i
THE IDEAS OF EXISTENTIALISM AS REVEALED
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THE ZAHIR
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of
Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
ALBERTUS ARYK WIDODO
Student Number: 044214092
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
v
“ I don’t w ant a light er burden, but a st ronger back”
vi
For my beloved Father and Mother
vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all I would like to thank Jesus Christ for His blessing every day.
Secondly, I would be glad to say that my mother and father are my biggest
inspiration in my life and I deeply thank them for that. My gratitude is also for my
brother Brotie and Mandra, who always encourage me with their own way.
My special gratitude goes to my advisor Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S.,
M.Hum., for giving me her precious time and patience in guiding me to finish this
thesis. My gratitude also goes to Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum., my
co-advisor. A special appreciation also goes to all English Letters secretariat staff
who have been so kind to help me during my study in Sanata Dharma University.
Afterward, I would like to thank Intan, Dessy, Nila, Indri and Dewi for the
fun they share in the class with me. My best friend Taufig for the shelter, advice,
food, and smile; Tante Ningsih who lends me the book The Zahir; Uke, Sho,
Ronny, Ian, Ndu2, Galih, Adit, Wawan, Dhita, Fitra, Koh Abun, Sesco, and the
rest of my friends of the 2004 class that I could not mention one by one. Last but
not least is my gratitude for Indra who lended me the computer and everything.
Albertus Aryk Widodo
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ... i
APPROVAL PAGE ... ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE……… ……... iii
PUBLICATION PAGE... iv
MOTTO PAGE………v
DEDICATION PAGE………. vi
ACKNWOLEDGEMENTS……….………... vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... viii
ABSTRACT ...x
ABSTRAK ...xi
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ... 1
A.
Background of the Study ... 1
B.
Problem Formulation ... 5
C.
Objectives of the Study ... 5
D.
Definition of Terms………..5
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ... 6
A.
Review of Related Studies ... 6
B.
Review of Related Theories ... ……... 7
1.
Theories of Character and Characterization……….. 7
2.
Theory of Existentialism……… 12
a.
Existentialism View……….……… 12
b.
Soren Kierkegaard’s Theory on Existentialism………... 14
c.
Martin Heidegger’s Theory on Existentialism………... 16
d.
Jean Paul Sartre’s Theory on Existentialism………17
3.
Literature and Existentialism………... 19
4.
Theoretical Framework ... 20
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ... 21
A.
Object of the Study ... 21
B.
Approach of the Study ... 22
C.
Method of the Study ... 23
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ... 25
A.
The Characterization of the Main Character……… ……... 25
1.
Dependent man……….. 27
ix
3.
Free man………. 32
4.
Responsible man……… ……... 34
5.
Brave man……….. 36
B.
The Ideas of Existentialism Revealed through the Main Character…… 38
1.
The Narrator’s view towards freedom………... 40
2.
The Narrator’s experience of anxiety……… 43
3.
The Narrator’s fall into
the They
……….…….. 46
4.
The Narrator’s experience in The Look of The Other………... 51
5.
The Narrator’s view towards death……… 53
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ... 56
x
ABSTRACT
ALBERTUS ARYK WIDODO. The Ideas of Existentialism as Revealed thr ough the Main Character in Paulo Coelho’s The Zahir. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2011.
The Zahir by Paulo Coelho tells about the journey of a man looking for his
missing wife. The journey itself turns out to bring him into a journey to find the true self. There are some principles found from the main character’s attitudes, thoughts, speech and the others character’s point of view about him that lead to the principles of existentialism.
The objectives of this undergraduate thesis are; (1) To find out how the main character of The Zahir is characterized and (2) to find the ideas of existentialism as revealed through the main character of the novel.
The writer uses the library research and moral-philosophical approach for the analysis because the study focuses on the philosophical idea of the novel, which means that the novel is the source of study.
xi
ABSTRAK
ALBERTUS ARYK WIDODO. The Ideas of Existentialism as Revealed Thr ough the Main Char acter in Paulo Coelho’s The Zahir. Yogyakarta: Fakultas Sastra, Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2011.
The Zahir oleh Paulo Coelho menceritakan tentang perjalanan seorang lelaki
mencari istrinya yang menghilang. Perjalanan itu sendiri berubah membawa dia ke dalam sebuah perjalanan untuk menemukan jati diri yang sebenarnya. Melalui tingkah laku, pemikiran, perkataan dan penilaian dari tokoh lain, tokoh utama, pembawa cerita, di temukan prinsip-prinsip yang mengarah kepada prinsip-prinsip existentialisme.
Tujuan dari studi ini adalah: (1) untuk menemukan bagaimana tokoh utama dari The Zahir di gambarkan dan (2) menemukan gagasan-gagasan existentialisme
yang di ungkapkan melalui tokoh utama di dalam novel.
Penulis menggunakan studi pustaka dan pendekatan filsafat moral untuk melakukan analisis karena penelitian ini menitikberatkan pada ide filsafat dari novel tersebut, yang berarti novel tersebut juga menjadi sumber peneltian.
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Backgr ound of the Study
Existentialism, as part of philosophy known for its focus on human being, is
interesting to discuss. There are various kinds of existentialism which results from
the various way of thinking from the human itself. From their different way of
thinking one to another, there are two main types of existentialism. They are the
atheistic existentialism who deny that God exists, and the theistic existentialism
who believes that God is the source of our being. In both streams of
existentialism, human takes place as the main character to study, the central of
everything.
From Kierkegaard to Heidegger, there are similar notions that can be found
in the thought of these existentialist philosophers. One famous concept is
‘existence’ precedes ‘essence’ in existentialism, which means that existence is
prior to essence (Horton and Edward, 1967:457). According to Barret, man does
not have a fixed innate essence that is given to him, but he makes his own nature
out of his freedom and his historical condition where he lives. Human beings have
freedom, choices to make, and condition where they live that could shape their
personality.
Many philosophers such as Jean Paul Sartre, Heidegger, Jaspers, Sőren
Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Albert Camus interpret the existence of
human beings. Each philosopher came with different concept of existentialism,
philosophers argue the similar issue that is the existence of human beings in this
world.
In this undergraduate thesis, the writer focuses on the concept of
existentialism proposed by Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard. Soren
Kierkegaard is generally acknowledged as “one of the greatest thinkers of the
nineteenth century”. Soren Kierkegaard who is a theistic existentialist, teaches
people to defend their life on God and choose to live as Christian. It is different
from Albert Camus whose existentialism concept does not believe in God’s
existence. Moreover, like Sartre and Nietzsche, Camus is considered as an
atheistic existentialist (Kaufman, 1956: 47). Nevertheless, Kierkegaard who lived
from 5 May 1813 to 11 November 1855 had to wait until 1870s to come into local
public. Kierkegaard’s work entered the German translation in 1910s; which by
then opened up the possibilities for English translation to be available for most
thinkers. These translations made it possible for Kierkegaard to begin exerting his
enormous influence on 20th-century German, Japanese, French, and English
thinkers and authors.
Soren Kierkegaard has been called a philosopher, a theologian, the Father
of Existentialism, a literary critic, a humorist, a psychologist, and a poet. He has
been the inspiration for many 20th century existentialists, both theistic and atheistic, and theologians. Those people have drawn many concepts from
Kierkegaard. His notions of angst, despair, and the importance of the individual,
are well known among those thinkers. His fame as a philosopher grew
movement pointed to him as a precursor, although he is now seen as a highly
significant and influential thinker in his own right. Kierkegaard is commemorated
as a teacher in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church on 11 November.
In literature sometimes the writer shares to his reader the idea that the writer
believes. Sometimes it can be the writer’s own life philosophy, life experience,
political point of view, or religious belief. Like what Paulo Coelho stated in his
interview with Glauco Ortolano about his work The Zahir,
I would say then that the book is more inspired by my philosophy of life rather than by life. Anyway I don’t feel afraid of exposing myself. I actually feel a bit of relief. You see, truth is fundamental in the dialogue with readers. That’s what makes us free. I had already opened up my soul with my readers in my first book, The Pilgrimage. This time I can do this with my readers and it’s a fantastic experience (2005: 2).
One way to share the writer’s mind to his reader is by imbuing his own life
experience or life philosophy into his works. Like what stated in the interview, in
the dialogue with readers through his work’s The Zahir, Coelho considered that
truth is essential. An author’s work or here we can say generally a literature is one
way for people to speak out their mind, feelings and desire. According to Wellek
and Warren in Theory of Literature, the function of literature is to relieve either
writers or readers from pressure or emotions (1962: 36). Although it seems like a
one-way communication, literature is a means to express the feelings they have.
Thus literature can be considered as a media for the writer to communicate to the
reader.
Paulo Coelho’s The Zahir itself is the main source for analysis in this
made him so bewildered about the mysterious event. The mysterious event
brought him into a journey that leads him into his own religious experience. The
journey forced him to be aware about himself, the true self about him. It started
with the condition and ‘knowledge’ that he must understand before being able to
meet his wife. It ended up with his struggle to understand his life and himself as a
human being in this world. Choices that he must made in his spiritual journey, his
view toward love, and the power beyond love itself above human beings brought
the idea of existentialism of the main character.
The novel’s point of view toward love and the spiritual journey in the story
make the story interesting to read and worth-studying for this undergraduate
thesis. The journey that takes the main character deep into his spiritual
understanding is interesting because the power that brought him in the first time is
what is called as love. Moreover, Paulo Coelho’s The Zahir has been translated
into 56 languages, has become the top bestseller list, and also a subject of social
and culture debate internationally.
The topic discussed in this undergraduate thesis is The Ideas of
Existentialism as Revealed Through the Main Character in Paulo Coelho’s The
Zahir. The Narrator, who lost his wife and the main character of the novel, will be
the focus of this study. This thesis focuses on his spiritual journey of the main
character in the story to find his love of his life. The spiritual journey, which the
main character went through, brought him into a human being who was aware of
B. Pr oblem For mulation
Based on the preceding paragraphs stated in the background of study, the
problems will be formulated as follows:
1. How is the main character characterized in Paulo Coelho’s The Zahir?
2. What are the ideas of existentialism depicted through the main character in the
novel?
C. Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this study answer the questions in former part, the
problem formulation. The thesis purposes are: first, to find out how the main
character of The Zahir is characterized; and second, to find the ideas of
existentialism as revealed through the main character of the novel.
D. Definitions of Terms
According to John K. Roth in his International Encyclopedia of Ethics, defines existentialism as an approach to ethics that emphasizes individual
subjectivity-freedom and responsibility, and the irrational as primary features of
human condition (1995:294).
In The American Heritage Dictionary of English Language by Miffin,
existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of
individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe; regards human’s
existence is inexplicable and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the
6
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
Charles at www.libertybooks.com/Books/BookPreview.aspx states in his
essay Everyone has their Zahir, on 14 December 2006, that Paulo has the ability to explain in simple words, some of the most confusing and conflicting feelings
that touch the human soul. The Zahir is a testament to Paulo’s abilities and a must-read novel for all aspiring humans looking for true spirituality. There we can
find the life philosophy of the famous author, and his idea about this world.
Paulo Coelho as a famous writer, that some called him as an alchemist of
words and many other see him as a mass culture phenomenon, brought the
concept that love brought with it a desire that drives human to do almost
everything in The Zahir. Paulo Coelho with his works that has been translated into
56 languages, become the topped bestseller list, and also have gone on to become
the subject of social and culture debate internationally, make him into very
famous writer. His idea and life philosophy presented as the subject on his books
touch the aspiration of millions of reader who search for his or her own path and
new ways of understanding the world
(http://www.santjordi.asociados.com/news.htm).
The study by Lusia Wikanita (2006) in her undergraduate thesis “Plot and
Symbols to Reveal The Messages In Paulo Coelho’s By The River Piedra I Sat
objectives are to find the plot development, the symbols and the importance of the
symbols in revealing the messages in Paulo Coelho’s By The River Piedra I Sat
Down And Wept”. The study found that in the novel there are symbols that give
contribution to the revelation of the messages.
There are studies about Existentialism that have been conducted before. One
of them is the undergraduate thesis by Bambang Hendrianto, entitled “Human
Revolt Related To The Criticism of Freedom In The Main Characters of Albert
Camus’ The Stranger”. This thesis puts a full attention to the study of plot, setting, characters and how the main character represents the human revolt related
to the crisis of freedom (Hendrianto, 1998: 4).
Those review and studies that have been conducted above are related to
Paulo Coelho’s works, and the theme of this study, existentialism. In this thesis,
the writer tries to have a specific study on one of Paulo Coelho’s work, The Zahir.
The writer wants to reveal the ideas of existentialism in the novel, by exploring
the main character of the story.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theories of Character and Char acterization
In his book A Glossary of Literature Terms, Abrams defined the terms character as:
Here Abrams also stated that basically, based on the importance, the character can
be divided into two categories. They are major character and minor character.
Major character, usually appears in the whole story, from the beginning until the
end. He or she becomes the focus of the story. The events that appear in the whole
of the story always involve the major character, whether it is directly or indirectly
(Abrams, 1985:20-21). Minor characters have a predicate as the supporting
character in the story. Their roles are less important than the main character as
their characters are not fully developed and they function to support the
development of the major character (Henkle, 1977: 95).
Meanwhile in Mastering English Literature, Gill (1995: 125) says that a
character is a person in a literary work that has some sort of identity which can be
seen from his appearance, conversation, action, name and so on.
Foster (1927: 46-48) in Aspect of Novel divides the character into two terms:
Flat and Round character. He states that a Flat character is a single idea or quality
and is presented without much individualized detail and therefore can be fairly
described in a single phrase or sentence. A round character is complex in
temperament and motivation and is represented with subtle particularity. Thus he
is difficult to describe with any adequacy as a person in real life, and like most
people, he is capable of surprising us.
Holman and Harmon (1986: 83) say that a character can be either static or
dynamic. A static character is someone who does not experience a conversation
on himself. Something that happens to him does not influence on his character.
someone who influences the actions and experience. He experiences conversation
in himself as the result of the actions.
The development of a character is a change of a character in a novel. The
theory says that a character should not be static because the plot and the story go
forward and it affects the character. The character is influenced by the action and
incident which occur in the story, and it causes a change and development to the
character. At the end of the novel, the character would not be the same from what
it is at the beginning of the novel (De Laar and Choonderwoerd, 1969: 171). To
know about the development we can see the change from the characteristic of the
character, we compare the characteristic at the beginning of the story and at the
end of the story.
Meanwhile, characterization according Roger B. Henkle “is central to the
fictional experience”. The principal objective on the creation of characters in
novels is to enable us to understand and to experience the people” (1977: 86). The
same note is also spoken by Marjorie Boulton who says that an author should
create his or her character as if they were in real conditions (1975: 77). The
greatest created character has a roundness, complexity and multiplicity; they
develop, they give the impression that they had real past, and have real future. The
author is bound to make sense the characters as they can be made sense by the
reader. According to M.J. Murphy (1972: 161-173) there are nine ways in which
the author attempts to make his characters understandable and lifelike for his
First is by analyzing the character’s personal description. In this way the
writer characterizes the character by seeing a character from the physical
appearance such as his build, face, skin, eyes, hair or cloth.
Second is by analyzing from another character’s point of view or character
as seen by another. A character can be analyzed through another character’s eyes
and opinions to describe the character that the writer wants to expose.
Third, by characterizing the character’s speech. The readers can have an
opinion about the character by paying attention to the character’s speech. The
reader can also see the conversation where the character is involved; the way he or
she gives his or her opinion may also show the personality of the character.
Fourth, by considering the character’s past life, the readers are made known
of some important clues to get to know about the character. It can be described by
the author’s direct comment, the character’s thoughts, the character’s conversation
or the medium of another person.
Fifth, by analyzing other character conversation. The readers can get to
know a character through the conversations of other people and the things they
say about him or her.
Sixth, by perceiving the character’s reactions to various situations and
events, an author shows his character’s tendency, and this tendency gives the
readers a clue about the character’s personality.
Seventh, by analyzing the author’s direct comment and description on the
character. The author directly describes the character and also gives comment on
the character.
Eighth, by analyzing the thought of the character. The author shows the
character’s personality by allowing the readers to understand the deepest thoughts
of the character in a novel.
Ninth, by describing the character’s mannerisms, habits, or idiosyncrasies.
The author shows the character’s personalities by stating the character’s gestures
and habits.
Sometimes, there are insufficient information and judgment of others about
the characters. In order for the reader to make a rough and ready judgment and
insufficient evidence, Graham Little in his book Approach to Literature: An
Introduction To Critical Study of Content and Method in Writing offers three
ways in studying a character (Little, 1981: 90). The three ways are as following:
1. His or her basic characteristic (the physical conditions, social
relationship, the mental qualities).
2. His or her appearance from various points of view (how a character, how
various other characters see him or her, and how he or she develops or
fails during the course of the story).
3. His or her place in the work (the treatment of the author, his or her place
in the story, his or her relation to the theme.
There is another way of characterization related to a major issue that a
character must face, as offered by Roberts, Edgar V and Jacobs in Fiction An
dialogue, actions, comments, and also the interaction between a character with
another character, involving a difficult situation or with an idea (1989:56).
2. Theor y of Existentialism
Philosophy begins with philosophical problems raised by the philosopher.
Philosophical problem is defined as questions about the meaning, truth, and
logical connections of fundamental ideas (Woodhouse, 1994: 2). Most
philosophers begin their thought with a philosophical problem questioning the
meaning of this life. Rooted from the same philosophical questions of life, there
are many philosophers who came out with different theories or concept of
existentialism. Namely philosopher such as Soren Kierkegaard, Jean Paul Sartre,
Friedrich Nietzsche, Heidegger, Dostoevsky, Karl Jasper, and Albert Camus,
bring their own different theory or concept.
Soren Kierkegaard began his philosophical thought when he was motivated
by a desire to satisfy the deepest needs and questions of the society of his day,
begins his philosophical thought. His philosophical thought develops with his own
uniqueness, based on his upbringing and perception. Here are the analyses of
some views on existentialism and theory of existentialism.
a. Existentialism View
There are many thinkers who suggest the definition of existentialism. One
of the definitions is by Holman and Harmon in A Handbook to Literature, here
“A group of attitudes (current in philosophical, religious, and artistic thought during and after the second World War) that emphasizes existence rather than essence and sees the inadequacy of human reason to explain the enigma of the universe as the basic of philosophical question” (1986: 199).
Existentialism, in this book, is defined as some attitudes that based on
philosophy, religious and artistic thought. Existentialism becomes known during
and after the Second World War. The thought emphasizes on human’s existence;
meaning to say that human existence precedes human’s essence. There is also the
awareness of human being’s inadequacy to explain everything in this world, the
mystery of the universe which is a part of the philosophical question of human
being. Furthermore, the important point is human being’s awareness of their
situation that they have a total freedom but at the same time they are also
completely responsible for their act and decision (Holman and Harmon, 1989:
199).
Encyclopedia of World Literature also explains about literature relates to
existentialism. In this book, it is stated that literature relates to existentialism
emphasizes on the idea of “the fact that men are not determined priori, but ‘exist’.
They are in the state of ‘becoming’ within the framework of a certain given
situation, and are in the long run, what they make themselves. In this way they
escape from a mechanical determination and are ‘free’ “(Steinberg and Buchaman
(eds), 1973: 224).
According to Steinberg and Buchaman’s definition, human beings are not
initially determined but they created themselves in their own way. They are free to
choose their own way to live and free to shape their life, different from what is
Ethics, existentialism defines as an approach to ethics that emphasizes individual
subjectivity-freedom and responsibility, and the irrational as primary features of
human condition (1995:294).
In The American Heritage Dictionary of English Language by Miffin,
existentialism is defined as a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and
isolation of individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, it regards
human’s existence is inexplicable and stresses freedom of choice and
responsibility for the sequences of one’s act. This is quite similar to Holman and
Harmon’s definition of existentialism. Both emphasize on the individual
uniqueness and the freedom to choose one’s own way and decision. Furthermore,
one also has the responsibility of the choice he or she has taken.
b. Sor en Kierkegaar d’s Theory on Existentialism
Although it has been claimed that existential philosophy has its origins in
Pascal and Saint Augustine, perhaps dating as far back as Socrates, the Danish
philosopher and theologian Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was the first
philosopher to employ the term “existence” (Existenz in both Danish and
German) in its modern sense, in opposition to Hegel’s concept of absolute
consciousness (Akarsu, 1987:193). Kierkegaard, who argues that the subjective,
or personal, dimension of human life cannot be disregarded, rejects the objective
understanding of the universe, giving precedence to subjectivity and trying “ to
introduce the individual into our thinking as category” (Kaufmann, 1956: 16). In
he passed, and these represent the general stages in the development of man.
These three stages may exist in any one of these stages throughout life or may
move from one to other (Warnock, 1970; 6-7). Indeed, each of these three stages
represents a philosophy of life. The first stage is the aesthetic stage with a focal
point of pleasure resulting in perdition. The second stage is the ethical stage,
focusing on action that results in victory. The third and the last stage is the
religious stage, the focal point of which is suffering (Gallagher, 1962: 78).
Kierkegaard rebels against the eternal verities and traditional conceptions of
Christianity. He does not find paramount importance for the individual, claiming
that it is our individual choices and commitments – in other words our own
decision – that give our life an ethical structure. To him, the soul or the self
(intangible, as opposed to the body) is subject to possibilities and decisions that
lead human being to the experience of Angst – which is variously translated as
“dread” or “anxiety”. He claims that this experience motivates man to commit
himself to “an ethico-religious life which offers a salvation” dependent upon
relationship with God (Honderich, 1995: 259). His literary works depict human
life as anguished and absurd. In his philosophical writings he develops a complete
skepticism and ascribes human beings into a state of total ignorance. In his
opinion it is impossible for man to know anything about the world that might be
deemed true or necessary. Trapped in a state of absurdity with no real knowledge,
man’s only solution is to believe in a God who can enlighten us – even though we
will never be sure that this is the right decision to make. As Kierkegaard did not
reveal the truth, he insisted that the most he could do was to raise certain
questions but leave the answers to his readers, as truth exists only in the subjective
(Popkin and Stroll, 1993: 308).
c. Martin Heidegger ’s Theor y on Existentialism
Martin Heidegger (1889 – 1976), a German philosopher, is “usually seen as
existentialism founder.” Although he refused to call his own philosophy as
existentialism on the grounds that he was interested in being in general, many
people consider Heidegger as the first true existentialist (Warnock, 1970: 93).
According to Heidegger, as stated by Honderich, the key aspect of being is
Dasein, signifying “the entity which each of us himself is” and “the being of
man.” This mode of being is different from that of the objects categorized by us in
terms of their use, since man is the only creature in the world that can question his
being. Human existence is limited to the world and is inseparable from the
everyday world. Dasein in German means “being there;” Heidegger expands his
concept of Dasein as “being-in-the-world.”
The human being is conceived of as being-in-the-world; the world does not
stand opposite to him, but is inseparable from him (Monkemeyer, 1962: 101). He
lives in a world that is already structured: we do not create our world; our
emotions arise “from involvements of everyday life which we find ourselves in”
(Honderich,1995: 260).
The self of everyday Dasein is the they-self, which is distinct from the
life, it is possible for him to experience Angst, an awareness of the precariousness
of life whose goals and values are not structured in line with his own existence
(Moenkemeyer, 1062:105-106). Heidegger connects this experience of Angst with
one’s attitude towards his own death. To realize that we live our life leading to
death reveals the structure of our own existence, makes us aware of our finitude,
our responsibility, our freedom and our authenticity (Honderich, 1995: 260).
d. J ean Paul Sar tr e’s Theory on Existentialism
According to Kaufman, existentialism has come to the attention of a wide
international audience mainly through the work of Jean-Paul Sartre (40). Sartrean
philosophy is strongly influenced by Hegel, Husserl, Heidegger and Marx
(Kaufman 1956: 40). Sartre’s existentialism mainly lies in its concern for the
individual, the human existence, and in its consideration of responsibility,
engagement and action.
His early basic idea is the difference between human existence and that of
other objects. Sartrean existentialism is interested in concrete situations in one’s
everyday life as well as in stronger emotional experiences such as solitude,
despair, anguish and nausea (Mihalich, 1962: 137). Like Kierkegaard’s
existentialism, the key term in the philosophy of Sartre is existence. According to
Sartre, existence does not only mean “being,” since plants and animals are also
beings although they are unable to questions their existence. Ever since Sartre is
and man cannot find anything to depend on, except to depend on himself
(Kaufman, 1956: 295).
Sartre sees man’s situation in the world is absurd and tragic (Kaufman,
1956: 47). On one hand, there are physical objects, each an “in-itself” (en-soi)
without any relation to the exterior, locked in their contingency without
consciousness; on another hand, there is human being with a consciousness of
total freedom, the “for-itself” (pour-soi). Sartre’s en-soi is the self-contained
existence of a thing: it is what it is; a stone is a stone, for example (its being
coincides with itself). However, that which exist pour-soi has access to a realm of
consciousness that allows it to go beyond itself if it chooses to; a human being is
free to choose an existence “in-itself” or “for-itself”. Meaning to say, it is the
source of our freedom as human beings to choose the choices, or the point of view
to see this world.
“Existence precedes essence” is the basic hypothesis in Sartre’s thinking,
meaning to say that we are –or exist- before we take any specific nature, or
essence. It is us human beings who must – through our actions- construct our way
of existence (Mihalich, 1962: 128-129); we are what we make of ourselves.
“man makes himself, he is not found ready-made; he makes himself by the choice of his morality…we define man only in relation to his commitment; it is therefore absurd to reproach us for irresponsibility in our choice (Kaufman, 1956: 306).”
Hence, according to Sartre, the morality or goodness is subjective based on
the person’s choice and point of view. The choices and point of view that is
of our freedom, of our actions in total freedom. However, we are not free to do
anything we want without considering the consequences. ‘On the contrary, such
drastic freedom brings with it an immense responsibility (Milhalich 1962: 129)”.
Furthermore, man is responsible not only for his own existence, but also for that
of others since by his own choices he does not choose only for himself but for all
humanity (Warnock, 1970: 124).
3. Literatur e and Existentialism
Understanding the relationship between philosophy and literature will help
us to find the relationship between existentialism and literature. Although the
author of a literary work is not a philosopher, he or she (may) brings such
philosophical ideas in his or her literary work. Literature becomes the tools in
delivering philosophical ideas of the author. Like what stated by Wellek and
Warren in Theory of Literature, “Literature might be a reflection of philosophical
ideas” (1956: 111).
Knight in Literature Considered as Philosophy stated,
Philosopgy and literature have acted upon another in the past, but they never lost their identity in one another. Writers who were not philosophers wrote about philosophy, what they wrote was not in itself philosophy in the strict sense of the world (Knight, 1962: 175).
In this quotation the relationship between philosophy and literature is
clearly stated. According to Rudolf Unger in Theory of Literature, literature expresses a general attitude toward life that the author of literary work usually
1956: 115). In other words, literary works are used by an author as a media to
deliver certain messages about life and sometimes also offer solutions concerning
on philosophical questions.
C. Theoretical Fr amework
This study requires the theory of character and characterization since the
main character takes an important role in this study. The theories of character and
characterization are used to explore the characteristics of the main character and
his life experience. To analyze the main character, MJ Murphy’s theory of
characterization is employed, since it is considered the most suitable method for
the discussion. To show the relationship between the main character’s
characterizations with the ideas he brought, the theory offered by Robert, Edgar V
and Jacobs is employed. The theory by Robert, Edgar V and Jacobs indicates that
characterization of the character in the story may involve interaction with other
elements such as interaction with other characters, a difficult situation or an idea.
Since existentialism is the focus of this study, the analysis will be based on
the theory of existentialism. Theory of existentialism offered by Soren
Kierkegaard, Martin Heidegger, and Jean Paul Sartre will be in service in the
analysis. Furthermore, in this discussion, the theory of literature and
existentialism is used to show the relationship between philosophy and literature
21
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
Paulo Coelho brought the concept that love brought with it a desire that
drives human to do almost everything in The Zahir. Paulo Coelho with his book
that has been translated into 56 languages, become the topped bestseller list, and
also have gone on to become the subject of social and culture debate
internationally. His idea and life philosophy presented as the subject on his books
touch the aspiration of millions of reader who search for his or her own path and
new ways of understanding the world
(http://www.santjordi.asociados.com/news03.htm).
Paulo Coelho’s The Zahir is a novel with a story about the journey of a man in searching for his Zahir, where in the same times tells about the author’s life
philosophy and the essence of love. The Zahir was originally published in Portuguese in 2005. The 350-pages-English-version was translated by Margaret
Jull Costa in 2006.
The story begins with his release from the police, who accused him to play a
role in the disappearance of his wife. He entered the jail because he could not give
the information where he was that night. He had no clue where his wife was going
to, and it initiated the possibility of kidnapped, murdered, and or blackmailed. He
felt abandoned and empty, but still he could not find where his wife was. After
tried to back to his daily life as a writer with all of the jobs and duties.
Furthermore, the story continued with his experience of the presence of the zahir
(the obsession of his life, his wife) everywhere around him. The journey to find
his wife started, and also trigered his search of the true meaning of love and life.
Day by day when he was going to find himself, he was getting closer to the zahir.
The stages in the main character life in the search of himself and the zahir, and the
ideas of existentialism are portrayed.
B. Approach of the Study
Most literary works are aimed to deliver or share to the reader something
good in this life. They contain messages related to how people should explore
every aspect in their life in order to face it. The message how people should
explore every aspect in their life in order to face it is the moral philosophical idea
that in some literary works becomes the main idea to discuss.
The life philosophy that Paulo Coelho writes in The Zahir is the idea that he wants to share to the reader. It seems that the novel is the means for the author to
convey certain messages or philosophical idea to the readers. Therefore, it is
appropriate to apply moral-philosophical approach. Moral-philosophical approach
is an approach that examines the literary works that teach morality and probe
philosophical issues (Guerin, 1999: 29).
Since philosophical issue is the concern of this undergraduate thesis; that is
moral-philosophical approach is considered as the most appropriate approach in
the analysis.
C. Method of the Study
Library research was employed, as the study is focused on literary work, to
answer the problems that are formulated in the previous chapter. In other word, all
the references are taken from the library to support the analysis. The data that
were used are primary and secondary data. The novel entitled The Zahir was the primary data, and the secondary data were several comments and critics on the
novel or the author taken from books and online articles. The secondary data were
also supported by some books of theories related to the topics.
The first step in the analysis, was reading the novel in detail. The Writer
also read other thesis and data related to the novel The Zahir to acquire an original
topic to discuss in this thesis. Furthermore, the thesis analysis also employed other
data concerning theories of character and characterization, philosophy, and
literature.
The second step was analyzing the data. The analysis process was done by
answering the problem formulations raised in chapter one. The first problem
formulation is about the main’s character characteristic; therefore the theory of
character and characterization was employed. In the second problem formulation
by paying a thorough attention on the main’s character characteristic that show the
idea of existentialism and the way the writer delivers the idea of existentialism
The final step, the third step was drawing conclusion. By summarizing the
answers of the problem formulation and selecting importants points of the
25
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
This undergraduate thesis concerns the main character of the novel, the
narrator, and his importance in delivering the ideas of existentialism based on the
idea of existentialism of Søren Kierkegaard, Martin Heidegger, and Jean Paul
Sartre. The discussion will be divided into two parts, based on the problem
formulation stated in the previous chapter. The first part is the answer to the
problem of the character’s characterization. The second part is to find out the
ideas of existentialism revealed through the main character.
A.The Char acterization of the Main Character
In order to understand a story, the readers can be led by the characterization
of the character in the story. The reader can follow and understand the plot
through the characters speeches, action and the author’s narration. In other word,
the characterization of a character can lead the reader to understand or get the idea
or messages brought by the story.
In the novel by Paulo Coelho, The Zahir, the main character is used by the
writer as his means to deliver his ideas. The narrator, the main character in the
novel The Zahir, becomes the central of the story. The story in the novel is
focused on the narrator. The narrator’s attitudes, acts, way of thinking and point of
view are explored throughout the story.
The narrator as the main character in the novel is someone who tells the story
out to be his own search for his true self; reviewing his conditions as human
beings, and the way he perceives the world around him. The journey in finding his
missing wife takes him to encounter the idea of freedom he believes in: that every
man has freedom to choose his path of life. In other words, the characterization of
the Narrator as a freeman shows his intention to deliver the ideas of
existentialism.
In the story, the narrator is described as a successful writer. He lives in
prosperity. He is, in the beginning, described as someone who tends to acts
unconsciously. He believes in order to be the best one must follow what the
society perceive as the suited choice. When he begins the journey to find his
missing wife, he reviews every acts and his point of view of this world where he
lives. In the end, he is able to find the real self that has been lost (a moment ago)
from his life.
The Narrator that is used as the messengers to deliver the ideas of
existentialism in the story will be the focus of the analysis. Here the
characterization of the narrator is very important to help the readers understand
the whole story and grasp the ideas the writer tries to offer.
In order to have a better understanding on the Narrator, the discussion of the
1. Dependent man
In the novel, the narrator as the main character is presented as a dependent
man. The narrator believes that he needs someone else to have a life as human.
Moreover, he is unable to consider the probability to live alone in this world.
When he has lunch with a friend who has just got divorced, the divorced man
mentions about his freedom that he achieves again. However, from the point of
view of the narrator it is a lonesome freedom.
But that’s a lie. No one wants that kind of freedom: we all want commitment, we all want someone to be beside us to enjoy the beauties of Geneva, to discuss books, interview, films, or even to share a sandwich with because there isn’t enough money to buy one each. Better to go hungry than to be alone. Because when you’re alone – and I’m talking here about an enforced solitude not of our choosing – it’s as if you were no longer part of human race (Coelho, 2005: 253)
From what the narrator believes, that kind of freedom is false. He wants have
someone beside him to share everything, to accompany him. He chooses the state
of being hungry than being alone. Moreover, when someone is alone, if not
because of his or her choice, it means the individual is no longer part of human
race. In other words, when someone is forced into being alone, the individual will
be no longer live as a free human, out casted from the human race.
A while after his wife has gone missing, the narrator feels the loneliness in his
soul. He needs another woman to accompany him. He needs someone to be the
antidote of his loneliness of being left alone.
With the Zahir beginning to occupy my every thought, I needed an antidote, something that would not take me to the brink of despair.
To cleanse or to avoid the feeling of being left alone, which he believes will
bring him into the brink of despair; he decides to have another woman as his
girlfriend. A girlfriend for him, to whom he is able to depend on, is the antidote of
his loneliness.
The narrator himself partly admits about his dependency on his wife. The
narrator believes that the only one that understands him is his wife. The narrator
believes he could only be happy with his wife, not because of love, but because
she is the one who understands him. In one of his conversation with Marie, the
new girlfriend took him to share the ideas of how he loves his wife and the reason
of his solitude.
Until I had that accident, I has convinced myself that I could only be happy with her, not because I loved her more than anything and anyone in the world, but because I thought only she could understand me; she knew my likes, my eccentricities, my way of seeing the world. I was used to seeing the world through her eyes.
Well, that is what the world was like for me; I went on. ‘A reflection of Esther’s beauty. Is that love? Or is that dependency? (Coelho, 2005: 230)
The narrator is only able to see the world through his wife’s eyes. The world
for him becomes the reflection of his wife’s beauty. He understands the world
only through his wife’s point of view.
When he is in journey to Zagreb, Croatia; in one of pond found in the town,
he decided to cross over the frozen water. When he has crossed the pond safely,
he remembers the important role of his new friend Mikhael.
The narrator journey to find the true himself gets help from Mikhael. Through
meeting with Mikhael, the narrator is able to understand his true condition on that
time. Mikhael shows the narrator the misleading life the narrator has. Later on, the
narrator also depends on his love of his wife, which the narrator believes to be the
reason of his transformation.
2. Social creature
The narrator realizes the existence of society as part of his life. While he was
walking in a street of Paris with a young homeless people, he finds the meaning of
society according to his own observation. A tribe that is in the midst of another
hostile tribe called society will use aggression to defense against rejection from
the society (Coelho, 2005: 271). While the young people he walks with consider
themselves as a tribe, in the middle of society, they are using their aggressive
clothes and appearances to show their defense.
The narrator finds on his own how the society imposes what they want toward
individual. In the middle of an interview with a journalist, the narrator shows the
journalist what he believes how the society wants him to behave. How the
powerful society imposes its rules over everyone, the rules that binds everyone to
be of no one, may not stand above. Commonly in the society, the one with
different attitude will be excluded from the society.
The narrator has also already assimilated and taken a place in the society. He
is involved in building the society. When he walks with Mikhail among the
beggars, those beggars show how the narrator resembles the society where he
lives. In the point of view of those beggars, the narrator is deprived and chained
by the society; he is no longer a free man as he thought.
You are the ones who’s poor-you have no control over your time, you can’t do what you want, you’re forced to follow rules you didn’t invent and which you don’t understand. As the old nomad from the steppes said, the world we know today is merely a story someone has told, but it is not the true story. The story includes special gifts and power and the ability to go beyond what we know (Coelho, 2005: 217)
Here it is shown how the narrator is no longer the master of his own life, his
own body, he becomes the slaves of his society. The narrator becomes someone
who tends to please the society but not to please himself.
Later on, the narrator also does almost the same when he was in Zagreb,
Croatia in the supper with a publisher.
Once the interviews are over, there is the publisher supper- it is part of the ritual. I try to eat but I must also be pleasant, I must chat, fulfill my role as celebrity, tell a few interesting stories, make a good impression (Coelho, 2005: 226-227)
Here it is depicted how the narrator accommodates his role in the society. He
does his duty as the part of the society where he lives. The narrator must be able
to play his role whether he wants it or not. If he wants to be considered as a good
person in the society, the narrator must follow what the society where he lives and
interact.
However, according to one of the conversations about his marriage condition
toward the society. Sometimes the narrator is considered as a person who does not
follow the rules by the society. The narrator and his wife used to be people who
do not follow the rules. The narrator cannot live according to other people’s
expectation.
She does not follow the rules nor, I imagine do you. I miss her too you know I cannot live according to others people’s expectation, not even Esthers. Does she want me to go back being a railway track running alongside another railway track, always keeping the same stupid distance apart, just because the Romans decided that was it should be (Coelho, 2005: 150-151)
Later on, the narrator also denies the rules forced by the society by
introducing the topic of money and manages to start a conversation about how
much money everyone at the table makes. Although it is considered a taboo to
have a conversation of how much money you earn.
‘That’s my fault. I didn’t really explain. But let’s get down to the nitty-gritty: I’d like to know how much everyone here earns, what it means, in money, to be sitting at the top table’ (Coelho, 2005: 302)
By starting the conversation about the money they earn, the narrator breaks
the rules forced by the society that it is a taboo to talk about how much you earn
in public. The narrator is trying to break from the society that binds him into
certain rules. He interacts, talking about the money, with other people in the way
3. Free man
Freedom is the most valuable matter in the narrator’s life. When the police
officer releases him from the prison, and says that he is free, the word freedom
thunders in his head. The narrator believes that he is able to feel freedom
everywhere, including when he was inside the prison.
The inspector say’s I’m free now and I was free in prison too, because freedom continuous to be the thing I prize most in the world. I know that freedom has a high price, as high as slavery; the only difference is that you pay with pleasure and a smile, even when that smile is dimmed by tears (Coelho, 2005: 11)
The narrator prizes freedom as the most important value in his life. Moreover,
he also believes that freedom also has a high price, which full of pleasure and
smile, although sometimes it is colored with tears. Moreover, while inside the
prison, he still believes that he has freedom that becomes the most important value
in his life.
As a free man, the narrator believes he always fights to achieve or to defend
his freedom. While he was in the conversation with the police officer, who
releases him out of the jail, he found the word freedom uttered by the police
officer is interesting. Afterward, he reviews his life journey, and believe that from
childhood he has already fought for his freedom. Started from his childhood and
move up until he works, the narrator always fights for his freedom.
But what is freedom?
On one of his conversation with Marie, his new girlfriend, the narrator recites
his opinion of freedom. Through Marie, the narrator shows the idea that absolute
freedom does not exist in this world.
How he could never commit himself to the thing he wanted with all his hearth, but which he always felt was too dangerous to actually have. You’ve often said that absolute freedom doesn’t exist; what does exist is the freedom to choose anything you like and then commit yourself to that decision (Coelho, 2005: 85)
Through Marie the narrator conveys the idea that there is no absolute freedom
in this world. What the narrator believes about freedom is the freedom of choice
that every individual has. This freedom of choice also needs the commitment
related to the choice he makes. The idea is strengthened by his memory on his
marriage history, which shows how people believe in the idea that marriage limits
someone’s freedom.
Two more divorces. Free again, but it’s just a feeling; freedom is not the absence of commitment, but the ability to choose- and commit myself to- what is best for me. I continue my search for love (Coelho, 2005: 19)
The narrator deliberates the feeling of freedom, but it is not enough, nor is it
the state of the absence of commitment. The freedom he believes relies on the idea
of the ability to make a choice. In other words, freedom is not only the feeling he
has, but it is more likes the idea that he able to choose everything he likes, which
is followed by the commitment on the decision he has made.
Once his freedom to choose what the best suited him arise again while he
walks with the young homeless on a street of Paris. Although he feels insecure to
I didn’t leave because I was feeling free, doing things I hadn’t done for years, opening up a space in my soul for new experiences, driving the acomodador out of my life, experiencing things that might not interest me very much, but which were at least different (Coelho, 2005: 260)
Here the narrator is aware of the choices he has in front of him. Regardless of
his insecure feeling among that group of people, and the fact that his girlfriend
was waiting at his house, he still chooses to stay. He feels free to take any choice
that suits him the best, and in this occasion, he believes that staying is the best. He
chooses to be together with those young homeless people, for the new promising
experience, might be gained.
4. Responsible man
The narrator who works as a writer has the responsibility on what he writes,
and he offers to his readers. He never makes deals over what he writes; as he
believes his writing is a way to communicate with his reader. The narrator shows
how he feels related to his reader through his book.
From then on, I am no longer the man lost in the storm: I find myself through my readers, I understand what I wrote when I see that others understand I too, but never before (Coelho, 2005: 74)
Here he points out on the importance of his book to communicate with his
reader. To maintain his self-respect, he only writes subject that interests him and
the subject that close is to him personally.
To maintain his good work, which is later offered to his readers, he selects on
what he writes. The selection on what he writes indicates his responsibility on his
readers, it shows that he only gives the best for his reader.
The same idea of responsibility occurs when he decides to write for a
magazine, where he must payback some deposit he own on the Favour Bank. He
chooses and sorts what he wants to write carefully, whether it was worthy or not
for his readers.
Why worry about a mere magazine article, however important the magazine itself might be? Because of the Favour Bank. So I really do need to write something, but what have I got to say to people? Should I tell them that they need to forget all the stories that have been told to them and take more risks? (Coelho,2005: 236)
Although it is only something to return a favor, he thinks about the article
carefully. He does his best on the article for the magazine. He is responsible to do
his task to return the favor, and also accounted in his effort to give the best article
for the magazine.
When he walks with a group of young homeless people, who called
themselves the new nomad, the narrator shows his responsibility. When they enter
the nearest store to buy another vodka, his feelings of responsibility emerges. He
feels responsible upon what might be fallen on those young in the group.
I didn’t know any of them, apart from Mikhail, and even then I didn’t know if what he had told me about himself was true. What if they stole something? What if one of them was armed? Was I responsible for their actions? (Coelho, 2005: 266)
Although he does not know everyone in the group, he still feels the
young people. He gets worried above those young of what might happen or what
they do inside the store.
In the end of the story, he finds that his wife is pregnant by a man. When at
last he meets his wife and finds her pregnant, bitterly he feels responsible to take
care of the unborn baby.
The baby? You don’t think a baby’s going on to stop me working do you? Besides, why should you worry? You didn’t do anything to contribute
Didn’t contribute? It’s thanks to me that you came here in the first place. Or doesn’t that count? (Coelho, 2005: 347)
As he realizes his responsibility on the baby, he is worried about the baby
presence in this world, on the safety of the baby. He does not want the baby to get
negative influence if Esther leaves it and goes to the war zone.
5. Brave man
The narrator has the value of a brave man in his life. He is a brave man
throughout his action and way of thinking. As a freeman who has the ability to
choose whatever he likes, he is aware of some choices that brought with him some
risks. When he and Marie sit on the pond in Zagreb, Croatia; where the water
surface in the pond frozes into ice, he takes the risk to cross the pond to reach the
column in the middle. He is aware of the possibility that the ice might be cracking
and might drown him into cold water, however he believes his action is to gets
him the sign. Here the narrator dares to take risk, since he has freedom to make
choices that suits him the best.
I’m proud of you. I would never do anything like that.
The narrator’s attitude to live bravely is also shown through the way he faces
happiness and suffering. For the narrator happiness and suffering are the same. In
one of the narrator conversation with Marie, they review their relationship, and
discuss the effect of love particularly on human course of life. He states that love
can be mean suffering or happiness. In the narrator’s point of view, whether the
result of love is suffering or happiness, every result must be faced bravely.
It includes everything. If there is suffering, then it is best to accept it, because it won’t go away just because you pretend it’s not there. If there is joy if there is, then it’s best to accept that too, even though you’re afraid it might end one day. Some people can only relate to life through sacrifice and reunification (Coelho, 2005: 130)
The narrator suggests accepting bravely the suffering or the happiness that
follows love. The narrator believes that people find the full life when they face
sacrifice and renunciation.
Death, is considered as the big fear for most people, however it has been
faced by the narrator from different point of view. He bravely accepts that death is
part of human life. Whether someone wants it or not, they must face death as part
of their life someday.
I thought of changing tack and asking them what kind of funeral they would like – death was a big taboo as money – but the atmosphere was so jolly and everyone was so full of talk that I decided to say nothing (Coelho, 2005: 305)
Common people are afraid of death, they are still unable to accept the
position of death as part of human life. This is different from the narrator, he is
in the hospital, the narrator tries to have a conversation with the nurse about the
topic of death, about what kind of funeral she wants.
I know I’m going to survive, I went on, perhaps for a day, for a year, for thirty or forty years, but one day, despite all the scientific advances. I’ll leave this world and I’ll have a funeral whether you like it or not, whether you agree or disagree, that is a reality none of us can escape. Do you fancy having a little chat about it? (Coelho, 2005: 174)
The narrator already shows that he is unafraid of death, he bravely faced the
possibility of death as part of his life. No one will be able to escape the death; the
only problem is whether to accept it or keep on denying the reality, whereas for
the narrator, he already accepts it.
B. The Ideas of Existentialism Revealed through the Main Character
Paulo Coelho is a famous writer, some called him as an alchemist of words
and many others see him as a mass culture phenomenon. His idea and life
philosophy presented as the subjects on his books touch the aspiration of millions
of reader that search for his or her own path and new ways of understanding the
world. Since the writer presents the idea and life philosophy in his book, the
philosophy of existentialism is one of his idea and life philosophy.
In this study, the ideas of existentialism are examined by Soren Kierkegaard,
Martin Heidegger, and Jean Paul Sartre. Sartre's existentialism drew its immediate
inspiration from the work of the German philosopher, Martin Heidegger.
Heidegger's Being and Time (1927), an inquiry into the “being that we ourselves
are” (which he termed “Dasein,” a German word for existence), introduced most
between the individual and the “public”; an emphasis on the worldly or “situated”
character of human thought and reason; a fascination with liminal experiences of
anxiety, death, the “nothing” and nihilism; the rejection of science (and above all,
causal explanation) as an adequate framework for understanding human being;
and the introduction of “authenticity” as the norm of self-identity, tied to the
project of self-definition through freedom, choice, and commitment. Though in
1946 Heidegger would repudiate the retrospective labeling of his
