Superiority gaining of Frank’s fictional finalism in Angela’s ashes by Frank McCourt.

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SUPERIORITY GAINING OF FRANK’S FICTIONAL FINALISM IN

ANGELA’S ASHES BY FRANK MCCOURT

A THESIS

Submitted as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Sarjana Degree of English Department Faculty of Art and Humanities State Islamic

University Sunan Ampel Surabaya

By:

Maidatul Zuroicha

Reg. Number : A73213110

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF ART AND HUMANITIES

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SUNAN AMPEL

SURABAYA

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ABSTRACT

Zuroicha, Maidatul. 2017. Superiority Gaining of Frank’s Fictional Finalism in Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt. Thesis. English Department, Faculty of Art and Humanities. States Islamic University Sunan Ampel Surabaya.

The Advisor: Abu Fanani, S.S., M. Pd

The study of this research discusses the psychology of the main character in Angela’s Ashes novel by Frank McCourt. The story reveals the poverty, discrimination and the power of religion leaders which raised the inferior feeling of Frank as the main character. This research uses Alfred Adler’s theory of individual psychology which focuses on inferiority, striving for superiority and success through fictional finalism and the superiority. This analysis describes Frank’s inferiority feeling and the process of striving for superiority through his fictional finalism. The result of this research are the cause of character’s inferior was raised from physical lacking like odd manner of North Ireland and illness, also mentality which is influenced by social life, adult and neglect. And the way he strives for superiority and success are shaped the fictional finalism about getting better life for himself, family and other people, also dream about America. His strives by way works and saving the money for expense to go to America and help family to fulfill the necessity for better life. Thus, he can achieve his superiority and success for better life of his family and back to America.

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xiv ABSTRAK

Zuroicha, Maidatul. 2017. Superiority Gaining of Frank’s Fictional Finalism in Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt. Skripsi. Program Studi Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Adab dan Humaniora, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Ampel Surabaya. Pembimbing: Abu Fanani, S.S., M.Pd

Penelitian ini membahas tentang psikologi karakter utama dalam novel Angela’s Ashes oleh Frank McCourt. Cerita ini mengungkapkan tentang kemiskinan, diskriminasi dan kekuasaan dari pemuka agama yang membuat Frank sebagai tokoh utama merasa rendah diri. Penelitian ini menggunakan teori psikologi individu yang dikemukakan Alfred Adler yang berfokus pada rasa rendah diri, bekerja keras untuk meraih superioritas dan kesuksesan melalui finalisme fiksi dan juga superioritas yang didapat. Analisis ini menjelaskan tentang rasa inferior Frank dan proses berjuang untuk superioritas melalui finalisme fiksinya. Hasil dari penelitian ini ditemukan bahwa penyebab dari perasaan rendah diri Frank muncul akibat fisiknya yakni dari pembawaan Irlandia Utaranya dan dari sakit yang dideritanya, juga mental yang dipengaruhi oleh kehidupan sosial, orang dewasa dan pengabaian yang diterimanya. Proses Frank dalam berjuang menuju superioritas di bentuk oleh finalisme fiksi tentang kehidupan yang lebih baik untuk dirinya sendiri, keluarga dan orang lain, juga mimpinya tentang Amerika. Serta bagaimana cara dia bekerja keras untuk mendapatkan superioritas, yakni dengan bekerja dan menabung untuk membantu keluarga memenuhi kebutuhan untuk kehidupan mereka yang lebih baik serta biaya pergi ke Amerika. Oleh karena itu dia dapat meraih superioritasnya dan sukses untuk kehidupan yang lebih baik untuk keluarga dan dapat kembali ke Amerika.

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CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ... 11

2.1. Theoretical Framework ... 11

2.1.1. Psychology of Literature ... 11

2.1.1.1. Individual Psychology ... 12

1. Inferiority ... 14

2. Fictional Finalism ... 17

3. Striving for Superiority ... 18

4. Superiority ... 20

2.2. Review of Related Studies ... 21

CHAPTER 3 ANALYSIS ... 25

3.1. Frank’s Inferiority ... 25

3.1.1. Frank’s Inferior Physic ... 26

3.1.1.1. Inferior Physic of Odd Maner ... 27

3.1.1.2. Inferior Physic of Illness ... 31

3.1.2. Frank’s Inferior Mentally ... 33

3.1.2.1. Social Life ... 35

3.1.2.2. Adults ... 37

3.1.2.3. Neglect ... 39

3.2. Frank’s Striving for Superiority ... 41

3.2.1. Frank’s shaped His Dream ... 41

3.2.2. Frank’s Strive for Achieve His Dream... 46

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1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Literature which is an imitative of human action, often provide the

pictures of people think, say and do in the society. It serves as a mirror of

introspection where people can see themselves to change in the positive things

(Duhan 192). It shows that literature is influenced by the development of

society‟s way of life and people can also learn of the works that present to get

better experience. Literature presents the work that relates to a condition or a

situation which evolve in people's life. In the society, condition of human‟s mind

and behavior are one of the influence of the literary work. According to Krystal,

literary means in several things, it is written, voiced, expressed, invented, and

whatever form (89).

Literature also is explained as the writings which express and

communicate thought, feelings and attitudes toward life (Risdianto 5). According

to him, literature is used at least in two different ways; the first is informative

literature which tells about facts, history, and the figure‟s life, such as the life of

Prophet, Napoleon, and etcetera. Also the literary works are usually the text

written as the knowledge which presents to the reader about anything in the

world such as social, politic, motivate, and others. The second is imaginative

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Z u r o i c h a | 2

communicate feelings which is not in fact of the emotion which present in the

works, as well to arouse thought of the readers. It also has fuller and deeper

sense than informative literature, such as prose fiction and poetry (4).

Informative and imaginative literature show the different ways in literature

and has own purpose, because everything has function and purpose just like a

literary work in Horace‟s formula that literature function must relate to dulce et

utile (Wellek & Warren 23). “Dulce” is literary work that can entertain the

reader and it is not a boring work. While “utile” is literary work that has function

in which the reader can take moral value, knowledge and benefit from this kind

of literary work.

To understand more about the literary work, it takes the appropriate

approach and theory in the study. There are so many theories to analyze the

literary work either it is imaginative or informative literature. This study is going

to analyze informative literary work that applies psychology as the theory.

Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. The word “psychology”

comes from Greek words “psyche” means life, and “logos” means explanation

(Stangor 10). Therefore, in this research psychology is used to analyze

character‟s life through attitude, activity and mental process done by the

character. Psychology in this study uses individual psychology tenet by Alfred

Adler. “His individual psychology presents an optimistic view of people while

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Z u r o i c h a | 3

condition which focuses on human beings concept around society‟s life. Thus,

this study analyzes the character‟s individual psychology of the novel which is

one of the products of the literary works presented by author.

Literary works represent the author‟s idea or thought is a term which

derives from other language, such novel. For Burgess, the term novel is a

truncation of the Italian word novella (the plural form of Latin novellus, a late

variant of novus, whose meaning is “new”), hence, in most languages, a

diminutive denotes historically the parent form”.

<https://www.britannica.com/art/novel>. According to Jassin, novel is an event

of extraordinary people‟s lives because the incident was born of a conflict, a

dispute that redirects their fate (Suroto 19). Hence, the work is instinctive as

portrait of the experience people‟s thought and one of human creations which is

created by author‟s imagination or based on the true story that reflects human

real life.

In writing novel, author can build their own world of the work which has

correlation to the social order. As Wellek & Warren stated that almost great

novelists prefer presenting a world to a character case or event. It is because

world overlaps with the realm of reality, but it has the coherence between the

form and content of literary work, which is must be understood separately (257).

Novel, as a form of literature, which is a modern epic must interest which has the

structure, esthetic, coherence and certain effect (254). The value of the use on

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Z u r o i c h a | 4

Here the author gives a new dimension of the reality and then provides the life

experience and the way to be alive in a wise, prudent and kindliness for reader

(Andari 46-47). Therefore, novel will be completed when the work fulfill as

entertainment that has function or benefit to the reader. There are novels

containing both of Horace‟s formula, similar to the novel which is used by the

writer for this research.

Angela’s Ashes is novel used in this study. It is the most popular novel

created by Frank McCourt. The story is a genuine memoir about the bittersweet

autobiographical story during the 1930s and early 1940s. As Dimmitt states, at

the age of 50 Frank still became a teacher at Stuyvesant High School in

Manhattan, he tells about his childhood story to his students, then they said that

his story had an interesting childhood and suggest him to write the book (936).

Novel written is tale which begins of his childhood story, this tells his whole

memoir only. As McCourt said “I had attitudes and these attitudes had to be

softened. I had to get rid of them, I had to become, as if says in the Bible, as a

child. The child started to speak in this book. And that was the only way to do it,

without judging” (925). A novel which is published in 1996 placed Frank

McCourt as a major character. He was born in Brooklyn; New York. Little Frank

McCourt is a Catholic who was called by his baptismal name „Francis‟, the name

Francis is derived from one of the names of a saint, St. Francis (McCourt 6).

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Z u r o i c h a | 5

life and success. He spent his childhood and adolescence in a poor family with

many familiars. Initially he lived in New York, because of his father‟s difficulty

to find a job. His family returned to Ireland but they are sunk deeper into

poverty. He is the first son from seven siblings and three of his brothers and

sister had passed away because of malnutrition. Frank struggled to earn money

since in the very young age. He did that because his father who likes to drink a

lot always spends his money and then left the family. Due to the poverty, Frank‟s

family always depend on government‟s allowance to fulfill their necessity which

is actually not enough for them. He worked for the family‟s necessity in order

they can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner just like other families. Frank‟s purpose

to work is for helping his mother and also for his savings to go back to America.

Frank‟s dream is to be a successful man and live in America as a great country

for him. His fictional finalism leads him to reach superiority that he expects with

any inferiority from the elder that underestimates him and also poverty in his life

so Frank strives hard to get his success.

Angela’s Ashes is qualified as the novel which must be read besides

winning the Pulitzer Prize, McCourt as author who is able to tell his story with

humor in the poverty condition that makes his story alive until the end. Hence,

the story is very depressive and tragic. The author tells it with comical innocence

of a child and transforms the whole meaning of tragedy as the things that can be

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Z u r o i c h a | 6

by merging both of poverty and amusement. He was a successful survivor whose

childhood is miserable. As he said in his Angela’s Ashes;

When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood (McCourt 1).

After reading the Angela’s Ashes, the writer is interested in analyzing the

process of Frank strives for superiority. The writer chooses this novel as an

object because the story shows the inferiority aspects which make the character

survive on his life. Further, this work becomes a tragic portrait of the life which

ever existed in the world. Although many novels show tragedy and the inferiority

of character‟s life, this novel is presented with innocent characters which then

create humor.

1.2 Statement of Problem

Based on the background of the study, the research problem formulated in

the following question:

1. How is Frank‟s inferiority shown in the Angela’s Ashes?

2. How does Frank get his superiority in Angela’s Ashes?

1.3 Objective of the Study

The objective of the study is the continuation of the statement of problem

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Z u r o i c h a | 7

1. To describe Frank‟s inferiority based on Angela’s Ashes novel by Frank

McCourt.

2. To find out the process of Frank get his superiority or success based on his

fictional finalism on Angela’s Ashes novel by Frank McCourt.

1.4 The scope and limitation

The scope of this research focuses on the part of novel where Frank‟s

inferiority, process of striving for superiority or success in his life, and his

superiority gained. The study will be limited to the Angela’s Ashes novel by

Frank McCourt. Then, Individual psychology by Alfred Adler used as the theory

which focus on inferiority, superiority, striving for superiority, and fictional

finalism.

1.5 Significance of the Study

The researcher divides the significances of the study into two categories;

theoretically and practically. The researcher hopes this study will be useful for

the next researcher whose study about psychology especially in Alfred Adler‟s

theory of individual psychology.

Theoretically, this research is expected to provide more information about

the psychology theory which is individual psychology in the literary work which

included inferiority, superiority, striving for superiority, and fictional finalism

toward the superiority gained by Frank McCourt in his fictional Finalism in

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Practically, researcher hopes that the study could be useful for academic

and non-academic reader to give understanding about the theory of individual

psychology by Alfred Adler, and also can be applied in the real life to struggle of

getting superiority from inferiority stage. Furthermore, display the inferiority, the

process of striving for superiority or success, and the superiority gained by the

character in better life, provides motivation to the reader to get superiority or

success also.

1.6Method of the Study

This part discusses about the methodology of the research used by writer

that consists of research design, research instrument, subject of the research, data

and data source, data collection, and data analysis.

1.6.1 Research Design

Research design of this study is descriptive qualitative as a method, that is

used to explain the data analysis from novel in form of word and sentences

since it is not numeral. The data are retrieved in the text of the novel Angela‟s

Ashes, and uses some of books also other references such as journal or website

to satisfy the data needed.

1.6.2 Research Instrument

The main instrument is the researcher. Instrument of this research is the

writer itself, because the writer will be the only one of the collect the data of the

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Z u r o i c h a | 9

1.6.3 Object of the Study

The object of this research is Frank McCourt as the main character and

also the writer of the novel entitled Angela’s Ashes.

1.6.4 Data and Data Source

Data source in this research is the novel entitled Angela’s Ashesby Frank

McCourt as the primary data. The data of this research are words, phrases, and

sentences of Frank‟s dialog or description which explain about his inferiority,

process of striving to get superiority or success, and the superiority. The

secondary data will be taken from the journals, websites and books that concern

to this issue.

1.6.5 Data Collection

The data will be collected by close reading and read the novel for several

times, quote a few sentences, and taking note of the story Angela’s Ashes by

Frank McCourt. Collecting and selecting data in the form of narration and

conversation of the story which is related to the inferiority, process of striving

to get superiority or success, and the superiority. The writer also uses the

journals, articles and websites to complete the data.

1.6.6 Data Analysis

Data analysis is done to obtain an effective analysis is the researcher

identifies the process on striving for superiority of the character as a major issue

in this study. The researcher conducts the following analyzing process, as

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Z u r o i c h a | 10

1. Analyzing the data collected based on the theory and methods to be used.

a) Describe Frank‟s inferiority in his life using individual psychology of

Alfred Adler as the theory

b) Describe Frank‟s process in striving for superiority or success of his

fictional finalism and Frank‟s gained the superiority using individual

psychology of Alfred Adler as the theory

2. Draw conclusion based on the results of the data analyzed.

1.7 Definition of Key Term

Definition of key term here describe the term which used in the study to

avoid misunderstanding and misinterpretation of using word, as follow;

Inferiority : A sense of worthlessness that arises because of

perceived inadequacy or a less physical state

(Adler 115).

Fiction Finalism : The idea that there is an imagined or potential goal that

guides human behavior (Schultz 146).

Striving for Superiority : The urge toward perfection or completion that

motivates people (Schultz 145).

Superiority : The compensation of the inferior feeling and the final

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11

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Theoretical Framework

This chapter describes about the theory used to analyze the way of character

gaining the superiority in this study. Here, the researcher explains about psychology

of literature and the theory of individual psychology by Alfred Adler which focus on

inferiority, striving for superiority, fictional finalism, and superiority aspect as

guidance to analyze the data related to the issues in the statement of problem. Those

theories are explained as follows:

2.1.1 Psychology of Literature

Psychology is a science that examines and learns about behaviors or

activities seen as a manifestation of human psychic life, and literature is the works

itself (Wiyatmi 7). The relation between psychology and literature is a bilateral

relationship which human makes the works of literature while literature ensures

human beings. Human psychical receptions consider human’s perspectives and

provide references to literary works. In other hands, literature also takes into account

the life’s truths to clarify the perspectives of human beings (Dastmard 9420). Also as

Moghaddam said, psychology and literature selectively examine particular parts of

human experience in the whole aspect. More specifically, both psychology and

literature take goals as one for better understanding about behavior and individual

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The term psychology of literature is text analysis which considers the

relevance and the role of psychological studies (Ratna 350). In this case, psychology

takes important role in analyzing the literary work. Furthermore, psychology of

literature also has other possible notions, as Wellek and Warren stated that

psychology of literature could be explained as the study of author’s own psychology,

the study of creative processes, the study of type and legal law of psychology applied

to literary works, and as the study of the impact of literature on readers—reader’s

psychology (81). It shows that the scope of literary psychology is broad, and it was

born as one of types in literature which is applied to read and to interpret the literary

work itself, the author or the readers which is used in various concepts in psychology

(Wiyatmi 6). In this study analyzes about the third explanation of Wellek &Warren

states, which is the study of intrinsic element in the literary works that analyze about

one of the type and legal law of psychology literature. This research uses Alfred

Adler’s principle of individual psychology as guidance, which analyzes the major

character’s psychology who strives for the superiority from inferior feeling.

2.1.1.1 Individual Psychology

Adler’s individual psychology is developed by his own interpretation of

Freudian theory by himself before he was a follower of Freud (Stangor 626). Individual

psychology is the theory stated by Alfred Adler which focuses on unique things of the

people, not to only fulfill the need of biological. As Adler’s opinion that every human

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and surroundings, also people actively establish their future by themselves (Schultz

139-140). Hence, human is closely related to the social life that builds people's

character so as to have the purpose and direction of his own life. For Stangor, the

compatibility between the social situations in which expressed the attitude and behaviors

involved which has correlation in a greater attitude and behavior when the social

situations are appropriate (808).

Here, the individual psychology tries to see the whole of individual lives and

regards of every human reaction, movements and desire as an expression of an

individual attitude towards life (Adler 31) because in every human’s behaviour, the

purpose on their life will be known and understood. As Adler said in his book, that

individual psychology is a psychology which studies the purpose.All behaviors are

seen as purposive. It will be known of what we are doing, thinking, feeling, and

acting. When we understand the reasons for our behaviors, we then can change our

perspective to focus on behaviors without looking behind and ensure the present life

not the past (xiii). Human behavior is the result of individuals’ tendency to move

toward private goals. This is because people operate in the concepts of ideas,

memories, perceptions, and values. Every human being has goal directed. It is basic

assumptions of individual psychology that are seen as unique, coordinated, logical,

intact, and inseparable units (Green 46).

Adler evolved a basically simple and thrifty theory, although his writings

expressed the view of depth and complexities of human personality (Feist 69). The

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creates a feeling of inferior and sense of mutual dependence on others, which is called

as social interest (Alwisol, 64). That is underlying human activity to strive for success

or superior. As Adler stated in Feist, human has the power to freely create their own

lifestyle. They, themselves, should be responsible to who they really are and how they

behave. Human has the creative power to control their life, to be responsible for its

final purposes, to determine how to strive to reach that goal. Creative strengths make

people become free men, and moving toward a goal-directed (79).

Individual psychology is developed from understanding the mysterious of

creative power that expresses people’s desire to develop, to strive, to achieve, and

even to compensate to defeat by striving for success in another ways. This power is

an impulse to express themselves in striving the efforts of physical and psychological

movement which is made to cooperate (Ansbacher 92). The important thing is to

understand the context of individual’s life goal which marks the line of direction for

all their acts and movements. This goal enables us to understand the hidden meaning

behind the various separated acts as we see them as parts of a whole (Adler 31). So, it

enables other people to give understanding about the hidden meaning of the various

acts of people. Then, Adler’s concept does not make people to stagnant in the past

because individual psychology is being attracted by the future, in which it is the

future that people create for themselves (Adler xiii).

1. Inferiority

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inferiority is a sense of worthlessness that arises because of perceived inadequacy

or a less physical state. The assumption that every child is actually inferior in the

face of life and could not exist at all without a great social interest closed to them.

Then, it focuses on the smallness and weakness of the child which gives the

impression that they are hardly equal with life. It is assumed that at the beginning

of every psychological life there is a deeper inferiority and feeling less. It is

because they are exposed to an adult environment, every child regards their self as

small and weak, they appraise themselves as inadequate and inferior (Adler 115).

Inferiority is a feeling that arises from psychologically or socially lacking the

subjective perceived feelings, as well as feelings arising from real weakness or

disability. Feelings of inferiority are not a sign of abnormality, but rather the cause

of all forms of perfection in human life because man is driven by the need to

overcome his inferiority and is drawn by the desire to be superior (Hall & Lindzey

245-247). Yet, most people fail in overcoming difficulties, so that they live with

feelings of distress and suffering. Adler sees this as is not the end of the story

because people will seek compensation by finding the good side of the shortfall.

Compensation is gained by trying to be more in the other field, but at the same

time will maintain that inferior feeling. Some people are not able to develop any

good side under these circumstances, even (Booree 145). Indeed, excessive low

self-esteem makes these feelings are more difficult to overcome, such as the

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condition of inferiority feeling is a driver of progress or perfection or superiority

(Sujanto 75).

According to Adler, there are three situations in childhood that contribute to

the faulty lifestyle that creates an inferior feeling to the child. The first is organ

inferiorities or disease of early childhood. It can be overcome by giving more

attention because most children will live with strong inferiority feelings. The

second is pampering. It is children’s lifestyle habits to get something without

giving or desire that they have is a command for others will place them on two

things; they do not learn to do something for themselves, and they cannot socialize

well with others. The third is neglect. An abandoned or neglected makes child

feels their self-worthless. They learn to be selfish because they are taught not to

trust anyone. Not only on orphans and victims of persecution, but children whose

parents were never there to notice also make them felt neglect (Boeree 10). Those

are the aspects that make inferiority feeling. Adler believed that psychological

disorders begin in early childhood. He argued that children who are too pampered

or overly neglected by their parents are likely to develop an inferiority complex,

where it is a psychological state in which people feel that they are not living up to

expectations, which causes them to have low self-esteem and overcompensate for

the negative feelings. People with inferiority complex often try to show their

superiority to others at all costs, even if it means embarrassing, dominating, or

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2. Fictional Finalism

Fictional finalism is also denoted to as a subjective final goal or guiding

self-ideal. It is the idea that a fictitious idea guides human behavior when the

individual tries to achieve a complete goal or state (Schultz 135-136). The goal is

false because it does not have to be based on reality, but rather describes the

person's thoughts as to how that fact should be based on his subject's interpretation

of the world (Alwisol 65). As Adler suggested that the word Fiction itself means

an activity of constructing, forming, presenting, conceiving, thinking, imagining,

assuming, planning, and inventing. It also refers to the fictional assumption,

creation, and the imagined case. Its most character is that unrestricted and free

expression (78). While finalism in Schultz, it is the idea that humans have the

ultimate goal, the ultimate state of the living being, and the need to move in that

direction (135).

In view of this fictional finalism, Adler admits that the past is important but

he assumes that what matters is the future. The important thing is not what

individuals have done, but what individuals will do with their creative self at a

certain moment because the ultimate goals of a man will be able to explain how

human’s behavior itself is. (Fudyartanta 215). The idea of “man is driven more by

his hopes for the future than his past experience”, Adler assumes that the goal

exists is not as part of a theological design, but that it is subjectively present today

as a desire or aspiration affecting the behavior of human life. So, any activity of

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person (72). The fictive activity of the mind is an expression of the fundamental

psychical forces while fictions are the mental structures. For example, forms of

perception and thought, and certain concepts and other logical constructs (Adler

77).

This fictional or pseudo goal cannot be separated from the lifestyle and

creative self. Man moves toward superiority through his lifestyle and creative self

that is begun with feelings of inferiority and drawn by this apparent goal. Purpose

intended by Adler is the implementation of the forces of human behavior. Through

his self-reliance, man can make the apparent goal of his real ability and personal

experience. Human’s personality is completely aware of apparent aim which then

interprets to what happen every day related to the aim (Hall 197).

3. Striving for Superiority

Striving for superiority is the encouragement toward perfection or

completion that motivates human beings to be precious and more perfect (Schultz

135). Adler feels that striving for superiority and perfection is not an attempt to

superiority or perfection from others which over, but rather a movement directed

at greater self-improvement and competence (Green 44). Striving for superiority

here is not an objective state, such as a high social position or the other, but a

subjective state of experience or a sense of worth that leads to superiority (Sujanto

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responsible for development in his life, seeking the purpose of life, striving to gain

personal meaning, success and superior position in life (8).

Adler reduces all motivation to a single impulse that is striving for

superiority, which is the dynamic force behind human behavior, is also the first

principle of Adler's theory (Feist 70). In striving for superiority, the inferior

feeling becomes the base motivation of people struggle. Phil in Sujoko stated that

striving for superiority is an encouragement to overcome inferiority by achieving

superior. This is a powerful driving force for the individual in his life. With the

striving for superiority will cause human to develop toward perfection and will

make a person has more optimistic and positive view of himself and more oriented

toward the future (9).

Adlerians believe that regardless of culture or background is very basic but

dynamic force lies behind all human emotions, behavior, and actions. This innate

motive is the struggle of a minus situation that is felt towards a plus situation. It is

referred to as a move of feelings of inferiority to feelings of superiority or

competence (Aslinia 4). According to Adler, each individual lives with a physical

weakness that activates inferior feelings, feeling that moves people to strive to be

superior or to be successful. But a person who has unwell psychologically will

struggle to be a superior person and focus on himself. Meanwhile, individuals who

have healthy psychologically are motivated to succeed all humankind (Alwisol

65). The personality possessed by each individual whether it is closed or opened is

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shaped by the individual's ability to interpret, to influence and to create his own

life events. In other words, the potential of the inheritance we were born is less

practical than what we do with our potential, then how we develop this potential

and our innate abilities (Zoltan 8).

4. Superiority

Superiority is final goal we strive. Adler does not explain the word

superiority in the ordinary word meaning, nor its relation to the concept of

complex superiority that is a condition occurs when a person compensates over of

the normal inferior feelings, which is more likely to be better than others,

arrogance or domination. But superiority or perfection means to complete or to

finish. Adler suggests that individuals try to achieve superiority in an effort to

accomplish themselves, to make it perfect or intact. He sees individual motivation

in the expectation for a future that is only the final goal of superiority or perfection

that can explain and direct the personality and behavior of individuals (Schultz

135).

Superiority is the compensation of the inferior feeling. For Adler there is

only one impulse, the drive for superiority in an attempt to leave a feeling of

inferiority. Superiority is not to be better than anyone else or defeats others, but is

constantly trying to get better for getting closer to the final goal (Alwisol 66).

Superiority is not social exclusion, leadership, or high standing in society, but

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oneself. So the main driving force in human life is the dynamics that express the

cause of the individual behaving, i.e. the drive to achieve superiority or perfection

itself (Fudyartanta 215).

Adler believes that everyone is trying to improve with the innate desire to

become better, advanced and advanced, to be superior. He feels that each

individual moves from a minus to a perceived plus (Green 44). Because the

purpose of the human being is conquest, perfection, security, and superiority, just

likes a child which is faced to so many obstacles in life that no child grows without

struggling for some important things in his life (Adler 129). As Boeree said, that

all of the people have pulled towards fulfillment, perfection, and self-actualization

(7).

2.2. Review of Related Studies

The following studies are similar to what this study. What makes this

research different is that the writer will analyze the different issue. The theory applied

is Individual Psychology and the issue raised is about the Frank McCourt’s striving to

superiority and get better life based on Angela’s Ashes novel. Here, the writer finds

the literary reviews of the same novel and theory used in analysis.

The first, literary review is written by Beni Alson Susilarto from Sanata

Dharma University, Yogyakarta in 2009. The study entitled “Frank’s Struggle for

Life and His Motivations as Seen in Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir of A

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of character and characterization. There are three objectives of the study. The first is

to find out main character’s characteristics. The second is to find out the way the

main character struggle for his life which is represented through the characteristics in

the story Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir of A Childhood. The third is to find out the main

character’s motivations to survive. From the analysis of the study, the writer finds out

the main character, Frank McCourt, is a great boy. He has the characteristics that

make him grow into a great man who is able to help his family. Frank faces many

problems in his life. His irresponsible father because of the drinking habit and his

family economic condition are the problems that motivate him to struggle for his life

in order to get a better life for him and his family.

The second is undergraduate thesis entitled Post-Colonial Analysis in

Angela’s Ashes Novel by Frank McCourt written by Fatmahwati Ranajaya from State

Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta in 2015. The study focuses on Frank’s

perception, action and the phenomena around character which defines the Ireland,

England and America position. The research method uses qualitative descriptive to

describe the events which relates to other and the theory of Orientalism from Edward

W. Said, here the theory used to explain the relation between East or Orient and West

or Occident. In this thesis the writer analyzed the major character trough McCourt’s

point of view, action and phenomena which occur to him with the relation of Ireland

which is as the Orient and England, America as Occident. The writer finds that

Ireland depicts the East’s characterization that is negative and inferior, while England

(33)

The third is thesis undergraduates written by Luthfiana Izzaturrohmah

entitled Understanding Johnny Cade’s Life in Hinton’s The Outsiders from State

Islamic University Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta in 2015. This thesis uses psychology

of literature as approach and Alfred Adler’s Individual Psychology as the theory to

analyze the data. The method of the research is descriptive qualitative and technique

to collect data is by close-reading. Here the study analyze the factor which influence

the character feel inferior of his life and understand Johnny’s perspective as the

character of being superiority, also his way to strives for achieve the superiority. The

result found that the factor of Johnny’s inferior feeling is the neglected life style with

family’s bad influence to him and the terror of his enemy. The role model of the

superiority for him is Dallas Winston and the way Johnny strives is his effort to

protect the society. Thus, Johnny is the neglect one people which feeling inferior,

then he compensate his feeling with goal of superiority that make him contribute in

the social benefit.

The last of review studies is written by Alif Fatqul Hikmah from State

Isamic University Sunan Ampel Surabaya in 2016. The thesis undergraduates entitled

Striving for Superiority and Success of Katniss Everdeen in Suzanne Collin’s The

Hunger Games. This thesis used New Criticism as the supporting theory and

Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler as the primary theory. The study analyzes the

character and characterization of Katniss Everdeen and the striving process of Katniss

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Katniss have several characteristics; affectionate, dauntless, caring and also cunning

person. Then the study shows that Katniss has both to goals; it is takes the superiority

and success of her characteristics and the process of her strive to surface many

obstacles, traps, and fight with her competitor. Therefore, she can achieve her

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25 CHAPTER 3

ANALYSIS

This chapter discusses about the research problems of the study which

apply individual psychology theory by Alfred Adler. It focuses on principles of

individual psychology, including inferiority, striving for superiority through

fictional finalism, and superiority. As Adler explained that inferiority is the

feeling of worthlessness that arises in every individual. Meanwhile, striving for

superiority constitutes the encouragement toward perfection or completion that

motivates human beings to be precious and more perfect through fictional

finalism. Thus, superiority is final goal that human strive.

Adler’s principle can be proved by analyzing the data in this study. First,

the analysis starts from Frank’s feeling who experienced since childhood that

influenced his future, named inferiority. Then, the way Frank strives for

superiority of his life through fictional finalism that he visualizes. Last is

superiority that he got of all his efforts to find out better life in Angela’s Ashes

novel.

3.1 Frank’s Inferiority

In the first explanation of the story, McCourt has given a description of

Frank’s inferiority feeling. He had a terrible and sad experience in his childhood.

He experienced poverty because his father who is hard to look for the work due to

his northern Irish accent, always spend his wage in the pub, as well as the

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for the singing of Irish sung at night when he comes home. It is not only the

problem of poverty that causes his inferior feelings but also the very unbalanced

social conditions between the poor with the upper classes such as arrogant

religious leaders, friends who like to bullying with bad nickname they give and

teachers who provide teaching with the hard way also with his torturing hit, as

well as the various diseases that grow and develop in the rainy season or the

infection he gets up to have to stay for weeks for healing in the hospital. As what

Frank said;

People everywhere brag and whimper about the woes of their early years, but nothing can compare with the Irish version: the poverty; the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire; pompous priests; bullying schoolmasters; the English and the terrible things they did to us for eight hundred long years. Above all-we were wet. (01)

The inferiority feeling that Adler says is a sense of worthlessness

experienced by individual who makes an individual feel inferior than others. It is

the same as what Frank felt in his life. Frank feels that he is inferior than the

people around him whether it's adults or friends, as well as the surrounding social.

It is based on several factors that tend to make him feel that the weakness of the

physical weakness he has is because of social discrepancy and illness; mental

weakness caused by the superior of adults, social circumstances, and neglect of

family.

3.1.1 Frank’s Inferior Physic

Physical weakness here is the physical condition which is unhealthy or

different from other, and not in accordance with social in the community. As in

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because they feel disgusted or hate the unnatural things around them. The inferior

Frank feels comes from the judgment of others about himself either the good or

bad things he has. Frank in his work distributes The Irish Times magazine that

asked him to write his name and address to know his writing ability. He wrote that

his address is in the Barrington Street, not a street but a lane. Mr. McCafrey,

Frank's manager, said that Frank is not like people who live in the street but in the

lane. It is because frank has bad appearance and dirt performance. As shown in

the story in conversation with his manager,

Little Barrington Street. That's a lane. Why are you calling it a street? You live in a lane, not a street.

...You have the cut and jib of a lane boy, McCourt. Yes, Mr. McCaffrey.

You have the look of the lane all over you. All over you from poll to toe cap. Don't try to fool the populace, McCourt. You'd have to rise early in the morning to fool the likes of me.

Oh, I wouldn't, Mr. McCaffrey.

Then there's the eyes. Very sore eyes you have there. Can you see? I can, Mr. McCaffrey (217).

In the conversation, it shows that frank realized what his manager said

was true, he wrote the address like what other people in the lane say. But his

manager made him realize that between these two things, there are differences that

show the social class in society and with the current physical condition, it is

impossible to be called a child living on the street. There are two conditions that

make him in the inferior physic feeling;

3.1.1.1 Inferior Physic of Odd Manner

Frank’s physical conditions is like his father—connate North Ireland. It is

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different and inferior. When he meets with his mother’s family, they always say

that he was like his father’s odd manner and they felt that his physic is bad

enough. Frank felt that his brother was better than his physical because his

siblings had good looking as social-views on his place. Like a story fragment in

the first chapter in eight pages;

When he laughs you can see how white and small and pretty his teeth are and you can see his eyes shine. He has blue eyes like my mother. He has golden hair and pink cheeks. I have brown eyes like Dad. I have black hair and my cheeks are white in the mirror. My mother tells Mrs. Leibowitz down the hall that Malachy is the happiest child in the world. She tells Mrs. Leibowitz down the hall, Frankie has the odd manner like his father.

From those sentences of Mrs. Leibowitz and Frank’s mother said, he

realizes that what they say about his brother is good for them. Although he does

not know what the odd manner is because he was four and he never heard about

that before also he cannot ask to them. His brother Malachy was there, they

always play together in the playground near with their flat. He and Malachy do

not come back to home until their mother calls, because she says that the twins

need to sleep and she need to rest, while their father was looking for job. If

Frank’s father has a job his mother will be happy and take them from playground

early, but if the job was lost because of most drinking then he was absent from

work, his mother let him and Malachy in the playground until the night or their

neighbor take them to their house and give some food.

At that time Minnie take them to her house, she has a beautiful baby.

When the baby cries, she is singing a song and Malachy follows her but Frank

stops him because it was their own song, and that they should not sing anyone's

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Frank wondered why anyone could sing someone else's song, while he thinks that

everyone has his own singing, as his own story from his father Cuchulain—a story

of a mighty Irish knight. He got a reprimand from Minnie, she says to him, “Don't

frown, Frankie. It makes your face dark and God knows it is dark enough.

Someday you'll have a little sister and you can sing that song to her” (14). what

Minnie means about dark face is about his stature of North Ireland that make him

different from his brother and his new little sister whose face is beautiful with

blue eyes and black hair like his mother.

When a bad day came, his sister, Margaret, was very sick and eventually

died. His family’s life again changed. His father spent the allowance on

Margaret's death in the pub. After returning to Ireland their lives remained the

same in poverty, then Eugene and Oliver's twin brother one by one died and his

father did not move from the pub. When he and his father were asked to take the

coffin that his grandmother had bought, he got some shilling of condolences over

the death of his family. His father told him to buy something that he liked and his

father was in the pub, so his aunt reprimanded and scolded him and pursued him

to call his father who was engrossed in the pub. “She tells the shop woman, Just

like his father, the same odd manner, the same oul' northern jaw” (52). His aunt’s

words make him realize that odd manner is his bad behavior.

When the day of mourning finished, his father tried to find another job

and Frank's grandmother offered his mother that Frank worked to deliver Bill

Galvin's lunch, the people who rented a room at his grandmother's house. The

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enough to feed people in his family. Frank's mother could not afford to spend his

days without smoking and asked his brother Malachy to indebted to Kathleen

O'Connell's shop because only his brother who could, like what she says “If

anyone can get the fags out of Kathleen, Malachy can. Mom says he has the

charm, and she tells me, There's no use sending you with your long puss and your

father's odd manner” (86). This odd manner distinguishes him with his mother's

family. It means that his odd manner make his mother will get nothing because

they will not interest to Frank like his handsome brother except bad things for

people. This odd manner makes him less lovable than his brother who keeps them

entertained with his physic and deeds. Such as when Frank’s first communion, his

grandmother dandifying him,

Come here till I comb your hair, said Grandma. Look at that mop, it won't lie down. You didn't get that hair from my side of the family. That's that North of Ireland hair you got from your father. That's the kind of hair you see on Presbyterians. If your mother had married a proper decent

Limerickman you wouldn't have this standing up, North of Ireland, Presbyterian hair.

She spat twice on my head.

Grandma, will you please stop spitting on my head. If you have anything to say, shut up. A little spit won't kill you. Come on, we'll be late for the Mass (79).

From what his grandmother says above, he realizes that his grandmother

dislike his standing hair and he feels that his hair is bad thing that make him

inferior with other. Because his brothers have good hair as grandmother’s family

like, he feels that he was the only one who has the lack. Here his feeling inferior

arises because odd manner and standing hair as North Ireland he has and that

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3.1.1.2. Inferior Physic of Illness

During his growth, Frank experienced various illnesses that made him

spend a few weeks in hospital. From the first pain, he suffered the typhoid that

made him have to stay at The Fever Hospital, then Frank had a skin infection as

he said initially “There's a sore at the top of my nose between my eyebrows, gray

and red and itching” (143). And then it was spread into his eyes anyway and the

color become red and yellow which make his eyes stick in the morning. Then

Frank’s mother takes him to doctor with docket which they get of the Dispensary

where the poor people see doctors and get their medicines.

'Tis my son, sir. He has two bad eyes.

Oh, by God, he does, woman. They're desperate looking eyes altogether. They look like two rising suns. The Japs could use him on their flag, ha ha ha.

Did he pour acid on his face or what?

'Tis some class of infection, sir. He had the typhoid last year and then this came (143).

Frank gets a docket to see Dr. Troy, though with ridicule because of the

red and swollen eyes of the officers who determine people who deserve a coupon

or not. He knows that his eyes was sick but it is like rising suns means it is too big

and yellow and far from the normal eyes. His eyes problem did not stop after he

went home from the eye ward at the City Home but it still continues. When Frank

works as a charcoal delivers, his eyes were recur again due to an infection or

allergy that he gets because of the dust. He was forbidden to work again because

of his condition. Yet, he really wanted the job and he thus was reminded of the

words of Seamus, on office boy in the hospital, that he should blink his eyes to

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practice what Seamus suggested to him, "I blink in school when the master is not

looking and all the boys in my class are calling me Blinky and adding that to the

List of names. Blinky, McCourt beggar woman's son, scabby-eyed, blubber gob,

dancing Jap "(168). He feels inferior of what his friend calls him because it is real

on his life. It makes his inferior about his physic arise because of his lack of

perfection that is not as a normal people with healthy eyes.

His blinking was not has an effect for his eyes except adding a bad

nickname for him, and it takes him to inferior feeling which makes him thinking

there are no a good things of his body. He stared at himself in the mirror when he

prepared for his job. He feels that his physic is worse than his outfit; his hair

sticks out like his father. His bad eyes was started when he was at nine up to

fourteen, where he wanted to get his big job and another things, like what he

thought shown in the story;

If my clothes are bad I'm worse. No matter how I drench my hair under the tap it sticks out in all directions. The best cure for standing up hair is spit, only it's hard to spit on your own head. You have to let go with a good one up in the air and duck to catch it on your poll. My eyes are red and oozing yellow, there are matching red and yellow pimples all over my face and my front teeth are so black with rot I'll never be able to smile in my life. I have no shoulders and I know the whole world admires shoulders (197).

He realizes his less physical of what he thinks of him become very clear

in front of him because the nicknames given to him were true and make him deep

aware of it and regard himself as a people who feel more inferior than other. The

day before getting work as Telegram boy at the post office, he makes sure himself

to look better. And after a year he works at post office, there was a test to become

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good handwriting. He chooses to join with Ireland Times magazine because he

can read anything in the leisure times. But Mrs. O’Connell—bosses of the post

office shame him;

I don't know why Mrs. O'Connell had to shame me before the whole world, and I don't think I'm too good for the post office or anything else. How could I with my hair sticking up, pimples dotting my face, my eyes red and oozing yellow, my teeth crumbling with the rot, no shoulders, no flesh on my arse after cycling thirteen thousand miles to deliver twenty thousand telegrams to every door in Limerick and regions beyond? (219)

His physical inferiority arises when Mrs. O’Connell accuse him of what

the things he does not do, it make him aware of his inferior feeling of physic. As

Adler stated that inferior feeling was arisen from psychologically lacking which is

real weakness or disability. For Frank, it is impossible to have arrogance with

inferior physic like what he had.

3.1.2 Frank’s Inferior Mentally

Life has never been separated from environment or social activities.

Individuals in the community have patterns to live in the society. Social around is

very influential in the formation of self or mental. The things that make them feel

happy or not will affect the mental and the way they think. Here Frank

experiences the social pressure in his infancy which causes him to have an inferior

feeling. When he wants to get his first job, he thinks of his solitude about the

shame he has for his poor family condition, he says “I'll buy proper clothes for the

whole family so our arses won't be hanging out of our pants and we won't have

the shame. The thought of the shame brings a pain in my heart and starts me

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compares his condition with others who can wear good things. These pains arise

from the thought of his social status and his worries about the social views of him.

Frank was a son who has completely aspect of the inferiority feeling

because he was a poor man with a poor family and lives in the social who have

higher discrimination of lower class. When he was sixteen, he drinks his first pint

and he cannot control his consciousness about what he says to his mother and also

hit her. He felt his sincerity was very complicated and serious because what he

had done became a burden in his mind. On the day he came to church, he just sat

there thinking about everything that had happened in his life, then a priest came

and asked him to tell what happen with him to St. Francis and he will listen as

ears to St. Francis. Then he starts to tell;

I talk to St. Francis and tell him about Margaret, Oliver, Eugene, my father singing Roddy McCorley and bringing home no money, my father sending no money from England, Theresa and the green sofa, my terrible sins on Carrigogunnell, why couldn't they hang Hermann Goering for what he did to the little children with shoes scattered around concentration camps, the Christian Brother who closed the door in my face, the time they wouldn't let me be an altar boy, my small brother Michael walking up the lane with the broken shoe clacking, my bad eyes that I'm ashamed of, the Jesuit brother who closed the door in my face, the tears in Mam's eyes when I slapped her (222)

What he thinks about anything that he did was making him feel low self.

His feelings, circumstance and people treatment toward him make him feel bad

among others and arises his inferiority. There are some situations that make him

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3.1.2.1 Social Life

Social life is an important role in the growth of individuals within the

community. But a bad social in the society can be the cause of someone’s bad

feeling. Social life affects the individual mentally in thinking about good or bad

things as Frank felt in his social life. He felt bad when his schoolmates insulting

him because of the things that he had, and actually it should be better than other

friend. Frank and his brother got bullying from their friends because they wore

shoes patched with rubber tires that makes them a bit taller. His neighbor says

“what's up with your shoes? She laughs and Mr. Hannon shakes his head and I

feel ashamed” (64). And also when they are on the way to their school, “Leamy's

boys laugh at us because the tire pieces are so thick they add a few inches to our

height and the boys say, How's the air up there?” (64). actually, there are many

people who have bad condition then what Frank and brother had, but they are not

alone. This is the social state depicted in Frank's life; individuals who are different

from others that become isolated and bullied.

The social situations means here is that people chooses what is good or

bad for them. It is undeniable that social class determines the place where they

should be, no matter the feasibility of the intelligence they have. Frank is a smart

kid with good handwriting. He deserves a good place in society but the society

ignores him because of his poverty. Frank learns anything needed to become an

altar boy but when he and his father ask about that to one of religious leaders, they

get rejected.

(46)

…Oh. She puffs on her Woodbine. I'll tell you what it is, she says. 'Tis class distinction. They don't want boys from lanes on the altar. They don't want the ones with scabby knees and hair sticking up. Oh, no, they want the nice boys with hair oil and new shoes that have fathers with suits and ties and steady jobs. That's what it is and 'tis hard to hold on to the Faith with the snobbery that's in it. (93)

The rejection makes him feel that his effort was useless and causes his

inferiority arises. The judgment that the person gave to the father and him also

made him feel that his circumstance was a mistake. Frank feels inferior because

the church rejects him for he does not know what he does wrong. This feeling

made him realize that the unreasonable rejection given to him was the answer to

his inadequacies. After he let his hopes dashed as an altar boy, Frank's low

self-esteem grew when he caught his mother begging, as he did;

It's the worst kind of shame, almost as bad as begging on the streets where the tinkers hold up their scabby children, Give us a penny for the poor child, mister, the poor child is hungry, missus.

My mother is a beggar now and if anyone from the lane or my school sees her the family will be disgraced entirely. My pals will make up new names and torment me in the schoolyard and I know what they'll say,

Frankie McCourt beggar woman's boy scabby-eyed dancing blubber-gob Jap (160).

The situation when her mother begs is the worst of her life, and then they

are asking for the coupon of the poorest person in the Dispensary. He is aware of

the poverty that he and his family experienced. Knowing that his mother begs

makes him feel very low in front of the society around. He was so embarrassed by

the situation that he could not bear looking at her mother's face. From here his

inferior mental feelings toward the society around increases with the

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self-esteem that he felt he did not belong to him because several times the door

was closed in front of him.

3.1.2.2 Adults

As Adler said in his theory that children grow up with the inferior

feelings of adults because they feel that he is weak and small. Frank's inferiority

to adults is not only physical and habit that he cannot do, but also discriminate

against them from adults. Because adult does anything that children cannot do. As

Frank and his brother when they found words that they did not understand; he

asked the meaning of the word but his father snapped at him for asking that. But

when an adult asks him about something, they have to answer it. He feels that

children may not have to know what adult know like what he say;

I know that big people don't like questions from children. They can ask all the questions they like, How's school? Are you a good boy? Did you say your prayers? but if you ask them did they say their prayers you might be hit on the head.

They want to know about the lavatory. They ask questions because big people can ask all the questions they like and write in notebooks, especially when they're wearing collars and ties and suits (62-63).

People teach about what they are allowed or not to do by wrong way will

make them feel inappropriate about something. This causes a low self-esteem of

what adults did and they grow up to do the same thing that adults teach. This

results in poor imitations for child growth. Adult and child relationships will

always be related because adults are an example for children to find their true

identity in life, later.

With a harsh teaching of something, the child will be afraid and become

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Frank is worried about the things he wants to convey to an adult because he thinks

that what he is asking will only make him be hit or ignored. In his mind, Frank

has consciousness about what's going on around him but he does not know what

he needs to say because they will not take what he says. As when his mother is

sick and he's worried about what happened to his mother. He wonders of the same

situation which ever happen on his life; when a dog died because of bleeding on

the body. He afraid if his mother also died, like what he thinks;

Is my mother bleeding to death? Is it all right to say, Look, there's blood on Mam's chair? No, you can't say anything because they always have secrets. I know if you say anything the grown-up people will tell you, Never mind, you're always gawking, none of your business, go out and play (114).

The inferior that Frank feels is that he is a weak and ignorant child; he

does not know the similarities and differences of some events, or the

consequences of things that they have met. It makes the child feel that he must be

an adult to know everything and no longer is feeling foolish if facing whatever

happens around him. Feelings like this make the child judge the negative to

himself, they will still feel small and weak that always needs adults, until he

grows and knows things that were previously unknown and do something for him.

Envy of adults often arises from the differences that he feels, like when Frank

knows that the book was in older boys have is thicker;

Older boys in the fifth class have the thick Confirmation catechism with the red cover and that costs sixpence. I'd love to be big and important and parade around with the red Confirmation catechism but I don't think I'll live that long the way I'm expected to die for this or that (69).

Frank is a child who was obedient and understood the intent and purpose

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his school teacher teaches him to swear dead for the sake of religion. This is

where the inferiority of adult is shown in the above quotation. It makes him

resigned because he feels that he will have no chance to study the bold red book.

Frank's inferiority to adults has an effect on his growth, as he compensates for the

feeling by finding out from friends or books he read.

3.1.2.3 Neglect

Neglect is one aspect that makes the individual in inferior state. As Adler

points out that the cause of inferiority is a neglected or overly pampered lifestyle.

This usually creates a complex inferior. Abandonment done on children who are

in the process of growth will have an impact on the mental that led to the growth

of habits that bad from his behavior. Frank experienced neglect from his family

also from the surrounding society because of physic or behavior that his mother’s

family dislikes. Frank is a child who is more often left to do whatever he wants as

long as it does not interfere his mother, rather than notice what and how he played

or what he did in playground, such as when his mother asked him to play and not

to go home before dark;

My mother tells me all the time, Never, never leave that playground except to come home. But what am I to do with the twins bawling with the hunger in the pram? I tell Malachy I'll be back in a minute. I make sure no one is looking, grab a bunch of bananas outside the Italian grocery shop and run down Myrtle Avenue, away from the playground, around the block and back to the other end where there's a hole in the fence (15)

This is a neglect that he gets from his mother. She does not want to know

what her sons did as long as it does not disturb her. Due to his fear toward his

mother and his compulsion, he eventually stole becaus

Superiority gaining of Frank’s fictional finalism in Angela’s ashes by Frank McCourt.