THE CAUSES OF LONELINESS
AS EXPERIENCED BY TORU WATANABE
IN HARUKI MURAKAMI’S
NORWEGIAN WOOD
A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Christiana Anindya Putri
Student Number: 101214094
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
i
THE CAUSES OF LONELINESS
AS EXPERIENCED BY TORU WATANABE
IN HARUKI MURAKAMI’S
NORWEGIAN WOOD
A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Christiana Anindya Putri
Student Number: 101214094
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
iv
“
There is no
elevator to success.
You have to take
the stairs.”
vii
ABSTRACT
Putri, Christiana Anindya. (2015). The Causes of Loneliness as Experienced by
Toru Watanabe in Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. Yogyakarta: English
Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.
This study discusses the causes of loneliness which is depicted in
Norwegian Wood, a novel written by a Japanese author named Haruki Murakami. The novel tells about Toru Watanabe who encounters loneliness during his college time and it worsens after the death of his best friend. The loss of his beloved one disconnects him from those around him and it leads him into loneliness.
The aim of this study is to discover the causes of loneliness as experienced by Toru Watanabe as the major character of the novel. Two research problems are formulated in this study, i. e. 1) How is Toru Watanabe’s character described in the novel? and 2) What are the causes of loneliness as experienced by Toru Watanabe?
To answer both research questions, the writer used library research as the method of this study. Psychological approach was applied in this study because it focuses on the psychological side of human being. The primary source of the study was a novel entitled Norwegian Wood. Meanwhile, the secondary sources of this study were books, journals, and articles that contained the related theories or reviews about psychological approach, loneliness, theory of character and characterization, and theory of human needs.
From the analyses, the study reveals that Toru Watanabe is described as a loner, caring, ordinary, unconfident, and self-doubted person. In addition, there are three causes of loneliness as experienced by Toru Watanabe, namely Toru lacks of companionship, Toru is unable to attain his desired relationship with Naoko, and Toru lacks of belongingness and love needs, self-esteem needs, and self-actualization needs.
The suggestions for the future researchers who are interested in analyzing
Norwegian Wood are to discover the causes of loneliness as experienced by other characters, such as Naoko. In addition, the future researchers may also explore about Naoko and her schizophrenia. Besides, since there are some characters who commit suicide in the young age, the future researchers may also analyze the meaning of death as seen by Toru Watanabe.
viii
ABSTRAK
Putri, Christiana Anindya. (2015). The Causes of Loneliness as Experienced by
Toru Watanabe in Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. Yogyakarta: Pendidikan
Bahasa Inggris, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Penelitian ini membahas tentang kesepian yang diceritakan dalam Norwegian Wood, sebuah novel karya penulis Jepang bernama Haruki Murakami. Novel ini menceritakan tentang Toru Watanabe, tokoh yang mengalami kesepian yang terjadi setelah kematian sahabatnya. Rasa kehilangan yang dialami oleh Toru Watanabe membuatnya menjauh dari orang-orang di sekitarnya dan mengakibatkan rasa kesepian.
Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menemukan penyebab kesepian yang dialami oleh Toru Watanabe sebagai tokoh utama dalam novel. Dua masalah telah dirumuskan dalam penelitian ini, yaitu 1) Bagaimana tokoh Toru Watanabe digambarkan dalam novel? dan 2) Apakah penyebab kesepian yang dialami oleh Toru Watanabe?
Untuk menjawab rumusan masalah tersebut, penulis menggunakan studi pustaka sebagai metode penelitian. Pendekatan psikologi juga diterapkan karena pendekatan tersebut membahas tentang sisi psikologis manusia. Sumber primer dari penelitian ini adalah sebuah novel yang berjudul Norwegian Wood. Sumber sekunder dari penelitian ini adalah buku, jurnal, dan artikel yang terdiri dari teori atau ulasan yang berkaitan dengan pendekatan psikologi, kesepian, teori karakter dan karakterisasi, serta teori kebutuhan manusia.
Berdasarkan analisa data, hasil temuan dapat disimpulkan sebagai berikut. Pertama, Toru Watanabe digambarkan sebagai tokoh yang penyendiri, perhatian, sederhana, tidak percaya diri dan meragukan diri sendiri. Kedua, penyebab kesepian yang dialami oleh Toru Watanabe adalah Toru tidak mempunyai banyak teman, Toru tidak dapat mencapai hubungan yang dikehendakinya dengan Naoko dan Toru kekurangan kebutuhan akan rasa cinta dan rasa memiliki, kebutuhan akan harga diri, dan kebutuhan akan aktualisasi diri.
Saran untuk penelitian lebih lanjut yang tertarik untuk menganalisa Norwegian Wood yaitu menemukan penyebab kesepian yang dialami oleh karakter lain, yaitu Naoko. Terlebih lagi, peneliti berikutnya dapat meneliti tentang Naoko dan penyakit schizophrenia yang dideritanya. Selain itu, karena banyaknya karakter yang bunuh diri di usia muda, para peneliti berikutnya dapat menganalisa makna dari kematian dilihat oleh Toru Watanabe.
ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to send my greatest gratitude and praise to Jesus
Christ. I truly thank Him for His endless blessing and love upon the process of
writing this thesis. I believe that without His guidance I would not have been able
to finish this thesis and give my best and my very best.
The greatest gratitude and deep appreciation of mine go to my thesis
advisor Ibu Veronica Triprihatmini, S.Pd., M.Hum., M.A. who has patiently
guided and encouraged me during this challenging process of writing my thesis. I
thank her for the valuable advices, correction, suggestions, and motivation given
to me sincerely. Her dedication has surely led me to finish the thesis successfully.
I also owe a great debt to all lecturers of English Language Education Study
Program for their assistance during my study in Sanata Dharma University. I
would peculiarly thank Drs. Barli Bram M.Ed., Ph.D. for being a supportive
academic advisor of my class. Besides, I also thank all staff of English Language
Education Study Program for all the help during my study.
My deep gratitude also goes to my beloved family: Bapak Antonius
Purwono Budi Santoso, Ibu Laurentia Sri Waluyajati and Mas Ignatius
Aditya Pratama for their sincere and unconditional love, and support in many
aspects. My gratitude also goes to my big families, House of Maridi and House
of Darmopuspito for all support and prayers given to me. May God always grant
x
My sincerest thanks also go to my beloved best friends – Dhea, Siwi,
Mbak Nay, Ratih, Gistha, Ajeng, Yeskha, and Tika – for helping, reminding,
and supporting me in writing my thesis and for all the ups and downs that we have
been through together. I also would like to thank my best friends who have been
great companions since six years ago and still counting: Bernadetta Prawesti,
Eska Nugrahaeningtyas and Fransiska Novieta. For every companion, support
and togetherness, I thank my Global Leadership Program buddies (Billy,
Detha, Lili, Nino, Nafta), all best friends in Galaxy, all best friends in Adele, all
best friends in Kelompok 39 KKN XLVII USD, and all good friends in ELESP
Sanata Dharma University batch 2010. I also would like to express my
appreciation to my friends in OMK Santo Laurensius for spending time
together and forgetting thesis for a while. I also want to address my gratitude to
Mas Paskalis Damar Aji Kurnia, S.Pd, and Mbak Musrifatun Nangimah,
S.Pd. for proofreading my thesis and giving valuable suggestions.
Last but not least, I want to address my gratitude to those people who
sincerely motivate, inspire, and help me in many ways. I apologize for not being
able to mention the names one by one. May God grant them His sincere love and
blessing.
xi
PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ... vi
ABSTRACT ... vii
1. Psychological Approach to Literature ... 9
2. Theory of Character ... 10
3. Theory of Characterization ... 11
4. Theory of Human Needs ... 12
5. Review about Loneliness ... 15
xii CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY
A.Object of the Study ... 22
B. Approach of the Study ... 23
C.Method of the Study ... 23
CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS A.The Description of Toru Watanabe ... 25
1. A Loner ... 27
2. An Ordinary Person ... 33
3. A Caring Person ... 35
4. A Self-Doubted Person ... 40
B. The Causes of Loneliness as Experienced by Toru Watanabe ... 43
1. Lack of Companionship ... 43
2. Unable to Attain His Desired Relationship ... 48
3. Lack of Belongingness and Love Needs, Esteem Needs, and Self-Actualization Needs ... 52
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND SUGGESTIONS A.Conclusions ... 60
B. Implications ... 62
C.Suggestions ... 66
xiii
LIST OF APPENDICES
Page
APPENDIX I Summary of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood ... 70
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This chapter is divided into five parts. The first part is background of the
study which explains the description of the topic and also the reasons why the
topic is chosen. The second is the objectives of the study that describes the aim of
conducting the research. The third is problem formulation which consists of two
questions that describe the problems which will be answered. The next part is the
benefits of the study that identifies the benefits for the writer, the reader in
general, and the next researchers. The last is definition of terms which presents
some terms related to the study and its explanation.
A. Background of the Study
Humans are not just biological creatures; they are social creatures as well.
Living in this world insists human to be social creatures because human’s life
depends on other humans. All human beings are unable to live without others.
Thus, they have to build relationship in order to fulfill their needs. Besides, all of
us need other people in order to be well and thrive. It also means that their
survival also depends on another human’s effort and help. The relationship and
connections among humans are the key of survival even happiness. For instance,
people need others to talk to and to have fun in order to be happy.
As social creatures, all human beings need to interact with others.
and tend to be alone. Those who withdraw themselves from society might have
difficulties in establishing relationship with others. People who have difficulty in
establishing relationships will have negative effect, for instance: loneliness.
Loneliness is an unpleasant psychological experience which occurs in human
being’s life. According to Perlman and Peplau (1984), a person’s characteristics
such as shyness, low self-esteem, introversion, and lack of social skill are able to
trigger loneliness. Dissatisfaction with the quality of actual relationship and the
loss of an important relationship through death or breaking up can also cause
loneliness.
People can be lonely or feel the loneliness while they are in the middle of a
crowd. Baron and Byrne (1987) state that loneliness can be a situation when a
person feels isolated and friendless although he or she is in the midst of crowd (p.
521). People can feel lonely while being surrounded by others because there is no
desire for social interaction or they are unsatisfied with the relationship that is
currently available. Losing the beloved one by death can also make a person feel
lonely. It is supported by Perlman and Peplau (1984) who say that the loss of an
important relationship through death, divorce, or breaking up is a factor of
loneliness (p. 23). When a person suffers from broken heart or losing the beloved
one, psychologically, he or she will feel the sadness. When someone feels sad,
physically, he or she probably will express the sad feelings with negative
behaviors. One of the examples is the person will close himself or herself from
Losing beloved one because of death is one example of the events which
happens in our real life. Normally, the sad feelings will slowly disappear and new
hopes to start a new life will come as well. However, if the sad feelings stay in
one’s heart for a long time, it will influence his or her life. The condition of losing
a beloved one happens in Toru Watanabe, the major character of Haruki
Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. Toru Watanabe has lost his best friend and he
experiences loneliness during his adolescent.
Set in Tokyo in the 1960s, the story focuses on Toru Watanabe, a
university student who is haunted by the suicide of his best friend named Kizuki,
which brings him into his loneliness and withdrawal toward society. Toru falls in
love with Naoko, Kizuki’s girlfriend who is isolated in her own mind. The death
of Kizuki affects Toru and Naoko deeply and it also brings Naoko into depression.
Both decide to attend college in Tokyo where they can get away from their past
memories. After a chance encounter on a train, Toru reignites his friendship with
Naoko and recalls his love to Naoko. As their relationship deepens, it becomes
apparent that Naoko is encountering depression. When they are separated, Toru
hopes that Naoko will recover, but his life becomes more complicated when he
meets an outgoing girl named Midori.
In this study, the writer uses a novel as the subject of the study. According
to Holman and Harmon (1986), novels are representations in fictional narrative of
life or experience (p. 336). Novel, as one example of literary works, presents the
reflection of human life which involves various characters and conversations in
happens in the novel also happens in the reality. Novel also brings out many
things in life which the readers have not experienced before. When reading a
novel, the readers are invited to visualize what they are reading with their own
imagination and, if possible, act as if they were one of the characters in the novel.
In addition, by reading the novel, the readers are able to get and learn some life
values provided in the story.
The writer chooses Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami because this
novel presents the real life events, i.e. losing beloved one and how to cope with
the grief. Besides, the sense of loneliness happens in the life of most characters,
including Toru Watanabe as the major character. Toru withdraws himself from
society and he feels lonely although he is in a crowded place. The suicide of his
best friend makes Toru deal with the grief and the loss of his beloved one.
From all those statements, the writer finds that the sorrow of loss is
unavoidable. When a person unable to deals with the grief of losing and step
forward, he or she will stick to the past and it might cause loneliness. Therefore,
the writer wants to see the causes of loneliness as experienced by Toru Watanabe
in Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood.
B. Problem Formulation
Based on previous explanation, the problems of this study can be
formulated as follows:
1. How is Toru Watanabe’s character described in the novel?
C. Objectives of the Study
The objective of the study is to discover the causes of loneliness as
experienced by Toru Watanabe, the major character of Haruki Murakami’s
Norwegian Wood. In order to discover the causes of loneliness, this study will
focus on analyzing the characteristic of Toru Watanabe. The characteristics of
Toru Watanabe and the causes of loneliness will be presented in chapter IV of this
study.
D. Benefits of the Study
The study hopefully brings some benefits in many ways for the writer and
the reader as well. First, it is expected that this study will become one of the
information sources and enrich the knowledge for those who read Haruki
Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. Second, the readers and the writer are able to
study the deeper message from the novel. Hopefully, the readers can get a better
understanding about the novel since this study tries to explore the characteristic of
Toru Watanabe as the major character and the causes of loneliness which is
experienced by Toru. Third, the writer hopes this study can be beneficial for
Sanata Dharma University students, especially for English Language Education
Study Program, by providing learning materials. For the next researchers which
related to the subject of this study, hopefully this study can give a contribution to
the deeper comprehensive study concerned in literary works, especially in the
E. Definition of Terms
The following is the important terms used in this study. In order to avoid
confusion and misunderstanding, the important terms used in this study are
clarified, namely loneliness and character.
1. Loneliness
Loneliness is a psychological experience which occurs in human being’s
life and it is typically an unpleasant experience. According to Peplau and Perlman
(1982), loneliness is a feeling which appears whenever a person is unable to attain
his or her desired relationship (as cited in Baron, 1974, p. 521). Loneliness is
different from solitude, as Tillich (1985) already states that solitude expresses the
joy of being alone, while loneliness expresses the pain of feeling alone (as cited in
Vanhalst, 2012, p. 4). This study will discover the causes of loneliness as
experienced by the major character of Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. Besides, the
phrase “the causes of loneliness” means to explain the nature of loneliness as
experienced by Toru Watanabe in the novel.
2. Character
Characters are the important element in literary works because characters
inhabit the story and build the readers’ interest. Abrams (2012) defines characters
as the persons which are introduced in a narrative or dramatic work and
interpreted by the readers through the dialogues and the actions (p. 46). The
a story and described by the readers through his or her action, appearance, and
speech to find the personality. In this study, the character which will be observed
8
CHAPTER II
REVIEWS OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter presents the theories which are used to analyze the topic of
the study. It is divided into three parts, namely review of related study, review of
related theories and theoretical framework. Review of related study reviews other
related study on the same work which has been done previously. Review of
related theory presents several theories which will be applied for conducting the
study. Meanwhile, theoretical framework explains the contribution of the theories
to solve the problem and the reason why this study applies such theories.
A. Review of Related Study
Norwegian Wood is a novel written by a Japanese author named Haruki
Murakami. Since this novel is interesting to discuss, there are many studies and
articles discussed this novel. One of them is an article written by Christopher
Mihalo which is entitled “The Triviality of a Pop Song: How Murakami’s
Character’s Overcome Detachedness”. This study analyzed the detachedness of
Toru Watanabe, the major character in Murakami’s Norwegian Wood, and
discussed the details of the events that lead Toru to his ultimate reentry into
society. In his study, Mihalo discovered several leading factors of Toru’s
detachment with society, one of them is Toru recalls his love for Naoko. Because
However, Toru is preferred to live in a comfortable solitude which means that his
solitude and detachment are a conscious choice.
In his study, Mihalo stated that being detached from society means a
person cares only on himself or herself. Thus, he concluded that overcoming
detachment can be done by conveying feeling towards others. It can be seen on
the novel when Toru is finally able to portray any internal feeling besides
loneliness and this feeling is directed towards another person.
This study is also going to analyze the same character on the previous
study. However, the goal of this study is different from the goal of previous study.
The previous study analyzed how Toru Watanabe overcomes his detachment.
Meanwhile, this study will analyze the character of Toru Watanabe and discover
the causes of loneliness as experienced by Toru Watanabe.
B. Review of Related Theories
There are numbers of theories related to this study. This part includes
those theories used in conducting this study. They are theory of character, theory
of characterization, theory of human needs, and review of loneliness.
1. Psychological Approach to Literature
Rohberger and Woods (1971) note that there are five critical approaches
used to analyze a work of literature, one of them is a psychological approach.
Psychological approach is an approach which focuses on the character’s feeling,
psychological approach analyzes a novel from psychological side of human
beings. It intends to understand the pattern of human personality and behavior.
Thus, the characters’ behavior and thought can be appropriately understood by
using a psychological approach (pp. 6-15). In this study, a psychological approach
is used to explore the information related to the personality of a character from the
psychological point of view.
2. Theory of Character
Character is one element in a novel despite setting, plot, theme,
symbolism, point of view, etc. In the novel, characters have important roles since
they enliven the story and build the readers’ interest. The creations of character
make the readers understand and experience what the author wants to convey
through the works since characters are the representation of human being. Abrams
(2012) defines characters as the persons introduced in a dramatic or narrative
work that show moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities which are revealed
through the action and the dialogue (p. 46). In this point, character is understood
as the qualities that describes a particular figure in the story.
Characters in fiction drama have many categories, depending on the
context. Henkle (1977) divides characters into two categories, namely major
character and secondary character or minor character (p. 88). Henkle defines
major character as a character which is presented with fullness of detail and he or
she usually becomes the central or the focus of the story. The importance of major
beginning until the end of the story. On the other hand, minor character or
secondary character is a character which appears just in certain event and
performs limited function in the story. However, minor characters are important to
strengthen the development of major character since they become the background
of the major character.
In addition, Foster (1927) distinguishes the characters into two kinds,
namely flat and round character (as cited in Barnet, 2011, p. 358-359). A flat
character is relatively simple and static. It usually has only one trait or feature and
does not change as the story progresses. Compared to flat character, a round
character is presented with several traits. It is likely to be complex and dynamic,
in which the character changes at the end of the story.
3. Theory of Characterization
Characterization has an important role in a novel. Kennedy and Gioia
(2011) define characterization as a technique used by the author to create, reveal,
or develop the characters (p. 106). This is supported by Rohrberger and Woods
(1971) who declare that characterization is a process in which the author creates a
character. It means that the author can create the living characters which will
influence the reader’s perspective on a literary work through characterization.
In characterizing an individual in literary works, the author may use some
methods. Murphy (1972) proposes nine ways in which an author conveys the
personalities of the characters in order to be understandable for the readers. It can
attribute which may refer to the way character’s dresses. The authors also can give
the readers direct knowledge about the character from what he or she is saying
and thinking about. Past life of the character also gives some hints of events that
contribute in shaping the character. Besides, the author can describe the character
indirectly through the eyes and opinions of other characters. It can be seen
through conversation of others and things they say about him or her. Moreover,
the author can present his or her comment on the character directly in order to
make the character is easy to be understood. Also, the author can give clues of
one’s character by presenting how a person reacts to various situation and conflict
and describing that person’s mannerism, habits, or unusual features (pp. 161-173).
It means that the author can show the character directly and indirectly. Both of
them are used to make the readers understand the character of the story. By
understanding the character, the readers are able to imagine what kind of person
he or she is.
4. Theory of Human Needs
Maslow (1954) develops hierarchy of needs which becomes the most
popular theory of human needs. The basis of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is that
human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that the needs on the lowest
stage should be satisfied first before the higher needs can be fulfilled. According
to Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” (1954), there are five stages in hierarchy of
needs. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is presented in the shape of a pyramid that
bottom and the highest of need is placed at the top of the pyramid. According to
Maslow (as cited in Feist, 2011, p.280-284), those five basic needs are:
a. Physiological Needs
Physiological needs are the basic, lowest and strongest one in the hierarchy
of needs. This need covers the basic life needs such as water, food, oxygen, and so
on. These needs must be fulfilled at some minimal level by each human in his or
her life before someone is able to move to the higher level. If these needs are not
fulfilled yet, the person will be not motivated to fulfill the higher level of needs.
Physiological needs differ from other needs because it is the only needs which can
be satisfied or even overly satisfied. Besides, physiological needs are able to
reappear because of its recurring nature.
b. Safety Needs
After the physiological needs are fulfilled, human will start to pursue the
higher level of needs which is safety or security needs. This includes physical
security, stability, dependency, protection, and freedom from threatening forces
i.e. war, terrorism, illness, fear, anxiety, danger, chaos and natural disaster.
c. Love and Belongingness Needs
Once the safety needs are fulfilled, people become motivated by love and
belongingness needs. Humans need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance,
which is expected to be found both in one’s society and family. Besides, they need
to love and be loved by others. Love and belongingness needs cover the desire for
neighborhood, or a nation. Deprivation to this need will lead to loneliness, social
anxiety and clinical depression.
d. Esteem Needs
To the extent that people satisfy their love and belongingness needs, they
start to pursue esteem needs, which include self-respect, confidence, competence,
and knowledge. Maslow divides two level of esteem needs namely reputation and
self-esteem. Reputation is the perception of prestige or recognition achieved by a
person which is seen by the eyes of others. Meanwhile, self-esteem is a person’s
own feeling of worth and confidence. When this need is met, people will be
confident and valuable. On the other hand, people with low self-esteem will show
lack of confidence in themselves and often believe that they are unworthy of the
attention or regard of other people. This can lead to isolation and loneliness.
e. Self-actualization Needs
The last and the highest needs in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are the self
-actualization needs. This includes self-fulfillment, the realization of all one’s
potential, and a desire to become creative in the full sense of the word. These
needs are psychological needs which develop and exploit all of his or her
capabilities, potentialities, and talents to be everything he or she wants. It will
enable a person to improve him or herself thoroughly and reach a healthy mental
5. Review about Loneliness
There are many reviews about loneliness proposed by experts which is
related to the topic of this study. This part presents a review about loneliness used
in conducting and supporting this study. They are definitions of loneliness, types
of loneliness, causes of loneliness, and the effects of loneliness.
a. Definitions of Loneliness
Human being needs to interact with others by establishing relationships.
Establishing relationships with others is a universal and fundamental human need.
People who have difficulty in establishing relationships will have negative effects,
which is likely to be loneliness. Loneliness is a psychological experience which
occurs in human being’s life and it is typically an unpleasant experience. Many
different definitions of loneliness have been offered by researchers. Peplau and
Perlman (1982) define loneliness as a feeling which appears whenever a person is
unable to attain his or her desired relationship (as cited in Baron, 1974, p. 521).
This is supported by Kimnel and Weiner (1985), who define loneliness as an
unpleasant experience because of a discrepancy between one’s actual relationship
and desired companionship (p. 330). In addition, Baron and Byrne (1987) state
that loneliness can be a situation when a person feels isolated and friendless
although he or she is in the midst of crowd (p. 521). In conclusion, loneliness is a
situation when a person is friendless or a situation in which a person has inability
People can be alone without being lonely. According to Baron and Byrne
(1987), being alone is different from feeling lonely (p. 523). It is supported by
Tillich (1959), who also distinguishes solitude and loneliness (as cited in
Vanhalst, 2012, p.4). He explains that solitude expresses the joy of being alone
while loneliness expresses the pain of feeling alone. Many people prefer solitude;
it is when they choose to be alone but they do not feel lonely. For instance, a
person is able to make friends and interact with them well and yet prefer to spend
some times alone. It is usually done in order to spend leisure time in solitary
activities such as pursuing a hobby, reading a book, listening to music, or having a
self-reflection.
b. Types of Loneliness
Many social scientists have identified various forms of loneliness. In
Perlman and Peplau (1984), there are three dimensions which divide loneliness
into different types (as cited in Peplau and Goldston, 1984, p. 16). These
dimensions have to do with the positive or negative nature, the source, and the
duration of loneliness.
The first dimension was suggested by Moustakas (1961), namely positive
or negative nature (as cited in Peplau and Goldston, 1984, p. 16). He divides
loneliness into existential loneliness and loneliness anxiety. According to
Moustakas (1961), existential loneliness is a part of human condition which is
self-confrontation. In contrast, loneliness anxiety is a negative experience as the result
of alienation.
The second way of categorizing forms of loneliness can be seen from its
source. Weiss (1973) distinguishes loneliness into emotional loneliness and social
loneliness (as cited in Peplau and Goldston, 1984, p. 17). Emotional loneliness is
a subjective feeling manifested by the absence of a personal or close relationship.
The antecedents of this kind of loneliness are divorce, bereavement, etc.
Meanwhile, social loneliness is a subjective feeling caused by the lack of a
sufficient number of friends or an adequate network of social relationship. The
antecedents of this form of loneliness are losing of a job, being rejected by peers,
feeling unacceptable and not belonging to a community.
The third dimension is duration of loneliness. Young (1982) divides
loneliness into three types (as cited in Peplau and Goldston, 1984, p. 17).
Transient loneliness or everyday loneliness is the shortest duration of loneliness
which includes brief and occasional lonely moods. Situational or transitional
loneliness occurs when people who have satisfying relationships have to undergo
a specific change, such as divorce, bereavement or moving to a new town. The
last is chronic loneliness which occurs when a person lacks of satisfactory social
relations for a period of two or more years.
c. The Causes of Loneliness
Many factors can contribute to the experience of loneliness. Perlman and
precipitating factors (p. 23). Predisposing factors are factors that make people
vulnerable to loneliness while precipitating factors are factors that trigger
loneliness.
The first predisposing factor is a person’s characteristics which are
associated with loneliness such as shyness, low self-esteem, self-consciousness,
introversion, and lack of social skill. Situational factors are able to predispose
people to loneliness. Some basic situational factors are time, distance and money.
For instance, a student who takes a lot of courses and gets tight schedule may
have little time to make friends and interact well with his or her friends.
Cultural differences in values also considered as predisposing factors.
Perlman and Peplau (1998) consider that cultural differences in value seem likely
to affect the experience of loneliness (p. 573). One example of culture differences
that can lead to loneliness is individualistic values. American culture has been
characterized as being individualistic and it influences their values. American
values encourage personal independence and the attainment of individual’s goals.
In contrast, other cultures in Asia are more collectivistic where the values
encourage loyalty to family and harmony in social relations. The individualistic in
American culture and the collectivistic in Asian Culture are the examples of
predisposing factors towards loneliness.
According to Perlman and Peplau (1984), precipitating factor is an event
which usually changes a person’s actual or desired/needed relationship (p. 23).
The examples of precipitating factors are the loss of an important relationship
has found that leaving family and friends to begin college, breaking up of
romantic relationship, and having problems with friends or relative are the three
most frequent events that precipitate loneliness among college students (as cited in
Peplau and Goldston, 1984, p. 26). Indirectly, it can be said that precipitating
factors mostly come from a troubled relationship with others.
Perlman and Peplau (1998) say that loneliness can also arise from the
nature of a person’s actual relationship and dissatisfaction with the quality of
existing relationship. In addition, Perlman and Peplau (1984) also state that
loneliness results from a mismatch between a person’s actual relationship and a
person’s needed or desired relationship. In short, a failure to establish desired
relationship and dissatisfaction with an actual relationship can lead to loneliness.
d. The Effects of Loneliness
Loneliness is an unpleasant experience and it is usually seen as a negative
experience with negative effects as well. Russel (1982) mentions that people with
loneliness usually feel depressed, anxious, unhappy, and shy. In addition, Jones,
Freeman, and Goswick (1981) also mention that those who are lonely express low
self-esteem (as cited in Baron and Byrne, 1974, p. 522). Those negative feelings
of lonely people will make them have difficulty to communicate and incapable of
making and keeping friends, which may lead to antisocial behavior.
A lonely individual is likely to feel left out and spend time without
companionship each day because loneliness may cause the inability of
are lonely would have fewer friends and engage in fewer social activities (as cited
in Baron and Byrne, 1994, p. 522). Having no one to talk to and no one to share
with are painful since the lonely people distance themselves from others. Herbert
(1995) also adds that social phobia is mostly likely to develop when lonely young
people begin to distance themselves from others in adolescent stage (as cited in
Baron and Byrne, 1994, p. 284). People with social phobia will avoid others as a
way to protect themselves from embarrassments and humiliation.
According to Kimnel and Weiner (1985), loneliness also fosters the feeling
of alienation and social inadequacy. Those who are lonely usually express low
self-esteem and lack of confidence, which make them feel inferior to other people
and believe that they are unworthy of attention. Page (1991) mentions that an
extremely lonely person with worst feeling of despair considers that life is
hopeless and it can sometimes lead to suicide (as cited in Baron and Byrne, 1994,
p. 284). In conclusion, loneliness is an unpleasant experience since it has negative
effects for the person who has loneliness problem.
C. Theoretical Framework
Based on the formulated problems, this study intends to reveal the causes
of loneliness as experienced by Toru Watanabe, which is depicted in Haruki
Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. In order to find the causes of loneliness and help
the writer to answer the research problems, psychological approach is used as the
approach of this study. Psychological approach enables the writer to explore the
based on the fact that this study focuses on a psychological problem which is
about loneliness.
There are some theories applied to analyze the novel and answer the
problem formulation. Theory of character and characterization are used to answer
the first question of the problem formulation. It is used as the basis in analyzing
the characteristic of Toru Watanabe as the major character in Norwegian Wood
novel. Toru’s characteristic can be identified from his past life, personal
description, reactions, speech, thoughts, and character as seen by another.
Therefore, in order to cope with the analysis of the character, it is important to
present theories related to the character.
The writer uses review of related study, theory of human needs, and
review of loneliness to answer the second question of the problem formulation.
The review of related study will be useful in analyzing the leading factors of
loneliness experienced by Toru Watanabe. Moreover, understanding the leading
factors of Toru Watanabe’s loneliness will also help the writer to determine the
causes of loneliness as experienced by Toru. Theory of human needs and review
of loneliness are beneficial to analyze the causes of loneliness as experienced by
22
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter contains the methodology of the study, which is divided into
three sections. They are the object of the study, the approach of the study, and the
method of the study. The object of the study presents the description of the novel.
Moreover, the focus of the study is also presented in this section. The approach of
the study explains the approach that is applied in this study. The last method of
the study explains the steps used in conducting the study, such as of the data
gathering and analysis of the work.
A. Object of the Study
The object of this study is a novel entitled Norwegian Wood, written by a
well-known Japanese author named Haruki Murakami. Norwegian Wood is a
translated novel and originally published in Japan as Noruwei no Mori in 1987.
Noruwei no Mori has been translated into English twice. This study used the
second translation by Jay Rubin which was first published in 2000. Published by
Vintage International, the novel consists of 389 pages that are divided into 11
chapters. This story was also adapted to a movie with the same title with the
novel, Norwegian Wood, which was released in 2010.
Norwegian Wood is narrated by Toru Watanabe as the protagonist, who at the age
of 37 recalls his days as a college student in the 1960s in Tokyo. Toru is a young
Kizuki. He falls in love with Naoko, Kizuki’s girlfriend who is damaged by
Kizuki’s suicide and struggling with her depression. The death of Kizuki affects
Toru and Naoko deeply. Both of Toru and Naoko decide to attend college in
Tokyo where they can escape from their past memories. Moreover, Kizuki’s death
also makes Toru experience loneliness during his college time. The further
information about the author and the summary of Norwegian Wood can be seen
on Appendices I and II (pp. 70 - 74).
B. Approach of the Study
The study is focused on the causes of loneliness as experienced by Toru
Watanabe, the major character in Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. Therefore,
psychological approach is applied in this study. This approach aims to examine
and analyze the novel from psychological point of view of human beings. In this
approach, psychological theories are used to know human behavior and
motivation that may affect someone’s personality in the literary works. The
psychological approach is suitable in this study because it analyzes the
psychological condition, such as the characters’ behavior, thoughts, personality,
and motivation. Thus, the approach helps to reveal the characteristic of Toru
Watanabe and the causes of loneliness.
C. Method of the Study
Library research was applied in this study in order to identify the sources
divided into two, namely primary source and secondary sources. The primary
source was a novel entitled Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. Meanwhile,
the secondary sources of this study were books, journals, and online references
that contained the related theories about character, characterization, and human
needs and reviews of loneliness. The data collected from the secondary sources
were used to support the analysis.
This study was conducted by following several steps. The first step was
reading the novel thoroughly for several times for the sake of gaining a better
comprehension of the character and the story as well. In this step, a number of
quotations from the novel were marked to collect the data. The second step was
collecting theories and reviews related to the study in order to support the analysis
part. In the next step, the related theories and reviews were applied to analyze the
problem formulation. The character and characterization theories were applied to
discover how Toru Watanabe is described in the story. Meanwhile, theory of
human needs and review of loneliness were implemented to identify the causes of
loneliness. After discovering the causes of loneliness, the conclusions were drawn.
In order to verify the result of the study, a verification process was taken
after the analysis was finished and the conclusions were drawn. An expert in the
field of psychology was requested to comment on the result of the study which
concerned with the psychology of human being, i.e. Toru Watanabe. Lastly, the
25
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
This chapter aims to answer the formulated problems which have been
stated in Chapter I. It is divided into two parts. The first part describes Toru
Watanabe as the major character in Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood.
Meanwhile, the second part analyzes the causes of loneliness as experienced by
Toru Watanabe.
A. The Description of Toru Watanabe
This section deals with the characteristic of Toru Watanabe as a major
character in Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. According to Henkle (1977),
major character has fullness of details and becomes the focus of the story (p. 88).
Toru is the major character of the story since he dominates the story and he
appears from the beginning until the end of the story. He also deserves the fullest
attention because he has a crucial role in shaping and making up the story. The
story itself tells about how Toru experiences loneliness during his college days.
The story begins when Toru, the narrator of the story, recalls the events
that happened to him when he was a college student in the 1960s. He is haunted
by the suicide of his best friend named Kizuki and the sad feeling stays in his
heart for a long time. During the story, Toru struggles to escape from his past
memories, tries to find himself, and survive from various problems. He begins to
Toru’s journeys as he is unsure of what he wants to do with his life, but towards
the ends he knows how to deal with the situation and comes out to be stronger.
Thus, those evidences lead the writer to a conclusion that Toru is the major
character of the story.
Toru is also considered as a round character in the story because he
changes at the end of the story. It is supported by Foster (1972) who states that a
round character is presented with several traits and it changes at the end of the
story. In Norwegian Wood, Toru is described as a loner person who loves being
alone. Although he is a loner, he makes some friends yet his friendship is limited
to some persons only. Moreover, Toru is also unable to open up his heart and
speak honestly about his feeling since Kizuki’s death. Therefore, Toru finds it
difficult to get closer with others. Mihalo (2009) also states in his study that Toru
shows a failure to communicate with others because of his loneliness. However, in
the end of the story, Toru who gets involved with Midori finally conveys his
feeling towards Midori. Mihalo (2009) says that if being lonely means caring
about oneself, then a sign of overcoming loneliness is conveying feeling towards
others. Toru who is unable to speak honestly about his feeling since Kizuki’s
death finally portrays any internal feeling besides loneliness. Thus, it can be
concluded that Toru is a round character because he changes his personality as a
person who is unable to open up his heart by conveying his feeling for others.
In order to analyze the characteristics of Toru Watanabe, the writer uses
theory of characterization proposed by Murphy. According to Murphy (1972),
Those are personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past life,
conversations of others, reactions, direct comment, thoughts, and mannerisms. In
order to determine the character of Toru, several ways of Murphy’s theory are
applied in the study, i. e. personal description, character as seen by another,
speech, past life, reactions, and thoughts.
1. A Loner
Throughout the story, Toru is told as a loner person who avoids the
company of others and tends to isolate himself. He always spends his time alone
and his socialization is limited only to some of his friends. Murphy (1972) states
that past life gives information to the reader in order to obtain a clue or
information about events which will help to shape a person’s character (p. 166). In
his family, Toru is the one and only child who never once felt deprived or wished
to have siblings because he is satisfied of being alone (p. 285). Toru’s past life
shows that he used to be alone since he was a child and he does not have any
wishes to have siblings because he feels alright. That is one of clues how he is
depicted as a loner.
Toru’s character as a person who loves being alone can also be seen from
his speech. According to Murphy (1972), one’s character can be seen when a
character speaks, has conversation with others, and puts forward an opinion (p.
164). Based on Toru’s conversation with Midori, a class-mate in his drama class,
Toru is described as a person who enjoys being alone. When Toru talks with
“Do you always travel alone like that?” “Uh-huh.”
“You enjoy solitude?” she asked, leaning her check on her hand. “Travelling alone, eating alone, sitting off by yourself in lecture halls…” “Nobody likes being alone that much. I don’t go out of my way to make
friends, that’s all. It just leads to disappointment.” (pp. 70-71).
Toru’s conversation with Midori depicts that Toru does not want to insist himself
to make friends because he thinks it will hurt and disappoint him. He is afraid of
being left behind after he finally gets friends and builds a good friendship.
Besides, Toru still has an emotional wound after Kizuki’s suicide since Kizuki is
the one and only best friend he has.
Toru also confesses his reason why he likes to do things alone when he
talks with Reiko, Naoko’s roommate in sanatorium. When Toru has a chance to
visit Naoko’s sanatorium, Toru has a conversation with Reiko and he explains
why he tends to be a loner and it is because he loves to do things alone by himself.
Moreover, Toru also says that he is not good at playing games with other people
and he cannot get into them as well.
“Just kidding,” she said. “Don’t get mad. But really, though, what are you good at?”
“Nothing special. I have things I like to do.” “For instance?”
“Hiking trips. Swimming, Reading.” “You like to do things alone, then?”
“I guess so. I could never get excited about games you play with other people. I can’t get excited about games you play with other people. I can’t get into them. I lose interest.” (p. 153)
The previous excerpt reveals that Toru loves to do things alone because Toru loses
his interest in activities with other people.
Another proof reveals that Toru is truly a loner can be seen from his senior
unsociable characteristic. Toru does not have a lot of friends at school and he only
has Kizuki and Naoko as his close friends. It is proved from how Toru says about
his relationship with others. “And Kizuki was my only friend. There was never
anybody I could really call a friend, before him or after him.” (p. 170). His
utterance points out that Kizuki is Toru’s best and only friend in high school and
he does not have a close friend like Kizuki after Kizuki’s death. Toru also makes
friend with Naoko who was Kizuki’s girlfriend. The three of them always stay
together most of the time and embrace happy life. Unfortunately, the relationship
between Toru and Naoko does not last for long because Kizuki has committed
suicide leaving Toru and Naoko to a long life without him. Since there is nothing
to bond them, both Toru and Naoko go their separate ways.
Murphy (1972) also says that a person’s character can be seen from what a
person is thinking about (p. 171). In this case, Toru is described as a loner from
the way he thinks of his preference for living. When Toru moves to Tokyo as a
freshman and chooses a place to live in, he thinks that it will be better for him to
rent an apartment where he can live alone. Although he is new to Tokyo and new
to live alone, Toru does not seem to be afraid and he chooses to live alone rather
than shares a room with a friend. On the other hand, his anxious parents have
found a private dormitory to live in due to its low expenses and facilities.
For my part, I would have preferred to rent an apartment and live in comfortable solitude, but knowing what my parents had to spend on matriculation fees and tuition at the private university I was attending, I
was in no position to insist. And besides, I really didn’t care where I live.
Toru’s preference for living alone rather than live in the dormitory with a
roommate reveals that Toru enjoys of being alone. Mihalo (2009) also states in his
study that Toru’s preference for living alone proves that Toru readily recognizes
his inclination towards spending life alone. Thus, it shows that not being engaged
with other people by living alone is something that Toru willingly decides to do.
In the dormitory, Toru makes a good friend with a guy named Nagasawa
and both of them share the same interest to read books. Nagasawa is the only
person in the dormitory who has read Toru’s favorite book at that time entitled
The Great Gatsby. Nagasawa occasionally takes Toru with him when he goes to
the bars and picks up girls for one night stand, but Toru soon does not find
satisfaction by sleeping with other girls and becomes tired of this habit. Toru
thinks that his relationship with Nagasawa stands in stark contrast to his
relationship with Kizuki (p. 43). Although Toru is quite acknowledged in many
ways, he never opens his heart and discusses his personal life or problems with
Nagasawa because Toru ever saw him drunk and tormenting a girl. Moreover,
Toru still cannot open up his heart towards Nagasawa because of Kizuki’s suicide.
Toru thinks that he lost one person to whom he could speak honestly of his
feelings when he lost Kizuki (p. 56). Toru and Nagasawa never really connect and
they do not have deeper understanding of one another because Toru never told
about his personal things to Nagasawa. Based on Toru’s thought, Toru seems
reluctant to open up to anyone after the loss of his best friend.
Toru’s inability to show his openness and speak honestly about his
(1972) explains that a person’s character can be described through the opinions of
other characters (p. 162). In this case, Nagasawa comments on how tight-lipped
Toru is when it comes to his personal life (p. 272). Toru never tells Nagasawa
about his personal life although they already get along well together.
Toru’s reluctance to be open is also experienced by Midori, a girl from
Toru’s drama class. When Midori has her problems, Toru listens to her and even
helps her. However, when Toru has his problems, he just keeps it by himself and
is unwilling to tell Midori. The next paragraph is an excerpt from Midori’s letter
that proves that Kizuki’s death affects Toru’s openness with other people.
But don’t get me wrong. I’m not totally mad at you. I’m just sad. You were so nice to me when I was having my problems, but now that you’re
having yours, it seems there’s not a thing I can do for you. You’re locked up in all that little world of yours, and when I try knocking on the door, you just sort of look up for second and go right back inside. (p. 334)
Toru’s inability to speak honestly about his feeling makes a distance between him
and others around him. Besides, Toru’s choice to be a secretive person who does
not share his personal life proves that Toru never really seems to form a close
friendship with those around him since Kizuki’s suicide. As a result, Toru tends to
be alone instead of being with his friends.
In Norwegian Wood, Toru is always alone whenever he is. Toru
recognizes that he makes conscious choice to be alone. The description of Toru as
a loner can be seen from his reaction as what Murphy (1972) states that the way a
person reacts to various situations and events gives the readers information about
a person’s character (p. 168). Toru starts his new life in dormitory and university.
decides to establish a proper distance between himself and everything else (p.33).
He decides to distance himself and everything else because of Kizuki’s suicide.
The loss of Kizuki makes Toru believe that Toru will forget Kizuki’s death by
keeping a distance from anyone and everything else.
Living in dormitory and going to the university do not make Toru become
more sociable as well. Toru hardly knows anyone in the dormitory, except
Nagasawa and Storm Trooper, because Toru tends to keep a distance from him
and others (p. 39). Storm Trooper is Toru’s stuttering and fastidious roommate.
He is called as Storm Trooper because he always wears the same outfit when he
goes to classes: white shirt, black pants, black shoes, navy blue sweater, a uniform
jacket, and black briefcase like a typical right-wing student. He wears that kind of
uniform because he does not want to be bothered choosing clothes (p. 21). Storm
Trooper actually seems to be a nice guy because he always keeps the room clean,
like washing the curtain and airing their mattresses. After Toru’s first year of
college, Storm Trooper moves out from dormitory without any clear explanation
and leaves the room entirely to Toru. Although his roommate is annoying, Toru
thinks and even misses Storm Trooper after he is leaving. But still, he enjoys
living alone in the dormitory (pp. 66-67).
During his college life, Toru also tries to keep a distance from others in
college. He goes to class more faithfully than ever although the lectures are boring
and he will sit by himself in the very front row of the lecture hall, speak to no one,
and eat alone (p. 56). It proves that Toru decides to isolate himself from those
his classmates by being alone in the class and cafeteria and talking to no one. In
addition, Mihalo (2009) also states in his study that Toru prevents himself from
building a relationship and interacting with his classmate which makes him feel
lonely. It shows that his act of isolating himself from others is a conscious choice
he has made. Besides, it also seems that Toru does not show any efforts to make
friends as well.
Through character’s past life, speech, thought, reaction and character as
seen by another, it can be concluded that Toru is a loner. Kizuki’s death leads
Toru into loneliness in many ways. He is more interested in being alone than
spending time with other people. Even when he has a friend, he is unable to open
up his heart and share his feeling with anyone because he has already lost Kizuki,
the person to whom he is able to speak honestly about his feeling.
2. An Ordinary Person
In Norwegian wood, Toru says that he is an ordinary person. The
description of Toru as an ordinary person can be seen from his speech as Murphy
(1972) states that a person’s character can be presented through what he or she
says (p. 164). Toru says that he is just an ordinary guy like everybody else when
Midori, his classmate, says that he is cool and the way he speaks is like Humphrey
Bogart (p. 70). Besides, when Naoko wants to know more about Toru, Toru tells
her that he is just an ordinary guy who comes from an ordinary family and has
head (p. 148). Toru’s description about himself describes that he is just an
ordinary guy.
According to Murphy (1972), the way a person reacts to various situations
and events also gives the readers information about a person’s character (p. 168).
When Toru is in college time, he is an ordinary youth at a revolution time where
the student strikes happen and it is proven from the way he reacts toward those
situations. Toru only watches his fellow students protest about the “established
order”, then slinks back to class so as not to fall the course (pp. 64-65). He is
detached from the student strikes and revolutionary movement which occurs
around him. He manages to isolate himself more than ever from his classmate.
None of the students speak to him and he does not speak to none of them as well
(p. 65). Instead of joining the student strike, Toru chooses to study and attend the
classes. Toru’s reaction towards the student strikes shows that he is an ordinary
student.
Murphy (1972) also says that a person’s appearance helps the readers to
obtain the description of one’s character (p. 161). In Norwegian Wood, Toru’s
simplicity can be seen from the way he gets dressed. When Toru is invited to have
dinner with Nagasawa and Hatsumi in a fancy French restaurant to celebrate
Nagasawa’s passing of the Foreign Service exam, Toru only wears an ordinary
blue blazer while Nagasawa wears an expensive-looking gray suit and Hatsumi
wears gold earring, a beautiful deep blue dress, and a pair of tasteful red pumps
conclusion, the previous descriptions of Toru which is based on his speech,
reaction, and personal description prove that Toru is an ordinary person.
3. A Caring Person
Living in the dormitory makes Toru think that he has bad luck since he
shares a room with an annoying and meticulous friend, who is known as Storm
Trooper. Storm Trooper always wakes up earlier and does Radio Calisthenics
which broadcasts every morning in the radio. Storm Trooper’s morning habit
annoys Toru who is still sleepy, especially when Storm Trooper does the jumping
part that makes the bed bounce every time he hits the floor. Although his
roommate always annoys him, it does not make Toru be ignorant towards Storm
Trooper. According to Murphy (1972), a person’s reaction towards particular
situation can give clues to the readers about a person’s character (p. 168). Toru’s
caring towards Storm Trooper is depicted from his reaction when Storm Trooper
is sick. Toru decides to nurse his sick roommate and even cancels his appointment
to watch a concert with Naoko.
At the end of January, Storm Trooper went to bed with a raging fever, which meant I had to stand Naoko up that day. I had gone to a lot of trouble to get my hands on some free tickets for a concert. Naoko had been especially eager to go because the orchestra was performing one of her
favorites, Brahms’s fourth symphony. But with Storm Trooper tossing around in bed on the verge of what looked like an agonizing death, I
couldn’t just go off and leave him, and I couldn’t find anyone crazy
