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THE SELF-ACTUALIZATION OF MORRIE SCHWARTZ AS REVEALED IN MITCH ALBOM’S
TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
YUNI RIYANTI
Student Number: 034214118
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
2007
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
THE SELF-ACTUALIZATION OF MORRIE SCHWARTZ AS REVEALED IN MITCH ALBOM’S
TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
YUNI RIYANTI
Student Number: 034214118
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
2007
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BELIEVE IN EVERYONE BUT
DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE DEVIL INSIDE THEM
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FOR
MY BELOVED PARENTS
AND MY UNPREDICTABLE OWN SELF
BE STRONG SO NOTHING CAN DISTURB
MY PEACE OF MIND
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First, I would like to express my gratitude to God who gives me this
wonderful chance. Everything is possible because of Thee. I would like to thank
my Advisor, Dra. Theresia Enny Anggraini, M.A. for her guidance, advice, and
detailed correctness. Thank you for being so patient and understanding during this
time. I would also thank the lecturers who have taught me so much knowledge
during my study, especially to my academic advisors, E. Arti Wulandari, S.S.,
M.A. and Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum. Also thank you to secretary and
library staffs who have provided me with information that I required all this time.
Then, thank you for my boyfriend, Aditya Kusuma, who becomes a part
of my life and giving me more colorful life. I am grateful for your love, support,
help, and kindness. My appreciation is for my family: my mother, my father,
and my sister, who have surrounded me with affection. Thank you to my friends
in English Letters generally, in class D specifically, especially to Afrilla Nita
Sary and Dewi Kurniawati; you are my friends that I can count on. Thank you
for my friends in my boarding house who also help and support me during my
thesis writing, especially to Nina Setyorini who always cheers me up and makes
me laugh. You are my funniest friend I have ever had.
“Human beings without well behavior will not be able to recover chaos”
Yuni Riyanti.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ……………………………………………………............. i APPROVAL PAGE …………………………………………………....... ii ACCEPTANCE PAGE …..…………………………………………....... iii MOTTO PAGE…………………………………………………………... iv DEDICATION PAGE …………………………………………………… v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………........................ vi TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................... vii ABSTRACT ……………………………………........................................ viii ABSTRAK ……………………………………………………………..... ix CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ……………………………………… 1
A. Background of the Study …………………………………….. 1 B. Problem Formulation ………………………………………… 4 C. Objectives of the Study ………………………………………. 4 D. Definition of Terms ………………………………………….. 5
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW …………………………... 7
A. Review of Related Studies …………………………………… 7 B. Review of Related Theories ………………………………….. 12
1. Theory on Character and Characterization ......................... 12 2. Theory on relation between Psychology and Literature ..... 14 3. Theory on Self-Actualization ............................................. 15
C. Theoretical Framework ……………………………………… 21 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY …………………………………... 22
A. Object of the Study …………………………………………... 22 B. Approach of the Study ……………………………………….. 24 C. Method of the Study …………………………………………. 24
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ……………………………………………. 27
A. The Characteristics of Morrie Schwartz ……………………... 27 B. The Revelation of Morrie Schwartz’s Self-Actualization …… 40
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ………………………………………... 57 BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………………. 61
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ABSTRACT
YUNI RIYANTI. The Self-Actualization of Morrie Schwartz as Revealed in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2007. Tuesdays with Morrie tells about Morrie Schwartz who has different characteristics from common people. One of many things which makes him different is he does not think about earthly things anymore. He can receive everything which is predestined by God and see them positively. He understands what is more important in this life; one of them is helping other people with all of his heart and soul. He shares his experience in facing his life to other people in order to give them an understanding about the way to live in this world so that they will not feel hopeless. His way in giving his experience above can show that he indirectly actualizes himself. It happens when he shares his experience
The writer’s objectives in doing this study are: (1) to find the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz which are related with self-actualizing person and can lead him to be self-actualizing person; (2) to reveal the self-actualization of Morrie Schwartz through his characteristics which have similarities with the characteristics of self-actualizing person.
The writer does library research by using the novel as the primary source. The writer applies psychological approach. Maslow’s theory of self-actualization is used by the writer to explain the self-actualization of Morrie Schwartz and theories on character and characterization to show Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics.
As the result of this study, the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz are open-minded, helpful, strong, attentive, compassionate, patient, and wise. His characteristics lead him to be a self-actualizing person. As a self-actualizing person, he has democratic character structure, a concern in social interest, can focus on other people’s problems, accepts oneself, and experiences peak experience. The relation between his characteristics and a self-actualizing person is shown in next explanation. He is open-minded which means he has democratic character structure. This person never distinguishes race, religion, social class, and level of education. He has concern in social interest and desire to help other people. As an attentive person, he can focus on other people’s problems. Patience which is kept in his own self makes him become a person who has capability to accept oneself in whatever condition. Then, he experiences peak experience and decides to be peace with death. There is no need to be afraid of death since he also has experienced a mystical experience which shows his life in the future clearly.
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ABSTRAK
YUNI RIYANTI. The Self-Actualization of Morrie Schwartz as Revealed in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2007. Tuesdays with Morrie menceritakan tentang Morrie Schwartz yang memiliki karakteristik berbeda dari orang pada umumnya. Salah satu hal yang membuatnya berbeda adalah ia tidak memikirkan tentang hal duniawi lagi. Ia dapat menerima segala hal yang ditakdirkan oleh Tuhan dan melihatnya secara positif. Ia memahami hal yang lebih penting dalam hidup ini; salah satunya adalah membantu orang lain dengan ikhlas. Ia berbagi pengalamannya dalam menghadapi hidup kepada orang lain dengan tujuan memberikan mereka pemahaman tentang cara untuk hidup di dunia ini sehingga mereka tidak merasa putus asa. Cara ia dalam memberikan pengalamannya di atas, dapat menunjukkan bahwa ia mengaktualisasikan dirinya secara tidak langsung. Hal itu terjadi ketika ia berbagi pengalamannya.
Tujuan penulis dalam studi ini adalah: (1) untuk menemukan karakteristik Morrie Schwartz yang berkaitan dengan orang yang telah mencapai aktualisasi diri dan yang dapat membimbingnya menjadi orang yang telah mencapai aktualisasi diri; (2) untuk mengungkapakan aktualisasi diri Morrie Schwartz melalui karakteristiknya yang memiliki persamaan dengan karakteristik orang yang telah mencapai aktualisasi diri.
Penulis melakukan studi pustaka dengan menggunakan novel tersebut sebagai sumber utama. Penulis menerapkan pendekatan psikologi. Teori Aktualisasi Diri Maslow digunakan penulis untuk menjelaskan aktualisasi diri Morrie Schwartz, serta beberapa Teori Karakter untuk menunjukkan karakteristik Morrie Schwartz.
Hasil dari studi ini menunjukkan karakteristik Morrie Schwartz, yaitu berpikiran terbuka, suka menolong, tegar, perhatian, merasakan iba, sabar, dan bijaksana. Karakteristik tersebut mebimbingnya menjadi orang yang mencapai aktualisasi diri. Ia memiliki struktur karakter yang demokratis, peduli pada kepentingan social, fokus pada masalah orang lain, menerima dirinya sendiri, dan mengalami pengalaman puncak. Hubungan antara karakteristik Morrie Schwartz dengan orang yang mencapai aktualisasi diri dijelaskan sebagai berikut. Ia berpikiran terbuka berarti ia memiliki struktur karakter yang demokratis. Ia tidak pernah membedakan ras, agama, kelas sosial, dan tingkat pendidikan. Ia peduli pada kepentingan sosial dan ingin membantu orang lain. Sebagai orang yang perhatian, ia dapat fokus pada masalah orang lain. Kesabaran yang dijaga dalam dirinya menjadikannya orang yang dapat menerima dirinya sendiri dalam kondisi apapun. Kemudian, ia mengalami pengalaman puncak dan memutuskan untuk berdamai dengan kematian. Tidak ada yang perlu ditakuti tentang kematian karena dia juga mengalami pengalaman mistik yang menunjukkan kehidupannya di masa mendatang.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Human beings sometimes have a difficult time understanding the
significance of life. They may mistakenly think that life is only for searching
money and career. During the life time, more people work hard for money and
career; less people realize the significance of the life itself. Human beings do not
live forever. They will die someday and it cannot be predicted. Therefore, the
significance of life has to be understood. The significance of life here is human
beings should reach their own goal in life. The goal in life here is not always
related with oneself, but with other people. For example, the goal is for focusing
on other people’s problems and solving those problems with all our heart and
soul. However, that kind of thing is difficult to find in human beings’ life.
It is difficult to find because most of human beings only think about their
own selves. The concept of individual, egocentric, and selfish is created in their
mind and soul. Human beings think that they can do everything they want to do
by their own selves. That is why, human beings feel very busy and they almost
never think about other human beings. If human beings are difficult to think about
other human beings, it will be difficult too for human beings to think about other’s
problems. It is a valuable thing if there is a person who can think and focus about
other people, think and focus about other people’s problems; even can solve the
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problems of other people with all his or her heart and soul. That kind of person
has one of self-actualization’s characteristics.
In this undergraduate thesis, the writer is going to analyze the self-
actualization which has been achieved by the character, Morrie Schwartz. Self-
actualization is very rare to find in common people. A person who has subjective
experience and how he can perceive and value what he has obtained. An
individual who has achieved self-actualization tends to seek the ultimate purpose
of behavior rather than the superficial or apparent purpose. Self-actualization is
the peak of needs. When a person has achieved it, he will get the significance of
life. This person can receive what God does and see everything positively.
The character of Morrie Schwartz in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie
is a kind of person who can receive what God does. He can receive everything
which he has gotten positively and he knows what his main purpose in this life is.
The character of Morrie Schwartz is chosen because he has the
characteristics of self-actualizing person who can show the importance of life, but
it is forgotten. It can be proven by the statements which are given by Rev. L.
Annie Forester, Minister Emerita in St. John’s Unitarian Church, Cincinnati,
Ohio. She says that, “A wise and loving story that teaches us those things we
ought to know already, but have somehow forgotten”.
Other opinion is said by Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club. She says
that:
I love this book. I’ve been telling all my friends, “You have to read this.” Mitch Albom was given a wonderful gift from his teacher Morrie Schwartz and now we have the great pleasure of auditing the same class. As a coach, humanist, and “religious mutt,” Morrie gives his former
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student a crash course on living: clear and ruthless hindsight on what matters most when your days are numbered (1997: I).
The opinion shows that Morrie Schwartz as the character in the novel has
many experiences in facing his life and gives it to other person through a story.
The experiences are not as ordinary experiences. As Amy Tan says, it can shine
and leave us forever warmed by its afterglow.
Morrie Schwartz can be considered as a self-actualizing person because he
can give other person the right chosen how to live and it only can be given by
Morrie Schwartz. Even, he is called as a saint man like what is said by Jeff
Daniels:
Sometimes if you take a second look around you’ll notice we are amongst angels. Only a man -no, a saint- like Morrie Schwartz could take his own impending death and teach us how to live. After reading Tuesdays with Morrie you’ll understand that class is never dismissed (1997: II).
Self-actualizing person is like Buddha that leads the follower a way to live
in this world. It is also the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz that can show other
people the way to live. Joanna Bull, Founder and Executive Director in Gilda’s
Club, says that:
All of the saints and Buddhas have taught us that wisdom and compassion are one. Now along comes Morrie, who makes it perfectly plain. His living and dying show us the way (1997: II).
The character of Morrie Schwartz who is considered as a self-actualizing
person understands about what is important in this life. He does not think about
the earthly matters anymore, but he gives other people understanding that
founding a relation between each other with love, affection, and compassion is the
important thing in this life. That kind of thing is more important than other earthly
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things in this world. It is showed by an opinion of Dr. Jane Greer, an author of
How Could You Do This to Me? Learning to Trust After Betrayal. She comments
that:
Poignant and powerfully moving, Tuesdays with Morrie captures the essence and spirit of a truly gifted teacher and his unwavering belief that the most important lesson in life is connecting to one another through compassion and love. Mitch Albom gives his cherished mentor the greatest gift of passing it on to us all (1997: II).
Those comments, opinions, or statements cause the writer to become
certain that the character of Morrie Schwartz in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with
Morrie has different characteristics. The writer is interested in analyzing Morrie
Schwartz’s characteristics because of those comments. Many people say that
Morrie Schwartz is different from other people in facing and seeing this life.
Those are some reasons why the writer is interested with the character of Morrie
Schwartz and also the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz.
B. Problem Formulation
The problems that will be discussed in this study are:
1. What are the characteristics of the main character, Morrie Schwartz, presented
in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie?
2. How does the main character, Morrie Schwartz, reveal his self-actualization?
C. Objectives of the Study
The aim of this undergraduate thesis is to emphasize the study of self-
actualization of the main character. There are two objectives of this study. Firstly,
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what the characteristics of the main character, Morrie Schwartz, are presented in
Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. Secondly, how the main character, Morrie
Schwartz, reveals his self-actualization.
D. Definitions of Terms
In order to avoid confusion and misunderstanding, the writer presents the
key terms that are going to be used in this undergraduate thesis.
1. Self-actualization
Abraham Maslow in Duane Schultz’s Growth Psychology: Models of the
Health Personality states that self-actualization can be defined as the supreme
development and the use of all our abilities, the fulfillment of all our qualities and
capacities. We must become what we have the potential to become. Even though
the lower-order needs are satisfied-we feel secure physically and emotionally,
have a sense of belonging and love and feel ourselves to be worthy individuals-we
will feel frustrated, restless, and discontent if we fail to attempt to satisfy the need
for self-actualization. If that happens, we will not be at peace with ourselves and
cannot be described as psychologically health (1977: 64).
2. Character
Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms defines character as “a person
presented in a dramatic work, who are interpreted by the readers as being
endowed with moral and disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say-
dialogue and by what they do-the action” (1981: 20).
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3. Characterization
According to Holman and Harmon (1986: 81) in A Handbook to
Literature, characterization is the creation of revealing imaginary persons so that
they exist for the readers as life like.
4. Characteristics of Character
According to Allport as quoted by Larver and Scheier in Perspective on
Personality, the characteristics of a character are related with his or her behavior,
thoughts, and feelings (1996:5).
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CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
Tuesdays with Morrie is based on a true story from an old dying man’s
life, Morrie Schwartz, with a young man, Mitch Albom, who talks about his life
as the greatest lesson. This biographical novel is not merely about a story of a
dying man’s last words which are said in common way but it is deeper about a
man whose spirit is endless. It is about a man who understands this life
thoroughly. It is emphasized by Stephanie Bowen, a book explorer of creative
world writing at UCLA and CNN’s staff, in her article entitled “Tuesdays with
Morrie” in CNN on May edition, 1998. She says that:
Tuesdays with Morrie is more than just a dying man’s last words. It is an inspirational recount of a man’s life-a man whose passion for the human spirit has continued to live long after his last breath (http://edition.cnn.com/books/review/9805/06/index.html accessed on 20 September 2006). Bowen also comments on Morrie’s view about his experiences with death.
She states:
Morrie speaks to every person because he is every person. He has led a simple yet meaningful life that inspires you to live yours to the fullest. Perhaps his story is more powerful because you’re not only taking in his wisdom, but you are experiencing his death. In his words, he is fortunate enough to know he is dying, to take stock of his life as it comes to an end. He handles this with bravery and compassion, and when the final moment comes you feel as though you’ve lost a dear friend (http://edition.cnn.com/books/review/9805/06/index.html accessed on 20 September 2006).
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These sentences mean that Morrie is the same as an ordinary people who also
experiences death. However, the difference is in his point of view about death. For
common people, death is a scary thing but for Morrie, death is a lesson on how to
live. It is also a lesson to more appreciate his life. In his view, Morrie considers
death as an opportunity to seek what meaningful life is and realizes that death is a
part of nature so he handles it bravely, compassionately, and wisely.
Bowen also adds that Albom’s life has changed dramatically because of
the discussion about life in “Tuesday’s classes” with Morrie. In a true testament,
Albom tells that now he spends more time with his wife, taking more time off
work, and he is investing in the relationship with people in his life that he cares
about most. He faces life with less fear than before and realizes that life only
comes around once. Reunion with Morrie brings him to do the best thing in life so
there is no regret turning back time
(http://edition.cnn.com/books/review/9805/06/index.html accessed on 20
September 2006).
Another opinion comes from Charles Derber, a Boston College sociology
professor. As quoted by Jim Suhr, an Associated Press writer, in his article “Sick
Professor, Ex-student Talk of Life’s Lessons” in Chronicling Tuesdays with
Morrie on February, 1998; Derber says, “The fact that Mitch’s is so widely read is
testimony that he captured something valuable. Morrie would be smiling about
this”(http://www.s-t.com/daily/02-98/02-15-98/e07li216.html accessed on 20
September 2006). Derber means that Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie is a
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successful book because it is widely read and this condition is a proof that Albom
succeeds finding valuable lessons in life through Morrie.
Other positive criticism comes from Chuck Salter in Issue 30. He criticizes
the character Morrie as a wisdom teacher. He states:
Why the enormous interest in what retired college professor had to say? The answer is simple: Morrie offered candid, heartfelt insight into many of the philosophical question that so many of us ask ourselves (or should be asking ourselves) about life, work, community, relationships, aging, and death. And he offered all of this insight from a unique perspective…The only way to live. Take in from Morrie, a teacher to the last (1999: 198).
This quotation explains the fact why Morrie, an old retired college professor,
attracts many people to read his words in Tuesdays with Morrie. It is because
Morrie answers honestly for those questions of life elements that nowadays,
people ask and look the answers for. Morrie offers a different perspective about
living happily and wisely.
Tuesdays with Morrie does not only attract its readers but also the popular
TV show in America, Oprah Winfrey. As quoted by Gloria Hillard, CNN
Entertainment News Correspondent, in her article “Tuesdays with Morrie:
Winfrey Produces TV Film” in CNN on February edition, 1999; Oprah Winfrey
comments that Tuesdays with Morrie is a lovely book. When she loves a book,
she recommends it to her audiences. She says that she loves the book because of
Morrie Schwartz. He is an extraordinary man who gives her inspiration to be a
stronger woman and increase her conscious to help other people
(http://www.archieves.cnn.com/1999/SHOWBIZ/TV/12/02/tuesdays.morrie.html
accessed on 20 September 2006)
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However, positive comments are also accompanied with negative
comment. The negative comment comes from Mark Krupnick, a professor of
English at the University of Chicago and also an ALS sufferer, in his article
“Revisiting Morrie: Were his Last Words Too Good To Be True?” in Issues on
January, 2001. He says that:
…The world has seen enough rivalry among victims. It’s more to the point that professionally I’m a literary critic, and criticism is what critics do. That Morrie is himself uncritical is, in fact, part of my objection to him. Morrie urges his owns nonjudgmental stance on everybody else-especially urging dying patients to think affirmatively-but there is a limit to the usefulness of such an upbeat message. I think that people suffering from fatal disease such as ALS are better served by straight talk than by Morrie’s homilies. Personally, I can deal better with extreme experiences-what is already here and what is to come- when it is described as objectively as possible that when it is rendered with a moralistic glow (http://www.forward.com/issues/2002/02.01.25/books6.html accessed on 21 September 2006).
He means that Morrie’s wisdom is not all wise for ALS sufferers. For Krupnick,
he think that other ALS sufferers are better to be served by a straight talk like how
to come the progress of the illness or how to accept reality that it is useless to
recover fully from ALS than by Morrie’s aphorism about life which is only
homilies before he dies. There is a limitation in human ability to understand about
morality when he or she faces death. Therefore, what is needed is only a reality
that he or she must accept his or her condition and not a moralistic glow about
life.
Krupnick also adds that Morrie takes advantage of the authority with
which ALS endows Morrie to teach other sufferers how to comfort themselves.
Maybe the sufferers will comfort about Morrie’s lesson, but it is only temporary
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because it means that they deceive the reality that soon death waits them.
Krupnick says, “It is hard to imagine truly traumatized persons being touched at a
deep level by such counseling”
(http://www.forward.com/issues/2002/02.01.25/books6.html accessed on 21
September 2006).
Krupnick has different point of view about Tuesdays with Morrie and also
the lesson about life which are offered by Morrie, but everyone has his or her own
opinion.
There are five comments about Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. A
positive criticism is given in four comments, but it is only a comment by
Krupnick that gives a negative comment. In Regard to all the comments about
Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie, the writer agrees with the positive criticism
that this biographical novel is valuable because it offers some different views on
life matters so the readers could get the lesson in how to make life meaningfully.
In spite of what Krupnick has said that this novel is only a temporary comfort,
people do need a comfort to remedy and to reconsider all the things what people
have missed the time to share together even people are often busy about
themselves and their works. People forget what is truly important in this life.
Therefore, the writer takes on positive comments side.
After reading all comments above, the writer makes a conclusion about
what many people often comment towards Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie.
They give comment that the novel is full with moral lesson. They study the novel
only about the moral things in the novel. However, the writer finds different idea
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about the novel. The different idea here is about self-actualization. The writer is
going to reveal the self-actualization of the character in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays
with Morrie.
B. Review of Related Theories
There are some theories that the writer wants to apply, such as theory on
character and characterization, the relationship between literature and psychology,
and theory on self-actualization. These theories will support the analysis of
Tuesdays with Morrie.
1. Theory on Character and Characterization
A character plays an important role in literary works. Without a character,
the story will not run well. Because of its importance, therefore, there are many
definitions on character. One of them, it comes from Stanton in An Introduction to
Fiction. He explains that the term “character” refers to the mixtures of interests,
desires, emotions and morel principles that form the individuals. He also adds that
every story usually has a main character that is significant to all events in the story
(1965:17). Then, in A Glossary of Literary Terms, Abrams defines character as “a
person presented in a dramatic work, who are interpreted by the readers as being
endowed with moral and disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say-
dialogue and by what they do-the action” (1981: 20).
Furthermore, according to Barnet et al in Literature for composition, he
defines the term character into two meanings: (1) as the figure in a literary work;
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and (2) as the personality that is the mental and moral qualities of a figure (1988:
71). The writer will use the definition of character as the figure in a literary work.
From this statement, the writer understands that there is a close relation between
character and characterization so the writer is going to use both theories to make
this study clearer. Then, according to Beaty and Hunter in New World of
Literature, then say, “The particular traits (or characteristic) of a person suggest
that person’s character-what it makes him or her distinctive” (1989:231).
Therefore, it can be said that a character needs some characteristics to form him or
her and to distinctive him or her from other characters.
According to Allport as quoted by Larver and Scheier in Perspective on
Personality, the characteristics of a character are related with his or her behavior,
thoughts, and feelings (1996:5). They will influence the way of thinking, feeling,
and behavior from a person. Therefore, to understand deeper about a character, it
is important to know well about his or her characteristics.
Related with that, according to Murphy in Understanding Unseen, there
are several ways in which an author attempts to make his characters or her
characters understandable to, and come alive for his readers or her readers so the
readers can know what kind of person he or she is. They are personal description,
character as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation of others, reactions,
direct comment, thoughts, and mannerisms(1972:161-173). However, the writer
only chooses six ways to understand the character of Morrie so the writer can get
a clue to find the characterization of Morrie. They are:
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a. Character as seen by another : the author describes the character through the
eyes and opinion of another
b. Speech: the author can give the readers an insight into the character of one of
the persons in book through what the person says.
c. Past life: by letting the reader learn something about a person’s past life the
author can give a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character.
d. Reactions: the author can give a clue to a person’s character by letting the
readers know how that person reacts to various situations and events.
e. Direct comment: the author can describe or comment on a person’s character
directly.
f. Thoughts: the author gives the readers direct knowledge of what a person is
thinking about.
2. Theory on relation between Psychology and Literature
Recognizing that there is a close relation between literature and
psychology, Kalish in The Psychology of Human Behaviour implies that
“literature holds the mirror up to the man.” A good writer or novelist can
communicate the feeling of their characters and make them seem more life-like
than the real people whose behavior the psychologist attempts to describe. The
writer can use the understanding provided by the psychologist to enrich stories,
and psychologist can gain in their understanding of human behavior by drawing
from deep sensitivity of good author (1973: 8).
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As the relationship between literature and psychology is closely
established, it can be said that the analysis of literary works may reflect certain
psychological factors. This undergraduate thesis explores one of psychological
subjects. That is the self-actualization.
3. Theory on Self-Actualization
Theory on self-actualization is related with hierarchy of needs that is stated
by Abraham Maslow in Duane Schultz’s Growth Psychology: Models of the
Health Personality (Schultz, 1977: 60-63). These are the hierarchy of needs:
a. Physiological needs: these needs such as hunger, thirst, and shelter. This is the
first level of the hierarchy. When these needs are met, the next need of the
hierarchy emerges as a dominant force in controlling and directing behavior.
b. Safety needs: these needs can be seen in people’s preference for familiar
surroundings, secure jobs, saving accounts, and insurance.
c. Love needs: these needs are the most common basis for behavioral problems
in our society. These needs involve a hunger for affectionate relationships
with others, a need to feel part of a group, or a feeling that one belongs.
d. Esteem needs: the need for self-esteem motivates the individual to strive for
achievement, strength, confidence, independence, and freedom. The related
need of esteem from others involve a desire for reputation, status, recognition,
appreciation by others of one’s abilities, and a feeling of importance.
e. Self-actualization: when one has satisfied the first four levels of need, the final
development, it is self-actualization, can be reached. At the self-actualization
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level, the person’s behavior is motivated by different conditions than at the
lower levels.
Abraham Maslow in Duane Schultz’s Growth Psychology: Models of the
Health Personality states that
Self-actualization can be defined as the supreme development and the use of all our abilities, the fulfillment of all our qualities and capacities. We must become what we have the potential to become. Even though the lower-order needs are satisfied-we feel secure physically and emotionally, have a sense of belonging and love and feel ourselves to be worthy individuals-we will feel frustrated, restless, and discontent if we fail to attempt to satisfy the need for self-actualization. If that happens, we will not be at peace with ourselves and cannot be described as psychologically health (1977:64). Maslow in Duane Schultz’s Growth Psychology: Models of the Healthy
Personality (Schultz, 1977: 69-78) illustrates a number of specific characteristics
that describe self-actualizing persons:
i. Self-actualizing persons perceive objects and persons in the world around them
objectively. They have an efficient perception of reality that enables them to
perceive reality as it is.
ii. Self-actualizing persons acquire a general acceptance of nature, others, and
oneself. It is a matter of accepting one self, their shortcoming, and their
strength; without complain or worry.
iii. Self-actualizing persons are those who attain spontaneity, simplicity, and
naturalness in behaving. They do not have to hide their emotion but can
display them honestly.
iv. Self-actualizing persons have a focus on problems outsides themselves. They
give concerns on the works they are doing.
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v. Self-actualizing persons have need for privacy and independence. They have a
strong need for detachment and solitude. Their behaviors and feelings are
strongly self-centered and self-directed. It means that they have the ability to
make up their own minds, reach their own decisions, and exercise their own
motivation and discipline.
vi. Self-actualizing persons are autonomous functioning. This is a simple first
step toward self-actualization. If a person is an autonomous functioning, she or
he has realized that satisfaction of the growth motives comes from within.
vii. Self-actualizing persons have a continued freshness of appreciation. The self-
actualizing persons continually appreciate certain experiences, no matter how
often they are repeated, with a fresh sense of pleasure, awe, and wonder. They
take little for granted but continue to be thankful for what they possess and
can experience.
viii.Self-actualizing persons experience mystical, or “peak” experiences. It is
when the self is transcendenced and the person is gripped by a feeling of
power, confidence, and decisiveness, a profound sense that there is nothing he
or she could not accomplish to become.
ix. Self-actualizing persons concern in social interest. They possess strong and
deep feelings of empathy and affection for all human beings, as well as a
desire to help humanity.
x. Self-actualizing persons acquire the interpersonal relations. They are capable
of stronger relationship with others than are persons of average mental health.
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18
They are capable of greater love, deeper friendship, and more complete
identification with other individuals.
xi. Self-actualizing persons have democratic character structure. There is no
certain limitation on building relationship with people, such as social class,
level of education, political or religious affiliation, race or colour. They hold
the essence of equality that every person has the same opportunity to know
others.
xii. Self-actualizing persons are capable to recognize discrimination between
means and ends, between good and evil. The self-actualizing persons hold that
they are enjoying the process of achieving something as well as the goal they
achieve. Therefore, they give consent both on the means and the ends. In
additional, they have well-defined understanding on good and evil so that they
cannot easily be influenced by the confusing situation that enables them to
make decisions.
xiii.Self-actualizing persons acquire unhostile sense of humor. This characteristic
deals with the ability of persons in making fun of humanity in general, not in
specific individuals.
xiv. Self-actualizing persons can present his or her creativeness. This means that
they are original, inventive, and innovative, although not always in terms of
producing an artistic creation. It is more of an attitude, an expression of
psychological health, and is concerned more with the way people perceive and
react to the world than with finished products of an artistic nature.
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xv. Self-actualizing persons have resistance to enculturation. They are able to
resist social pressures to think or act in certain ways. They maintain an inner
detachment, an aloofness from their culture, guided by themselves rather than
by others.
Maslow in Petri’s Motivation: Theory and Research comes to conclusion
that there are actually two types of self-actualizing people, differentiated in regard
to peak experiences. Some self-actualizing persons rarely have peaks experiences,
while others experience peaks so much more often. Those self-actualizing
individuals that experience peaks are called trancenders or peakers, and those
who do not are called nontrancenders or nonpeakers. Both peakers and
nonpeakers share all of the characteristics of self-actualization with the exception
of the frequency of peak experiences. Peakers think and talk in language concern
with honesty, truth, beauty, perfection, and soon (1981: 310).
Self-actualizing person live in a way that they believe is best for their own
growth and fulfillment regardless of what others may think. Maslow does not
consider self-actualizing person as a perfect individual (Morris, 1990: 515). It
tends to say that self-actualizing people is those who is capable to discover,
maintain, and develop themselves.
Carl Roger raises another theory of self-actualization. He shows that self-
actualization is a process of becoming oneself, of developing one’s unique
psychological characteristics and potentialities. He believes that humans have an
innate urge to create and that the most important creative product is one’s own
self. The tendency to actualize, as a motivating force is much stronger than the
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20
pain and struggle and any accompanying urge to cease the effort to develop
(Shultz, 1977: 27). S.I Hayakana also implies in his book Symbol, Status, and
Personality that a self-actualizing person never allows convention to obstruct him
or restrain him from doing anything that he assumes very important and basic
(1950: 56).
According to the three theories raised by Maslow, Rogers, and Hayakana,
Self-actualization is the process in which a person tries in recognizing his or her
own self, developing the abilities, personal uniqueness, and actualizing his or her
potentials as a human being that is capable of becoming what he or she wants to
achieve. Those theories mainly emphasize that each person has their own
uniqueness, abilities, talents, skills, potentials that are different one another. Self-
actualization is not the final destination of a perfect personality. Maslow shows
that it is one of the characteristic of a healthy personality’s person.
The self-actualization is revealed when a person has his or her own
uniqueness, abilities, and potentials which are very different from other people
and he or she is capable in doing or becoming something by using all his or her
capabilities.
The writer applies the theory on self-actualization by Abraham Maslow to
show the characteristics of the self-actualizing person as the continuation of the
analysis of the characteristics of the character, Morrie Schwartz, and how Morrie
Schwartz’s self-actualization can be revealed by looking at his characteristics.
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C. Theoretical Framework
In this part, the writer will apply two theories, theory on character and
characterization, and theory on self actualization. Then, the writer will use the
relation between literature and psychology. Theory on character and
characteristics will be used to describe the characteristic of Morrie Schwartz, the
character that will be analyzed.
By understanding and applying the relationship between literature and
psychology, the writer understands that literature has a strong relationship with
psychology. Since this study is related with psychology, the writer is going to
combine both literature and psychology when analyzing this study.
The main theory of this study is theory on self-actualization. The writer
focused on theory of self-actualization by Abraham Maslow. Theory on self-
actualization shows that self-actualization is the level that can be reached after
human needs are satisfied. This theory will show how the characteristics of the
main character, Morrie, reveal his self-actualization.
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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
In this undergraduate thesis, the novel Tuesdays with Morrie is used. It is a
biographical novel written by Mitch Albom and published in New York by
Doubleday in 1997, first edition. The book is interesting because of the way in
telling story. The way is showed when reading the book; there are some items that
are like class matters, such as the curriculum, the syllabus, and the student. Those
things make the reader feel that he or she will attend a new class and the novel is
the book which will be used in the class.
In addition, Tuesdays with Morrie is also rewarded as “The New York
Times” best-seller list for two years running with the five million copies in print.
It has been translated into 30 languages in 34 countries. Besides Tuesdays with
Morrie, Mitch Albom also writes Bo, Fab Five, Life Albom I-IV, and The Five
People You Meet in Heaven: Tuesday with Morrie continues with making the film
of it. As the result, Alboms get Emmy Awards in 2000 including those for “Best
Actor” and “Best Supporting Actor”. Then, he makes its theatrical version, which
comes closely on the heels of a successful paperback released
(http://www.albom.com/index.htm accessed on 6 October 2006). Therefore, it
shows that this novel has succeeded touching many people’s hearts.
This study will focus on the character of Morrie Schwartz. He is in
wheelchair; the Lou Gehng’s disease has taken Morrie’s legs. It is in August
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23
1994; the doctor says that Morrie has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a
brutal, unforgiving illness of neurological system. Morrie is dying because there is
no medicine for this dead disease.
It is the first Tuesday of their meeting. It is just like when they meet as a
student and a professor in class. Mitch brings a tape recorder for the conversation.
He thinks the tape recorder will make Morrie uncomfortable, but in the other
hands, Morrie wants all the things that they talk about are recorded because he
does not want all important things in this life lose and their conversation only
becomes useless. They take the place for talking in Morrie’s bedroom, but Morrie
is sitting in his wheelchair because Morrie says that we are dead if we are in bed.
That is why Morrie is not in bed to show that he still has spirit to live.
They talk about the meaning of life, all the things that they cannot pay
with wealth, fame, power, and prestige. They talk about death, fear, aging, greed,
marriage, family, society, forgiveness, perfect day and many more. On the first
Tuesday, they talk about the world. “The world” where people live, but they
cannot really own what they want. The second Tuesday, they talk about “feeling
sorry for yourself”. When they are talking, Morrie suddenly drops his tears on
cheeks. It is the second time that Mitch sees his professor crying. The first time
Mitch sees him crying is when he graduates from his university. Actually Mitch
does not understand why his professor is not shamed to cry in front of him. Mitch
himself never cries although he often interviews the victims of disaster, the family
of the death man, etc. However, Morrie says to him that it is fine for men to cry if
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24
they feel sorry for themselves. Crying is not only for women. Crying is one of the
ways to make people feel sorry.
B. Approach of the Study
In order to have a profound analysis on Mitch Albom novel Tuesdays with
Morrie, this study applies psychological approach as the appropriate approach to
deal with the self-actualization depicted in the character of Morrie Schwartz.
Rohrberger and Woods (1971: 31) define psychological approach as follows
Psychological approach is the effort to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent patterns, but from a different body of knowledge that is psychology. This approach uses the psychological theories to explain human motivation, personality, and behavior patterns written in literary objects. The definition above about psychological approach will help the writer to
explain Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics. The analysis will focus on the
characteristics of Morrie Schwartz. The characteristics will show how the
character, Morrie Schwartz, is presented in the story. Moreover, analysis will
concern with the revelation on the self-actualization of the character, Morrie
Schwartz, is showed to present himself as psychologically healthy human being
that is capable of developing himself. Therefore, psychological approach is the
most appropriate approach in this study.
C. Method of the Study
In this undergraduate thesis, the method that was used was library
research. The primary source was the novel itself, Tuesdays with Morrie. The
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25
secondary sources were Duane Schultz’s Growth Psychology: Models of the
Health Personality, Floyd L. Ruch’s Psychological and Life, Murphy’s
Understanding Unseen, Stanton’s An Introduction to Fiction, Abram’s A Glossary
of Literary Terms, and Barnet et al’s Literature for Composition.
The first step was to understand about the content of novel, it was an
intrinsic element. It meant to know about who the characters were, where the
setting was, what significance was, and what new knowledge that could be
obtained from the novel. The writer applied the first step by reading the novel
thoroughly.
The second step was answering the first problem, which was the
characteristics of the character, Morrie Schwartz. In this step, the writer would
apply Murphy’s theory in finding the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz in the
analysis. Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics could be seen from another person’s
opinion about him, the speech of him, his life in the past, his reactions in
situations and events, the author’s comments directly, and Morrie’s thoughts.
The third step was answering the second problem, how the character,
Morrie Schwartz, revealed the self-actualization. In revealing the self-
actualization of Morrie Schwartz, the writer would apply Abraham Maslow’s
theory of self-actualization in the analysis. The writer would apply it by finding
the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz that were the same with the characteristics
of self-actualizing person which were formulated by Abraham Maslow.
The last step was drawing a conclusion of the research which contained
the review of the previous discussions. The discussions here were the first and
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26
second problem formulations which have been answered in the analysis. Then,
those answers were concluded.
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CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
This chapter will answer the problems that have been proposed already in
the previous chapter. There are two problems that need to be analyzed. The first
problem is what the characteristics of the character, Morrie Schwartz, are
presented in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. The second is how the
character, Morrie Schwartz, reveals his self-actualization.
A. The Characteristics of Morrie Schwartzs
Physically, Morrie has funny characteristics that can make people smile
when see him at the first time. Generally, he is just the same with other people,
but his size of body, his teeth, his ears, and his nose that can make people laugh.
However, he likes everything in his body, especially because it can make people
feel happy by smiling at him and once again, he will not be angry.
He is a small man who takes small steps, as if a strong wind could, at any time, whisk him up into the clouds. He has sparkling blue-green eyes, thinning silver hair that spills onto his forehead, big ears, a triangular nose, and tufts of graying eyebrows (Albom, 1997: 3).
Morrie is a kind of person that likes to smile too. When someone meets him and
talks to him and then what is been talked about makes him smile, it is like when
he is talking about jokes. It means that when he smiles or even laughs, he always
does that things with all of his heart and he will never be hypocrite.
Although his teeth are crooked and his lower ones are slanted back-as if someone has punched them in-when he smiles it’s as if you’d just told him the first joke on earth (Albom, 1997: 3-4)
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Morrie likes to dance. He usually dances in a church in Harvard Square
every Wednesday night for something called “Dance Free”. People who see him
do not realize that he is not an ordinary people. Morrie is only considered as an
old person who entertains those people. Many people who come to that church
and watch him do not know his amazing skills besides dancing. No one in that
church knows that Morrie Schwartz is a professor in Brandeis University in the
city of Waltham, Massachusetts.
No one there knew he was a prominent doctor of sociology, with years of experience as a college professor and several well-respected books. They just thought he was some old nut (Albom, 1997: 5-6). Those are characteristics of Morrie Schwartz physically. When
characteristics of Morrie Schwartz are analyzed by applying Murphy’s theory, the
writer can find that Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics are open-minded, helpful,
strong, attentive, compassionate, patient, and wise.
But it was also becoming clear to me-through his courage, his humor, his patience, and his openness-that Morrie was looking at life from some very different place than anyone else I knew (Albom, 1997: 63).
Those are the characteristics that are inside of Morrie and he is also a kind of
person that can see and receive this life different from other people. Different here
means that Morrie can receive something bad positively. It is not like other people
that cannot accept something bad in their life. Many people only can accept
something good and that what makes Morrie different from other people.
One of the characteristics of Morrie is an open-minded person. He is
always open to everything. He can understand many differences and receive that
those differences are exist in his life. He uses all differences in this world to
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29
enrich his knowledge and capability. The differences here for instance religions
and philosophies. Morrie never considers that one religion has higher or lower
value than the other religions. He regards all religions has the same value, only the
way of teaching is different. As it is known in this world that many people with
different religions always think that their own religion is the one that can be
accepted although they know that there are so many religions in this world which
are impossible to be vanished. However, it does not happen to Morrie. He is also
open to different philosophies and often applies them to his life.
Morrie borrowed freely from all religions. He was born Jewish, but became an agnostic when he was a teenager, partly because of all that had happened to him as a child. He enjoyed some of the philosophies of Buddhism and Christianity, and he still felt at home, culturally, in Judaism (Albom, 1997: 81-82). From the quotation above, it is known that he applies philosophy of
Buddhism, philosophy of Christianity, and philosophy of Judaism in his life. He
understands those philosophies are different, but by combining each other, he may
get balance in facing his life. Culturally, he is a Jewish, but he still can accept
philosophy of Christianity. In the contrary, the fact is that this situation rarely
happens for common people. It is impossible for common people to think about or
even to apply that situation in their life. That is why Morrie is different from
common people and it is extraordinary that he has such a think like that.
The next characteristic of Morrie Schwartz is helpful. He helps people by
sharing or giving his experiences in his life. He tells people about his life in order
to give inspiration or something useful. He does not want it to be late because he
will feel disappointed if it is too late.
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“Mitch,” he continued, softly now, “you don’t understand. I want to tell you about my life. I want to tell you before I can’t tell you anymore.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I want someone to hear my story. Will you? (Albom, 1997: 63)”
He really likes to help people, especially when they fail in this life. He thinks that
helping people in such condition is the right choice in order to make them does
not feel hopeless. He tries to bring their spirit back by sharing his experiences in
facing this life so that they will not keep thinking about failures. He makes effort
to recovery hopeless people because he thinks that life is not worthy if it is faced
with hopelessness.
“I give myself a good cry if I need it. But then I concentrate on all the good things still in my life. On the people who are coming to see me. On the stories I’m going to hear (Albom, 1997: 57)”
He shows that if a human being feels sad because he or she fails in this life and
then crying, it is a normal thing to do, even he does cry. However, he is not only
stuck on that sadness and he is not hopeless. He wants to show people that feeling
sadness for long time is not good. It is better to make effort to do something
which is useful or maybe to think about something which is considered as a good
thing in this life. Morrie gives an example in order to bring the spirit back; it is by
remembering that a human being is always needed by other human beings.
Morrie helps hopeless people by sharing his own experiences. For
example, he thinks about people who will come to visit him; it means that Morrie
will feel happy because of their visit and may be, those people will get something
value from him when he shares his experience. In other words, Morrie shows that
human being needs each other so there is no need to be hopeless because of the
failure. That is one of his ways to help people to get better life.
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Besides helping other people who are hopeless, Morrie also becomes a
helpful teacher for his students. Morrie is different from common teacher. What
makes him different here is he does not only teach subjects or lessons which are
should be taught, but he also teaches something about this life. Common teachers
usually only teach subjects or lessons that they should teach and rarely teach the
significance of life. In the other side, Morrie always teaches something about life
to his students within his meetings when he teaches his subjects or lessons. He is
helpful to his students because he gives his students solutions not only about
subjects’ problems, but also solutions about life’s problems.
“I’m going to say it again,” he said. “Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.” He smiled, and I realized what he was doing. He was making sure I absorbed this point, without embarrassing me by asking. It was part of what made him a good teacher (Albom, 1997: 82). Morrie helps his students, especially Albom, by giving him an
understanding that money is not always the important thing in this life, not
everything can be bought by money, for example relationship. He helps his
student how to make a good relationship with other people which cannot be
related with money. Something like this is seldom taught by common teachers.
Morrie also tries to make his students understand about how to be a true human
being.
He warns me that money is not the most important thing, contrary to the popular view on campus. He tells me I need to be “fully human.” He speaks of the alienation of youth and the need for “connectedness” with the society around me (Albom, 1997: 46-47). Morrie also helps his students to believe each other. Believing other
persons is something difficult to build because it can only be felt by our heart.
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Morrie helps his students to understand about believing each other because he
knows this kind of thing has to be taught to everyone. By giving explanation to his
students, he is certain that what he tries to be done will be useful for his students.
Morrie emphasizes that trusting or believing can be felt more than can be seen.
“You see,” he says to the girl, “you closed your eyes. That was the difference. Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them, too-even when you’re in the dark. Even when you’re falling. (Albom, 1997: 61)”
From the quotation above, it can be seen that Morrie tries to give understanding
about believing or trusting other people whenever the place is and whatever the
condition is. He wants his students know if they want to be trusted or believed by
other people, they should trust or believe other people firstly. It does not matter
about the place and the condition. Morrie helps his students to understand this by
giving a proof; it is when the girl nearly falls to the floor, suddenly her friend
grabs her so she does not fall to the floor. It proves about trusting each other.
Trusting should use the feelings, especially when the eyes are closed or in the dark
place and Morrie can prove it.
Finally, one student…dark-haired girl…crosses her arms over her chest, closes her eyes, leans back, and does not flinch…For a moment, I am sure she is going to thump on the floor. At the last instant, her assigned partner grabs her head and shoulders and yanks her up harshly (Albom, 1997: 61). Once more Morrie helps his student, Albom, when he writes a thesis. It
may be a usual help that is also done by other teacher, but it is Morrie who
suggests his student to write a thesis, not the student himself who proposes to the
teacher. That is the difference. Morrie knows when his student is capable to write
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33
a thesis and he will tell it to his student directly. He will help his student from the
beginning, such as asking what kind of thing is that makes his student interested
and letting his student write what is considered as the most interesting thing.
Morrie suggests I try an honors thesis…Me? I ask. What would I write about? “What interests you?” he says. We bat it back and forth, until we finally settle on, of all things, sports…And, with his help, by spring I have a 112-page thesis…I show it to Morrie with the pride of a Little Leaguer rounding the bases on his first home run (Albom, 1997: 67). Besides open-minded and helpful, Morrie has other characteristics; it is
strong. Morrie is a strong person in facing this life, but it does not mean when he
is ordered or commanded by another person, he is just to be submissive. It cannot
be regarded as a strong person, but a weak person. He uses his strength to solve
his problems and face the life that has been a part of him positively. He never
surrenders to his condition or situation and always tries to find a way of solving
all problems so that he becomes a person who can be considered as a strong
person. Some people may be cannot think clearly if they are conditioned in a very
harmful way or in a dying condition. They may not do anything, as it is called
submissive, or they may commit suicide. However, Morrie is not that kind of
characteristic person. He knows what should be done when he is in that condition.
Never does he surrender in his life and all his experiences in this life which create
him to be stronger person. Even, his condition now can be said not in a good way.
Although his physic is not too good, his mind, his intelligent, and his brain do not
show degeneration or damaged.
Morrie was in wheelchair full-time now…He had begun to cough while eating, and chewing was a chore. His legs were dead; he would never walk again…Yet he refused to be depressed. Instead, Morrie had become a lightning rod of ideas (Albom, 1997: 18).
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Morrie’s condition is really not good physically and even for eating which is
something enjoying for other people is a little bit difficult for him, but it is not a
big matter for him. He thinks that although it is difficult to eat, he still can do it by
himself so what has to be worried about. He cannot walk with his legs anymore
and he has to use wheelchair. If that condition is experienced by common people,
the possibility is they will give up their life and even may think that God is not
fair to them. Morrie is not that kind of person who gives up and stops enjoying
what he has gotten. He never blames anyone and himself, or even God. He never
feels that his condition right now will reduce his intelligence. He still can give
something useful for other people who need his help, for example he helps people
by sharing his experiences. He never regrets everything that he has experienced,
whether it is pleasing or making sad. He refuses to be frustrated because of his
condition now. In the other hand, he can give many ideas about something
meaningful to other people. “He jotted down his thoughts on yellow pads,
envelopes, folders, scrap paper. He wrote bite-sized philosophies about living with
death’s shadow (Albom, 1997: 18).” His refusal to be depressed and his effort to
help other people with his ideas show that he is a strong person.
Moreover, the characteristic of Morrie is attentive. He is very attentive to
everyone, without exception. He gives all his attentions to his family, his students,
and people surround him, and even people who are in a long distance. Those
people usually communicate with Morrie by letter and Morrie always answers
their letters. He rarely feels tired to give his attention for other people. In fact, he
really likes to hear other people’s problems and tries to solve those problems.
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Although his condition is not really good, he does not need to be pity by other
people. He just wants to be a friend for sharing each other.
He told his friends that if they really wanted to help him, they would treat him not with sympathy but with visits, phone calls, a sharing of their problems-the way they had always shared their problems, because Morrie had always been a wonderful listener (Albom, 1997: 12).
That quotation makes no doubt that Morrie cares with everyone who wants to talk
about their problems very much. He always can be a good companion in every
situation, whether it is happy or sad. He even will not refuse if there is any phone
call from someone who only wants to share his or her story. He will never be
disappointing every people who meet with him. When he is talking with other
people, he never makes them feel bored. People sometimes feel difficult to talk
about their problems with their own family and they prefer to talk about their
problems with Morrie because he always wants to listen on their problems with all
of his heart and soul. He can do that only because he really cares with other
people’s problems.
The other characteristic of Morrie Schwartz is compassionate. His
compassion is dedicated to other people who suffer from illness or sadness. He
does not care whether he is acquainted with the people or not. The important thing
for him is he can feel the people’s suffering too as if he also suffers for himself.
People sometimes do not care with something that happens to other people. They
may see some people suffer from pain, but they do not feel it in their heart and
soul. They just pretend that they do not see it. It is not the same with Morrie, he
cannot do what common people do. He can feel the pain that other people feel
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with all of his heart and soul, it is not just sympathy, but he feels it also with
empathy.
Now that I’m suffering, I feel closer to people who suffer than I ever did before. The other night, on TV, I saw people in Bosnia running across the street, getting fired upon, killed, innocent victims…and I just started to cry. I feel their anguish as if it were my own (Albom, 1997: 50).
Morrie himself is suffering, but he still can feel the suffering of other people
although they are so far away from him. It is one of many things that make him
different from common people. Many people may know or also see the war in
Bosnia, but it may happen that they do not feel anything. They cannot feel the
suffering because it does not happen to them or their family. That is what can be
felt by common people, but Morrie can feel different way. He even drops his tears
for other people’s suffering that he does not know who they are. It rarely happens
for common people to cry because of other people’s suffering. Morrie can cry
because he can feel the suffering that is felt by the people in Bosnia, although it is
only on TV. He can imagine as if he was the person who suffers from pain.
Morrie can feel the suffering of other people and cry for it although he is not near
with the person who suffers and he does not have a relationship with the person
who suffers. It shows that he is a compassionate person towards everyone without
exception.
Furthermore, Morrie has a characteristic of patient. He can be considered
as a patient person because he receives everything that is already given by God
whether it is good or bad. He can accept what he has gotten patiently. Common
people sometimes think that God is not fair when something bad is happened to
them. They cannot receive it patiently. However, Morrie will not think like the
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way common people think. In facing this life, he will never be angry when
something which is needed by him cannot be gotten. He regards that patience is
better than anger.
Although his condition is not really good, he still can receive it without
regret. His patience is shown when he cannot do something, but he will not be
angry or hopeless. He keeps on continuing his life and does something else which
still can be done by him. He is always patient in facing his life. “Accept what you
are able to do and what you are not able to do”; “Accept the past as past, without
denying it or discarding it (Albom: 1997, 18).” For Morrie, patience is important
and needed in order to make his life balance. To be patient means that to get better
life for him. He does not need to be angry because anger does not make his life
develop. Morrie is patient by letting what he has done before as the past and
receiving what he gets in present time without regret or disappointment.
Morrie suffers from disease which is cannot be cured, but he still can
accept it patiently without complaining. He will not complain to anyone, whether
it is his family, doctor, himself, or even God. Complaining for something bad
which is given by God is usually done by common people. In the contrary, Morrie
can accept something bad from God patiently without complaining.
I was astonished by his complete lack of self-pity. Morrie who could no longer dance, swim, bathe, or walk; Morrie who could no longer answer his own door, dry himself after a shower, or even roll over in bed. How could he be so accepting (Albom, 1997: 36)?
It is clear that Morrie has a limitation in doing something for the sake of his own
need. He does not need to be pitied by other people because he thinks that he can
really accept it so there is nothing to be worried of. Morrie’s consideration about
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his rejection of a pity from other people does not mean that he is an arrogant
person and does not need other people’s help. He does such a thing because he
wants to show other people that there is nothing to be sad and he feels fine with
his condition. He just wants to give understanding that he can accept his condition
although it is not really good.
Morrie cannot do what is considered as something private for example
taking a bath or drying his body after bathing. It can be said that his privacy is no
longer had by him absolutely, but he never blames anyone. What can be done by
him with his condition is just accepting patiently. For common people, loosing
privacy is something terrible, something cannot be thought, even less accepted. It
is impossible for common people to accept that their privacy is not theirs.
However, for Morrie it does not matter if he looses his privacy. He still can live in
a good way although his condition is very bad. The important thing for him is
other people can learn from him about patience in living this life and an effort not
to complain.
The last characteristic of Morrie that can be analyzed about him is that he
is a wise person. His wisdom is not represented by his age, but by his attitude and
his thinking in facing this life. He can be a wise person towards everyone; his
students, his family, people who know about him, and even towards himself.
Many people can be considered as a wise person, but sometimes they cannot be
wise towards themselves. That is why Morrie is different from common people.
His wisdom towards himself is shown when he knows that his life is no
longer in this world. He does not blame everyone, even God. He just accepts it
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and he can pick the advantages from it because he knows that his time is limited.
“It’s horrible to watch my body slowly wilt away to nothing. But it’s also
wonderful because of all the time I get to say good-bye (Albom, 1997: 57).” His
wisdom is proved when he still can get something useful in his bad condition. He
realizes that his disease cannot be cured anymore, but it gives him time to always
say goodbye to everyone so he will not be worried that he has not said goodbye
yet if he dies someday. Something which is worried very much by many people is
if they die, they will have no time to say goodbye to everyone, especially to
someone who they love very much. That is why Morrie considers himself as a
lucky person because he still has time to say goodbye before he dies. That is an
example of Morrie’s wisdom towards himself.
Besides the example above, Morrie is also wise in facing death generally.
He gives an understanding about death to everyone. Morrie’s wisdom about death
can be seen when he says something to his student, it is “The truth is, Mitch,” he
said, “once you learn how to die, you learn how to live (Albom, 1997: 82).”
Morrie can make a balance between live and die. He teaches that people have to
do something or work not only for their life in this world, but they also have to
think that someday they will die so everything that they do will be useful before
and after they die.
Morrie knows the condition of people about death. “Everyone knows
they’re going to die,” he said again, “but nobody believes it. If we did, we would
do things differently (Albom, 1997: 81).” One of Morrie’s wisdom which is not
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had by other people is he believes that he will die so he does everything useful not
only for him, but also for other people.
Another Morrie’s wisdom in facing death is by trying to apply philosophy
of Buddhism. It is something that maybe never be thought by common people.
However, Morrie really applies it in his life.
“Do what the Buddhists do. Everyday, have a little bird on your shoulder that asks, ‘Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?’ (Albom, 1997: 81)”
Morrie advises other people also to do what the Buddhists do in facing the death.
If it is really done with all of heart and soul, he believes that everyone will not be
afraid about death so that they will do everything becomes useful in their life. By
believing that someday Morrie will die, he is really ready to die so that he can
accept the death peacefully and without complaining. Death which sometimes
cannot be accepted by common people, even less to prepare it, but Morrie truly
can accept and even prepare for that. It is clear that Morrie is wise in facing his
own death.
B. The Revelation of Morrie Schwartz’s Self-Actualization
In the previous analysis, the writer has analyzed the characteristics of
Morrie Schwartz. Then, the writer will analyze how Morrie Schwartz reveals his
self-actualization based on his characteristics. After analyzing the first problem
formulation, the writer discovers that the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz show
many different characteristics from common people. His characteristics show
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development in the way he faces this life. The development also shows how
Morrie Schwartz perceives this life differently.
This part will discuss the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz as a self-
actualizing person. The development of Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics can
lead him to be a self-actualizing person. Self-actualization which is attained by
Morrie Schwartz is the result of his characteristics development.
Maslow in Duane Schultz’s Growth Psychology: Models of the Health
Personality states that autonomous functioning “is a simple first step toward self
actualization (Schultz, 1977: 70).” It means that a person will attain self-
actualization if he or she is an autonomous functioning person. It is a kind of
person who realizes his or her own self and can control him or herself. Morrie
realizes the existence of himself in his condition. He has motivation to grow
which comes from within himself. It can be seen when he admits his dying
condition.
“You know, Mitch, now that I’m dying, I’ve become much more interesting to people…People see me as a bridge. I’m not as alive as I used to be, but I’m not yet dead. I’m sort of…in-between…I’m on the last great journey here-and people want me to tell them what to pack. (Albom, 1997: 32-33)”
The quotation shows that Morrie realizes his dying and he does not only admit his
condition, but he also can give something useful for other people. He realizes
about what other people expect from him and tell it to them; it is the way he
perceives the death. It does not matter for him to tell it; even it is a wonderful
thing for him to make other people pleased. As an autonomous functioning,
Morrie has his own way in facing his condition and facing other people; he knows
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his condition and wants to help other people by giving his dying experiences
honestly.
The other characteristic is he perceives objects and persons objectively.
Aging is something that cannot be deflected by any human being, included
Morrie. He sees everyone around him who is still young and can go everywhere as
well as they want, but he is not the same with them anymore. He never regrets to
be on his age and his condition now. In contrast, he accepts who he is now and he
gets many experiences as long as he is still in this world. He thinks that getting
older means getting more experiences so there is nothing to be regretted.
“Mitch, it is impossible for the old not to envy the young. But the issue is to accept who you are and revel in that. This is your time to be on your thirties. I had my time to be in my thirties, and now is my time to be seventy-eight…I delight in being a child when it’s appropriate to be a child. I delight in being a wise old man when it’s appropriate to be a wise old man (Albom, 1997: 120).
It shows clearly that Morrie tries to see his surrounding as the way it is. He does
not want to pretend in facing his life. He admits that sometimes old people envy to
young people, but he thinks about it positively. He just lets the young to be young
and the old to be old. Accepting something which happens in the world without
trying to complain is the perception of Morrie in facing his life. It means that he
acquires an efficient perception of reality. Like what is stated by Maslow that
“self-actualizing persons perceive objects and persons in the world around them
objectively (Schultz, 1977: 69).” His mind can accept efficiently what he should
be. When he is on his age, for example he is seventy eight, he just accepts the
reality that he is not young anymore. He also can accept that his student, Mitch, is
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still young so he just lets him enjoy everything as the way it is. Morrie is capable
in perceiving the reality as it is.
Another characteristic which is obtained by Morrie is the general
acceptance of nature, others, and oneself. Maslow explains deeper about this
characteristic that “it is a matter of accepting one self, their shortcoming, and their
strength; without complain or worry (Schultz, 1977: 69)” It means that Morrie
accepts himself as the way it is and does not matter whether it is good or bad. He
can accept his success or his failure when he does something without complaining
or worrying. It can be seen in
“Well, I have to look at life uniquely now. Let’s face it. I can’t go shopping, I can’t take care of the bank accounts, I can’t take out the garbage. But I can sit here with my dwindling days and look at what I think is important in life. I have both the time-and the reason-to do that. (Albom, 1997: 49-50)”
It shows that Morrie accepts what he cannot do anymore and what he still can do.
In his condition like that, he still can think about it positively. He understands why
he cannot do something simple which is usually done by other people. He cannot
walk outside his room or just take out the garbage. However, he does not see
those things as something which fails in his life. He does not regard them as his
failure, but he finds the way to face his life. He shows that he still has something
valuable in his life. He still can see something important in his life. Even, he looks
at his life as something unique. Moreover, he becomes a man who is more
responsible towards his own life and people surround him. He accepts all the
changes in his life without any worry, disappointment, or complaint.
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Morrie’s characteristic of patient aims to emphasize that Morrie is a person
who can accepts everything which happens in his own life whether it changes or
not. His patience also shows his responsibility in accepting his own self, his fault,
and his capability.
The next characteristic of self-actualizing person is spontaneous, simple,
and natural in behaving. This person does not “have to hide his emotion but can
display it honestly (Schultz, 1977: 70)” Morrie is a kind of person who likes to
show his emotion spontaneously. He never hides what he feels and what he wants.
He is open in doing something and behaves directly. Sometimes to speak or say
something in a certain situation is difficult to be done by common people,
especially in front of other people who are not familiar. However, Morrie is
capable in doing that thing, it is seen when he says, “For me, Ted, living means I
can be responsive to other person. It means I can show my emotions and my
feelings. Talk to them. Feel with them… (Albom, 1997: 162)” Ted is someone
that Morrie acquaints just now, but he can tell his thinking directly. It shows that
it is not difficult for Morrie to say something naturally although he is not really
familiar with that person. He displays his emotion in another way, it is seen in
“Personally,” he sighed, his eyes still closed, “I think marriage is a very important thing to do, and you’re missing a hell of a lot if you don’t try it.” He ended the subject by quoting the poem he believed in like a prayer: “Love each other or perish. (Albom, 1997: 149)”
The quotation above proves that Morrie pulls out his emotion and his thinking
about marriage and tells it to someone else. It is his personal opinion about
marriage and love which comes from his deepest heart. Sometimes human beings
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find difficulty in expressing their emotion or their feeling about love, especially
for a man. However, Morrie can say something like this
“Let it come in. We think we don’t deserve love, we think if we let it in we’ll become too soft. But a wise man named Levine said it right. He said, ‘Love is the only rational act. (Albom, 1997: 52)”
Some men think that it is a melancholic thing to express their emotion of love to
other people. In the contrast, Morrie does not think like many of men in this
world. He gives his own opinion about love without any shy feeling. Even for
him, if human beings do not have love, it is better for them to die. He says that,
“The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love and let it come
in. (Albom, 1997: 52)” Morrie says about all of those things directly and
everything which is said by him is honest. Since Morrie can show his emotion
honestly, he can be considered as a person who behaves naturally.
Morrie also has a characteristic of attentive which can lead him to be a
person who cares with other people’s problems. “Self-actualizing persons have a
focus on problems outsides themselves (Schultz, 1977: 70).” Since Morrie is an
attentive person, it is easy for him to focus on problems of other people and really
care about other’s difficulty. Morrie says to someone that showing his care.
“Why do you think it’s so important for me to hear other people’s problems? Don’t I have enough pain and suffering of my own? Of course I do. But giving to other people is what makes me feel alive. Not my car or my house. Not what I look like in the mirror. When I give my time, when I can make someone smile after they were feeling sad, it’s as close to healthy as I ever feel. (Albom, 1997: 128)”
What is said by Morrie above makes it clear that he does not only think about his
own problems. He is not a selfish person, even he has pain himself, but he still
wants to give his concern for other people. According to Morrie, concern with
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other people’s problems is one of important things that he should do. Focusing on
problems outside himself is something which needs to be done. That is why he
feels alive when he does it. He does not want to ignore problems of other people,
but he tries to understand their problems. It can be considered that Morrie is
problem-centered.
The next characteristic is a need for privacy and independence. It means
that self-actualizing persons “have the ability to make up their own minds, reach
their own decisions, and exercise their own motivation and discipline (Schultz,
1977: 70).” Morrie definitely knows what will be chosen in order to attain his
decision until he obtains it. To make all of those things becomes real; he needs for
privacy and independence. Morrie has behaved self-directed certainly and it is
shown in
“When all this started, I asked my self, ‘Am I going to withdraw from the world, like most people do, or am I going to live?’ I decided I’m going to live-or at least try to live-the way I want, with dignity, with courage, with humor, with composure… (Albom, 1997: 21)”
It is clearly seen that he has his own decision in choosing his own life. He has
characteristic of strong which can lead him to have a need for independence. He
does not want to be like other people who surrender when they feel that there is no
another way anymore. He believes what he feels about himself therefore he
chooses to continue his life with all of his effort. It also shows that he is a strong
person.
His need of independence in making decision to choose his life does not
influenced by other people. It is pure his personal thinking. When he makes the
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decision, he does not want other people change it. It means that he needs for
privacy. It is shown in
“Oh, I guess I do.” He closed his eyes. “I envy them being able to go to the health club, or go for a swim. Or dance. Mostly for dancing. But envy comes to me, I feel it, and then I let it go. Remember what I said about detachment? Let it go. Tell yourself, ‘That’s envy, I’m going to separate from it now.’ And walk away. (Albom, 1997: 119)”
Morrie’s willingness to separate himself from envy emphasizes that he needs
privacy. He wants to detach from envy and puts it away from his mind. No one
can influence his decision. Everything which has been made up by his mind
shows his independence. He wants to reach his decision with all of his ability; his
courage, his dignity, his composure and also his humor.
Morrie’s characteristic of strong is not only related with his need for
privacy and independence, but also his creativeness. His strength in facing life
makes him become a creative person in a matter of life. He does not surrender in
facing his dying condition, in the contrary; he wants other people to research him.
He says, “Study me in my slow and patient demise. Watch what happens to me.
Learn with me (Albom, 1997: 10).” It shows his creativeness as a self-actualizing
person which rarely happens for common people. He wants other people to study
something which is barely to be done. It is something “original, inventive, and
innovative (Schultz, 1977: 78)” which comes from his own mind.
The creativeness of self-actualizing person is not always in a matter of artistic
things. “It is more of an attitude and an expression of psychological health…than
with finished products of an artistic nature (Schultz, 1977: 78).” It is shown in
Morrie had a better idea. He made some calls. He chose a date. And on a cold Sunday afternoon, he was joined in his home by a small group of
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friends and family for a “living funeral.” Each of them spoke and paid tribute to my old professor. Some cried. Some laugh. One woman read a poem…And all the heartfelt things we never get to say to those we love…His “living funeral” was a rousing success (Albom, 1997: 12-13).
What is done by Morrie is something that is really never done by other people; a
funeral for person who is still alive. He just wants to emphasize that it is a
wasteful thing to say all wonderful words for the dead person in death funeral.
That is why he creates a new thing which will be useful for everyone. No one has
ever had this kind of idea during their life. He chooses to hear wonderful and
lovely words when he is still alive and can hear them instead of they are spoken
and read when he cannot hear anything anymore, in another words, when he dies.
It is a successful idea which has been created ever. His new idea of “living
funeral” shows that he is a creative person.
Then, Morrie also concerns in social interest which means he feels very
close with all human beings. In Duane Schultz’s Growth Psychology: Models of
the Health Personality Maslow states that self-actualizing persons “possess strong
and deep feelings of empathy and affection for all human beings, as well as a
desire to help humanity (Schultz, 1977: 74).” Morrie gives his empathy and
affection for everyone although he does not familiar with them. His concern
appears in his willingness to help other people with all of his heart and soul. He
likes to help people and makes them feel pleasure. Morrie’s characteristics of
helpful and compassionate are related with his characteristic as a self-actualizing
person; it is a concern in social interest.
One of his ways to help people is by giving an advice. There are a lot of
letters which are sent to Morrie and he always answers those letters. One example,
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there is a letter from a girl whose mother passes away because of incurable
disease and she really needs Morrie’s answer or advice to face the reality.
“All right,” Morrie said when the reading was complete. He shut his eyes. “Let’s start by saying, ‘Dear Nancy, you touched me very much with your story about your mother. And I understand what you went through. There is sadness and suffering on both parts. Grieving has been good for me, and I hope it has been good for you also.’ ” …” ’I hope you can find the healing power in grieving. (Albom, 1997: 85-86)’ “
Morrie is certain by giving simple answer to the girl will make the girl
understand. This simple answer is better than marvelous words for him because he
also experiences the same thing and he faces it only by grieving. He just tells the
girl what he has experienced in his life. For Morrie, saying simple words based on
real experience is more useful than saying marvelous words that never really
happen in his life. As what is said before, Morrie only helps people by sharing his
own experience of life so that everything which is given or advised based on his
real experience, nothing else. That is why people need his help although they are
in a long distance.
His affection does not only show that he concerns in social interest, but
also shows that he acquires the interpersonal relation. If he builds a relationship
with other people, it will stay forever. His relationship is stronger and deeper than
common people can do. He is “capable of stronger relationship with others than
are persons of average mental health. (Schultz, 1977: 74)” Morrie says that,
“…I’ve got so many people who have been involved with me in close, intimate
ways. And love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone. (Albom, 1997:
133)”
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All the words he says above function as evidences that he is capable of
greater love. His interpersonal relation is also proved in
“As long as we can love each other, and remember the feeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on-in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here.”…“Death ends a life, not a relationship. (Albom, 1997: 174)”
Those quotations give proofs that Morrie has a deeper relationship. According to
him, relationship will be everlasting although the person is dead. His
understanding about love is better than common people. For him, the person who
dies is regarded still alive because of love which has been created. It is only the
body which is buried, but not the love and memories. Therefore, Morrie can be
considered as a person who has understanding about love deeply.
Morrie’s interpersonal relationship leads him to be a person who has
democratic character structure. He never differentiates people in matter of social
class, religion, race, or level of education. He can build relationship with
everyone, without exception. He really understands the term of equality and he
thinks that “every person has the same opportunity to know about others and
everything (Schultz, 1977: 75).”
This kind of person always places himself equal with all the people in the
world. He never makes an effort to gain what is called prestige. For him, all of the
people have the same dignity and degree in this world. He assumes that everyone
in this world has a right to be respected and no one deserves to be humiliated.
This characteristic is clearly figured in
“The problem, Mitch, is that we don’t believe we are as much alike as we are. Whites and blacks, Catholics and Protestants, men and women. If we
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saw each other as more alike, we might be very eager to join in one big human family in this world, and to care about that family the way we care about our own. (Albom, 1997: 156)”
Morrie’s openness with so many things is related with his own characteristic; it is
open-minded. He can accept many differences in this world; even he thinks that
those things are as much alike. He owns capability in building a relationship with
no limitation because he understands that race, religion, or social class cannot
make people different one and another. He even has a concept in his mind that
colors of skin and gender are actually more alike.
He believes that everyone is much alike so there is nothing matter for him
to accept them. His democratic characteristic that causes him thinks about a big
idea of one big family in this world. It is barely people who can think like Morrie.
Therefore this characteristic is only possessed by self-actualizing person.
Furthermore, one characteristic which is rarely owned by common people
is a continued freshness of appreciation. This characteristic is only owned by self-
actualizing person, in this case is Morrie Schwartz. He can appreciate
continuously something simple which is usually considered valueless or not
important by common people. Although something which is appreciated is often
repeated, he is still able to appreciate it with new wonder and new concept. The
appreciation is not only towards real things, but also it can be some experiences
which are cannot be seen except if they are shared.
Morrie shows his appreciation towards something and it can be seen in
“…I appreciate that window more than you do…I look out that window every day. I notice the change in the trees, how strong the wind is blowing. It’s as if I can see time actually passing through that window-pane…I am drawn to nature like I’m seeing it for the first time. (Albom, 1997: 84)”
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Morrie understands that the window is only an ordinary thing, but he finds
something wonderful from it which deserves to be more appreciated. He views the
window as a thing which can link him to the nature. From the window, he can
notice the changes of nature. That is wonderful scenery for him. Although he
looks the window everyday, he never feels bored. He always finds a fresh sense of
something awesome when he looks at the window. It shows that his appreciation
is continuous and does not matter how often it is repeated.
He also experiences a beautiful feeling; it is when he feels the wind blows.
It is just a natural phenomenon, but he finds a marvelous experience. He
experiences it every time, but he has a fresh appreciation continuously. Morrie
“takes little for granted but continue to be thankful for what he possesses and can
experience (Schultz, 1977: 73).”
Moreover, Morrie also experiences his peak experiences. He admits
himself mainly. From every experiences which have been gotten by him as long
as he lives, he discovers an ultimate awareness of himself. He is confident to
reveal that death is something simple. He presents his new thinking of death. He is
transcendence into a person who is decisive and has a profound sense that “there
is nothing he cannot accomplish to become (Schultz, 1977: 73).”
Morrie has a power to tell his different way of thinking about death. He
decides that there is nothing to be afraid about death. He sentences to other people
that
“It’s natural to die,” he said again. “The fact that we make such a big hullabaloo over it is all because we don’t see ourselves as part of nature.
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We think because we’re human we’re something above nature.” He smiled at the plant (Albom, 1997: 173)”
He is confident to declare that human being is also a natural thing just like a plant.
He is capable of becoming what he should become. He decides to be a person who
never afraid with death. Therefore, he actualizes himself the same as nature. He
experiences a fusion between his own self with nature. It is something what he
wants to become. He accomplishes to become one with nature. As it is known,
when part of nature, like plant, does not live anymore or dies, it is usual for the
plant itself or for human being. That is why Morrie wants to be nature when it
dies, it is something usual.
Besides Morrie is transcendence to be a person who is decisive and has a
profound sense, he also experiences a mystical thing. It happens when he is
sleeping and he feels something different. He experiences it through a dream, but
he considers that his dream is really related with his future life. He feels that his
dream is a real thing that will happen in the future. It is shown in
“…it was a most incredible feeling. The sensation of accepting what was happening, being at peace. I was thinking about a dream I had last week, where I was crossing a bridge into something unknown. Being ready to move on whatever is next…That’s what we’re all looking for. A certain peace with the idea of dying. If we know, in the end, that we can ultimately have that peace with dying, then we can finally do the really hard thing. (Albom, 1997: 172-173)”
Morrie believes in his dream and it is a sign for him how to face his life in the
future. He is confident that he will find a peace place in the future. What he
experiences and feels in his dream will become real. He is certain about what he
will become; a human being who is confident about his future where a peace will
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be owned by him. Although he does not know where the place is because it is
something unknown, he has confidence and power to continue his journey of life.
His thinking of life is different from common people in the term of dying.
According to him, it is not a big matter with dying. The important thing is how
human being can really understand that the idea of dying should be faced with a
certain peace. In this case, Morrie has found an understanding that he should face
dying with a certain peace. He knows clearly that there is nothing to be worried
with the idea of dying. He believes that the situation of peace with the condition
of being dying is what he is looking for. His confidence in understanding and
facing dying condition with peace appears as the realization of his actualization.
There is a peace spirit which exists within himself. He develops his act above
what common people usually act. He acts something which is definitely different
from common people. He has his own way which distinguishes him from other
people in the term of dying. He is wiser than common people usually do. It means
that Morrie has a distinctive wisdom and it rarely appears in common people. This
characteristic which emphasizes his wisdom in facing death shows his
actualization.
In additional, self-actualizing person has a resistance to enculturation.
Morrie has his own culture in passing through his life. He does not do some
activities which are usually done by common people. It can be seen in
Morrie, true to these words, had developed his own culture-long before he got sick…dancing to his music in the Harvard Square church, he started a project called Greenhouse, where poor people could receive mental health services… He took more time eating and looking at nature and wasted no time in front of TV sitcoms or “Movies of the Week.” He had created a
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cocoon of human activities-conversation, interaction, affection-and it filled his life like an overflowing soup bowl (Albom, 1997: 42-43).
The quotation above proves that he has his own culture which is different from
what common people usually do and it is commented by his own student. Morrie
has ability to create his own culture or his daily activities which are built by
himself. He is capable of rejecting what is persuaded or pressed by his society or
circumstance. His resistance towards the circumstances shows his ability in
maintaining his own culture. Maslow in Duane Schultz’s Growth Psychology:
Models of the Health Personality states that self-actualizing person can “maintain
an inner detachment, an aloofness from his culture, guided by himself rather than
by others (Schultz, 1977: 78).”
Morrie is able to decide what culture of his society that will be maintained
or will be rejected. He knows what to do if there are social pressures that force
him to think or act in a certain ways. His resistance to enculturation also can be
seen in
“Here’s what I mean by building your own little subculture,” Morrie said. “I don’t mean you disregard every rule of your community. I don’t go around naked, for example. I don’t run through red lights. The little things, I can obey. But the big things-how we think, what we value-those you must choose yourself. You can’t let anyone-or any society-determine those for you (Albom, 1997: 155).
What is said by Morrie proves that he has capability to determine his life by
himself without any pressure from other people. He shows that his thinking and
his value thing cannot be influenced by other people. It is only Morrie himself
who has a right and responsibility to make his culture and his life valuable. There
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is nothing other people can do to influence his big things of life; it is how he
thinks and what he values.
Those characteristics above prove that Morrie has achieved self-
actualization. He can reach the self actualization level because his behaviors have
developed into the behavior of the self-actualizing person that is motivated by
some values such as truth, honesty, and goodness. Those values provide meaning
to the life of Morrie. He has satisfied all the needs of the first four levels of
hierarchy so he is no longer motivated by deficiencies, but he is motivated to grow
and become all that he is capable of becoming.
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CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
This undergraduate thesis focuses mainly on the self-actualization of the
character, Morrie Schwartz. The writer considers that analyzing the character,
Morrie Schwartz, is the valuable focus to show the further exploration on self-
actualization. Therefore, in this thesis, the writer formulates two problem
formulations to understand deeper about the character, Morrie Schwartz. The first
problem formulation is about the characteristics of Morrie Schwartz. The second
is how the character, Morrie Schwartz, reveals his self-actualization.
The characteristics of Morrie Schwartz are analyzed by applying Murphy’s
theory. The characterization of Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics is shown
through another’s opinion and view, his speech, his thought, his past life, his
reaction toward every situation, and Albom’s direct comment.
Based on the theory, it is found that Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics are
open-minded, helpful, strong, attentive, compassionate, patient, and wise. His
open-minded characteristic is found by Albom’s direct comment that Morrie
Schwartz can accept the differences of many religions and philosopher’s teachings.
His helpful characteristic is known from his effort to help people by sharing his
experiences facing the life so people will not be hopeless if they fail in this life. It
is also shown from Albom’s depiction about Morrie Schwartz as a helpful teacher
for his students. His strength is described in his capability that he does not want to
be submissive but to be strong in facing his life. His attentive characteristic is
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depicted on his speech and Albom’s view toward Morrie Schwartz’s willingness
to be a good listener
Moreover, Morrie Schwartz’s compassionate characteristic is showed by
his care for other’s suffering even when he is dying. Morrie Schwartz’s patience
can be shown on his effort facing his suffering without complaining. Then, his
wisdom is depicted on one of his views, such as death. He accepts death
compassionately and peacefully. Even, he can develop himself to be more useful
for other although he is in dying condition.
The second problem focuses on how the character, Morrie Schwartz,
reveals his self-actualization. Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics present several
self-actualizing person’s characteristics. He is an autonomous functioning person
who realizes his dying condition and can control it; even he can be useful for other
people. He perceives other person objectively, in this case is about aging. He
accepts that aging cannot be avoided so he should not be envy with young men.
He is pleasure with his aging and enjoys it.
The other characteristic is he can accept himself without complaint or
worry; it is the development of his patient characteristic. He sees his life as a
unique life and he can find something important from it. He is a simple and
natural person in seeing reality. For example, he tells what he feels about love, he
displays his emotion, feeling of love, and never hides it. He has capability to focus
on other people’s problems. He cares with other people’s problem rather than his
own problem. For him, giving attention on other’s problems makes him alive and
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concerning other’s problems is one of important things that should be done by him.
This capability is related with his attentive characteristic.
Moreover, he needs for privacy and independence. It is shown in his
detachment from envy and he decides it by himself without any influence from
other people. He has behaved self-directed in choosing his own life which also
shows his strength in facing life. He is a creative person, for example his original
idea of “living funeral”. He will not make his students or people around him bored
because he always creates a new interesting topic in new talking. Since he has
experienced everything in his life, he has so many things in his mind to be shared.
His idea will give the listener new worthy knowledge. There is no something
useless when talking with him.
Next, Morrie Schwartz’s concern in social interest shows his willingness
to help other people; it is by giving advice for people who are sad or hopeless. He
uses all his capabilities and skills to help people although they are in a long
distance. He is sympathetic with others. He will help them every time they need it,
no matter what his condition is. Then, he also acquires interpersonal relationship
which makes him become a person who understands about relation deeper than
common people. For him, relationship will not disappear; it will stay forever in
this world although the person who builds it has died.
He never differentiates religions, races, origins, and many more. He
respects all differences in this world. Morrie Schwartz can be called as an easy
going person. He never makes a problem whether a person is educated or not. He
accepts every kind of people.
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Furthermore, Morrie Schwartz always appreciates everything, even little
thing that is usually forgotten by common people, for example a window in his
bed room and he also appreciates the changes of trees. Those are simple thing, but
his appreciation is always fresh everyday. He also experiences a mystical thing
when he sleeps. Another experience which can prove that he is a self-actualizing
person is his peak experience. It is when he is transcendence to be a powerful,
decisive, and profound sense. He has a power to actualize himself the same as
nature. He can accomplish to become what he wants. He decides that dying should
be faced with peace so when people die, there is nothing to be worried.
Morrie Schwartz is a kind of man who is free from culture and
environment. It means that he will not be influenced by the culture in his country
or other culture in other country. He also cannot be changed by his environment or
society. He has his own point of view in seeing this life which is totally different
from common people. He has different activities from common people and it
shows that he has built his own culture. That is why Morrie Schwartz has a
resistance to enculturation.
The self-actualization is revealed through the characteristics of Morrie
Schwartz. The analysis of his characteristics is done to clarify his actualization.
Morrie Schwartz’s characteristics give evidence that he is a self-actualizing
person. His characteristics are related with the characteristics of self-actualizing
person; it is the development of his characteristics which leads him has the
characteristics of self-actualizing person.
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