THE INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENT IN CHILD
DEVELOPMENT AS SEEN IN THE MAIN CHARACTER OF
TETSUKO KUROYANAGI’S
TOTTO-CHAN THE LITTLE
GIRL AT THE WINDOW
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree ofSarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
YULISTANTI TRI WISMADANIK
Student Number: 004214025
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY JOGJAKARTA
2008
ASarjana SastraUndergraduate Thesis
THE INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENT ON CHILD
DEVELOPMENT AS SEEN IN THE MAIN CHARACTER OF
TETSUKO KUROYANAGI’S TOTTO-CHAN THE LITTLE
GIRL AT THE WINDOW
By
YULISTANTI TRI WISMADANIK
Student Number: 004214025
Approved by
Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M. Hum. 17 July 2008 Advisor
Children Learn What They Live
If a child lives with criticism,
He learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
He learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule,
He learns to be shy.
If a child lives with tolerance,
He learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement,
He learns to confidence.
If a child lives with praise,
He learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness,
He learns justice.
If a child lives with security,
He learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval,
He learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
He learns to find love in the world.
anonymous
I dedicate this thesis to:
Father (
) and Mother
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I praise the Lord as I have accomplished my thesis and for any help and supports of others, which I believe God sends them to show His wonderful love to me.
I would like to express my gratitude to Drs. Hirmawan Wijanako, M.Hum, my major advisor, for his guidance and patience in completing this thesis My gratitude also goes to the lecturers and staffs of English Letters Department for their aid during my study in Sanata Dharma University.
I also would like to express my gratitude to my beloved family; my father,
Yesaya Anwar P (), who always taught me to work hard, my mother, T
Tukiyatiningsihwho always reminds me to finish this thesis, my sisters,Yunarti P, DS Nugraheni & Septi Dhanik P, who have encouraged me in many ways.
I am grateful to my best friends:Helena, Ndut, Susie, Linda, Dechenk, that have shared many experiences and stories with me. My gratitude is also for
Paramita’s crew, Mbak Ummy, Widha, Eko, Yudi and Joe, who support me in finishing this thesis.
I thank friends of mine whom I passed through the process of studying in Sanata Dharma University: Rita, Mita, Yuyun, Lia, Sisil, Wiwin, Wheni, Debby, Lany, Brian.
Yulistanti Tri Wismadanik
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS………..………. . vii
ABSTRACT……….. ix
ABSTRAK... x
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION……… 1
A. Background of the Study……… 1
B. Problem Formulation………... 3
C. Objectives of the Study……… 3
D. Definition of Terms……….. 4
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW……… 5
A. Review of Related Study………. 5
B. Review of Related Theories………. 8
1. Theories of Character and Characterization………... 8
2. Theories of Environment……….…... 10
3. Theories of Development……… 13
4. Theories of Hyperactivity………. . 15
C. Theoretical Framework………. 16
CHAPTER: III METHODOLOGY………..………... 17
A. Object of the Study……….………..……… 17
B. Approach of the Study………..……… 17
C. Method of the Study………. 18
CHAPTER: IV ANALYSIS………. 20
A. The Characteristics of Totto-Chan………..……… 20
B. The Environments of Totto-Chan and Its Influences on Toto-Chan’s Character Development……….………….……… .27
1. The Environments of Toto Chan……….. 27
a. Family……… 27
b. School……….. 29
2. The Influences of the Environments on Toto-Chan………. 31
a. Influences of Family……….. 31
b. The Influences of School……… 34
3. The Character Development of Totto-Chan as the Result of the Environment Influences……… ... 45
CHAPTER: V CONCLUSION………….………. 50
BIBLIOGRAPHY……….……… 52
APPENDIX: Summary of Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’sTotto-Chan The Little Girl at the Window.……… 54
ABSTRACT
YULISTANTI TRI WISMADANIK. The Influence of Environment in Child Development as Seen in the Main Character of Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s Totto-Chan The Little Girl at the Window. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2008.
Every child will develop, both physically and psychologically. The development itself needs others support. In Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s novel, Totto-Chan the Little Girl at the Window, Totto-chan is the main character who develops by the influences of her environment. Through her family and school, Totto-Chan’s personality is changing, she becomes a nice little girl. The study will show the influence of environment toward Totto-Chan’s development.
The study raises two problems to be examined. The first problem is how the main character, Totto-Chan, is described in the story. The second problem is how the environment influences the development of Totto-Chan and also how the development as the effect of the environment is described.
In order to reach the objectives of the study, the study uses library research to collect the data. The Data is Tetsuko Kuroyanagi novel entitledTotto-Chan the Little Girl at the Windowand other sources, which are closely related to the study. The approach applied in the thesis is psychological approach.
The study finds that Totto-Chan develops because of the influence of the environment. In the beginning, Totto-Chan is described as a hyperactive girl, she is different from other children, she has a unique character that makes her get into trouble. Then she comes to Tomoe School which gives her all she needs as a hyperactive child. The education from the school and support from her family make her change. By the influence of her environment, she experiences development from a hyperactive girl to a normal child, who has good manner, helpful, and tolerant. It is proved that right environment will give good influences to a child.
ABSTRAK
YULISTANTI TRI WISMADANIK. The Influence of Environment in Child Development as Seen in the Main Character of Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s Totto-Chan The Little Girl at the Window. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2008.
Setiap anak pasti akan berkembang, baik secara fisik maupun psikologis. Perkembangan itu sendiri membutuhkan banyak dukungan. Dalam novel karya Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, Totto-Chan The Little Girl at the Window, Totto-Chan adalah karakter utama yang berkembang karena pengaruh dari lingkungan terhadap perkembangan Totto-Chan. Melalui keluarga dan sekolah, karakter Totto-Chan mengalami perubahan, Toto-Chan menjadi seoarang anak yang baik.
Penelitian ini menyajikan dua masalah untuk dibahas. Masalah pertama adalah bagaimana karakter Totto-Chan diuraikan dalam novel. Masalah kedua adalah bagaimana lingkungan dapat mempengaruhi perkembangan Totto-chan dan juga bagaimana perkembangan sebagai hasil dari pengaruh lingkungan diuraikan.
Untuk mencapai tujuan penelitian ini, digunakanlah studi pustaka untuk mengumpulkan data. Data tersebut adalah novel karya Tetsuko Kuroyanagi,
Totto-Chan The Little Girl at the Window dan berbagai sumber yang erat hubungannya dengan fokus penelitian ini. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam analisis di tesis ini adalah pendekatan psikologi.
Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa Totto-Chan dapat berkembang karena pengaruh dari linkungannya. Pada awalnya, dia digambarkan sebagai anak perempuan yang hiperaktif, ia berbeda dari anak-anak pada umumnya, ia memiliki karakter yang unik yang membuatnya masuk dalam kesulitan. Kemudian ia masuk ke sekolah Tomoe yang menyediakan semua yang dibutuhkan oleh seorang anak yang hiperaktif. Pendidikan dari sekolah dan juga dukungan dari keluarganya membuat Totto-Chan berubah. Dengan pengaruh dari lingkungannya ia mengalami perubahan dalam dirinya. Dari seorang anak yang hiperaktif ia menjadi seperti anak normal lainnya, yang memiliki perilaku yang baik, mau membantu, dan sangat toleran. Hal ini membuktikan bahwa lingkungan yang tepat akan memberikan pengaruh yang baik pada anak.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Human being is always changing from his birth to the time of death. Human being changes not only physically but also psychologically. There are many aspects that help human being change, and one of them is the environment. The first environment that a new born child knows is his home. From his home a child gets his early experiences with his family who gives him love and care. His second environment that gives influence to a child is the environment outside his house such as his friends and school. Jersild in his book Child Psychology said that the foundations of psychological development in the individuals are structural and also dependent upon hereditary factors and environmental influences (1954:14).
Child development as one of the psychological studies is an interesting topic to be discussed. It is because during the time of childhood, a child will experience many development challenges and conflicts which prepare him for adolescence and adulthood. Kuroyanagi in her novelTotto Chan The Little Girl at the Windowshows that childhood is an important time to grow and develop. She reveals it in the character of Totto Chan who develops because of the influences of her environment. Thus, this study focuses on Totto Chan development and the environment that gives big influences in Totto Chan’s life.
Totto Chan the Little Girl at the Windowis a story of a little girl who has a unique character than other children. She grows up in a modern family, her father
as a musician gives her opportunities to know as much as she wants. As an active little girl Totto Chan develops herself to be a thoughtful child. Her parent gives opportunity to grow as what she is. They not only give love and care but also give Totto Chan opportunity to know the feeling of loosing something important in her life and to choose what she really wants to do. In this story, Totto Chan family has an important role in their child development. As states by Schiamberg inHuman Development that family has to perform the primary function of socializing the child from birth through at least adolescence. There should be mutual interactions between parents and child and the interactions include the transmission and interpretation of cultural standards of values and behavior (1982:261).
The environment outside the house also gives important influences to a child development. The environment outside the house will introduce the child how to socialize and how to interact with other people and also how to be tolerant to other people. The study of the novel also talks about the environment outside Totto Chan’s family. Totto Chan will get many new experiences outside her house; she finds out that her new school is very interesting. She meets new friends who are very nice to her and new teachers who always support her, and most of all she can do many things that she really wants to do in her school. Her relationship with other children and her headmaster and also the studying system of the school that make her develop and give her many new things. In this period of schooling Totto-Chan begins to learn, interacts with others and organizes her behavior. In
Middle childhood is the time before adolescence when the child is adjusting to the new environment of school, is forming close ties with people outside the home and is developing work and play habits along with many new interest (1979:396).
Since Kuroyanagi’s Totto Chan the Little Girl at the Window is a story about a life of a child during her childhood, this study will analyze Totto-Chan’s characteristics, her childhood and how her development is influenced by her environment.
B. Problem Formulation
The study talks about the character of Totto Chan that finds her world through her experiences. Therefore the study would be based on two questions following:
1. How is the main character Totto Chan described in the novel?
2. How does the environment influence Totto Chan’s character development as revealed in this story?
C. Objectives of the Study
Firstly, this study aims to identify the character of Totto Chan from the way she thinks and act. As a child Totto Chan used to see things based on her point of view as a little child. She does not realize that she has experienced many things which are valued for her life.
kind of environment that Totto Chan faces and how this environment gives big influences toward her life and development.
D. Definition of Terms
In this study, it is important to know the terms which are used in this study. The first term is “environment”. In Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, the word ‘environment’ is defined as the aggregate of surrounding things, conditions, or influences, especially as affecting the existence or development of someone or something (1989:477).
The second term is “child development”. In Berk’s Child Development, it is the study of human growth and change from conception through adolescence. It is part of a larger discipline known as developmental psychology or human development, which includes all changes that take place throughout the life span (1984:39).
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
Gunawan Muhhamad in his essays collection Catatan Pinggir 2: Totto-Chan, said that the book of Totto-Chan The little Girl at the Window is a phenomenon. The book of Totto-Chan the little Girl at the Window keeps an accusation, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi present an alternative education for Japanese education system, which is known as a complicated system. Tetsuko kuroyanagi in her story has opened up the destructive and formal style of education which is shackle to the students (1989:376-377).
The book of Totto Chan The little Girl at the Window is not a work of fiction, but based on the childhood of its author (a popular Japanese actress, author and talk-show host, philanthropist, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and WWF-Japan director), focusing specifically on her experiences as a student at Tomoe Gaukuen, an experimental school in Tokyo, Japan. The school was founded by one Sosaku Kobayashi who obviously loved children and had unique ideas about how they should be raised and educated. Tomoe no longer exists, but educators can learn much from its example. The book describes Totto-Chan's adventures as a curious, imaginative little girl. She is deemed "impossible" by the teachers in her first school and is expelled, but Kobayashi welcomes her with open arms, and, for Totto, Tomoe is a dream come true, a place where she is allowed to achieve her fullest potential and given the freedom to explore her
surroundings and express herself to her heart's content.. Totto-Chan is broken up into very short chapters, each one relating a short incident or commenting on an interesting aspect of the school or Totto's life and upbringing. It is an easy reading novel, simple, unaffected and charming - and also rather funny. Totto and her classmates are cute, but the hero of the book is, without a doubt, Kobayashi who was ever optimistic and always ready to see the good in every child (http://daphne.blogs.com/books/2005/09/mini_review_tot.html).
a great man, a man who understands children excellently and as to how he strives to develop their qualities of mind, body and heart. His concern for the physically handicapped and his emphasis on equality of all children are remarkable. In this small, yet beautiful school, the children lead happy lives, unaware of the great things going on in the world. The World War II has started. Yet in this school, no signs of it are seen. One day the school is bombed, and is never rebuilt. This ends of Totto-chan's years as a pupil at Tomoe Gakuen. The book is the chronicle of a remarkable school, and of it's remarkable headmaster who's kindness and generosity win the hearts of all his children. Indeed, such educators as Mr.Kobayashi were rare in those days. Now, in these frantic days, one can only dream of such a school, where above all things the need for giving students freedom to study and enjoy the activities which they wanted was recognized. Thus, because of the remarkable atmosphere the kids experience at Tomoe, most of them rise to the top of their professions. The book wonderfully chronicles the beauty of life as seen from the innocent eyes of a young girl (http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2118)
psychologically. This study will explain on how the environment - that is the family and school – gives big influences on the psychological development of the character.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
A character is an important factor in fiction. In the beginning of the fiction, the author must introduce his character to the readers. In the other hand, it can clear the fiction itself. Because of character is significant especially in this research, and then it is very important to find the best definition of it.
Character is a person presented in dramatic or narrative work, endowed with moral and dispositional qualities, that are expressed in what they say i.e. the dialogue, and what they i.e. the action. The ground in a character’s temperament and moral nature for his speech and action constitutes his motivation. (Abrams,Glossary of Literary Terms, 1985; 20)
While according to De Larr (1963:170) character is in human situation and makes them behave like actual human being.
perform a key structural function. Meanwhile the secondary characters are the characters that perform a more limited function. They are limited in the ways that the major characters are not (1977:88).
E.M. Forster in Aspect of the Novel (1927:18) classifies characters into two types, flat and round characters. The flat characters are built around a single idea of quality and are represented in outline and without much individuality detail, and so they can be fairly describe in a single phrase or sentence. The flat characters are characterized by one or two traits. The round characters are complex in temperament and motivation and are represented with subtle peculiarity: those they are as difficult to describe with any adequacy as a person in real life and like the most people, they are capable of surprising us. While the all fictional character can be classified as static or developing. The static character is the same sort of person at the end of story as he or she was at the beginning. The developing or dynamic character undergoes a permanent change in some aspect of his or her character, personality or outlook.
According to Perrine (1974; 68-69), characterization could be presented in two ways:
a. Direct Presentation
b. Indirect Presentation
In indirect presentation, the author shows the readers the characters in actions and lets the readers infer what they are like from what they think, they say, or they do. The author just presents the characters acting and talking and leaves the readers to infer their qualities from what they say, think, and do.
2. Theory of Environment
Environment becomes more and more powerful as an influence that shapes behavior and personality. The first environment that a child knows is his family or home. According to Watson, basically there are two major effects that a home has on the life of a child. The first is that the home provides the conditions that facilitate some kinds of behavior and inhibit others. A home environment, is a home which has rich stimuli and has order and also focus. The stimuli itself directed at the child in the form of conversation, attention, caressing, fondling and playing. These stimuli have facilitating effect on the appearance of more mature forms of behavior. The second effect consists of the ways in which the child personality is shaped. It concerned in the interaction between the parent and the child (1973; 297).
children. It means that parents make themselves as a model for the child to imitate (1986; 490-491).
Parental control is also important and necessary for children to develop into socially and intellectually competent individuals. Children need authoritative parents. It means that they are not intrusive and permit their children considerable freedom within reasonable limits, but willing to impose restrictions in areas in which they had greater knowledge or insight (Hetherington&Parke1986; 495).
The second environment that gives big influences in the child development is the school environment. School characteristics such as curriculum, quality of teachers, diversity and organization of instructional program are important in the development of the child. According to Schiamberg & Smith in Human Development, the role of the school and classroom is clearly significant to the child academic performance. The way the school or classroom is organized may go a long way toward supporting the child in the school. There are two types of classroom:
a. The traditional classroom. In this type, the classroom is characterized by structured arrangement of lessons and discipline as the best ways to achieve student learning.
said that the classroom should be arrange so that each child moves at his or her own pace by making a choices of activities during the course of a school day. In this classroom, the students can show their good behavior through the exploration and interaction with peers (1982; 363-364).
3. Theory of Development
According to Schiamberg & Smith, development during the years of middle childhood is filled with many exciting and sometimes dramatic changes in the child. As children enter the formal, the stage is set for developments in the way they think, learn, interact with others and organize their behavior. During this time the child usually begins to have more extensive interactions outside the family, especially with his peers (1982; 343).
InChild Developmentby Arthur T. Jersild, in child development there is a forward impetus in growth, a growing child seeks to be himself, to discover, to realize his resources which is including his resources for doing, thinking, and feeling, for standing independently on his own feet and also for being deeply involved in interpersonal relationships with others. In this process, a child must risk and venture, and this may mean failure as well as success, painful consequences as well as pleasant rewards. It means that the process of growing up is not just continuously pleasant forward jaunt but growth also accompanied by growing pains (1954; 24).
another, their behavior in the home, and their relationships to persons and things outside the home. Parents’ attitudes toward the child also give important effect toward child character development. Not only concerning the effect upon the child of being a wanted or a rejected child. The effect upon a child of a parent’s attitudes toward him depends not so much upon whether they wanted him as it does upon their understanding of his needs and their ability to meet these needs in all areas of his developing personality. With these understanding and ability, the child will be enabled to progress through the various stages of interpersonal relationships until he obtains a comprehension of his social as well as personal responsibilities and obligations. Home conditions also important in child character development, conditions which is favorable to desirable adjustment are experienced by the child who is reared in a home in which kindliness; sincerity, honesty, and cooperation are practiced daily by the other members of the family.
4. Theory of Hyperactivity
In Abnormal Psychology Gerald C. Davidson & John M. Neale said that children often behave impulsively or act before thinking, a pattern that may lead both to social friction and to academic failure ( 1996: 429). They have difficulty focusing on a single activity and often shift erratically from one task to another without finishing those projects they begin. These children tend not to maintain the behaviors expected of them for more than a few minutes. They seem to have remarkably high energy levels, approaching activities with striking and sometimes formidable intensity. A hyperactive child is all too frequently “in trouble” with his peers, his teachers, his family and his community. He seems almost normal in every way, but yet he has inordinate and pervasive difficulties getting along in everyday world.
tactless, obstinate and bossy. Their activities and movements seem haphazard. These children quickly wear out their shoes and clothing, smash their toys, and soon exhaust their family, teachers, and friends.
C. Theoretical Framework
The study focuses on the main character of the novel, Totto-Chan. The review of theories is needed to answer the problem of the study.
The theories consist of theory of character, characterization, environment and development. The theories of character and characterization are applied to find the type of the main character Totto-chan, and to answer the first problem formulation. The theory is useful to describe the character of the main character in the novel. The theory of character and characterization, the theory of environment and theory of development is needed to answer the second problem formulation.
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s Totto-Chan the Little Girl at the Window is the object of this study. Totto-Chan the little Girl at the Window is an autobiographical novel that portrays the story of a little girl named Totto-Chan (Tetsuko herself) in her childhood especially in her schooling time.
This book is an English version of Madogiwa no Totto-Chan, the Japanese original edition, published in Japan by Kodansha International Ltd. Copyright in 1981 by Tetsuko kuroyanagi. The English version copyright in 1982 by Kodansha International Ltd. Translated by Dorothy Britton.
This book is a long-standing best seller in Japan and has been distributed to USA and England. It has changed many points of view about education system.
This book told us about the life of a little girl named Totto-Chan in her childhood. There are so many experiences that happened in Totto-Chan childhood and it made her develop.
B. Approach of the Study
This study applies the psychological approach, an approach which is focused on psychological interpretation for entrancing the understanding and appreciation of literature (Rorhberger & Woods, 1971; 13). The study focuses on the character as the intrinsic elements to be a means for psychological
interpretation especially in the development of a child. The psychological approach helps us to interpret the psychological aspect and development of the character in the novel. Therefore, the psychological approach will be very helpful to reveal the issue of this study since it views a literary work based on psychological interpretation.
C. Method of the Study
The thesis is a library research. The writer collects many data to have the research understandable. The writer divides the data into two categories, primary data and other references.
The primary source is the novel by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi entitled Totto-Chan the Little Girl at the Window. The secondary sources are taken from some books concerning with the study. It means that the data gathered from books on literature, criticism, and theories on child development and psychology that maybe helpful. Besides, the data is also compiled from Internet. Some sources that will be important for the analysis are Aspect of the Novelby E.M. Forster, Child Development by Clara E. Berk, Child Psychology a Contemporary Viewpoint by E. Mavis Hetherington & Ross D. Parke, Child Psychology by Arthur T. Jersild,
Human Development by Lawrence B. Schiamberg & Karl U. Smith, and Child Developmentby Grace J. Craig.
reading is needed in making notes of points, quotations, and also summary of the story which were used o find the significant element of story.
The second step was referring to some references that are related to the studies of Totto-Chan the Little Girl at the Window and theories of literature focusing on character and characterization. The references supported the study in gathering more data to link all of the findings.
The third step was applying the psychological theories especially in child development in order to answer the problems formulated in this work. The theories were used to analyze the character and make the analysis based on the questions that were formulated earlier
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
This chapter consists of two parts based on two problems of this study. The first part is the description of character Totto-chan in the story. It presents the description of Totto-chan and the interaction of Totto-chan with other characters or with her surrounding. The second part is to describe or identify the environment where Totto-chan live and the influences of the environment toward Totto-chan’s psychological development.
A. The Characteristic of Totto-Chan
This part will discuss the character of Totto-Chan. Totto-Chan is 7 years old girl. Her father is a musician and her mother is a housewife. As a little girl Totto-chan can be said as a hyperactive child. It seems that Totto-chan always makes trouble for herself or for her surroundings. It is happened when she is at first grade of elementary school; her teacher cannot understand why Totto-chan always makes so much trouble and the teacher cannot handle it. Totto-Chan’s behaviours have made her teacher and her friends annoyed. Due to Totto-Chan’s behaviour, her mother is invited to school.
Mother has been sent Totto-chan’s homeroom teacher who came straight to the point. “Your daughter disrupts my whole class. I must ask you to take her another school”. The pretty young teacher sighed. “I’m really at the end of my tether” (p.11).
Her mother, of course, very shocked because of it, she does not understand why Totto-chan can disrupt the whole class and why Totto-chan
makes herself into trouble. Her mother worried about Totto-Chan because she has to take Totto-Chan to another school. It means that Totto-Chan already being expelled from the school when Totto-Chan just only on the first grade. As a hyperactive child, Chan is excited to the new things she sees. For Totto-Chan, her experiences in her school is a great thing, she can do many things in this place. Yet, her new experiences have taken her to the trouble.
She had said. “School’s wonderful! My desk at home has drawers you pull out, but the one at school has a top you lift up. It’s like a box, and you can keep all sorts of things inside. It’s super! (p.12).
Actually, her experience with her desk at her school becomes one of the troubles that she makes. She likes to open and shut the drawer for hundred times that makes the teacher and the whole class annoyed.
Another Totto-Chan’s characteristic that makes her proved to be a hyperactive child is that she cannot focuses in one thing or studying in a place for a long time. In her class, Totto-Chan cannot sit for a long time, she prefers to stand up at the window and invite the street musician, it can be seen here:
The gist of the teacher’s story was that after an hour of almost constantly banging her desk top, Totto-Chan would leave her desk and stand by the window, looking out. Then, just as the teacher was beginning to think that as long as she was quiet she might just as well stay there, Totto-Chan would suddenly call out to passing band of garishly dressed street musician. …whereupon, said the teacher, Totto-Chan would announce the fact to the whole room. “Here they are!” and all the children would crowd by the window and call out to the musicians (p.13).
In the drawing lesson, Totto-Chan also makes trouble. The teacher asks the children to draw the Japanese flag and the children do it, but Totto-Chan does not do it. She starts to draw navy flag, add fringes like on youth group banners. Then she draws the fringes went right off the edge of the paper and onto her desk, and it makes the desk full of fringes marks (p.16).
As a hyperactive child, Chan always talks too much. When Totto-Chan comes to Tomoe School for the first time, she has to meet the headmaster and the headmaster asks her to tell him anything she wants to talk. Of course Totto-Chan feels happy about it, so she begins to tell everything although she tells her story without any sequences. She tells him about the train, her dog rocky, her father and mother, her clothes and many things she can remember. The headmaster of course listens to her and asks her to tell other stories until she thinks that she does not have any story to tell to the headmaster. Totto-Chan has not learnt how to tell time yet, but if she knows how to tell time she will be surprised that she had talked for about 4 hours. No one will believe that a 7 years old child can find enough to talk about for a long time (p.22-23).
Besides always doing something strange and talking too much, Totto-Chan also has a weird habit when she plays. She likes to cross other people’s garden by crawling under their fences and burrowed under the barbed wire. For Totto-Chan it is fun, she really likes to play this game although it makes her hair, nail and ears dirty and also makes her clothes and panties get torn (p.86).
described in the story that there are some cases that happened as the effect of her curiosity. The quotation below show how Totto-Chan’s curiousness described:
Now Totto-Chan had a curious habit. Ever since she was small, whenever she went to the toilet, she made it a point to peer down the hole after she had finished (p.43).
Another example of her curiosity is when a new train will come to the school. She has no idea where the new train comes from, she also wonders how a train can come to her school without a railroad on the school. So she decided to see how the train can come to the school without the railroad. This is a new experience for Totto-Chan, she also learns something she does not know before (p.49-52).
Totto-Chan also has a strange behaviour compared to other children, she likes to jump on something that looks interesting. Her mother always remains her not to do something like that again but to jump into something that make her curious is fun for Totto-Chan although it makes her gets trouble.
“I thought I told you before”, said mother. “When you see something that looks intriguing, don’t jump on straight away. Look before you leap.”(p.90)
Another trouble comes when Totto-Chan in the way home from school. She discoveres something enticing by the side of the road, she thinks that it is a huge pile of sand. She is thrilled and run at a great speed then leaped onto the sand, but finally she finds that it is not a huge pile of sands but a heap of prepared grey well plaster. She sinks into it, and no one helps her until her mother pulls her from the plaster (p.89).
Although she has been warned by her mother, Totto-Chan cannot promise not to jump to something interesting for her. It can be seen in the quotation below, “No, I won’t jump on anything again,” said Totto-Chan, quietly … I won’t
jump onto a newspaper or a pile of sand over again.”
Mother was quite sure Totto-Chan might easily take it into her head to jump onto something else (p.91).
It proves that Totto-Chan always do the same thing again and again but to different subjects that makes her curious, and this activity becomes one of her habit.
Totto-Chan can also be said as a brave child. Totto-Chan is brave enough to talk or ask the older people when she wants to know about something. She does it when she asks ticket collector in the station whether she can take the ticket or not (p.9).
Besides asking the ticket collector, Totto-Chan is also brave enough to ask something to the headmaster in the new school. She feels very exited when she knows that the school uses railroad cars as a classroom, and she asks the headmaster to be a student at the school.
For children, ask such question is embarrassing especially when they just see the other people for the first time. But for Totto-Chan it does not a big thing than knowing who really the headmaster is. She also tells the headmaster that she wants to join his school.“…because I wants to ask you a favour. I’d like to come to your school.” (p.20)
No one will ask a question to the headmaster in the first meet, but Totto-Chan is really a brave girl and asks that question. Totto-Totto-Chan is also brave enough to make request a school song to the headmaster, she gives some advice about the song and also rejects the song the headmaster has made because it does not like the school song from her school before.
Totto-Chan also has unique character, she never gives up to anything she does. She does not want to give up before she gets or she can reach her purpose. It can be seen when she invites her friend Yashuaki-Chan comes to her tree. Yashuaki-Chan’s arms and legs are weak because of polio, he always finds difficulties to walk but he really wants to come to Totto-Chan’s tree. Totto-Chan tries to help him in climbing her tree but she finds difficulties because of Yashuaki’s condition. Her effort to help her friend can be seen from the quotation below:
…Totto-Chan realized for the first time that it was going to be more difficult than she had thought. What should she do?
She wanted so badly to have Yashuaki-Chan climb to her tree, and he had been looking forward to it so much…
“Wait! I’ve got an idea!”
In that quotation, Totto-Chan is trying to help her friend to reach her friend purpose, she knows that she finds difficulties but she refuses to give up. She tries to solve her problem, she tries to find something that will help her. She does not give up until she gets the solution. She also helps Yashuaki-Chan to climb into her tree, she tries to pull Yashuaki-Chan’s body to the tree. It is very dangerous for Totto-Chan, she takes a risk for her life, but she does not realize it. The most important thing for her is that Yashuaki-Chan can come to her tree. It can be seeing in the quotation below,
If any grown up had seen her standing on the pork of the tree starting to pull Yashuaki-Chan who was lying on his stomach on the stepladder onto the tree, they would have let out a scream. It must have looked terribly precarious.
But Yashuaki-Chan trusted Totto-Chan completely. And Totto-Chan was risking her life for him (p.63).
The quotation above is not just proven that Totto-Chan never give up in reaching her goal but also she acts without thinking the risk. She just knows that she can reach her goal but not know the risk she has take.
Totto-Chan as a little girl also has a strong will to be a good girl or a good woman. She tries to be her mother, it happens when her school made a recreation and the children should provide their own meal for their lunch. Totto-Chan try to cook as well as her mother, she imitating what her mother done while cooking (p.137).
The significant character of Totto-Chan which is shown that she is different from other children is can be shown in this quotation:
B. The Environments of Totto-Chan and its Influences on Toto-Chan’s
Character Development
1. The Environments of Totto-Chan
In the second part of analysis, it will describe the environment where Totto-Chan lives and also the influence of the environment toward Totto-Chan psychological development. The description of the environment will be divided into two parts, the first is the family environment and the second is the school, the Tomoe School, where Totto-Chan’s study.
a. Family
Totto-Chan comes from a Japanese family, she was born from a musician father and a housewife mother. Totto-Chan is the only child of the family and she gets all her parent attention. Totto-Chan’s family seems to be a happy family and have everything they need.
In the novel itself, Totto-Chan father’s character is not describe clearly, but he is clearly characterized as a musician, he plays violin. It can be seen in the quotation below,
He was the concertmaster of an orchestra, and being a concertmaster meant he played the violin (p.68).
play music that really comes from his heart. He respects his music above all things; he has his own idealism in music. It can be seen in the quotation below,
Daddy thought for sometime before replying, “I don’t want to play that sort of thing on my violin.” (p. 176)
It happens when the war is beginning to happen, and there is not enough food in Japan, foodstuffs rapidly disappeared from the market. This happens too in Totto-Chan’s house, her mother almost cannot give Totto-Chan enough food (p.175). Totto-Chan’s father as a good violin player has been awarded a prestigious musical decoration, he is well known as a violist. He is asked to play popular wartime music on his violin in a munition factory and he will given sugar, rice and other treats that can support his family food needs. After discussing it with his wife, he refuses to play his violin at the munition factory although he does not have much work to do to support his family need. Toto-Chan’s father seems to have his own idealism and it is proved in the quotation below.
But daddy valued his music even more. Mother knew that, too, and she never urged him to do it…
He had had a hard time, but he had refused to give up the violin all the same. (p.176)
Besides as a man that has strong idealism in music, Totto-Chan’s father is also characterizing as a good swimmer and diver too. It can be seen from the part when the headmaster asks Totto-Chan to tell her story.
…how she always blew her nose because Mother scolded her if it was runny, what a good swimmer Daddy was, and how he could dive as well. (p.21)
Totto-Chan’s mother can be describes as a woman who has a lot of patience and sense of humour. She always tries to understand her daughter in her easy way. The quotation below as the evident, Mother had plenty of patience as well as a great sense of fun. She put her face close to Totto-Chan and whispered, “Why?”(p.19).
As a mother who has a lot of patience, Totto-Chan’s mother is never angry when her daughter doing something worrying or something strange,
A moment later Mother was startled to see Totto-Chan remove the train pass and hang it around Rocky’s neck instead. “Oh dear…” thought Mother, but she decided to say nothing but wait and see what happened (p.25).
From the quotation above, it can be seen although Totto-Chan always makes her mother worries, her mother still trust her. With her patience, she believes that Toto-Chan basically is a nice girl.
b. School
been expelled, she comes to Tomoe School. This school is different than other schools in Japan; this school does not built like the other school which has building as their rooms, in Tomoe the students studying in railroad cars. This class is really comfortable for the children, the seating arrangement which is free to choose also makes the children comfortable and feel free. It can be seen from the quotation below:
Totto-Chan went in and sat down at someone’s desk. The wooden chairs resembled those at the other school, but they were so much more comfortable she could sit on them all day. Totto-Chan was so happy and liked the school so much, she made a firm decision to come to school every day and never take any holidays (p.27).
The most important thing from school is how the lesson and also the teacher can make the children comfortable and also make a certain changing in their life. Tomoe School is really a school that gives all the children needs, not only education in class but also in practice, not only formal lesson such as mathematics or physics but also lesson on real life experience. In Tomoe School the one who really understand about education and about children is the headmaster, Mr. Sosaku Kobayashi, this man is a real educator, he understands the children’s world very well. He builds the Tomoe School because he really wants to create education that builds children both physically and psychologically. He does not want the children seen as a passive subject and only listen; he wants them to be active and can express their mind. It can be seen in the meaning of Tomoe word,
his aim for the children: body and mind equally developed and in perfect harmony (p.79).
2. The Influences of the Environment on Toto-Chan
a. the influences of the family
The family is the first environment that child knows, family gives big influences in a child development, good or bad treatment that the family gives to the child will also gives effects to the child. In the story of Totto-Chan, her parent gives a good attention and treatment to her. Totto-Chan’s mother really understands her daughter very well, she knows that her daughter is different from to other pupils. She really understand that her little daughter cannot get along with other people, she realizes that she should finds a place where her daughter can be given a special attention, therefore her daughter can get along with other people. After her daughter being expelled from elementary school, Totto-Chan’s mother tries to find a school that can gives her daughter opportunity to grow normally like other pupils. It can be seen in the quotation below:
Mother obviously had to do something about it. It wasn’t fair to other pupils. She’d have to find another school, a school where they would understand her little girl and teach her how to get along with other people.
Totto-Chan’s mother tries to make Totto-Chan comfortable with the situation, she does not want her daughter knows that she has been rejected by the teachers and school. She just wants her daughter comfortable and confidence in every situation.
Totto-Chan’s mother also gives good support for her daughter, besides finding the best school for Totto-Chan, she trusts the headmaster to teach her daughter and belief that her girl can grows as a good girl. It can be seen in the quotation below,
The headmaster offered her a chair and turned to Mother. “You may go home now. I want to talk to Totto-Chan.”…
“Well, then, I’ll leave her with you,” Mother said bravely, and shut the door behind her as she went out (p.20).
A mother will be worried when she leaves the children alone with other people, but Totto-Chan’s mother does not worry about it. She really trusts the headmaster, and this gives Totto-Chan’s a feeling that she will get along all right with the headmaster.
has Totto-Chan’s parents said begins to be real, one by one her baby chick dies, and this becomes her very first experience of lost and separate (p.82-84). Although Totto-Chan’s parents gives her opportunity to feel lost of something important for her, they never want to make their daughter sad, they feel difficult to tell something that will makes Chan very sad. It is happened when Totto-Chan comes back from Kamakura where she has spent her summer holiday, she looks for Rocky, her dog, but she cannot finds the dog, then she asks her mother but her mother answer that rocky has disappears just after Totto-Chan left for Kamakura. Her mother seems at a loss of words and tries to finds some words to make Totto-Chan understand that her dog has died. Then Totto-Chan knows what has happened and she can understand her mother feelings, it can be seen in the quotation below:
Then the truth dawned on Totto-Chan. Rocky must have died. “Mother doesn’t want me to be sad,” she thought, “but Rocky’s dead…
But Totto-Chan did not discuss it with Mother. She knew how Mother must feel (p182).
not to say the word to other child. Here, Totto-Chan’s mother gives her an understanding about equality and race discrimination, she does not want her daughter becomes a person who sees peoples from their differences, and it can be seen from the quotation below:
“You’re Japanese and Masao-Chan comes from a country called Korea. But he’s a child, just like you. So, Totto-Chan, dear don’t ever think of people as different. Don’t think, “That person’s a Japanese, or this person’s a Korean.” Be nice to Masao-Chan. It’s sad that some people think other people aren’t nice because they’re Koreans”(p.117).
Although it is little bit difficult for Totto-Chan to understand but she knows that she just the same as Masao-Chan, they are all children.
Besides giving understanding about equality, Totto-Chan’s mother also gives her daughter opportunity to try something new, to get new experience or to choose an activity which her daughter likes. She just accept all her daughter request without asking any question, when Totto-Chan wants to go a dance school her mother just make arrangement and take her daughter to the studio although Totto-Chan then stops her dance lesson just because she cannot dance like the swan lake dance. It is proved in the quotation below:
Mother never told Totto-Chan that she must do this or must do that, but when Totto-Chan wanted to do something, she would agree, and, without asking all sorts of questions, she would go ahead and make the arrangements (p.131).
b. The Influence of School
Her new school, Tomoe School, has a different education system. This school has unusual system in educating the children. Schools normally have schedule in the subjects, one lesson comes after the other, but in Tomoe the teacher just makes a list of all the problems and questions in the subjects to be studied, and then the teacher will ask the students to start the lessons with choosing one lesson they really like (p.29). This method of teaching enabled the teacher to observe the students in what they are interested in as well as their way of thinking and their character. From this method the teacher can observe the students progress to higher grades. For the students themselves, they able to start their favourite subject and they can cope the subjects they dislike all day, it means they can manage their time to finish all the subjects. It can be said that it is an independent study; the students are free to go and consult to the teacher whenever necessary. The teacher, off course will come to them if they want, and will give them explanation in every single problem until it is understood. The students will be given exercises to work alone, it means that there are no students just sitting inattentively while the teacher talks and explains.
where the children allowed to work on their subjects in any order they pleased and it will be awkward if the children let themselves be disturbed by what others are doing (p.124-125). Children have good concentration, therefore no body paid any attention to child singing aloud while drawing some pictures.
Totto-Chan’s new school is unusual because the building is not build like common school but using railroad car as the classroom. The seating arrangement is also unusual, at the public school each student is assigned a specific desk, but in Tomoe the students are allowed to sit anywhere they like at any time (p. 28-29). This method can make the student knowing all their friends, it can be seen in the quotation below,
Takahashi went in gaily, swinging the little body that was hidden almost hidden by his bag, and sat down in the front row. Totto-Chan hurriedly sat down next to him. She was glad you could sit anywhere you liked. She didn’t want to leave him. Thus, Takahashi became one of her friends, too (p.89).
The other advantage from the seating arrangement which is allowing the children to choose the chair in class is that they feel not too sad when someone has gone from the class. When one of Totto-Chan’s classmate, Yasuaki-Chan, passed away, the class feels really sad for a long time, but the fact that the seats which not assigned that helps them not to feel so sad (p.171).
Kuhonbutsu temple. Along the way to the temple, the teacher explains about how the flowers bloom, about pistils and stamens, she also explains about how butterflies help flowers to bloom (p.38). The children themselves are listening to the explanation and also examine in all the teacher has explained. They all are examining the flowers along the way to Kuhonbutsu temple, Totto-Chan and all of her friends sure that pistils and stamens are very important. This school walk program is not only a time to walk and play but actually a study about the nature
Little did the children realize then that these walks – a time of freedom and play for them – were in reality precious lessons in science, history, and biology (p.39).
There is a rule that the headmaster gives to all of Tomoe children which gives good influence, they should bring lunch from home which contain of ‘something from the ocean and something fro the hills.’ This phrase is adopted to describe a balance meal, it means that the food is a combines menu, something from the ocean means sea food and something from the hills means food from the land like vegetables, beef, pork and chicken. This is an easy rule for the children’s parents, they will not get confused or worried about how to make lunch for their children and the children will not reject or refuse the meals their mother has make. The headmaster points out that children’s mother should not think to hard to fulfil the two requirements, it can be seen in the quotation below:
The other influence that Tomoe-school gives to Totto-chan is that this school gives sex education although just in a small part of it and also teaches the children not to feel inferior because of their handicap body. The headmaster of the school, Mr. Kobayashi, has own view on this education. It is happens when the students in Tomoe have a time to swim in the swimming pool on the ground. Totto-Chan worries because she does not bring a swimsuit, but the headmaster says that it is not a big problem if she does not wear a swimsuit. The headmaster just says to see and follow the older children in the assembly hall. Therefore Totto-Chan follows the other and sees that the other children just take off their clothes as they will go to bath. They are all naked, so Totto-Chan takes off her clothes and run to the swimming pool (p.54).
The headmaster of the school, Mr. Kobayashi, has own thought about swimming naked. He thinks that it is not right for boys and girls to morbidly curious about the differences in their bodies, and he thinks it is unnatural for people to take such pains to hide their bodies from each other. The headmaster wants to teach the children that all bodies are beautiful although they are handicapped. The headmaster also believes that knowing about sex differences is natural for the children.
(p.58). The idea of bravery test is also important for children especially for Totto-Chan, it makes them will not feel afraid of ghosts.
The school arrangement or policy which is made by the headmaster also makes the children having good personality. The headmaster always asks parents to send their children to school in their worst clothes. He wants them to wear their worst clothes, so that it will not be a matter if the clothes get muddy and torn. The headmaster thinks that it will be a shame for children to worry about being scolded if their clothes get torn. The Tomoe children come to school in their ordinary clothes, and they have their teacher’s permission to play as they like without giving their clothes a thought (p.84). It proves that the headmaster has highest understanding in children thinking. He does not want his students get scolded because of the dirty clothes; he gives freedom to every child to play as they like. This policy is very useful for Totto-Chan who has a unique behaviour, crawling under the fences of other people’s garden which is made by barbed wire because this game makes all of her dress torn.
“That’s splendid. That will do. You got up this morning. You’ve made everyone understand that. You don’t have to be amusing or make people laugh to be a good speaker. The important thing is that you said you hadn’t anything to talk about and you did find something to say” (p.95). The headmaster also creates few games for sport day in Tomoe, only two games which are same with other school. The headmaster creates the carp race. This game is to make children organize their body by crawling in the carp streamers and also organize their mind to have good concentration so they will not loose their direction. The other games called find a mother race, this game is created to make children try to find or to call other people and to be brave. The prize which is given to the winner is also amusing, the headmaster gives the student various vegetables, the first prize is a giant radish, second is two burdock roots, and the third is a bundle of spinach. Totto-Chan thinks that all schools in Japan also give vegetables as the prizes on sport day, but actually in those days most schools give notebook, pencils and eraser for the prizes. The Tomoe children do not know about this thing, but they also feel not too happy with the vegetables. They feel embarrassed to bring the vegetables in the train on the way back home. Totto-Chan feels the same too, she gets some burdock roots and some onions. The headmaster then explains that he just want to make the children proud of themselves because they can provide food for their family by their own effort.
stands in front of her, he asks for apologize because he has pulled her pigtails. Oe says that the headmaster has scolded him, the headmaster says that Oe shall be nice to girl, to be gentle and look after them (p.120). This is a new perspective for Totto-Chan knows, it seems strange for her but she thinks that it is nice to be looked after. In that time boys are in the “first place”, in everything they should be served first. Only boys were given respect. Boys are always the important ones. Totto-Chan knows that that in a family where there are lots of children, it is always boys who are served first at meals and snack time, and when girls speak, their mother will says that little girl just should be seen and not heard.
Mr. Kobayashi, the headmaster, does not only give education in room but also give the practice. One of the practice lessons is farming, the headmaster takes the children to a farm near their school. He asks the farmer to teach the children how to plant a field. The farmer tells the children to get spades and hoes from the car and starts them on weeding. The farmer tells all about weeds, how to the weeds grow, about the insects, birds and butterflies, about the weather and all of things. The children themselves also planting the field, they always make the report how well their crops grow. In this case, the headmaster gives example of a process to be something, he wants the children to understand that something they have not comes instantly but it has a process to be done, he also wants the children know that to study is not only in room but also in everywhere. It can be seen below:
The headmaster also teaches other practice lesson, he teaches them how to cook, the process of cooking. This happens when the children are going to Thunder canyon, the headmaster tells them that they will cook out at that place. The children should bring all that needed in cooking soup and rice. This is a new experience for Totto-Chan, she observes how her mother cook, how to use knife, how to hold a pot and how to serve the rice. When the day of cooking field comes, the children are divided into groups, they also divided the job that should be done, some dugs the hole and makes stove from the bricks, some gathering the firewood in the forest, some others go off to wash the rice and others are to cut up the vegetables (p.139-140). Here, the children not only learn how to cook, the process of making something, but also learn how to cooperate in doing the task before they can get something. Children themselves are hardly watching something cooking or how to regulate the heat. They just eat what has put on the table. The joy of cooking something by themselves and seeing the various changes from the ingredients is a whole new experience for Totto-Chan and her friends.
and also they should prepare and do the household by themselves. This trip is a real life experience; it can be seen in the quotation below:
Toi spa was a real-life experience. For example, they were sent to buy vegetables and fish for dinner, and when strangers asked them what school they went to and where they were from, they had to answer politely (p.74). The Tomoe children also learn to be tolerant to other children. They try to help each other when somebody is in trouble or gets accident, it is happen when some children are nearly get lost in the woods, or the others re swim so far and they cannot get back and makes everyone worry, or other children who get accident because their feet cut by broken glass on the beach. In every case the children are become so tolerant, they try to make the best to help the other who get accident (p.74).
music. Besides learning how to write the rhythms, the children also learn how to be responsible; it is because after the music periods they shall to wipe the floor with a blackboard eraser then everyone will join to clean the floor with mops and rags, it is an enormous task for them. This is the way the Tomoe children never make graffiti on other people’s walls or street, it can be seen in the quotation below:
In this way Tomoe children learned what trouble cleaning off graffiti could be, so they never scribbled anywhere except the floor of the assembly hall. Moreover, this class took place about twice a week, so the children had their fill of scribbling (p.168).
The most important thing is that Tomoe children become real expert on chalk, which kind is best is how to hold it, how to manipulate it for the best results and how not to break it.
of nature (p.77). The children really enjoy this lesson, although it is difficult for the first time but later they can enjoy themselves on the rhythm and on the move. The purpose of eurhythmics is to train body and mind to be conscious of rhythm to achieve harmony between the spirit and the flesh, awakening the imagination and promoting creativity (p.79).
3. The Character Development of Totto-Chan as a Result of the Environment
Influences
is learnt by all of Tomoe children, especially Totto-Chan who always makes troubles before she comes to Tomoe, it can be seen in the quotation below:
Strangest of all was that Totto-Chan, who only a few months before had been upsetting her whole school by talking to street musician out of the window in the middle of class, stayed at her desk and did her lessons properly from the very day she started at Tomoe. If any of the teachers from the other school could have seen her now, sitting properly with the other in the train, they would have said, “It must be someone else!”(p.72). Totto-Chan grows to be a nice girl, she is not the girl that standing in the window and waiting for the street musician anymore. She is a good girl who can make friends with all of the older boys and girls and not only friends in her own class. She grows to like Tomoe Gakuen ever more after the Tomoe vacation (p.94).
Totto-Chan also grows to be a well behave girl, she learn to be tolerant to other people especially to people who is weaker than herself, it can be seen from the quotation below:
Totto-Chan realized that while Takahashi didn’t drag legs like Yasuaki-Chan, who had polio, he was taking the same amount of time to get to the train. She quietly waited for him (p.99).
.
The school arrangements has make Totto-Chan’s develop, she really like the school of Tomoe, she really enjoy in going to school and learn many new things, it is proved from he quotation below:
It had been an eventful year for Totto-Chan, and she had eagerly looked forward to every single morning of it. She still liked street musician, but she had learned to like many, many more things around her. The little girl who had been expelled for being a nuisance had grown into a child worthy of Tomoe (p.129).
children from other schools said cruel things, she will fight them, even tough it will end with her crying (p.141). She will do everything to care for any injured animals she finds, because the headmaster always tells the children not to tease animals, he said that it will be so cruel to betray the animals when the animals has trust the children (p.183). Totto-Chan herself also learns from her own dog, Rocky, she really loves her dog although rocky has bits her ear, she trust rocky and never wants to loose her dog, rocky is her best friend.
Totto-Chan grows as a nice little girl, she has a polite manner, and she thinks that it is easy to make friends as long as she can say “thank you”. This is happens when Totto-Chan and her parent are going to skiing to Shiga Highlands, there are so many foreigners who come to skiing. Totto-Chan father has taught her how to say an English word “Thank you”, and she practices it in every single moment. Some foreigners sometimes say something about Chan that Totto-Chan herself does not understand, but she tries bobbing her head and say “Thank you.” When a lady put her cheeks against Totto-Chan’s cheeks or a gentleman hug her, she will say “Thank you.” She thinks that it is a great fun to be able to make such friends with people just by saying, “Thank you” (p.122).
classmate, Miyo-Chan, asks her father to buy the same ribbon likes Totto-Chan’s ribbon but her father cannot find it. The headmaster then asks Totto-Chan not to wear her ribbon again because Miyo-Chan will keep pestering. Totto-Chan agrees not to wear the ribbon again, she feels rather sorry but her headmaster is in trouble. Another reason from Totto-Chan is that the thought of a grown-up man who is her beloved headmaster searching in all ribbon shop makes her sorry for him. She does not want her headmaster feels sorry too because he can not find the ribbon for her daughter. So she decides not to wear the ribbon again. This decision is also coming from the lesson which Totto-Chan gets from her school, it can be seen from the quotation below:
That was the way it was at Tomoe. Without realizing it, everyone got in the habit of understanding one another’s problems and trying to help, irrespective of age. It became the natural thing to do (p.150).
really loves his violin. Therefore it does not matter for her if she will not get good food. The quotation below proves that Totto-Chan can understand other people difficulties:
So Totto-Chan thought it quite right for him not to play something he didn’t like. Totto-Chan skipped about around Daddy and said cheerfully, “I don’t mind. Because I love your violin, too”(p.176).
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
The study finds out that the character of Totto-Chan develops as the influence of her environment, her family, her father and mother who always support her and try to give the best for her, and the school especially the studying system which gives her much knowledge through the lessons inside and outside the class.
First, the study finds out the describing of Totto-Chan’s character, she describes as hyperactive child, and she always makes trouble for herself and for her surroundings. She feels that she is different from other children. Her behaviors have made her teacher and her friends from her first school annoyed. Totto-Chan also has a unique character, she is a talkative child, she can talk everything if she is asked to talk. She has big curiosity in something strange for her, she also never gives up in doing something and brave but she has a strong will to be a good girl. All of Totto-Chan’s character description is the answer of the first problem.
Second, the study finds out that the environment, the family and school, are giving much influences for Totto-Chan development. Totto-Chan grows in a normal family, her parents can provide good things for their daughter, Totto-Chan’s parent gives all the child needs, they really understand their child very well, and they understand that their child is different from other children. Besides gives good cares for Totto-Chan, her parent is also gives her opportunity to feel a lost of something she really likes and loves. Totto-Chan’s mother gives her
