ABSTRACT
Diaswikarta, Yosafat. (2008). The Influence of Learning in Perfection on One’s Achievement as reflected in the Character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull in Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.
This thesis discusses Richard Bach’s Novelette entitled Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The novelette tells a story about Jonathan’s life who wants to perfect himself in flying. Jonathan’s achievement of being perfect in flying is developed by his learning in perfection.
There are two problems formula ted in this thesis. The first is what perfection is as reflected in the character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The second is how learning in perfection affects one’s achievement as reflected in the character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
The data gathering method applied in this study was library research. The writer used two approaches in this study. The first was moral-philosophical approach to understand the moral issue of perfection and the second was psychological approach to understand some principles of modern psychology revealed in the character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The writer used two kinds of sources in this study. The novelette Jonathan Livingston Seagull was the primary source and the secondary sources were obtained from other books. They are theory of learning, theory of perfection and theory of need for achievement.
The findings of the first analysis show that perfection becomes Jonathan’s higher purpose for life that is to be free, to be a creature of excellence and intelligence and skill. Moreover, Jonathan’s perfection meets its full completeness and actualization by practicing love to help others see the goodness in each other.
In the second analysis, the writer finds that Jonathan’s learning in perfection makes him have strong spirit, innovative ability, courage to never give up, high desire to know and understand, and love to help others. Jonathan’s strong spirit pushes him to work harder and to strive to do anything to achieve his goal to fly at high speed as quickly as possible. His innovative ability empowers him to find out different ways to solve the obstacles and achieve how to fly at high speed and under control. The courage to never give up strengthens his motivation to face and overcome obstacles and failures to achieve his goal in flying longer in the air with less effort. Jonathan’s high desire to know and understand helps him know and understand who he really is, what and how he should achieve a perfect speed. Jonathan’s love to help others helps and gives feedbacks to Jonathan as well as his students in the process of achieving what they want.
Finally, the writer gives some suggestions of possible future researches in the novelette Jonathan Livingston Seagull to the future researchers. The writer also suggests teachers to use the novelette Jonathan Livingston Seagull in teaching paragraph writing with the topic: writing narrative paragraphs.
ABSTRAK
Diaswikarta, Yosafat. (2008). The Influence of Learning in Perfection on One’s Achievement as reflected in the Character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull in Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Yogyakarta: Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Skripsi ini membahas sebuah novelette karya Richard Bach berjudul Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Novelette ini menceritakan kehidupan Jonathan yang ingin menyempurnakan dirinya dalam terbang. Pencapaian Jonathan untuk menjadi sempurna dalam terbang dipengaruhi oleh pembelajaranya dalam kesempurnaan.
Ada dua rumusan permasalahan dalam skripsi ini yaitu apa itu kesempurnaan direfleksikan dalam karakter Jonathan, dan bagaimana belajar kesempurnaan mempengaruhi pencapaian seseorang direfleksikan dalam karakter Jonathan.
Metode pengumpulan data yang digunakan dalam studi ini adalah studi pustaka. Penulis menggunakan dua pendekatan dalam studi ini yaitu pendekatan filsafat moral untuk mengerti nilai-nilai moral dari kesempurnaan, dan pendekatan psikologi untuk mengerti beberapa prinsip psikologi yang diungkapkan dalam karakter Jonathan. Penulis menggunakan dua sumber dalam studi ini. Novelette Jonathan Livingston Seagull adalah sumber utama dan sumber kedua didapatkan dari buku-buku lain yaitu teori pembelajaran, teori kesempurnaan dan teori kebutuhan akan pencapaian.
Hasil analisa pertama menunjukkan kesempurnaan menjadi tujuan hidup yang lebih tinggi dari Jonathan yaitu menjadi bebas, menjadi makhluk yang unggul, cerdas, dan trampil. Selain itu, kesempurnaanya Jonathan menemui aktualisasi dan kelengkapan yang penuh dengan mempraktekkan cinta untuk menolong orang lain untuk melihat kebaikan satu sama lain.
Hasil analisa kedua menunjukkan bahwa pembelajaran dalam kesempurnaan membuat Jonathan mempunyai semangat kuat, kemampuan inovasi, keberanian untuk tidak menyerah, hasrat untuk tahu dan mengerti, dan cinta untuk menolong orang lain. Semangat kuat mendorongnya bekerja lebih keras dan berjuang melakukan apapun untuk mencapai terbang pada kecepatan tinggi. Kemampuan inovasi membuatnya mampu mencari cara yang berbeda dalam mengatasi hambatan dan mencapai terbang pada kecepatan tinggi dan terkendali. Keberanian untuk tidak menyerah memotivasinya untuk menghadapi dan mengatasi hambatan dan kegagalan untuk mencapai terbang lebih lama di udara dengan sedikit usaha. Hasrat untuk tahu dan mengerti membuatnya tahu siapa dia sebenarnya dan apa dan bagaiman dia harus mencapai kecepatan sempurna. Cinta menolong orang lain membantu dan memberikan umpan balik kepada Jonathan dan muridnya dalam mencapai apa yang mereka inginkan.
Akhinya, penulis memberikan beberapa saran untuk penelitian yang akan datang. Penulis juga memberikan saran-saran mengenai penerapan novelette ini dalam pengajaran Bahasa Inggris dalam mata kuliah paragraph writing dengan topik menulisnarrative paragraphs.
THE INFLUENCE OF LEARNING IN PERFECTION ON ONE’S ACHIEVEMENT AS REFLECTED IN THE CHARACTER
OF JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL IN BACH’S JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL
A Thesis
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain theSarjana PendidikanDegree
in English Language Education
By
Yosafat Diaswikarta Student Number: 041214064
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
THE INFLUENCE OF LEARNING IN PERFECTION ON ONE’S ACHIEVEMENT AS REFLECTED IN THE CHARACTER
OF JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL IN BACH’S JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL
A Thesis
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain theSarjana PendidikanDegree
in English Language Education
By
Yosafat Diaswikarta Student Number: 041214064
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
2008
A Thesis On
THE INFLUENCE OF LEARNING IN PERFECTION ON ONE’S ACHIEVEMENT AS REFLECTED IN THE CHARACTER
OF JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL IN BACH’S JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL
By
Yosafat Diaswikarta
Student Number: 041214064
Approved by:
Date
Henny Herawati, S.Pd., M.Hum. 5 August 2008
A Thesis On
THE INFLUENCE OF LEARNING IN PERFECTION ON ONE’S ACHIEVEMENT AS REFLECTED IN THE CHARACTER
OF JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL IN BACH’S JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL
By
Yosafat Diaswikarta
Student Number: 041214064
Defended before the Board of Examiners on 22 August 2008
and Declared Acceptable
Board of Examiners
Chairperson : A. Hardi Prasetyo, S.Pd., M.A. ______________
Secretary : Made Frida Yulia, S.Pd., M.Pd. ______________
Member : Henny Herawati, S.Pd., M.Hum. ______________
Member : Dr. A. Herujiyanto, M.A. ______________
Member : Drs. Y.B. Gunawan, M.A. ______________
Yogyakarta, 22 August 2008
Faculty of Teachers Training and Education Sanata Dharma University
Dean,
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY
I honestly declare that the thesis, which I wrote, does not contain the works or
parts of the works of other people, except those cited in the quotations and the
bibliography, as a scientific paper should.
Yogyakarta, 5 August 2008
The Writer
A man found an eagle's egg and put it in a nest of a barnyard hen. The eaglet
hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All his life the eagle did what the barnyard chicks did, thinking he was a barnyard chicken.
He scratched the earth for worms and insects. He clucked and cackled. And he would thrash his wings and fly a few feet into the air. Years passed and the eagle grew very old.
One day he saw a magnificent bird above him in the cloudless sky. It glided in
graceful majesty among the powerful wind currents, with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings.
The old eagle looked up in awe. "Who's that?" he asked. "That's the eagle, the king of the birds," said his neighbor. "He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth we're chickens." So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that's what he thought he was.
(Anthony de Mello)
This thesis is dedicated to:
My savior Jesus Christ and Mother Mary My beloved family and Father Kieser and those who enlighten and give meaning in my life.
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan dibawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma :
Nama : Yosafat Diaswikarta
Nomor Mahasiswa : 041214064
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul :THE INFLUENCE OF LEARNING IN PERFECTION ON ONE’S ACHIEVEMENT AS REFLECTED IN THE CHARACTER OF JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL IN BACH’S JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL
beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal : 4 September 2008-09-04
Yang menyatakan
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Jesus Christ andMother Marywho always give me love, spirit, strength and blessing so that I can finish my thesis. I really thank Him for always being able to listen, help, and
give me strength and patience in completing my thesis.
Secondly, I would like to express my deepest and greatest gratitude to my
sponsor, Henny Herawati, S.Pd., M.Hum., for her patience and time in reading and correcting this thesis. I really thank her for the support, advice and guidance
in helping me finish this thesis.
Thirdly, I would like to thank my beloved parents who always give me
guidance and love during my life. I also really thank myFather KieserandMrs. Sumini who have given me a lot of financial and spiritual supports especially Father Kieserfor always reminding me to finish my thesis as soon as possible.
Fourth, my special gratitude also goes to all the lecturers and staff teaching
of the English Language Education Study Program for their guidance during my
study. I also thank all the staff members of the library of Sanata Dharma
University and Ignatius College library for their best services.
Fifth, with lots of love, I would like to express my special gratitude to my
lovely friends of two thousand and four academic year at PBI, Harris, Jony, Poly, Weadha, Anas, Sinta, Hana, Flora, Dede, Mayora, Berta, Danti, Festi, Retha, and Marcel for the cheerful moments of friendship during my study in Sanata Dharma.
Next, my sincere gratitude goes to all my friends in PAPERMOON PUPPET THEATRE, Kak RiaandIwanfor the wonderful puppet performance projects and sharing of life and for encouraging and motivating me to work harder
and solve my problems. My gratitude also goes toKriwul for his inspiration and support.
Finally, my special thanks go to all my friends, whose names cannot be
mentioned one by one, for the cheerful, funny, crazy, and beautiful moments we
have shared together. May God bless all of them.
Yosafat Diaswikarta
TABLE ON CONTENTS 1.1 Background of Study ... 1
1.2 Problem Formulation ... 3
1.3 Objectives of the Study ... 3
1.4 Benefits of the Study... 3
1.5 Definition of Terms... 4
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 2.1 Review of Related Theories ... 6
2.1.1 Theory of Critical Approaches... 6
2.1.1.1 Theory of Psychological Approach... 7
2.1.1.2 Theory of Moral Philosophical Approach ... 8
2.1.2 Theory of Learning ... 9
2.1.3 Theory of Perfection ... 10
2.1.3.1 Superiority of Mind ... 11
2.1.3.2 Supremacy of Will and Free Will ... 11
2.1.3.3 Man and Creator: His Perfection ... 13
2.1.3.4 Man and Men: His Perfecting ... 14
2.1.4 Theory of Need for Achievement ... 16
2.2 Theoretical Framework ... 18
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY
3.1 Subject of the Study ... 19
3.2 Approach of the Study ... 20
3.3 Method of the Study... 21
CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS 4.1 Perfection as Reflected in the Character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull... 22
4.1.1 Perfection within Self... 22
4.1.1.1 Perfection and Rationality... 24
4.1.1.2 Perfection and Free Will ... 25
4.1.2 Perfection within Self and the Other... 27
4.1.3 Perfection within Self and Others ... 28
4.2 The Influences of Learning in Perfection on One’s Achievement as Reflected in the Character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull ... 30
4.2.1 Influences on Jonathan’s Achievements on Earth... 31
4.2.1.1 Jonathan’s Courage to Never Give Up ... 32
4.2.1.2 Jonathan’s Strong Spirit ... 33
4.2.1.3 Jonathan’s Innovative Ability ... 36
4.2.2 Influences on Jonathan’s Achievement in Heaven ... 39
4.2.3 Influences on Jonathan’s Achievement as an Instructor on Earth ... 43
CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 5.1 Conclusions ... 47
5.2 Suggestions ... 49
5.2.1 Suggestions for the Future Researchers ... 50
5.2.2 Suggestions for Teaching Implementation ... 50
BIBLIOGRAPHY... 53
APPENDICES... 56
Appendix 1 Lesson Plan for Teaching Paragraph Writing... 57
Appendix 2 Syllabus of Paragraph Writing... 60
Appendix 3 Teaching Material... 62
Appendix 4 Summary of Jonathan Livingston Seagull... 68
Appendix 5 Biography of Richard Bach... 71
ABSTRACT
Diaswikarta, Yosafat. (2008). The Influence of Learning in Perfection on One’s Achievement as reflected in the Character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull in Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.
This thesis discusses Richard Bach’s Novelette entitled Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The novelette tells a story about Jonathan’s life who wants to perfect himself in flying. Jonathan’s achievement of being perfect in flying is developed by his learning in perfection.
There are two problems formula ted in this thesis. The first is what perfection is as reflected in the character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The second is how learning in perfection affects one’s achievement as reflected in the character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
The data gathering method applied in this study was library research. The writer used two approaches in this study. The first was moral-philosophical approach to understand the moral issue of perfection and the second was psychological approach to understand some principles of modern psychology revealed in the character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The writer used two kinds of sources in this study. The novelette Jonathan Livingston Seagull was the primary source and the secondary sources were obtained from other books. They are theory of learning, theory of perfection and theory of need for achievement.
The findings of the first analysis show that perfection becomes Jonathan’s higher purpose for life that is to be free, to be a creature of excellence and intelligence and skill. Moreover, Jonathan’s perfection meets its full completeness and actualization by practicing love to help others see the goodness in each other.
In the second analysis, the writer finds that Jonathan’s learning in perfection makes him have strong spirit, innovative ability, courage to never give up, high desire to know and understand, and love to help others. Jonathan’s strong spirit pushes him to work harder and to strive to do anything to achieve his goal to fly at high speed as quickly as possible. His innovative ability empowers him to find out different ways to solve the obstacles and achieve how to fly at high speed and under control. The courage to never give up strengthens his motivation to face and overcome obstacles and failures to achieve his goal in flying longer in the air with less effort. Jonathan’s high desire to know and understand helps him know and understand who he really is, what and how he should achieve a perfect speed. Jonathan’s love to help others helps and gives feedbacks to Jonathan as well as his students in the process of achieving what they want.
Finally, the writer gives some suggestions of possible future researches in the novelette Jonathan Livingston Seagull to the future researchers. The writer also suggests teachers to use the novelette Jonathan Livingston Seagull in teaching paragraph writing with the topic: writing narrative paragraphs.
ABSTRAK
Diaswikarta, Yosafat. (2008). The Influence of Learning in Perfection on One’s Achievement as reflected in the Character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull in Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Yogyakarta: Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Skripsi ini membahas sebuah novelette karya Richard Bach berjudul Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Novelette ini menceritakan kehidupan Jonathan yang ingin menyempurnakan dirinya dalam terbang. Pencapaian Jonathan untuk menjadi sempurna dalam terbang dipengaruhi oleh pembelajaranya dalam kesempurnaan.
Ada dua rumusan permasalahan dalam skripsi ini yaitu apa itu kesempurnaan direfleksikan dalam karakter Jonathan, dan bagaimana belajar kesempurnaan mempengaruhi pencapaian seseorang direfleksikan dalam karakter Jonathan.
Metode pengumpulan data yang digunakan dalam studi ini adalah studi pustaka. Penulis menggunakan dua pendekatan dalam studi ini yaitu pendekatan filsafat moral untuk mengerti nilai-nilai moral dari kesempurnaan, dan pendekatan psikologi untuk mengerti beberapa prinsip psikologi yang diungkapkan dalam karakter Jonathan. Penulis menggunakan dua sumber dalam studi ini. Novelette Jonathan Livingston Seagull adalah sumber utama dan sumber kedua didapatkan dari buku-buku lain yaitu teori pembelajaran, teori kesempurnaan dan teori kebutuhan akan pencapaian.
Hasil analisa pertama menunjukkan kesempurnaan menjadi tujuan hidup yang lebih tinggi dari Jonathan yaitu menjadi bebas, menjadi makhluk yang unggul, cerdas, dan trampil. Selain itu, kesempurnaanya Jonathan menemui aktualisasi dan kelengkapan yang penuh dengan mempraktekkan cinta untuk menolong orang lain untuk melihat kebaikan satu sama lain.
Hasil analisa kedua menunjukkan bahwa pembelajaran dalam kesempurnaan membuat Jonathan mempunyai semangat kuat, kemampuan inovasi, keberanian untuk tidak menyerah, hasrat untuk tahu dan mengerti, dan cinta untuk menolong orang lain. Semangat kuat mendorongnya bekerja lebih keras dan berjuang melakukan apapun untuk mencapai terbang pada kecepatan tinggi. Kemampuan inovasi membuatnya mampu mencari cara yang berbeda dalam mengatasi hambatan dan mencapai terbang pada kecepatan tinggi dan terkendali. Keberanian untuk tidak menyerah memotivasinya untuk menghadapi dan mengatasi hambatan dan kegagalan untuk mencapai terbang lebih lama di udara dengan sedikit usaha. Hasrat untuk tahu dan mengerti membuatnya tahu siapa dia sebenarnya dan apa dan bagaiman dia harus mencapai kecepatan sempurna. Cinta menolong orang lain membantu dan memberikan umpan balik kepada Jonathan dan muridnya dalam mencapai apa yang mereka inginkan.
Akhinya, penulis memberikan beberapa saran untuk penelitian yang akan datang. Penulis juga memberikan saran-saran mengenai penerapan novelette ini dalam pengajaran Bahasa Inggris dalam mata kuliah paragraph writing dengan topik menulisnarrative paragraphs.
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter consists of six parts. They are the background of the study,
problem formulation, objectives of the study, benefits of the study, and definition
of the terms. The background of the study tells about why I chose literature, and
the novelette as my topic of study. The problem formulation is in the next part
presenting two problems followed by objectives of the study. Benefits of the study
show the uses of this study for the students and readers. The last part is definition
of terms that presents some specific terms needed to be clarified.
1.1 Background of the Study
Everyone who lives in this world wants to be happy and to reach what he
or she wants. In other words people have an intense need to achieve their goal of
life. According to David C. McClelland with his achievement motivation theory
states that achievement motivated people seek achievement, attainment of realistic
but challenging goals, and advancement in the job. There is a strong need for
feedback as to achievement and progress, and a need for a sense of
accomplishment (248). Therefore, in this globalization era today where people are
competing each other to reach their goals, achievement motivation is one of the
keys for people in achieving their goal successfully or not successfully.
Nowadays, with the globalization era and the condition of Indonesia that is
in the crisis, people have to work much harder in order to achieve their goal of
life. Of course all people want to achieve their goal of life successfully but this is
not an easy process since people will find obstacles or even may fail to reach what
they want. This reality of life is very interesting for the writer to reveal what and
how aspects of life affect one’s achievement. Therefore, the writer chooses this
study on literature because through literature people can learn and see a reflection
of values of a society. According to Wellek and Warren’s Theory of Literature
(36), literature is a source of knowledge that is very important for everyone who
wants to enrich his comprehension of the world and its society. As one of literary
works, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a fable that contains many aspects of human
behavior as reflected in its characters of seagulls community are interesting to be
analyzed. Jonathan’s passion to achieve what he wants in learning more about
flying is a metaphor for human’s struggle in achieving his or her goal of life.
The story of Jonathan’s life in Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a novelette
written by Richard Bach, is a good metaphor for exploring and describing about
one’s achievement. Bach presents Jonathan as the main character who has
achievement motivation to learn and seek for what he believes, for a higher
purpose of life that is to be perfect in flying. It has made him come to
transcendence in his life that differs him with the Flock believing eating is the
only matter of life. Jonathan’s achievement of being perfect in flying is developed
by his learning in perfection. Thus, this study aims to find out how and what the
effects of learning in perfection on Jonathan’s successful achievement of being
perfect in flying. Jonathan’s passion to perfect himself in flying becomes a good
1.2 Problem Formulation
Based on the novelette and the background, the writer formulated these
problems as follows:
1. What is perfection as reflected in the character of Jonathan Livingston
Seagull?
2. How does learning in perfection affect one’s achievement as reflected in
the character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull?
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this study are to answer the two problems above:
1. To find out what perfection is as reflected in the character of Jonathan
Livingston Seagull
2. To find out how learning in perfection affects one’s achievement as
reflected in the character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
1.4 Benefits of the Study
This study is expected to be beneficial for the readers and the students.
Through literary work, readers can learn and enrich their knowledge about values
of life as reflected in its characters. This will stimulate and invite people’s
emotional and intellectual involvement and response toward the novel (Roberts
and Jacobs 2). As a result it influences human’s mind. Considering this aspect,
hopefully, by learning the aspects of life of learning in perfection affecting one’s
successful achievement as reflected in Jonathan’s successful achievement of being
perfect in flying.
For the students, this study hopefully contributes in encouraging them to
take literature as a medium that can give pleasure and especially give
understanding of values of life supporting their achievements. Furthermore,
students can apply and practice the concept of learning in perfection in achieving
their goal of life besides the opportunity to practice the skill to understand a
literary work.
1.5 Definition of Terms
It is important to know the terms of learning, perfection, learning in
perfection and need for achievement in this study because they are significant.
They are:
1. According to Hergenhahn’s definition: “Learning is a relatively permanent
change in behavioral potentiality that occurs as a result of experience or
practice” (2). In this study, the term of learning is used to analyze and describe
the process of Jonathan’s learning in achieving his being able to be perfect in
flying.
2. Human perfection is the completeness and actualization of human person who
finds in existence (Cronan 23-24). This term of perfection is used to explain
how perfection as the content of Jonathan’s learning process influencing his
3. Based on the definitions of learning and perfection above, so learning in
perfection means a relatively permanent change in behavioral potentiality that
occurs as a result of experience or practice of completeness and actualization
of human person who finds in existence. In this study, this term of learning in
perfection is used to analyze how learning in perfection influences Jonathan’s
achievement of being perfect in flying.
4. According to Murray need for achievement is a desire or tendency to
overcome obstacles, to exercise power, to strive to do something difficult as
well and as quickly as possible (Beck 317). In this study, the term of need for
achievement is used to explain Jonathan’s achievement of being able to be
CHAPTER 2
THEORETICAL REVIEW
This chapter covers two main parts. The first part is review of related
theories that only contains the reviews of the most relevant theories for answering
the problems stated in chapter 1 of this thesis. The second part is theoretical
framework that explains the contribution of the theories and reviews in solving the
problems of this study.
2.1 Review of Related Theories 2.1.1 Theory of Critical Approach
Critical approach is literary criticism that attempts to describe, study,
analyze, justify, interpret, and evaluate a work of art. In other words, it attempts to
formulate aesthetic and methodological principles on which the critic can evaluate
a text. When analyzing a text, literary critics ask basic questions concerning the
philosophical, psychological, functional, and descriptive nature of the text itself.
Literary critics involve themselves in either theoretical or practical criticism.
Theoretical criticism formulates the theories, principles, and tenets of the nature
and value of art. Practical criticism applies the theories and tenets of theoretical
criticism to a particular work. Using the theories and principles of theoretical
criticism, the practical critic defines the standards of taste and explains, evaluates,
or justifies a particular piece of literature (Bressler 4-5). In this study, the writer
uses two critical approaches. They are psychological and moral-philosophical
approaches.
2.1.1.1 Theory of Psychological Approach
Psychological approach involves the effort to locate and demonstrate
certain recurrent patterns. Most frequently, psychological critics apply Freudian
psychology to works. Freud’s exploration of the unconscious area of the human
mind led him to the conclusion that it was this area that was the wellspring of
man’s rich imagination, his capacity for creation, and the complexity of his
thought and behavior, and that the contents of this region of the mind found
expression in symbolic words, thoughts, and actions (Rohrberger and Woods
13-14).
Freud divides the psyche into three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego.
The id is the irrational, instinctual, unknown, and unconscious part of the psyche.
The id wishes only to fulfill the urges of the pleasure principle. The id operates on
impulse, wanting immediate satisfaction for all its instinctual desires (Bressler
150).
The second part of the psyche Freud calls the ego, the rational, logical
waking part of the mind, although much of its activities remain in the
unconscious. Whereas the id operates according to the pleasure principle, the ego
operates in harmony with the reality principle. It is the ego’s job to regulate the
instinctual desires of the id and to allow these desires to be released in some
The third part of the psyche, the superego, acts as an internal censor,
causing us to make moral judgments in light of social pressures. In contrast to the
id, the superego operates according to the morality principle and serves primarily
to protect society and us from the id. Representing all of society’s moral
restrictions, the superego serves as a filtering agent, suppressing the desires and
instincts forbidden by society and thrusting them back into the unconscious
(Bressler 151).
2.1.1.2 Theory of Moral Philosophical Approach
Many people, including some philosophers, when they read one of the
great novels often have the feeling that it has something of ‘philosophical’
importance to communicate. It is not that, generally speaking, novels tell us how
to live, how society should be organized or what is right or wrong, though a few
purport to; but that they in some way deepen, broaden or challenge our sense of
the ethical and its place in our lives. Therefore, there would be a close relationship
between such works of literature and philosophical enquiry (Horton 70).
Moral philosophical approach is moral/philosophical critics believing that
the larger purpose of literature is to teach morality and to probe philosophical
issues. This approach does not view literature merely as "art" isolated from all
moral implications; it recognizes that literature can affect readers, whether subtly
or directly, and that the message of a work--and not just the decorous vehicle for
that message--is important (Aouda Aljohani and Thamer Al-Ghamdi:
In addition, one should not understate the extent to which there has been
some mutual influence between literature and philosophy. Just as some novelists
have employed philosophical ideas in their novels, so some philosophers have
used novels for philosophical purposes, including the use of fictional forms to
express their philosophy (Horton 72).
Moreover, according to Martha Nussbaum in Bressler’s book, literary
form is not separable from philosophical content, but is, itself, a part of content—
an integral part, then, of the search for and the statement of truth (Horton 73).
2.1.2 Theory of Learning
Learning is indexed by a change in behavior, in other words, the results of
learning must always be translated into observable behavior. After learning,
learners are capable of doing something that they could not do before learning
took place (Hergenhahn 2). In other words, in the learning process, the learners
are capable to solve problems that they could not do before learning took place.
According to Gestalt theory, the learners think about all of the ingredients
necessary to solve a problem and puts them together (cognitively) first one way
and then another until the problem is solved (Hergenhahn 261). This behavioral
change is relatively permanent; that is, it is neither transitory nor fixed. The
change in behavior need not occur immediately following the learning experience.
Although there may be a potential to act differently, this potential to act may not
be translated into behavior immediately. The change in behavior results from
those responses that lead to reinforcement will be learned. Therefore, learning is a
relatively permanent change in behavioral potentiality that occurs as a result of
experience or practice (Hergenhahn 2).
2.1.3 Theory of Perfection
The most valuable item in the universe is man. He alone is the image of
his Creator. Man alone has divinity for his destiny (Cronan 3). Moreover, the
ideas of man as self positively are built from our bodily continuity, from our
experience of sequential thinking, from our acceptance of responsibility for our
decisions and actions, and from the consistency with which those we love and all
those we relate to treat to us (O’Connell 94). Cronan said that man is a human
being who is attracted to perfection to make the goodness of anything (21). In the
Thomistic system, perfection is the actual existent, and is in fact its term of
measurement: something is perfect just as far as it actually is (Cronan 23-24).
Therefore, human perfection is the completeness and actualization of human
person who finds in existence.
Since goodness is perfection and perfection is existential being, thento be
existingis the primal perfection, the root constitution and explanation of the good,
the ultimate significance of both concepts. Moreover, something created will have
value commensurate with perfection: he will be perfect in so far as he is, and
simply because he is, and so will be worth as much as he is; the more something
is, the better it is (Cronan 24). How this perfection works within human person
2.1.3.1 Superiority of Mind
Reason is the key to man. All the superiorities observable in the human
person are traceable to the possession of that one root power which is his specific
difference: rationality. By this he surpasses the rest of creation not only in his
specific power, but because through it he elevates those lower powers which he
has in common with lower creatures, complete the universe, and perfects himself
(Cronan 57).
Man’s unique superiority to other creatures is seen in his intellectual
operation with regard to other existents. He can follow the universal dynamic
order consciously, and further it by rational foresight, in himself, and through
others, and thus not only possess a superior nature, but perfect his inferiors by the
operation of his own natural superiority which sublimates them in a higher mode
(Cronan 61-62).
2.1.3.2 Supremacy of Will and Free Will
Man is attracted to unlimited goodness itself, he knows what it is that
attracts him, and although he must move to it, he can consciously and freely move
toward it in his choice of means. Therefore he alone has will and since it is not
only natural and inescapable but also rational and aware so he has freedom to do
his will (Cronan 66-67). He has command decision over his actions: he is master
of himself and his powers of operation, having the power of choice to act or not
It is his rationality that gives man superiority of choice and dominance
over himself, over his actions, and over the goods he may make use of, and it is in
the operation of this free activity that man not only is constituted in a greater
operative perfection, but achieves his own further perfecting, his further actuality;
and then also, with the retroaction of values, he himself gains even greater
perfection because the perfective use of his powers has perfected the universe
more, by his free creation of further actualities in it. He is the master of the means
of perfection themselves, a position of likeness to the omnipotent and free
Creator’s governance of Himself and all else (Cronan 71).
Allers suggest that the primal and double driving powers in humans are the
will to power and the will to community. The goal of the first is self-preservation
and complete realization of self and the goal of the latter is to further realization of
self in others, called love. In addition, Allers insists that there is always present a
consideration of value that “every being tends toward the good” (Aristotelian and
Thomistic axiom). It is because the drive potentials operate, and seek their
completion in acts which will perfect personality and extend personal dignity
(Cronan 13).
The few best modern psychologists agree with the scholastic doctrine that
the reasoning power which distinguishes the person is the guiding and governing
factor in integrating the personality into the more perfect actualization of its innate
potentials. Allers has put it well when he says that the innate and inescapable
drive toward perfection or completion, which is at the same time, an inherent
movement we call “life,” which, when completed in the realization of those
perfectible energies, is “perfected” (Cronan 16).
2.1.3.3 Man and Creator: His Perfection
Man is not God, only his faint and imperfect image. It is not that man is a
perfected and completed image, but is created “into the image,” that is, in some
image, and with perfectible powers to improve that image. And yet however
perfected he becomes man is always a very imperfect and incomplete image of the
original, since it is the infinite God he is the image of (Cronan 97).
The image of God in man’s personal nature is a natural aptitude to know
and love God, with consequent operative capacities to do this, including a rational
recognition of the created functional aim of these abilities. The image grows in
further and further immanent acts of intellect and will by which self-perfection
remains most human, and yet in that same human imitation, becomes most divine
when the object of those acts which perfect himself is identical with the object of
divine intelligence and will, God Himself (Cronan 112). Therefore, man with his
rationality surpasses other creatures and makes him the natural image of the
Creator’s nature. Because of that man alone is an image because of his
intelligence alone, the image of God exists in his spiritual and rational principle,
not in his body (Cronan 92-95).
Therefore, God is final and complete and true value, and man is of value in
the measure he is God-like, in the measure his nature, and therefore his existence
divine perfection in creation, one can “trace back” the power and causality of
God. From an image, one can see reflected what kind of person He is, and if a
creature so images, he can do so only in the degree he shares that nature in his
own manner and proportion. Therefore the quality of the image will indicate the
“quantity” of that creature’s share in the original perfection and be a true measure
of his value or dignity, which is existential perfection (Cronan 32).
In conclusion, we do not acquire love of God: it is in us, His participating
images, and we perfect ourselves as we develop it in awareness, as we educate
ourselves to it. So there is something common between him and God, some
connaturality by which he naturally knows and loves Him who completely
transcends man, because He is also immanent in him (Cronan 111).
2.1.3.4 Man and Men: His Perfecting
The full picture of what man is must includehow he is. The portrait must
reveal not only his essential nature and its image dignity, but his existential nature
and the actual growing world of his value-potentials. This climb of man to
completion can be shown only with the picture of the climate in which he operates
and the ground over which he moves. Thus, the human person’s power-values are
actualized only in the person-milieu in which he acts, the stimulant environment
which is labeled “society.” In reciprocal actions, a human person “accumulates”
perfections through others, and communicates to them the sharing in his own, or
It has been seen that, by nature, man imitates God in his tendency and
power to communicate the goodness of his being and to create under God, new
being. Because of this, the moving energy of his communicative will demands a
society through which he can communicate his own goodness to other persons in
imitation of his Creator, and to fulfill the demands of his own inherent goodness
which is essentially distributive; and secondly, the dynamic potentials within the
individual person for free development need society because his will needs the
social group for the materials of goodness he can choose and upon which he can
then freely operate in achieving further goodness himself by incorporating them or
their effects into himself. This reciprocal movement of will in the group is
something without which the individual cannot achieve perfection his due human
dignity. It is part of a personal nature to have an inner ontological urge to
communicate the goodness of knowledge and of love. Only society can provide
him with the conditions of existence and development he needs to satisfy this
driving energy to communicate perfection, the stuff of his decisions, his choices,
his desires, his love (Cronan 139).
Therefore, this dynamic character of the human person, the actual
perfecting of the image, and the consequent completion of his full worth and
dignity, can be seen only where it can be accomplished: in the acting communities
of persons who must complete themselves with and through each other. Man’s
perfected value by nature as the intelligent image of his God is the prime
surrounding instrumental milieu for the realization of each individual’s perfectible
potentials (Cronan 129).
2.1.4 Theory of Need for Achievement
People always have their goals of life and they do everything to achieve
them. The question is why they do everything to reach their dreams or their goals
of life. In other words, what motive that supports one’s achievement. According to
McClelland achievement is a more generic term that can be applied to achieving
the goals for any motive (249). McClelland defines motive of achievement as
“performing in terms standard of excellent or, simply, as desire to be successful”
(99). In addition, according to Murray need for achievement is a desire or
tendency to overcome obstacles, to exercise power, to strive to do something
difficult as well and as quickly as possible (Beck 317).
People tend to perform better only when an achievement incentive is
present in the situation. It is one in which a person gets satisfaction from doing
something better for its own sake, or to show that he or she is more capable of
doing something. Therefore, what should be involved in the achievement motive
is doing something better for its own sake, for the intrinsic satisfaction of doing
something better (McClelland 228-229). In order to know whether they are doing
better, they prefer situations in which they have personal responsibility for the
outcome and that give them feedback on how well they are doing (McClelland
According to Raynor most performances in life are perceived as part of
some overall framework and as steps on the way to a goal. He said that
Individuals high need for achievement ought to work harder at a task that they
perceived as important for future success than at a task of lesser importance
(McClelland 500-501).
In addition, Atkinson achievement motivation model explains that success
in an immediate step is necessary to earn the opportunity to move on the next step
(McClelland 501). It is called contingent paths. In accordance to that, Raynor
explains that if on such paths the probability of success declines from step to step,
subjects high in need for achievement work much harder than those low in need
for achievement. Since subjects high in need for achievement believe their success
is due to ability, they will continue to work harder even as the task gets more and
more difficult. Therefore, the importance of the goal, like the contingent path
variable, interacts with the achievement motive to influence what the subjects do
(McClelland 503).
Subjects high in need for achievement would prefer being personally
responsible for a performance result, because only under such conditions could
they feel satisfaction from doing something better (McClelland 246). Doing
something better often implies doing it differently from before. It may involve
finding a different, shorter, or more efficient path to a goal. It follows that
individuals high in need for achievement should be more restless and avoid
routine. They should be more innovative. They should be more likely to seek out
2.2 Theoretical Framework
The theory of moral-philosophical approach is used as a tool to describe
and analyze perfection as the content of Jonathan’s learning process to reach his
achievement of being perfect in flying. To get a deep understanding, the writer
uses theory of perfection to analyze Jonathan’s ambition to be perfect in flying.
Therefore, this theory is used to help to figure out what kind of Jonathan’s
perfection is in the novelette.
By knowing the content of Jonathan’s learning process to reach his
achievement of being perfect in flying that is perfection, it gives the writer a
strong base to begin to study and analyze what and how Jonathan learns to reach
his being able to be perfect in flying as his achievement of his life. To do so, the
writer uses theory of psychological approach to describe, analyze and interpret the
influence of learning in perfection affects one’s achievement. In order to find the
motive of learning and need for achievement that is to be perfect in flying, the
writer also uses theory of learning and theory of need for achievement as a tool to
analyze and answer the second research question of this study that is how learning
in perfection affects one’s achievement as reflected in the character of Jonathan
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY
This chapter covers three main parts. The first part is the subject of the
study. The second part is the approach of the study. Then the third part is the
method of the study. The subject of the study describes the description of the
work analyzed and what the work is generally about. The second part reveals the
approach used in analyzing the subject of this study. In the last part, the way taken
in analyzing the subject of this study is described.
3.1 Subject of the Study
The subject of this study is Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a fable in
novelette, written by Richard Bach with photographs by Russell Munson. First
published in 1970 by Avon Books and it became a favorite on American
university campuses. By the end of 1972, over a million copies were in print and
the book reached the top of the New York Times bestseller list where it remained
for 38 weeks. Moreover, in 1973 Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull inspired the
production of a motion picture of the same title (wikipedia).
Jonathan Livingston Seagull tells the readers about a seagull learning
about perfection in order to be able to be perfect in flying as his achievement of
life. The novelette begins with his passion for flight that makes him banished to a
solitary life on the far cliffs; he is excluded from his flock. Here, the readers can
see his change as he learns to solve his fear and doubt; to learn to rely on himself.
Then, Jonathan is met by two seagulls who take him to a higher place
where he meets other seagulls who love to fly. Here, the readers can see his
learning process in achieving his being able to be perfect in flying with the help of
his highly experienced teacher, Chiang. Jonathan’s learning process in perfection
to achieve his being able to be perfect in flying becomes the interesting thing to
know how learning in perfection influence one’s achievement.
3.2 Approach of the Study
The approaches used in analyzing this study were psychological approach
and moral-philosophical approach. According to Lewis Leary’s A Study and
Research Guide, a psychological approach is an approach that applies principles
of modern psychology to characters or situations within a literary work or to the
person who wrote that work (57). The focus of this study is on some principles of
modern psychology to character within a literary work. Therefore, I used
psychological approach to examine the Jonathan character that showed some
principles of modern psychology that is learning process and need for
achievement.
On the other hand, a literary work is also known as a work that teaches
morality and /or promotes philosophical issues. According to Guerin the basic
position of literature is to teach morality and to probe philosophical issues. They
would interpret literature within a content of the philosophical thought of a period
or group (29). Since the novelette of Jonathan Livingston Seagull shows the issue
perfection as the content of Jonathan’s learning process influencing his achieving
in being able to be perfect in flying.
3.3 Method of the Study
This study was a library method with Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a
novelette written by Richard Bach as the primary source. In addition, the
secondary sources were taken from several books, such as Motivation Theories
and Principles, Psychology of Learning, and Dignity of Human Person. I took
several steps in order to answer the two problems formulated in chapter 1. The
first step was that I read the primary source that is the novelette Jonathan
Livingston Seagull to get a better understanding of the story. This step helped me
find out interesting topic to be revealed in this study. I decided to choose the
influence of learning in perfection on one’s achievement as the topic of this study.
From this topic I formulated two problems to be discussed further.
The second step was finding and reading several theories from other books
as the secondary sources. They are theory of learning, theory of perfection and
theory of need for achievement. Theory of perfection was used to answer the first
problem whereas the other theories were used to answer the second problem of
this study. The third step was to answer the two problems by applying the theories
presented in the previous step in the analysis of this study. Then, the last step was
CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS
In this chapter, the writer discusses the answers to the problem
formulation. This chapter is divided into two main parts. In the first part, the
writer analyzes and describes what perfection is as reflected in the character of
Jonathan Livingston Seagull. In the second part, the writer analyzes the influences
of learning in perfection on one’s achievement as reflected in the character of
Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
4.1 Perfection as Reflected in the Character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull According to Cronan, the most valuable item in the universe is man. He
alone is the image of his Creator (3). Man is born and lives as self and with others.
Therefore, the analysis of what perfection revealed in the novelette through the
character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull is mainly focused on three sections.
They are perfection within self and others and with the Other.
4.1.1 Perfection within Self
According to James O’Connell, the ideas of the self positively are built
from our bodily continuity, from our experience of sequential thinking, from our
acceptance of responsibility for our decisions and actions, and from the
consistency with which those we love and all those we relate to treat to us (94). It
shows that actually there are three main things related to the self. They are the one
that is related to the body, the second one is related to mind and free will and the
other one is related to others or the external world.
In this analysis and discussion, the writer does not include the body into
account in analyzing what perfection is since it is not the body which gives the
power to perfect oneself. Jonathan says, “Your whole body, from wingtip to
wingtip is nothing more than your thought itself, in a form you can see. Break the
chains of your thought, and you break the chains of your body” (Bach 76-77).
It shows that it is the mind which is responsible in deciding and governing
the body to do an action as well as to perfect oneself. It is also supported by
Cronan’s perfection theory that states that it is not man’s body which is peculiarly
responsible for his distinctive personal dignity nor for the perfecting process
toward completion of his personal potentials, but it does not mean to minimize the
role and importance of a person’s body. It is because man’s spiritual energies
which deserve more attention, those rational values and powers which indicate the
increasing perfection of man in society as a person, and which insure his personal
perfection and happiness in an abiding way, since they are superior and more
desirable. It is man’s mind and will which make out of a mob, a society, and of
man, a person (131-132). Cronan also states that man’s unique superiority to other
creatures is seen in his intellectual operation with regard to other existents (61).
Therefore, it is man’s mind giving intellectual ability to respond, to process, and
finally to act. Moreover, it gives man rationality so that he has freedom and
self in these aspects as reflected in the character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull is
the main point in these specific sections.
4.1.1.1 Perfection and Rationality
Jonathan Livingston Seagull loves to fly and he is eager to achieve to be
perfect in flying whereas the other seagulls do not bother to learn more than the
simplest facts of flight—how to get from shore to food and back again. For most
gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not
eating that mattered, but flight (Bach 14). The question is why Jonathan wants to
perfect himself in flying.
One day in the morning, his parents ask him, ”Why, Jon, why? Why is it
so hard to be like the rest of the flock, Jon? Why can’t you leave low flying to the
pelicans, the albatross? Why don’t you eat? Jon, you’re bone and feathers?” and
then Jonathan answers, “I don’t mind being bone and feathers, Mum. I just want
to know what I can do in the air and what I can’t, that’s all. I just want to know”
(Bach 14).
From that conversation, it shows that Jonathan has a reason why he wants
to perfect himself in flying that is because he wants to know what he can and
cannot do in the air. It denotes me that in perfection there is a reason as a
manifestation of mind rationality that motivates someone to perfect himself.
Cronan says that all the superiorities observable in the human person are
traceable to the possession of that one root power which is his specific difference:
reason becomes the key in perfection. Jonathan’s reason of wanting to know of
what he can and he cannot do in the air becomes the realistic standard of
perfection. There is a process of learning to know and accept of what man can and
cannot do. Thus, perfection works in the frame of rationality.
When Jonathan finally achieves a perfect speed in flying, Chiang who is
the eldest teacher says, “It always works, when you know what you’re doing”
(Bach 59-60). It shows that knowing what we are doing is connected with the
awareness of our mind works in controlling ourselves. Therefore, in perfection
there is also awareness of doing something. It is also supported by Cronan’s
theory that states that man with his rationality is given the power to think critically
in its intellectual operation to follow the universal dynamic order consciously, and
further it by rational foresight, in himself, and through others (62). Therefore,
rationality in human’s mind empowers man to see what he can and cannot do
consciously and perfect himself.
4.1.1.2 Perfection and Free Will
Jonathan Livingston Seagull’s passion to perfect himself in flying makes
him banished to a solitary life on the far cliffs. He is excluded from his flock
because he has violated the dignity and tradition of the Gull Family.
To be centred for shame meant that he would be cast out of gull society, banished to a solitary life on the Far Cliffs.
and then, Jonathan speaks back to the Council Flock. It can be seen as follows:
“Irresponsibility? My brothers!” he cried. ”Who is more responsible than a gull who finds and follows a meaning, a higher purpose for life? For a thousand years we have scrabbled after fish heads, but now we have a reason to live – to learn, to discover, to be free! Give me one chance, let me show you what I’ve found…” (Bach 35).
What I want to show here is that in perfection there is freedom to do will.
Jonathan knows what it is that attracts him that is to learn to perfect himself in
flying, to discover, to be free. He is attracted to unlimited goodness of being
perfect in flying since according to him it gives him a higher purpose for life that
is to be free, to be a creature of excellence and intelligence and skill.
How much more there is now to living! Instead of our drab slogging forth and back to the fishing boats, there’s a reason to life! We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. We can be free! We can learn to fly! (Bach 27).
It shows that Jonathan can find himself as a creature of excellence and
intelligence and skill because he has tried to dig out his potential in flying. He is
attracted to learn to perfect his ability in flying because he is attracted in the
unlimited goodness of being perfect in flying: excellence, intelligence and skill.
Because of that he can know of what he can and cannot do in the air. This happens
because he has courage to decide to perfect himself. It shows that perfection
works in the frame of power of choice to act or not. In other words, he is aware of
his freedom to do his will; he is master of himself.
4.1.2 Perfection within Self and the Other
One day when Jonathan becomes an instructor and has six students who
are curious and very eager to learn about the new idea of flight for reaching the
high performance of flying that is to be perfect in flying, he says that there is a
reason behind the matter of being perfect in flying.
“Each of us is in truth an idea of the Great Gull, an unlimited idea of freedom,” Jonathan would say in the evenings on the beach, “and precision flying is a step toward expressing our real nature. Everything that limits us we have to put aside” (Bach 76).
Each of us is in truth an idea of the Great Gull. It indicates that each of
them actually has something that is related to their Great Gull, to their God.
According to Cronan, man is the image of God. What does it mean? In what
proportion man is God-like since human being and the other creatures are
imperfect. Only God is the only perfect.
Therefore man is imperfect but man can perfect himself since he is the
image of God. The image of God means that there is nature of God living in
man’s value. Since the image cannot be the real so man is always a very imperfect
but with His nature living in man’s value, man can improve and perfect himself in
its proportion and capacity as like. The question is what makes man is
God-like or in what proportion man is the image of God.
According to Cronan, the image of God is placed in rationality and free
will as the most divine of man’s value (112). In its proportion of man’s rationality
and free will, man perfects himself toward the goodness of anything because
the more we perfect ourselves by improving and searching the unlimited
goodness, the more we participate in His perfection.
We do not acquire love of God: it is in us, His participating images, and we perfect ourselves as we develop it in awareness, as we educate ourselves to it. So there is something common between him and God, some connaturality by which he naturally knows and loves Him who completely transcends man, because He is also immanent in him (Cronan 111).
Jonathan’s learning in perfection in flying shows that he is aware of His
participating images in his rationality and free will that give him freedom to be
what he wants: to learn to perfect himself in flying. Therefore, like what Jonathan
says that precision flying is a step toward expressing our real nature: an idea of the
Great Gull (Bach 76).
4.1.3 Perfection within Self and Others
In the novelette, after Jonathan achieves some level in flying, Chiang who
is the eldest teacher says that the most powerful and the most fun of all in
perfection is to know the meaning of kindness and of love.
“We can start working with time if you wish,” Chiang said, “till you can fly the past and the future. And then you will be ready to begin the most difficult, the most powerful, the most fun of all. You will be ready to begin to fly up and know the meaning of kindness and of love” (Bach 60).
Therefore, all Jonathan’s efforts to perfect himself in flying are directed to
and for the sake of kindness and of love. Man’s rationality and free will in
perfecting himself to the goodness of anything as the image of God find its full
completeness and actualization by practicing and learning kindness and love to
“I don’t understand how you manage to love a mob of birds that has just tried to kill you.”
“Oh, Fletch, you don’t love that! You don’t love hatred and evil, of course. You have to practice and see the real gull, the good in every one of them, and to help them see it in themselves. That’s what I mean by love. It’s fun, when you get the knack of it” (Bach 91).
Therefore, perfection meets its full completeness and actualization in
loving others to help them see their real goodness as the image of God and by this
sharing of perfection within self and others in reciprocal will complete and perfect
oneself. This is also stated by Cronan that human person’s power-values are
actualized only in the person-milieu in which he acts, the stimulant environment
which is labeled “society.” In reciprocal actions, a human person “accumulates”
perfections through others, and communicates to them the sharing in his own, or
the stimulus to develop their own (125).
In conclusion, perfection needs others as its completeness and
actualization through which he or she can share, learn, and communicate to
4.2 The Influences of Learning in Perfection on One’s Achievement as Reflected in the Character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull
At the previous part, the writer has analyzed what perfection is as the
content of Jonathan’s learning process to reach his achievement of being perfect
in flying. Cronan states that man is attracted to perfection to make the goodness of
anything (21). On the other hand, the motive of achievement is performing in
terms standard of excellent (McClelland 99). Making the goodness of anything
means that there is a motive to perform or to do something excellent. It shows that
there is a correlation between perfection and achievement. Therefore, in this part,
through the main character of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, the writer analyzes
how and what the effects of learning in perfection influence one’s achievement.
According to Atkinson in McClelland’s book there are contingent paths in
achievement motivation. It explains that success in an immediate step is necessary
to earn the opportunity to move on the next step (501). Therefore, it can be said
that there is a process of step by step in achieving something. In the novelette, the
writer finds three main stages showing Jonathan’s learning process of successful
achievements of being perfect in flying. They are his achievement process on
earth, in heaven and his achievement on earth as an instructor. In those three main
stages, the writer analyzes how and what the effects of learning in perfection
influence one’s achievement as reflected in the character of Jonathan Livingston
4.2.1 Influences on Jonathan’s Achievements on Earth
This part is the beginning of the story where the author explains why
Jonathan wants to learn and practice about flying. More than anything else,
Jonathan Livingston Seagull loves to fly. The reason is because he wants to know
what he can and cannot do in the air (Bach 14). This kind of thinking motivates
him to learn more about flying. It shows that his learning in perfection to know
what he can and cannot do in the air makes him have higher achievements to
know and learn more than the simplest flight.
Most gulls don’t bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight— how to get from shore to food and back again. For most gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight. More than anything else, Jonathan Livingston Seagull loved to fly (Bach 14).
It shows that perfection that is to make the goodness of anything motivates
Jonathan to improve his ability in flying. To make the goodness of anything in
Jonathan’s case is to make an excellence in flying; to improve and make his
ability in flying performed well. Because of that he loves to fly. He wants to learn
more about flying. He has a higher goal in flying: to learn more about flying. He
learns about flying at low speed, flying at high speed and other findings in flying.
His reason to know what he can and cannot do in the air becomes his motivation
to perfect himself in flying. As Cronan states that reason becomes the key to man
and it is the result of human’s rationality. By this, man perfects himself (57).
Jonathan’s learning in perfection to know what he can and cannot do in the
air motivates and makes him have innovative ability, strong spirit, and courage to
in flying as his successful higher achievements on earth. Those influences are
explained below.
4.2.1.1 Jonathan’s Courage to Never Give Up
Jonathan’s passion to perfect himself in flying becomes his goal of life.
The reason why he wants to perfect himself in flying is because he wants to know
what he can and cannot do in the air. This kind of thinking motivates him to learn
more about flying. He begins with his curiosity about slow and low flying above
the water.
He lowered his webbed feet, lifted his beak, and strained to hold a painful hard twisting curve through his wings. The curve meant that he would fly slowly, and now he slowed until the wind was a whisper in his face, until the ocean stood still beneath him. He narrowed his eyes in fierce concentration, held his breath, forced one single more inch of curve. Then his feathers ruffled, he stalled and fell (Bach 13).
Although he stalls and falls, but he does not give up to learn about slow
and low flying. He still tries to make hundreds of low-level glides, experimenting
(Bach 14). Moreover, seagulls never falter, never stall. To stall in the air is for
them disgrace and it is dishonour. Nevertheless, Jonathan is unashamed and
stretches his wings again in that trembling hard curve—slowing, slowing and
stalling once more (Bach 13). Finally he can stay in the air longer, with less effort
by flying at altitudes less than half his wingspan above the water.
