THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-CONCEPT IN CHARLES DICKENS DAVID COPPERFIELD: A HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH

NUGROHO, ARIEF ADHY MONO (2008)
Abstract
The major problem of this study is the importance of self-concept of David in the Charles Dickens novel’s David Copperfield. The study is focused on the major character, namely David Copperfield. The researcher employs qualitative method. In this method, the researcher uses two data sources, namely primary and secondary data resources. The primary data source is the novel itself. The secondary data sources are the books about the psychology, some books about self concept, the autobiography of the author and the other sources which are related to the analysis. The method of data collection is library research and the technique of data collection is descriptive technique. ased on the analysis, the outcome of this study shows that the importance of the major character self concept is the way how to solve the problem faced and how to develop self concept in major character’s life. Then, there are elements of self concept in the David characteristic which is shown by Dickens and to be a fully functioning person. The problem in David life can be solved by showing the good self concept and the characteristic of fully functioning person. So, his ways to develop his self concept makes David solve his problem to become a fully functioning person and reach the happiness in his life.

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
People in this world want to be appreciated and regarded by the others.
That’s why people like to do another thing that comes out of their character.
They want their life and their attendances to be useful and see by the others.
For those, people want their existence to be regarded. That’s the reasons why
people like to do things out of the character. That’s one of the reasons why
people like to be regarded in this life. It is related to the human psychology.
The main point of the psychology is dealing with the life of the human beings.
It can be shown in the hope, ambition, sadness, joy, needs and respect. They
show that humans have a unique thing inside of them. It makes people have
different dreams, hopes, desire, needs and the way to make all of it work in
life. People have a different style and problem that face in life.
Roger states that a person’s unique subjunctive experience of reality
and self are central to any dynamic understanding of personality (Dworetzky,
1988: 428). Every person has his/her own character and identity. They show
the identity to people in order to understand about their self concept. If the
people are able to control and understand the self concept it will make the
people take a right decision and determined their choice of life. If their self
concept are consists and stable it makes the people have a strong character and
able to make the right choices. It also makes the person never feel neglect to
the choice that he/she take. If the self concept changed readily that makes the
person lack of the consistency of character personality in life.
One of the literary novels that are related to self concept is David
Copperfield by Charles Dickens, a British writer (1812-1870). He was born in
Portsmouth, England in February 7, 1812. He lived in with the people in
under condition as a worker in the factory. He takes this situation and the
conditions of the working-class people as major themes of his works. Dickens
wrote, "No advice, no counsel, no encouragement, no consolation, no support
from anyone that I can call to mind, so help me God!", Journalism Dickens
became a journalist, reporting parliamentary debate and traveling Britain. His
journalism informed his first collection of pieces. Most of his novels first
appeared in serialized form. In his early twenties he made a name for himself
with his first novel The Pickwick Papers. Novels Among his best known
works are Great Expectations, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, Nicholas
Nickleby, and A Christmas Carol. David Copperfield is argued by some to be
his best novel it is certainly his most autobiographical. He was a fierce critic
of the poverty and social stratification of Victorian society.
David Copperfield is a novel that has a major theme throughout, the
discipline of the emotion and moral life. We learn to go against "the first
mistaken impulse of the undisciplined heart", a theme which is repeated
throughout all the relationships and characters in the novel. The characters are
those who have disciplined hearts, those who lack disciplined hearts, or those
who develop disciplined hearts over time.
David Copperfield character is a person who ever makes a mistake and
learns how to make a better situation. In this novel David is able to develop
his life and able to control the needs, dreams and desire of something. In this
novel David is a major character that has a complicated problem in his life,
which is able to be solved and not yet solved.
The novel makes the researcher interested in David’s life, in the way
he makes the decision in the different situation and different solution without
leave his self-concept. The problem faced and the reaction of the environment
to David is also interesting. So, the researcher is interested in how David
makes his life better. The self concept of David is the point why he is able to
make right decisions. Beside that if David makes mistakes, he is able to make
it better, not only make a better decision but also make a better situation from
the first decision. Self concept is the mental and conceptual understanding and
persistent regard that sentient beings hold for his existence. The overview of
self-concept theory has focused on the describing the ways people organize
and interpret their inner world of personal existence.
The approach which is used to analyze the novel is humanistic. In the
humanistic psychology the environmental situation, social life and the self
conflict are the basic element of self concept. The life of David and the choice
of David life is a unique one. It is also supported with this great writer of the
novel. That’s why this research is interesting to study. It is complete that the
researcher has the right method and background of the study, then the
researcher uses a title “The Importance of Self-Concept in Charles Dickens
David Copperfield: a Humanistic Psychological Approach”
B. Literature Review
The researcher found a research related to the study about David
Copperfield by Charles Dickens. In Muhamadiyah University of Surakarta,
the research was conducted by Ulfatul Khasanah entitled: The Struggle for
Life in Charles Dickens David Copperfield: Individual Psychological
Approach. The problem in her research was about the aims of David
Copperfield life based on the Individual Psychological approach. She also
analyzed the struggle of David to get his aim in the novel. In Sebelas Maret
University (UNS) the researcher did not found the research related to the
study. The research believes that there must be other researchers who have
developed and analyzed the novel, because it is a great author and novel in the
literature.
C. Problem Statement
The problem that the researcher wants to study is about the David
Copperfield’s life described in Charles Dickens novels. Through the way and
the condition of the major character, the researcher formulated the major
problem in this study that is the importance of self-concept of David in the
Charles Dickens novel’s David Copperfield.
D. Limitation of the Study
In conducting the research, the researcher limits the problem on the
self-concept of David as the major character in the Charles Dickens, David
Copperfield. The researcher uses the humanistic psychological approach that
is related to the way of life in the major character in the novel.
E. Objective of the Study
Considering the problem statement above, the objectives of the study
in the research are:
1. To analyze the novels based on its structure elements
2. To analyze the novels based on humanistic psychological
F. Benefit of the Study
This study will give the benefit as following:
1. Theoretical Benefit
For the academic benefit, the researcher hopes that this
research can give the additional information to the large body of
the literature view and structural elements such as: the
characterization, plot, setting, style, etc.
2. Practical Benefit
For practical benefit, the researcher hopes that the research
can give the deeper understanding in the novel based on humanistic
psychological approach.
G. Research Method
The research method used by the researcher is described as follows:
1. Object of the Study
The researcher took the Charles Dickens novel David
Copperfield as the object of her study.
2. Type of the Data and Data Source
a. Type of the Data
The type of the data is a text that consists of sentence,
clause, phrase and word.
b. The Data Source
The researcher uses two kind of data source. There are:
1) Primary data source: the Charles Dickens David
Copperfield novel.
2) Secondary data source: the data taken from the other
sources related to the research such as: autobiography of the
author, books in psychology and the website that are related
to the research in humanism psychological approach.
3. Technique of the Data Collection
The method of the data collection is library research. The
procedures are: reading the novel repeatedly and trying to imagine
understanding the novel, identifying its element, taking note in the
important point, classifying the sentence and word, selecting the
material.
4. Technique of Data Analysis
The data-analyzing technique of the research is descriptive
analysis. In this case, the researcher tries to describe the structural
elements of the novel and psychological analysis. The data will be
interpreted and analyzed in the appropriate approach, in this case is
humanistic psychological approach to show the Charles Dickens
David Copperfield.
H. Research Paper Organization
To make the reader easily understand the content of this research the
researcher organizes this research paper. The research paper will be divided
into six chapters. Chapter I is the introduction that consist of the background
of the study, literature review, problem statement, limitation of the study,
objective of the study, benefit of the study, research of the study and research
paper organization. Chapter II is underlying theory that consists of notion of
the humanism and characteristic of humanism psychological. Chapter III is the
structural analysis of the work, which includes the elements of Charles
Dickens David Copperfield novel, such as the character, characterization, plot,
setting, theme, point of view, etc. Chapter IV is Humanistic Psychological
analysis. Chapter V is the conclusion and suggestion.