A T h e s i s
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
ANDRIANI UTAMI Student Number: 991214157
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
i A T h e s i s
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
ANDRIANI UTAMI Student Number: 991214157
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
iv
( Unknown )
I affectionately dedicate this thesis to:
My parents & my sister
My parents-in-law
My sisters & brothers-in-law
v
I honestly declare that this thesis which I wrote does not contain the works or
part of the works of other people, except those cited in the quotations and the
bibliography, as a scientific paper should.
Yogyakarta, February 5, 2007
The Writer,
vi
Utami, Andriani. 2007. The Marriage Failure of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel, as Seen in Anita Shreve’s All He Ever Wanted. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.
This thesis discusses All He Ever Wanted, a novel written by Anita Shreve. All He Ever Wanted is a story about a marriage between Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel, which ends in a failure because there is not any love from the wife and of the poor communication between both of them.
The objective of this study is to see the complexities that can ruin the relationship within the marriage of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel. Concerning the objective, there are two problems stated in this thesis. The first one is how Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel’s characters are described. The second one is the complexities of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel’s marriage that can fail their marital relationship.
In order to achieve the objective of the study, the method employed in this thesis is library research. The sources are obtained from the novel itself, criticism, and other sources related to the novel. This thesis also uses some theories to conduct the analysis. They are the theories of character and characterization, of critical approaches, and of marriage.
Based on the result of the analysis, there are two conclusions which can be drawn. First, Etna Bliss is described as a quiet woman who has little words in speaking, an introvert and secretive person who likes to hide her inner thinking, and a motherly woman who has talent to be a good mother. Nicholas Van Tassel is described as an orderly person because of his habit of doing his daily activities as continually and punctually as possible, a smart and thoughtful person who always has many brilliant ideas to achieve his goal, a sensitive person who is easily being upset in facing distressing situation, and a person who has lack of self-confidence.
The second result is that the complexities in the marriage failure of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel are caused by lacking of communication, great imbalance of love, and the secrets and untruths. It is also supported by their characteristics because both of them never share their inner feelings. As a result, there will not be a happy marriage, but a failure.
vii
Tassel, as Seen in Anita Shreve’s All He Ever Wanted. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Kependidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Skripsi ini membahas All He Ever Wanted, sebuah novel karya Anita Shreve. All He Ever Wanted merupakan cerita tentang suatu pernikahan antara Etna Bliss dan Nicholas Van Tassel, yang akhirnya kandas karena tidak adanya cinta dari sang istri dan komunikasi yang kurang baik antar keduanya.
Tujuan studi ini adalah untuk mengetahui keruwetan-keruwetan yang mengakibatkan gagalnya hubungan dalam pernikahan Etna Bliss dan Nicholas Van Tassel. Sehubungan dengan studi ini, skripsi ini membahas dua pokok permasalahan. Permasalahan yang pertama adalah bagaimana karakter Etna Bliss dan Nicholas Van Tassel digambarkan. Permasalahan yang kedua adalah keruwetan-keruwetan apa saja yang terjadi dalam konflik rumah tangga Etna Bliss dan Nicholas Van Tassel sehingga merusak pernikahan mereka.
Untuk mencapai tujuan dalam skripsi ini, metode yang digunakan adalah studi pustaka. Sumber-sumber diperoleh dari novel itu sendiri, kritik-kritik, dan sumber-sumber lain yang berhubungan dengan novel ini. Skripsi ini juga menggunakan beberapa teori untuk menuntun analisis. Teori-teori tersebut adalah teori karakter dan karakterisasi, teori tinjauan kritik, dan teori tentang pernikahan.
Berdasarkan hasil analisa, ada dua hal yang dapat disimpulkan. Pertama, Etna Bliss digambarkan sebagai seorang wanita pendiam yang sedikit bicaranya, seorang yang tertutup dan penuh rahasia yang senang menyembunyikan perasaan terdalamnya, dan seorang wanita keibuan yang mempunyai bakat untuk menjadi seorang ibu yang baik. Nicholas Van Tassel digambarkan sebagai seorang pria dengan hidup teratur dikarenakan oleh kebiasaannya untuk melakukan aktifitas sehari-harinya secara terus-menerus dan selalu tepat waktu, seorang yang cerdas dan banyak akalnya yang selalu memiliki banyak ide-ide cemerlang untuk mencapai tujuannya, seorang pria yang sensitif karena mudah tersentuh hatinya bila menghadapi situasi yang menyedihkan, dan seseorang yang kurang memiliki kepercayaan pada diri sendiri.
Kedua, keruwetan-keruwetan dalam gagalnya pernikahan antara Etna Bliss dan Nicholas Van Tassel disebabkan oleh kurangnya komunikasi, ketidakseimbangan cinta yang besar, dan adanya rahasia-rahasia dan kebohongan-kebohongan dalam rumah tangga mereka. Hal tersebut juga didukung oleh sifat-sifat mereka dimana keduanya tidak pernah berbagi rasa tentang perasaan terdalam mereka. Alhasil, bukannya suatu pernikahan membahagiakan yang diraih namun justru kegagalan.
viii
SWT. My thesis writing would not have been completed without the help and prayers from the following people:
I would like to thank my sponsor, Paulus Kuswandono, S.Pd., M.Ed., who has sincerely spent his valuable time and energy reading and correcting my thesis. Without his guidance and support, this thesis would have never been completed.
I affectionately dedicate my greatest gratitude to my beloved family: my parents, Tri Wibowo Suharto and Sri Partini (I am deeply sorry if this takes too long), and my lovely and funniest sister, Sita Dewi Yuandari, from whom I always get never ending love and affection.
My sincere gratitude goes to my parents-in-law: Soeroyo Machfudz and Siti Munafiati, for being very nice and warm to me and to my family. I also thank my dearly sisters and brothers-in-law: Mbak Reny & Mas Budi, Mbak Ririn & Mas Hanung (and their daughters, Hanim & Maryam), and Restu, for all the support and prayer.
My special thank also goes to the members of B 7-71/79: Mbak Jiyah, Mbak Triksi, Mbak Asih & Fuad, Mbak Karni, Arif, Jona, David, and Pak Toyo, for all the help and hospitality.
ix during our difficult time in PBI.
I do not forget to thank the ‘Best Eleven’: Marentong Tolele, Maman Sukiman, Rubiyo, Gabon, Sapiteng, Duki, Bu Mori, Bolo, Tami, Samson, and Mumut, for all the jokes and laughter, and also for the wonderful moment when we play together.
Last but not least, I would like to bestow my deepest gratitude to the most important person in my life, Rossy Armyn Machfudiyanto. I thank him for having done his very best efforts to encourage me to finish this thesis. Above all, I also thank him for trying to be a wonderful father to our beloved baby, Muhammad Allan Romeo Machfudiyanto.
With Love,
Andriani Utami
x
Page
PAGE OF TITLE ……….. i
PAGE OF APPROVAL …...………. ii
PAGE OF BOARD OF EXAMINERS …..……….. iii
PAGE OF DEDICATION …..………. iv
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ……..……….. v
ABSTRACT …..………... vi
ABSTRAK …..……….. vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …..……… viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ……..……… x
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
…..……… 1
A.
Background of the Study ……… 1
1.
Marriage …..………. 2
2.
The Goal of Marriage ……..………. 2
3.
The Complexities of Marriage …..……… 3
B.
Objective of the Study ……..……… 3
C.
Problem Formulation …..……….. 4
D.
Benefits of the Study ……….. 4
E.
Definition of Terms …..……… 5
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
…..……….. 7
xi
b.
Theory of Characterization ……..………... 11
2.
Theory of Critical Approaches ……..……… 14
3.
Theory of Marriage …..……….. 15
a.
Problems in Marriage ……..……… 16
b.
Communication is the Core …..………... 18
B.
Theoretical Framework ……..……… 20
C.
Criticism and Sources ………..……….. 21
1.
Criticism …………..………... 25
2.
Sources ………..……… 25
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
………..……….. 26
A.
Subject Matter ……..……….. 26
B.
Approach ……..……….. 27
C.
Procedures …..……… 28
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
……..………... 30
A.
The Characters of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel …..……… 30
1.
Etna Bliss’ Character ……..……… 30
a.
Being Quiet ……..……… 31
b.
Being Introvert and Secretive Person ……..……… 32
c.
Being Motherly …..……….. 33
2.
Nicholas Van Tassel’s Character ……..……….. 34
xii
d.
Having Lack of Self-Confidence …..………... 43
B.
The Complexities that Fail the Marriage of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van
Tassel …..……… 45
1.
Lack of Communication …..……….. 46
2.
Great Imbalance of Love …..……….. 52
3.
Secrets and Untruths …..……… 53
CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
……..………. 60
A.
Conclusions ……..……….. 60
B.
Suggestions ……..……….. 63
1.
Suggestion for the Future Researchers ………..………. 64
2.
Suggestion for English Teachers ……..………. 64
3.
The Implementation in Teaching Prose …..……… 67
BIBLIOGRAPHY
…..……… 69
APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Lesson Plan of Teaching Prose II
…..………. 71
Appendix 2 The Biography of Anita Shreve
…..……… 76
Appendix 3 The Picture of Anita Shreve
…..………. 79
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents five parts, namely the background of the study, the objective of the study, the problem formulation, the benefits of the study, and the definition of terms. The first part, the background of the study contains some reasons of choosing the topic of the study which serve as the basis of this thesis writing. The second part is the objective of the study, which explains the goal of this study. The third part is the problem formulation, which states the problems to be analyzed in this thesis. The fourth part is the benefits of the study, which state the benefits of conducting the study for the readers. The last part is the definition of terms, which clarify some important terms that are used in this study.
A. Background of the Study
This study deals with Anita Shreve’s All He Ever Wanted. The novel talks about the marriage of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel, which is full of intricacies because there is no mutual love between them. Etna Bliss apparently cannot change her feelings to love Nicholas Van Tassel, though he has done many things for her. Therefore, it gives a bad effect to the existence of the marriage itself.
The background of the study will be divided into three descriptive title. The first one is marriage, the second one is the goal of marriage, and the third one is the complexities of marriage. The explanation of each point is like the following:
1. Marriage
It is perfectly understandable that people will experience three phases in their lives. Those are the moment when they are born, getting married, and finally going back to the life’s creator or die. The three phases above cannot be denied or avoided because they have been the God’s destiny for every people’s life. As a human, we cannot choose or know where we will like to be born, to whom we are going to marry, and when our life will end. All we have to do is only to live our life as appropriately as possible and to be responsible for every thing we have said or done in order to gain a meaningful life in the world.
Here in this study I will not discuss about all the three phases but I will only focus on the second phase that is marriage, for it is an interesting subject to be analyzed and there are many aspects in it which are essential to learn. Marriage, in a literally word means ‘legal union of a man and woman as husband and wife.’ It means that every human being who has grown into maturity and engaged in a serious relationship might normally think about the decision to marry. When a couple decides to get married, there should be a goal to achieve in the future.
2. The Goal of Marriage
to survive their marital relationship and to achieve the goal. The things which are essential in building a happy and successful marriage are honesty, loyalty, openness, communication, accepting, understanding, and loving each other. However, it is not as easy as people have been imagined in a marriage because it consists of two different individuals with different traits, personality, and even preferences which can sometimes lead into difficulties and problems. When the husband and wife cannot handle the difficulties and problems or even use their ego in dealing with them, the marital relationship may probably break down. Drescher (1979: 6-7) in When Opposite Attract also states that a happy marriage is “the one that deals with its
difficulties in a sympathetic spirit in which partners search together for solutions rather than dealing with difficulties by vindication, blaming, or escape.” So, as I have explained previously, a good communication is needed in order to deal with the problems in marriage.
3. The Complexities of Marriage
A happy and successful marriage is definitely a thing that most people have been dreaming of, but what will happen in a marital relationship when it is built upon the secrets and lies, betrayal, lack of communication, and the feeling of love which is only from one side of the couple? There must be a serious problem in it and the atmosphere in that kind of marriage must be very strained and unhappy.
Therefore, by learning about the marital relationship between Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel with all its complexities, hopefully we can learn about the moral values in life especially in the life of marriage which does not always end in the romantic phrase ‘living happily ever after.’
B. Objective of the Study
The aim of this study is to see the complexities that can ruin the relationship within a marriage as seen in the marital relationship of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel, the main characters of Anita Shreve’s All He Ever Wanted.
C. Problem Formulation
Based on the previous discussion as the starting point, we can clearly see the problems that will be brought into later discussion. The problems can be formulated as follow:
1. How are the characters of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel described?
2. What are the complexities in the marriage of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel that fail their marital relationship?
D. Benefits of the Study
and marriage which can inspire the readers to know and understand deeper about marriage life.
The second one is to provide some knowledge for the readers about the complexities in a marital relationship that should be put into considerations and reasons before they decide to get married. It is also necessary to understand that marriage is not merely a state of joy, love, and ecstasy but it is more realistic and it needs an extra hard work if a couple want to survive their marriage. So, before deciding to get married, it will be wise for the readers to throw the childish thinking away that often comes in their minds about the imagination of continuous happiness in marriage life.
Eventually, this study is conducted to give benefits for other researchers who are interested in literary study, especially a novel. The benefits are for example, learning to use some theories such as the theory of character and the theory of critical approaches to analyze a literary work.
E. Definition of Terms
In order to avoid misunderstanding and to explain the terms used in the body of this thesis, I will clarify the meaning of significant and important terms here in this last part of chapter one. The terms presented here are:
1. Character
The second meaning of character refers to the individuals who appear in the story (Stanton, 1965: 17).
2. Complexities
In this study, the term ‘complexities’ refers to a negative meaning or intricacies. The term complexities is used because there are some points in the marriage of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel which cause complex problems. Because both Etna and Nicholas are not willing to solve them, finally they choose to divorce.
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter consists of three significant parts. The first part is theoretical review, the second part is theoretical framework and the third part is criticism and sources. In the first part, I will discuss some theories which support my analysis. In the second part, I will explain the reasons I use some theories in this study. In the last part, I will discuss criticism toward Anita Shreve’s All He Ever Wanted and the sources that I use in my study.
A. Theoretical Review
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
In order to achieve the first aim of the study, I use the theory of character and characterization. Those theories help me to analyze Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel’s characters.
Here is the explanation of those theories: a. Theory of Character
characteristic of the character, an author might adopt it from the real people and put it into simple description of a character.
In this study, I am going to analyze Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel as the main character of Anita Shreve’s All He Ever Wanted because these characters have their own uniqueness in the characteristics which attract me to study deeper and to give clearer description.
Abrams (1981: 20) defines the term characters as imaginative persons who inhabit a story and show a distinctive type of person. He also says that the characters in a story are the persons who are endowed with moral and disposition qualities as what is being expressed in what they say and what they do. As a representation of human being in dramatic or narrative work, the characters also have temperament, desires, and moral nature for their speech and action which refer to motivation. Through motivation, a character may remain unchanged or may undergo a radical change, either through the gradual process of motivation and development or as a result of crisis happening in his or her life. Thus, whether a character changes or remains stable, the consistency is needed from the readers. It means that a character should not break off and act in a way plausibly grounded in his or her temperament as the readers have been already awake of it.
its existence is regarded as less important, and it might appear only when the main character needs it either directly or indirectly.
Altenbernd and Lewis quoted in Nurgiyantoro (1995: 179) explain that if a character is seen from its function in the development of plot, it can be differentiated into main and minor character. Meanwhile, if it is seen from its function in the character’s
appearance, it can be divided into protagonist and antagonist character. A protagonist is a character which is admired by the readers, whose performance is suited with our point of view and expectation. As a character which is often given either sympathy or empathy from the readers, it is also regarded as a manifestation of ideal norms and values in life. In brief, what a character feels, thinks, and does can be a reflection of our experience. Hence, such identification toward a protagonist forms an empathy which is given by the readers.
However, it is not easy to determine a character into protagonist or antagonist because there are various different opinions on it. A character which portrays our expectations or ideal norms may be regarded as protagonist, but somehow there is a character which does not reflect our moral values is precisely given sympathy and empathy by the readers. Luxemburg, Bal, and Weststeijn as quoted in Nurgiyantoro (1995: 180) say that if there are two opponent characters, then a character which is given more chance to reveal his vision is the one who might probably get the sympathy and empathy from the readers. For instance, a character of a villain may be given sympathy by the readers if the story is written from the villain’s point of view so that he gets any chances to convey his opinion though in fact he is disliked by the society including the readers themselves.
The next category is round character. Different from the flat character, a round character is a character whose characteristic and self identity can be revealed, and which has certain characteristic that can be formulated. But it can also perform various characteristic and attitude such as complex temperament and motivation which is even difficult to be guessed. Therefore, it is not easy to describe its characteristic because similar with human being, a round character has unpredictable behavior and often gives a surprising effect to the readers (1974: 48-53).
b. Theory of Characterization
According to Murphy (1972: 161-173), there are nine ways of how the author may reveal the character’s personalities and traits to the readers. Those are personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation of others, reactions, direct comment, thoughts, and mannerism. Here is the explanation of each method:
The first method is personal description. This method is related with physical appearance for which the author gives knowledge to the readers in understanding the character in a story through his or her facial expression and what clothes he or she wears. This personal description is normally used because of the importance of giving clues to the readers to capture the character. The example of this method can be seen in the novel (p. 4).
indicates that she is a calm woman, “Etna accepted this news with remarkable equanimity, unlike so many of her sex who might have felt it necessary to exclaim at the announcement of ill fortune” (p.21).
The third method is speech. We can understand about a person’s characteristic in the novel through his or her way of talking to other people and the way he or she conveys the opinion toward something. The example of the way Nicholas gives his comment to the statement of Etna’s sister, Miriam Keep, about Thrupp is available in the novel (p. 80).
The fourth method is past life. One of the methods to understand a person’s character in the novel is by knowing his or her past life because one person’s past life can shape what character does. The readers can find out the character’s past life by the author’s direct explanation, the character’s thoughts and conversation with others, and also by the minor character’s opinion toward the character’s past life. For instance: “Perhaps because I was so engaged in the world of ink and broadsides, I developed an early and passionate appetite for learning and was sent off to Dartmouth College at the age of sixteen” (p. 10).
The fifth method is conversation of others. A person’s character in the literary work can be known by paying attention to the conversation of other characters about him or her. An illustration can be gotten from Nicholas and his sister, Meritable’s conversation about Etna:
“I like her very much,” Meritable said when we had reached the Bliss house and found ourselves alone in a hallway. […] Meritable put her hand on my arm. “She does not dissemble, which I admire,” my half sister said. “Though silence in a woman can sometimes be a trial.”
It can be summed up from the conversation above that Etna is a quiet woman.
The sixth method is reactions. It is the way to understand a person’s character by seeing at his or her reaction if confronted with various situations and events in his or her life. It can be seen from the novel (p. 200) that Nicholas is very angry after knowing that she is lied by his wife. He destroys some stuffs in Etna’s cottage in order to release his anger.
The seventh method is direct comment. It involves the description or comment from the author toward a person’s character in the novel. This method gives direct explanation of the character briefly and clearly.
The next method is thoughts. One way to understand a person’s character is by knowing what a character is thinking about in his or her mind. Here, the author guides us to know that people might sometimes have different thinking toward something which determines his or her nature. For example: “I have always been a man who, when glancing at a woman, looks first at the face, and then at the waist (those shallow curves that so signal youth and vitality), and then thirdly at the hair, assessing in an instant its gloss and length” (p. 4).
The last method is mannerism. The author wants to help the readers in knowing a person’s character by describing one’s manner, habit, and idiosyncrasies, meaning that one’s character can be understood through the way he or she behaves and talks when he
2. Theory of Critical Approaches
Reading a novel can be used as a guidance to view what we think about life, human beings and their development. When we read a novel, we cannot ignore the importance of understanding the elements of the novel such as characters, plot, dialogue, setting, theme, point of view, tone, language style, and symbolism, which can be a guidance to explore the real theme of the story.
Rohrberger and Woods (1971: 6-15) state that there are five critical approaches which can be implemented in analyzing a work of literature. Those are formalistic approach, biographical approach, sociocultural-historical approach, mythopoeic approach, and psychological approach. However, here I will only explain about the psychological approach because it is the approach that will be used to support the analysis. And this study will apply this approach to interpret the psychological aspects of the main character in the novel.
3. Theory of Marriage
According to Drescher (1979: 6), marriage is the most special relationship in life because it is capable of making the persons into better or bitter ones. It means that a condition of the relationship in one married couple is different from one another especially in facing any conflict within their marriage. In some marital relationship, there are couples who pay more attention in their partner’s good traits, disposition, and character. Thus, they prefer to see the strength in their partner in order to complete each other. However, there are also partners who do the opposites. They cannot see the good but rather call forth the worst in each other. And if this happens, the situation in a marriage will be strain and unhappy. This unexpected condition happens not because one marriage has more problems or more adjustments or more difficulties than another but it depends entirely on the couples themselves. It includes how they see and handle all the problems and difficulties in a proper way. Moreover, it would be better if they admit the problems, adjustments, and differences as something which can add dimension in a marriage.
speaks of a direction, a desire, and a dedication to change. It is also a movement away from preoccupation with oneself and the satisfaction of one’s own desire to a concern for others.
a. Problems in Marriage
Drescher (1979: 43-45) explains that one’s marriage must face problems in the way of his or her marriage, or he would rather to call it “a dip.” Since every marriage hits a dip, it is better to recognize and deal with it than to deny it and run away. It is the marriage which recognizes the dip and works through it that will be the strongest in the end. Such a marriage can also work through the little ups and downs which marriages always have. There are some indications that marriage has hit the dip, they are:
1. One of the first is that communication is difficult and sometimes it stops entirely. Some couples even do not speak for days and other couples continue to talk but only about those things concerning which communication must continue for the mere survival of the partnership. In the dip, communication becomes difficult. 2. Another indication of the dip can be noted when the feeling of love for one’s spouse comes and goes, meaning that some days he or she feels like he or she loves and other days he or she may feel that they never loved.
doing their own chores or reading papers and magazines. And marriage becomes a very lonely affair.
4. In the dip, sexual problems become real. The husband might complain that the wife is cold, whereas the wife complains she feels no love. No knowledgeable person denys the importance of sex in the marital relationship. However, the point is that loving marriage make sex satisfying and meaningful. It is true, of course, that persons can get through the sex act without love. But the richness which blends both spirit and body and
which binds two people in greater oneness can be realized only as the result of a deep feeling of trust, respect, admiration, and freedom. Sex problems are usually symptoms of trouble elsewhere in the marital relationship.
5. The dip is a period of grave doubts. In this period, the marriage partners begin to wonder if they could not make a better choice if they have the opportunity to start over. They look about and see others who seem to be happy and they wish they had married someone else. They may meet another woman or man at work or socially who is experiencing the same estrangement and begin to share their loneliness and find themselves drawn to the new person.
b. Communication is the Core
It is essential to know that to build an ideal marriage needs a lot of hard works. The most important thing to gain successful marriage is good communication between husband and wife. As Drescher (1979: 67) says, “Nothing will substitue for conversation. For love to continue or to grow we must be willing to share ourselves.” Therefore, it would be better if the spouses share deeply about their feelings, thoughts, and desires, and discuss openly with acceptance and appreciation all that concerns each other.
Still according to Drescher (1979: 71-72), poor communication in marriage means frustration, fear, unhappiness, resentment, rebellion, disillusionment, and leads to
the divorce courts. It is true that the level at which we communicate is the level at which
we live. And when there is family breakdown, it must invariably begin with some form of failure in communication. Since every married couples cannot meet each other’s needs unless they understand each other, so it would be better if they constantly strive to share their feelings, thoughts, and desires.
car tomorrow, you’d better stop for gas” or “If we are to make that noon appointment, you’d better have the children ready by eleven.” Here, they reveal nothing about themselves including how they feel or what they are thinking inside. They share only what they need to share to get along. The information they share consists of facts or instructions which must be shared if the family is to continue to exist.
Another level of “what” communication can be called the informational. Here, the communication only focuses on the information that has been heard, read, or seen by the couples. They never share about their deep inner feelings. As a result, the couples know very little about each other’s fears, feelings, desires, aspirations, and expectations.
To come to the “who” level of communication is to arrive at the place where husband and wife begin to share with their spouses those deep inner feelings of fear, frustration, hate, hurt, anger, love, joy, ugliness, and pride. At this level of communication they have begun to give each other the greatest and the best gift or real selves. They have begun to understand not only what they do but why they do the things they do. Marriage has the greatest potential for growth of any relationship in life, if the spouses learn to communicate at this “who” level of inner feelings, and sharing
B. Theoretical Framework
The theories and approach which I have explained above are used to help the analysis of this study. In this part, I would like to explain the reason why the theories are needed and how I use those theories in the analysis of this study.
The first analysis aims to describe the characters of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel. Thus, I use the theory of character by Forster, and of characterization by Murphy. The theory of character is used to find out whether Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel are flat or round characters. Meanwhile, the theory of characterization is used to analyze the description of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel’s characters. According to Murphy, there are nine ways to understand the characteristic of the character. However, from the nine ways I only use four ways to find the character description of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel. Those are character as seen by another, speech, reactions, and mannerism.
marriage will likely be strained and unhappy, just like the marriage of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel.
C. Criticism and Sources 1. Criticism
It is important to know criticism on literary work, since criticism can give us a better understanding of the works. Moreover, Moore (1955: 317) explains that criticism is judicious evaluation that has reasoned judgment, either favorable or unfavorable, of something read, seen, or heard, such as books, plays, movies, speeches, and music.
Discussing Anita Shreve’s novels cannot be separated from many criticism related to her work. The criticisms are both friendly and unfriendly and also tell about the strength and weakness of her works. They are very important in order to give further information about her works that are used as additional reference in analyzing her novel.
Unfortunately, books that contain criticism on Anita Shreve’s literary work are hard to find, but there are criticisms relating to her and her literary works in the internet. Therefore, this study uses internet as the main source of the criticism toward Anita Shreve’s All He Ever Wanted. The following is criticism concerning Anita Shreve’s All He Ever Wanted.
the main characters were left too much to the readers’ imagination. He also suggests that the author would do well to write the hidden story in another book, all about Etna’s life before and after. Meanwhile, a reader from Herts, United Kingdom explains that there is a change of tone in Shreve’s style of writing that shows her as a more mature writer. Though the novel is quieter because it is one-dimensional but he is not disappointed, “The moment I finished this novel I knew it was one I will read again at some stage, to savor slowly. This is a beautiful novel and will mark Shreve’s transition to a new stage in her writing”
(http://www.amazon.co.uk. Accessed on October 5, 2005).
Roberta O’Hara in http://www.bookreporter.com (accessed on October 5, 2005) praises Shreve at her big talent of portraying the events and the stuffs in the story in detail so that the readers can easily recognize the appearance of the characters, the situation of the events, and even the furniture available in the building told in the novel, “Shreve is one of those rare great authors who is equally at ease writing about any period. One sees the clothes, the furniture, and the architecture in lively, captivating detail.” Since the setting of the novel is set up in the last 19th and early 20th century, O’Hara also says that Shreve is a master of time because she is able to take the readers to another time period with evocative language, and in a rich and complex story.
I listened to this book on tape quite a few months ago, but I was totally enthralled with it. The story was so fascinating and sad all at the same time. Shreve has a storytelling gift and this one is no exception (http://www.amazon.co.uk. Accessed on October 5, 2005).
According to Ron Charles in http://www.powells.com (accessed on October 6, 2005), Anita Shreve takes some real risks in All He Ever Wanted because she does not only focus on the villain, but also speaks through him. She also forces a long-suffering woman as the center of several of her most successful novels to remain obscured and distant. What Charles means with a long-suffering woman here is Etna Bliss. He also states that in this novel, Shreve proves to be an excellent writer with her wide knowledge in writing, “It’s another indication of the breadth of her talent, and another reason to keep her from being trapped in the kitchen.”
In All He Ever Wanted, Shreve also provides many aspects of life, especially about human relationships. The Library Journal states that:
Shreve’s prose is as compelling as the story itself, and her characters are all too human in their weaknesses. The author asks whether we can really possess another person and reminds us of our tendency to cling to the past. Readers who loved Shreve’s portrayal of human relationships and her building of tension, particularly in The Pilot’s Wife, will find it again here (http://www.powells.com. Accessed on October 3, 2005).
Shreve’s novel which are fascinating, All He Ever Wanted is boring because the plot is slow. Here is her statement:
Anita Shreve is one of my favorite authors. I have most of her books, and with the exception of All He Ever Wanted, the books are fantastic. This book was a real letdown. The plot is slow and fails to catch the reader. The main character is boring and one-dimensional, and the book is so unlike Shreve’s other works, it’s hard to believe she wrote it! (http://www.amazon.uk. Accessed on October 5, 2005).
Another critic also comes from The Publishers Weekly which state that All He Ever Wanted is not as successful as her other novels. It is perhaps because the
narrative is from the first person point of view, so that the other main character does not get any sufficient chance to reveal who she is and what she thinks or feels.
In bestsellers such as Fortune’s Rocks, Shreve has revealed an impeccably sharp eye and a generous emotional sensitivity in describing the moment when a man and a woman become infatuated with each. She is less successful this time out, perhaps because the epiphany is one-sided
(http://www.amazon.com. Accessed on October 5, 2005).
The similar thing is also admitted by Amy Coffin in
http://www.thebookhaven.homestead.com (accessed on October 6, 2005) who says that Shreve is really a gifted author whose captivating storytelling is revealed in the subtleties
of her character. However, this novel does not have the strong-willed heroine like in the Fortune’s Rocks or a surprising effect like the one dropped in The Last Time They Met. Moreover, the plot of the story is rather slow, so she suggests that the impatient
readers must struggle with the pace and read slowly and carefully in order to enhance an enjoyment of reading the novel.
them find enjoyment of reading the novel but the others think otherwise. Regardless of being interested or uninterested, most people are surprised with the change of Shreve’s style in writing the novel. In this novel, Anita Shreve wants to show the variety of the story of her novels including the way she chooses to write it from the point of view of the man who is deeply in love with a woman and become obsessed with her, and would have done anything to get her heart.
2. Sources
In analyzing the novel, I use primary and secondary sources. The primary source of my study is Anita Shreve’s All He Ever Wanted itself, whereas the secondary sources of my study are the supported books such as Reading and Writing about Literature by Rohrberger and Woods, Understanding Unseen by Murphy,
When Opposites Attract by Drescher and many more. Besides using books, I also use
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
This chapter consists of three parts. They are subject matter, approach, and procedures. The first part, subject matter, concerns with the focus of my study. The second part is the approach which provides an explanation about the approach I use in analyzing the novel. And the last part is procedures which contain the steps I take in doing my study.
A. Subject Matter
The subject of my study is a novel by Anita Shreve, entitled All He Ever Wanted. The novel was first published in 2003 by Little, Brown in London and it
contains 280 pages.
All He Ever Wanted is a story about an English literary professor at a small
Starting from it, the complexities in their marriage begin to happen. Lies by lies occur, secrets by secrets are revealed and in the end divorce becomes the final decision of their wedding. Getting married without the feeling of love is apparently gives a bad effect to the existence of the marriage itself because it is done without all one’s heart. As a result, there will not be a happy and successful marriage but a failure.
B. Approach
In this thesis, I try to see the novel from its psychological sides. According to my opinion, the novel arouses two problems that required a deep explanation. The first problem is the explanation about the characters of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel, as the main characters in All He Ever Wanted. The second problem is to find out the complexities that ruin their marital relationship.
Therefore, I choose to apply the psychological approach in analyzing the problems because this approach explains about human motivation, personality, and behavior patterns (Rohrberger and Woods, 1971: 15). In other words, the character’s thoughts and behaviors can be traced more deeply. Psychological approach explores the character in the story, so this approach helps us to understand the character’s personality deeper. Someone’s personality is including his social relationship towards other people around him. In using this approach, the character to be focused must be analyzed from the psychological point of view. The character’s behavior, thinking, appearance must also be noticed.
way of thinking, preferences, motivations, behavior patterns, etc. The differences, however, can cause prolems in marriage. The length of the problems depends on the couples themselves, whether they are willing to solve it or not through deeper communication. The problems which are not handled will give negative effects to the marriage, such as the emergence of psychic illness as a result of repressing one’s inner feeling. Therefore, by using this approach, hopefully I can understand the character’s behavior and how their characteristics might give contributions to the problems of their marriage which finally ends in failure.
C. Procedures
In order to complete my study well, I conducted the analysis in some steps. The steps that I applied are explained below:
Firstly, I had to decide a novel that was going to be analyzed in this study. The novel was very important remembering that it would be used as a primary source of my study. After some time I finally chose All He Ever Wanted by Anita Shreve.
Secondly, I read the novel several times in order to get the idea that the author wanted to convey through her work. While reading the novel, I also underlined some sentences which were important to use in my study with the hope that I could understand the content of the novel better.
Thirdly, after reading the novel many times and rewriting all the ideas came up in my mind, I began to choose the most interesting one as my theme of this thesis. Finally, I got one topic which was the best topic to be discussed.
to the theory of character, characterization, critical approaches, and marriage. Besides, I also used the internet to get any useful information such as the biography of the author, some critics and comments from the readers of the novel, and so on.
The next procedure was that I answered the questions stated in the problem formulation by analyzing the characters of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel and some problems in their marital relationship which aroused complexities and in the end ruined their marriage.
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
In this chapter, I would like to discuss the answers to the problems stated in the problem formulation. There are two answers going to be discussed. The first discussion is about the characteristics description of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel; and the second one is the complexities that fail their marital relationship.
A. The Characters of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel
The first discussion is aimed to find the character of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel as the main characters in Anita Shreve’s All He Ever Wanted. To answer the first problem, I use the theory of characterization by Murphy in Understanding Unseen which involves personal description, character as seen by another, speech,
past life, conversation of others, reactions, direct comment, thoughts, and mannerism. However, from the nine of his theory, here in this study I only use four of them to find out the character description of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel. Those are character as seen by another, speech, reactions, and mannerism. By understanding the character of Etna Bliss and Nicholas Van Tassel, hopefully, the readers would be able to comprehend the complexities in their marriage which might also be influenced by their characteristics.
1. Etna Bliss’ Character
46-48), a flat character is a character that does not have any changes or always being static. But there are two advantages of the flat character itself; the first one is that it is easy to be recognized and the second one is because there are not any changes from the beginning until the end of the story, the character is more familiar to the readers.
Here is the description of Etna Bliss’ character: a. Being Quiet
In the novel, Etna is described as a person who is mostly being quiet and who also finds difficulties in expressing her inner feeling. This quality of characteristic is known by Nicholas when he first sees her in the hotel fire. In the incident, Nicholas sees her body is unmoving though there are many hysterical people there who seek for help or being shock with the incident, “But there was about her a quality of stillness that was undeniably arresting” (p. 4). She does the same way on one occasion when Nicholas comes to see her at his uncle house. The difference is, this time her body is moving because she has to open the door for him but still her reaction is not as warm as what Nicholas has been expected because she is quiet when opening the door and her face shows no expression, “Though she must have moved, to open the door and so forth, there was again such a quality of stillness that one felt recklessly drawn to her …” (p.17).
Etna recoiled slightly – stunned, I think, by the ferocity of my statement. She sat in an attitude of stillness, as I had so often seen her do in moments of fear or confusion. This was the closest we had ever come to discussing the events of our wedding night, and I was now horrified that I had lost control of my tongue (p. 134).
Etna’s habit of being quiet when facing difficult situation gives an impression that she is a calm woman, though her stillness can make other people difficult to know about what she really feels or thinks in her heart.
b. Being Introvert and Secretive Person
According to Nicholas, Etna is a kind of person with mysterious characteristic because she often smiles without any facial expression as if she is thinking of something. And it gives an impression that she hides her inner thinking.
Etna Bliss had a habit, I would later discover, of smiling slightly even though her eyes were expressionless, thus giving the impression of inward thinking while not appearing to be impolite (p. 22).
Another proof that she is an introvert is when she has conversation with Nicholas during their courtship. From the conversation, Nicholas finds out that Etna prefers to talk about common things than to talk about her personal matter.
If we spoke of books or of ideas, Etna was animated, as though she had not had benefit of conversation in some time. But if I tried to speak to her of personal matters, or if I inadvertently touched her, she withdrew so quickly it was as though a cloud had covered the sun, …(p.40).
Besides being introvert, she is also described as a secretive person. She does not only hide her secret cottage, a heritage painting, or her acquaintance with Phillip Asher, but also her previous engagement with another man. Moreover, there is not anyone from her relatives who tells Nicholas about it as well.
have seen, Etna was not like most women. Etna was a woman with secrets (p. 228).
It seems that Etna likes to keep secret about her past life, a secret which seems to be very important to her that she does not even share it with her husband. And she must have a reason of doing so which is only known by herself. In the end, when all her secrets are revealed by her husband, he becomes hurt because he is laid by her beloved wife whom he thinks to be loyal.
c. Being Motherly
When Etna stays with her uncle before she marries to Nicholas, she has shown a talent of being a good mother. It is proven by her close relationship with her young cousin, Aurelia. Etna’s affection to her cousin seems to be sincere and she enjoys spending the time playing with her. That quality makes Nicholas think that she can be an excellent mother. And after they get married, Etna proves to be a good mother to her two children, Clara and Nicodemus. Unlike other woman, she really likes to teach and to play with them.
Etna was a superb teacher and had an aptitude for play that not all mothers are able to summon (certainly neither of mine ever did). Thus I might find her in the nursery sitting on the floor, her skirts beneath her, manipulating with considerable skill a pair of puppets to Nicky’s delight (p. 109).
Besides enjoy playing with her children, Etna also pays a great attention to the children’s future skill. She teaches them to play tennis and croquet in order to provide them skill in sport, “Etna was insistent that both Nicky and Clara learn to play tennis and croquet…” (p. 109). In doing so, she always tries to be disciplined and encouraging teacher for her children.
2. Nicholas Van Tassel’s Character
In All He Ever Wanted, the character of Nicholas Van Tassel becomes the main character and plays the most important part because the narrative comes from his point of view. His appearance certainly starts from the beginning until the end of the story and has domination in every page of the novel. Since he has complex temperament and motivation, he is also categorized into a round character or a character which is dynamic (Forster, 1974: 48-53).Because the story is one-dimensional or it is written with the first person point of view (Anita Shreve, 2003), so Nicholas Van Tassel’s character gets more chances to convey his opinion and to gain both sympathy and empathy from the readers. In other words, the first person narrative forces us to have some sympathy with the narrator, although it soon becomes apparent that he is not very likeable. Luxemburg, Bal, and Weststeijn as quoted by Nurgiyantoro (1995: 180), say that if there are two opponent characters, then a character which is given more chance to reveal his vision is the one who might get sympathy and empathy from the readers, even if the character is described as a bad one or is disliked by the society including the readers themselves.
a. Being an Orderly Person
The first characteristic that becomes the first impression of Nicholas is that he is an organized person. His orderly mannerism is shown as he always does his daily activities as continually and punctually as possible.
…I fit my daily habits to suit my austere surroundings, rising early, taking exercise, arriving promptly to class, disciplining when necessary with a firm hand and requiring much of my students in the way of intellectual progress (p. 12).
Nicholas himself is aware that he is a kind of person with well-organized behavior, for he always manages to plan everything carefully before doing something so that he will get the perfect result. But one time, he has to disobey his self-concept when he suddenly sees Etna Bliss through the college window particularly while he is teaching. He then decides to finish the class and comes to meet her. Unfortunately, the woman whom he wants to meet is no longer appeared so that in a brief moment he decides to go to the house of William Bliss, one of his colleagues and also the uncle of Etna Bliss. The immediate visit has made him feel inconvenient because it does not suit with his organized and orderly habit which is believed that anything should first be planned before it is being done, “Such a spontaneous decision as I had made to visit this house was quite out of keeping with my habits, and I felt, as a result, uncomfortably rattled and incautious” (p. 17).
Moreover, the Dean of the Faculty, Noah Fitch, also admits that Nicholas is a very discipline teacher. It happens someday when Mr. Fitch has an occasion to speak with him at his office. He said, “You are, after all, a man of extraordinary discipline.” Nicholas agrees with his statement and he apparently feels proud of it, for he replied, “I am, sir” (p. 60).
The orderly habit cannot seem to be separated from Nicholas’ lifestyle. It is shown when he finds Etna’s letters – as a result of having a correspondence with her former acquaintance, Phillip Asher – many years after their marriage. In doing so, he arrange the letters properly in their orders so that he can read them more clearly.
I sat hard on the ladder-back chair. After a time, I laid the letters upon the table and put them in order. (Of course, Nicholas Van Tassel must read any series of letters in their proper order.) I read them through once, and then once again. I set them in a neat stack (p. 274).
Nicholas’s qualities of being an orderly and well-organized person are supported by his profession as a teacher in a college town which needs discipline in order to appreciate the time and to be regarded as a good teacher.
b. Being Smart and Thoughtful
his knowledge. In his 22 years old, he has got an offer to be a teacher in a college and he accepts it (p. 10). The previous explanation has given a proof that he is a smart and educated person who knows what he must do and who can determine the most appropriate thing for himself.
As an educated man, Nicholas is also described as a smart and thoughtful person who always thinks before doing an action. When he decides to do something, Nicholas always has the reason of doing so and he also considers about the future impact which might give benefit for him. Like for example, when he chooses to accept the post of Associate Professor of English Literature and Rhetoric in a college which is located in Thrupp, a small town in New Hampshire, New England. The reason of his decision is that in his opinion, the smaller and less well-known institution will give him a bigger chance to rise more quickly and perhaps one day he will secure for himself the post of a Senior Professor or even of Dean of the Faculty, the position that might not be offered to him in another college town (p. 10-11). The similar thing also happens when he determines about the place to live in. Though actually he can afford to buy a house in the village of Thrupp, but Nicholas would prefer to take rooms in a boarding house near the college for the reason that living nearer to the students will allow him to come to know them intimately and that will, in turn, make him a better teacher (p. 11).
of living there. Nicholas, who has devoted himself to the town, disagrees with Miriam’s statement. He replies her opinion with his smart one which makes her amazed.
“I am sure the college is quite wonderful, but Thrupp is a dreary little town,” she said.
“I think a town may be dreary or not depending upon its inhabitants, Mrs. Keep,” I said. Miriam Keep bristled, and I hastened to amend my reply (p. 80).
In addition to these characteristics, Nicholas also has good ability in arranging strategies in order to reach his goal, for he is a kind of person who does not easily give up before achieving what he wants. When he first sees Etna Bliss, he is straightly amazed with her and has an intention to know her deeper. After being successful in acquainting with her, he wants to approach her with the hope that he can make her his lover. In order to realize his desire, Nicholas tries to arrange some strategies which are believed to be effective and beneficial. One of the strategies is by asking her to go out with him and spending their time in a coffee shop. From the conversation they have in the coffee shop, Nicholas finds out that Etna likes reading any kind of books from any sort of sources, for she explains:
“I’m promiscuous in my reading, Professor Van Tassel,” she said (and how quickly she seemed to have forgotten her promise to call me by my Christian name). “I read whatever I can obtain, by any means available to me – lending libraries, secondhand-book shops, books borrowed from relatives …”(p. 40). His brilliant idea comes up after hearing this information, so that he plans to approach her by lending her some interesting books and hopefully she will understand his attention.
Though she gave little away, it was difficult not to take her acquiescence as something more than acquiescence. In other words, I had hope (p.41).
This strategy seems to reach its success, because Etna really likes the book and reads it enthusiastically, “She read voraciously and, I must say, rather attentively” (p. 42).
In order to please Etna, Nicholas does certain things which have smartly been thought though they sometimes appear to be ridiculous. Knowing that Etna often has a strained feeling of living in her uncle’s house, Nicholas tries to make her relax by inviting her to take a trip by riding a carriage through the countryside. Luckily, she enjoys the trips and seems very happy to do so, “…when I had arranged for a long sleigh ride through the nearby countryside that so delighted Etna that she lost her reserve altogether” (p. 42). When Etna becomes ill with fever because of going out with Nicholas when the weather is very bad outside, he feels very guilty for it so that he wants to comfort her by visiting and bringing her some special gifts like cakes, flowers, and of course some books to read.
On my visits, I brought sweets from the baker and hothouse flowers and, on one occasion, a rare orchid from the college green house that the Biology Professor, Everett Tucker, had given me. And, of course, I brought books for Etna to read (p. 50).
This pleasure of giving some gifts for Etna apparently develops into habit and it becomes his next strategy to get her heart. The gifts that Nicholas gives to Etna during their courtship are very special because he gives her some jewelries to show how his feeling toward her is. Once again, Etna accepts all of the gifts and that makes him ask himself whether Etna accepts him or not, but he keeps expecting that she does.
and even now I cannot forget the pleasure of fastening the clasp at the back of her neck. Was I wrong to imagine that if I offered these gifts (a jet brooch, a tourmaline comb), and she accepted them, she was accepting me and my attentions … (pp. 50-51).
Nicholas becomes more confident every time Etna receives his gifts. Thus, his confidence makes him think a proper occasion on which to ask her to marry him.
c. Being Sensitive
This also becomes Nicholas’ strong characteristic since he is both easily to be distressed and quite attentive in other person’s feeling, in this case is especially Etna’s feeling. When he knows that Etna has left Thrupp to be back to the town where she comes from in Exeter without telling him, he feels very depressed. Moreover, he has just proposed her several days previously and has been waiting for her answer. It is precisely her uncle, William Bliss, who tells him about the bad news. Nicholas is very upset of hearing the news that he refuses Mr. Bliss’s offer to have a drink in the college dining hall in order to make him calm. He is so disappointed that he does not want to meet other people and to talk to them. All that he needs is to be alone.
But I could not reenter that dining hall, nor converse further with any person, […]. I made it to my rooms without encountering anyone with whom I should have felt compelled to converse. I staggered up the stairs, wanting only privacy (p. 67).
manner that might have made another cringe to behold” (p. 69). The fact that Etna leaves him without firstly giving any information has affected his daily activities in the days that follow. He losses his appetite, is unable to stand in the right position, and the worse is that he has a difficulty in concentrating whereas he has a task to speak at a meeting of college faculty and administration.
I was barely able to stand and was completely unable to take food of any kind, since I was still in shock over the distressing news of Etna’s sudden departure. Worse, I could not gather my thoughts properly (p. 70).
The meeting itself is to determine whether or not it is necessary to institute a department of physical culture. Nicholas becomes the speaker who represents those who do not agree with the proposal and his opponent is a teacher who teaches Anatomy and Physiology at Thrupp, Arthur Hallock. Unfortunately, he has to collapse during the time he delivers the speech perhaps because of the distressing news that affects his state of health. His sensitivity is shown when his rival, Mr. Hallock, tries to help him awake from his collapse. Nicholas refuses his help because he thinks it is like a remark ofaccepting any help from a rival though he actually needs it,“I shook him off,humiliated by his attentions. ‘Go away,’ I think I actually said as I fainted to the floor” (p. 74).
with him. After having a journey for one day, he is finally able to meet Etna and once again he proposes her to be his wife. How awful it is to find the truth that she cannot love him in the way a wife must love a husband. Nicholas does not have any strength to restrain from crying because his delicate feeling cannot easily accept it, “I stood immobile for some moments while she watched me. And then, to my utter shame and horror, tears came unbidden to my eyes. I blinked furiously to send them back” (p. 84). However, for any certain reason Etna eventually accepts his proposal and agrees to marry him.
In relation to his sensitivity, Nicholas also has a high temperament in his characteristic. This often happens when he faces anything that does not run appropriately with his desire. When Nicholas and Etna have their wedding trip to an inn in the White Mountains, the place which is located in the north east of Thrupp, New England, he gets very angry with the inn keeper because he forgets to prepare for the room that has been reserved previously for their honeymoon. Moreover, he feels insulted because the man whose job is to open the door for the guests has treated them like poor people who seek for shelter by saying unwelcome greeting and giving bad services.
Nevertheless, said the young fellow who finally answered the door, a room could be made up. He would not turn us away, he said, his phrasing having the unfortunate effect of making us feel like unwanted refugees. I was more annoyed than I wished to be; I could barely restrain myself from upbraiding the man (p. 99).
Etna was embarrassed, I think, and tried to soothe my ruffled temper. “It doesn’t matter,” she kept saying. “It doesn’t matter.”
“But it does,” I said, too sharply to her, for she turned her head and did not comment again (p. 99).
His anger with the man grows even worse when he is showed to the room which is not really ready yet to be used because it produces the smell of mildew and it is also very cold because there is no any fire. And his emotion reaches its peak when he asks about the food. The man who serves Nicholas and Etna does not seem to show any respect because he does not give a good response when Nicholas orders some foods to eat. Thus, it makes his temper rises and he cannot stand any longer on cursing the man because according to him, the man has ruined the atmosphere of his wedding trip.
d. Having Lack of Self-Confidence
In spite of his smart and pe
