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The Psychological Conflict

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The Psychological Conflict THE MAIN CHARACTERS’ MOTIVATIONS IN MAINTAINING THEIR LOVE RELATIONSHIP AS SEEN IN COLLEEN MCCULLOUGH’S THE THORN BIRDS AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters By EFRIDA ITA 054214105 ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2009 i ii iii iv v In the real world, success doesn't exist. Every step achieved is a new starting point of the next struggle. Antonius P. Buu. vi Dedicated with love and gratitude to: My wonderful parents, Bapak Petrus and Mama Agnes My two lovely brothers, Mon and Miki My beloved uncle, Anton vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First of all, the writer would like to express her greatest thanks to Lord Jesus Christ and Mother Mary for all the blessings that have been given to her especially during the very stressful time in finishing this undergraduate thesis. Her very special thanks go to Colleen McCullough, the author of this page- turner novel The Thorn Birds. With similar qualification the writer must thank her advisor, Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S. S., M. Hum who had been willing to guide her and to spend a lot of time reading her writing. Without her advice and suggestions, the writer believes that this undergraduate thesis will never be finished. The writer does thank her for correcting precisely every word, structure, and even apostrophe. The writer is also very grateful to her co-advisor, Tatang Iskarna, S. S., M. Hum for his useful suggestions in correcting this work. The writer also shows her deep thankfulness for all lecturers of English Letters for sharing all their knowledge, and the Secretariat staffs for their help and nice service especially Mbak Niniek. The writer would like to dedicate this undergraduate thesis especially to her much-loved parents, Bapak Petrus Jago and Mama Agnes Mite who always support her with their prayers, great care and never ending love. The writer‘s love also goes to her two brothers, Mon and Miki, thank you for your kindness and love. The writer‘s greatest love goes to her marvelous and merciful uncle, Antonius P. Buu for his unconditional love, understanding and support. The writer is very proud to have him as her uncle for he lets her be herself and never blames her for all her stupid mistakes, he lets her fix them by herself. The writer has learned and will learn many more things from him. He is a paragon and amazing father, uncle and friend that the writer has ever met. The writer would like to give her greatest thanks viii to him also for correcting her writing. In a word, this undergraduate thesis will be just rubbish without him. Her deepest thanks go to Overgaauw family for all your love, kindness and supports. Thank you very much for sending her the film of The Thorn Birds and the information about the author of the novel and also thank you for helping her in case the sun is shining behind the cloud. The writer also thanks her great friends Icha, Ratri, and Letyzia T for the friendship and times shared together. Thanks to all her friends, the team-mates of the very beautiful and most-watched play of all seasons ―In Love with Madonna‖, Ian, Bob, Bruno, Fuja, Chris, Sindu, Johan, Icha and Ratri, and all her classmates. Thank you… The writer‘s life will be monotonous without her pals, Enu Rini, K Vita Un, Desy P., Sr. Andre, Sr. Yati, Sr. Kornelia, Sr. Henderina, K Tan, K Man, K Paul, K Deny M, Ana, Katrin, Marsya, Lilies, Mbak Vita, Ayek, Florent, Susan, and all her friends in Pondok Angela, thank you for the togetherness, kindness, love and care. The writer is so grateful to all occupants of Gg Narada, 6A, thank you for all. Her thanks also go to Opa John and family, P. Steven M, Uncle Alex and family, Uncle Hanes and family, Uncle Dus and family, Uncle Karel and family, Uncle Rendy and family, Aunt Mien, Aunt Lud, Aunt Nesta, K Tince, Restin, Irma, for all their supports Finally, the writer would like to thank all whose names are not mentioned here for supporting her in the process of studying and composing this undergraduate thesis. EFRIDA ITA ix TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE …………………………………………………………….......... i APPROVAL PAGE …………………………………………………………… ii ACCEPTANCE PAGE ……………………………………………………….. iii STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ……………………………… iv LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN ………………………………. v MOTTO PAGE ………………………………………………………………... vi DEDICATION PAGE ………………………………………………………… vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………………... viii TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………………………………………………... x ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………….... xii ABSTRAK ……………………………………………………………………... xiii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION …………………………………………….. 1 A. Background of the Study ………………………………………… 1 B. Problem Formulation ……………………………………………. 5 C. Objectives of the Study …………………………………………... 5 D. Definition of Terms ………………………………………………. 6 CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW …………………………………. 7 A. Review of Related Studies ……………………………………….. 7 B. Review of Related Theories ……………………………………… 10 1. Theory of Character and Characterization …………………… 10 2. Theory of Motivation ………………………………………… 15 3. Theory of Love ……………………………………………….. 16 4. The Relation between Literature and Psychology ……………. 20 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 …………………………….……………….. 26 CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS …………………………………………………... 28 A. The Characterization of Meggie Cleary and Father de Bricassart ……………………………………………... 28 1. Meggie Cleary ………………………………………………... 28 2. Father de Bricassart …………………………………………... 32 x B. The Change and the End Result of Love Relationship of the Two Main Characters …………………………………...... 34 1. The description of the change of love relationship ………........ 34 1.1. Brotherly love …………………………………………... 35 1.2. Erotic love ………………………………………….…… 37 2. The end result of love relationship of the two main characters... 40 C. The Motivations of the Main Characters in Maintaining Their Love Relationship …….................................................................... 42 1. Physiological need ……………………………………………. 44 2. Security and safety ……………………………………………. 46 3. Love and feelings of belonging ………………………………. 47 4. Competence, prestige, and esteem ……………………………. 49 5. Self-fulfillment or self-actualization …………………………. 51 6. Curiosity and the need to understand ………………………… 52 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ………………………………………………. 53 BIBLIOGRAPHY …………………………………………………………....... 57 APPENDIX …………………………………………………………………….. 60 xi ABSTRACT EFRIDA ITA. The Main Characters’ Motivations in Maintaining Their Love Relationship as seen in Colleen McCullough’s The Thorn Birds. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2009. This undergraduate thesis discusses a novel by Colleen McCullough entitled The Thorn Birds. It is a story of a ten-year-old little girl, Meggie Cleary, a daughter of a poor New Zealand farmer who does not get enough love, care and attention from her parents and brothers. With her family, she moves to Australia on a request of her wealthy aunt. Here she meets a priest who is 28 years old, Father Ralph de Bricassart who adores her. From Father Ralph, Meggie gets love, care, attention and everything that matters to a little girl. As Meggie grows older, their brotherly love relationship slowly changes into erotic love. Although Father Ralph refuses to abandon his priesthood and marry Meggie and Meggie decides to marry someone else, their love relationship does not end here. This study deals with the two main characters‘ motivations in maintaining their love relationship. There are three objectives in this study. Firstly, to find out how the characteristics of the two main characters, Meggie Cleary and Father Ralph de Bricassart are characterized. Secondly, to describe how the change of love relationship of the two main characters carries on. Thirdly, to put forward the motivations of Meggie and Father Ralph that make them so very much attached to each other in spite of the fact that they both know that their love relationship is against the law of the church and social norms. To discuss the three objectives mentioned above the writer uses library research to get the theories and information in connection with this study. The primary data is a novel entitled The Thorn Birds and its secondary data are taken from books on theory of character, love, motivation and the holy bible and also other sources from internet. The psychological approach is applied in this study since the topic deals with motivation. There are three results of this study. Firstly, Meggie is a little girl who does not get enough love, care and attention from her parents and her brothers. As a daughter of a poor family, other people often look down on her and the fact makes her a strong woman. Ralph, a sensible, honest, smart, kind, and wise priest who always has something to give meets Meggie and he deliberately gives his love, care and attention to Meggie. Secondly, the characteristics of the two main characters lead them to a stage where they share a lot of things and in the end they fall in love. Their love relationship is against church law and social norms but they decide to go on with it. Thirdly, there are motivations that make the two main characters maintain their love relationship. These motivations are listed respectively which means if the first motivation is fulfilled then emerges the second, and if the first and the second are gratified
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