BIPOLAR DISORDER IN JOHN GREEN’S THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

Hans Mitra Wijaya [email protected] Sekolah Tinggi Bahasa Asing Prayoga Padang Jl. Veteran No. 8 Padang

Absract This research analyzes that is portrayed in a novel entitled the Fault in Our Stars. The problem found in this research is the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder and the main character ways in overcoming it. The purpose of research is to find out which Bipolar Disorder symptoms occur in the novel. In resolving the issue, the researcher uses the theory of Bipolar Disorder by Norman Sartorius. The concepts used are Manic episode and Depressive episode. Each of the Manic and Depressive episode has their own symptoms. The research method used by the researcher is a qualitative research method. The researcher finds several symptoms that Hazel has and Hazel ways in overcoming the Bipolar Disorder that is family support and keep fighting. She overcomes the Bipolar Disorder by getting support from her family which make she could withstand her disease. Keywords: Manic Episode, Depressive Episode, Manic Symptoms, Depressive Symptoms. activity levels range from periods of I. Introduction extremely “up,” elated, and energized Bipolar Disorder is a brain disorder behavior (known as Manic Episodes) to very that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, sad, “down,” or hopeless periods (known as activity levels, and the ability to carry out Depressive Episodes). day-to-day tasks. According to Sartorius Bipolar Disorder is chosen as the main (1993: 97), the changes in mood, energy, and issue because of a few reasons, one of the

them is the lack of accurate information main character depression that shows the patients and their families can understand symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. about this disorder. Dr Wes Burgess (2006, Intro) states that, “There are more than seven II. Review of Related Literature million adults and children with Bipolar 2.1 Bipolar Disorder by Sartorius Disorder in the .” Most of these According to Sartorius (1993: 97), people do not even realize that their extreme Bipolar Disorder is characterized by repeated mood changes are classified into Bipolar (i.e. at least two) episodes in which the Disorder or get wrong diagnosed by their patient's mood and activity levels are psychiatric. This becomes a huge problem significantly disturbed, this disturbance when their mood changes start to have a big consisting on some occasions of an elevation effect on their life. Imagine when a doctor of mood and increased energy and activity starts to laugh and then cry in front of his/her (mania or hypomania), and on others of a patients, it could lead to bad reputation or lowering of mood and decreased energy and lose the job which later could be suicide. activity (depression). As explained above, According to Greenberg (1993), it is there are two main episodes that are parts of normal for people to experience ups and Bipolar Disorder. It is between mania downs during their lives, those who have (Manic) and depression (Depressive) clinical depression experience specific episode. symptoms daily for two weeks or more, 2.2.1 Manic Episode making it difficult to function at work, at Manic episode or the changes in mood, school and in relationships. In shorts, most energy, and activity levels range from common people think that their unusual shift periods of extremely “up,” elated, and in mood (mostly woman) is just some side energized behavior must have at least four effect of menstruation period while the truth manic symptoms including altered mood that is not. causes marked functional impairment and Green’s The Fault in Our Stars is hospital admission. It means that, during the chosen as a study source because this novel manic episode the patient will have a was on Wall Street Journal, Indie bound, significant change in mood like unusually Bookseller, and New York Times bestseller happy or extreme self-confidence. Although list. Besides, this novel portrayed Hazel, the it seems that patient during manic episode is

only doing positive action, actually there are feeling of worthlessness which lead to a lot of negativity that can be found. It can be thinking about, planning, or attempting found through the symptoms of manic suicide. episode. Depressive Symptoms consist of: Manic Symptoms consist of: depressed mood, such as feeling sad, empty, Abnormally upbeat, jumpy or wired; hopeless or tearful (in children and teens, Increased activity, energy or agitation; depressed mood can appear as irritability); Exaggerated sense of well-being and self- marked loss of interest or feeling no pleasure confidence; Decreased need for sleep; in all or almost all activities; significant Unusual talkativeness; Racing thoughts; weight loss when not dieting, weight gain, or Distractibility; Poor decision-making. As can decrease or increase in appetite (in children, be seen above, there are two symptoms that failure to gain weight as expected can be a is not correspond that is “increased activity, sign of depression); either insomnia or energy or agitation” and “decreased need for sleeping too much; either restlessness or sleep”. When a patient have an increased of slowed behavior; fatigue or loss of energy; activity, of course there is a lot of energy is feelings of worthlessness or excessive or used but as “decreased need for sleep” inappropriate guilt; decreased ability to think symptom shows up, it could be seen that the or concentrate, or indecisiveness; thinking patient will suffer or get sick during this about, planning or attempting suicide. episode. III. Method of the Research 2.2.1 Depressive Episode In analyzing this novel, the researcher Major Depressive Episode or the uses qualitative method. Bogdan (1928-28) change in mood from Manic Episode to very said: “Qualitative research is descriptive. The sad, “down,” or hopeless periods must have data collected is in from of words or picture at least five or more persistent depressive rather than numbers. In collecting and symptoms and cause serious distress or presenting the data, the researcher uses functional impairments. This episode is the qualitative method, that is descriptive. The worst episode that causes a lot of patient die. data collected were in the form of words or During this episode, the patient feels pictures rather than numbers. The researcher depressed mood, lost interest and the worst,

analyzes this novel by doing close reading “Like, I realize that this is irrational, but when they tell and library research. you that you have, say, a 20 percent chance of living five years, the math kicks in and IV. Findings you figure that’s one in five . . . 4.1 Bipolar Disorder Symptoms in John so you look around and think, as any healthy person would: I Green’s the Fault in Our Stars gotta outlast four of these The researcher analyzes the symptoms bastards.” (P5) of any episode of Bipolar Disorder that The quotations above represent Hazel occurs in John Green’s The Fault in Our self-confidence. The sentence “so you look Stars because it can determine which around and think, as any healthy person episodes it belongs to. There are several would” is an irony where she found her own symptoms that are displayed below: self-confidence. Although she is not a

healthy person, she uses the word “healthy” 4.1.1 Exaggerated Sense of Well-being and as a satire to remind her that she is special Self-confidence into Marked Loss of which means even though the others also Interest or Feeling No Pleasure in All or have cancer she feels like at least she is the Almost All Activities healthiest cancerous one. She creates a self- According to Sartorius (1993: 95), confidence on which she thinks she will exaggerated sense of well-being and self- defeat time that is represented by “these confidence as parts of manic symptoms bastards” as for time is the one chasing her refers to “marked feeling of well-being and not her cancer. Although the word “look both physical and mental efficiency”. It around” might make people think that she is means that, a person experiences pleasure or talking about people around her but it is not, excitement and intense feeling of well-being she is talking about beating the 80% chance and happiness. In this novel the intense of her time that she might die at young age. feeling of well-being and self-confidence is Even though she has such strong self- found in the way Hazel (the main character) confidence but it didn’t last long enough. has an excitement where she believes she Soon after, she immediately broke down and will have a longer life than other cancerous feels loss of interest and no pleasure in all or people. It is found in the quotation below: almost all activities on which is parts of the

depressive symptoms. According to Sartorius happened right after she narrates about her (1993: 100), marked loss of interest or self-confidences which show early feeling no pleasure in all or almost all symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. activities refers to “loss of interest or pleasure in activities that are normally 4.1.2 Thinking about, Planning or enjoyable, lack of emotional reactivity to Attempting Suicide normally pleasurable surroundings and In this novel not only lost of interest of events”. In shorts it means a psychological any activities that Hazel, the main character state where one totally has no interest in any shows but there are also another Depressive kind of activities. In this novel the loss of symptom that is thinking about, planning or interest or feeling no pleasure in all or almost attempting suicide right just in the next pages all activities is found in the way she sighing after showing her self-confidence. According each other not long after her self-confidence to Sartorius (1993: 100), thinking about, thought. It is found in the quotation below: planning or attempting suicide is “an ideas “Isaac and I communicated or acts of self-harm or suicide. Acts of self- almost exclusively through harm associated with mood affective sigh. Each time someone discussed anticancer diets or disorders, most commonly self-poisoning by snorting ground-up shark find prescribed medication, should be recorded or whatever, he’d glance over at me and sigh ever so slightly. by means of an additional code from Chapter I’d shake my head XX of ICD-10 (X60-X84). These codes do not microscopically and exhale in response.” (P6) involve differentiation between attempted The quotations above represent Hazel loss of suicide and "parasuicide", since both are interest. As the word “sigh” comes a lot it included in the general category of self- can be seen that both Hazel and Isaac have harm”. In shorts it is refers to a no interest on anything people say there in psychological state where one no longer that support group even if it could help them. value their own body and tend to harm or It is also supported by the word “whatever” hurt themselves. It can be seen in the novel which represent her loss of interest. She in the parts where she against her mom to go doesn’t care with anything that they said in to support group but still goes at the end. It is the support group since she never wants to found in the quotation below: be there in the first place. This situation

“I went to Support Group for Sartorius (1993: 100), feelings of the same reason that I’d allowed worthlessness are “reduces self-esteem and nurses with a mere eighteen months of graduate education to self-confidence, ideas of guilt and poison me with exotically named unworthiness”. It is a psychological state chemicals: I wanted to make my parents happy. There is only one where one feels that he/she is worthless or thing in this world shittier than having an extreme unnecessary guilt. In this biting it from cancer when you’re sixteen and that’s having novel what happened are the feelings of a kid who bites it from cancer.” worthlessness. Hazel worthlessness feeling (P8) happened right after Gus answer about his The quotations above represent Hazel fear in the support group. It is found in the suicide plan. It is obvious from the whole quotation below: paragraph that hazel have had plan her “I fear oblivion,” he said without a moments’ pause. “I suicide or she have think about it. It is can be fear it like the proverbial blind seen from the sentence “to poison me” and “I man who’s afraid of the dark.” …… wanted to make my parents happy” she “There will come a time,” I surely have a plan her suicide for a long time said, “when all of us are dead. All of us. There will come a time on which supported by the sentence “having when there are no human beings a kid who bites it from cancer”. Even remaining to remember that anyone ever existed or that our thought it seem pathetic, her suicide plan is species ever did anything. There kinds of noble where she feels like, just by will be no one left to remember Aristotle or Cleopatra, let alone living in this world she is a big burden for you. Everything that we did and her parents but still it is not normal for one to built and wrote and thought and discovered will be forgotten and chose suicide rather than living on which all of this” I gestured classified into Depressive episode that she encompassingly “will have been for naught. Maybe that time is suffers from. coming soon and maybe it is millions of years away, but even if we survive the collapse of our 4.1.3 Feelings of Worthlessness or sun, we will not survive forever. Excessive or Inappropriate Guilt There was time before organisms experienced Feelings of worthlessness or excessive , and there will be or inappropriate guilt are one of the time after. And if the inevitability of human oblivion Depressive symptoms. According to worries you, I encourage you to

ignore it. God knows that’s what final thought about humans where we all are everyone else does.” (P12-13) going to die at the end. All of this

representation of her worthlessness feeling is The quotations above represent Hazel a part of Depressive episode that she suffers worthlessness feeling. As the word from. “oblivion” represents a condition of afraid to be forgotten that is said by Gus, Hazel feels 4.1.4 Depressed Mood into Racing otherwise. Hazel feels that she as human and Thought all of us are a worthless creature that is According to Sartorius (1993: 100), sooner or later will be forgotten. She feels depressed mood are “loss of interest and that no man/woman shall be afraid to be enjoyment, and reduced energy leading to forgotten since no one can remember at the increased fatiguability and diminished end. It is can be seen from the sentence activity. Marked tiredness after only slight “There will be no one left to remember effort is common.” It also means that a Aristotle or Cleopatra, let alone you”. As the psychological state where one feeling sad, word “Aristotle” and “Cleopatra” shows up empty, hopeless or tearful (in children and she compare Gus to the famous ancient Geek teens, depressed mood can appear as philosopher (Aristotle) and the last queen of irritability). Depressed Mood is a part of Ptolemaic Egypt (Cleopatra). The sentence Depressive Symptoms. What happened in “let alone you” represents her comment that the novel is that when Gus asks about what is; why would anyone wants to remember Hazel disease is, she suddenly feels hopeless you a common people when they are not and sad. It is found in the quotations below: even going to remember Aristotle nor even “I told Augustus the broad Cleopatra which more famous than Gus. outline of my miracle: Hazel sentence also represents her pessimism diagnosed with stage IV thyroid cancer when I was thirteen. (I about human where all human is going to die didn’t tell him that the diagnosis at the end. It is found in the sentence “Maybe came three months after I got my first period. Like: that time is coming soon and maybe it is Congratulations! You’re a millions of years away, but even if we woman. Now die.) It was, we were told, incurable.” (P24) survive the collapse of our sun, we will not survive forever”. The sentence “we will not survive forever” obviously represents her

The quotations above represent Hazel show her movies and feel her up.” (P27) depressed mood. It is can be seen from each sentence that is “Congratulations!” “You’re The quotations above represent Hazel a woman.” “Now die.” It is a satire in each random thought. Out of nowhere she thought of the sentence that represents her hopeless that Gus is just a good man who maybe and sad mood. Right after three months after always loves to cheer any sad girl. It is can she becomes a woman she got the diagnosis be seen in “Maybe he brought home a of the cancer. Obviously depressed is what different girl every night to show her movies happened next. This is another early and feel her up.” There is no connection depressive symptom that creates her Bipolar between how Gus parents reaction and the Disorder. maybe Gus is a good man. This random In the next few pages after having a thought of her is kind of clueless since she depressed mood she suddenly have a racing doesn’t know them yet. Although racing thought which is part of the Manic thought is a part of manic symptoms but in symptoms. According to Sartorius (1993: 9), this case it seems that racing thought is just a racing thought are “flight of ideas and continuing episode of depressed mood. pressure of speech that may result in the However the writer still diagnosed that those individual becoming incomprehensible”. In situation is a parts of extreme shift of mood shorts, it is a psychological state where an that is the characteristic of Bipolar Disorder. individual had an episode where the uncontrollably brings up a random thoughts 4.1.5 Distractibility and memories and switches between them According to Sartorius (1993: 95), very quickly. In this novel the Racing distractibility as parts of Depressive Thought is happened in the way she thinks symptoms is “Normal social inhibitions are about Gus parents when they arrive at Gus lost, attention cannot be sustained, and there house. It is found in the quotation below: is often marked distractibility”. It refers to a “They didn’t seem too surprised psychological condition where one has by my arrival, which made sense: the fact that Augustus inability to sustain one’s attention or made me feel special did not attentiveness, which is rapidly diverted from necessarily indicate that I was special. Maybe he brought home one topic to another. Unlike racing thought a different girl every night to that brings up a random thought,

distractibility distracts their attention from (the book). Obviously all of it is a part of one topic to another. The topic could be in Depressive symptoms. form of thought. In this novel Hazel during narrating the story, she distracted enough to 4.1.6 Poor Decision-making think about three topics at once. It is found in According to Sartorius (1993: 96), the quotations below: poor decision-making is “the individual may “I returned to the book, where embark on extravagant and impractical Staff Sergeant Max Mayhem was schemes, spend money recklessly, or become regretting that he had but one life to give for his country, but I aggressive, amorous, or facetious in kept thinking about that little inappropriate circumstances.” In shorts it is kid, and how much I liked her. The other thing about Kaitlyn, I a psychological state where a person tends to quess, was that it could never make a poor decision on their life. This is again feel natural to talk to her.” (P47) actually another disorder that usually

affected old people, those who have The quotations above represent Hazel Alzheimer’s disease and dementia but still distractibility. There are three topics that she include in Depressive symptoms. In this distract to here which are “the book” “the novel, the poor decision-making is found little kid” and “Kaitlyn”. As she fall back in when Hazel makes bad decision during her reading the book as in “I returned to the time when she receives a phone call from book” she still can define what the main Gus. It is found in the quotation below: character in her book feels like when “…, so per tradition it was his suddenly she change the topic and think turn to call. But he didn’t. … We were seated around our little about the little kid she just met as in “but I circular table in the kitchen kept thinking about that little kid” and then when my phone started singing, but I wasn’t allowed to check it she suddenly think about Kaitlyn as in “The because we have a strict no- other thing about Kaityln”. All of it phones during-dinner rule. … I ate faster than I’d ever eaten, happened instantly that she don’t even have transmitting items from my plate the chance to think about what she just think. into my mouth with a speed and ferocity that left me quite out of The distraction is so strong that she not even breath, which of course made re-thinks about the first think she think about me worry that my lungs were again swimming in a rising pool

of fluid. I banished the thought You can’t know, sweetie, as best I could.” (P65) because you’ve never had a baby become a brilliant young reader with a side interest in The quotations above represent Hazel horrible television shows, but poor decision-making. As on in this parts, the joy you bring us so much greater than the sadness we feel Gus hasn’t call Hazel yet for a while and she about your illness.” (P103) can’t wait anymore to just hear anything even just a few simple words which The quotations above represent family displayed in “so per tradition it was his turn support. The sentence “the joy you bring us to call. But he didn’t”. As can be seen in the so much greater than the sadness we feel sentence “I ate faster than I’d ever eaten” and about your illness” represents how Hazel “which of course made me worry that my father feel about her disease. It is clear that lungs were again swimming in a rising pool her father feel grateful rather than sadness of fluid” it is referring to a condition where about her. He supports her no matter what. she wants some words from Gus so bad that One way or another, family support is the she doesn’t care that there is a huge chance best things one would receive. With the she might died just from doing that. It is support of Hazel parents, she could supported by the sentences “I banished the withstand her disease more than other does. thought as best I could”. She risks her lives Another way Hazel overcome Bipolar by eating so fast without considering the is that she keep fighting. No matter what consequences that just only to hear some keep fighting the disease is the best thing one words from Gus. possibly could do. In this novel it can be seen in Hazel favorite quote. It is found in 4.2 Hazel Ways to Overcome Bipolar the quotation below: Disorder as Portrayed in John Green’s the “There’s a great quote in Gus’s Fault in Our Stars house, one that both he and I The most significant way on overcome found very comforting: Without Bipolar Disorder is that family support. It is pain, we couldn’t know joy.” found in the quotation below: (P272) “You are not a grenade, not to The quotations above represent Haze us. Thinking about you dying fighting spirit. As Gus once said at the page make us sad, Hazel, buy you are not a grenade. You are amazing. 57, “Pain demands to be felt” it fit perfectly

with the quotation above. The sentence References Adi, Ibtissam Touhami. The Theme of “Without pain, we couldn’t know joy” refers Existantialism in the Fault in Our to the way Hazel thinks about pain. What she Stars. Amar Telidji Laghouat University. Retrieve from: thinks is that, if pain can’t be avoided, the http://www.academia.edu/8055205/T best way to handle it, they suggest, is head he_theme_of_existantialism_in_The_ Fault_in_Our_Stars. on. It is clear that from the explanation above Bogdan, Robert. (1982). Qualitative that the only way for Hazel to handle pain is Research for Education: An Introduction Theory and Method. to keep fighting. Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon Inc. Blair, E. E. (2010). Qualitative Educational Research: Readings in Reflexive V. Conclusion Methodology and Transformative After analyzing some quotations from Practice/Researching Social Change: Qualitative Approaches. Harvard the Fault in Our Stars, the researcher found Educational Review, 80(3), 417-426. several things in Bipolar Disorder. The first Retrieve from: https://search.proquest.com/docview/ thing is that there are side effects from 756745110?accountid=62695. having Bipolar Disorder. The most Burgess, Wes. (2006). The Bipolar Handbook: Real-life Questions with significant effect from having Bipolar Up-to-Date Answers. Penguin Group Disorder is that people will run away and do (USA) Inc. New York. Retrieve from: http://barton- not want to be their friend. It happens homes.com/freebooks/the-bipolar- because they tend to change their mood handbook-real-life-questions-with- up-to-date-answers. which is confusing and sometimes make Breakwell, G. et al. (2007). Research others angry. In addition of anger, sadness is methods in psychology (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage also another side effect. People usually feel Publications. pity when they found their friends suffer Carey, Elea. (May 19th, 2016). Psychosis. Healthline Media. Retrieve from: from Bipolar. In addition, even though there http://www.healthline.com/health/psy is more depression that occurs in the novel, chosis#outlook10. Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: but Hazel, the main character is always Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed capable of conquering her problems with a methods approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage support of both her parents and two of her Publications. close friends. Green, John. 2012. The Fault in Our Stars. New York: Dutton Books.

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