ESSAY PAPER

The Struggle of Pip as the Main Character in  Great Expectation Novel to Find Happiness and Love in His Life : A Psychological Approach

By: M. Nur Rahman Hakim

• Introduction

Literature is one way to facilitate our understanding of human experiences. We can learn about life through a literary work. Reading a literary work makes us more aware of the story of human figures. Rees states “Literarture is writing, which express and communicates, though, feeling, and attitude toward life” (Rees 1992)

Most people like reading literature because it gives knowledge, information and amusement.people have different reason for reading literature. Francis Connoily, as quoted by Koesnosoebroto (1988:1) :

People read literature because of a hunger of information or amusement or solace, because of an appetite for trurh that seem to grow by it feeds on. Men read to discover themselves and their worlds, to asses their special in the universe. To learn the meaning of the personal struggles in which they are engaged. In other word, people want to share experience”(1998:1).

From the quotation above, we know that enjoyment is the basic reason why we study literature. However, enjoyment itself is not sufficient. If literature does not give us something more than pleasure, we hardly justify literature as something important to our life. we can see its use in the various forms. in the writting form, an example of literature that gives pleasure in reading is novel.

Novel is one kind of literary work that can be used to represent the actual life of human being either  in classical or modern way. Novel is created in such long prosaic writing, in which story is profoundly discussed. Conflict and event are possibly created and developed in a great lenght; dialogues and other narration must be supplied more freely to accompany the development of conflicts. Consequently in a novel we will find a story from wich arrangement of conflict is based on a structure plot of real events. As well as in the novel that will be the focus of the writter; one of the novel by Charles Dickens 'Great Expectations' in it certainly has elements as mentioned.

Great Expectation is an interesting story. It talks about the journey of life of the main character, Pip tells the story of his life; from the time he is seven until he is adult. His searching of his life and love faces many problems. He also meets people who influence him much in behavior, feeling and the way of life.

Therefore it is interested the writer to reveal and to analyze more detailed way about the major character of Great Expectation, Pip. The writer selects the novel based on the following considerations :

1. Great Expectation is a novel written by Charles Dickens, a very famous novelist who had created a lot of works. He began his career from the bottom. He also had many experiences in his life that furthermore inspired him in writing his novels.

1. Great Expectation is a good novel. It talks about searching the identification or the personality, love and the perfect of life.

1. Great Expectation gives a lot of lessons for facing life that is full of complicated manners. On the other hand, the characters of Great Expectation show us the kind of people that have different characteristics. Therefore it can be a lesson to the readers to be wise persons.

In this paper, the writer will analyze the character and the struggle of Pip to find his happiness as well he finds his love, wealth and happy life. Pip is the main character of the novel Great Expectation. The struggle was begun when he was child until adult. Pip wanted to be rich and honorable person in order that his love Estella was accepted. His wishes are he wants to marry the woman who loves him from the deepest heart. And in the end of the story, he gets all of desire, wealth and woman being motivated from the other character in this novel. In the way he reached his whises, Pip got some experience; he found and knew the meaning of friendship, the meaning of love and how to be a better person. Based one ilustration above, the writer chooses the tittle “The Struggle of Pip as the Main Character in  Great Expectation Novel to Find Happiness and Love in His Life : A Psychological Approach”

• Discussion

Psychology is the science or study of the mind and it’s progresses. It also means mental nature, processes, etc of a person (Hornby, 1987:675). Psychological approach bases on the assumption that every literary work narrates about human’s life and his behavior. We need psychological approach in the literature as we need psychology to understand and to know about human beings more deeply (Semi,1993:76).

Based on psychological approach, a good litetarure should be able to perform symbols, information, and the other universal signals that are related to the mythology, belief, tradition, is in psychological approach is focused on the characterization, by finding the reasons that inspire the actors to behave.

According to Sigmund Freud in his book entitled The Id, Ego and Superego, as quoted by E.Koeswara in ‘Teori-teori Kepribadian’ and Dirgagunarsa in ‘Pengantar psikologi umum’, stated there are three kinds of psychological theory that stimulate someone to behave. This energy derives from the psychological function: Id, Ego and Supereg. Id is primordial libidinal;force that related to the wish-fulfilment without consideration.

Id adalah wadah dalam jiwa seseorang berisikan dorongan primitif (libido). Dorongan-dorongan primitif ini merupakan dorongan yang menghendaki agar segera menghendaki perasaan senang dan puas. Oleh karena itu adanya dorongan-dorongan primitif ini maka Id selalu mengikuti Pleasure Principle, yaitu bertugas untuk secepatnya melaksanakan dorongan primitif agar tercapai perasaan senang (Pleasure), tanpa memperdulikan akibat-akibatnya. Kesenangan yang dicapai oleh pelaksanaan dorongan primitif selalu kembali untuk dipilih lagi (Dirgagunarsa, 1975:63)

    Furthermore, he says that Id, the sole aim of which is the gratification of all need, the elevation of hunger, self-preservation and love, the preservation of the species. And Koeswara had the definition of Id as.

Id adalah sistem kepribadian yang paling dasar, sistem yang di dalamnya terdapat naluri-naluri bawaan. Id adalah sistem yang bertindak sebagai penyedia atau penyalur energi yang dibutuhkan oleh sistem-sestem tersebut untuk operasi-operasi atau kegiatan-kegiatan yang dilakukannya (1991:3)

If Id operates on the basis of Pleasure Principle and Superego on Perfection Principle, Ego operates according to reality principle. Ego is the Id which some in contact with the environment, henceforth strives incompatible. Ego is the executive part of personality. It works logically based on the reality principle ensecondary process (a logic to look at the reality in order to find the wish-fulfilment of Id realitically). Furthermore, he states:

Dalam melaksanakan dorongan-dorong dari Id, Ego selalu berpegang teguh pada prinsip kenyataan/reality principle. Hal ini dilakukan karena Ego harus menjaga benar bahwa pelaksanaan dorongan-dorongan primitif, tegak bertentangan dengan kenyataan akan tuntutan dari Superego adalah sistem dari kepribadian yang bertindak dari pengarah individu kepada dunia obyek dari kenyataan dan menjalankan fungsinya berdasarkan kenyataan (Dirgagunarsa, 1991:34)

There is special segment of the Ego that contains the higher values, the aspiration and also conscience of personality is called Superego (Progroff, 1966:154-155).

Superego is the ideal value, it is conscience of someone that consist of morality values (Irwanto, 1991:64)

Kata hati berhubungan dengan lingkungan sosial dan nilai-nilai moral sehingga merupakan nilai-nilai kontrol atau sensor terhadap dorongan-dorongan yang tidak sesuai dengan nilai-nilai moral agar tetap tidak dipenuhi (Dirgagunarsa, 1991:64)

Freud’s psychoanalytic theory sees devience arising when the invulsive drives of the Id achieves victory over the Ego and Superego amd ruled the person (Horton & Horton,1982:28).

So, from the title that has the writer explained, “The Struggle of Pip as the Main Character in  Great Expectation Novel to Find Happiness and Love in His Life : A Psychological Approach”, the writer will analyze Pip characters with psychological approach and psychological theory. The writer focuses on the analysis of Pip to get a clear description about the essential story of The Character of Pip in a Charles Dicken’s Novel ‘Great Ecpectation’ by using knowledge that has been gained.

Pip is an orphan boy raised by his sister seen he was an infant because his parent died. Pip lives with his sister Mrs. Joe Gargery and his brother in law who becomes his guardian father. Mr. Joe Gargery is a blacksmith. Because his sister has a bad temper, his childhood is very poor in he feels alone. Properly, Pip’s childhood lifes in the pleasure like his friend but it does not happen to Pip. His life is very poor, so that he grows up to be a sensitive boy. But Pip is still excited and does not think how to roughly his sister brings him up because he has a paternal father who adopted him as his son and he is very humorous and kind man. His adoptive father is his sister’s husban who was different character with his wife, Mrs. Joe Gargery. Because her sister has a bad temper and raised by ragging woman, Pip becomes a very sensitive boy. He always goes from his house to find a friend to share his feeling. Pip meets Biddy and Mrs. Joe at a place where he always splits out his complain in moan. Pip also goes to churchdyard and being alone in that place.

“I did so, but my sister, throwing the door wide open, knew where I was and at once used Tickler. She ended by throwing me at Joe, who put me in the corner by the fire and quietly fenced me in with his great leg. ‘where have you been?’ said Mrs. Joe, stamping her foot. ‘tell me what you’ve doing to wear me away with fright and worry, or I’ll have you out of that corner.’ ‘I’ve only been to the church-yard,’ said I, crying and rubbing my self.”(Great expectation:11).

One day, Pip gets an offer to work in Miss Havisham’s house. When Pip goes to Miss Havisham’s house he meets Estella. Estella is Miss Havisham’s adopted daughter, she is a very beautiful and arrogant woman. Because of her beauty Pip instantly falls in love with her. She always insulting Pip when they are playing card together. Pip loves her very much and his feeling still exists until Pip is adult and it shows that he has a true love with Estella.

"The jewel was put back in the same place on the table, near the unworn shoe, and Miss Havisham sat, as we played cards, her bridal dress like a shroud. ‘What rought hand he has! And thick boots!’ said Estella, with such strong dislike for me, that I began to dislike myself. When I made a mistake she called me stupid and clumsy”(Great Expectation:29)

After he meets Estella, Pip has great expectation to be a gentleman. He wants to get the same level with Estella. Pip want to be a gentleman. He hates his life now. Pip tells to Biddy all that happened in the Satis House. He meets a beautiful girl and falls in love with her at first sight. He want to be a gentleman and to be an honorable person to have a same equality with Estella. He thinks that his love will accept by Estella.

“Biddy’ I said, as we were walking home ‘if only I could fall in love with you—you don’t mind me speaking so openly to an old friend?’ ‘Oh dear, not at all,’ said Biddy ‘don’t mind me.’ ‘If I could, that would be best for me.’ ‘but you never will, you see' said Biddy. In my heart I believed her to be right, but I thought it ill that she should be so sure.”(Great Expectation:43)

The quotation about shows that Pip’s Id is the desire to prossess Estella to be his girlfriend and he wants to be a gentleman, rich, educated and high class person so he will be able to marry Estella. But Estella is a high class woman. It is his incapability to marry Estella. Pip is a poor and comes from low class.

Suddenly, Pip gets an offer to continue his education in London. He thought that the expectation comes from Miss Havisham but he is wrong. In fact, his real benefactor is the convict who was helped by him in the churchyard when he was child. The convict wants to recompense for his helped by sending an expectation that perform much money. Because of this, Pip becomes rich, educated person and a gentleman. After he has finished his education, he still lives in London and forgets his sister, Joe and Biddy. Pip change to be a conceited. He never visits them again.

One day, Joe comes to visit Pip in London. Pip is very embarrassed with Joe’s coming. He feels uneasy. Although Joe has tried to change his appearance like a gentleman, Pip still feels embaarrassed.

“There was simple dignity in him as he said this, and he touched me gently on the forehead and went out. After a minute I hurried after him, and looked for him in the neighbouring streets, but he was gone.”(Great Expectation:70).

After Pip becomes rich and honorable person, Pip still loves Estella. He thinks that his feelings will be accepted because Pip has a same equality with Estella now. But Estella is a woman that has no heart. Estella rejected Pip and prefer choose Drummle to be her husband.

“ ‘I live quite pleasently there; at least’ it it appeared to me I was losing a chance. ‘at least? Repeat Estella. ‘As pleasantly as I could anywhere away from you.’ ‘You silly boy’ said Estella calmly, ‘Mr. Pocket is , I believe, a really honest man?’ ‘I have every reason to say so.’”(Great Expectation:77)

After Pip’s feeling is rejected by Estella, he is broken heart and to release his furious, he spent out his money to unnecessary things and this caused him fall into debts. He has many obligations and incapability to pay it. Finally, he got depressed and felt ill. Joe comes to London, nursing and have paying all of his depts. After he had recovered from his sick, he comes back to village and asks Joe and Biddy forgiveness. He has expressed his thankfulness to Joe and Biddy.

“I wept then for having been so thankless, and bagged Joe not go to be so good to me. But he was overjoyed that I knew him, and said we were ever friends. ‘and you’re better—what fun! Joe eyes were red, but we both felt happy.”(Great Expectation:126)

Pip realized his fault and asks to Joe and Biddy’s forgiveness, he comes to Satis House where his lovely girl stays. Once again, he tries to confess his feeling to Estella. For a long years, finally he met with Estella. Estella who has been changed after her husband was died. She accepts Pip’s love. Finally, they are promised to live together.

“A cold mist lay around, but the stars shone beyond it, and it was not dark. No building was left, but I could see the old garden—and a figure walking down the path! As I drew nearer and saw it was a woman, I heard a voice speak my name, and I cried ‘Estella!’ ‘I’m geatly changed. I wonder you know me.’”(Great Expectation:132)

From the explanation above, the story has a happy ending. Although the struggle of Pip to get his happiness is long and hard but  in the end of story Pip can get his true happiness. Finally, Pip realizes that being a gentleman is not big thing than having true friend. The big thing is our true friend; they never care with your status. They love what you are. Finally, Pip can get his true love, Estella.

• Conclusion

After reading Great Expectation and analysing some intrinsic and extrinsic elements, we know that reading novel is very exciting and interesting. Some authors use their experiences as a valuable literary material for their work while some other authors use their imagination to create their work. When writing a novel the author has a message that will convey to the reader in the novel. In great expectation, the author has a message the property, wealth, and glory are not the importen things to reach the happiness, but love affection from the people surrounding us gives the real happiness. The author also conveys that to reach happiness in the life, someone must be patient, has a strong motivation, and must struggle to reach it. Beside that, the author wants to convey that the stratification is not the obstacle to get the happiness. It happen to Pip as the main character in Great Expectation that in getting his happiness in his life, he has to struggle go get it.
   
In Great Expectation, we know that property, wealth, and glory are not the important things to get the happiness. Pip has an opinion that for being an honourable and happy person, he must be able to get and marry Estella. But in reality, Pip is wrong, Estella rejected his love because Pip comes from the lower class. In the struggle to reach his happiness in his life, Pip has not only good experiences but also bad experiences.those experiences make him becomes a gentleman and enable him to think in the matured way. He thought the happiness refers has much money. But he feels alone and unhappy. It  is same we live in suffer. Althought, we do not have much money but if we live in comfortable environment we will feel happy even if we live in pproverty.
   
From his experiences, he learns one thing that wealth, property, and glory are not the important things to be happy and the love can be reached by strong will. Never give up is also the way to get his happyness and Pip gets it. And his wealth, property and glory which he reached have no meaning because he lives alone and no woman accompanies him as his wife. Pip loves Estella very much but she alwasy reject him.  By his never giving up struggle, Pip finally reaches his happiness that his living together with his lovely girl, Estella.
   
The result of analysis reveals that by learning Pip’s life, we know that motivation is important in the struggle to look for happiness. Social condition make people think that wealth means everything in the world, that is why we only consider money as the most important thing, and ignore many values of life which we have in our life. But in this case, we know that money means nothing to someone since his life becomes worthless and lenesome even though he has much money in his life.



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