1. art and entertainment
2. books and literature

The Events in Setting Influencing Nancy’s Personality in
Mary Higgins Clark’s Where Are The Children
THESIS
Advisor:
Dra. Siti Mashitoh, M. Hum
19681020 200312 2 001
By:
Laily Romdhania
05320103
ENGLISH LETTERS AND LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND CULTURE
THE STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF MAULANA MALIK IBRAHIM
MALANG
2010
i
AUTHENTICITY SHEET
Name : Laily Romdhania
NIM
: 05320103
Adress : Jl. Raya Pelabuhan Jangkar 205, Jangkar – Situbondo
Hereby, I certify that the thesis I wrote to fulfill the requirement for
Sarjana Sastra (S.S) entitled The Events in Setting Influencing Nancy’s
Personality in Mary Higgins Clark’s Where Are The Children is truly my original
work. It does not incorporate any materials previously written or published by
another person, except those indicated in quotations and bibliography. Due to this
fact, I am the only person responsible for the thesis if there is any objection or
claim from others.
Malang, 2 of August 2010
Laily Romdhania
ii
APPROVAL SHEET
This is to certify that Laily Romdhania’s thesis entitled
The Events in Setting Influencing Nancy’s Personality in Mary Higgins Clark’s
Where Are The Children
has been approved by the thesis advisor
for further approval by the Board of Examiners.
Approved by the Advisor,
Acknowledged by
The Head of the English Letters and
Language Department,
Dra. Siti Mashitoh, M. Hum__
NIP. 19681020 200312 2 001
Galuh Nur Rohmah, M. Pd, M. Ed
NIP. 19740211 199803 2 002
The Dean of
the Faculty of Humanities and Culture,
Drs. KH. Chamzawi, M. HI__
NIP. 19510808 198403 1 001
iii
LEGITIMATION SHEET
This is to certify that Laily Romdhania’s thesis entitled
The Events in Setting Influencing Nancy’s Personality in Mary Higgins Clark’s
Where Are The Children
has been approved by the Board Examiners
as the requirement for the degree of Sarjana Sastra.
The Board Examiners
Signature
1. Syamsudin, M.Hum_______
NIP.19691122 200604 1 001
(Chair)
1.
2. Dra. Istiadah, M.A________
NIP.19670313 199203 2 002
(Main Examiner)
2.
3. Siti Mashitoh, M.Hum______
NIP. 19681020 200312 2 001
(Secretary)
3.
Approved by
The Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Culture
The State Islamic University of Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang.
Drs. KH. Chamzawi, M. HI__
NIP. 19510808 198403 1 001
iv
MOTTO
v
DEDICATION
Thanks to Allah SWT, whose love, patient, forgiveness, and grace enable the
writer to live and to chase her dream. There is nothing can the writer do without
God’s Mercy, This thesis is proudly dedicated to:
My beloved father and mother,
(Alm.) and
. Thank you
very much for giving me a lot of supports, prays, and loves.
My beloved little sister,
. Thank you very much for giving
me cheerfulness in my life.
. Thank you very much for teaching me the
meaning of love, faith, hope and for being my (sometimes) teacher,
brother, friend, and a good lover.
vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,
All my praise is to Allah SWT, the most Gracious and the Merciful, also
the one who always guides and blesses me. Shalawat and Salam are also delivered
to our Prophet Muhammad SAW, who has been a good model in the overall of
our life. Therefore, I could finish my thesis entitled “The Events in Setting
Influencing Nancy’s Personality in Mary Higgins Clark’s Where Are The
Children” as well.
I realize that my thesis will never get success without any interference
from other people. Therefore firstly, I would like to give my sincere gratitude to
Prof. Dr. H. Imam Suprayogo as the Rector of The State Islamic University of
Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang, Drs. KH. Chamzawi, M. HI as the Dean of
Humanities and Culture Faculty, Dra. Galuh Nur Rohmah, M. Pd, M. Ed as the
Head of English Letters and Language Department, and also my advisor Dra. Siti
Mashitoh, M. Hum. Thank you for the chance given to me to conduct my thesis.
Thank you for my advisors’ guidance with your patient, criticism, and great
attention. You always give me constructive suggestion for my best result.
Secondly, I would like to express my biggest thanks to all of English
Letters and Language’s lecturers for being so kind, patient, and generous in
introducing and leading me to the world of Literature, Linguistics, and anything
about language with invaluable knowledge inputs.
vii
Moreover, the biggest thanks for all my beloved family, my father Alm.
Sumiyadi, my mother Hasanah, my little sister Lailatin Najma, my grandmother
Fatma, my aunt Subaida, my beloved cousin Ainur Rifa’i, Riskiyana and Jazuli,
Noerma Hanifa, Yukie Afnani and Ike Nur Laili, my uncle Buhari and Basuni, my
nephew Syamsyi Tamam Jazuli, Naldo, Muhammad Ilham Bintang, my niece
Norma Sofiatul Mardiah. May Allah SWT always blesses us and arranges the
most beautiful things for our life. Amin.
Besides, thank you for all my best friend, Ellen Paramitha Asri. Thank you
for your support and for being my best friend. Finally, the writer trully realized
that this thesis still needs the constructive criticism and suggestion from the
readers in order to make it perfect and hopefully it can be useful for the readers,
especially for the Language and Letters students.
Malang, 2 of August 2010
Laily Romdhania
viii
ABSTRACT
Romdhania, Laily. 2010. The Events in Setting Influencing Nancy’s Personality
in Mary Higgins Clark’s Where Are The Children. Thesis. English Letters and
Language Department. The State Islamic University of Maulana Malik Ibrahim
Malang. Advisor: Dra. Siti Mashitoh, M. Hum.
Key words
: personality, setting
As one of human creative products, literature is of course closely related to
human being because it reflects their behaviors, attitudes and personality.
Personality is the study of individual differences, in other words, how people
differ from each other. Anxiety is a state of easiness or tension whose cause is
unknown. Therefore, setting is the time and place of the story; it is when and
where the action occurs. In large sense setting refers to condition or total
environment, physical, emotional, economic, political, social, and psychological
in which the character live.
This study contains the influence of setting that the major character face.
Related to this case, the problems of the study can be formulated; (1) What is
Nancy’s personality before losing her children? (2) What is Nancy’s personality
after losing her children? (3) How does the event in setting influence Nancy’s
personality?
This study is categorized as literary criticism, where the writer does
analysis, interpretation, and evaluation in conducting the study. To criticize the
object of the study, the writer applies the psychological approach which is used to
find our aspect of psychology in the novel Where Are The Children because
psychology concern with aspect of human life. In other words, this approach is an
attempt to study in literary through the analysis of the major character.
In this study, the writer finds that the personality of Nancy before she was
losing her children such are she is merciful or charitable, smart, persistence,
attractive and interesting. However, after losing her children she becomes
sensitive, introvert, overprotective. The writer also finds two events in the
different setting that make Nancy’s personality change; that is event in London,
when she went to college and married to Carl Harmon who used to be her lecturer
and the big incident faces her until she has been in prison for seven years. The last
is event in Cape Cod, where she begins her new life with her new family but she
is also run away and denies from the reality. She always combines the incident in
the past with her present day so she cannot actualize herself and reach her ideal
self. She makes some defenses such as she would cut her hair and dyed it sable
brown.
ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover………………………………………………………………………...i
Authenticity Sheet…………………………………………………………...ii
Approval sheet……………………………………………………………....iii
Legitimating sheet…………………………………………………………...iv
Motto………………………………………………………………………...v
Dedication…………………………………………………………………...vi
Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………vii
Abstract……………………………………………………………………...ix
Table of Contents…………………………………………………………....x
Chapter I INTRODUCTION………………………………………………..1
1.1 Background of Study……………………………………………1
1.2 Statement of the Problems………………………………………6
1.3 Objectives of the Study………………………………………….7
1.4 Significance of the Study………………………………………..7
1.5 Scope and Limitation……………………………………………7
1.6 Definition of Key Terms………………………………………...8
1.7 Research Method………………………………………………..10
1.7.1 Research Design………………………………………10
1.7.2 Data Source…………………………………………...11
1.7.3 Data Collection………………………………………..11
1.7.4 Data Analysis………………………………………….12
x
Chapter II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE………………………13
2.1 Setting…………………………………………………………...13
2.1.1 Types of Setting ………………………………………15
2.2.2 Elements of Setting……………………………………15
2.2.3 Function of Setting……………………………………16
2.2 Character………………………………………………………...17
2.3 Personality……………………………………………………….19
2.4 Carl Rogers Theory of Personality………………………………21
2.4.1 The Structure of Personality…………………………...22
2.4.2 Dynamics Personality………………………………….24
2.4.3 The Development of Personality……………………....25
2.4.4 Anxiety and Defense…………………………………..29
2.5 Psychological Approach………………………………………....31
2.6 Previous Study…………………………………………………..33
Chapter III ANALYSIS……………………………………………………..37
3.1 Nancy’s Personality before Losing Her Children……………….37
3.1.1 Merciful or charitable………………………………….37
3.2.2 Smart…………………………………………………..40
3.2.3 Interesting and Attractive……………………………...41
3.2.4 Persistence……………………………………………..43
3.2 Nancy’s Personality after Losing Her Children………………….44
3.2.1 Sensitive ……………………………………………….45
3.2.2 Introvert and Closed…………………………………...47
xi
3.2.3 Overprotective………………………………………...49
3.2 The Events in Setting that Influence Nancy’s Personality……...51
3.3.1 The Event in London………………………………….51
3.3.2 The Event in Cape Cod……………………………….53
Chapter IV CONCLUSION………………………………………...63
4.1 Conclusion………………………………………………63
4.2 Suggestion ………………………………………………66
Bibliography
Appendix
xii
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Chapter one discusses about background of the study, statements of the
problems, objectives of the studies, significance of the study, scope and limitation,
definition of key terms, and research method which covers research design, data
sources, data collection, and data analysis. Each of the items is discussed in detail
as follows:
1.1
Background of the study
Literature is the product of human thought. Since several years
ago, it had been put as the symbol of intellect. Barnet (1993: 1) says that
literature can be used to refer to anything written. Through literary works
people may acquire amusements that will lead them to a keen perception
of beauty and increase their sensitivity upon artistic works in general.
Literary works can communicate thought, feeling, and attitude towards
life. “A literary work can be used like anything else from ink blots to
feelings, simply as a device for imaginative stimulation, a way to find out
what we are thinking or feeling or who we are” (Clummings and
Simmons, 1986: 1).
Literature is closely related to life because it is the work created
and enjoyed by human being. According to Wellek and Warren (1965: 15),
literary work is a result of literature, a creature activity, and a work of art.
The term literature according to Wellek and Warren, seems best if we limit
to art of literature that is to imaginative literature as a work of art that uses
1
a language in its medial expressive. It has stood in such important position
in life whether it is the western of eastern culture. Studying literature is
one of exciting activities because it gives us many experiences that related
to human feeling, love, and human life.
However, literary work is a human reflection in art. Hudson (1985:
10) states that literature is the expression of what people view, face, think,
and feel about life. By reading literary works, we are getting not only
pleasure but also certain massage presented by the author to the readers
through the character or some other elements of fiction. The result is that
we are able to use them for improving our life with the environment which
the writer faces. As a human being, we have different attitude and
behavior. We can say that literature makes our life colorful. Literature has
a function that is to entertain the reader in which the story told about
reality or imagination. Besides, it is written to give the reader insight of
life that function to broaden, deepen, and share opinion.
Furthermore, W.J Long (1945: 8) states that literature is the
experience of life in the world of truth and beauty. It is the written record
of man’s spirit of emotion, thought, and inspiration, it is the history of
human soul. Literature can help us to understand human sentiment,
feeling, human interest, and problem. Also, literature can be defined as the
way of reacting and expressing life experience by mean of language as its
media. Jones (1968: 1) states that literature is a work of art that uses
language as its media as simply another way, we can experience the world
2
around them through imagination. Literary works are created by author in
order the reader can get deeply enjoyable comprehension, and some
picture of society or human life. It is supported by Darmono (1979: 7) that
literature reflects life and the life itself is social reality, it means that
literature is an expression of the author that uses language as its media to
express her idea that can be a tragedy and event happened in or outside the
author.
As a media to express the author’s idea, literary work can be
divided into three kinds in form; those are drama, prose, and poetry. Each
kind of them has different characteristics, such a novel. Novel is one of
literary genres that present complicated problems in detail. Peck and Coyle
(1984: 103) have argued that novels are long work with great amount of
detail on very page. It needs to be taken into account before people can
reach any sort of judgment. The effect of this detail is that people come to
recognize the complex reality of a character of an event in the story.
Novel can also contribute to a deeper understanding of the central
themes, complicated characters, and its readers’ view of the world. So, a
novelist’s can create a certain character trait and personality as a part of
human psychology. It aims at making a certain image that will be related
to the whole works. The highlight or characters in a novel is really
important to be understood to reach a comprehensive understanding,
because, “Learning literature is the same way as to overcome our
problems” (Wellek and Warren, 1989: 23). As a fictional work, literature
3
is considered having its internal characters apart from the author, audience,
and the real world. Literature is drawn from the imagination rather than
history or fact. Related to the consideration that literature is an imaginative
world, Abrams (1981: 61) says that literature is as a work of fiction that is
absence from historical truth. Literature has its own imaginary world
rather than the ‘true historic’ one.
In this study, the writer would like to present the novel Where Are
the Children written by Mary Higgins Clark that was published in 1975
and it’s becoming a bestseller and becoming a popular novel. Mary
Higgins Clark is also the bestselling author with nine other novels that
becoming bestseller too. In this novel, the writer wants to analyze about
the events living in setting that influence on the main character that is
Nancy. This novel also much talks about personality a change that is
influenced by setting faced by Nancy as the main character.
The writer choose this topic because this topic give many
challenges and it makes the writer know more not only about the intrinsic
element; that is setting, but also the writer know more about the change of
personality that influence by the condition in the setting especially from
Carl Roger’s theory. The whole content of Carl Rogers’s theory focuses
upon the ways in which evaluations of an individual by others, particularly
during childhood, tend to favor distancing between experiences of the
organism and experiences of the self.
4
According to Albert Bandura in Alwisol’s book Psikologi
Kepribadian (2004: 356), personality is the result of human interaction
with other people. Thus, when we interact with other people or when we
face some event in our life, whether it is good event or bad event, surely
there are a lot of experiences we got and we will remind all of experiences
as a memory. Experience, whether it is good experience or bad experience
will always repeat in our mind so that it can make some effects on human
itself like anxiety, deny everything in their life, depression, phobia, and
aggression.
As a biological creature, every human has ability to determine his
own fate. According to Alwisol (2004: 356) human is a rational creature
so that human needs for free. Also human is usually easy to change and
human is sometimes hard to be understood by others. Otherwise, every
human has various behaviors. We can understand human’s behavior from
how they view subjective experience of reality in their life. From behavior,
we can see human’s personality. Behavior is one of factors that can
influence human’s personality development or human’s personality
changes, the other factors such as environment, social, culture, family, can
be the important factors too in human’s personality development or
human’s personality changes (Alwisol, 2004: 357).
From the explanation above, it can be stated that experience can
influence human’s personality development or even human’s personality
changes. That is why the writer chooses the topic as The Events in Setting
5
Influencing Nancy’s Personality in Mary Higgins Clark’s Where Are The
Children. The writer uses setting as the intrinsic element because setting is
not only the time and place, but also it is including environment and event
(experience) that happen to every human.
Based on the background of the study above, the writer takes the
title The Influence of Setting on Nancy’s personality as the major
character in Mary Higgins Clark’s Where Are The Children. The writer
has found the similar topic with the other writer’s study but they have
different theory and analysis. The first thesis belongs to Ainul Hayatin,
(1999) entitled The Influence of Setting on The Development of Pip
Philips’s Characters in Great Expectation. The second thesis belongs to
Sri Mulyani, a student of Gajayana University of Malang, (2000) entitled
A Study on The Influence of Setting on Character Development in
Dickinsons’ Oliver Twist.
1.2
Statement of the Problems
Based on the background of the studies, the writer formulates the
statements of the problems as follows:
1. What is Nancy’s personality before losing her children?
2. What is Nancy’s personality after losing her children?
3. How does the event in setting influence Nancy’s personality?
6
1.3
Objectives of the Study
Based on the statements of the problems above, the objectives of
the study are:
1. to find out Nancy’s personality before losing her children.
2. to find out Nancy’s personality after losing her children.
3. to explain the events that living in setting influence Nancy’s
personality.
1.4
Significance of the Study
This study has two significances, those are theoretical and
practical. Theoretically, it is hoped that it can be a contribution for literary
studies which is specially has the similar topic with this study by using
psychological approach. Practically, the results of the study are expected
to provide useful information for English lecturer, learners, and future
researchers. For lecturer, the study can become a material. For learners, the
study helps the students to know and understand a literary work. For future
researcher, this study will enrich the knowledge in doing the study.
1.5
Scope and Limitation
There are many aspects of the novel that are interesting to be
analyzed. Therefore, this study will concentrate on the novel of Mary
Higgins Clark’s Where Are The Children. It is focused and limited to the
main character that is Nancy. The writer limits intrinsic aspect that is
setting based on experience or events that faced by Nancy that it can
7
influence Nancy’s personality. This study uses psychological approach to
Carl Rogers’s theory.
1.6
Definition of Key Terms
Personality
: a dynamic and organized set of
characteristics possessed by a person that
uniquely influences his or her cognitions,
motivations, and behaviors in various
situations
(Boeree, 1997: 5).
Setting
: the time and place of the story, it is when
and where the action occurs. In large sense
setting refers to condition or total
environment, physical, emotional, economic,
political, social, and psychological in which
the character life (Lostracco and Wilkerson,
1979: 79).
Self – concept
: all those aspects of one’s being and one’s
experiences that are perceived in awareness
(though not always accurately) by the
individual (Gregory J. Feist, 2002:467).
Self – actualization
: a subsystem of the actualization tendency
and is therefore not synonymous with it or
the tendency to actualize the self as
8
perceived in awareness (Gregory J. Feist,
2002: 466).
Ideal Self
: one view’s of self as one wishes to be
(Gregory J. Feist, 2002: 467).
Fully Functioning Person
: people who are open to the experiences
rather that falling into similar patterns, they
look to see what life will throw their way
(Jerry M. Burger, 2000: 314)
Anxiety
: a state of an easiness or tension whose
cause is unknown (Jerry M. Burger, 2000:
313).
Defensiveness
: the protection of the self – concept against
anxiety and threat by denial of distortion of
experiences inconsistent with it (Jerry M.
Burger, 2000: 313).
Denial
: falsifying reality either by saying it does
not exist or by perceiving it in a distorted
way (Jerry M. Burger, 2000: 314).
Disorganization
: the effect of incongruence between self and
experience (Jerry M. Burger, 2000: 314).
Distortion
: misinterpret an experience in order to fit it
into some aspect of their self – concept
(Jerry M. Burger, 2000: 315).
9
1.7
Research Method
Accoding to Kerlinger (2004: 483), research method is a plan and
investigation structure that made by the researcher in order to get the
answer from the problem. In doing this study, the writer uses qualitative
method. Qualitative method is a method of inquiry appropriated in many
different academic disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also
in market research and further contexts. Qualitative researchers aim to
gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that
govern such behavior.
The qualitative method investigates the why and how of decision
making, not just what, where, when. Hence, smaller but focused samples
are more often needed, rather than large samples. Qualitative methods
produce information only on the particular cases studied, and any more
general conclusions are only hypotheses (informative guesses).
Quantitative methods can be used to verify which of such hypotheses are
true.
1.7.1 Research Design
In doing this analysis, this study is categorized as literary criticism,
where the writer does analysis, interpretation, and evaluation in conducting
the study. There are three processes which have to be conducted by the
writer. First of all is the psychological approach which emphasizes on the
study of intrinsic and extrinsic element. Second, it requires studying on the
10
characterization of the literary work. Third, the conflict of characterization
requires to be related to the setting.
To criticize the object of the study, the writer applies the
psychological approach which is used to find the aspect of psychology in
the novel Where Are The Children because psychology concern with
aspect of human life. In other words, this approach attempted to work in
literary through the analysis of the major character. The writer uses Carl
Rogers theory focused upon the ways in which evaluations of an
individual by others, particularly during childhood, tend to favor
distancing between experiences of the organism and experiences of the
self. Thus, the writer assumes that experience of human can influence
human’s personality changes.
1.7.2 Data Source
In taking the data, the writer takes the data of this analysis based on
the original novel written by Mary Higgins Clark’s Where Are The
Children. It was published in 1975 and it was first to be printed on
February 1992. This novel consists of 290 pages and there are thirty-one
chapters.
1.7.3 Data Collection
The writer has some steps in collecting the data that are taken to
get effective result of this analysis. First, the writer reads the whole novel.
The second is the writer tries to understand the whole story. The third is
the writer makes a short note of story in each chapter. The last, the writer
11
tries to find some information such as book, paper, journal or sites in the
internet that are related to the purpose of the study and the theory.
1.7.4 Data Analysis
There are some steps in doing data analysis as follows. First, the
writer reads and understands the theories and data from books and other
references like paper, journal, etc. Second, the writer uses the theories
based on the statements of the problems. Third, the writer begins to
analyze the novel based on classification of the data. The last, the writer
makes the conclusion based on the writer’s discussion.
12
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter will discuss about related literature used in this study. It
covers the concept of setting, personality, character, theory of personality,
psychological approach, and previous of study.
2.1 Setting
When we begin to read a story and enter imaginatively into the world
it presents, we need to get our bearings, that are to find out where we are, and
in general, what time it is. In telling the readers these things, the author is
providing the setting of the story by placing the action in space. Setting is
general location, historical time, and social circumstances in which the action
occurs; the setting of an episode and scene with in a work is the particular
physical location in which it takes place (Abrams, 1981: 157).
Kenney (1966: 38) defines setting as an element of fiction which
reveals to us “where and when” of events. In other words, the term “setting”
refers to the point in time and space in which the events of the plot occur. The
meaning of setting, according to James L. Potter in his book Element of
Literature, is an action of the characters which takes place at sometimes, in
some places, amid something (Potter, 1967: 79). From the definition of some
experts such as Lostracco and Wilkerson in (Koesnosobroto, 1988: 80) that
setting is used to enrich the meaning of the story; in limited sense, setting
refers to the time and place of the story; it is when and where the action
occurs.
13
13
While, Amminuddin, Mpd says that setting is the background of the
act in a work of fiction, it can be a place, time or action, and it has
psychological and physical function (Amminuddin, 1987: 158).
From the statement above, it is clear that setting is not only time and
place, but also the situation, the atmosphere, the way the character thinks, the
behavior of the character, the way the character’s live, and the way the
characters solve the problem. However in large sense, setting refers to the
condition or total physical environment, emotional, economic, political,
social, and psychological in which the characters live.
Therefore, setting show up the incidents of place, which have been
told, such as time, place, and social condition. Furthermore, setting
sometimes is used as place to stand on the story by the author. Therefore, we
can say that setting is very important to give the realistic impression for the
readers or to create a specific condition, which seems to be real.
Thus, setting is one aspect of literature; it takes an important role in
the story. It has a great relationship with other aspect such as theme,
character, plot, etc to make the story more interesting. By creating a welldrawn setting, the author helps his fictional world as a real to the reader’s
imagination, and consequently its effect to the readers to accept as possible
that happens in it.
Finally, the setting can actually influence the course of events in the
story by directly affecting the character and by encouraging certain kinds of
events while inhibiting others.
14
2.1.1 Types of Setting
Setting is divided into two types. The first type is neutral setting
and the second type is spiritual setting. Kenney (1966:38) explains the
types of setting as follows:
The first is neutral setting. This setting is a reflection of the truth
that things have to happen somewhere and sometime. For example: “I saw
Ahmad in the Islamic boarding school”.
A second type is a spiritual setting. This setting refers to values
embodied in our implied by the physical setting. The spiritual will
influence the shape of the character. For example, “Ahmad grows up at an
Islamic boarding school”. The Islamic boarding school here influences
Ahmad to be loyal to his religion. So that, at Islamic boarding school,
Ahmad is taught to be polite, obey older people, and everything that his
religion taught. Thus, types of setting can have the profoundest effects on
every aspect of a person’s life.
2.1.2 Elements of Setting
Kenney (1966: 40) in How To Analyze Fiction says that there are
four elements of setting. For the first element is the actual geographical
location. This element is including topography, scenery, even the details of
a room’s interior. For the example “Sunday morning with sunshine
brightly in the velvet skies up there, Ahmad goes to the park in which
there are a lots of green trees and various flowers that can make him
relax”. The second element is the occupation and modes of day-to-day
15
existence of the characters. For example “Everyday, since Monday to
Sunday he goes to work as a shop keeper with full of spirit and energy”.
The third element is the time; in which the action takes place,
including historical period, season of the year. For example “In 1988,
Nagasaki and Heroshima were bombed by America in war II”. For the last
element of setting is the religious, moral, intellectual, social, and
emotional environment of the characters. For example “Santri of Ma’had
Sunan Ampel Al’Ali always goes to the mosque to pray together and they
like to help each other”. Thus, setting is not only time and place but also
the event or experience happen in anytime and anywhere.
2.1.3 Function of Setting
Kenney (1966: 40) says there are three functions of setting. For the
first is setting as metaphor. Sometimes in fiction we encounter details of
setting that seems to function and projection or objectification of the
internal states of the character. So, literary work serves as a metaphor for
the spiritual and emotional state of the principal characters. The second
function of setting is to create the atmosphere. It consists of local, period,
weather, time, tone, taken by the narrative voice that can be described or
environment around the characters. Kenney says that the atmosphere as the
air breathed by the readers as he enters the world of the literary work. For
the last function is setting as the dominant element. Like character and any
other intrinsic element of literary work, setting may be the element of
16
primary importance in a particular story or even in the work of a particular
author.
In addition, Reaskey, (1973: 88) states that the atmosphere as a
helping means to set the mood and tension in the story. Amminuddin
(1987: 159) says that in the story, setting has two functions. Those are
physical function and psychological function. Physical function is the
function of the setting to make the story life. Usually by expressing the
place or the author can express his idea by using things. While,
psychological function is the function of setting to give a certain situation
which can influence the feeling of the reader.
2.2 Character
Character is one of the important elements in the story. Character is
the people in the fiction to be similar to the people in real life (Kenny,
1966: 24). In a story, the author may tell us directly how characters usually
behave, what kind of individual they are, or what they and their
surrounding look like. Characters can be classified by the fullness of their
personalities. Whatever degree of artifice we are willing to allow in plot,
we expect characters to be “natural” or “lifelike”. Kenney says (1966: 25)
that the standard of lifelikeness is inadequate for judging character in
fiction. At best, the potion of lifelikeness is an oversimplification. A
fictional character must be other things besides lifelike.
However, the fictional character is never entirely free. Kenney
states in How To Analyze Fiction one of the most delicate tasks of the
17
writer of fiction is to create and maintain the illusion that his character are
free, while at the same time making sure they are not really so for a really
free character would be free of his duty to the story of which he/she a part
(1966: 25).
Kenney says there are two kinds of character. The first is flat
(simple) character. The flat character is less the representation of a human
personality than the embodiment of a single attitude or obsession in a
character. This kind of character is flat because we see only one side of
him. For the second is round (complex) character. Round character is
obviously more lifelike that the simple because in life, people are not
simply embodiments of single attitudes. This kind of character is round
because we see all sides of him (1966: 28).
According to Kenney, there are four methods that how the author
will present character. First of all is discursive method. The author who
chooses the discursive method simply tells us about his character. He
enumerates their qualities and may even express approval or disapproval
of them. The advantages of this method are simplicity and economy. The
writer who is content to tell us directly about his characters can quickly
finish the job of characterization and go on to other things. The
disadvantage of this method is relatively mechanical and discourages the
reader’s imaginatively participation (1966: 34).
The second method is dramatic method. In this method, the author
allows his characters to reveal themselves to us through his own words and
18
actions. The advantage of this method is that it should be obvious. This
method is more lifelike and invites the reader’s active participation in the
story. The disadvantage of this method is less economical than discursive
method, since to show takes longer than to tell. Also it increases the
possibility of his misjudging the character (1966: 35).
The third method is the contextual method. By contextual method,
we mean the device of suggesting character by the verbal context that
surrounds the character. The last method is mixing method. The reader
will rarely find a work of fiction in which only one of the methods
outlined above is employed. Indeed, the contextual method can be used
effectively only in combination with other methods (Kenney, 1966: 36).
Thus, in evaluating an author’s method of characterization, the reader must
keep in mind the appropriateness of the author’s method to the overall
design of the story.
2.3 Personality
In psychology, the field of personality is concerned with the total
individual and individual differences. Womman (1981: 17) says that
personality is concerning with explaining individual which has different
behavior. Then Buksit and Gerbing (1990: 469) state that personality is a
particular pattern of behavior and thinking prevailing across time and
situation that differentiates one individual from other.
Personality is a part of psychology in which personality theories
attempt to understand the complex relation among the different aspects of
19
an individual function including such aspect of learning, perception, and
motivation (Pervin, 1984: 3). Further, Pervin says that personality
represent those characteristic of person or people generally that account
for consistent patterns of behavior (1984: 4).
Psychologist views personality as the study of individual
differences, in other words, how people differ from each other. Personality
can be defined as a dynamic and organized set of characteristics possessed
by a person that uniquely influences his cognitions, motivations, and
behaviors in various situations.
G.W. Allport (in Lundin, 1969: 423) has made perhaps the most
exhaustive survey of definitions of personality, some fifty numbers,
beginning from the etymology of the word “persona” which originally
denoted theatrical mask worn in the Greek drama and later used by the
Romans. Extending the concept of “persona” was at the outer edge of the
self, a mask worn by the person in response to the demands of social
convention. It was the role given him by his culture, the part he was
expected to play in life; in other words, his public personality. This
concept accounted for only a small segment of the entire personality, the
great majority being relegated to more “inner” self.
If we look into the history of philosophy for a moment, we observe
that personality has been often associated with what we call thinking or
reasoning. According to Leibnitz (in Lundin, 1962: 425) personality
referred to a substance gifted that emphasized the idea of a thinking,
20
intelligent being that has reason and reflection and can consider self as
itself.
Moreover, Mann (in Hurlock, 1974: 322) pointes out that
personality is the most characteristic integration of an individual. It is a
characteristic of individual sense because it’s unique, thus differentiating
the individual from all others, and it is fairly consistent that representing
the customary of a particular individual’s structures and activities. From
the explanation above about personality, the writer assumes that
personality can be seen through people’s behavior, attitudes, the way of
thinking, etc that can built character.
2.4 Carl Rogers Theory of Personality
Some psychologists define personality strictly as the ways in which
individuals interact with other individuals or as the roles that individual
describe to themselves and use to function in society (Pervin, 1984: 168).
Therefore, the theory of personality has many definitions and they depend
on the individuals and everyone has different personality.
It is clear that various definitions of personality used in this
analysis lead to a concentration on different kinds of behavior. They may
describe what goes in inside individuals, or how individuals interact with
each other, and they may define what is unique to particular individuals or
what is characteristic of most individual.
Everyone has personality that can appear in daily life, it is like
character behavior and attitude. Good or bad personality depends on the
21
person and the environment where they live. Vogel states (1986: 78),
“when psychologists use word personality, they mean the relatively among
characteristic behavior pattern, attitudes, motives, tendencies, and
emotional responses with which individual react to others and to
environment” (Morris, 1976: 158).
Thus, we can see and learn people’s personality in many ways. For
example, their behavior, attitude, motives, emotional, environment, the
way of thinking, or even how to walk, how to talk, and how to interact
with others. So here, the writer analyzes personality through setting as we
can analyze from the aspect above.
2.4.1 The Structure of personality
Although Carl Rogers did not appear to emphasize structural
construct, preferring to devote his attention to change and development of
personality, there are two such constructs that are of fundamental
importance to his theory and may even be regarded as the footing upon
which the whole theories rest. These are organism and the self.
The organism, psychologically conceived, is the locus of all
experience. Experience includes everything potentially available to
awareness that is going on within the organism at any given moment
(Calvin S. Hall, 1957: 459). This totality of experience constitute as the
phenomenal field. The phenomenal field is the individual frame of
reference that can only be known to the person (Calvin S. Hall, 1957:
461). How the individuals behave depends upon the phenomenal field
22
(subjective reality) and not upon the stimulating conditions (external
reality).
The phenomenal field, it should be noted, is not identical with the
field of consciousness. Thus, the phenomenal field at any given moment is
made up of conscious (symbolized) and unconscious (unsymbolized)
experiences. Experience may not be correctly symbolized, in which case
the person will behave inappropriately. However, a person tends to check
his symbolized experiences against the world as it is.
The self is one of the central constructs in Roger’s theory. There is
an ideal self, which is what the person would like to be. Organism and self
become clear of congruence and incongruence between the self as perceive
and the actual experience of the organism. When the symbolized
experiences that constitute the self faithfully mirror the experiences of the
organism, the person is said to be adjusted, mature, and fully functioning.
Such as a person accepts the entire range of organismic experience
without being threat or anxiety, he is able to think realistically.
Incongruence between self and organism makes individual feel threatened
or anxious, they behave defensively, and their thinking becomes
constricted and rigid. Implicit in Roger’s theory there are two theory
manifestations of congruence and incongruence. One is the congruence or
lack of it between subjective reality (the phenomenal field) and external
reality (the world as it is). The other is the degree of correspondence
between the self and the ideal self. The ideal self is the subsystem of the
23
self defined as one’s view of self as one wishes to be. It contains all those
attributes, usually positive, that people aspire to posses. If the discrepancy
between self and the ideal self is large, the person will be dissatisfied and
maladjusted.
2.4.2 Dynamics Personality
According to Carl Rogers in Personality ( Calvin S. Hall, 1957:
464) that the organism has one basic tendency and striving to actualize,
maintain, and enhance the experiencing organism. This actualizing
tendency is selective, paying attention only those aspects of the
environment those promise to move the person constructively in the
direction of fulfillment and wholeness. The organism actualizes itself
along the lines laid down by heredity. It becomes more differentiated,
more expanded, more autonomous, and more socialized as it matures. This
basic tendency of growth to actualize and expand one self – is seen to best
advantage when an individual is observed over a long period of time.
There is a forward movement in the life of every person.
A person cannot actualize himself unless he is able to discriminate
between progressive and regressive ways of behaving. Rogers explains in
Personality (Calvin S. Hall, 1957: 465) that behavior is basically the goaldirected attempt of the organism to satisfy its need as experienced, in the
field as perceived. Although there are many needs, person is subservient to
the basic tendency of the organism to maintain and enhance itself. Rogers
admit that needs may evoke appropriate behavior even though the needs
24
are not consciously experienced. Rogers plays down the role of
consciousness or self consciousness in the functioning of the healthy of
individual.
2.4.3 The Development of Personality
Organism and self, although they possess the inherent tendency to
actualize themselves, are subject to strong influences from the
environment and especially from the social environment. Rogers’s theory
focuses upon the ways in which evaluations of an individual by others,
particularly during childhood, tend to favor distancing between
experiences of the organism and experiences of the self. If these
evaluations were exclusively positive in sign, then no distancing or
incongruity between organism and self would occur.
Unworthy, experiences tend to become excluded from the self
concept even though they are organismically valid. This result in a self
concept is out of line with organism experience. Consequently, an
organism experience that is at variance with the distorted self concept is
felt as a threat and evokes anxiety. In order to protect the integrity of the
self concept, these threatening experiences are denied symbolization or are
given a distorted symbolization.
According to Calvin S. Hall (1957: 466) denying an experience is
not the same thing as ignoring it. Denial means falsifying reality either by
saying it does not exist or by perceiving it in a distorted way. People may
deny their aggressive feelings because they are inconsistent with the
25
picture they have of themselves as as peaceful and friendly. In such a case,
the denied feelings may be allowed to express themselves by means of a
distorted symbolization, for example, by projecting them onto other
people.
The person who feels that he is worthless will exclude from
awareness evidence that contradicts this picture or will reinterpret the
evidence to make it congruent with their sense of worthlessness. The
threatening object or situation may produce visceral reactions such as a
pounding heart, which are consciously experienced as sensations of
anxiety, without the person being able to identify the cause of the
disturbance. Feelings of anxiety evoke the mechanism of denial which
prevents the threatening experience from becoming conscious. Not only
does the breach between self and organism result in defensiveness and
distortion, but it also affects a person’s relations with other people. People
who are defensive are inclined to feel hostile toward other people whose
behavior, in their eyes, represent their own denied feelings. The goal of
defense thus is maintenance of the (artificial and inaccurate) self concept
(Calvin S. Hall, 1957: 468).
In contrast to individuals who experience unconditional positive
regard maintain or reinstate self experience congruence. Because of the
absence of conflict or incongruence, such individual have no need to rely
on defenses. Rogers in Personality (Calvin S. Hall, 1957: 469)
characterizes such healthy people as fully functioning. Rogers identified
26
several characteristics of the fully functioning person itself. Fully
functioning person is open to their experiences. Rather than falling into
familiar patterns, they look to see what life will throe their way. Related to
this, fully functioning person always try to live each moment as it comes.
The idea is to experience life, not just pass through.
Fully functioning people learn to trust their own feelings. If
something feels right, they will probably do it. They are not insensitive to
the needs of others, but they are not overly concerned with meeting the
standard of behavior society sets for them. Fully functioning people are
less prone than others to conform to the roles dictated by societal
expectations. Instead, they are more likely to follow their own interests,
values, and needs when making important life decisions. Fully functioning
people experience their feeling more deeply and more intensely than
others. This applies to both positive and negative emotions. Thus, fully
functioning people accept and express their anger.
The fully functioning person exhibits a process or a way of living
rather than a goal or end state individuals who are living in this process
appear to have three characteristics. First of all, because there is no need to
defend against any experience, the person develops an increasing openness
to experience. That is there is no defensiveness and the person is able to
acknowledge and express all his feelings. Second, such people exhibit
increasingly existential living. It means that there is no rigidity and no
preconceptions about what he should do or be. Third, fully functioning
27
people is increasing trust in the organism. Such people make and rely on
their own decisions.
There are five developments of personality through the adult years.
The first is the early adult transition (17-22 years); people feel half way
out the family and sense great need to get all the way out. They have a
tenuous sense of their own autonomy and feel that real life is just around
the corner. The second is entering the adult world (22-28 years); people
now feel like an adult. They are established in a chosen lifestyle,
independents of their parents and pursuing immediate goals without
questioning themselves about whether about they are following. The Third
is the age 30 transition (28-34 years); people ask themselves “what is this
life all about now that I am doing what I am supposed to?” and is what I
am the only way for me to be?” they often reassess both work and family
patterns. At this time for example, career woman think about having a
baby, home makers begun to work outside the home.
The fourth is setting down (33-34 years); people make deeper
commitments to work, family, and other important aspect of their lives,
setting specific goals with set timetables. Toward the end of this period is
the stage becoming one’s own man. When men break away from the
authorities in their lives and work at attaining senior status in their own
right. The last is midlife transition (40-45 years); people question virtually
every aspect of their lives and values with on increasing awareness that
time is limited. They may loose their mooring for a time as the bridge the
28
transition to the second half of life. They come to terms with not be able to
do all that they had planned before they grow old and die. The transition
maybe smoothly managed or it may assume crisis proportions depending
on their personalities and specific situations they find themselves in.
2.4.4 Anxiety and Defense
Whereas vulnerability exists when one has no awareness of the
incongruence within oneself, anxiety and threat experienced as one gain
awareness of such incongruence. When people become dimly aware or
subscribe that the discrepancy between their organismic experience and
their own concept may become conscious, they feel anxious. Rogers
defines anxiety as a state of an easiness or tension whose cause is
unknown. As people become more aware of the incongruence between
their organismic experience and their perception of self, their anxiety
begins to involve into threat, that is, awareness that their selves is no
longer whole or congruent. (Gregory J. Feist, 2002: 471).
According to Rogers, anxiety results from coming into contact with
information that is inconsistent with the way we think of ourselves. For
example, you may think that you as the kind of person everybody likes but
one day you overhear someone say what a jerk he thinks you are. If you
were a fully functioning, you would accept the information. Here is
someone who does not like you. You might what you think about this new
information for a while and then incorporate it into your own concept. You
might recognize now that, although you are a fine person, not everyone is
29
going to find you pleasant and wonderful. Unfortunately, most of us are
not capable of such a well – adjusted reaction. More commonly, the
information leads to anxiety. (Jerry M. Burger, 2000: 314).
If the information is very threatening to a central part of your own
concept, the anxiety is difficult to manage. Rogers proposes that people
receive information inconsistent with their selves – concepts at a level
somewhere below consciousness. Rogers calls this process subsection
rather than perception. If the information is not threatening, it might enter
conscious awareness. However, if the information contradicts the self –
concept, it creates anxiety. To deal with the anxiety, people use defense
processes to keep from the information from entering consciousness.
In order to prevent inconsistency between the organismic
experience and the perceived self, people react in the defensive manner.
Defensiveness is the protection of the self – concept against anxiety and
threat by denial of distortion of experiences inconsistent with it (Rogers,
1959: 352). The most common defense process is distortion. With
distortion, people misinterpret an experience in order to fit it into some
aspects of their own concept. They perceive the experience of awareness
but they fail to understand its true meaning. With denial, people refuse to
perceive an experience in awareness, or at least they keep some aspects of
it from reaching symbolization.
An interesting twist on this part of Roger’s theory is that anxiety
can also result from positive information, if that information is
30
inconsistent with our own concepts. For example, people who consider
themselves socially undesirable may use defenses when they hear that
someone is attracted to them. They might tell themselves the admirer is
just being polite or maybe it is scheming to get something from them.
Distortion and denial succeed in the short run in that they
effectively reduce anxiety, but each takes us further and further away from
experiencing life fully. In severe cases, people replace reality with fantasy.
For example, a student with poor grades might convince herself that she is
a genius whose thoughts are simply too sophisticated for her instructors to
understand. When the incongruence between the self – concept and reality
is so large that the defenses processes cannot operate adequately, the
person’s experiences what Rogers calls a state of disorganization. When
this happens, protection against in consistent information collapses. The
result is extreme anxiety.
2.5 Psychological approach
Psychological analysis of literary work analyzes the
characterization psychologically and also idea and feeling aspects of the
author when they are creating literary work. In other words, psychological
analysis is to measure how far the author can depict the characterization so
that literary work becomes progressively live. Emotional touches through
the dialogue or election of word, in fact represents the muddle picture and
clearness of creator mind. Sincerity of mind is to cause literary work
originality (Wellek and Warren, 1990: 60).
31
Psychological analysis of literary work is a study which looking
into the literary work as psychological activity. The author will use
creature and feel in make literary work. Also the reader in answering the
literary work also will not get out of each psychological. Even as
sociology or reflexes psychology of literary work even also recognize the
literary work as psychological bound. The author will catch psychological
symptom processed into its text. Self and life experience projection around
the author, projection will imaginary into the text of literary work.
Basically, psychological approach will be sustained by three
approaches at the same time. First, textual approach which study
psychological aspect of character in literary work. Second, receptovepragmatic approach studying the psychological aspect of the reader as the
user of literary work that formed by the influence of literary work and also
process of the reader reception in enjoying the literary work itself. Third is
expressive approach, it is studying psychological aspect of the author
when conducting the creative process which is expressed by literary work,
whether the author is as individual or its society.
Here, the writer chooses the first psychological approach that is
textual approach, because the writer is studying the psychological aspect
of character especially main character in Mary Higgins Clark’s Where Are
The Children through the setting that we can analyze and explore more in
literary work itself.
32
According to Wellek and Warren (1990: 84) and Hajana (1985:
60), psychological approach has four possibilities of research. First, the
psychological study of the author as type or as individual. The researcher
tries to catch psychological condition of the author when creating the
literary work. Second, the study of the creative process in its correlation
with the psychology, this study also correlates with the psychological
creative process. Its focus is how psychological steps when expressing the
literary work. Third, the study of psychological types and laws present
within work of literature. In accordance with this study, it can be aimed at
psychological theories, for example psychoanalysis into an art text. The
assumption of this study is that the author often uses certain psychological
theory in creation. The study which is really uses the art text as the focus
of the study. Fourth, the effect of literature upon its reader (audience
psychology), this study more tends to the pragmatic aspects of
psychological text to its reader.
2.5 Previous Studies
Many students especially the students of English Letters and Language
Department have made their research on literary work. The writer has found
some previous studies. Those previous studies have the similar topic with the
writer’s study.
The first thesis belongs to Ainul Hayatin, a student of Gajayana
University of Malang (1999) entitled The Influence of Setting on The
Development of Pip Philips’s Characters in Great Expectation. This research
33
is focused on Pip Philip’s character and the setting which influence Pip Philip
character. This study uses extrinsic method and uses psychological approach,
and the researcher uses Sigmund Freud’s theory. The results of this research
are Pip Philip’s character is fight and honest since his parent’s death, he
always laments over his destiny in the churchyard. The researcher also finds
three settings that influence Pip Philip’s character. The first setting is at Mr.
Joe Gragery’s house where Pip gets influence from Gragery who works at the
forge as a blacksmith. The second setting is at Mrs. Havisham’s house where
Pip is influenced by Stella, a pretty girl and proud girl and likes to insult
others and finally Philip falls in love with her and he wants to have the same
education as Stella. The last setting is in London where Pip gets his education
and he becomes proud, arrogant, independent, and modern person. This study
makes the writer understand and know that setting in two different places that
are in Joe Gragery’s house and Mrs. Havisham’s house can influence the
character of Pip Philip.
The second thesis belongs to Sri Mulyani, a student of Gajayana
University of Malang (2000) entitled A Study on The Influence of Setting on
Character Development in Dickinsons’ Oliver Twist. The problems discussed
in this study are what kinds of setting that appear in development in Charles
Dickinson’s Oliver twist and the influence of setting that appear on the
development of Charles Dickinson’s Oliver Twist. The researcher tells about
social condition, the cultural changes, and the environment character changes
and exposes a pitiful plight of the unprotected children in Charles Dickinsons’
34
Oliver Twist. The researcher uses two approaches in her study by combine
psychological approach and sociological approach in John Locke’s theory
about Tabularasa theory. The result shows that the two setting can be found in
Dickinsons’ Oliver Twist. Those are setting of place and setting of time, and
they have close relationship which is important to build up a story in Charles
Dickinsons’ Oliver Twist.
The researcher finds setting of place in London that tells that Oliver
dislikes workhouse system and escape from Mr. Sowerberry and he finally
meets Mr. Brownlow and he was adopted by Mr. Brownlow as his son.
Otherwise the setting of time that researcher found is in the Victorian era
which in the beginning of French revolution. There was a war between French
and English which causes bad effect for an Englishmen, especially Oliver. The
researcher also finds the influence of those setting on Oliver’s character
development. The researcher finds the bravery Oliver as result of the
environment where he lives. To prove this statement, the researcher describes
a workhouse as a place where the poor children stays and the system of the
workhouse itself is bad for the children development. The bravery of Oliver is
caused by the environment where Oliver Twist lives. The boy grows up
widely, because hunger makes the cruel-hearted. This study makes the writer
understand too that setting in different places can influence character
development of Oliver Twist.
The difference between this study and those previous studies is the
events that faced on the major character. The writer uses Carl Roger’s theory
35
that is focused on the self (the ideal self) and the organism (the phenomenal
field). In this study, Nancy cannot reach the ideal self and she cannot actualize
her self concept because there is incongruence between her past experience
and the present experience. The second is we can see from the problems that
faced by the major character. In short, the events living in the different setting
that faced on the major character makes Nancy becomes not to be fully
functioning person and also her personality is change. Finally, she gets
anxious and threatened and to protect them she makes some defensiveness by
doing denial and distortion.
36
CHAPTER III
ANALYSIS
This chapter presents the data analysis to answer the research problems.
The writer will discuss in detailed about kinds of Nancy’s personality before and
after she losing her children and how the events in different setting influencing
Nancy’s personality. All the data absolutely are causally related to the novel of
Mary Higgins Clark’s Where Are The Children.
3.1 Nancy’s Personality Before Losing Her Children
In this part, the analysis of Nancy’s personality before she losing her
children as the main character of Mary Higgins Clark Where Are The
Children. Nancy is described as a young girl who was born in California and
raised in Ohio with her mother only. Her father died when she was a baby. She
was married to Carl who used to be her lecturer in the university when she was
18 years of age. As we know that 18 years age is too young to get married.
There are four personalities of Nancy before she losing her children that the
writer will explain as follows
3.1.1 Merciful or charitable
As a matter of fact, Nancy is a lover person especially to her
husband’s children. She loves them very much more than her husband. In
this case her husband feels jealous with the children until he kills them and
accuses Nancy for murderer trial on them. When Nancy is in prison, she
misses her children so much. Until one day she marries again with Ray and
37
37
she has two children too, she always remembers her children who died. This
idea is supported by the following quotation:
But last year she’d finally begun to talk about them…the two
children. She’d said “They’d be so big now…ten and eleven. I try
to think how they look now, but can’t seem to even
imagine…everything about that time is so blurred. Like a
nightmare that I only dreamed”....
and:
It was as though her life with Carl were a blur…the entire time. It
was hard to remember the faculty house on the campus; Carl’s
modulated voice…Peter and Lisa. What had they looked like?
Dark hair both of them, like Carl’s and too quite…too
subdued…affected by her uncertainty…and then lost-both of them
(Page 8 - 10).
From the evidences above, it can be seen that Nancy is a lover
person, although her children with Carl died seven years ago and she has got
many troubles, she always remembers and misses them so much. Otherwise
she marries again with Ray and she has two children too namely Missy and
Michael. Nancy loves Missy and Michael too although they are not children
with the first husband. As it is stated as a follows:
She scooped Missy up in her arms, feeling the warmth and sweet
stickiness of her. “I’ve been thinking about your present,” Missy
said. Her long strawberry-blond hair curled around her ears and
forehead.....
and:
Nancy pulled Missy’s mittens over hands. They were bright red;
fuzzy angora stitching formed a smile face on their backs. “Leave
these on,” she told her; “otherwise your hands will get cold. It’s
really getting raw. I’m not even sure you should go out at all.”
(Page 11 - 12).
38
From the evidences above, shows that Nancy recognizes Missy and
Michael, the children from her first marriage. Nancy never compares Missy
and Michael with Peter and Lisa whose children from her marriage with Carl
seven years ago. When Missy and Michael were kidnapped by a stranger,
Nancy is so depressed, hysteric, and she tries to find them. The following
quotations explain this idea:
The children. She must save the children. No, get the children.
That was it. They’d catch cold.....
and:
“I made that yesterday,” Nancy said tonelessly,” For the children’s
launch. The children must be hungry now.” (Page 42 - 97).
It is clearly that Nancy cares a lot to her children namely Missy and
Michael. It can be seen that Nancy cannot fall apart from her children when
they were kidnapped by a stranger.
“Put down her, Carl. Don’t touch her.” Her voice was a croak now,
but he looked at her wildly and turned. Holding Missy against him,
he ran way his gait awkward. In the dark of the next room, she
heard him bumping into furniture, and she staggered after him,
trying to shake the dizziness….
and:
Nancy sat on the couch, tightly holding a peacefully sleeping
Missy. Missy, smelling of Vicks and soothed with warm milk and
aspirin, the ragged blanket she called her “bee” held securely to her
face as she nestled against her mother (Page 279 - 284).
The evidences above, Nancy will do everything to save Missy and
Michael from a stranger, no matter a person who kidnapped Missy ad
Michael is her first husband that is Carl. She is afraid her children will be
39
died and she will lose their children again. She is afraid the incident seven
years ago will repeat again in her life.
Beside she loves her children; she also loves her mother, Priscilla
who died when she was in college and before she gets married with Carl.
“Yes…I really did…except…I was worried about mother…”
“Why did you worry about her?” asked Lendon
“I was afraid she’d be lonely – because of daddy…and we’d sold
the house; she was moving into an apartment. So much had
changed for her. And she’d started a new job. But she liked
working…she said she wanted me to go…” Nancy answered......
and:
It was contorted with pain. “Mother!” she cried, “oh Mother
please…don’t be dead…live! Oh, Mother, please…please live…I
need you…Mother, don’t be dead…Mother…” (Page 159 - 162)
The dialogue above takes a place between Nancy and Lendon Miles
who is friend of Priscilla; it shows that Nancy cares about her mother too.
She will do everything to her in order she can stay together with her.
Unfortunately, she gets married to Carl so Nancy and her mother fell apart.
Nancy loves them very much.
3.1.2 Smart
The second personality of Nancy before she getting married to Carl
Harmond who used to be her lecturer is smart. Nancy is one of the smart
girls in her town. The following quotations explain this idea:
“Did you enjoy the school, Nancy?” Lendon asked.
“How about your school work? Did you like your subjects?”
“Oh yes, they all came pretty easily. That’s why...”
“That’s why what, Nancy?” Lendon asked. (Page 161)
40
The dialogue above takes place between Nancy and Lendon Miles
who is Nancy’s ex - lawyer when Nancy is unconsciousness. The doctor
gives her some injection that is something like hypnotize injection to make
her unconsciousness and then she can tell the truth. We can see that Nancy is
smart girl. She likes the entire subject in her college. That is one of the
reasons why Carl Harmond like her and want to marry her. The other
quotations to support the idea above will be explained as a follows:
“She is too young and too smart to get married. I am afraid she
cannot deal with this life. Our life is hard enough. I want her to
continuing her study first then married, use her mind to everything.
But, that wasn’t my decision. I let her to marry”.....
and:
...It impossible if a young, beauty and intelegent girl do something
like she does. She was the best student in this university. I don’t
believe it..... (Page 150 - 152)
The evidence above, Nancy’s mother namely Priscilla and one of the
professors in the university recognize that Nancy is a smart girl in her town
and her college.
3.1.3 Interesting and Attractive
Nancy is an interesting girl. Everyone in college likes her so much.
She has many friends. This statement will be proven as a follows:
“Did you enjoy the school, Nancy?” Lendon asked.
“Did you have many friends?”
“At first, I like the girls, and I dated a lot with boys”. (page 161)
The dialogue above takes a place between Nancy and Lendon
Miles who used to be a doctor. From the dialogue above, we can see that
Nancy is interesting girl for anyone in her college.
41
However, attractive is the same as energic or having a power to
attract (oxford dictionary). It is one of personalities that Nancy has since she
was a child. Priscilla sent Nancy to San Francisco to study because she
worried if Nancy taken Dave’s death who used to be Nancy’s father so hard.
Priscilla wants her to be happy, young, and to get away from the whole
climate in her life. This personality is makes Nancy get in trouble too. She
has an affair with a handsome boy, he is Nancy’s friend and one of Carl’s
student in college namely Rob Legler. This idea is supported by the
following quotation:
“Did you follow Professor Harmond’s instructions?”
“I would have sir, but I couldn’t help the fact that his wife followed
me around like a little dog.”
“Objection! Objection!” but the defense at torney had been too late.
The point had been made. And further evidence from the student
had been totally damaging. He was asked if he had had any
physical contact with Mrs. Harmon.
His answer was direct, “Yes, sir.”
“How did it happen?” (Page 89)
The dialogue above takes a place between Rob Legler and Nancy’s
lawyer when they are in the court that Nancy has an affair with Rob Legler
who used to be her friend and her husband’s student in college. Everyone in
college does not deny that Nancy likes Rob Legler since she entered the
college. The other quotations to support the idea above will be explained as
a follows:
….”We have here a very attractive young woman who since the
age of eighteen has been marriage to an older man…..” Chief
explain.....
and:
42
And Nancy’s sworn testimony when asked about that incident:”
Yes, he did kiss me. Yes, I believe that I knew he was going to and
I let him”. (Page 89 - 180)
The quotations above show that Nancy is an interesting and
attractive girl. She accuses for murdering trial on her own children namely
Peter and Lisa because her children saw her affair with Rob Legler in her
house at that time. In order to breaking of her affair, she has to kill her own
children.
3.1.4 Persistence
Although she realizes that it is difficult to face her life especially
when her husband accused her of killing her own children that sent her to
the prison for seven years, Nancy never surrenders. With Ray, her second
husband and her children, Missy and Michael, she has desirability that she
wants to continue her life. As it is stated in the following quotation:
Ray was right, Nancy thought as she walked slowly back to the
table. There was a time to stop following the patterns of yesterday
– a time to stop remembering and look only to the future. She knew
that a part of her still frozen. She knew that the mind dropped a
protective curtain over painful memories – but it was more that
that. Seven years, Nancy thought. Life was a series of seven year
cycles. Carl used to say that your whole body changed in that time.
Every cell renewed itself. It was time for her to really look
ahead…to forget. (Page 10)
From the quotation above shows that Nancy is remember what did
Ray has been told her and she tries to accept everything that faces her life.
She knows that her memory is full of pain and it is so hard but now she
realizes that she has to continue her life with her new family. The other
quotations to support the idea above will be explained as a follows:
43
She began to go upstairs slowly. How could there ever be peace for
her, knowing that if Rob Legger ever showed up they’d try her
again for murder; take her away from Ray and Missy and Michael?
For an instant, she dropped her face into her hands. Don’t think
about it, she told her self. It’s no use.......
and:
Nancy sighed, realizing that she was still standing by the bottom
step of the staircase. It was not easy to get lost in remembering.
That was why she tried so hard to live each day…not look back or
into the future. (Page 16)
The quotation above shows that Nancy is begun not to start think
about the past. She tries so hard to forget and erase her fear and her
worried about the incidents that face her life. The other quotations to
support the idea above will be explained as a follows:
Peace…gives me peace. That had been her praying during the trial;
in prison. Let me learn to accept. Seven years ago.....
and:
She didn’t want to remember. There was only pain in going back.
Once when she was very little, Nancy had reached up and pulled
the handle of a pot on the stove. (Page 16 - 205)
The evidences above show that she hopes and tries so hard to
continuing her life. When she had two children with Ray, her second
husband, she realizes that life must go on and it is useless if she looks back
in the past. Her future is only with Ray, Michael and Missy.
3.2 Nancy’s Personality after losing her children
In this part, the analyses of Nancy’s personality after loosing her
children as the main character of Mary Higgins Clark Where Are The
Children. After losing her children, Nancy is described as a sensitive person
44
because she is afraid to loose her children again. Besides, she becomes
overprotective to her children from her second husband namely Ray. She
also becomes introvert and closed person. She does not want to deal with
people. Although she becomes sensitive and overprotective person, she
never gives up continuing her life with her present husband namely Ray and
her children namely Michael and Missy. There are three personalities of
Nancy after losing her children that the writer will explain as follows:
3.2.1 Sensitive
Experiences tend to become excluded from the self concept even
though they are organismically valid. This result in a self concept is out of
line with organismic experience. Consequently, an organismic experience
that is at variance with the distorted self concept is felt as a threat and
evokes anxiety. In order to protect the integrity of the self concept, these
threatening experiences are denied symbolization or are given a distorted
symbolization.
According to Calvin S. Hall (1957: 466) denying an experience is
not the same thing as ignoring it. Denial means falsifying reality either by
saying it does not exist or by perceiving it in a distorted way. People may
deny their aggressive feelings because they are inconsistent with the
picture they have of themselves as peaceful and friendly. In such a case,
the denied feelings may be allowed to express themselves by means of a
distorted symbolization, for example, by projecting them onto other
people.
45
In this part, because of losing her children, Peter and Lisa, Nancy
has ever been in prison for seven years, now she becomes a sensitive person.
She is often careful and worried about something especially her children
until she hates everything around her that causes her remember about her life
in the past. This idea is written in the following quotation:
She hated the bleakness of it on a November day like this; the stark
grayness of the water; the stolid people who didn’t say much but
studied you with their eyes. She had hated it the one summer she’d
been here – waves of tourists sprawling on the beaches; climbing
up the steep embankment to this house; gawking in the downstairs
windows, cupping their hands over their eyes to peer inside.....
and:
She hated the large FOR SALE sign that Ray Eldredge had posted
on the front and back of the big house and the fact that now, Ray
and that woman who worked for him had begun bringing people in
to see the house. Last month it was had been only a matter of luck
that she’d come along as they’d started through; only luck that
she’d gotten to the top floor before they had and been able to put
away the telescope. (Page 1 - 2)
The reason why she hates November is because November is her
birthday and at that time she found her children, Peter and Lisa died by
being drowned in the lake with plastic bag on their face and body swollen.
She regrets that incident. As it is described follows:
Ten minutes at the most, Nancy promised herself, to quite the
nagging feeling of worry that was insistently telling her to go out to
the children now......
and:
She didn’t want the children to have a grandmother substitute. She
didn’t anyone to replace mother. I have been selfish, Nancy
thought. I have not seen her need. (Page 17 - 246)
46
The evidences above shows that the sensitive of Nancy make her
hate to everything. She often feels worry to everything especially to her
children. She promises inside her mind, she will not lose their children
again, Missy and Michael for twice.
3.2.2 Introvert and closed
Introvert means she denies everything around her especially
society. In other words she hides and covers herself from the society. Rogers
pointed out that people will often stoutly maintain and enhance a self-picture
that is completely as variance with reality. The person who feels that he or
she is worthless will exclude from awareness evidence that contradicts this
picture or will reinterpret the evidence to make it congruent with their sense
of worthlessness.
. The threatening object or situation may produce visceral reactions
such as a pounding heart, which are consciously experienced as sensations
of anxiety, without the person being able to identify the cause of the
disturbance. Feelings of anxiety evoke the mechanism of denial which
prevents the threatening experience from becoming conscious. Not only
does the breach between self and organism result in defensiveness and
distortion, but it also affects a person’s relations with other people. People
who are defensive are inclined to feel hostile toward other people whose
behavior, in their eyes, represent their own denied feelings.
Here, Nancy become introvert or closed because the horrible
events that faces on her in the past. Like the writer explain before that Nancy
47
always blame her self because many events or incidents and she accuses of
murderer trial of her children makes her become introvert, closed, and
worthless. She becomes an introvert person when she was out from the
prison for 7 years because Carl who is her husband accuses her of murdering
trial on their children, Peter and Lisa. Nancy does not want people know
about her story in the past, even her birthday. As it is stated in the following
quotations:
Michael interrupted her, “How old are you, mommy?” he asked but
Nancy just smiled – a real smile that miraculously eased the
tension. “None of your business!”. (Page 9)
The dialogue above takes a place between Nancy and her son,
Michael. He asked the real age of his mother when at that time Nancy’s
family wants to celebrate it, but Nancy only give him a smile and she is
angry with Michael. The other quotations to support the idea above will be
explained as a follows:
She’d come to Cape Cod because she’d always heard that new
Englanders and Cape people were reticent and reserved and wanted
nothing to do with strangers, and that was good. She needed a
place to hide, to find her self, to sort it at all out, to try to think
through what had happened, to try to come back to life. (Page 13)
The statement above shows that Nancy looking for a new place and
she choose Cape Cod to hides from everything including the memory of her
past and people. She does not want to deal with other people. She wants to
be alone so she can think and prepare to her new life. The other quotations to
support the idea above will be explained as a follows:
“That’s a nice way of putting it. I’ve heard cracks about my wife
thinking she’d too good for the folks around here. At the club I’m
48
getting more and more ribbing about why I only have a golf
membership and why I don’t bring that beautiful wife of mine
around. Last week Michael’s school called and asked if Nancy
consider working on same committee. Needless to say, she turned
them down. Last month I finally got her to go to the realtors’
dinner, and when they took the group picture, she was in the ladies’
room.” Said Ray.........
and:
... Nancy never left the house before eleven, and even then she
always went to Lowery’s market, down the road a half mile. (Page
27 - 35).
From the evidences above, the writer thinks that Nancy is afraid of
being recognized with the people and society. She is afraid people will know
her story in the past and think that Nancy is a bad person who killed their
children, although it is not true. The following quotations explain this idea:
“The thinking is that you can’t pretend that Nancy doesn’t have
birthdays! Of course it’s more than just that. It’s that Nancy has got
to break with the past, to stop hiding.” Dorothy told Ray.......
and:
“It’s that simple. And if there ever is another trial, I want Nancy to
be entrenched with the people here. I want them to feel she’s one
of them and that they’re rooting for her.” Ray told to Dorothy.
(Page 26 - 28)
The quotation above describes that Nancy’s husband and Dorothy
who is Ray’s secretary and friend of Nancy are trying hard to change Nancy.
They want Nancy to realize and get up and build her life again with the
society. He will not let Nancy just stay at home, alone, and loneliness.
3.2.3 Overprotective
Overprotection is a kind of feeling excessive protect to someone or
something because they have ever lost it (oxford dictionary). According to
49
Carl Rogers in Gardner Lindzey’s book Theories of Personality if the
evaluations of self concept were exclusively positive in sign, (what Rogers
called unconditional positive regard), than no distancing or incongruity
between organism and self would occur (1957: 467).
In this case, after Nancy lost both of her children seven years ago,
she becomes overprotective to her children now, Missy and Michael.
Nancy’s overprotective can be seen in the following:
“”All right, all right, don’t go into the act,” Nancy said hastily.
“But not more than half an hour.”.........
and:
““Michael. Missy. Come here. Come in now!” her wail heightened
to a shriek. Where were they? She hurried out to the backyard,
unmindful of the cold that bit through her light sweater.” Nancy
screams. (Page 12 - 42)
The dialogues above show that Nancy is so overprotective on her
children. She does not give permission to Michael and Missy when they
want to go to play. She only gives half an hour to play without knowing
that Michael and Missy want to play more than the time she gave. The
following quotations explain this idea will describe as follows:
She started to pull the sheets from the big double bed and hesitated.
Missy had been sniffling yesterday. Should she go down and warn
her not to unzip the neck of her jacket? It was one of her favorite
tricks. Missy always complained that all her clothes felt too tight at
the neck......
and:
At the food of the staircase she started to turn in the direction of the
back door, and then stopped. The children were fine. They’d been
out only fifteen minutes, and this frantic anxiety that was her
constant albatross had to be conquered. Even now she suspected
50
that Missy sensed it and was beginning to respond to her
overprotection. She’d turn to wash on, then call them. (Page 17 40)
From the evidences above states clearly the reason why she
becomes overprotective. It happens because she does not want to loose her
children anymore like in the past. The incident at the past when she lost
her children, Peter and Lisa always reminds her everyday and she will not
let the incident come again in her life now.
In Nancy’s personality after she losing her children shows that
Nancy cannot get the positive sign or the positive regard from her
experience. It makes her personality become incongruence between her
self and her ideal self.
3.3 The Events in Setting that influence Nancy’s Personality
In this part, the writer will explain first about the event in the different
place (setting) that the writer found in the novel. That event in the different
place (setting) makes personality of Nancy is changed will be explained as
follows:
3.3.1 The event in London
In the story, it is described when Nancy has to go to London to
study in college. She must fell apart with her mother whom she loves. She
tries so hard to survive without her mother. One day, her mother wants to
see her because her mother hears that professor Carl Harmon would like to
propose Nancy to be his wife and they plan to get married. He sounded
perfectly competent and very much in charge. Nancy wouldn’t be
51
returning in Ohio, the place she grows up. After her mother visits Nancy,
her mother get car accident and she died. Nancy blames herself of that
incident. She blames that her mother would not be died if she returned to
Ohio with her husband. As it is described as follows:
“…The girl blames herself for her mother’s accident because the
mother had made the trip to see her…” (Page 165)
Then after her mother died and she has two children, Peter and
Lisa, she is surprised about her children’s death by being drowned into the
lake with plastic bag on their face and body swollen. The incident
happened on November and that is Nancy’s birthday.
“…She and Peter and I…we’d go out and get candles and
chocolate for it. It’s a bad day…starting to rain…Lisa maybe
getting sick”
“I said we were going to shopping center that after that I was going
to stop at the doctor’s to let him see Lisa…I was worried. I said I’d
go to the Mart at eleven after the children’s television
program.”.......
and:
“I told the children to stay in car…they said they would…such
good little children…I left them in back seat of car…never saw
them again…” (Page 209 - 210)
The dialogue above shows that Nancy blames her self for her
children’s death and her mother’s death. After that, her husband had
committed to suicide. He drove his car to the same lake where the kids had
been found and left it by the shore. After that incident, Nancy has been in
prison for seven years. Here, Nancy always blames her self. She always
regrets what she has done although she does not meant to be.
52
3.3.2 The event in Cape Cod
After Nancy goes out from prison for seven years, she moves to
Cape Cod. She rents a house and she wants to stay there. Then, she meets
Raymon Eldredge who is the owner of real estate there. This information
is stated as follows:
She guessed that only fate could have prompted her to elect Ray’s
real estate office when she went looking for a house to rent. She’d
actually made an appointment with another realtor, but on impulse
she’d gone in to see him first because she liked his hand – lettered
sign and the window boxes that were filled with yellow champagne
mums.....
and:
She was able to move in right away, and if Ray wondered why she
had absolutely nothing except the two suitcases she’d taken off the
bus, he didn’t show it. She said that her mother had died and she
had sold their home in Ohio and decided to come east. She simply
omitted talking about the six years that had lapsed in between.
(Page 14 - 15)
The evidence above shows that Nancy is looking for the right place
to forget her past life, to continue her life, and to find something new life
there. After that, she decides to marry to Ray, who is the owner of real
estate then they stay together near the lake. They have two children,
namely Michael and Missy. Here, Nancy feels she finds a new life with
her new family, until one day the incident that makes her pushed her brain
to remind the incident seven years ago, where she found Peter and Lisa
died by being drowned. In the same month that is November and Nancy’s
birthday, she looses her children again, Michael and Missy.
“Ray, take my children’s back to me…Ray…Please…” Nancy said
hysterically.
53
“Yes dear, we will find them. But tell us why you go to the Lake?
Please dear, help us in find them” Ray’s curiosity (Page 20)
The dialogue above describes that she feels depressed and hysteric
because her children are missing. She is afraid that people especially her
husband will accuse her of this incident. She is afraid she will loose her
children again.
From two different places faced by Nancy, the writer wants to
explain how the events in different place (setting) faced by Nancy can
change her personality; that is through experiences that happen in Nancy’s
life. Experience includes everything potentially available to awareness that
is going on within the organism at any given moment (John Wiley and
Sons, 1957). This totality of experience constitutes the phenomenal field.
The phenomenal field is the individual frame of reference that can only be
known to the person (John Wiley and Sons, 1957). How the individuals
behave depends upon the phenomenal field (subjective reality) and not
upon the stimulating conditions (external reality). Here are the details of
experiences of Nancy that always reminds her everyday in her new life
and makes her anxious and threatened.
Outside, the storm was building, but now, while there was still
some weak sun, she’d take advantage of it. She loved the fresh
smell of sheets dried outside; love to pull them against her face as
she drifted off to sleep with the way they captured the faint scent of
cranberry bogs and pine and the salty smell of the sea – so different
from the coarse, rough, dank smell of the prison sheets. She pushed
the thought away. (Page 39)
The quotation above shows that Nancy always remembers when
she was in prison. The smell of prison, the rough of the officer in prison,
54
the coarse of her hair and her skin when she was in prison, and it is
deferent from her normal life out of prison. The other experience that
always reminds her everyday in her new life and makes her anxious and
threatened as described as follows:
No. No. No. Michael and Missy. They were here a little while ago.
They were playing. They were out on the swing and then the
mitten was there. Michael wouldn’t leave Missy. He was so careful
of her. It was like last time, and they’d find them the way they
found Peter and Lisa, with the wed seaweed and bits of plastic on
their faces and in their hair and their bodies swollen. (Page 58)
The quotation above describes that Nancy always haunted by the
incident in her past life when her children namely Peter and Lisa are being
drowned and bits of plastic on their face and in their hair and their bodies
swollen. She is afraid it will happen again to Michael and Missy right
now. The other experience that always reminds her everyday in her new
life and makes her anxious and threatened as described as follows:
“I want to die. She thought. I want to die.” Nancy said to Ray....
and:
“Yes. He…wanted to help me with bio. He had me come to his
office and he’d go over the work with me. He said I was dating too
much and that I must stop or I’d be sick. He was so concerned…he
even started giving me vitamins. He must have been
right…because I was so tired…so much…and started to feel
depressed…I missed my mother…”..........
and:
“No, he is good to me. I’m so tired…. Always tired…. Drink your
medicine…you need it….the children….Peter and Lisa…all right
for a while....Carl was good…..,please Carl, close the door, please
Carl I don’t like that…don’t touch me like that…leave me
alone…” Nancy screamed hysterically. (Page 57 - 208)
55
The quotation above shows that Nancy’s experience about her past
life when she just know her husband, Carl and the death of her mother
always haunted her. Until she feel depressed because she cannot forget and
solve her problem until she feel depressed, fear, anxious, and threatened.
It is clear that experience in the past always haunt Nancy, so that
she feels so hard to continue her each day of life. Such as a person accepts
the entire range of experience without being threat or anxiety, he or she is
able to think realistically. As Rogers has explained that organism and self,
although they possess the inherent tendency to actualize themselves, are
subject to strong influences from the environment and especially from the
social environment. But in this case, Nancy cannot accept her experience
and she cannot actualize herself so that she always feels threatened or
anxious. The other experience that always reminds her everyday in her
new life and makes her anxious and threatened as described as follows:
She had to burn the paper. Michael and Missy mustn’t see it. That
was it. She’d burn the paper so that no one could see it. She ran to
the fire place in the dining room....
and:
… She watched as the picture with Peter and Lisa flamed, and
charred, and curried. Dead, both of them; and she’d better off with
them. There was no place to hide for her…or to forget…. (Page 41
- 42)
The evidence above shows that Nancy is surprised when she look
in the picture in the newspaper. There is her picture, Peter and Lisa, Carl,
and Rob legler in the newspaper’s headline. She is afraid Ray, Michael,
and Missy see that picture and she burn it in a rush. The other evidences of
56
anxious and threatened faced by Nancy because of her experience as
described as follows:
Expertly, Lendon measured the symptoms of shock that he could
see; the enlarged pupils; the rigidity of her body; the low; the
monotone quality of her voice. He turned to Ray.” I want to help if
there’s any possible way,” he said.....
and:
Nancy shuddered violently. Her eyes flew up her arm, knocking
the cup Ray’s hand. It fell and broke on the floor, spewing hot
liquid over her robe and the blanket. Splashes of it spattered on
Ray and Nancy. Simultaneously they winced as Nancy cried out in
the desperate tone of a trapped animal, “I am not your little girl!
Don’t call me your little girl!” (Page 118 - 171)
It is clear, that anxiety and threatened felt by Nancy is because she
cannot actualize herself so that according to Carl Rogers she can be called
incongruence between reality and her feeling. So that, it is not able to be
calm and she is always feels anxious and threatened by her experiences
everyday.
Experiences also lead Nancy not to think realistically. She still
combines her experiences in the past with the events that she faces now.
Her anxiety and threat experienced as one gain awareness of such
incongruence. As people become more aware of the incongruence between
their experience and their perception of self, her anxiety begins to involve
into threat, that is, awareness that their self is no longer whole or
congruent. The other evidences of anxious and threatened faced by Nancy
because of her experience as described as follows:
57
She stumbled to the back door and pulled it open. “Peter…Lisa…”
she called. No, no, it was Michael and Missy. They were her
children now.....
And:
The lake! They must be at the lake! They weren’t supposed to go
there, but maybe they had. They’d be found. Like the others. In the
water. Their faces wet and swollen and still. (Page 42 – 43)
The quotations above described that Nancy cannot actualize
herself. She cannot compare between the past and present day. Her fear
leads her to be anxious and threatened everyday in her life. The other
evidences of anxious and threatened faced by Nancy because of her
experience as described as follows:
It was too late…Maybe it had always been too late. Peter and Lisa
and Michael and Missy. They were all gone…it was too late for all
of them.....
and:
“Because I was afraid. Because Peter and Lisa were drowned.
Because I had to find Michael and Missy. Missy’s mitten was
caught on the swing. She’s always losing a mitten. I ran to the lake.
I had to get the children. It’s going to be like last time…their faces
all wet and quite…and they won’t talk to me.” (Page 57 - 82)
The evidence above shows that Nancy always life in fear and
incongruence. She still combines the incident in the past with the incident
in her present day. She cannot accept the reality and she become so
awareness in saving Michael and Missy. The other evidences of anxious
and threatened faced by Nancy because of her experience as described as
follows:
“Peter and Lisa…they’d be so grown up…they’re dead seven
years…”she began to sob. Then, as Jonathan’s iron grip held Ray
58
back, she cried,” How could I have killed them? They were my
children! How could I have killed them…?”........
and:
“Yes, and I didn’t make sense… all of a sudden…it got so bad…I
didn’t want to upset her…so I didn’t write about it…but I think she
knew…she came out for a weekend…because she was worried
about me…I know it…and then she was killed…because she came
out to see me…it was my fault…my fault…” Her voice rose in a
shriek of pain, she started to blame her self....
and:
Not like Carl…poor Carl…she’d only tolerated him, and after Lisa
was born he had never again…not like a husband…had he sensed
her revulsion? She’d always wondered. It was part of her guilt.
(Page 132 - 250)
The quotations above described that Nancy blames herself for her
children’s death. She thinks that her life is full of sin and pain and people
can change and make them back to her.
From all of the evidences above, states that Nancy feels anxious
and threatened by her experience. Her experience in the past reminds her
for the incident that she faces in present day. Thus, there is incongruence
within Nancy’s personality. If incongruence within self and mind makes
individual feel threatened or anxious, finally they behave defensively, and
their thinking becomes constricted and rigid.
In order to prevent inconsistency between the experience and the
perceived self, Nancy reacts in the defensive manner. Defensiveness is the
protection of the self – concept against anxiety and threat by denial and
distortion of experiences inconsistent with it. (Rogers, 1959). The most
59
common defense process is distortion. With distortion, people misinterpret
an experience in order to fit it into some aspect of their self – concept.
They perceive the experience is awareness but they fail to
understand its true meaning. With denial, people refuse to perceive an
experience in awareness, or at least they keep some aspect of it from
reaching symbolization. This process does not contradict your self –
concept and thereby avoids anxiety. In more extreme cases, you might
even resort to outright denial. Here is denial and distortion defensiveness
that Nancy has done in her present day after her out from the prison.
“That’s a nice way of putting it. I’ve heard cracks about my wife
thinking she’d too good for the folks around here. At the club I’m
getting more and more ribbing about why I only have a golf
membership and why I don’t bring that beautiful wife of mine
around. Last week Michael’s school called and asked if Nancy
consider working on same committee. Needless to say, she turned
them down. Last month I finally got her to go to the realtors’
dinner, and when they took the group picture, she was in the ladies’
room.” Said Ray.......
and:
... Nancy never left the house before eleven, and even then she
always went to Lowery’s market, down the road a half mile…
(Page 28 - 35)
The quotation above shows that Nancy never come along with Ray
who used to be her husband such as when Ray plays golf, Michael’s
school committee, Ray’s friend party. Nancy likes being alone rather that
come along with Ray. The other quotation in support this idea as described
as follows:
She’d fled here, completely across the continent – as far away from
California as she could get; as far away from the people she’d
60
known and the place she’d lived and the college and the whole
academic community there. She never wanted to see them again –
the friends who had turned out to be friends but hostile strangers
who spoke of “poor Carl” because they blame his suicide on her
too. (Page 13)
The quotation above described that Nancy is tries to deny and run
way from her past life. She left California and she came to Cape Cod
because she heard that Cape Cod is a quite town and the right place to hide
without knowing and dealing with each other. The other quotation in
support this idea as described as follows:
She’d cut her hair and dyed it sable brown, and that was enough to
make her look completely different from the pictures that had front
– paged newspapers all over the country the trial....
and:
Afterward, when she’d receive permission to leave the state, she’d
had her hair cut and dyed and gone shopping. She had always
hated the kind of clothes Carl liked her to wear and had bought the
three piece suit and brown turtleneck sweater. (Page 13 - 57)
The quotation above described that Nancy is tries so hard to forget
everything. She makes a defense by cut and dye her hair in order to people
did not know who she is.
In addition, the writer wants to explain about defensiveness that
people have done. The purposed of defense thus is maintenance of the
(artificial and inaccurate) self - concept. People who are defensive are
inclined to feel hostile toward other people whose behavior, in their eyes,
represent their own denied feelings. In contrast individuals who experience
unconditional positive regard maintain or reinstate self experience
61
congruence. Because of the absence of conflict or incongruence, such
individual has no need to rely on defenses.
From the explanation above, Nancy undergoes defensive manner in
order to maintenance her self – concept. She will not let people or society
know her story or her identity in the past. She thinks that defensive manner
makes her comfort and protect by the experiences she faces. She also will
not let people or society know exactly who she is (her background). Thus,
she creates defensive mechanism in within herself. Also she feels she can
decrease the anxiety and threatened she feels
However, the writer argues that the factor makes Nancy’s
personality change is coming from her experiences or event and
environment. Those experience that Nancy faced appear to be inconsistent
with Nancy emerging self – concept. The result is that she cannot actualize
her self – concept so that she makes defensiveness mechanism.
62
CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION
This chapter presents the conclusion and suggestion of this study. The
writer will conclude the whole discussion of the previous chapter in this study.
4.1 Conclusion
After analyzing the data in accordance with the statement of the problems,
the writer concludes that the personality of Nancy before loosing her children in
Mary Higgins Clark’s Where Are The Children that she is merciful or charitable
person. She loves her children namely Peter and Lisa from her first husband
named Carl Harmon. Although they dead, she always remembers them and every
detail incident of her life in the past.
Nancy is also an attractive teenager. She has many friends who likes her
from she was child until she enter in the university. Nancy is also smart girl. It is
proved that she enter the university when she was 18 years of age and then finally
she decide to marry to Carl Harmond who used to be her lecturer. She is also
kinds of interesting girl. It can be seen that she makes a lot of date with boys when
she is teenager.
She also has a passion and spirit to continue her life. She never surrenders
of never give up with every incident that happened with her. She realizes that she
has to continuing her life with Raymon, Michael, and Missy. She always tries so
hard to forget and tries to accept her fate.
There are two events in different setting of place that the writer found in
this story that makes Nancy’s personality change. For the first is event in London,
63
63
when she went to college and married to Carl Harmon who used to be her lecturer
when he was 33 years old. However, Nancy is just eighteen years age at that time.
Thus, her emotional is labile. Se has to obey to her husband and break her habit
such as dating and get some fun with her friends.
When she was twenty –five years age, she has two children and falling in
love with one of Carl’s student. Then finally one day, in November and her 25th
birthday, she asks her children to accompany her to the Mart to buy candles and
left them in the car and finally they disappear. Like a nightmare, she finds her
children in the lake, drowned with plastic in their face and body swollen. After
that, she finds her husband committed to suicide by drowning his car into the sea.
Then, Nancy has to live in prison for seven years because she is accused for
murdering trial on her children.
The second events is in Cape Cod where it is the quite city and there is no
one who cares about each other. She decides to move to Cape Cod because the
society in Cape Cod is very individually. So, Nancy thought that Cape Cod is the
right place to hide and forget about the past. Then someday, she gets marry to
Raymon Eldredge, who is the owner of real estate in Cape Cod when Nancy rent a
house. They live together and they have two children, namely Michael and Missy.
On November and Nancy’s birthday, she has to loose Michael and Missy because
a stranger kidnapped them. Nancy becomes depressed and hysteric. She is afraid
that the incident seven years ago will happen to her again.
After losing her children, Nancy’s personality is change. She becomes a
sensitive person. She is always worries and afraid because the incidents in her life
64
in the past always haunt her so that they always feel anxious and threatened
everyday.
She is also introvert and closed to every body and her environment. She
prefer being lonely rather than got along with people. She becomes overprotective
person especially for her children from her second husband, namely Michael and
Missy. The purposed why she becomes protective just because she does not want
loose her children anymore for twice.
From those events that living in the different setting, Nancy’s personality
is changes. Previously, Nancy is an attractive girl. She is smart and interesting. It
is proved with the fact when she enters the university in eighteen years age. She
also makes a lot of date with boys and her friends in college like her. Then, she
changes since the horrible incident comes to her. Because of that experiences and
events, she always remembers every detail incident in her memory. She feels
anxious and threatened. She becomes sensitive, introvert, and overprotective
person. She never feels comfort in every day in her life. She also never thinks
realistically. Thus, she makes the defensive manner in order to incline to feel
hostile toward other people whose behavior, in her eyes, represent her own denied
feelings. She hides and covers her background without no one can know exactly
who she is. She cannot reach her ideal self so that she cannot actualize herself
concepts. She also cannot become the fully functioning person.
4.2 Suggestion
After finishing the analysis, the writer can formulate some suggestion. It is
suggested for the other researchers and students of English Letters and Language
65
Department of UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang or other university who are
interested in the similar topics, to discuss further the theorist about the influence
of setting on human’s personality.
The writer knows that the study is still unperfected. However, we will get
many benefits by doing research in literary works. We can learn about human
being and human personality changes by setting, event, or experience faced by
human itself. Also we can know about the effect of human personality changes
itself.
66
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abrams, M. H. 1991. A Glossary of Literary Terms. New York: Rinehart and
Winston.
Alwisol. 2004. Psikologi Kepribadian. Malang: UMM Press.
Allen, Walter. 1960. The English Novel. London: Ltd. Harmonsworth.
Aminuddin, 1990. Pengantar Apresiasi Karya Sastra. Malang: Sinar Baru & YA.
Boeree, George. Dr. C. 1997. Personality Theories. Yogyakarta: Ar-Ruzz Media
Group.
Bulkist, W. Gerbing, D. W. 1990. Psychology, Boundaries ana Frontiers. New
York: Harper Collons Publisher.
Burger, Jerry. M. 2000. Personality. USA: Wadsworth.
Clark, Mary Higgins. 1975. Where Are the Children. New York: Pocket Books.
Endraswara, Suwandi. 2004. Metode Penelitian Sastra. Yogyakarta: Pustaka
Widyatama.
Feist, Gregory. 2002. Theories of Personality. USA: The McGraw-Hill
Companies. Inc.
Hall, Calvin. S. 1957. Theories of Personality. Canada: John Wiley and Sons. Inc.
Hayatin, Ainul. 1999. The Influence of Setting on The Development of Pip
Philips’s Characters in Great Expectation. Unpublished Thesis (Gajayana
University of Malang).
Hudson, William Henry. 1965. An Introduction to the Study of Literature.
London: George G. Harrap & Ltd.
Kenney, William. 1966. How to Analyze Fiction. New York: Monarch Press.
67
Koesnobroto, S. B. 1988. The Anatomy of Prose Fiction. Jakarta: Proyek
Pembangunan.
Michaell Mann. 1985. Macmillan Student Encyclopedia of Sociology. London:
Macmillan Press.
Mulyani, Sri. 2000. A Study on The Influence of Setting on Character
Development in Dickinsons’ Oliver Twist. Unpubished Thesis (Gajayana
University of Malang).
Peck, John, and Martin Coyle. 1986. Literary Term and Criticism. London:
Macmillan Eduacation Ltd.
Pervin, Lawrence. A. 1984. Personality: Theory on Research. New York: John
Willey & Sons, Inc.
Reaske, W. 1973. Literary Writing. London: George G. Harrap & Ltd.
Wellek, Rene and Warren, Austin. 1956. Theory of Literature. Semarang: The
Student Senate of Humanities Faculty Diponegoro University.
(www. Wikipedia.com/anxiety/index.html). Accessed on 21 December 2009.
(www. Wikipedia.com/anxiety_disorder/index.html). Accessed on 21 December
2009.
(www. Wikipedia.com/personality_psychology/index.html). Accessed on 15
December 2009.
(www. Wikipedia.com/qualitative_research/index.html). Accessed on 21 June
2010.
68
APPENDIX
Synopsis of Mary Higgins Clark’s Where Are The Children
Nancy is eighteen years old when she marries with Carl Harmon. She is
twenty-five years old when she has two children. She was born in California and
raised in Ohio. She has curly blond hair and pretty and she becoming popular in
her campus. She marries with Carl, her lecturer in university student in San
Francisco and they buy a house in campus. One day professor Carl asked his
student named Rob Legler who is handsome and experience in women to help
Nancy in repair the oil burner in her house. Nancy has a scandal and it makes Carl
jealous. After they have two children, named Peter and Lisa, Carl become a
strange person. Everyday he asked Nancy to drink some pills that she’d known as
vitamins. She does not ever know what a pill is and what it is for, until the worst
event happened in Nancy’s life.
On Nancy’s birthday, she asked Peter and Lisa to go shopping to by cake
and candle. For ten minutes she went to the shop and both of her children was
disappeared. She thought that they must be bought something for her present. But
finally, she found the children drowning and died in lake with plastic bag in their
head and swollen body. Of course Nancy was shocked. Her husband and the
people accuse her and blame her because she careless in protecting Peter and Lisa.
Finally, because of people and her husband blame her; Nancy was in prison for
seven years. She just feels pain and regret. She never meets her husband again
during in prison. She just heard from newspaper that her husband was committee
69
suicide by drowned his car into the sea because he was trauma and he cannot
stand with his pain any longer.
After seven years in prison, Nancy changes her appearance from the top
till the bottom. She cut her hair and dyed it. Then she moves to Cape Cod then she
buys a house from Ray and then she marries him. They buy a house near the lake.
After they have two children named Michael and Missy, Ray and Dorothy find
some strange in Nancy’s behavior. Nancy cannot stop hiding from the people and
society. She prefers likes alone rather than goes to shop like other women or
attend the Ray’s partner party. She prefers stayed in the house all day rather than
takes and pick up Michael and Missy from the school, or even follows Michael
and Missy’s community in their school.
Today is Nancy 32nd birthday and Ray want to celebrate with their
children in house tonight with cake and present. He also invited Dorothy but
Dorothy refused it. Ray found the unhappy in Nancy’s face although today is her
birthday. He doesn’t know that Nancy doesn’t like birthday party because it can
remind her in the event the murderer trial, that is the day when Peter and Lisa
died. During her marriage with Ray, every night she was in nightmare likes she
could feel in the past come over her again in present day. She always anxiety and
threatened when Michael and Missy play in the backyard.
One day Nancy gets a newspaper and she shocked so much when her eyes
focused on one picture on the blaring headline: her picture, Rob Legler, Carl
Harmon, and the other one is Peter and Lisa on the headline “Young woman for
murderer trial to her children”. Then she burns it because she won’t Michael and
70
Missy and her husband know that news but she forgets that every one in the Cape
Cod would read that news. Beside that, she realizes that her children, Michael and
Missy were missing when they played swing in the backyard. She calls her
husband, police, and doctor to help her remember every detail events happen in
their life before.
Otherwise, in Nancy’s home, people want to know the truth about Nancy’s
case of murderer trial of her children. Lendon Miles who were a friend of Nancy’s
mother help her by giving injection of serum. This serum works under
consciousness of person. Nancy tells everything in her memory. Nancy tells what
Carl has done to her and her children, Peter and Lisa. He always gave her pills so
that she feels tired, sleepy, sleep tight, and unconscious. Then she hears that Carl
torture Peter and Lisa. Then, after the incident that Peter and Lisa found died in
the lake, the jury will convene a meeting in the council. She calls Jonathan as her
lawyer of that case and until now Jonathan still interested in Nancy’s case even
though he already retired. Jonathan thinks that there is some strange in Nancy’s
case.
After Nancy tells a story and remembering all the incidents in her life, Ray
and the police finally find Rob Legler who helps Carl Harmon kidnap Michael
and Missy. They interrogated him to tell everything. Rob Legler tells everything
that Carl Harmon asked him to looking for where Nancy is right now with a
thousand dollars he paid to Rob. However, in the different place but near from
Nancy’s house, Michael and Missy was kidnapped by the guy. They were so
frightened and they want to come home soon.
71
In this case, Ray and the police looking for Rob Legler directly because
they find some clue from the hotel he lives. In other condition, Dorothy find some
strange in Mr. Courtney Parrish who is Ray’s client to buy the house called the
Look Out. She fined one mitten in the house while she offer and explain the whole
house that he wanted to buy. Thus, Dorothy calls Ray and the police and tells
them about it. Finally the Dorothy’s suspicious has been proven. Ellen who is
Nancy’s neighbor found some strange sound like a children sound even children
screaming coming from the Look Out. Finally, Ellen and her husband checked
that house and he found that Mr. Parrish is not alone but there are two children
with him.
Finally Nancy goes to find her children alone when she awake from the
unconsciousness caused by serum. She remember that Carl was afraid with water
and it makes her assume that Carl does not committee suicide with drowned his
car into the sea and die. The telephone rang and she hears Michael’s voice over
there that they are not far away from home. Nancy is automatically looking for the
place where she heard the report of Ellen about Mr. Parrish’s house in the Look
Out. Then Ellen was true. Michael and Missy were there with Carl who is Mr.
Courtney Parrish. She hears the children’s voice and found them finally after
debate about Carl’s sickness.
Finally, the police and everyone go there and arrest Carl Harmon. Nancy
saved their children and Carl admits everything. He’s not committee to suicide by
drowned his car into the sea. He was pulled out of the water and he still alive and
looking for Nancy because he heard that Nancy marry again with Ray. He accuse
72
in murdering trial because he loves her very much. He does not lost Nancy as his
little girl. He confesses his guilty in the murder of his children, Lisa and Peter
seven years ago. He admitted that he was responsible for the death of Priscilla,
Nancy’s mother because he think that her mother can be barrier in his marriage
with Nancy. He also asked Rob Legler to kidnap Nancy’s children. Then the
doctor concludes that Carl has pedophilia that is a sexual deviation involving
sexual activity of any type with a child who has not yet reached puberty. It also
leads Carl killed Peter and Lisa as his children because he does not Nancy’s love
and attention shared.
73