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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
There is a very strong correlation between literature and psychology for the fact that both of them deal with human beings and their reactions, perceptions of the world, miseries, wishes, desires, fears, conflicts, reconciliations, individual and social concerns, utilizing of varied concepts, methods and approaches. Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who found analytical psychology, in his well-known work entitled Psychology and Literature states that ”It is obvious enough that psychology, being the study of psychic process, can be brought to bear upon the study of literature, for the human psyche is the womb of all sciences and arts”. Carl Jung was Freud’s best student and closest disciple, who continued Freud’s psychoanalytic movement. Jung did not see eye to eye with Freud about the notion of organized religion. He considered the religious impulse to be naturally and universally a part of human consciousness. His belief in the universal consciousness was the central difference between him and Freud, which permanently separated the two (Newman and Newman, 2013).
Difficulties comes in unthinkable forms,, even when disability put us down to the worst conditions but we have to stand still. Life will not be as what we expected to witnessed if we do not put any effort into it, as in ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’, abridged Edition novel which was published in 2001 and presented as it is originally written by Alexandre Dumas, on the 15th of January 1846 and takes place between 1815-1839. It
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has been adapted to numerous television serials films and plays around the world ever since. Dumas’ works have also been translated into many languages as there are great demands for those. From the first chapter till the end, the novel preserves a clear picture of how we are forced and pressed to the unwanted situations. Dumas also writes The three Musketeers (1844), The Pale Lady and The Wolf Leader (1849), respected as one
of the first vampire novels, and a book about Robin Hood The Prince of Thieves (1872)(Sitompul, 2019).
It will deeply be regretted when the important points and the knowledge in this novel are to be let abandoned, when it is taught and disseminated then this story would surely be very useful for most people, and for those reasons, The Versatility of the Protagonist in Alexandre Dumas’ Novel The Count Of Monte Cristo should be uplifted to the surface. There are probably many more important lessons available here in the novel for different points of view and purposes. We have to take the novel, enjoy the story, understand each part and new ideas will emerge unexpectedly. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is like a glass of magic water, no matter how much
we take, the water will always be there for us to drink again.
Now let us go to Edmond Dantes, an inspirational figure in the Count of Monte Cristo. The young sailor is falsely accused of treason by his best friend Fernand
Mondego who means to take his fiancee Mercedes for himself. Dantes has never distrusted about this, he leads a challenging life in his youth and responsibly works as a sailor on a cargo ship called The Pharaon. The owner of the ship Monsieur Morrel proposes Dantes to take the position of Captain Laclerc, who dies on the journey back
to Marseilles. Happy of the promised captainship, Dantes then urges marrying his fiancee Mercedes; he invites all to whom he is known as well as a few people whom he never realize have placed jealousy of what Dantes has been. The recrimination makes the young sailor confused, distressed, and not understanding of what is going on, as he never expects to have any enemy. The worst is, he is jailed in the dungeon of Chateau d’if for fourteen years in the absence of judicial procedure, from which no one has ever escaped but with the help of another prisoner called Abbe Faria, Dantes has got a chance to do so. As part of his plan to exact his revenge, against those who have betrayed him, he then proceeds to transform himself into the prosperous Count of Monte Cristo.
The important points of discussion in order to focus on the study are:
a. The diplomatic appearance of Edmond Dantes before, and after the indictment.
b. The congeniality then allows him to get along with different kinds of people, one of whom is Abbe Faria because of whom Dantes miraculously gains his freedom.
c. The camouflages then invisibly held to exact the revenge on the people who have betrayed him.
Pressures and obstacles come repeatedly into Dantes’ life, but the talent he gets for diplomacy, camouflage and congeniality have become the driving force behind his success. Previously he only has ordinary capabilities, but over time and compulsion, he is finally able to develop them through the lessons he learns from Abbe Faria during his imprisonment. It is not an easy task to fulfill, on the other hand, the punishment for those who betray must be done. In this story, it is clearly illustrated that ‘Without a deep effort any plan will not work’.
The purpose in choosing the title is to remind that every individual should be sensible of the things which may cause psychological interference in life. Realizing the symptoms and their negative impacts, one should be able to handle and overtake the problem, sometimes when any of these psychological disorders are ignored, it may lead to serious problems. This study is conducted with the use of a qualitative method proposed by Taylor and Bogdan theory (1975). The goal of this research is to describe the phenomenon and its characteristics, what is, rather than how or why something has happened. It involves the description, analysis, interpretation of the present nature, and composition or processes of phenomena. The focus is on prevailing conditions, or how a person, behaves and functions in life. It often connects types of fractions or divergence.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The importance of the problem under study must get considerable and persuasive attention, and based on the descriptions above, this research is aimed at analyzing the protagonist’s versalities in Alexandre Dumas’ novel The Count of Monte Cristo. The statements of the problem are formulated as follows:
1. What are the points of versatility of the protagonist found in the novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas?
2. How are the points of versatility of the protagonist revealed in the novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas?
1.3 Objective of the Study
Based on the problem identification presented above, there are two objectives to be conducted in this research.
1. To expose the points of versatility of the protagonist found in the novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.
2. To analyze the points of versatility of the protagonist revealed in the novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.
1.4 Scope of the Study
There are several subtopics that will be analyzed in chapter IV, namely the points of versatility of the protagonist and how those points are revealed in the protagonist. To limit the discussion, the writer only discusses three points of versatility of the protagonist, namely diplomacy, congeniality and camouflage.
1.5 Significances of the Study
Theoretically, all the concepts and theories pertaining to literature could be used as references for other researchers dealing with the same fields of research. The approach used here is psychology of literature as the focus of the analysis deals with the talents of the protagonist in establishing social interactions.
Practically, the study of this novel is aimed to be useful for the students who are interested in increasing the appreciation of literature, and surely to motivate them to produce new ideas for future references. It is hoped that this research can also be studied by others who are interested to learn more about Edmond Dantes in The Count of Monte Cristo.
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CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Psychology of Literature
Literature is interwoven in other fields, such as history, philosophy, sociology, and psychology. These fields are used as a medium for interpreting humans and their lives, as well as their existence, personality, and culture.
Literature is the interpretation of human life through the medium of language.
Sangidu (2004: 2), states that literature is a product of human thought. It can be influenced by the environment of the author; even it may contain the author’s way of life. Whilst, most people consider that literary works are a mirror of human life. In other words, literary works are used by authors for telling what they feel, see and face in the social life involving human activities.
Literature can also be referred to as any form of written or printed art. Literary works are known by people in the written form, those are novel, poetry, and also play.
Literature relates to humans as objects of literary works. Humans with all their thoughts, feelings, emotions and behavior are poured out by the author in his literary works.
Readers can also see literary works through their own eyes or perspective. By reading literary works, readers find the messages contained. This makes literary works have their own characteristics.
Literature and psychology have a very close correlation because they both deal with humans and their reactions. Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. The word “psychology” comes from Greek words psyche meaning life and
logos meaning explanation. According to Plotnik (2013: 6), psychology is the science of
the experiences that arise from human self, such as mind and behavior. It embraces all aspects of unconscious and conscious experience as nice as thought. It is an applied science an academic discipline, which looks to understand individuals or groups by establishing general principles and researching specific cases. Wortman,et.al. (1999: 4) state that psychology, broadly defined, is the scientific study of behavior, both external observable action and internal thought.
Wellek & Warren (1977: 92-93) explain that psychology is used to explore and explain the phenomena of human life by applying psychological principles in literary works. Some artists use psychology to tighten their sense of reality, sharpen their powers of observation or allow them to fall into hitherto undiscovered patterns. Yet, in itself, it is merely a preparation for the action to be made, and in the work itself, psychological truth is of artistic value if it increases the complexity of coherence, in short; it's art.
Psychology is also used as a medium to find out the meaning and purpose of the author in making his work. Guerin (1979: 12) explains that psychology is always related to human life. People cannot separate psychology from their lives. Literary art can be defined by knowing the psychological background of an author's expression. Expression is influenced by the author's feelings when writing it. These feelings are shaped by the situation around the author and the author's individual experiences. Psychology explains and explains the basic thing that drives human life, namely motivation. Motivation is the most important thing in achieving and continuing the life that people expect. Everything that people have achieved and will achieve comes from motivation.
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Thus, psychology and literature have one thing in common, namely functional relationships that are useful for studying aspects that exist within humans. All the actions and roles as well as the standing of the characters in a literary work are determined by their personality conditions, including versatility. Anyone who has got various talents could be said as a person of versatility and versatility is not inborn talent as this talent is a part of personality and could be gained through learning and adaption.
Hard work and perseverance are the keys to obtain versatility and this is a great thing for an individual as versatility could ease or smooth any work to be achieved (Newman and Newman, 2013).
2.2 Versatility
Every human being must have a sense of unity, versatility skills, ability to make connections, level of intelligence, creativity, inherent curiosity, and awareness of individuality. Ahmed (2018: 96) in his book The Polymath: Unlocking the Power of Human Versatility, mentions that there are six components needed by humans to
improve their abilities. These components are:
1. Individuality – Understanding oneself.
2. Curiosity – Continuous, boundless inquiry.
3. Intelligence – Nurturing, exercising and optimizing various abilities.
4. Versatility – Moving seamlessly between different spheres of knowledge and experience.
5. Creativity – Connecting and synthesizing seemingly disparate fields for a creative outcome.
6. Unity – Unifying various strands of knowledge for greater clarity and vision of the whole.
Versatility comes from the Latin word versatilis which means turning, revolving, moving, and capable of turning to varied subjects or tasks. According to Simpson in Oxford English Dictionary (2017), versatility is a noun from word versatile, which
means having many different skills or uses. Versatility can also be referred to as the ability to anticipate and adapt to change. This means that people who have versatility can do many things competently. Simply, this ability is used to move smoothly between different fields or situations.
Versatility can also be referred to as multiple intelligences and people who have versatility traits can be referred to as polymaths, someone who has a lot of knowledge and diverse learning. Gardner (2006) states that human intelligence is divided into several categories namely logical-mathematical intelligence, linguistic intelligence (verbal), spatial intelligence (visual), musical intelligence, kinesthetic intelligence (physical), naturalist intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, intelligence existential. These bit of intelligences are what make humans survive and make each of them have a unique personality so that they are not the same as each other.
If someone hones these intelligences, they will be able to develop all the potential that is within them and make themselves have the nature of versatility.
From the explanations above, it can be concluded that versatility is the ability of humans to adapt to the situations and conditions they face. Versatile people are capable of doing many things or serve many functions. People who can explore their abilities
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and talents in a focused manner and develop them into various fields are called people who have versatility.
In the novel The Count of Monte Cristo, the protagonist, Edmond Dantes, is accused of a crime he never commits and is imprisoned for years at the Chateau d'if.
Dantes wants justice and he begins to take revenge against those who have betrayed him.
Dantes makes every effort to develop his abilities to make changes in his life, even though there is a price to pay. Dantes develops his talents and potential to be successful.
Using diplomacy, cognition and camouflage, Dantes plans slowly and carefully for his revenge.
2.2.1 Diplomacy
In English, diplomacy, which is read as dəˈplōməsē/, is a noun, meaning the profession, activity, or skill of managing international relations, typically by a country's representatives abroad, or the government should assign an ambassador-at-large to oversee diplomacy in the region. According to Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (2016), the definition of diplomacy is the business of organizing official communications between one country and another. It can also be interpreted as the affairs of the interests of a country through the intermediary of its representatives in other countries.
Shoelhi (2011: 74) explains the definition of diplomacy: etymologically, diplomacy comes from the Greek word, diploun. the word diploma is closer in meaning to duplication which means to double. The word diploma is also closely related to duplicity or duplication, which means intentionally deceiving or duplicity, like the Bulgarian culture of saying "yes" while shaking their head. Furthermore, the word
diploma also shows the meaning of a text or document that is perforated and stored in a government office, and then the word diplomacy is defined as the work of the person who keeps the document. Briggs (1967: 202), states that diplomacy is an official business activity by sending someone to represent the government. The aim of diplomacy is to create agreement in policy terms.
In diplomacy, of course, there are forms of diplomacy to achieve mutual agreements between countries with diplomacy. Shoelhi (2011: 84-85), explains the forms of diplomacy as follows:
1. Dialogue, usually held to seek an assessment of certain developments.
2. Trials, such as scheduled meetings which are often held in diplomatic forums at the United Nations, to convey the views of member countries on various international issues.
3. International conference, aimed to produce agreements
4. State visits, for example a head of state visits a friendly country to strengthen friendly relations between the two countries.
5. International seminars, for example international seminars on diffusion and technological innovation and their implications for international welfare.
6. Symposiums, such as international symposiums to discuss cultural and scientific studies.
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7. Negotiation, this form of talk is commonly used to negotiate certain bilateral, trilateral or multilateral issues, and aims to reach an agreement or agreements.
8. Lobby, is an informal form of diplomacy commonly used to expedite negotiations.
2.2.1.1 The Purpose of Diplomacy
Kautilya (1992), a veteran diplomat of Ancient India, states that the attainment of
"Wisdom" (naya) properly will lead to auspicious results. Kautilya emphasizes four main goals of diplomacy, namely (a) acquisition; (b) preservation (maintenance); (c) augmentation (addition); and (d) proper distribution (fair distribution).
Besides that, the aim of Kautilya's diplomacy is "happiness" (siddhi) and as long as this goal can only be obtained through the possession of power, a king must always strive to increase his own strength and elevate his happiness. Failing that, the king, must try to deny the same to his enemy. Hundreds of years ago Kautilya concluded that the main aim of diplomacy was to "safeguard the interests of one's own country". So the aim of diplomacy according to Kautilya is "to ensure the maximum benefit of one's own country" and the main interest seems to be "maintenance of security".
2.2.1.2 The Functions of Diplomacy
Described in Shoelhi (2011: 85) the general function of diplomacy includes the following:
1. Reporting: The reporting function is to report on developments in various political,
economic, social, cultural and other fields that occur in the country of accreditation and communicate other important information that needs to be known immediately for accreditation.
2. Representation: As the official representative of his country, a diplomat represents
his country and demonstrates his formality in front of fellow diplomatic envoys in the accredited country.
3. Negotiation: In negotiations, diplomats act as messengers, always acting according
to the instructions given by their countries.
4. Consular: In its development, with the unification of the political service and the
consular service, the consular service was also integrated into the duties of diplomatic representation, especially in places where there is no consular representative in the country concerned.
5. Improve friendly relations between countries and promote economic, cultural and scientific relations.
2.2.2 Congeniality
Congeniality is a noun form of congenial (adj) which means friendly or pleasant.
According to Simpson (2017), the definition of congeniality is friendly attention, interest, and support: the quality or state of being agreeable. Someone who has the qualities of being fun, experienced, and easy to get along with can be called a congenital person. According to Kabir (2020) in the 8 traits to cultivate a pleasant personality article, pleasant people have the following traits.
1. Humility: This section of people are humble and down-to-earth. Success, wealth and power don’t alter their behaviors. They do not exaggerate their doings and are connected to the roots no matter how far they reach in their lives. They avoid social
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comparisons and keep themselves completely in “their zone” to become a best version of themselves.
2. Empathy and Kindness: These people are always approachable. They balance their
work-life properly and make time for their family and friends. Their empathetic and kind behavior makes them niche and praiseworthy. It is rightly said, ”When we are in pain or frustration we just need a shoulder to cry on and hear us out word by word”. They make sure to hear from us patiently even if they don’t have a solution to our problems”.
3. Belief in actions: They make sure not to blabber and believe in actions. ‘Talk less
and work more’ is what they believe in. The most astonishing part is their effortless drive to conduct any task. They make sure to showcase the final result to the outer world without publicizing the hard work and toil put in. These people are great in handling pressure and are generally shy and gullible in front of the crowd.
4. Use of wise words: The use of words can make or break a relationship and they
know it perfectly. They take care not to be swayed away with the mood of the people. These people know, “Words are like arrows, once loosed you cannot call them back”; they make sure to use words judiciously and at the right moment.
5. Being unaffected by peer pressure: This class is unaffected by peer pressure and
social media. They don’t believe in trends but rather make their own. Everyone desires to stay relevant in this world but these people believe in doing relevant stuff.
The
social media lingual like ‘FOMO’, ‘YOLO’ does not sway them. They create their paths rather than blindly following what others do.
6. Not poking their nose in others’ business: They make sure not to take unnecessary
interest in the lives of others. These people don’t entertain gossiping and irrelevant talks that would not benefit any of the parties. Their simple concept is —If you cannot provide a solution to others, stop poking nose in their business.
7. Motivation and appreciation: They make sure to give credit and acknowledge
their acquaintances and peers even for a trivial task. They respect other’s opinions and always encourage their peers to present their ideas and thoughts.
8. Patience: This category of people is very patient and persevered. They might be
frustrated but would never show it in front of others. They know how to manage their mood swings and keep their calm in gatherings.
From the explanations of congeniality, it can be concluded that congeniality is someone who has a pleasant personality and has various good qualities.
2.2.3 Camouflage
A person's personality and existence can clearly be seen through his/her daily activities in life; how to talk, gesture, walk and attitude are the easiest recoqnition to identify someone. According to Simpson (2017), camouflage means something that needs to be hidden or a behavior that is intended to hide the truth. The word camouflage was first known in French as camoufler which means disguise. An assessment of someone may only be done through vision, but maybe what is seen is not necessarily what it really is.
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Stamford (1989) says, what appears on the surface looks orderly, clear, neat and definite, it is all just a camouflage full of uncertainty. From Stamford's explanation it can be concluded that life is a stage of play, what is shown is not necessarily the truth. It could be feigned hospitality with hidden intentions behind it. In life, many people act out of the ordinary just to disguise and conceal their true self. It is not uncommon for camouflage to be associated with cunning and far from assertiveness.
According to Elkan (2013), there are several characteristics and types of people who are camouflaged, namely:
1. Arrogant, to be able to survive with his identity that demands a higher standard or is arrogant, it must be polished with camouflage. eg trite. This small talk can be in the form of slang that is accepted by the environment and can also be small talk in statements.
2. Smart in lying, often secretly keep things even to the closest people, life partners and families.
3. Wasteful or not being able to control income with expenses. This is done because his mind is more preoccupied with desires based on his subconscious to continue his existancy in the social world or environment which he thinks is important to maintain.
4. Easily persuaded by the lure.
5. Very easily paranoid. Because it is often camouflaged, it is more difficult to assess a dynamical situation around it. Once faced with the situation of having to choose and the choice will appear as if it was all good or all bad.
6. Difficult to make decisions. Sometimes when he makes a decision that he believes is the right way for him, then that decision makes his life shattered, even though his heart by nature has shown that the opposite decision is good for him and others.
7. Less objective. Since they are often camouflaged, whether they realize it or not, if faced with a problem where there is no place for camouflage, usually people who like this camouflage will think "I am right and you are wrong" or vice versa, even though the problem they are facing is not a matter of who is right and who wrong.
Automatically if this person works, his performance tends to be low.
8. Giving up easily and tending to run away from responsibility. Whether in a difference of opinion or when faced with a choice, their thinking ability will be hampered and they often make decisions that destroy or lose so that many people find it difficult. Or preferring to choose Win Loose which means he has to win and the other person loses while the victory he thinks is actually also a failure or defeat.
9. Provocative, often trumps both consciously and unconsciously. People who are used to subconsciously camouflaging usually don't realize that many people have been playing against each other, this is also usually due to having a bad childhood experience, for example: catching their parents cheating on them and reporting to the other parent and their parents getting divorced. this person is difficult to make a right decision and will tend to take the easiest way that is to just pit everyone against each other because experience has taught him that in the end he will be the one to blame. Such people are victims of their parents' depraved behavior.
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Based on the explanations above, it can be concluded that camouflage is an act to disguise or hide one's true identity. this is done to disguise themselves so that they are not easily seen or difficult to distinguish by the surrounding environment.
