ix ABSTRACT
DIAN CHRISTINE FITRIASARI. Soroku Okamoto’s Personality Changes as a result of Self-Defense in Jiro Osaragi’s The Journey. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2008.
Learning about personality of character in the novel is interesting. Since the novel usually made a little bit similar with the condition in reality, we can indirectly learn to understand the personality of the people surrounding us.
A lot of things could give an opportunity toward people’s personality to change. In the novel of Jiro Osaragi, The Journey, Soroku Okamoto represents a person whose personality changes get some influences from his family and his environment.
There are two problems that are made for two aims. The first is to find out about Soroku Okamoto’s characteristics and the second is to find out the changes of his personality.
The method that is used to do the analysis is library research. The data are Jiro Osaragi’s novel, The Journey, and also other sources related with this study. This study used the theories of character and characterization, personality and theory of personality changes. The approach used in this study is psychological approach.
x ABSTRAK
DIAN CHRISTINE FITRIASARI. Soroku Okamoto’s Personality Changes as a Result of Self-Defense in Jiro Osaragi’s The Journey. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Satra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2008.
Mempelajari kepribadian suatu tokoh dalam sebuah novel merupakan hal yang menarik. Dengan membaca novel, secara tidak langsung kita juga bisa belajar untuk mengenal kepribadian orang-orang yang ada disekitar kita. Hal tersebut dapat dilakukan karena biasanya novel dibuat hampir sama dengan kenyataan yang ada di dunia nyata.
Ada banyak hal yang dapat mempengaruhi kepribadian seseorang. Dalam novel The Journey karya Jiro Osaragi, Soroku Okamoto mewakili seseorang yang kepribadiannya dipengaruhi oleh keluarga dan lingkungannya. Ada dua rumusan masalah dalam penelitian ini yang dibuat dengan dua tujuan. Tujuan yang pertama adalah untuk mengetahui gambaran Soroku Okamoto dan yang kedua adalah untuk mengetahui perubahan kepribadian dalam diri Soroku Okamoto.
Metode yang digunakan dalam analisis ini adalah metode pustaka. Data yang dipergunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah novel yang di tulis oleh Jiro Osaragi berjudul The Journey dan sumber-sumber lain yang berkaitan dengan penelitian ini.beberapa theory yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah teori karakter, teory pembentukam karakter, teory kepribadian dan perubahan kepribadian. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan psikologi.
i
SOROKU OKAMOTO’S PERSONALITY CHANGES AS A
RESULT OF SELF-DEFENCE IN JIRO OSARAGI’S
THE
JOURNEY
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
DIAN CHRISTINE FITRIASARI
Student Number: 034214096
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
iv
BE POSITIVE THINKING
WHEN
YOU BELIEVE
YOU WILL
GET IT
v
I DEDI CATED THI S THESI S
vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In this occasion, I would like to give my biggest gratitude to Jesus Christ. Without His help, I would never finish my thesis. My knowledge comes from Him. He always helps me in any situation. He always fulfills me with His blessings.
I would give my special gratitude to my family, especially my mother and my father. They are the greatest parent s that Jesus gave me. They always give me spirit to finish my thesis. They always take care of me and give me their love in all of my life. I will never forget to mention my brother, Imanuel, he is the laughter, the joy in my life. You are the best brother I have ever had.
I would give my deepest gratitude to Dra. Th. Enny Anggraini, M.A. and Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd.,M.Hum. They have supported me on finishing my thesis. I
really thank for their patience, their time, their suggestion and attention that they have given to me.
Last but not the least; My special thanks go to all of my friends. Especially for Icha, Ana, Rindu, Dita, Lia, Dewi, and everyone who could not mentioned one by one. I really thank for their supports and also their prayers until I have finished my thesis. They have given me a special moment during my study in Sanata Dharma University. My special thank also go to Ricky for his attention, patience and love in my studies and my life.
viii
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI……….... vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………. vii
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW……… 5
A. Review of Related Studies……… 5
B. Review of Related Theories………. 7
1. Theory of Character………. 7
2. Theory of Characterization……….. 8
3. Theory of Personality and Personality Change……….. 10
C. Theoretical Framework……….….. 14
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY……… 16
A. Object of the Study ………. 16
B. Approach of the Study………. 18
C. Method of the Study ……… 20
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS………. 24
A. The Characteristic of Soroku Okamoto………. 24
B. Soroku Okamoto Personality Change……… 31
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION……… 53
BIBLIOGRAPHY………. 55
ix ABSTRACT
DIAN CHRISTINE FITRIASARI. Soroku Okamoto’s Personality Changes as a result of Self-Defense in Jiro Osaragi’s The Journey. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2008.
Learning about personality of character in the novel is interesting. Since the novel usually made a little bit similar with the condition in reality, we can indirectly learn to understand the personality of the people surrounding us.
A lot of things could give an opportunity toward people’s personality to change. In the novel of Jiro Osaragi, The Journey, Soroku Okamoto represents a person whose personality changes get some influences from his family and his environment.
There are two problems that are made for two aims. The first is to find out about Soroku Okamoto’s characteristics and the second is to find out the changes of his personality.
The method that is used to do the analysis is library research. The data are Jiro Osaragi’s novel, The Journey, and also other sources related with this study. This study used the theories of character and characterization, personality and theory of personality changes. The approach used in this study is psychological approach.
x ABSTRAK
DIAN CHRISTINE FITRIASARI. Soroku Okamoto’s Personality Changes as a Result of Self-Defense in Jiro Osaragi’s The Journey. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Satra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2008.
Mempelajari kepribadian suatu tokoh dalam sebuah novel merupakan hal yang menarik. Dengan membaca novel, secara tidak langsung kita juga bisa belajar untuk mengenal kepribadian orang-orang yang ada disekitar kita. Hal tersebut dapat dilakukan karena biasanya novel dibuat hampir sama dengan kenyataan yang ada di dunia nyata.
Ada banyak hal yang dapat mempengaruhi kepribadian seseorang. Dalam novel The Journey karya Jiro Osaragi, Soroku Okamoto mewakili seseorang yang kepribadiannya dipengaruhi oleh keluarga dan lingkungannya. Ada dua rumusan masalah dalam penelitian ini yang dibuat dengan dua tujuan. Tujuan yang pertama adalah untuk mengetahui gambaran Soroku Okamoto dan yang kedua adalah untuk mengetahui perubahan kepribadian dalam diri Soroku Okamoto.
Metode yang digunakan dalam analisis ini adalah metode pustaka. Data yang dipergunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah novel yang di tulis oleh Jiro Osaragi berjudul The Journey dan sumber-sumber lain yang berkaitan dengan penelitian ini.beberapa theory yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah teori karakter, teory pembentukam karakter, teory kepribadian dan perubahan kepribadian. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan psikologi.
1 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Studying a novel is very interesting. It is interesting because literature especially novel sometimes can reflect the condition of society and people that live in certain place and time based on what are told in the novel itself.
A novel is interconnected with human relationships. We can see in a novel, a story about family relationship, friendship, love affairs, etc. Those kinds of story are made almost similar like what usually happened in the real world. Sometimes, we can also feel the emotions of the characters presented in a novel.
By knowing and learning the personality of the character in the novel, we can also indirectly understand the personality of the people surrounding us. It happened because like what is told before a novel is made not far away from the condition in reality.
Since the writer has seen that learning the personality of the character in the novel is interesting, therefore, the writer has decided to analyse the personality changes with a novel as the object of the study. The writer realizes that in our daily life, many things can give influence and give an opportunity toward our own personality to change.
II in Japan. There are two major conflicts in that story. The first is the conflict of Taeko and her relationship with Tsugawa as her lover. The second is about her uncle, Soroku Okamoto, whose life had changed because of the changing situation in his surrounding as the result after the World war was ended and also American Occupation.
The story began when the major character, Taeko Okamoto wanted to visit her uncle Soroku Okamoto in Kamakura. Unfortunately, she did not meet with her uncle. According to his uncle’s maid, Soroku was doing a vacation at that time. Taeko thought that it was not her uncle’s behavior to do a journey far away from his house (p.18). Later, beginning from his journey, it can be seen some changes in his personality which were later can create a new image for Soroku.
After reading the novel, the writer is interested with Soroku Okamoto’s character. The writer wants to know more deeply about the character of Soroku Okamoto, the cause of his personality changes and what contributions given by the other characters toward his personality changes. Because of the above reasons, the writer had decided to make an analysis toward the personality changes in Soroku Okamoto. Some theories related with character and psychology would be used in this analysis.
B. Problem Formulation
3
1. What sort of character is Soroku? 2. How does Soroku’s personality change?
C. Objectives of the study
There are two problems related to the topic of this study. The first problem is how Soroku Okamoto’s personality is described. It is to find out about Soroku Okamoto’s personality and the second problem is how Soroku Okamoto’s personality is changed on The Journey. It is to find out the changes of Soroku Okamoto’s personality.
D. Definition of terms
1. Character
Abrams in Glossary of Literary terms defines the term character as a person presented in a dramatic or narrative work that the moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities of this person are expressed in the dialogue and action (1981: 20).
2. Characterization
characterization as “the method by which characters will be presented to the readers” (1988: 34).
3. Personality
Pervin in Personality Theory and Research define the term personality as the representation of person’s characteristics that account for consistent patterns of felling, thinking, and behaving (Pervin, 1984: 4).
5 CHAPTER II
THORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
Jiro Osagiri as the author of The Journey is a good Japanese writer. A lot of his works were published in Japan as bestseller such as: Kuruma Tengu (Black-Masked Reformer Devil Kurama) which became his most popular novel, Teru Hi Kumoru Hi (Sunny Days, Cloudy Days), The Journey, etc. American people also appreciate him as a good writer. They make a novel prize using his name, Jiro Osaragi’s prize that is used to appreciate some good novel’s writer in America <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0651519/bio>(19 May 2006).
Almost the same from the other author in literature, Jiro Osaragi also got some influence from some cultures in the way of his writing style. It can be seen from “The Biography of Jiro Osaragi”:
Osaragi was deeply influenced by French literature and culture, and wrote non-fiction pieces displaying his deep understanding of controversial events in Europe: "Doreifas jiken" (The Dreyfus Affair), "Buraunje Shogun no Higeki" (The Tragedy of General Boulanger), and "Pari wa Moyu" (Paris is Burning). <http://www.city.kamakura.kanagawa.jp/osaragi_e.htm> (19 may 2006).
When he died in 1973 at the age of 75, he was still writing "Tenno no Seiki" (Century of Emperors), a historical chronicle based on the spiritual history of the Japanese people.<http://www.city.kamakura.kanagawa/osaragi_e.htm>(19 May 2006).
Some people have done the research on The Journey by looking at some aspects. Patrick Smith in his book, Among Themselves the Invisible Japanese that is published by Alfred A. Knopf and shared on- line in www.newyorktimes.com talks that:
Osaragi ends in ascending chords. People pressed together by well-worn social conventions diverge along separate paths, so embracing society's multiplicity. But The Journey is no bedtime story. Other characters, seduced by post war materialism and superficial notions of American ideals, fail to connect freedom with responsibility and end up submerged in the very morass of self- centered getting and spending that Tokyo encouraged after the anti-AMPO protests of 1960.
It means that he prefer to talk about The Journey in general. He did not discuss The Journey in specific aspect.
7
B. Review of Related Theories
This part contains the theories related to the study. Those theories are the theory of character and characterization, theory of personality, and theory of personality changes.
1. Theory on Character
In A Glossary of Literary Terms, M.H. Abrams says that characters are people that are presented in a dramatic or narrative work. It is also said that characters are distinctive type of person that the moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities of them are expressed in the dialogue and action. He states that the character’s temperament and moral nature for his speech and his action build the motivation of the character. Abrams also states that a character may remain unchanged in his outlook and his dispositions from beginning to end of a work or he may undergo a change.
A character may remain essentially “stable,” or unchanged in his outlook and dispositions, from beginning to end of a work (Prospero in The Tempest, Micawber in Dickens’ David Copperfield), or he may undergo a radical change, either through a gradual development or as the result of an extreme crisis (Shakespeare’s King Lear, Pip in Dickens’ Great Expectations) (1981: 20).
The person is described not as an individualized personality but as an example of some vice or virtue or type, such as a busybody, a glutton, a fop, a bumpkin, a garrulous old man, a happy milkmaid, etc. (1986: 81).
It is also stated that there are a static character and a dynamic character. A static character is one who changes little. A dynamic character is one who is changed by actions and experiences (1986: 83).
While Forster in the book entitled Aspects of the Novel, divided characters into flat and round characters. Round characters are usually the major figures in a story. They have many realistic traits and are relatively fully developed by the author. For this reason, they are often given names hero and heroine while the flat characters are essentially undistinguishable from their group or class. Therefore, they are not individual, but representative. They are usually minor characters, although not all minor characters are flat. Usually they stay the same; they are static, and not dynamic like round characters (1974: 46).
Theory of character is needed to support the writer on doing an analysis toward Soroku Okamoto. This theory is useful to help the writer to answer the problem formulation about what sort of character Soroku is.
2.Theory of Characterization
9
characters in the story. In the other hands, according to Rohrberger and Woods, characterization is “the process by which an author creates a character, the devices by which he make us believe a character is like particular person he is” (1971: 20)
According to Murphy, (1972: 161-173), there are nine ways how the author reveals the personalities of the characters to the reader.
a. Personal Description
It is the way on how the author can describe a person’s appearance and clothes.
b. Character as seen by another
It is the way the author can describe a character through the eyes and opinions of another.
c. Speech
The author can give the readers an insight into a person’s character through what the person said. Whenever a person speaks in conversation, or gives an opinion, he gives a clue that the readers may know how his character is.
d. Past life
The author can give the readers clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character by letting the readers learn something about a person’s past life. e. Conversation of others
f. Reactions
To describe a person, the author can show how the person reacts to various situations and events which allow the readers to get a clue to his character.
g. Direct comment
The author can describe or comment on a person’s character directly. h. Thoughts
The author can describe a person’s character by giving the readers knowledge of what the person is thinking about.
i. Mannerism
It suggests that the author can convey something about a person by describing his mannerism, habits, or idiosyncrasies.
Characterization must follow three principles in order to be convincing. Firstly, the characters in the story must have a consistency in the way they behave. This consistency might be broken if only there is a sufficient reason to explain this change of behaviour. Secondly, whatever the characters do, they must have clear motivations especially when they break the consistency of their behaviour. Finally, the characters must appear life or plausible (Perrine, 1974: 69).
3. Theory of Personality and Personality Change
11
the contribution toward the writer in doing the analysis of Soroku Okamoto’s personality change.
Personality according to Carver and Scheier in Perspective on Personality is “a dynamic organization, inside the person of psychological systems that create the person’s characteristic patterns of behavior, thoughts and feelings” (1996: 17). Alport in Personality: a Psychological Interpretation said “personality is that a man really is” (1953: 185-186). Meanwhile, in Hall’s Theories of Personality, one’s personality is clarified as an effectiveness by which he can get all supports he needs from people around him (1957: 245).
Bryne and Kelley in An Introduction to Personality considered that one’s personality can always change at any time and circumstances (1981: 87). Someone’s personality can change when there is a situation which leads to new emotional, informational, or imaginative responses. Therefore, one’s personality in a story can change at the end of the story. They also said that when an individual gets a new fact in his life, dramatic changes may be happened in the info-belief system, new
experiences, his concept of life and his way of thinking will develop (1981: 91). Elizabeth Hurlock in her book, Personality Development (1976: 108), it is stated that the meaning of change is “to alter or to vary, it does not necessarily mean that the alteration or variation will be complete. The personality pattern can change in some areas and remain persistent in others.”
and outside his home. She classifies two groups of people who have the role in influencing one’s personality. Those groups are “one’s family and one’s environment” (1974: 234). In her opinion, one’s environment is the people outside the home. She said that “people outside the home may have a role to shape one’s personality.” (1974: 234)
Elizabeth Hurlock in her book, Personality Development (1976: 108), it is stated that the meaning of change is “to alter or to vary, it does not necessarily mean that the alteration or variation will be complete. The personality pattern can change in some areas and remain persistent in others.”
To find the possible factors which can influence someone’s personality to changes, there are eight personality pattern determinants according to Hurlock (1974: 137-315). The patterns are:
a. Physical Determinant
Physical appearance will give an influence toward the personality development of somebody if that person tries to compare his or her physical appearance with the ideal concept that is built in the societies or families environment.
b. Intellectual Determinant
13
c. Emotional Determinant
Emotions give influence to the individual physical and mental functioning and his attitudes, interests, and values. The age of somebody can also affect the emotion’s intensity that can give the contribution on the changes of the personality of somebody.
d. Social Determinant
Everything that is built in the society like rules, norms, etc. can give influence toward the development of somebody’s personality. Everyone in this universe as human being cannot be separated from the society. Their choice or their decision to follow the rules that is built in the society or not can give the contribution on their personality deve lopment. Social roles are learned and internalised by the person become self-expectations as well as social expectations. It implies that when we enter a society and let ourselves plunge to its internalisation, we have to be ready to determine our steps in deciding whether we will take or leave that society’s expectations, norms, and idealism. Variations of what are included in this social determinant can influence one’s personality, such as early social acceptance, prejudice and discrimination, group status, and social mobility.
e. Aspirations and Achievement Determinants
f. Sex Determinant
The direct influence of sexuality on personality comes from the inside of the body as a real phys ic. While the indirect influence of sexuality on personality comes from the outside of the body, like for example the cultural aspects on the society about gender.
g. Educational Determinant
Educations that are given by parents at home or teachers at school have the biggest roles in building one’s personality.
h. Family Determinant
Considering that a lot of people mostly spend their time at home, the members of the families also give important role on shaping one’s personality. The child-training method and the communication of interests, attitudes, values between family members, person’s identification with a family member he admires, respect, and loves can highly influence one’s personality.
C. Theoretical Framework
15
16 CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter is divided into three parts. The first part is Object of the Study. It is about the novel that I use in this study. The second part is Approach of the Study. It explains about the chosen approach and the third is the Method of the Study. It is about the methods that are used in this analysis.
A. Object of the Study
The Journey is an interesting Japanese classic novel. It was written by Jiro Osaragi in 1960. The original text was published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc as Tabiji. The text that is used on this study was published in 2000 by Tuttle Publishing as The Journey.
The Journey was written by Jiro Osaragi in 1950’s after the World War II. The novel tells about the Okamoto’s family relationship including the conflict inside of each member as the character of the novel.
The story in The Journey is more or less about the condition of the people in Japan after World War II who must face the changing in their life after the war ended. It is the story about the relationship among people in the middle of new society that is built after the war ended.
17
democratic reforms and in 1952, Japan became a sovereign nation once more. With the defeat of Japan, the Allied Powers occupied the Japanese empire. The United Stated took control of it. Japan was disarmed completely. Article 9 of the 1947 Constitution prevented Japan from ever waging war on a foreign nation. The Emperor also renounced all claims to divinity and was forbidden in playing a role in politics. Japan was democratized and liberalized along American lines. Parliamentary party politics were established. Old left wing organizations such as the Japan Socialist Party and the Japan Communist Party reasserted themselves. The two dominant parties at the time were Liberal Party and the Democratic Party. The first post-war elections were held in 1946. In that election, women were given the franchise for the first time <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dwa_period> (13 June 2008).
The story begins when a young girl named Taeko Okamoto wanted to visit her uncle, Soroku Okamoto, in Kamakura. Arrive in Kamakura, Taeko decided to visit Akira’s grave, the son of Soroku who died in the war in Southern China, before she went to Soroku’s house. In that place, she met with Ryosuke Tsugawa, Akira’s friend. Later, beginning from that meeting, they became a close friend each other.
When she arrived in her Uncle’s house, she didn’t see him; he had gone to another place. She met with her uncle’s maid whom she got some information about her uncle who had gone to somewhere else. She felt strange because as long as she knew, her uncle didn’t like to go out from his house.
Soroku from the cold water where he tried to suicide. Professor Segi was interested with him who had amnesia and wanted to help him solving his problem. Later, in Professor Segi’s house, Soroku suddenly remembered about who he is. He decided to go home in his house in Kamakura.
Taeko herself and Ryosuke were in loved each other and had a deep relationship more than just a friend did. However, later in the end of the story, their relationship was ended because Ryosuke who had a bad behaviour.
Meanwhile, Tazuko, Taeko’s sister, wanted to borrow some money from her uncle, Soroku, but he did not give her the money. Nevertheless, later, everything had changed. When he knew that Taeko stole some money from him, he could forgive her.
Jiro Osaragi as the author of The Journey presents the post war’s characters that all of their life have been influenced by the changes that happened in their society in many aspects. While in this analysis, the writer will focus on Soroku Okamoto whose personality is changed after the ended of World War II has changed his environment and the people surrounding him.
B. Approach of the study
19
from the mind of each person and to know deeper about someone’s personality, psychological approach, that takes us to analyze a novel based on human being’s perspective, is needed.
C. Method of the Study
The method of collecting data in this analysis is library research. The writer used reading as the primary data and taking notes as secondary data. The writer used The Journey, a novel by Jiro Osaragi and also some other books and articles which are related with this study.
On the first step, the writer read Osaragi’s The Journey for several times in order to get more understanding about the novel. In this study, the writer focused on one of the main characters, Soroku Okamoto. During reading the novel, the writer made some important information related with Soroku Okamoto’s personality and also some others which related with this study.
The second step, the writer tried to find some references related with Jiro Osaragi as the author of The Journey and also his work. In order to relate Osaragi’s life and his work, the writer tried to look at some references about Jiro Osaragi. Most of the references were taken from internet’s sources like www.imbd.com, http://www.city.kamakura.kanagawa.jp/english/burjin/osaragi_e.htm, and www.newyorktimes.com. The writer decided to use internet sources because most of those sources are written in English while most of the books about Jiro Osaragi are written in Japanese language and those are difficult to understand.
21
Abrams (1981), Holman and Harmon (1986), E.M.Foster (1927), Murphy (1972), and Perrine (1974).
Since this study was focused on one of the main character’s personality, therefore, the theories related with personality was needed. In this study, Theories of Personality and Personality Change from Carver and Scheier (1996), Alport (1953), Hall (1957), Bryne and Kelley (1981), and Hurlock’s (1974) will be used.
The next step, in order to support this study, the writer decided to use psychological approach. The writer used this approach because this study was dealt with personality of a character and its changes. The theory of psychological approach that was used in this study was taken from Rohrberger and Woods (1971).
After all of the materials and sources were collected, the writer decided to choose a topic. The topic that had chosen is derived from the references that could support the analysis. The writer tried to make some questions related to the novel to make the topic suitable. Those questions would help the writer to derive the analysis toward the topic.
After that, the writer did the analysis. The writer divided the analysis into three parts. The first part dealt with the characteristic of Soroku Okamoto. In this part, the writer would like to take a look at the characteristic of Soroku Okamoto related to his personality. Therefore, the writer applied the theory of character from Abrams, Holman and Harmon, and Foster who explain about two types of characters, which is in general divided into change and unchanged character. Those theories are needed to support the writer’s opinion about whether this character’s personality had changed or not.
To explain the characteristic of Soroku Okamoto, the writer would like to take a look at his character based on three aspects. The first is through other’s characters opinion about him. The second is through the environment in surrounding him, and the last is through his behaviour himself which is presented by the author. Therefore, in order to do this analysis, the writer also uses the theory of characterization from Holman and Harmon, Rohrberger and Woods, Murphy, and Perrine. Those theories will help the writer as a clue to do the analysis.
23
Peter Barry, the theory of personality from Sigmund Freud and also the theory of personality change from Hurlock to support the writer’s analysis toward the causes of Soroku Okamoto’s personality changes.
24 CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
In this part, the writer tried to analyze the characteristic of Soroku Okamoto. After that, by looking at the characteristic of Soroku Okamoto, the writer tried to analyze the changes of his personality.
A. The Characteristic of Soroku Okamoto
Soroku Okamoto is one of the major characters in Jiro Osaragi’s The Journey. There are some descriptions given by the narrator and the minor characters about Soroku Okamoto. Here are his characteristics before his personality changes appeared.
Soroku Okamoto was a lonely old man. His age was around fifties. He lived alone in Kamakura. His wife died ten years ago. Since the death of his wife, he did not marry with any other women. He also had a son, named Akira, who had been killed in a war in southern China. Since the death of his wife and his also his son, he had preferred to live alone only with his loyal maid.
Uncle Soroku was in his fifties. He had lost his wife when he was about forty. From then on, despite everyone’s expectations, he had remained single. Taeko and her family thought that it was because of Akira that he did not remarry (P.16).
25
his father was not like a father. On his eyes, Soroku was like a creditor. However, it was his own mistake that he should pay some interest for his extra money. He asked his father whenever he running out his money for having fun with his friends. Took some interest from his own son was the way Soroku educated Akira to be wiser on using money. No matter how bad their relationship, after the death of Akira, Soroku was lost his soul mate.
At the beginning, Soroku was a perfectionist. He loved to make sure that everything is exactly as he wanted to be. It was implicit in Taeko’s statement after Tsugawa described about Akira. Taeko knew that Akira’s behavior was similar with his uncle.
“…He was just like a child who gets angry when things don’t turn out exactly the way he’s planned. It annoyed him that the matter was being smoothed over. That was the willful side of Mé’s character coming to the fore.”
“Just like my uncle.” (p.12)
This characteristic also can be seen through his attitude toward Taeko and Tazuko. He treated them in a very different way. He loves Taeko more than Tazuko although both of them were his nephews. His attitude which was very different on treated his nephews came from the fact that Taeko was his brother’s daughter from his maid not from his real wife. On the other hand, Tazuko was his brother’s daughter from his real wife. Soroku knew exactly that it was his brother’s mistake. Since he did not like his brother, he preferred to love Taeko more than Tazuko.
“I don’t like her father,” continued Soroku.
“He’s your elder brother, isn’t he?” said Sutekichi.
other. But his children occasionally come and visit me. Perhaps because I don’t like my brother I’m rather inclined to favor the daughter who was born as the result of his misconduct.’ (p.136)
He knew that his brother had made a mistake and Taeko was a result came from his mistake. Therefore, he felt that he had to give more attention toward Taeko since she also had a good personality.
“Her sister, you see, was brought up to be selfish and extravagant,” he said after while. “What a difference between her and Taeko, who since she came to Tokyo has been making her own living as an office girl, or a typist, or whatever it is. I didn’t think she’d be able to manage, but somehow she gets on all right without receiving the slightest help from her family. Perhaps circumstances have taught her how to fend for herself, or perhaps she’d been planning for a long time to leave home and was prepared to look after herself. In any case, she seems to be managing very well on her own.”(p.138)
It was clear enough for Soroku that Taeko’s attitude was very different with Tazuko. Here, according Soroku, Taeko was more mature than Tazuko. While Tazuko spent her money for something unimportant, Taeko had prepared herself for her own future. Therefore, from the evidence above, it can be seen that Soroku was a kind of person that always wants to make sure that everything is exactly as he wanted to be. He would appreciate anything that conform to his view point and hate anything that did not conform to his view point.
27
good reputation. He had been known as a hard head person when it came to money matters (p.16). But, although Soroku was a very rich person, he was very careful in using money. He would never give his money to someone who potentially could not manage it well. His carefulness principle in using money was applied toward his own family. After he knew that Akira could not manage his money well and used it for drinking in a bar, Soroku decided to take interest whenever Akira asked some extra money from him. This also happened when Tazuko asked some money from him for a business. Soroku knew that the business would not be gone well and he also knew that she could not manage the money well. Based on that, he refused to give his money to her.
“Tazuko told me she would call here again. But please tell her I absolutely refuse to lend the money and that she’ll be wasting her time if she comes here. Once I,ve refused something I’m going to go on refusing it, however many times she asks me.” (p.135)
The evidence in above showed how hard he maintains his carefulness principle on using money.
Soroku carefulness in using money also can be seen from the condition of his house as it was told by Taeko when she was talking to his maid. There were only a few lamps put in the house and it was also let to be dirty. It was not like what imagined by Taeko before. It was very strange to let a house in such condition since she knew that the owner of the house was a rich person who could do much better to take care of this house.
If there is such a thing as the “expression” of a house, she thought, it must surely be attuned to the person who lives in it. When the interio r is left unswept, then one can expect that the outside will be disheveled. Should the house itself be a mess and only its master neat, one would hardly be mistaken in assuming that he must be a hypocrite. (p.17)
Taeko was surprised with the condition of his Uncle’s house. She had known by herself and also from his father that her uncle was a very rich person, she knew that her uncle still had money to take care of his house. The fact that his uncle preferred to let his own house in somber sense like that was never thought before until she knew the reason from his uncle’s maid.
“Well, it’s not as bad as all that, you know. Still, if it looked too good, the taxes would be even worse than they are. It’s better this way in the end.”
“Well, really!” Taeko was about to say, but instead she asked: “Is that what Uncle said?”
“No, the gardener mentioned it in passing the other day. ‘The master must be having a hard time with his taxes,’ he said. He told me that if you’ve got a house with a garden in Kamakura, they tax the garden also.” (p.19)
From the evidence above, it can be seen that leaving the house as if it didn’t has any master, could help Soroku to avoid pay a large amount of taxes. It means that he could save his money.
29
Tsugawa, when Taeko asked him to tell about her uncle, also gave a picture that Soroku was a conservative.
“He was rather frightening. He really had nothing to say to young people, and I always had the impression he was about to scold me for something.” (p.6)
Tsugawa had an opinion that Soroku did not like young people. However, Soroku could not accept the modernization which also gave some impacts toward the thought pattern of young people about a glamour life style. It could be seen on the life of his son himself, Akira could not manage his money well and only used it to go to the bar, drinking with his friends. As the result, at the end of the month, Akira always asks some extra money from his father. It could be understood that Soroku did not feel comfortable with young people with their glamour life style. It just the same with young people like Akira who did not feel comfortable also with old generation like Soroku who was very conservative.
A different view between old generation and young generation could be seen from the conversation between Soroku and professor Segi when they met in a park. “Of course, we hear a lot of talk these days about freedom. Freedom, freedom! But surely freedom doesn’t mean that one should do exactly what one feels like. I know it doesn’t do any good to get angry, but when I see people pushing their way about and not giving a damn for anyone else I feel like having a fight—yes, even now, old as I am.” (p.246).
was much more than that, it needed a more understanding to be wiser on using a freedom facility.
Soroku was not a typical person who could show his love clearly toward someone that he loved. The way he taught Akira made Akira almost hate him. He taught Akira in a hard way especially when it came about a money matter. Akira often complained about it when he talked with Tsugawa his best friend.
“Yes, he used to complain about it a lot,” continued Tsugawa with the same impassive look on his face. “I don’t know if his father made him give an I.O.U. or not, but I remember how Mé hated to pay that interest.”
Tsugawa had realized that the relationship between Akira and his father was not in a good situation. Soroku’s attitude about the interest that should be paid by Akira even made the relationship between father and son became worse until someday Akira made a bad statement about his father.
…”My old man’s a usurer!”- Tsugawa remembered the words that Akira had once spoken to him in a violent tone of scorn. It was not the way a son would normally speak of his father. He had said this, Tsugawa realized, not because he begrudged paying interest on the money he had borrowed; there was something else-some intolerable aspect of his relation with his father. (p.13)
31
B. Soroku Okamoto’s Personality Changes
Soroku Okamoto’s personality changes were influenced by the changes of his society as the result of American occupation. His personality changes also got some influences from his family, and also from some people in his environment that helps him to recover from his unconscious condition.
Moreover, the social condition that had given some influences toward Soroku Okamoto’s personality changes was the condition of Japan in American occupation’s era. In this era, the people in Japan were influenced by the rapid industrialization happened as the result of American occupation and also by democratic system that appeared in many aspects of life in Japan. Modernization in this era had made a different perspective between the older people who still held the traditional value and young people who held a modern value. Later, this was also became a conflict in Soroku’s mind when he had a problem with his son when he was still alive. He could not handle Akira in a good way because of this different perspective. Soroku gave Akira a lesson about life with his traditional value, while Akira as a young man thought that it was too conservative and because of that he had his own rule on facing his life. Repentance appeared in Soroku’s mind after his son died, he had regretted that he could not understand the way on Akira’s thought. His repentance later had changed his personality.
was killed in a war. Doing a journey far away from Kamakura was something that never had done before. But later, after he had lost his son, he had done two different journeys. Later, the first journey that he had done would change his personality in many things.
The first journey that would change his personality in many things was his first Journey that he had made without any plan destination. He did this journey when he had lost his consciousness momentary after his son died. As if he wanted to bury his sadness, he decided to go far away from his house which had spent a lot of memory about Akira. For Soroku, it was a journey as a self-defense toward unwillingness situation in his life. Some part in his mind wanted him to survive from this sadness, while some other part wanted him to sink his mind more deeply into unrealistic condition as if Akira was still alive.
Meanwhile, Taeko, his nephew from Tokyo who wanted to visit him in Kamakura, was surprised toward his uncle who suddenly decided to have a journey. She knew that her uncle did not like to have a journey far away from Kamakura. Therefore she was more confused when his maid also told her that his uncle was gone without any certain destination.
“Is he on trip?”
‘He said he’d be gone for some time.”
Taeko was surprised: it was rare for her uncle to leave like this. “You mean he hasn’t just gone to Tokyo?”
“He said he wasn’t quite sure where he was going, but that he’d wander around where he felt like.”
33
However, his decision to have a journey was forced by his loneliness after the death of his wife and also after the death of his only son, Akira. The sadness that he felt was so deep until he came into an unconscious condition. This unconscious appeared as the way he ran away from reality. As if he wanted to refrain from the reality, he created his own world on his head that made his consciousness in his real life was disappear for a moment. Whenever someone talked about Akira, they could see the sadness in his eyes. It also what Sutekichi saw when he asked about his son.
“Is he the boy who died in the war?” asked Sutekichi.
Yes, he was,” Soroku had answered. An exhausted look passed over his face, and he became dead quite.(p.122)
Not only Sutekichi but Taeko also could see the sadness that his uncle felt. Whenever she talked about Akira, she could feel the grief that her uncle feels.
“Akira-san,” said Taeko in a natural tone. And it occurred to her that her cousin was the one thing that her uncle could not banish from his mind for a single moment. Although it was almost eight years since Akira had died, Soroku still retained the rather cold, strict look of a father. (p.128)
One that gave the biggest influence on Soroku Okamoto’s personality changes was his only son, Akira. The death of his son had changed his life in many things. Nobody could realize before that he really love his son. Tsugawa even had an assumption that he was a materialistic father. It could be seen when he told Taeko about Soroku’s attitude who took some interest toward Akira whenever Akira asked some extra money from him. Something that Tsugawa did not realize was that Soroku actually wanted to teach Akira on using money more wisely.
Since Soroku was a good banker, the lesson that he gave to Akira was a conservative way by giving him a formal rule that usually applied on a bank about interest. Whenever someone borrows some money from a bank, he or she should give some interest. Soroku knew that Akira often used his money for drinking. Therefore, he applied this rule toward his own son just to make him more carefully on using his money.
Tsugawa told to Taeko that since secondary shool days, Akira had already enjoyed drinking and he usually took his friend to join with him.
“That’s why his money never lasted till the end of the term. He used to have to figure out good excuses to get money from his father. He was pleased to be able to borrow the money, of course, but he hated having to pay interest on it from the moment he got it. At the beginning of each term, when it was time for him to get his expense money, his father used to tell him exactly how much had been advanced to him and how much he would have to repay. He never let him off with a single penny either from principal or interest. According to Mé, his father was much stricker about collecting the money he owed him than they were in the Ginza bar where Mé used to go.”(p.9)
35
The evidence that he did not merely collecting some interest toward his son can be seen when finally at the end Akira did not even have to pay his interest to his father.
“But the interest he owed on the money his father gave him while he was at school accumulated to such an extent that in the end he never returned it.” (p.13)
If Soroku really wanted to take some interest from his son, he would ask the money to be returned as soon as possible. But the fact happened was Akira even did not return the money to him. This was also supported by Taeko when she heard it from Tsugawa, Taeko was happy that finally both of them, between Soroku and Akira, they were no longer became two strangers but a father and his son.
“I’m glad to hear it,” said Taeko, smiling lightheartedly. “After all, they were father and son, weren’t they? It seems unbelievable, that Uncle should have behaved as he did, but if it’s true, it’s a good thing Akira didn’t pay him back. (p.13)
However, later he realized that money matters had made his relationship with Akira gone badly. This can be seen at the beginning of his consciousness when he was in prof. Segi house.
He was becoming rather insistent now, and the professor pulled the wallet over to the corner of the table where he was sitting. He could not help feeling that Soroku was addressing him as if he was a child. “Money is valuable,” persisted Soroku. “All sorts of troubles come from money, you know.” (p.79)
Later, his decision to have a mountain-climbing was influenced by Akira’s experiences written in his diary. After the death of his son, Soroku tried to find out all the things related with Akira to recall his memory about him. One day, he found Akira’s diary that told about his experiences on mountain-climbing. Never thought before that he would do a mountain-climbing like what Akira did but since he read Akira’s diary, suddenly came into his mind the excitement of that activity and he decided to do that someday. This idea came out from his mouth when he was talking with Sutekichi and Taeko in his house.
Soroku did not seem to mind the rather cold tone of the reply, and smiling gently, he said: “Well then, let’s go on a mountain trip together somewhere, shall we? I haven’t done any mountaineering either. It would be nice if we two amateurs went out together.” (p.128)
The other characters that gave a big contribution toward Soroku Okamoto’s personality changes were prof. Yoshitaka Segi and his assistant, Sutekichi. They were the people who took care of him after he was rescued from his attempt to commit suicide.
Prof. Segi and Sutekichi were very interested with the reason of why Soroku decided to commit suicide. Since Soroku was placed in one room with them, in the unconscious condition, Soroku was very entrust himself with them during that journey. Even prof. Segi asked him to stay with him in his house until his consciousness came back.
37
believed that he could take care of Taro, only Sutekichi who a little bit worried with him. During that moment, Soroku behaved as a good father for Taro. Sometimes, he pretended as if Taro was Akira. Different with his past action toward Akira, he gave Taro all his attention and his love in gentleness manner. (p.69)
It just because he was interested with Soroku who suddenly lost his memory that prof. Segi went to meet with professor Waki from Psychology Department to ask about this case. He came to him because he ever heard from him about the theory of shocked therapy treatment to help a patient with depression’s case. According to professor Waki, amnesia like what happened toward Soroku is a temporary phenomenon. His memory will return one of these days of its own accord. For some people with this kind of cases, “their minds have been concentrating completely on the idea of wanting to die, and in the end the idea of death becomes fixed in their brains”(P.70).
Therefore, looking at professor Waki’s opinion, Prof. Segi came into a conclusion that in Soroku Okamoto’s case, “his mind jumped into the land of the dead, even though the body itself has been rescued.”(p.70) He understand that in Soroku’s case, he lived in his own world although the body stayed with them.
willingness but after Soroku asked him so many times, he decided to remove his wallet in another place which was safer.
About this matter, until the end of the story, prof. Segi still did not understand, why a money matter could make him got his consciousness again.
“I see. To tell the truth, I’ve been wondering why his memory all of a sudden came back on that evening. I can’t help thinking that my throwing that mone y on my desk served as some sort of a stimulus. Apart from that, nothing special happened that evening, you see.” (p.117)
It is only Soroku who knew the reason about his action. As it was mentioned above that his personal reason of his memory about his son and about money which had made his relationship with his son gone badly had become a shock therapy to arise his consciousness, a condition where he finally realized that his son died and he would never come back again to him. This consciousness had brought him into a reality that he had to survive from his sadness and facing the reality of life.
Prof. Segi was also a person who always companying him to talk about past event and also about future. The freshness feeling that he got while talking with prof. Segi had changed him little by little into a person with better personality.
39
based on what was said by Sutekichi, both between he and Soroku had some similarities.
“In fact, he’s just like me,” said Segi with a composed look. “Yes, he’s the very image of me. He’s tender and gentle by nature. However, I don’t want to commit suicide- not that I’m a Christian, but I simply don’t want to do such a thing.” (p.151)
Besides prof. Segi, Sutekichi also gave influence toward Soroku’s personality changes. Since he knew about Sutekichi, his point of view toward young people a little bit changed. Through Sutekichi, he learned that some young people also had a positive thought. He looked at Sutekichi as a young man who was clever and diligent. Since he was prof. Segi’s assistant, Soroku also often talked with him and from the conversation, Soroku knew that Sutekichi was a good man.
Sutekichi’s goodness also appeared when he tried to protect Taeko when she stolen her uncle’s money to help Tsugawa. He took the blame on himself, he told that he was the person who was not careful and that he had lost it. At the beginning, Soroku, although not directly took the blame on him, had a bad feeling toward Sutekichi. Later, he knew from Taeko’s letter that she was the person who took the money from him. Learned from Sutekichi who gave his protection toward Taeko by took the blame on him self, Soroku’s perspective about money had changed. He decided to let Taeko had the money without asked her to return it back to him. It was a great change in his life considering that he even asked some interests to his own son and now he let Taeko to have his money free.
didn’t ask her to return what she took from me. I told her that if she needed the money she could keep it.”(p.329)
The other person who also gave influence toward his personality changes was a young prostitute girl that he met on the street while he was walking with prof. Segi. This young girl had changed his perspective about young people. Although it was different with Sutekichi who had been looked by Soroku as a good young man, this young girl was in the opposite. Soroku looked her as a young girl who would do anything to fulfill her desire on life style. As it is known that the American occupation at that time gave a big influenced toward the life style in Japanese youngster trough the clothes and also the way they enjoyed their life.
Although he knew that this young girl did something wrong, since he got a new point of view, he could see that although what had done by this young girl was a mistake, he felt that he had a responsibility to give her a little bit point of view to make her regret her mistake and would start her new life.
41
One of his actions that had changed his personality in more further was his decision to commit suicide. When he was on a ship in his first journey, suddenly he jumped into the sea which the water was very cold. Fortunately he was rescued by the cabin’s crew and was placed in one room with professor Segi and Sutekichi, his assistant. Both of them were interested with the reason of why Soroku decided to commit suicide.
Why had he tried to die? He must have had some strong reason. How terrible it must be, thought Sutékichi, to have failed in his attempt at suicide and before he knew it to find himself surrounded by the curious eyes of his former fellow passagers. Surely it would have been better for the old man to have died as he had intended (p.32).
After that accident, it was known that Soroku had lost his memory. He was on an unconscious condition. In Soroku’s case, his unconscious happened because of his desire to forget all the sadness caused by the death of his son, Akira. During his unconscious condition, Soroku was on his own fantasy, he pretended as if his son was still alive. It happened when professor Segi asked him about who was his family member that should be called to help him. Soroku gave a strange answer. He ment ioned that it should be his son, Akira. As it is known before that the fact was his son had already died. After he gave the answer, he put his hands on his eyes and asked a question that did not need any answered just to make sure that he had lost his son forever.
As if convince to himself, he answered his own question. He talked to himself and did not aware that there were some people who very confused with him.
“Yes,” he continued, “he died. Akira is not here any more. That’s quite certain.” His tone had changed, and now he was speaking entirely to himself. “No, he’s not here…” said Okamoto (p.34).
Soroku was in a condition where he was living in his own world and nobody could touched it except he, him self, came out from his own world and nobody could touched it except he, him self, came out from his own world. His decision to commit suicide was under his consciousness condition in order to defend himself from the sadness. Therefore, when he was saved on the ship from his decision to commit suicide, he suddenly lost his memory. This had proven that he wanted to run away from the reality and created his own world in his imagination so that he could escape from the fact happened in his life.
One occurrence had made professor Segi and Sutekichi really sure that there was something wrong in Soroku’s mind. It happened when he kept looking at his own suitcase with the card on it, which was carried by Sutekichi for him. He greatly concerned with that suitcase but had not touched it. Suddenly he looked up at professor Segi and Sutekichi asked whether that suitcase belonged to him or not. The fact was he should be realized that it was his own suitcase since there was a card with his name written on it.
43
You do like eating sushi, don’t you, Mr. Okamoto?” asked the professor. “Okamoto, you say,” came the answer. “Do you mean me?”
There was an earnest, seeking look in the man’s eyes. The professor was startled and for a while remained speechless.
Mr. Okamoto’s face was rigid, but his eyes were intent. “Okamoto…you said Okamoto. You’re talking about me, aren’t you?”(p.38).
Professor Segi was also confused with his attitude. He even tried to make sure that the stranger who was staying with him really had a name as Soroku Okamoto as it was mentioned in his ID card (p.38).
His decision to commit suicide was a strange decision since he was known as a hard person. He often success on manage his carrier as a banker (p.16) and also very hard on educating his son. Looking at the fact that he decided to commit suicide showed that his character had changed from a strong personality into a weak personality.
Elizabeth Hurlock in her book Personality Development mentioned eight personality pattern determinants. One of those patterns is Family Determinant. It is mentioned tha t person’s identification with a family member he loves can highly influence one’s personality. In the case of Soroku Okamoto, the cause of his changes was the death of his son, Akira, the only son that he really loved. It was dissonant with Tsugawa’s opinion who could felt that the relationship between Akira and his father was not really good.
The fact that Soroku could not accept the death of his son had showed his brittleness which never appeared when Akira was still alive. This also proved that actually he really loves his son. Just like Taeko said, no matter how hard Soroku treating Akira, at the end, they were still a father and son. (p.13)
At the beginning of the story, Soroku was known as a person who loves to make sure that everything is exactly as he wanted to be. He let his house in bad conditioned and did not let anyone to change it. He would get angry when everything was not appropriate with what he wanted to be. Later, all of that had changed.
When he came back to his own house in Kamakura after his consciousness back, he made his house brighter because the number of the lights was increased. The atmosphere of somber place had changed into a more comfortable. Some clovers were also planted in the garden. (p.265) he also let himself directed by Sutekichi when both of them were on the street. Soroku let Sutekichi to choose the road.
“Shall we go this way?”Sutekichi would suggest, and Soroku would merely answer: “Well, yes,” and he would follow Sutekichi in the direction that he had proposed. (p.124)
This was very unusual for Soroku to let a young man to lead him if it was considered that at the beginning he did not like young people and also did not trust them.
45
Even when he had lost his memory, one thing that he really aware of was money. It happened when he stayed in professor Segi’s house, he saw a wallet placed on the table, of course the wallet belonged to professor Segi, and he felt uncomfortable because of that wallet. More than one times he asked him to move his wallet in another place. Whenever professor Segi did not aware with his request, he would repeat it again and again. The strangest thing happened, starting from the wallet’s matter, he suddenly got his memory back which had surprised professor Segi. Suddenly, Soroku wanted to go home.
In the end Soroku had never told Professor Segi about the impulse that had restored his memory to him when he was suffering from amnesia. That impulse had simply been his anxienty on seeing the money that the professor had left unguarded on his desk one night (p.253).
From that evidence, it can be concluded that money had become something important in Soroku’s live.
After his memory came back, he also said to Tazuko, Taeko’s sister who wanted to borrow some money from him, that he would never give the money to Tazuko.
“Tazuko told me she would call here again. But please tell her I absolutely refuse to lend the money and that she’ll be wasting her time if she comes here. Once I,ve refused something I’m going to go on refusing it, however many times she askes me.” (p.135)
“Her sister, you see, was brought up to be selfish and extravagant,” he said after while. “What a difference between her and Taeko, who since she came to Tokyo has been making her own living as an office girl, or a typist, or whatever it is. I didn’t think she’d be able to manage, but somehow she gets on all right without receiving the slightest help from her family. Perhaps circumstances have taught her how to fend for herself, or perhaps she’d been planning for a long time to leave home and was prepared to look after herself. In any case, she seems to be managing very well on her own.”(p.138)
He explained to Sutekichi the lifestyle between Taeko and Tazuko which was very different. He had an opinion that Tazuko would not be able to manage the money even if he gave her the money.
Since he was very straight about money matter, even he did not want to give his money to someone who could not manage it well, it was very strange when he gave some money to a prostitute young girl he had met on the street although he had known that this young girl was doing something bad and could be categorized as doing something immoral. This young girl was totally a stranger and he was ready to spend his time just to give some messages to her.
“…but don’t you think that, so long as you don’t wait too long, you can go back to where you started? No one can help you to go back. You can only do it by your own strength. And if you yourself have no such desire—well then, you’re done for! Really, my dear girl, you shouldn’t be where you are now. If you have a home, go back to it!”
47
gave her some messages to her, asked her to repair her life as a good girl. He even gave her big amount of money.
When she saw the amount of the money, the girl became flustered. “Oh no,” she said, “you mustn’t give me all that.”
“Take it and go home to bed,” said Soroku, and left her standing by herself on the path. As soon as he had walked off, it occurred to him that the money he had given the girl might well serve to make her even worse than before. Perturbed at the idea, he quickened his step as though running away (p.254).
His attitude toward Taeko who had stolen his money to help Tsugawa was also out of his habit. Although he knew that Taeko did something wrong by stolen his money, he did not asked her to return the money.
Soroku gazed silently at the professor. For a moment he looked as if he was going to reply with a chilly refusal. Instead he said: “That’s what I’ve already done. And I didn’t ask her to return what she took from me. I told her that if she needed the money she could keep it.”(p.329)
Here, Soroku who took some interest toward his own son had let Taeko to have his money without returned it back to him. This was something that would never be done when Akira was still alive.
He knew that this young girl worked only for fulfill her desire to show up her life style. If Soroku met this girl before the accident on the ship, he would use a hard way to dissipate her. Therefore his attitude toward that prostitute young girl had showed that his perception about young people had changed.
“I’ve lived in this world quite a long time, as you can see, and I’ve managed to learn just a little. If you twist your life out of shape, things will never turn out well for you. One gets more and more unhappy as the years go by. But if you start living according to your own true character, however hard it may be at first, your feeling are bound to get clearer, and in the end you become glad that you’re alive. Life’s a long business, you know. You musn’t try to hurry things at your age.”(p.254)
He could understand that young people were not different with older people like him who tried to find their self- identity on facing the changes happened in the society. A condition where women were more respected, democratic system in Japan was increasing, industrialization had appeared in everywhere in Japan, and all of those things also had made the thought pattern of the people had also changed. Life-style was important to be followed. Young people also had their own opinion and not merely followed what older people said to them.
Not only that, Soroku even asked Sutekichi to stay in his house. It was different with his attitude toward young people when Akira was still alive, as it was stated by Tsugawa whe n he talked to Taeko.
“He was rather frightening. He really had nothing to say to young people, and I always had the impression he was about to scold me for something.” (p.6)
49
him and pretend him as his own friend. Whenever both of them walking or sitting together, they always make a great conversation (p.105).
Therefore, when the writer looked on Hurlock’s eight personality pattern, it could be seen that Soroku Okamoto’s personality changes were influenced by intellectual determinant, emotional determinant, family determinant, and social determinant.
Soroku Okamoto’s intellectual was increasing after he met with professor Segi and Sutekichi. Through the conversation with them, Soroku got a new perception on facing life. He could realize that it was not only him that should face the changing situation in life but all of the people. No matter how hard the impact of the changing situation, he must defend himself from that situation.
“Let me tell you something, Okamoto. The fact that I always look so cheerful shouldn’t be taken too seriously. This world is a difficult place to live in, but it doesn’t do the slightest good to go about with a long face just because things may be painful and trying. It doesn’t matter so much when you’re alone, but in the company of other people it’s a good policy never to show that one feels gloomy. That’s something we can learn from the old samurai tradition. It’s a sort of courtesy toward the people we happen to be living with.” (p.245)
mind by showing him the fact that life is more than what people have thought about it. Sadness and tears might come at any time but people should handle it to survive. In the other hand, nothing more could be said except it is a life and it must be faced.
However, from Sutekichi, he also had learned that a young man such as Sutekichi also had his own difficulties his own problems. Soroku could see his effort to protect Taeko, the girl that he really love, from the theft accusation by pretend as if he had lost the money. Soroku also could see his spirit to study in order to become a success man. From him, Soroku learned that everyone from every generation had their own problem on facing life. Therefore, there no more excused to sink deeper in sadness, he should defend himself to survive.
