THE NARRATOR’S MOTIVATION IN BRINGING BACK
HIS WIFE, ESTHER, AS REVEALED IN
PAULO COELHO’S THE ZAHIR
A THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain theSarjana PendidikanDegree
in English Language Education
By
Anastasia Setyaningrum Student Number: 021214113
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
i
THE NARRATOR’S MOTIVATION
IN BRINGING BACK HIS WIFE, ESTHER,
AS REVEALED IN PAULO COELHO’S THE ZAHIR
A THESIS
Presented as a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain theSarjana PendidikanDegree
in English Language Education
By
Anastasia Setyaningrum Student Number: 021214113
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
ii A Thesis on
THE NARRATOR’S MOTIVATION
IN BRINGING BACK HIS WIFE, ESTHER,
AS REVEALED IN PAULO COELHO’S THE ZAHIR
By
Anastasia Setyaningrum Student Number: 021214113
Approved by
Henny Herawati, S.Pd., M.Hum 27 April 2009
iv
Once you intend to realize your dream,
the whole world conspires to help you
- Paulo Coelho
-This thesis is dedicated to:
my parents,
my friends,
v
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY
I honestly declare that this thesis, which I have written, does not contain the work or parts of the work of other people, except those cited in the quotations and the references, as a scientific paper should.
Yogyakarta, 27 April 2009
The writer
vi ABSTRACT
Setyaningrum, Anastasia. 2009.The Narrator’s Motivation in Bringing Back His Wife, Esther, as Revealed in Paulo Coelho’s The Zahir. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.
This study is conducted to reveal the narrator’s motivation in The Zahir in finding and bringing back his wife. The novel uses first-person point of view. The narrator of the novel is a successful and popular novelist. One day, his wife, Esther, disappears without any trace and the only reasonable hypothesis is that she leaves him. In the beginning, the narrator suffers for the lost but then he can accept it. He begins to search for her. In his attempt to find Esther, the narrator discovers things that make him understand more about himself and Esther.
There are three questions discussed in this study. They are (1) how the narrator’s character traits are described, (2) how the character traits of Esther, the narrator’s wife, are described, and (3) what the narrator’s motivations in bringing back his wife are.
The method of gathering data used was library research. The data was collected from the novel The Zahir as the primary source and from related theories, criticisms, and other sources as the secondary sources. This study used psychological approach. The theory of character and characterization were used to answer the first and second questions. The theory of motivation especially, the theory of hierarchy of needs, was used to answer the third question. These theories were utilized to find out the narrator’s motivation in bringing back his wife, Esther.
The result of the analysis shows that the narrator is described as a curious, tough, ambitious, and adventurous person who enjoys his privileges as a novelist. Esther is a war journalist. She is caring, intelligent, and adaptable. She is also a risk taker. The narrator’s critical thinking and ambition supported him to find his wife.Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, it can be concluded that the narrator’s needs for security, love and belonging, and esteem motivate him to find and bring his wife, Esther, back.
vii ABSTRAK
Setyaningrum, Anastasia. 2009. The Narrator’s Motivation in Bringing Back His Wife, Esther, as Revealed in Paulo Coelho’s The Zahir. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris. Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni. Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan. Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Studi ini disusun untuk mengungkap motivasi dari narator dalam novel The Zahir dalam usahanya untuk menemukan dan membawa istrinya kembali. Novel ini menggunakan sudut pandang orang pertama. Narator dalam novel tersebut adalah seorang penulis yang sukses dan terkenal. Namun suatu hari istrinya, Esther, menghilang tanpa jejak dan satu-satunya hipotesa yang diperoleh adalah bahwa ia pergi meninggalkan sang narator. Pada awalnya ia merasa terpukul, tetapi kemudian ia mulai dapat menerima kenyataan dan berusaha untuk menemukan istrinya. Dalam perjalanannya mencari Esther, sang narator menemukan hal-hal yang membuatnya semakin mengerti tentang siapa dirinya dan arti Esther baginya.
Terdapat tiga permasalahan mendasar yang dibahas dalam studi ini, yaitu (1) bagaimana karakter sang narator dalam novel The Zahir, (2) bagaimana karakter Esther, istri sang narator, dan (3) apa motivasi sang narator dalam menemukan dan membawa kembali Esther, istrinya.
Metode pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah studi pustaka. Data dikumpulkan dari novel The Zahir itu sendiri sebagai sumber utama dan dari teori-teori, kritik, dan sumber-sumber lainnya yang berhubungan dengan studi sebagai data tambahan. Studi ini menggunakan pendekatan psikologis. Teori karakter dan karakteristik digunakan untuk menjawab permasalahan pertama dan kedua. Sedang teori motivasi, terutama hirarki kebutuhan dipakai untuk menjawab permasalahan ketiga. Teori-teori ini digunakan untuk mengetahui motivasi sang narator dalam menemukan dan membawa Esther kembali.
viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank those who have supported me in finishing my thesis. First and foremost, I would like to bestow my greatest gratitude to Jesus Christ for his love and mercy. His never ending blessings and guidance have strengthened me to finish my thesis.
My deepest gratitude goes to my beloved parents,Papa DjokoandMama Niena, who shower me with their love, affection and prayers. I thank them for encouraging me patiently in finishing my thesis and supporting me in my hard days. I would also like to thank my sister,Irena, for her care and jokes. Their love and prayers are everything for my life.
My greatest appreciation goes to my major sponsor, Ibu Henny Herawati, S.Pd., M.Hum., who has found time to read my thesis and patiently guide me in composing the thesis. I would like to thankIbu DR. Dra. Wigati Y. Modouw, M.Hum.who has encouraged and guided me in working on my thesis. I thank them for their patient guidance, time and suggestions. My thankfulness goes to Sr. Margaret O’Donohue FCJ who had checked my thesis in a short time. I would also like to thank all English Language Education Study Program (EESP) lecturers for the knowledge, experience, and guidance during my study as a student of EESP. My thanks are extended to Mbak Dani, Mbak Tari and other staffsfor helping me in dealing with administration works.
ix
them for all the sweet moments we have. It is a six-year friendship and going to be forever. My big thanks go to my friends, Esta, Tika, Ike, Lissa, Cicil, Wieda, Seto, Ook, Udjo, Galih, Deddy, Metty, Emen, Miko, Jantri, Nana and all members of PBI 2002for the supports and laughter we share.
Last but not least, I thank those whose names I cannot mention here. May God bless them.
Yogyakarta, 27 April 2009
x
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ... i
APPROVAL PAGES ... ii
DEDICATION PAGE... iv
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ... v
ABSTRACT... vi
ABSTRAK ...vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS... x
LIST OF APPENDICES ... xiii
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION...1
1.1. Background of the Study... 1
1.2. Objectives of the Study ... 4
1.3. Problem Formulation ... 5
1.4. Benefits of the Study... 5
1.5. Definition of Terms... 6
CHAPTER 2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE...8
2.1. Theoretical Review ... 8
2.1.1. Theory of Critical Approaches ... 8
2.1.2. Theory of Character and Chracterization ... 10
xi
2.2. Theoretical Framework ... 17
CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY...19
3.1. Subject Matter ... 19
3.2. Approach of the Study ... 21
3.3. Procedure... 21
CHAPTER 4. ANALYSIS... .24
4.1. The Character of the Narrator ... . 24
4.1.1. Critical ... 25
4.1.2. Tough ... 27
4.1.3. Ambitious... 29
4.1.4. Adventurous... 30
4.2. The Character of Esther ... . 31
4.2.1. Caring ... 32
4.2.2. Intelligent... 33
4.2.3. Risk Taking... 34
4.2.4. Adaptable... 35
4.3. The Narrator’s Motivation in Bringing Back His Wife, Esther... . 37
4.3.2. Fulfilling the Narrator’s Safety Needs... 38
4.3.3. Fulfilling the Narrator’s Belongingness and Love Needs ... 39
xii
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS...44
5.1. Conclusions ... . 44
5.2. Suggestions ... . 46
5.2.1. Suggestion for Future Researchers... 46
5.2.2. Suggestion for Teaching-Learning Activities ... 47
xiii
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix
1. Summary of The Zahir ... 49
2. Paulo Coelho Biography ... 51
3. Lesson Plan for Speaking IV... 54
4. Material for Teaching Speaking IV... 56
5. Paulo Coelho’s Works ... 62
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
This chapter deals with the background of the study, problem formulation, objective of the study, benefit of the study, and the definition of terms. The background of the study discusses the writer’s personal reasons in choosing the topic of the study. The problem formulation formulates the problems that become the focus of the study. The objectives of the study state the aims of this study. The next part includes the benefits that are expected through the study. At the end of the section, the definition of terms, the writer defines some terms in order to avoid misunderstanding.
1.1 Background of the Study
Marriage is a bond between a man and a woman. It is a relationship where two people commit not only to live together in both good and bad times, but also to share their life to their partner. Schware states that marriage is a permanent union between a man and woman and legalized by the authority of the state (218). Relating with permanent union, it is hoped that marriage happens just once in a lifetime and cannot be separated, except because of death. Stanford defines marriage as a kind of relationship to human beings. Marriage is a vital relationship to human being for the growth and development (Stanford 169). In other words, it can be said that marriage is a means to reach maturity as human beings and through this process they learn and develop. If this process succeeds, it brings happiness to them.
History records some stories showing one’s love to his or her partner in marriage; how they struggle to save their marriage. One of the most known love
history is from India. Taj Mahal, a great building which is known as a great proof of love, was built by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, as a monument to his
beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. They fell in love when they were fifteen and got married at twenty on May 10, 1612. In the following 19 years, Mumtaz gave him
14 children. Mumtaz accompanied her husband everywhere. They were together on a military expedition when she had their fourteenth child. Tragically she died
soon after this birth when she was only 39. Jahan was beside her, and according to popular history it was a moment which inspired him to create this wonderful
monument (Singh 767).
There is also a love story of Greek mythology. One of the most known
stories, though it is the tragic one, is Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus was the son of the Muse Calliope and a grand musician. His wife was Eurydice, who also
attracted the attentions of Aristaeus. Aristaeus pursued her until she stepped on a poisonous snake and was forced into the underworld. Orpheus wanted his beloved
one back. Thus, he journeyed down to the underworld facing some creatures and obstacles. He encountered Hades, who initially refused to release Eurydice, but
because of Orpheus's touching music, he released Eurydice with one condition; Orpheus must not look back on their way out. Orpheus who was worried that Eurydice was not behind him on their way home, looked at a glance back to see if
Unable to live without her, Orpheus spent the rest of his days in sorrow until his death <“Orpheus and Eurydice”>.
Those stories show how people respect marriage. Unfortunately, more marriages break easily nowadays. People are not able to save their marriage.
According to the World Divorce Statistic in 1996, the divorce rate was so high in some countries. For example, in France the divorce rate reached 41% as % of
marriages. United States Departement of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics, noted that in 2005 United States’ divorce rate reached
3.6 per 1000 population, while marriage rate reached 7.5 per 1000 population <”Americans for Divorce Reform”>. This number shows that the number of
divorce is almost a half of the number of marriages. We then question the ability of couples in maintaining their marriages. What happened to the love that brought
the couple together in the beginning?
This phenomenon of broken marriage is seized well by Paulo Coelho in
his novel, The Zahir. He expresses the meaning and values of marriage through his beautiful paragraphs. It shares a story about a bestselling novelist who lives in
France and enjoys all the privilleges his money and celebrity bring. One day, he discovers that his wife, a war correspondent, has disappeared without any trace.
He does not have any answer but he has plenty of questions of his own though he does not know where to start looking for his wife, Esther. All the memories of Esther cannot be erased from his mind and becomes an obsession that almost
explores his moments with Esther; all the things that happen to their mariage until her leaving.
In his searching, he meets Mikhail, a young man who once was Esther’s translator in Kazakhstan and also the person with whom he believes his wife
dissapeares. Mikhail promises to reunite him with his wife if the time is right. He also says that Esther is fine and waiting for him. His searching for her and his
attempt to recapture his lost love takes him from France to Spain, Croatia and, eventually, the beautiful landscape of Central Asia, Kazakhstan. The journey takes
him from the safety of his world to a totally unknown path, searching for a new understanding of the nature of love. He finally reunites with his wife and starts to
have a happy marriage with new way of thinking.
The writer regards that it is a very interesting topic to be discussed since
nowadays there are many divorce cases. Many reasons for it, but still it seems like people do not appreciate the values of marriage much. In this novel, the author
shows that marriage is worth to maintain. The narrator in Paulo Coelho’s The Zahir, whose name is not mentioned in the novel, has everything in life;
popularity, stability and wealth. Those things can be strong reasons to end his marriage with his wife, Esther, when she left him. On the contrary, he searches for
her and prefers to continue his marriage life with his wife. Analyzing one’s motivation in maintaining his or her marriage is the idea that the writer will discuss in this study. Based on that fact, the writer wants to analyze the narrator’s
1.2 Objectives of the Study
Based on the background, the writer is interested in finding out three objectives. The first objective is to reveal the narrator’s character traits. The second objective is to figure out the character traits of Esther, the narrator’s wife. Thirdly, this study is employed to find out the motivation behind the narrator’s decision to bring his wife back.
1.3 Problem Formulation
There are three problems that are discussed in this study :
1. How are the narrator’s character traits in The Zahir described? 2. How are character traits of Esther, the narator’s wife, described?
3. What are the narrator’s motivations in finding his wife, Esther, and bringing her back?
1.4 Benefits of the Study
This study gives three advantages to the readers. Firstly, this study intends
to introduce the readers to Paulo Coelho’s novel. This novel is worth reading because it offers information about people’s character traits and effort in
maintaining a marriage. Secondly, the explanation and information in this study can be a reference to the readers who are interested in analyzing Paulo Coelho’s
English Education Study Program through the teaching materials provided in this study.
1.5 Definition of terms
There are some specific terms that need to be defined in order to avoid misconception. They are :
1. Motivation
The term motive refers to an internal state of the organism which arouses activity and directs the organism’s behavior toward certain objects or conditions called goal (Aiken 110). According to Stanton, a character’s reason for behaving as he does is his motivation (17). While Kalish states that motivated behavior is behavior set into motion by a need (29). Motivation, in this study, is the reasons of people’s behavior.
2. Zahir
In the novel The Zahir, it is mentioned that according to the writer Jorge Luis Borges, the idea of the Zahir comes from Islamic tradition. Zahir,in Arabic, means visible, present, and incapable of going unnoticed. It can refer to an object or a person, and that object or person gradually takes over our every thought, until we are unable to think of anything else.
3. Character
According to Abrams, characters are defined as “the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed
say – the dialogue – and by what they do – the action” (23). In other words, a character is a person who plays a role in a story. This person expresses emotions
8
CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter examines some theories to discuss the topic of the study. There are three parts in this chapter. The first part is theoretical review, which discusses about some related theories that help the writer to analyze Paulo Coelho’s The Zahir. Since the objectives of the study are to describe the narrator’s character traits and the character traits of the narrator’s wife, and also to find out the narrator’s motivation in bringing his wife back, the theories in this part are related to those topics. The second part deals with theoretical framework, which explains the reasons for choosing the theories and the functions of each theory.
2.1 Theoretical Review
To analyze this study, the writer uses some theories. They are theory of critical approaches that are usually used in literary study, theory of character and characterization, and theory of psychology which focuses on motivation.
2.1.1 Theory of Critical Approaches
works. Rohrberger and Wood Jr. introduce five approaches as the means for the readers to evaluate a literary work (6-15). Those approaches are the formalist approach, the biographical approach, the sociocultural-historical approach, the mythopoeic approach, and the psychological approach.
be interpreted in light of the individual’s experience. This approach involves the effort to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent pattern (13-15).
In this study, the writer uses the psychological approach to analyze Paulo Coelho’s The Zahir.By using this approach, the analysis of the narrator’s motivation in the novel can be done profoundly. The psychological approach uses psychological theories to explain human motivation, personality, and behavior patterns written in literary objects. Moreover, this approach believes that characters’ thought, personality, and behavior may reflect their psychological order.
2.1.2 Theory of Characters and Characterization
Characters play essential roles in a literary work. They are the first point to build a story. Most stories contain a central character, which is relevant to every event in the story; usually the events cause some changes in him/her or in our attitude toward him/her. Characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say – the dialogue – and by what they do – the action (Abram 23).
be both the actor in a story and the character traits of the characters. There must be a relationship between an actor and the character traits that he or she has.
There are types of character as a person in a story. Holman and Harmon categorize character into two types (82). First, major character is the character that plays the most important role in a story. A major character becomes the focus of the story. He or she is the most frequently appearing character in the story from the beginning until the end. Second, minor character is the character that takes a less important role in the story. He or she does not always appear in the story.
Characters can also be flat and round characters, as E. M. Forster categorizes in his book. Flat characters are easily recognized, “they are constructed round a single idea or quality” (47). They have only one outstanding trait or feature. They change only a little part from the beginning to the end of the story. In contrast, round character is dynamic and changes. Round character is more complex than flat character. Round character is presented with more facets with greater depth and more details. He or she is complex in emotion and motivation. This kind of character has unpredictable action and therefore often surprises the readers.
talking and acting, and leaves the readers to infer what motives and dispositions lay behind what they say or do (21).
Murphy in his book Understanding Unseens mentions nine methods to understand personality in characters. They are personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation of others, reaction, direct comment, thoughts, and mannerism (Murphy 161-173).
The first one is personal description (161). It deals with physical appearances. The author describes a person’s character from his or her face detail and clothes that a person wears in the story. For example, a person wears cashmere and silk scarf can be identified as a rich person. A person with scars, whiskers and untidy clothes can be assumed as a criminal.
The second is characters as seen by another (162). Using this method, a person’s character is described through the eyes and opinions of another character. Therefore the readers can get a reflected image of one’s character. The reader gets, as it were, a reflected image. This method can give the impressions of shape, cleanliness, firmness, smoothness, colour, and many other things.
The fourth is past life (166). A person’s character is influenced by his or her past life. This is the reason why the author often gives hints to certain events in the characters past life in a literary work.
The fifth one is conversation of others (167). We can take clues of a person’s character through the conversations of the other people and the things they say about him or her. People talk about other people and things they say describe other’s character in their mind. Through these saying people give clues to the character of the person spoken about.
The next is reactions (168). Different characters will react differently if they face problems. Each reaction toward the problems shows the character’s tendency and this tendency give the readers a description about the character’s personality. For example, a story tells about two sisters who gets an accident one night. The first girl cries out because there is no one there to help them. The second girl directly calls the police to ask for help. These two girls show different characters from their reaction toward a problem.
The seventh is direct comment (170). The description by direct comment is different from the personal description. In the direct comment description, it is the author who gives his or her personal reception and comment directly to the character that he creates.
mind is one way to know the character of that person. Moreover, the author can give description to the readers that different people may have different ways of thinking.
The last one is mannerism (173). A person’s character can be described through a person’s mannerisms, habits, or unusual behavior which may also tell us something about his or her character. The way a character acts can be a clue to understand the person’s character.
2.1.3 Theory of Motivation
Theory of motivation plays an essential role in this study because it helps the writer to discover the narrator’s motivation in finding and bringing back his wife. It helps the writer understands the reason why the narrator decides to take such action.
There are different theories of motivation stated by some theorists. The most widely known is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow believes, as mentioned in Braun and Linder, that human needs, or motives, are organized hierarchically (375). The hierarchy of needs is presented in appendix 3.
Maslow in Goble’s The Third Force clarifies motivations in relation with human needs (38). He states, as explained by Petri, that human motivations are based on human needs and that people conduct an action to fulfill their needs (302). Moreover, Maslow theory, as mentioned in Schultz, states that the needs of love and possessing have to be fulfilled in order to get the satisfaction feeling and motivation arises because of such needs (94). This shows that motivation exists to fulfill the lacks that people feel inside them.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs consists of physiological needs, safety needs, belonging and love needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. The first two needs are considered primary or lower-order needs; the remaining three are secondary or higher-order needs. Maslow argues that usually the lowest need on the hierarchy has to be satisfied first before the higher needs on the hierarchy being satisfied (Goble 38-43).
need of this level may resort to murder to meet fundamental, life sustaining need, despite what society might think. When a person lacks of food, self-esteem, and love, he is going to demand food first. He will ignore the other needs until the need of food is satisfied.
The safety needs are the needs for stability, order and protection. An insecure person behaves as if a great tragedy is almost always impending. This person has an over need for order and stability, and tries hard to avoid the strange and the unexpected. In short, people need to feel secure, safe and out of danger. People are going to realize that higher needs become unimportant when their life is endangered.
neighborhood, cities, countries, or even spouses. We are not long enough in one place to develop a sense of belonging.
The esteem needs have two categories, they are self-esteem and respect from other people. Self-esteem comprises such needs as desires for confidence, competence, mastery, adequacy, achievement, independence, and freedom. Those characteristics, if we lack of them, we feel inferior, weak and helpless in facing life. Respect encloses such concepts as prestige, recognition, acceptance, attention, status, reputation, and appreciation. Very often we think well ourselves if we are sure that others think well of us.
The self-actualization needs are described as the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming. These needs are the identification of the psychological need for growth, development, and utilization of potential. Self-actualizing people express their emotions in open and direct ways. They are also committed to their work. According to Maslow, if this sense of devotion and dedication is absent, it is impossible for someone to become self-actualizing. These needs also appear after reasonable satisfaction of love and esteem needs (Goble 42).
2.2 Theoretical Framework
know what approach was the most relevant to analyze the study. It turned out that the psychological approach was the most relevant one because this study discussed human motivation, personality, and behavior patterns written in literary objects. Moreover, this approach believed that characters’ thought, personality, and behavior might reflect their psychological order.
Second was the theory of character and characterization. These theories were used to help the writer describe what kind of person was the narrator in the novel. According to the theory, a character could be described through several ways. These theories were important in answering the first and second questions formulated in problem formulation.
19 CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
This chapter is divided into three parts namely, subject matter, approach, and procedure. In subject matter, the writer discusses the novel The Zahir, as the focus of the study. In the approach, the writer mentions the approaches for analyzing the novel. In procedure, the writer mentions the steps in writing this thesis and inserts some sources that help me in analyzing the study.
3.1 Subject Matter
that can be thought of. Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author. He was born in 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Before dedicating completely to literature, the narrator worked as theatre director and actor, lyricist, and journalist. “His other literary works are among other Brida (1990), The Valkyries (1992), By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept (1994), the compilation of textsPhrases(1995), The Fifth Mountain (1996), Manual of a Warrior of Light (1997), Veronica Decides to Die (1998), The Devil and Miss Prym (2000), the compilation of traditional tales in Stories for Parents, Children, and Grandchildren (2001), Eleven Minutes (2003), and The Zahir (2005)” <“The Zahir”>.
The Zahir is told from a first-person perspective. The main character, which in this study is called as narrator, is a bestselling novelist who writes about spirituality and once went on pilgrimage along the road to Santiago. His wife of ten years, Esther, is a war correspondent. One day, he is suddenly left by his wife. She leaves without any messages or clues. She is last seen with a young man who is later known that his name is Mikhail, Esther’s translator when she was in Kazakhstan. Was Esther kidnapped, killed, or did she simply abandon a marriage that left her unfulfilled? The narrator doesn't have any answers. During his wife’s disappearance, the narrator has a girlfriend. Subsequently, he becomes obsessed to understand the reason of his wife’s desertion.
spiritual seekers who resist, somewhat vaguely, conventional ways of living. His search for her takes him from France to Spain, Croatia and, eventually, the beautiful landscape of Central Asia, Kazakhstan. All his efforts bring Esther to him. He finally reunites with his wife with new way of thinking.
3.2 Approach of the Study
As mentioned in the previous chapter, Rohrberger and Woods offered five approaches that could be employed in analyzing literary work. They were formalist approach, biographical approach, socio-cultural approach, mythopoeic approach, and psychological approach (Rohrberger and Woods, Jr. 6-13). Among them, the psychological approach was chosen to be the right approach. It discussed human motivation, personality, and behavior patterns of a person in literary work that built his or her characters. The psychological approach supported the writer to reveal the narrator’s motivation in finding and bringing his wife back. It could be realized, since, as proposed by Rohrberger and Woods, the psychological approach involves various theories of psychology to explain the character’s personality in a story. Each character’s behavior could be referred to a psychology of human being.
3.3 Procedure
There were two kinds of sources in this study. They were primary and secondary sources. The primary source was the Paulo Coelho’s novel, The Zahir. Besides, the secondary sources were books, articles and any references related to the topic discussed in this study. The books are among others Abram’s A Glossary of Literary Terms, Murphy’s Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Students, Aiken’s General Psychology, and Kalish’s The Psychology of Human Behavior, Goble’s The Third Force.
There were some steps in writing this thesis. The first step was reading Paulo Coelho’s The Zahir, since the novel is the primary source in this study. The writer read it several times in order to understand the content of the novel. Taking notes became a part of the writer’s effort to remember the general story and any other details that the writer thought might be useful in the process of writing this thesis.
The second step was formulating the problems that would be analyzed in this thesis. The writer also tried to gather related data such as the theories to answer the formulated problems and any information about The Zahir and the author, Paulo Coelho. The data were taken from books and internet sources. Those data are used as secondary sources to support the analysis in this study. The theories gained were the theory of character and characterization, the theory of critical approach, and the theory of motivation. Besides, the writer collected any information about the novel The Zahir and who the author, Paulo Coelho, was.
some readers to be written in this study. This criticism showed that this novel was worth to be analyzed and that Coelho was a master in his field.
The fourth step was analyzing the character traits and the motivation of the narrator, as stated in the problem formulations, by applying the theories of characters and motivation and also the psychological approach.
24 CHAPTER 4
ANALYSIS
This chapter discusses the answers to the problems stated in the first chapter. The analysis is divided into three parts. The first and second parts are the character analysis. The first part points out the character of the narrator. The second part deals with the character of the narrator’s wife, Esther. The third part discusses the motivation of the narrator in finding and bringing his wife back.
4.1 The Character of the Narrator
In this part, the writer points out the character of the narrator in the novel, The Zahir. The character may be explored through the dialogue and the action of the narrator, as mentioned in chapter 2 (Abrams 23). Holman and Harmon categorize character into two types; major character and minor character (82). A major character is a character that plays the most important role in a story. A major character becomes the focus of the story. He or she is the most frequently appeared character in the story from the beginning until the end. According to this theory, in Paulo Coelho’s The Zahir, the narrator is categorized as the major character because he plays the most important role in a story. He becomes the focus of the story as well.
However, in this novel, Coelho does not use all of the nine methods. There are eight methods used; personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past life, reaction, direct comment, thought, and mannerisms. Using these methods, the author describes the narrator as:
4.1.1 Critical
The narrator is a successful novelist. He often states something in his mind and questions some conditions that happen around him. He does not accept things directly. He questions why people speak in the name of freedom if they are still bound by their own promises; to their marriage vow, to their diet, to half-finished project.
While I was fighting, I heard other people speaking in the name of freedom, and the more they defended this unique right, the more enslaved they seemed to be their parents’ wishes, to a marriage in which they had promised to stay with the other person “for the rest of their lives”, to the bathroom scale, to their diet, to half-finished project … And so their identical days and night passed, … and whenever a door opened, they would say:
“I am not interested. I’m not in the mood.”
How could they possibly know if they were in the mood or not if they had ever tried? (10).
He questions why people can say to other people if they are not interested in something if they have not tried. This narrator’s curiosity is proved through the narrator’s thought (Murphy 171).
and writes down some facts and the possibilities, including being kidnapped. He lists all the possibilities that may happen, including the facts that should be met for every possibility and its conclusion. The narrator admits that of all the hypotheses, this is the reasonable one, but still he cannot accept it. He questions the reason why she leaves him (14).
But Esther had disappeared and left clues that were visible only to me, as if it were a secret message: I’m leaving.
Why?
Is that question worth answering? (14)
Moreover, his curiosity leads him to get closer to Mikhail, a man who is presumed to be the one with whom Esther leaves. One day, when he has to sign books of his successful novel, he meets Mikhail. He realizes that he can get the answer of why his wife disappears from him and that he must not lose him. He wants to know about Esther from him.
I must not lose him-a word, a sentence, a sudden movement might cause him to leave and never come back. In a fraction of a second, I understand that he and only he can save me from the blessing-or the curse-of the Zahir, because he is the only one who knows where to find it, and I will finally be able to ask the questions I have been repeating to myself for so long (61).
“… Now I love her in a more silent way, but I can’t think about anything. I beg you, please, I’ll do anything you want, but I need you to explain to me why she disappeared like that. As you yourself said, I understand nothing.” (87).
The narrator’s saying and reactions to what happen shows his curiosity. He wants to know what happens and after meeting someone that he thinks can give him any information, he wants the person around him so that he can try to get as much information as he can. He could just ignore Mikhail, but his curiosity leads him to get closer to Mikhail and it overcomes his dislike of the young man.
4.1.2 Tough
The narrator experiences difficult situation. He is left by his wife, Esther. He does not know why and where she goes. Losing Esther makes him wonder as to the reasons why she left, the need of finding her, their marriage, her saying, and memories about her. It is hard for him at first, especially because from all hypotheses the only one that makes sense is that Esther left him for another man.
According to Murphy, the writer can give the readers direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. The writer applies this technique to analyze the narrator’s thought of losing his wife, Esther. (Murphy 171).
For a while, I’ll think obsessively about her, I’ll become embittered, I’ll bore my friends because all I ever talk about is my wife leaving me… I’ll find other women. When I walk down the street, I’ll keep seeing women who could be her. I’ll suffer day and night, night and day. This could take weeks, months, possibly a year or more. Until one morning, I’ll wake up and find I’m thinking about something else, and then I know the worst is over. (14-15).
The narrator realizes that it may be hard for him for the first time, but he convinces himself that he can go through it. He thinks that at the beginning he will never stop thinking about her and that he will suffer without her by his side. At the end, he knows he can pass that difficult time.
That the narrator is a tough person can also be seen from his reaction toward his wife’s disappearance (Murphy 168). He faces the facts that he becomes the topic of various scandal sheets, tabloids, and magazines. They write about Esther and the chronologies of her disappearance. They also write about the narrator and sometimes write scandals about him (45). Those double his uncomfortable feeling. He knows he feels the pain inside because his wife has left him, but he convinces himself to continue his life. “I decided, from then on, to suffer in silence and the invitations once more flooded in through my mailbox” (48).
4.1.3 Ambitious
The narrator is ambitious. This can be seen through the eyes and opinions of another. According to Murphy, analyzing a character through others’ eyes and opinion is known as character as seen by another (Murphy 162). The writer applies this technique in analyzing the narrator’s character related to his success as a writer. The narrator’s friend, a publisher, says it directly when they talk about favor bank one day in a café.
“That does not matter in the least. Let me give you an example: I know that you’re an up-and-coming writer and that, one day, you’ll be very influential. I know this because, like you, I too was once ambitious, independent, honest. I no longer have the energy I once had, but I want to help you because I can’t or don’t want to grind to a halt just yet.” (29). The narrator wants to be a writer from the beginning. The path to become a successful writer is not as easy as he thought before. To realize his dream, he has to work in some companies. He works in a hardware store as a delivery man, in a newspaper office, and long before becoming a writer, he works as a song writer. When his first book is not as popular as he wished, this makes him a little bit afraid to write another book. Although many people know him more as a song writer, it does not diminish his dream to be a successful writer. He keeps trying to be a writer. He wants to do anything in order to make his dream come true. He has a strong will to become a writer. This shows that he is ambitious. This can be seen from the narrator’s thought (Murphy 171).
He still has a strong will to be a writer though for a time he finds it difficult to write. Realizing his condition, his wife, Esther, buys him a ticket to Spain. She knows he can do it. He just needs to be forced to do it. Buying him a ticket is her way to encourage her husband, so that he can start writing his novel. By going to Spain, Esther hoped he could concentrate on his work. The narrator thinks that it is ridiculous and will not help him at all, but one day words by words come and he can easily type it and finish it. He succeeds to write a book, a popular one.
I learn, I suffer, my books are translated into French, and, in the tradition of that country, the stranger is welcomed. Not only that, the stranger is an enormous success! Ten years on, I have a large apartment with a view over the Seine, I am loved by my readers and loathed by the critics… (31).
4.1.4 Adventurous
The narrator is a person who likes adventure. The term adventurous has two terms; not afraid of taking risk and eager to go to new places and do exciting things. He is not afraid of taking risks can be seen from the narrator’s thought (Murphy 171). He cannot stay watching and waiting. He likes to find something new or challenging. He admits it himself.
The same conflicts I had with my previous wives begin to surface: women are always looking for stability and fidelity, while I’m looking for adventure and the unknown. This time, though, the relationship last longer (17).
(Murphy 162). The narrator’s wife, Esther, realizes that her husband likes to look for adventure. It is stated in her conversation with her husband.
“That’s not it either. I’m very happy with my self. I enjoy your company, but I just don’t think it’s going to work.”
“You enjoy my company, but hate being your self. You’re always looking for adventure in order to forget more important things. You always want to feel the adrenalin flowing in your veins and you forget that the only thing that should be flowing through them is blood.” (18).
The narrator is in Spain in order to finish writing his book, but he does not complete it immediately. Though Esther is the one who gives him a chance to write there, since the ticket is from her, he does not use this opportunity well. In fact, he enjoys his independence. “It is very comfortable being married and knowing that I can always return to her arms, meanwhile enjoying all the independence in the world” (22). He falls in love with a Catalan scientist, with an Argentine woman, and with a young woman who sings in the metro. This blonde singer then sleeps in the rented apartment where he lives and goes out every night with him to enjoyla movida madrilène (“the Madrid scene”). He has fun there by attending parties. Until one day Esther tells him that she wants to come there and he has to stop all fun.
4.2 The Character of Esther
her; that she is a journalist and a pretty woman. The writer here applies the direct comment technique (Murphy 170).
One day, a journalist comes to interview me. She wants to know what it’s like to have my work known all over the country but to be entirely unknown myself, since normally it’s only the singer who appears in the media. She’s pretty, intelligent, quiet (17).
Esther’s characters can be found through the narrator’s opinion, her saying, and also her reaction toward something.
4.2.1 Caring
Esther is caring. We can see it from what she does to her husband; her mannerisms toward her husband (Murphy 173). She encourages him to write when he thinks it is too hard for him. She buys him a ticket to Spain when he almost gives up writing his book and starts thinking that their marriage will not work.
Where is the ticket for? Spain.
She cares about her husband so much, even more than she does for herself. This is seen from the character as seen by another (Murphy 162). The narrator sees it well.
I look across at the woman who has just made some coffee and is now reading a newspaper, whose eyes look tired and desperate, who is her usual silent self, who does not always show her affection in gestures, the woman who made me say yes when I wanted to say no, who forced me to fight for what she, quite rightly, believed was my reason for living, who let me set off alone because her love for me was greater even than her love for herself, who made me go in search of my dream; and suddenly, seeing that small, quiet woman, whose eyes said more than any words, who was often terrified inside, but always courageous in her actions, who could love someone without humbling herself and who never ever apologized for fighting for her man – suddenly, my fingers press down on the keys (24).
Esther is not an indifferent person. Being a war correspondent makes her learn much about life and love.
She even brings a piece of cloth with her everywhere which belonged to a soldier. If she did not care, she would not carry out soldier’s request before he died. This shows that Esther is caring. This is admitted by another character in the story, Mikhail (Murphy 162).
“Do you see this? The cloth is actually green; it looks black because it’s caked with dried blood. A soldier somewhere in the world asked her before he died to remove his shirt, then cut it into tiny pieces and distribute those pieces to anyone capable of understanding the message of his death. Do you have a piece?”
“No, Esther has never even mentioned it to me.” (95).
Moreover, Mikhail says that Esther has helped him in difficulties, an action that will not be done if the person does not care about someone’s problems.
4.2.2 Intelligent
The writer applies the technique of seeing someone’s character through the eyes and opinions of another in analyzing Esther’s character (Murphy 162). In here, it is applied through the narrator’s opinion. She is Esther, thirty years old, the winner of two international prizes for journalism, and married. My wife (4).
To be a journalist is not an easy work. It needs deep thought and creative language so the writing will be useful and understandable for the readers. A journalist is someone who writes news reports for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio. Esther is a journalist, the best one since she has a degree and wins prizes for it. This shows that Esther is an intelligent woman.
Esther is also able to speak in four different languages, although it is not mentioned in the novel what languages they are. This is a quality that is not mastered by all people; a quality that shows her intelligence.
Carpets! My wife (ex-wife, please, do try and get used to it), who had all the money she could possibly need, had degree in journalism, spoke four languages, was now obliged to making a living weaving carpets and giving French lesson to foreigners? I must get a grip to my self (94).
4.2.3 Risk Taking
job. Esther mentions that she wants to be a war journalist not because she wants to earn a lot of money, but to be alone.
“What are you saying?”
“That I want to be a war correspondent.”
“You are mad. You don’t need to do that. You’re already doing the work you want to do now. You earn good money – not that you need that money to live on. You have all the contacts you need in the Favor Bank. You have talent and you’ve earned your colleagues’ respect.”
“All right then, let’s just say I need to be alone.” “Because of me?” (33).
Her disappearance is actually also a risky action to save her marriage. She decides to disappear in order to make her husband understand he himself and their marriage. By leaving her husband, she can get two results; her husband will find her and will bring her back to him or he will never come to her and their marriage is just history. This shows that she is risk taking and it can be seen from her reaction to the conditions around her (Murphy 168). She realizes that, but she realizes too that to fix it there must be changes. She believes that when her husband comes to her, he must be a different person.
“I’ve waited for you in so many ways,” she said, when she saw that my tears were abating. “Like a desperate wife who knows that her husband has never understood her life, and that he will never come to her, and so she has no option but to get on a plane and go back, only to leave again after the next crisis, then go back and leave and go back....” (293).
4.2.4 Adaptable
to adapt to many different people and situations is proven by the number of people who know her.
In the journey of finding Esther, the narrator meets Mikhail who once was Esther’s translator when she went to Kazakhstan. “Mikhail insisted: I had to meet the beggars; they were part of his life and part of Esther’s life too.” (161). The conversations of other people and the things they say about Esther can give clues of her character (Murphy 167). The conversation between the beggars and the narrator below shows that the beggars know Esther well and that she is adaptable.
“So you’re the husband of the journalist?”
“Are you Esther’s husband?” asks a female beggar, wide-eyed; she is dressed garishly, in a green hat and a purple coat.
I don’t know what to say.
“Why hasn’t she been back here?” ask someone else. “I hope she isn’t dead. She was always going to such dangerous places. I often told her she shouldn’t. Look what she gave me!”
And she shows me a scrap of bloodstained fabric, part of the dead soldier’s shirt.
“No, she’s not dead,” I say. “But I’m surprised to hear that she used to come here.” (166).
Esther makes friends with people from a lower economic background though she is a wife of a famous novelist. She can adapt to people who have different background from her. Surprisingly, the doctor who treats the narrator when he gets an accident knows Ether as well. Esther also makes friends with people who have a different educational background and profession from her.
“…A brush with death always helps us to live our lives better; that’s what your wife told me when she gave me a bit of bloodstained fabric, which I always carry with me, even though, as a doctor, I see death, close to, every day.”
From here, the narrator knows that Esther makes relationships with many different people. All of them have a piece of cloth from Esther, which she says is given by a soldier before he died in a war. She is able to build relationships with people from different backgrounds and they all accept her.
4.3 The Narrator’s Motivation in Bringing Back His Wife, Esther
Most people in the world, whether they realize it or not, live in an organized way. They manage their daily activities. They know when they have to go to work or to school, to go with friends, to visit relatives, to have a vacation, or just to enjoy the day with the person they love. Everything goes like they want and they do not have to worry about it. But what if something unexpected happens? Most people do not prepare themselves for the unexpected things. They are happy with what they are and what they have. So, when something unexpected happens, they do not know what to do.
The same condition also happens on married life. The narrator in the novel The Zahir is left by his wife, Esther. Esther’s disappearance is an unexpected thing for the narrator. He thinks he does not have problems in his marriage. He does not quarrel with Esther before she leaves. There are some disagreements that usually happen in ordinary marriages but not serious problems. He states his opinion to the policeman on the day Esther leaves.
Esther’s disappearance leaves the question why to the narrator. He thinks of some reasons why she leaves him and wonders where she is. As mentioned in chapter 2, people’s behavior is influenced by certain motives. These motives lead them to behave in their manner to get some achievement. Motivation seems to provide the “Why” of behavior. To discover why the narrator wants to bring back his wife, Esther, the theory of motivation especially Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is utilized.
According to Maslow, there are five basic needs in the hierarchy of needs. They are physiological needs, safety needs, belonging and love needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. Maslow argues that usually the lowest need on the hierarchy has to be satisfied first before the higher needs on the hierarchy being satisfied (Goble 38-43).
The lowest need is physiological need. It includes food, clothing, shelter and self-preservation. His work as a bestselling novelist makes him rich and popular. He has a house in Paris, but sometimes spends his days in a luxurious hotel.
I decide not to go home. I go over to reception, ask for a room, and some deodorant. The hotel is full, but the manager fixes things for me: I end up with a lovely suite looking out at the Eiffel Tower, a terrace, the rooftops of Paris, the lights coming one by one, the families getting together to have Sunday supper (16).
4.3.1 Fulfilling the Narrator’s Safety Needs
Maslow states that the insecure person has a compulsive need for order and stability and goes to great lengths to avoid the strange and unexpected (Goble 40). In the novel, Esther’s disappearance is an unexpected thing. Moreover, the narrator feels insecure when a day after Esther’s disappearance all the media starts to talk about it. His face shows up in many front covers of newspapers, tabloids and magazines. They write about Esther’s disappearance.
Immediately after leaving a prison, I appeared on the covers of various scandal sheets: they began by alleging a possible crime, but, in order to avoid ending up in court, they always concluded with the statement that I had been cleared. (Cleared? I hadn’t even been accused!) (45).
Those articles make him uncomfortable. They write the chronological story and also the hypotheses of Esther’s disappearance but some writings often force him into a corner. The media are not only in France but also across Europe and they all write about it.
Then they returned to the attack, alleging that my wife had run away because of my many extramarital affairs; a German magazine even hinted a possible relationship with a singer, twenty years my junior, who said she had met me in Oslo, in Norway… The singer said that there was nothing between us (so why put a photo of us in the cover?) (46).
4.3.2 Fulfilling the Narrator’s Belongingness and Love Needs
Esther is the narrator’s fourth wife. He gets divorced from his third wife and meets Esther.Their first meeting is when Esther as a journalist interviews him
as a popular author. At first, it is the narrator who falls in love with Esther.
until, at last, I manage to persuade her to spend a weekend at my house in the country (17).
After their second meeting, he finds that Esther falls in love with him and their love relationship continues.
He finds Esther is different with other women. He knows that he loves her and Esther loves him, even after years of their marriage. Esther once buys him a ticket to Spain when he gets stuck in his writing. Esther says it is for him to spend some time alone writing his novel. On the contrary, the narrator has fun and enjoys the days with parties and some girls. Until one day, Esther says she wants to go to Spain and asks about the novel. The narrator argues that Esther makes his life a hell and destroys his happiness. Esther says nothing at that time. Then the narrator tries to type. He watches Esther and suddenly words come out. He continues to type and finishes his writing. “… This time, I know that “it” comes from Esther’s heart; my love is reborn, I write the books because she exists, because she has survived all the difficult times without complaint, without ever once seeing herself as a victim” (25). He starts to understand that she loves him much more than she loves herself and that he loves her in return.
She is the only one who did not spout such nonsense as: “I like you as a man not as the celebrity everyone wants to meet” or worse still: “I’m not interested in money” … She was the only one who was genuinely pleased at my success, because she too was famous and knew that celebrity counts (48)
They often go at parties and receptions together. People make speculation about their relationship, but they never confirm. When they are busy with their work and have to be in different places, they visit each other. They are close, but still independent. “She got on her filming and I with my work; when I could, I would travel to Milan, and when she could, she would meet me in Paris; we were close but not dependent on each other” (49).
The narrator spends much time with Marie. They share laughter, experience, and stories. Marie knows every story about him and Esther and he knows everything about Marie even her impossible love for a married neighbor. On the other hand, the narrator feels that what he does with Marie and what he feels to her is different to what he feels to Esther. Marie’s presence can cure his loneliness but cannot fulfill his emptiness feeling. It is like a puzzle when one part does not fit perfectly.
Marie pretended not to know what was going on in my soul, and I pretended not to know what was going on in hers… We were friends, companions, we enjoyed the same things; I would even go so far as to sat that they was between us a kind of love, but different from the love I felt for Esther or that Marie felt for her neighbor (49).
4.3.3 Fulfilling the Narrator’s Self Esteem Needs
needs as desire for confidence, competence, mastery, adequacy, achievement, independence, and freedom. Respect from others includes such concepts as prestige, recognition, acceptance, attention, status, reputation, and appreciation (Goble 42).
The narrator in the novel The Zahir gets respect from others when he publishes a book. The title is A Time to Rend and a Time to Sew. The book is
written about a year after Esther’s disappearance and it is Esther that inspires him to write the book. “Why should I worry about woman who left me? … It was
because of her I spent all those painful days and nights, nearly lost my friends and wroteA Time to Rend and a Time to Sew” (70).
The respect comes from the people around him and also the readers. A month after it is published, the book becomes number one on the best seller lists. Some reviews about the book come out and letters from readers arrive. “The
critics never praise me.” “I mean your readers: you’ve received more letters than ever.” (56).
He also starts signing the book like usually does as a writer. He does it and enjoys it.
44 CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
This is the last chapter of the study. It consists of two parts, conclusions and suggestions. The first part is the conclusions of the study. It summarizes the analysis of the problems of the study. The second part is suggestions. It describes the recommendations for future researches on the topic and the ways to apply The Zahir in the teaching learning activities.
5.1. Conclusions
The study comes to the conclusion part after analyzing The Zahir in chapter four. There are three problems discussed in this study. First is the narrator’s character. Second is the character of Esther, the narrator’s wife. Third is the narrator’s motivation in bringing back Esther.
dinners or books signing. The narrator is adventurous. He likes to travel everywhere. It supports his work also as a writer to explore places and gain information. When Esther disappears, he travels from France to Kazakhstan.
The second conclusion deals with the second problem. Esther, the narrator’s wife is described as a caring, intelligent, risk taking and adaptable person. She is thirty years old. She works as a war journalist. Although she is quite busy with her work, she cares for her husband. She supports him to keep writing. When her husband gets stuck in his writing, she encourages him and even buys him a ticket to Spain so that he can concentrate more. Esther is an intelligent woman. Being a journalist demands a lot of knowledge and intelligence. She proves it by winning two international prizes for journalism. She is a risk taker when she takes a job as a war journalist. Her decision to leave her husband suddenly also describes that she is a risk taker. Esther makes friends with everyone. She does not care about their social and educational background. She makes friends with doctors, soldiers, and even beggars.
Third conclusion deals with the third problem. There is a relationship between characters and their motivation. The narrator’s motivation can be seen through his character. As an ambitious and adventurous person, the narrator is motivated to bring Esther, his wife, back. Esther becomes hiszahir. She occupies the narrator’s mind until he cannot think of anything else. The narrator becomes obsessed with her and his ambition forces him to find and bring Esther back.
the media. He has to fulfill his needs of love and belonging when he feels empty and realizes that only Esther, his wife, can fill it. He gets his confidence to meet and bring Esther back when he publishes his book. He fulfills his self esteem needs. Thus, the study uses Maslow’s motivation theory that is formed in a hierarchy of needs.
5.2 Suggestions
This part is divided into two parts. The first part is recommendations for future researches on the topic and the second is suggestion to apply The Zahir in the teaching learning activities.
5.2.1 Suggestion for Future Researchers
This part concerns with the future researchers who are interested in studying literary works. The Zahir is an interesting novel that has some aspects to analyze. For consideration, the characters in the novel can be another subject to analyze.
5.2.2 Suggestion for Teaching Learning Activities
The Zahir provides some topics that can be used for teaching. For example, the term zahiritself which means obsession. The narrator in the novel is obsessed with his wife, Esther, since she left him. He thinks of her, he sees her everywhere and he looks for Esther in every woman he meets. Esther becomes his
zahir. This can be an interesting topic to discuss in the classroom. Everyone experiences it.
48
REFERENCES
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50
APPENDIX 1
SUMMARY OF THE ZAHIR
The story begins when the narrator of the novel, a bestselling novelist, discovers that his wife disappears one day without any trace. Her name is Esther, thirty years old, a war correspondent. The narrator thinks of some possibilities. Is she kidnapped, blackmailed, or murdered? Of all the hypotheses, the most reasonable one is that she leaves him for another man. He cannot find the reason why his wife, Esther, does that. He thinks their marriage is fine. Like other ordinary marriages, they argue sometimes, but they never mention about divorce. He has to admit that he often has affairs with some women. He does not have to worry that Esther will know it because they agree that they never talk about it. Esther, anyway, is the one who always encourages him to write books until he becomes a famous author like now.
including things about Esther. So does Marie. She tells him things in her life, including her love story. They are very open with each other. Moreover, he knows that she loves him and tries to show it to him. Although he already has Marie, he cannot stop thinking about Esther. He realizes that Esther is the reason he lives. He thinks that his love to Esther is different with he has with Marie. Marie knows it. That is why she always encourages him to find his wife, Esther. So that he can find solution of his marriage and make clear decision for their relationship.
In an event where he has to sign books, he meets this man; a young man who is believed to be the one with whom his wife disappears. Esther talks over and over again about him, a twenty-five Kazakhstan boy who once becomes her translator. His name is Mikhail. Since the meeting, the narrator always makes some contacts with Mikhail. From him he knows that his wife is fine and waits for him somewhere. Mikhail tells the narrator that that time is not yet right if he wants to see his wife, but he promises when the time is right he will tell him where he can find Esther.
