead to success as an author of fiction, or as a travel journalist (Atwood,
2011). In his other paper, Atwood writes:
When a child would like more friends but clearly has little success in this area, one option is to create imaginary friends. This often occurs with young girls who visualize friends in their solitary play or use dolls as a substitute for real people. Girls with Asperger’s Syndrome can create imaginary friends and elaborate doll play which superficially resembles the play of other girls but there can be several qualitative differences. They often lack reciprocity in their natural social play and can be too controlling when playing with their peers (Atwood, 1999).
All of the personified objects in The Journal of An Understanding Heart
are Opal’s imaginary friends. Opal visualize those personified objects by
endows those with human attributes. Williamson states that people with
Asperger’s syndrome my have superior memory skill. This happens to Opal
that she has extensive vocabulary. The combination between her ability to
create strong imagination and her talent in memorizing the words and books 91
and stories lead her to successfully write her diary. Her skill is recorded in
these following stanzas:
Part V, stanza 59, lines 1-26, pages 152-153
Some day I will write about the great tree that I love. Today I did watch and I did hear its moans as the saw went through it. There was a queer feel in my throat and I couldn’t stand up. All the woods seemed still except the pain-sound of the saw. It seemed like a little voice was calling from the cliffs. And then it was many voices. They were all little voices calling as one silver voice come together. The saw—it didn’t stop— it went on sawing. Then I did have thinks the silver voice was calling to the soul of the big tree. The saw did stop. There was a stillness. There was a queer sad sound. The big tree did quiver It did sway. It crashed to earth. Oh, Michael Raphael!
This stanza shows Opal’s talents to describe the situation in a sad way.
Opal uses her words beautifully to express how deep her sadness in the last
moment she sees one of her imaginary friend, Michael Raphael, crashed to the
earth. As she has extensive vocabulary and strong imagination in her young
age, Opal can create imagery in her writing; she represents the things as if 92
those are alive. As Asperger’s syndrome enables her to have strong
imagination, Opal can say that the tree moans when the saw goes through it,
she can also state that the sound of the saw is a paint-voice, or silver voice
that is calling the soul of the big tree.
That Opal has strong imagination, it can also be seen in her interaction
with the potatoes:
Part II, stanza 10, line 1-11, page 29
Today the grandpa dug potatoes in the field I followed along after I picked them up and piled them in piles. Some of them where very plump. And all the time I was picking up potatoes I did have conversation with them. To some potatoes I did tell about my hospital in the near woods and all the little folk in it and how much prayers and songs and mentholatum helps them to have well feels.
In this part, Opal’s imagination is seen as she talks with the potatoes. In
this stanza, Opal tells the potatoes about the hospital near the woods where
Opal usually plays with her animal friends. In that place, the hospital that
Opal means, Opal occasionally spreads the mentholatum to her animal
friends, and indeed she prays and sings them song. This seems unusual for girl
to play alone in the wood with animals and plants. Usually, girls at that age
prefer to play with their peer. But in this case, Opal enjoys playing with her
imaginary hospital with her non-human friends in the wood.
Part II, stanza 11, line 1, 8-15, page 29-30 93
To other potatoes I did talk about my friends— … Potatoes are very interesting folks. I think they must see a lot of what is going on in the earth. They have so many eyes. Too, I did have thinks of all their growing days there in the ground, and all the things they did bear.
Through this stanza, Opal’s imagination can be identified as she considers
that the potatoes have a lot of eyes which can see anything inside the earth.
This case supports Williamson’s idea that Opal amasses many related facts,
and has sensitivity to the environment as the characteristic of Asperger’s
syndrome. In this part, this is the first time Opal meets the potatoes in her
grandfather’s field. Opal begins to use her imagination to address
characteristics that do not belong to the potatoes.
Part II, stanza 24, line 1-5, page 34-35
All potatoes were in rows. One row was forty-four and one was sixty. A choir with a goodly number of folks in it— all potato folks wearing brown robes. Then I did sing one “Ave Maria.”
Opal’s imagination through this stanza is seen as she states that the
potatoes are wearing brown robes then she sings “Ave Maria”. In this case,
Opal creates imaginary friends as if she and the potatoes are like a group of
choir. Thus, she sings as if they follow singing “Ave Maria”. This shows that 94
Opal can manage everything to be enjoyable thing which she uses to play
with.
Part IV, stanza 50, 1-11, page 111
All day today I did be careful to leave an eye on every piece. And I did have meditations about what things the eyes of the potatoes do see there in the ground. I have thinks they do have seeing of black velvet moles and large earthworms. I have longings for more eyes. There is much to see in this world all about.
Opal often thinks something differently, even though it is imaginary, she
considers that the potatoes can see everything under the ground. She thinks
that the potatoes have seen the black velvet moles and large earthworms. But
in this case, that Opal has Asperger’s syndrome, she never considers
something which is not real, this means that Opal always see the real thing
before she begins imagination. This fact is match with Williamson idea that
he writes:
It is important to note that Opal NEVER writes about imaginary creatures that do not exist. Often when she uses the word "fairy" she is writing about the soul within a living animal or plant. This is much closer to the Native American and Celtic belief system. She is not hallucinating and seeing things that are not there (Williamson, 1994).
The same condition is seen through another stanza:
Part II, stanza 50, lines 1-11, page 45
95
Now are come the days of leaves. They talk with the wind. I hear them tell of their borning days. They whisper of the hoods they wear. Today they talk of the time before their borning days. They tell how they were a part of the earth and the air before their tree-borning days. In grey days of winter they go back to the earth again. But they do not die.
In this stanza, Opal’s imaginary is seen as she writes that she can hear the
conversation between the leaves and the wind. This case is unusual to be
happened to normal girls, but for girl with Asperger’s syndrome, this may
happened. This is the way Opal overcomes her disability to make peer
relationship; she continuously creates imaginary friend and reanimates those
as those are human being.
Part III, stanza 61, lines 1-14, page 77
While we did have waiting at the bend of the road, the wind did say, “Je vien.” [I am coming] The plants did answer make, “Nous entendons.” [we are waiting] Then the wind say, “Le printemps viendra bientot.” [spring will come soon] And the plants did answer, “Nous fleurions bientot.” [we will blossom soon] I did have glad feels.
Through this stanza, it is written the conversation between the plants and
the wind which is made by Opal. Opal feels as if there is a conversation 96
between the wind and the plants that she can hear and understand. This case
shows that Opal can manage her imaginary well. What she sees becomes the
impulse to which she can use to create imaginary event that she writes in her
diary. This case also signifies that she tries to overcome her disability to make
peer relationship by creating imaginary friends.
Part IV, Stanza 1, lines 1-8, page 92
Morning is glad on the hills. The sky sings in blue tones. Little blue fleurs are early blooming now. I do so like blue. It is glad everywhere. When I grow up I am going to write a book about the glad of blues. The earth sings in green.
Similar with the previous stanza, Opal creates imaginary event which
reanimates non-human objects to have more characteristic as if those are
human being. That the use of personification in Opal’s writing shows that she
has good imagination which refers to her behavior disorder. It is match with
Williamson’s idea that Opal she has bizarre ideas, or Opal is like people with
bipolar disorder as she is prone to long manic bursts of energy and creativity.
This case shows that Opal tries to make another option to have a friend by
creating imaginary friend.
Part IV, stanza 7, lines 1-4, page 94-95
Then the mama did have me to weed unions. My back did get some tired feels but unions were saying, “We thank you for more room to grow.” 97
This part is again showing Opal behavior disorder. She considers that the
potatoes can speak as human: “We thank you for more room to grow”. This
case indicates that Opal has used her imagination to create imaginary friend as
it implies that enjoys staying for a long time talking with plants rather than her
peer. Opal is easier to talk with non-human objects as she has difficulty with
“give and take” of conversation (Williamson, 1994).
Part V, stanza 23, lines 1-4, page 137
In the morning of today was churning work. While I did make the handle with cross sticks go up and down I did have hearings of the flowers in the field.
Similar with the previous stanza, this part shows Opal’s behavior disorder
that she feels that she can hear the plant’s talking. Opal can easily
communicate with those objects as they seem to be able to understand her.
This case shows that Opal have to escape her depression into her imaginary
world; she develops her ability to use imaginary friend as she has intensive
interaction with the personified objects.
Atwood notes that the most popular special interests of boys with
Asperger’s Syndrome are types of transport, specialist areas of science and
electronics, particularly computers. Girls with Asperger’s Syndrome can be
interested in the same topics but clinical experience suggests their special
interest can be animals and classic literature. Atwood explains that these
interests are not typically associated with boys with Asperger’s Syndrome. 98
The interest in animals can be focused on horses or native animals and this
characteristic dismissed as simply typical of young girls. Girls with
Asperger’s Syndrome can also develop a fascination with classic literature
such as the plays of Shakespeare and poetry. Both have an intrinsic rhythm
that they find entrancing and some develop their writing skills and fascination
with words to become a successful author, poet or academic in English
literature (Atwood, 1999)
Atwood explanations exactly match with Opal’s behavior. Opal is
interested in animals, plants, nature, and classic literature. Opal often tells her
animals some poem and she also names her animals with classical figures’
names.
In the case that Opal is interested in animals and classic literature, the
proofs are seen in these following stanzas which shows the way Opal names
those animals with some classical figure’s names and also the way Opal
shares her knowledge about literature to those animals:
Part II, stanza 54, lines 1-16, page 47
When I came near the barn I thought of Peter Paul Rubens. Cathedral service would be good for his soul. I went inside to get his little bell and did put it on him. There was a time when there was no little bell. That was before one day I did say to the man that wears grey neckties and is kind to mice, “I do have needs of a little bell for my lovely pig to wear to church.” 99
Now Peter Paul Rubens always knows he is going to the cathedral when I put that little bell around his neck. It does make lovely silver tinkles and he goes walking down the aisle.
That Opal gives the name Peter Paul Rubens is one of the clues that shows
Opal’s perception that she considers the pig more as Peter Paul Rubens is the
name that refers to a Belgium baroque painter who was very famous in his
time and after his death. Opal is familiar with some classical names which she
learns at her age. As it becomes her interest, Opal uses those names for her
animal friends. Another similar case is seen in these following stanzas:
Part IV, stanza 22, lines 1-2, 6-10, 14-17, page 100
Solomon Grundy is grunting here beside me. I showed him the books … I did bow my head and ask my guardian angel to tell them there in heaven about Solomon Grundy being christened today. Then I drew him up closer to my apron and I patted him often. … The more pats I gave Solomon Grundy the closer he snuggled up besides me. I will sing him a lullaby before I take him back to his mother.
This part shows Opal’s action toward the piggy that she names Solomon,
also one of classical figures. Opal, as seen through this stanza, shows the
piggy her book; this happens at another event also; Opal often reads her book
to her animal friends. This fact is the evidence that Opal is interested in
literature and animals. 100
Part II, stanza 22, line 1-10, page 34
While I was listening to the voices of the night, Brave Horatius did catch the corner Of my nightgown in his mouth And did pull in most hard way To go back to the house we live in. He barks when he thinks it is going-home-time. I listen. Sometimes I go back and he goes with me. Sometimes I go on and he goes with me. He knows most all the poetry
Brave Horatius is the dog that is always with Opal. As her beloved dog,
Opal names it Horatius, also one of famous classic figures that become Opal’s
interest. That Opal states in the last line in this stanza: “He knows most all the
poetry” indicates that Opal often tells it poems that she knows.
Part IV, stanza 47, lines 1-11, page 109-110
Minerva had one baby four days ago And one baby three says ago And soon she will have fifteen children. I told her names I picked for her children. There is Edmund Spenser and John Fletcher And Sir Francis Bacon and Oliver Goldsmith. And when I did tell her She ate all the grain in my hand. It is so nice she has so many children. I do so like to pick out names.
The names that she gives to all of her little chickens are interesting names.
Those names are actually refers to some classical artist that Opal has ever
heard the story of each from her true parents. Edmund Spenser is the name
that refers to an famous English poet who is recognized as one of the premier 101
craftsmen of modern English verse in its infancy, John Fletcher is the name
that refers to a Jacobean playwright who remains an important transitional
figure between the Elizabethan popular tradition and the popular drama of the
restoration, Sir Francis Bacon is the name that refers to a famous English
philosopher, scientist, statesmen, lawyer, jurist, ad author, while Oliver
Goldsmith is a name that refers to an Irish writer, poet, and physician known
for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield. Through the names that Opal gives to
the chickens, it can be said that Opal likes to study such as the story of
classical artist. She has good memories toward the story she has ever heard.
She also has an uncommon interest that she has a need to christen some of her
animal friends.
Part I, stanza 56, 1-11, page 20
When the cornflowers grow in the fields I do pick them up, and make a chain of flowers for Shakespeare’s neck. Then I do talk to him about the one he was named for. He is such a beautiful grey horse and his ways are ways of gentleness. Too, he does have likings like the likings I have for the blue hills beyond the fields.
In this part, Opal tells the horse about the one it is given the name
Shakespeare; this case shows that Opal loved the horse so much. For Opal,
that she names the horse Shakespeare is not just without reason; Opal means
something for the name she gives to the horse, she says: “When the 102
cornflowers grow in the fields/ I do pick them up/ and make a chain of
flowers/ for Shakespeare’s neck/ Then I do talk to him/ about the one he was
named for/” (Boulton, 1984: 20). In this part, Opal tells the horse about the
one it is given the name Shakespeare; that name belongs to an important
classical poet and tragedian of England.
Williamson makes diagnostic criteria for Asperger’s that fit Opal.
Williamson states that Opal has difficulty developing peer relationship
(children with Asperger’s syndrome may be more comfortable with adult
rather than other children), Opal is fascinated with map, globe, and routes,
Opal has superior route memory, preoccupation with a particular subject to
the exclusion of all others; she amasses many related facts, sensitivity to the
environment, loud noises, clothing and food textures, and odors, Opal is
pedantic as she has formal style of speaking; often called “ little professor”,
verbose (well documented in Cottage Grove), Opal is socially and
emotionally inappropriate responses, Opal has extensive vocabulary as she
has Read commences at an early age (hyperlexia), and she has Difficulty with
“give and take” of conversation (Williamson, 1994).
Through the intensity of the interaction between Opal and personified
objects, it can be seen that Williamson’s diagnose concerning Opal’s behavior
is true; Opal spends most of her time by playing with the personified objects.
In her diary, she never writes any activity with her peer, but she can describe
in a detail what she does with her non-human friends. Williamson statements 103
that Opal is fascinated with map, globe, and routes is matched with what Opal
writes in her diary that she often goes to the wood with her animal friends.
She never lost her way to back home as she is well familiar with the nature
surrounding her. It seems that Opal can memorize anything that she
experienced.
From the intensity of the interaction between Opal and the personified
objects, Opal considers those objects as they are human. Opal can easily
communicate with those objects as they seem to be able to understand her.
This case shows that Opal have to escape her depression into her imaginary
world; she develops her ability to use imaginary friend as she has intensive
interaction with the personified objects. In the contrary, she has difficulty to
make a peer relationship.
It is true that in the Opal’s poem-diary, her uncommon behavior is due to
the fact that she has some characteristic of Asperger’s syndrome. It is said in
the theory that in girls with Asperger’s syndrome, the focus is often animal or
classic literature. Opal has a lot of animal friends and each of those names is
taken from the classic literature that Opal has learned. Girls with Asperger’s
syndrome may also love animals in an obsessive way. The personifications in
Opal poem-diary shows the facts that Opal loves animals in an obsessive way;
she brings her pig in school, she makes christening robes for the piggy, the
chickens, and the caterpillars the she christens them, she tells poems and sings
some song to her dog, her pig, and her neighbors horse, and she fells 104
extremely sad when the horse and the crow died. The reason that she thinks
she can understand the animals’ and plants’ talking is because her obsessive
and also, as Atwood states, girls with Asperger’s syndrome have brilliant
imagination.
C. Opal’s Loneliness
There are several factors that can be the cause of Opal’s loneliness.
Bullock states in her article:
Several factors contribute to feelings of loneliness in young children. Some that occur outside of the school setting are conflict within the home; moving to a new school or neighborhood; losing a friend; losing an object, possession, or pet; experiencing the divorce of parents; or experiencing the death of a pet or significant person. Equally important are factors that occur within the child's school setting, such as being rejected by peers; lacking social skills and knowledge of how to make friends; or possessing personal characteristics (e.g., shyness, anxiety, and low self-esteem) that contribute to difficulties in making friends (Kochenderfer & Ladd in Bullock, 1998).
The personifications that are written in The Journal of An Understanding
Heart imply that during Opal’s childhood, Opal almost has no friend in her
age and has no better relationship in her family. As her behavior mostly
characterized by Asperger’s syndrome, however, people have difficulty to
understand her because she often talks in uncommon belief. For example,
Opal considers that animals, plants, and also the nature surrounding human
being are like human that they also talk to each other, for example when she
goes to school with the pig (Peter Paul Rubens), she thinks that her teacher
does not understand the pig’s talking. Therefore when her teacher comes in 105
hurry to the pig with a stick, as she writes, she makes interferes and the
teacher is angry and sends them home. Opal thinks that it is no problem to let
the pig into the class because the pig wants to, but of course, what she needs is
unacceptable in common point of view.
Part I, stanza 55, line 1-12, pages 19-20
The children all turned in their seats. I’m sure they were glad he was in school— and him talking there in that dear way. I guess our teacher doesn’t have understanding of pig talk. She came at him in a hurry with a stick. When I made interferes she did send us both home in a quick way. On the way we dug up many little plants to plant in my cathedral. And we had prayers and came home.
This case is the example of the factors contributing Opal’s loneliness.
Another factor is seen as Bullock states that children may have loneliness
when they loss something such as an object, possession, or pet. In the
personification, thus factors is seen when Opal says that she loss her beloved
tree, her neighbor horse, and the crow to which she often spends her time.
Part V, stanza 59, lines 1-26, pages 152-153
Some day I will write about the great tree that I love. Today I did watch and I did hear its moans as the saw went through it. There was a queer feel in my throat and I couldn’t stand up. 106
All the woods seemed still except the pain-sound of the saw. It seemed like a little voice was calling from the cliffs. And then it was many voices. They were all little voices calling as one silver voice come together. The saw—it didn’t stop— it went on sawing. Then I did have thinks the silver voice was calling to the soul of the big tree. The saw did stop. There was a stillness. There was a queer sad sound. The big tree did quiver It did sway. It crashed to earth. Oh, Michael Raphael!
Another similar factor is seen in this stanza:
Part IV, stanza 4, lines 1-19, page 93-94
We are come back. Now I do have understanding. My dear William Shakespeare will no more have wakeups again. Rob Ryder cannot give him whippings no more. He just goes because tired feels was upon him. I have covered him over with leaves. To find enough, I went to the far end of the near woods. I gathered them in my apron. Sometimes I could hardly see my way because I just could not keep from crying. I have such lonesome feels. I have thinks his soul is not far gone away. There are little blue fleurs a-blooming where he did lay him down to sleep. 107
This stanza records the even when Opal loss her beloved friend; her
neighbor’s horse. Clearly Opal writes her feeling: “Sometimes I could hardly
see my way/ because I just could keep from crying/ I have such lonesome
feels”. The death of the horse, however, is Opal’s difficult situation where she
will never meet the horse again. Opal feels alone as the horse is one of
important thing in her life.
Opal also has the same feeling when her belover crow, Lars Porsena died.
The way she describes her feeling indicates that Opal is hurt:
Part V, stanza 53, lines 1-5, page 150
The raindrops were coming down in a slow, sad way. The sky was crying tears for the hurt of Lars Porsena. And I was too.
The intensity of the interaction between Opal and the personified objects
makes her separated with other people, especially with children around her
age. This process continuously happens in her life and the effect is that she is
more and more has difficulty to make a good relationship with others.
Therefore, there is no one who exactly understands her. To the personified
objects, Opal only gives treatment, and she is not treated. It makes her has
lack of attention from other. However, even she spends most of her time with
those personified objects, Opal is still alone.
108
D. Opal’s Unhappy-Childhood
The personifications in The Journal of An Understanding Heart is a
record of Opal’s unhappy-childhood that shows during her childhood, she is
experiencing loneliness as she has lack of attention of people around her. The
intense interaction between Opal and the personified objects is the way Opal
tries to overcome her loneliness. Opal never mentions her activity such as
playing with children around her age. Her having a few friends makes Opal to
find another way to escape from her loneliness. Thus she prefers to play with
her plant and animal friends in the nature surrounding her. It is seen, for
example, as she writes: “When I feel sad inside/ I talks things over with my
tree” (Boulton, 1984: 10). To express her sadness, Opal prefers to climb her
tree that she names Michael Raphael, to which Opal says that the tree
understands her feeling. She also writes that: “From there I did go to talk with
Michael Raphael/ He does so understand/ all trouble that trouble me”
(Boulton, 1984: 62).
One of Opal’s animal friends is a pig that she named Peter Paul Rubens.
In the interaction between Opal and Peter Paul Rubens, Opal treats it
excessively as the pig is more than animal. This case stands as the proof
which indicates the way Opal tries to overcome her loneliness That Opal is
close to the pig is seen through her tendency to interpret animal voice to be
human language, for example, Opal says that the pig’s grunting means
something as it seems talking in human language ; “The grunts he gave were 109
such nice one/ He stood there saying:/ “I have come to your school/ What
class are you going to put me in?” (Boulton, 1984:19).
Another example which signifies the way Opal tries to overcome her
loneliness as the result of her disability to make peer relationship is seen
through this following stanzas:
Part IV, stanza 12, lines 1-6, page 96
We did christen Solomon Grundy. He is such a dear baby pig. He was borned a week ago on Monday. And this being Tuesday, we did christen him for the rhyme the grandpa does sing about Solomon Grundy being christened on Tuesday.
Rather similar with Peter Paul Rubens, the piggy as Opal calls Solomon
Grundy is one of Opal’s animal friends. This case implies that Opal considers
the piggy as more than animal. Opal believes that animal also has soul as
human being has, and every soul needs to hold religion. As her impression
toward the piggy, she wants it to be christened, therefore she makes a
christening robe for the piggy and christens it. Opal’s activity that is seen
through this stanza implies that Opal has no more enjoyable choice to spend
her time. She prefers to play with the piggy rather than her peer because of her
difficulty to make develop peer relationship.
The similar case is seen through another stanza:
Part II, stanza 22, line 1-10, page 34
While I was listening to the voices of the night, Brave Horatius did catch the corner 110
Of my nightgown in his mouth And did pull in most hard way To go back to the house we live in. He barks when he thinks it is going-home-time. I listen. Sometimes I go back and he goes with me. Sometimes I go on and he goes with me. He knows most all the poetry
The interesting thing in the interaction between Opal and the dog is that
Opal treats the dog as more than animal; she reads the poem for the dog, prays
together with it, and she thinks that the dog can understand exactly what she
means. Opal often spends her night separately from her family to see the sky
or listening to the voice of the night. At that such of time, she is just
accompanied by her dog because she cannot met the other animal’s friend
such as her chickens, the pig, the horse, and the other animal friend which she
can only meet in the day.
Another way Opal tries to overcome her loneliness is seen in the
interaction between her and the potatoes:
Part II, stanza 10, line 1-11, page 29
Today the grandpa dug potatoes in the field I followed along after I picked them up and piled them in piles. Some of them where very plump. And all the time I was picking up potatoes I did have conversation with them. To some potatoes I did tell about my hospital in the near woods and all the little folk in it and how much prayers and songs and mentholatum helps them to have well feels.
111
It is interesting that Opal has different point of view toward the potatoes;
what she thinks about the potatoes indicates that she is easily to appreciate
something that she is interested. According to her point of view, that she
describe the potatoes have eyes to see inside the earth and they could hear
everything in the ground is real; she does not means that what she says is her
imagination only. That is her ability when she is interacting with something;
she seems to be able to understand something that other people cannot. This is
also the proof as the reason of her difficulties to make a peer relationship. She
often thinks differently than other people.
The same condition is also seen in Opal’s activity christening her
chickens:
Part IV, stanza 61, lines 1-18, page 114-115
Sir Francis Bacon did wear the christening robe with the ruffle of lace around it, and before I did get him put back in the basket he did catch his toe in that ruffle of lace. Then he peeped. I took his toe out of the ruffle. After I did get little brown John Fletcher and all the rest of the children into their robes then I did take out of my pocket the little white cap with the ruffles on it. I tied it under Minerva’s bill. She was a sweet picture in it coming down the cathedral aisle by my side. It is not often that Minerva talks, but she did chuckle all the time while her babies were being christened.
112
Opal’s happiness is clearly seen when she spends her time with her
chickens. She enjoys the event when she is naming her little chickens and also
christening them. In the contrary, in the diary, Opal never mentions her
happiness experience concerning another event where she is not with her
animal friends.
Part IV, stanza 2, lines 1-17, page 92-93
William Shakespeare is having a rest day. He is not working in the woods with the other horses. Tiredness was upon him. I gave hiss nose rubs and his neck and ears too. And I did tell him poems and sing him songs. After I did sing more sleeps come upon him. While he was going to sleep the breaths he did breathe were such long breaths. And I gave him more pats on nose. I’ll come at supper time so he may go in the barn with the other horses.
In the interaction, as Opal takes a deep love to the horse, she treats the
horse as it is human being. Therefore, in some way Opal treats the horse
excessively; it is a kind of uncommon treatment for animal such as talking
with it, telling it poems, and even singing it some songs. For Opal, that she
names the horse Shakespeare is not just without reason; Opal means
something for the name she gives to the horse, she says: “When the
cornflowers grow in the fields/ I do pick them up/ and make a chain of 113
flowers/ for Shakespeare’s neck/ Then I do talk to him/ about the one he was
named for/” (Boulton, 1984: 20). In this part, Opal tells the horse about the
one it is given the name Shakespeare; that name belongs to an important
classical poet and tragedian of England. This case shows that Opal loved the
horse so much. For Opal, the horse is not only animal, but she considers the
horse as her friend.
Opal’s loneliness as seen through the personification in her poem-diary,
however, is a significant problem as her loneliness gives negative
consequences such as feeling of being sad and alone. Loneliness is a
significant problem as Bullock quotes Cassidy and Asher statement in her
article:
Loneliness is a significant problem that can predispose young children to immediate and long-term negative consequences…It is becoming increasingly clear that many young children understand the concept of loneliness and report feeling lonely. For example, kindergarten and first-grade children responded appropriately to a series of questions regarding what loneliness is ("being sad and alone"), where it comes from ("nobody to play with"), and what one might do to overcome feelings of loneliness ("find a friend") (Cassidy and Asher in Bullock, 1998).
The further effect of loneliness is, as Cherry quotes John Cacioppo’s idea,
that loneliness can be a symptom of a psychological disorder such as
depression. Cherry also says that loneliness can be attributed to internal factor
such as low self-esteem. Cherry says that people who lack of confidence in
themselves often believe that they are unworthy of attention or regard of other
people. This condition can lead to isolation and chronic loneliness (Cherry, 114
2011). Similar idea is shared by Bullock in her article. Quoting Ramsey’s
idea, Bullock writes that:
Children who feel lonely often experience poor peer relationships and therefore express more loneliness than peers with friends. They often feel excluded—a feeling that can be damaging to their self-esteem. In addition, they may experience feelings of sadness, malaise, boredom, and alienation. Furthermore, early childhood experiences that contribute to loneliness may predict loneliness during adulthood. Consequently, lonely children may miss out on many opportunities to interact with their peers and to learn important lifelong skills (Ramsey in Bullock, 1998).
As the consequence of Opal’s loneliness, as Bullock states in her article,
Opal may experience feelings of sadness, as Opal writes in her interaction
with the tree, malaise, boredom, and alienation. As her having poor peer
relationship with other people, Opal may miss out on many opportunities to
interact with her peers and to learn important lifelong skills.
People with Asperger’s syndrome actually need to be treated differently.
Unfortunately, Opal does not get special treatments for her condition;
moreover, she lacks of attention from her parents or the other people. Thus,
during her childhood, Opal is more experiencing unhappiness rather than
happiness. She camouflages her sadness by having a lot of interaction with the
personified objects, praying, and also writing her diary. Therefore, her
unhappy-childhood is recorded in her diary; Opal considers them as they are
human and Opal uses to play with them to escape her depression of being
alone as she has difficulty to interact with other people, especially children
around her age.
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
In The Journal of An Understanding Heart, there are some objects that are
personified by the way Opal endows human attribute to them. Those objects are
the tree (Michael Raphael), the pig (Peter Paul Rubens), the piggy (Solomon
Grundy), the hen (Minerva), the little chicken (Oliver Goldsmith, John Fletcher,
Sir Francis Bacon, Edmund Spenser), the dog (Brave Horatius), the horse
(Shakespeare), the woodrat (Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus), The crow (Lars
Porsena), and other objects such as the mouse (Felix Mendelssohn), the toad
(Virgil), caterpillars, potatoes, unions, flowers, the wind, the earth, the leaves, the
birds, the river, and also the sky.
The tree is personified as a man as Opal uses pronoun ‘he’, objective pronoun
‘him’ and possessive pronoun ‘his’ as the replacement of pronoun ‘it’, objective
pronoun ‘it’, and possessive pronoun ‘its’. Another endowment of human
attribute addressed to the tree is also seen as Opal considers the tree understand
what she is saying. Opal also considers that the tree can say something to her as
she says that sometimes she listen to it. During Opal’s childhood, she often has
conversation with the tree.
The pig is personified as a man as Opal uses pronoun ‘he’, objective pronoun
‘him’ and possessive pronoun ‘his’ as the replacement of pronoun ‘it’, objective
pronoun ‘it’, and possessive pronoun ‘its’. Opal also considers that the pig can
115
116
speak and pray as human being. During Opal’s childhood, she often brings the pig
to the cathedral to pray together, tells it her story and also sings some songs to it.
The piggy is personified as Opal uses pronoun ‘he’, objective pronoun ‘him’
and possessive pronoun ‘his’ as the replacement of pronoun ‘it’, objective
pronoun ‘it’, and possessive pronoun ‘its’. Another way the piggy is personified
is seen when Opal christens it; Opal considers that the piggy needs to be
christened as human being.
The hen is personified as a woman as Opal uses pronoun ‘she’, objective
pronoun ‘her and possessive pronoun ‘hers’ as the replacement of pronoun ‘it’,
objective pronoun ‘it’, and possessive pronoun ‘its’. The hen is also personified
as Opal often has a conversation with it and she often tells it something.
The little chickens are personified as the men as Opal uses pronoun ‘he’,
objective pronoun ‘him’ and possessive pronoun ‘his’ as the replacement of
pronoun ‘it’, objective pronoun ‘it’, and possessive pronoun ‘its’. Another way
the little chickens are personified is seen when Opal does the christening process
to them. Opal considers that those little chickens need to be christened as human
being.
The dog is personified as Opal uses pronoun ‘he’, objective pronoun ‘him’
and possessive pronoun ‘his’ as the replacement of pronoun ‘it’, objective
pronoun ‘it’, and possessive pronoun ‘its’. Opal also considers that the dog
understand what she is talking about. Opal often tells it poems, stories, and sings
some songs to it. 117
The horse is personified as Opal uses pronoun ‘he’, objective pronoun ‘him’
and possessive pronoun ‘his’ as the replacement of pronoun ‘it’, objective
pronoun ‘it’, and possessive pronoun ‘its’. Another way the horse is personified is
seen as Opal considers that the horse understands what Opal is talking about.
The woodrat, the crow, the mouse and the toad are personified as Opal uses
pronoun ‘he’, objective pronoun ‘him’ and possessive pronoun ‘his’ as the
replacement of pronoun ‘it’, objective pronoun ‘it’, and possessive pronoun ‘its’.
Opal often spends her time to play with them in the wood, and Opal also talks
with them as they are human being.
The caterpillars are personified as Opal christens them. Opal thinks that the
caterpillars need to be christened as they are human being.
The potatoes and the unions are personified as Opal describes them in
different way. Opal thinks that the potatoes have a lot of eyes to see the things
inside the word. Opal also talks with the potatoes and the unions and she thinks
that they can understand what Opal is talking about. Opal also says that
sometimes she hears the potatoes and the unions say something.
The flowers are personified as Opal says that she hears what the flowers say.
Opal often talks with the flowers when she waters them.
The leaves, the wind, and the earth are personified as Opal says that they
usually talk to each other. Opal thinks that sometimes she hears the conversation
between the leaves and the wind, and also the conversation between the wind and
the earth. 118
The water in the river and the little ripples are personified as Opal thinks that
she can hear the conversation between them.
During Opal’s childhood, she spends her time mostly by interacting with
those personified objects. Through the interaction between Opal and the
personified objects, it can be seen that Opal has such a behavior disorder.
Williamson, one of the critics who investigates Opal, claims that Opal has
Asperger’s syndrome. The interaction between Opal and the personified objects
shows the similar result as Williamson’s claim; most of Opal’s behavior matched
with the diagnose result of Asperger’s syndrome in girls. Dr. Tony Atwood
explains that girls with Asperger’s syndrome are difficult to diagnose because
their appearance are different with boys with Asperger’s syndrome. Girls with
Asperger’s syndrome are like a little philosophers, they are usually interested in
literature. They may also love animals in an obsessive way. Girls with Asperger’s
syndrome usually have a focus of interest which they can learn faster than normal
people because they have good route memory. Girls with Asperger’s syndrome
also bad in making relationship, they lack of common social skill and difficult to
make a friend with their peer. People have difficulty to understand girls with
Asperger’s syndrome because they often talk about things which are uncommon.
The diagnose of Asperger’s syndrome is matched with Opal’s condition as it
is seen through the interaction between her and the personified objects. Opal is
good in literature, she knows most of classic artist that she takes those names to
addressed to her animals. Opal also likes to tell poem to her animals. Opal is good 119
in writing rather than children at her age. Unfortunately, Opal is also bad in
making relationship with other. During her childhood, there is no body who can
understand Opal better as she is difficult to be understood. She often does
uncommon things. This condition makes Opal often has lonely feeling. Her
loneliness drives her to have more intimate relationship with the personified
objects and the effect is that she is more and more has difficulty to communicate
with other people, especially children around her age.
Opal’s loneliness as seen through the personification in her poem-diary,
however, is a significant problem as her loneliness gives negative consequences
such as feeling of being sad and alone. The further effect of loneliness is, as
Cherry quotes John Cacioppo’s idea, that loneliness can be a symptom of a
psychological disorder such as depression. As the consequence of Opal’s
loneliness, as Bullock states in her article, Opal may experience feelings of
sadness, as Opal writes in her interaction with the tree, malaise, boredom, and
alienation. As her having poor peer relationship with other people, Opal may miss
out on many opportunities to interact with her peers and to learn important
lifelong skills.
During her childhood, Opal experienced more unhappiness rather than
happiness. She camouflages her sadness by having a lot of interaction with the
personified objects, praying, and also writing her diary. Therefore, Opal’s
unhappy-childhood that is seen through the intensity of the interaction between
her and the personified objects is recorded in her diary; Opal considers them as 120
they are human and Opal uses to play with them to escape her depression of being
alone as she has difficulty to interact with other people, especially children around
her age.
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