DECLARATION OF OWNERSHIP
I hereby certify that this skripsi entitled “The Psychological Effect of The Main Character in Happy Birthday Novel by Danielle Steel” is honestly my own work. I am fully aware that I have quoted some statements and ideas from various sources, and they are properly acknowledged in the text.
Bandung, 20 July 2012
APPROVAL
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT ON VALERIE IN HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOVEL BY DANIELLE STEEL
(A Study of Psychoanalysis)
SKRIPSI
REISA YUNITA CAROLINE NIM. 63707808
Bandung, 28 July 2013
Approved as a Skripsi by:
Advisor I
Tatan Tawami, S.S., M.Hum NIP. 4127.20.03.011
Advisor II
Nenden Rikma Dewi, S.S
Acknowledged by:
Dean of Faculty of Letters
Prof. Dr. Moh. Tadjuddin, M.A. NIP. 4127.70.003
Head of English Department
CURRICULUM VITAE
A. Personal Identity
a. Name : Reisa Yunita Caroline
b. Place and Date of Birth : Bandung, June 16th 1989
c. Home Address : Jendral Sudirman street, no. 1 C Cimahi, West Java.
d. Phone : 082118011145
e. Sex : Female
f. Citizenship : Indonesia
g. Hobby ` : watching movie and reading
B. Formal Education
No Year Institution
1. 1995-2001 SDN Sudirman II Cimahi
2. 2001-2004 SMPN 8 Cimahi
3. 2004-2007 SMKN 3 Cimahi
C. Informal Education
No Year Name of Education Certification
1. 2009 Copywriting as a Creative Thinking Seminar and Workshop
Certified
2. 2010 Copywriting and Consumer Behavior Seminar
Certified
3. 2010 Translating & Interpreting Workshop
Certified
4. 2011 Seminar Feminist, Feminine and Text
Certified
5. 2011 Seminar and Workshop Semiotic : Literature Media
Certified
6. 2011 Seminar “Kreatif Menulis, Rejeki
Tak Akan Habis”
Certified
7. 2011 Copywriting Linguistics on Media Seminar and Workshop
Certified
8. 2011 Public Speaking Seminar “Building Confidence in Delivering Public
Speech”
Certified
9. 2012 Design Bussines Day Seminar and Workshop
Certified
10 2013 Building The Translation Skill and Confidence Seminar and Workshop
11 2013 Extra Large Workshop Certified
D. Experiences
viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all, the writer would like to thank the Almighty God for His blessing so that the writer could accomplish this skripsi. This skripsi would like to present about the psychological effect of ageing on the main character in Happy Birthday novel.
At first, the writer finds a difficulty in choosing the theory which is suitable to the topic. The writer also has few problems in expressing and describing the analysis of data. However, all the difficulties are solved by the help
from some people and the writer’s efforts also. In this special occasion, the writer
would like to express her deepest gratitude and appreciation for the following people:
1. Dean of Faculty of Letters of UNIKOM, Prof. Dr. H. Moh. Tadjuddin, MA.
2. Head of English Department, Dr. Juanda.
3. My Advisor, Tatan Tawami S.S, M.Hum and Nenden Rikma S.S. Thank you for the knowledge, supports, words, and suggestions. 4. All the lecturers and staff in English Department.
5. My beloved parents for the support, love, and everything. 6. All my friends for sharing everything.
Bandung, August 2013
37
NO VALERIE IN PERSONAL LIFE PAGE
1. “People wanted to live the way she told them to, women wanted to look the way she did, and young girls wanted a wedding just the way Valerie would have done it, or as she instructed them to do on her show and her books. Valerie Wyatt was a household name. She was a beautiful woman, had a fabulous career, and lived a golden life. The only thing missing in her life was a man, and she hadn’t been involved with anyone in three years. The thought of that
depressed her that morning too. (HB: 13)”
18
2. “No matter how good she looked, the age on her driver’s license was what it was, and who would want a woman of sixty? Even men in their eighties wanted girls in their twenties now. With this birthday, Valerie felt she had
become obsolete. It wasn’t a pleasant thought, and she
wasn’t happy today.
…
And the only thing keeping her from a major panic attack was that at least no one knew her right age. But she was
depresses anyway.” (HB: 14)
20
3. “She had had her eyes done for the first time when she turned forty and then again fifteen years later. The results were excellent. She looked rested and fresh, as though she
38
had been on a terrific vacation. She had had the surgery done in L.A. during a summer hiatus. She had also had her neck done when she was fifty, giving her a smooth, youthful neckline with no sag anywhere, and her plastic
surgeon agreed that she didn’t need a full-face lift. She had
great bones, good skin, and the eye and neck work had given her the effect she wanted. Botox shots four times a
year added to her youthful looks.” (HB: 12)
4. “She had divorced for twenty-three years, and had devoted more time and energy to her career than romance. But she missed being involved with someone, and was disappointed that no one had turned up in years. She was beginning to think that no one ever would again. Maybe
she was too old. She certainly felt it now.” (HB: 19)
23
5. “So what, if it makes us look good? I don’t usually advertise that, but shit, we both make a living on screen, and with high definition video now, you need all the help
you can get.” (HB: 222)
24
6. “She looked in the mirror intently as she prepared to leave her apartment that morning. She didn’t have to be in the studio until noon for taping, and she had two appointments before that. She was hoping the first one would cheer her up. And the
39
only thing keeping her from major panic attack was that at least no one knew her right age. But she was
depressed anyway.” (HB: 14)
NO VALERIE IN SOCIAL LIFE PAGE
1. “Pat was always startled that there was no man in his ex
-wife’s life. She was such a beautiful woman, but her career
had been her first priority for so long that he thought she had given up a lot for success and fame. At sixty, she was
alone.” (HB: 88)
26
2. “My, my, my, I never would have believed it, and I’ll bet
you won’t either. She looks terrific for her age! Guess
who’s turning sixty today? Valerie Wyatt! Now that is a
surprise! Good work, Valerie, you don’t look a day over
forty-five.” (HB: 15)
27
3. “It was humiliating words, she fumed to herself. Was nothing private anymore? Not when you were a famous as Valerie Wyatt and had your own TV show, and had for years. She wanted to cry as she sat in the backseat wondering how many other radio shows it
40
would be on, how many TV shows, what newspaper it would be in, or celebrity roundsup announcing whose birthday it was and how old
they were. Why didn’t they just sky-write it
over New York?” (HB: 16)
4. I know. I figured you’d be upset. I’m sorry, Mom. It
doesn’t matter. No one would believe it. You hardly look
older than I do.’
‘Thank you for saying that,’ Valerie said ruefully, ‘but now
everyone knows the truth.’
‘You can say they made a mistake.’ April tried to console
her, but she was too shaken up herself to be very reassuring.
‘I can’t believe I’m sixty,’ Valerie said, as April smiled at
her. (HB: 54-55
29
5. “He had heard how old she was on the news, so he knew
she was older, but she didn’t look it. He thought she looked
great, and not nearly her age, and old enough to have a daughter as grownup April. Even after the events of the day before, and very little makeup on, he thought Valerie
looked terrific.” (HB: 166)
35
REFERENCE
Cramer, P. (1998). Coping and defense mechanisms: What's the difference? Journal of Personality, 66, 919-946
Freud, Sigmund.”New Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis and Other Works”, Vol. XXII (1932-36) of the Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, trans. James Strachey (London: Hogarth Press and the Institute of Psycho-Analysis, 1964), no. 33. Gerke, Jeff. “Plot versus Character: A Balanced Approach To writing Great
Fiction”2010, published by Writer’s Digest Book, an imprint of F+W
Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio. First edition. Juni, Samuel; Grimm, Donald W. “Sex roles as factors in defense mechanisms
and object relations”. The Journal of Genetic Psychology 155. 1 (Mar 1994): 99.
McLeod, S. A. (2009). Defense Mechanisms - Simply Psychology. Retrieved from <http://www.simplypsychology.org/defense-mechanisms.html>
McLeod, S. A. (2007). Psychoanalysis - Simply Psychology. Retrieved from <http://www.simplypsychology.org/psychoanalysis.html>
Minderop, Albertine (2005). Metode Karakterisasi Telaah Fiksi; edisi: 1. Jakarta: Yayasan Obor Indonesia.
Sandoff, Mette; Widell, Gill. “Freedom or docility at work - is there a choice?”. The International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy 29. 5/6 (2009): 201-213.
Smith, Hilda L. Cultural Constructions of Age and Aging: "Age"; A Problematic Concept for Women. Journal of Women's History 12. 4 (Winter 2001): 77. Westen, Drew (1990). Psychoanalytic Approaches to Personality.
1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.1Background to the Study
Ageing is a biological process that comes naturally to every human. It appears when someone grows old and there is a physical change that can be seen clearly such as wrinkles on face or neck. Therefore, there are some of us who can accept the ageing and some not. The reason why some people cannot accept ageing is that they realize that ageing may limit their activities, such in particular careers. People who cannot accept the ageing tend to do everything in order to avoid the ageing and they never know where it leads.
For example, someone who works in entertainment field or as a public figure tends to take ageing as an important problem since everything they do will get
many people’s opinions or judgments from public. Therefore, they want to look
perfect in front of public. Many people or public may have a high expectation to the public figure, so they think that they have to be more concerned about their appearance in order to have a good looking.
2
their life. At the same time, ageing becomes something that they should avoid and this action is a shape of the self-defense because they try to defense from the reality, the ageing itself. In this term, there are many kinds of self-defense and sometimes people unconsciously use one of them when they have such problem.
In relation to that, the writer found the illustration of the above mentioned case in the ‘Happy Birthday’ novel, represented by the main character, Valerie. It is told she has everything; career, money, and beauty. Her life seems perfect until her birthday, she realizes that she is sixty years old and this fact disturbs her so much. She does not like the fact that now she is in sixty and should go through the process of ageing. On her top of career, she cannot let her age limits her work so she tries to avoid the ageing by doing a surgery and Botox. As a generally acknowledged procedure, doing surgery is not as simple as it seems; it needs a great courage and costs. In short, this effort can be said as one form of self-defense.
In line with that, as a public figure, money is not the matter but the courage is. She cannot do the surgery if she does not have whether a great support or pressure from friends or family. In this case, Valerie has a lot of friends and families who always support and be there for her. In the other hand, they become a problem too for Valerie. The perspectives of her friends or families about her age become another problem for Valerie.
3
analyze about the ageing from the main character’s experience. The writer focuses on the psychological effect of ageing on the main character in this novel because it is interesting to find out the effect of ageing which has an influence to
someone’s mental such as a depression. Additionally, it is more interesting to
know the impact of the depression itself to the main character in this novel. Thus, this skripsi is entitled “The Psychological Effect of Ageing on Valerie in Happy Birthday novel by Danielle Steel”.
1.2. Research Question
1. What psychological effect of ageing showed by Valerie in this novel? 2. What is the impact of psychological effect resulted from Valerie’s defense
to ageing in this novel?
1.3 Objectives
1. To describe the psychological effect of ageing showed by Valerie.
2. To discuss the impact of psychological effects resulted from Valerie defense to ageing.
1.4 Significant to Knowledge
The writer hopes that this research gives a new knowledge to the reader
about the definition of ageing, explanation about the process of ageing and the
effect of ageing on physically and mentally. The writer also expects this research
4
on the psychoanalysis especially in mechanisms of defenses theory. They can
focus on one kind of defense to analyze the data.
It is also expected to give more knowledge about someone’s personality. The writer wants to show that when someone tries to avoid something beyond
human’s control then there will be effects on his mental. Meanwhile, it is also
expected to enrich the writer’s knowledge about herself who will through the process of ageing which is shown in the main character of the novel.
1.5 The Framework Theory
In this research, the writer analyzes the ‘Happy Birthday’ novel from
Danielle Steel by using The Mechanism Defense theory by Anna Freud (1966).
The mechanism defenses appear when id, ego, and superego are not in balance. It
is when id or superego demands too much and the ego cannot handle it. The
mechanism defenses are used to protect someone from feeling anxiety or guilty.
Based on Anna Freud’s theory, there are ten mechanisms of defenses such
as repression, denial, regression, projection, reaction formulation, sublimation,
displacement, rationalization. Therefore, the writer uses the mechanism defense
theory to analyze the personality of the main character, Valerie in facing the
ageing.
In this case, the writer analyzes the problem by classifying the data into
two categories. The first category is about Valerie in her personal life, then about
5
the inside but from the outside also. So the writer analyzes the data based on
Valerie in personal and social life.
According to the mechanisms of defenses theory, Valerie does the defense
to reduce the anxiety. In the other hand, it leads Valerie into another problem.
6
Figure 1. The Framework of Theory
Novel
Psychoanalysis
Valerie
Ageing
Personal Life Social Life
Depression
7 CHAPTER II
THEORITICAL REVIEW
In this chapter, the writer explains about the theory applied to analyze the data. In analyzing the data, psychoanalysis approach is used. According to McLeod, Freud is a founder of psychoanalysis; he uses this theory to analyze what
is in his patient’s mind that is repressed to the unconscious level then is shown
through the patient’s behavior. According to Barry:
Psychoanalysis itself is a form of therapy which aims to cure mental disorder „by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in the mind‟. The classic method of doing this is to get the patient talk freely, in such a way that the repressed fears and conflicts which are causing the problems are brought into the conscious mind and openly faced, rather than „buried‟ in the unconsciousness.(2002: 98)
As stated above, Freud uses psychoanalysis in order to cure his patient’s
mental disorder. He believes that someone who gets mental disorder must be repressing their conflict. When the conflict is successfully repressed, it goes to their unconscious mind. The writer sees that the more someone hides his true feeling, the more he may get the mental disorder.
2.1 Defense of Mechanisms Theory
The writer uses psychoanalysis approach in analyzing the data and focuses
with Anna Freud’s mechanism of defenses theory. Sigmund Freud (1894, 1896)
8
more defenses. The method is called the mechanism of defense. As stated in Sandoff and Widell:
The term "defense mechanisms" is used as somewhat equivalent to cognitive coping strategies. Anna Freud describes nine such: repression, regression, reaction-formation, isolation, undoing, projection, introjection, turning against the self, reversal and finally a tenth one, "which is more included in the studies of neuroses, namely sublimating or transference of the drive goal" ([10] Freud, 1980, p. 46). Freud means that "defence" is the oldest example on dynamics in psychoanalytic theory. In this interpretation, defence activities are presumed as more important to focus than joy seeking. (2001: 4)
The mechanism of defenses is used to reduce the anxiety. When someone deals with conflict and problem in their life, they tend to get anxious. In order to reduce the anxiety, they unconsciously do the self-defense. As in Anna Freud’s mechanism of defense theory which said about kinds of defenses that usually people do when they get threatened, scared, or uncomfortable with some situation.
Based on Anna Freud’s mechanism of defenses theory, there are ten defenses such repression, regression, reaction-formation, isolation, undoing, and projection, introjection, turning against the self, reversal and sublimation (Sandoff & Widell: 2009). In this research, the writer only focuses on two defenses such as repression and denial because only two defenses which the main character in the Happy Birthday novel uses in facing the problem.
9
just refuses to experience it. For example, the smoker who knows that smoking is bad for their health but they keep doing it. Since it is too hard to stop it, they deny that smoking is bad for their health.
2.1.1 Mechanism of defenses in personal life
Every person has their own problem and the difference is the way they handle it. There is always a consequence in every decision because it depends on how they treat the problem. The decision influenced by the defense mechanism indicates that the main character in this novel, Valerie is depressed. In Journal of Personality (2007:75) states:
There is evidence that individuals who are depressed (particularly women) view events as more stressful. Also, depressed people may actually generate negative life events through their behavior (Hammen, 1991, 1992; Pianta & Egeland, 1994; Simons, Angell, Monroe & Thase, 1993) thus perpetuating their depression.
The statement above shows that if someone treats the problem with the negative thinking, the problem will seem to be more stressful. In a personal life,
someone’s behavior is influenced by the way of their thinking about something.
When someone faces the problem, the way they treat the problem also influences the defense they used.
10
similar theory with Anna Freud which says that defense mechanism is used to reduce anxiety.
2.1.2 Mechanism of defenses in social life
In handling the problem, everyone has their own way to solve it. The problem does not always come from the inside; sometimes it occurs from other people. As in Sprock and Yoder (1997) journal states:
„Having supportive social networks can protect individuals from depression (Belle, 1982; Pearlin & Johnson, 1977; Sherbourne et al., 1995) but social networks can also exacerbate distress (Kessler &McLeod, 1984; Turner, 1994).‟
The statement shows that having a lot of friends or being active in social life could give two impacts, whether it helps you or make your problem worst. As in the data, the writer sees that main character’s social life tend to give the main character problem which is unconsciously make the main character depressed. The main character, Valerie gets the problem since she wants to cover up her age. The ageing becomes the problem because Valerie as a public figure tries to fulfill
people’s demands and expectations such as always having a good appearance.
When Valerie gets used to maintain her physical appearance, unconsciously it becomes a habit to her.
11
When someone does their job well, it is not only because of their responsibility but they want to get some reward such a satisfaction and good responses from others. However if someone cannot fulfill their desire, they tend to repress it in order to avoid the anxiety. Repressing the desire is one of defense mechanisms which appear in the main character’s life. In addition, there are a few definitions of defense mechanisms which relate to the social life, such as:
Ihilevich and Gleser found that defense mechanisms were associated with adaptive processes in work, school, family, and marriage as well as with maladaptive thought processes. Even social attitudes, political ideology, and religious beliefs may be affected by unconscious defense mechanisms. (Juni & Grimm: 1994)
The statement above shows that the defense mechanisms always have a
part in someone’s life. In this case, social life has the influence of the defense
mechanism which will appear. Even though the defense mechanisms appear unconsciously but it can be seen perhaps from the background of education, work or social status. The defense mechanisms unconsciously can change someone’s behavior. It is not only the behavior but even social attitudes, political ideology, and religious beliefs also can be affected by the defense mechanisms.
2.2 Character and Characterization Method
In literature, there are two elements such as intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic elements are the elements which build in the literary work such as plot, character, theme, and setting. Extrinsic elements are the elements which come
12
or culture. In this research, the writer analyzes the data by using the intrinsic element only such as character. As stated by Hornby in Minderop (2005):
Karakter (character) bisa berarti orang, masyarakat, ras, sikap mental dan moral, kualitas nalar, orang terkenal, tokoh dalam karya sastra, reputasi, dan tanda atau huruf (1973:156).
Character is the basic element in literature and the participant in the story. The story cannot be built if there is no character inside it. In writing the story, the author has two characterization method such as showing and telling method. The method helps the author in telling the story the reader; therefore the writer uses showing and telling method in analyzing the data.
According to Minderop (2005: 2) „Metode karakterisasi dalam telaah karya sastra adalah metode melukiskan watak para tokoh yang terdapat dalam suatu karya fiksi‟. The writer uses the characterization method in order to observe the personality of the character in the novel. Based on Minderop, there are two methods such as telling and showing method.
2.2.1 Telling Method
Telling method is a method that the author describes and explains directly about the main character. As Pickering and Hoeper in Minderop (2005) states:
13
In telling method, the reader knows the whole story based on the author’s description. The author who works as a narrator should describe the story well, so that the reader understand and enjoy the story.
2.2.2 Showing Method
Showing method is the method that the author describes and explains about the character in the story from the dialog, conversation, or behavior. Pickering and Hoeper in Minderop (2005) states:
The other method is the indirect, the dramatic method of showing, which involves the author‟s stepping aside, as it were, to allow the characters to reveal themselves directly through and their actions. With showing, much of the burden of character analysis is shifted to the reader, who is required to infer character on the basis of the evidence provided in the narrative (1981:27-28).
15 CHAPTER III
RESEARCH OBJECT AND METHOD
In this chapter, the writer describes and explains about the research object, research method, data collection and also about how the writer analyzes the data.
3.1 Research Object
The object of this research is about the effect of ageing that happens to the main character, Valerie in ‘Happy Birthday’ novel. The writer describes about the ageing and the effect of it. The writer also describes the factors that make Valerie wants to avoid the ageing. In order to analyze the data, the writer uses the Anna
Freud’s mechanism of defenses theory and the intrinsic element as a supporting
theory.
3.2 Research Method
This research uses descriptive method in analyzing the data. Ariola (2006: 47) states that “the purpose of the descriptive method is to describe “what is”. It deals with the prevailing condition of objects, people, and events”. In this
16
3.2.1 Data Collection
In collecting the data, several steps are taken: 1. Reading the novel
The writer read Happy Birthday novel from Danielle Steel. The writer read it deeply to understand the flow of the story and to capture the general problems or concepts from the characters particularly the main character. It is also meant as the first process of screening the data.
2. Choosing the data
From the first process of data screening, the writer chooses the data which relates to the topic under the study such as the conflict between the main character and the other characters particularly about the ageing.
3. Classifying the data
From the general group of the data showing the conflict between the main character and the other characters, the writer classifies the data into two categories, personal and social life of Valerie. The data showing personal
conflict serves for describing Valerie’s personal life and the data in
Valerie’s social life describes the conflict between Valerie with her friends
or family.
3.2.2 Data Analysis
In order to analyze the data, the writer uses the characterization method such as showing and telling method. This writer uses this method to know the
17
the narration in the novel. The data which have been collected are classified into two categories such as Valerie in personal life and Valerie in social life. Both categories are analyzed by using psychoanalysis theories. The first category contains about the conflict between Valerie and herself. As an illustration, the data showing about Valerie who denies her actual age, represses her desire, and even wants to change her physical appearance by doing surgery are the data that describe psychology problems, the depression. In the second category, the data is about the conflict which occurs from people around Valerie such as friends and family. The data showing about Valerie who gets scared if people know her age because it may hold back her desire in having a new relationship in her age. So the conflict between Valerie and her social life give a great influence to her, this kind of conflict can be regarded as a form of external pressure leading her to be a narcissism syndrome.
3.3 Synopsis
Happy Birthday novel is written by Danielle Steel. This novel has three main characters, they are Valerie, April, and Jack Adams. The main characters in this novel have a similar problem but the way they face the problem is different. In this research, the writer only focuses on Valerie instead April or Jack because the way Valerie faces the problem is quite interesting.
18
because Valerie always put her career at the top of everything including her family. Since her divorce, she works tirelessly and this is what makes her live alone and lonely in her sixty.
Valerie as a public figure has to keep her appearance and looks perfect in front of camera. In order to keep her appearance she does the surgery, botox shot, and hires a personal trainer. Actually, all her efforts in keeping her appearance are an act of avoiding the ageing. The ageing is become the main problem for Valerie, she thinks that ageing will limit her career and her love life. In her sixty, Valerie realizes that she is lonely and she needs someone new to share.
Perhaps Valerie almost has everything but the only thing missing in her life is a man. In order to get a new relationship, Valerie covers up her right age from public. She afraid that no one would like a woman in sixty and it really depressed her.
One day on Valerie’s birthday, the announcer of the radio announces her
19 CHAPTER IV
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
In this chapter, the writer finds that the main character has the problem with her age and wants to avoid it. The writer uses the mechanism of defenses
theory to analyze the main character’s problem. Before analyzing the problem that
happens to the main character, the writer defines about the character first to see
the main character’s background. In this case, the problem is ageing. It occurs
from the conflict between the main character and her or the main character and others.
4.1 Valerie in Personal
Happy Birthday is a novel about the main character, Valerie who is a famous and successful public figure; she is a presenter in her own TV show and a writer for a decorating magazine. Many people are inspired by her; she has a great influence to them. It shows that she success in doing her job.
“People wanted to live the way she told them to, women wanted to look the way she did, and young girls wanted a wedding just the way Valerie would have done it, or as she instructed them to do on her show and her books. Valerie Wyatt was a household name. She was a beautiful woman, had a fabulous career, and lived a golden life. The only thing missing in her life was a man, and she hadn‟t been involved with anyone in three years. The thought of that depressed her that morning too. (HB: 13)”
The data above explains about Valerie from people’s point of view.
20
show and a writer for decorating magazine. Valerie is a beautiful woman who has a good taste in everything, so it makes Valerie’s writing in the decorating magazine and her passion in fashion influences many people. She writes about how to make a perfect beautiful wedding party, by preparing the wedding dress until the decoration. Valerie knows it so well because she knows every woman has a dream for the wedding. From Valerie’s writing, it seems like her life is so perfect and many people agree with that statement.
Valerie has a great career, she is beautiful, has a healthy life and lives the way she preached in her writing so that many people adore her and they want to live as well to look the way she does. It shows that Valerie becomes a role model for many people especially woman. Therefore, Valerie always wants to shows that she always in the good condition. She wants people to see her fantastic her life but not her problems such as ageing which makes her anxious. In order to reduce the anxiety, Valerie does the mechanism of defense. She denies the reality that she gets the effect of ageing by doing surgery and botox shot. Despite all the efforts she made, she gives up many things such as time, money and even her family.
21
and lonely. The only thing she desires and does many efforts is to have a relationship with a man for the second time to complete her life as a woman. However every time Valerie remember her age, it depressed her. She becomes anxious and unconsciously she does the mechanism of defense which called repression. She represses her desire in order to reduce the anxiety.
It is ironic because when everybody wants to be like her, in the other hand she depresses with the thought of her desire in having a relationship with a man. The more she gets old, the more she gets scared because there may be no guys who like a woman in sixty. This is the reason why she gets depressed. For Valerie, everything she has is nothing if she is not young anymore.
“No matter how good she looked, the age on her driver‟s license was what it was, and who would want a woman of sixty? Even men in their eighties wanted girls in their twenties now. With this birthday, Valerie felt she had become obsolete. It wasn‟t a pleasant thought, and she wasn‟t happy today. …
And the only thing keeping her from a major panic attack was that at least no one knew her right age. But she was depresses anyway.” (HB: 14)
22
her satisfied because she still has the unfulfilled desire. Then the denial is the only way Valerie could do while she tries to fulfill her desire.
Age is the main problem for Valerie because she thinks that her age could limit her desire in getting a relationship with a man. Thinking about the desire makes her feel anxious because the fact that she will get older each time. In order to reduce her anxiety, Valerie represses her desire and hopes that she can cover up her age from people. Though it does not solve the problem but it helps her to make her feeling better.
“She looked in the mirror intently as she prepared to leave her apartment that morning. She didn‟t have to be in the studio until noon for taping, and she had two appointments before that. She was hoping the first one would cheer her up. And the only thing keeping her from major panic attack was that at least no one knew her right age. But she was depressed anyway.” (HB: 14)
There are many ways to cover her age from others, first she never publishes her age to public and let them guess it. The second one is keep her physical appearance such as her skin and body so that people will never think that she is sixty years old. However, she realizes that every time she gets older so she needs to do something more with her appearance. It indicates that she becomes someone who only concerns about her performance and does not want to accept the reality.
23
gets depressed. Valerie knows well that her right age is something she cannot avoid so the more she depressed the more she tries so hard to be more beautiful. She believes that her beauty will help her. In order to fulfill her desire, Valerie does many efforts to get that.
“She had had her eyes done for the first time when she turned forty and then again fifteen years later. The results were excellent. She looked rested and fresh, as though she had been on a terrific vacation. She had had the surgery done in L.A. during a summer hiatus. She had also had her neck done when she was fifty, giving her a smooth, youthful neckline with no sag anywhere, and her plastic surgeon agreed that she didn‟t need a full-face lift. She had great bones, good skin, and the eye and neck work had given her the effect she wanted. Botox shots four times a year added to her youthful looks.” (HB: 12)
The data above shows Valerie’s effort in keeping her appearance to make her looks younger. She does the surgery from her eyes to neck and Botox shots to get the perfect result. The perfect result for Valerie is a youthful looks. As a public figure, she really needs to look excellent because she works in front of camera every day. She also needs to get public’s attention as a proof that she does her job well as a presenter on her own TV show. Her appearance is one of the best from her besides her skill as a presenter.
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In order to keep her beauty, Valerie does the surgery and botox shot. For some people, surgery or Botox is still uncommon things to do. Someone who will do the surgery needs a strong wills when make a decision to do it, since it is the decision that has an effect for a lifetime. Besides it takes lots of money, it also takes a time to see the perfect result. When someone does the surgery or Botox, it must be there are some pressures which make him or her do it. It could come from friends, families, or even himself. From the data above, it is said that Valerie gives a lot efforts to get herself look younger and beautiful and it is the shape of her defense which called denial.
Valerie does surgery and Botox; this is not an easy decision because she must have a great reason and courage. In this case, the ageing is something that pushes her so that she can take a decision to do surgery. For Valerie, her beauty helps to fulfill her desire in being involved with a man. Valerie wants to have another relationship with a new man because she needs someone to complete her life as a woman. It is not only because she is lonely but she wants to find something that she cannot get from her earlier husband.
“She had divorced for twenty-three years, and had devoted more time and energy to her career than romance. But she missed being involved with someone, and was disappointed that no one had turned up in years. She was beginning to think that no one ever would again. Maybe she was too old. She certainly felt it now.” (HB: 19)
Valerie’s romance does not run well as her career. She divorces from her
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their relationship on the top of everything but Valerie does not do that. She does not have the same way of thinking with her husband. In the end of their relationship is only divorce. Even after divorce, Valerie is still busy with her career. It shows that Valerie only concerns about herself and less attention to others. The behavior which only concern about herself indicates that she has a symptom of a narcissi person.
After twenty-three years living alone and busy with her career, Valerie starts to think about her own life. As a woman, she misses being in love and be loved with someone. Valerie wants to find something that she cannot get before from her earlier husband. However, the thought of her age always makes her depressed. She thinks that she is too old to have a new relationship with a man.
Valerie sees herself as an old woman and does not have a chance to have new relationship with someone. Her age is a problem because she is in sixty and there is still something she wants to fulfill. Then she tries to solve the problem by doing a surgery and Botox shot though it is not the solution for her problem. It only reduces her anxiety of becoming old. When she does a lot effort, it takes her into another problem. If she can accept that every human must through the process of ageing, perhaps she will not make the ageing as a problem. The fact now is Valerie cannot accept that she must through the ageing, it depressed her.
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There will always be an effect of everything she does. After the surgery,
Valerie’s mental also has changed. Valerie becomes more depressed whenever
she thinks about her right age.
“So what, if it makes us look good? I don‟t usually advertise that, but shit, we both make a living on screen, and with high definition video now, you need all the help you can get.” (HB: 222)
The data above is a conversation between Valerie and her friend. They talk about her age and the surgery she had done. Valerie as a public figure thinks that it does not matter if someone who works in entertainment field like her do a surgery. She wants to give her best for the audience so it does not matter with the surgery.
This is also a shape of her self-defense in facing the reality about her age, it is denial. Valerie denies the reality of her age by doing the surgery then she uses her job as the reason when she decides to do the surgery. Actually she has her own reason; she has desire in having a new relationship. She also wants to look young and beauty in her age to attract man. Beside Valerie in her personal life, social life also gives the influence to her.
4.2 Valerie in Social Life
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about her. They give a great influence for Valerie especially when she has to face some problem. In this situation, Valerie’s problem is ageing.
Every people must be through the ageing process because it comes naturally and they cannot avoid it. There will be a difference way in facing it. Some people perhaps think that ageing is a part of life so that they have to accept it. In other hand, there are also some people who cannot accept the reality and try many things to avoid the ageing. For example, a woman applies anti-ageing cream
in order to look younger or prettier. Valerie’s friends and family also have a
different point of view about ageing. It shows from the responses from them about Valerie who is in a process of ageing.
Valerie’s family and friends take a big part of every step that she takes.
The way of they see her, think about her or talk about her give an influence to Valerie especially in facing the ageing. Pat is Valerie’s ex-husband, he is one of person who gives an influence for Valerie. Pat still worries about his ex-wife who is still live alone in her sixty.
“Pat was always startled that there was no man in his ex-wife‟s life. She was such a beautiful woman, but her career had been her first priority for so long that he thought she had given up a lot for success and fame. At sixty, she was alone.” (HB: 88)
The data above shows that Pat sees Valerie as an independent and beautiful woman but she is still alone in her sixty. As an ex-husband and friend,
Pat still worries about Valerie’s life. Pat who already has a new happy family
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Valerie feel more uncomfortable. She becomes envy with Pat since she still alone and cannot have a new relationship.
From this data, it shows implicitly that Valerie does the mechanism of defense by repressing her desire in having a new relationship because she makes her earlier husband thinks that she still focus only at her career. Actually, Valerie represses her desire and distracts herself by keeping busy with her career. Valerie becomes obsesses with her career and try to do anything in order to keep her job as a public figure This is the shape of her defense from the reality which does not go the way she wants. In this situation, Pat’s attention to Valerie gives her more pressure and even makes her more depressed.
Valerie loves her job a lot. It makes Valerie cannot accept the reality about her age because she still has the unfulfilled desire. When she realizes that she is not young anymore, it seems hard to fulfill her desire to woman in her age. A woman in sixty has some physical changes such as from her hair, skin, or body. So that she try to avoid the reality by making her appearance look younger. It brings her into the situation where she keeps her career with beauty not only by her skill. In this situation, it explains why Valerie concerns a lot about her appearance because she wants to keep her job as a public figure and to attract a man.
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“My, my, my, I never would have believed it, and I‟ll bet you won‟t either. She looks terrific for her age! Guess who‟s turning sixty today? Valerie Wyatt! Now that is a surprise! Good work, Valerie, you don‟t look a day over forty-five.” (HB: 15)
The data above comes from the announcer; he does not believe that Valerie is turning sixty. On the radio, he says that Valerie looks terrific for her age. It shows how Valerie looks like, the announcer sees her like a woman in about forty-five. The announcer’s opinion about her birthday makes Valerie sad and happy at the same time. She feels sad when he announces it on the radio, it seems like all her efforts in covering her right age become useless. However, Valerie feels happy because she successfully fools everyone about her age but then somehow it makes her frustrating. Now everybody will know how old she is. She scares that the fact about her right age will limit her effort in chasing her desire.
“It was humiliating words, she fumed to herself. Was nothing private anymore? Not when you were a famous as Valerie Wyatt and had your own TV show, and had for years. She wanted to cry as she sat in the backseat wondering how many other radio shows it would be on, how many TV shows, what newspaper it would be in, or celebrity roundsup announcing whose birthday it was and how old they were. Why didn‟t they just sky-write it over New York?” (HB: 16)
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She wants to have a life where she can do something privately. Valerie gives lot efforts to cover her age from public but now she feels that all her efforts are useless.
The data above also tells that she wants to cry after she hears the announcement of her birthday on the radio. Crying is a shape of her emotion at that time and a proof how she wants to deny her right age. After listen the radio, there are many questions in her mind about the effect of that announcement. It shows that she becomes more anxiety than before. Before she is only anxiety about how a woman in sixty gets a man who wants to be her someone special, but now she also thinks about what people think about her life. She is not ready to hear any judgment or opinion from people. She gets depressed of what is on her
mind and people’s opinion. At first, the problem is about the ageing which she
tries to avoid. Now it brings her into a situation where she as a public figure has to face the pressure from others. Actually in this case, she gets not only a pressure but also the support from her family.
„I know. I figured you‟d be upset. I‟m sorry, Mom. It doesn‟t matter. No one would believe it. You hardly look older than I do.‟
„Thank you for saying that,‟ Valerie said ruefully, „but now everyone knows the truth.‟
„You can say they made a mistake.‟ April tried to console her, but she was too shaken up herself to be very reassuring.
„I can‟t believe I‟m sixty,‟ Valerie said, as April smiled at her. (HB: 54-55)
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old and still has no boyfriend because she spends a lot of her time for working. So that April could really understand how her mom’s feeling after the radio announces her age. April knows that Valerie must be really upset so she tries to make Valerie feels better by saying a good thing about her looks. April does not lie about it; she really meant that her mother is not as old as Valerie feels. April helps her mother to repress all the things which makes Valerie sad. April wants to give her mom a support by always reminding Valerie that ageing is really not a matter.
There is a guy who will agree with April’s statement about her mom, he is
Jack. Jack is Valerie’s friend, he is an ex-athlete football player and now he is a
sport newscaster. He works in entertainment field like Valerie. Jack finds something in Valerie that others may not see, it is Valerie’s personality.
“He had heard how old she was on the news, so he knew she was older, but she didn‟t look it. He thought she looked great, and not nearly her age, and old enough to have a daughter as grownup April. Even after the events of the day before, and very little makeup on, he thought Valerie looked terrific.” (HB: 166)
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The reality of her age has already a problem for Valerie but her desire in covering her right age from public is her priority. This is only way to defense herself from others opinion about her age. After the radio announce her right age, hearing people’s opinion about her age is not really important for her. She does not want to hear that because it is only makes her become more anxiety. The mechanism of defense that she uses in this case is denial.
33 CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1 Conclusion
This chapter shows the finding and also answers the research in chapter 1. Based on the analysis, the ageing causes the emotional effect on the main character. Valerie, as the main character, wants to avoid the ageing since she gets the pressure from the outside and inside her.
There are some emotional effects occurs when the main character tries to avoid the ageing. The main character who gets anxious of getting old, tries to reduce the anxiety by doing self-defenses. The main character also gets depressed since she knows that ageing comes naturally and the only way to avoid ageing is by doing surgery or botox shots.
Basically, the main character’s emotional effect comes from the pressure
that she gets from the inside and the outside of her. The ageing influences the main character in a personal and social life. Valerie, the main character is a famous person who works in entertainment field. As a public figure, she has to concerns a lot about her appearance. The ageing becomes the matter to Valerie so that she ties to cover her age up by doing surgery.
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who obsesses with beauty. In Valerie’s mind, she needs to stay young in order to
get what she desires. Valerie always tries to cover up her age from others, does surgery and botox shots, and concerns a lot with her appearance. The writer concludes that her action indicates to narcissistic person.
5.2 Suggestion
This research is expected to give knowledge about the ageing which could
influence someone’s mental. This research uses Anna Freud’s mechanism of
defenses in analyzing the data. Actually there are ten defense mechanisms but in this research the writer only uses two of defense; repression and denial. The writer uses the defense based on the data which presents in the novel. From the Happy Birthday novel, the writer talks about the ageing problem and the main character in this novel shows only two defenses.
