THE MAIN CHARACTERS’ MOTIVATIONS
IN MAINTAINING THEIR LOVE RELATIONSHIP
AS SEEN IN COLLEEN MCCULLOUGH’S
THE THORN BIRDS
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
EFRIDA ITA
054214105
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2009
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In the real world,
success doesn't exist.
Every step achieved is a new starting point
of the next struggle.
Antonius P. Buu.
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Dedicated with love and gratitude to:
My wonderful parents, Bapak Petrus and Mama Agnes
My two lovely brothers, Mon and Miki
My beloved uncle, Anton
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First of all, the writer would like to express her greatest thanks to Lord Jesus Christ
and Mother Mary for all the blessings that have been given to her especially during
the very stressful time in finishing this undergraduate thesis.
Her very special thanks go to Colleen McCullough, the author of this pageturner novel The Thorn Birds. With similar qualification the writer must thank her
advisor, Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S. S., M. Hum who had been willing to guide her
and to spend a lot of time reading her writing. Without her advice and suggestions,
the writer believes that this undergraduate thesis will never be finished. The writer
does thank her for correcting precisely every word, structure, and even apostrophe.
The writer is also very grateful to her co-advisor, Tatang Iskarna, S. S., M. Hum for
his useful suggestions in correcting this work. The writer also shows her deep
thankfulness for all lecturers of English Letters for sharing all their knowledge, and
the Secretariat staffs for their help and nice service especially Mbak Niniek.
The writer would like to dedicate this undergraduate thesis especially to her
much-loved parents, Bapak Petrus Jago and Mama Agnes Mite who always
support her with their prayers, great care and never ending love. The writer‘s love
also goes to her two brothers, Mon and Miki, thank you for your kindness and love.
The writer‘s greatest love goes to her marvelous and merciful uncle, Antonius
P. Buu for his unconditional love, understanding and support. The writer is very
proud to have him as her uncle for he lets her be herself and never blames her for all
her stupid mistakes, he lets her fix them by herself. The writer has learned and will
learn many more things from him. He is a paragon and amazing father, uncle and
friend that the writer has ever met. The writer would like to give her greatest thanks
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to him also for correcting her writing. In a word, this undergraduate thesis will be just
rubbish without him.
Her deepest thanks go to Overgaauw family for all your love, kindness and
supports. Thank you very much for sending her the film of The Thorn Birds and the
information about the author of the novel and also thank you for helping her in case
the sun is shining behind the cloud.
The writer also thanks her great friends Icha, Ratri, and Letyzia T for the
friendship and times shared together. Thanks to all her friends, the team-mates of the
very beautiful and most-watched play of all seasons ―In Love with Madonna‖, Ian,
Bob, Bruno, Fuja, Chris, Sindu, Johan, Icha and Ratri, and all her classmates.
Thank you…
The writer‘s life will be monotonous without her pals, Enu Rini, K Vita Un,
Desy P., Sr. Andre, Sr. Yati, Sr. Kornelia, Sr. Henderina, K Tan, K Man, K
Paul, K Deny M, Ana, Katrin, Marsya, Lilies, Mbak Vita, Ayek, Florent, Susan,
and all her friends in Pondok Angela, thank you for the togetherness, kindness,
love and care. The writer is so grateful to all occupants of Gg Narada, 6A, thank you
for all.
Her thanks also go to Opa John and family, P. Steven M, Uncle Alex and
family, Uncle Hanes and family, Uncle Dus and family, Uncle Karel and family,
Uncle Rendy and family, Aunt Mien, Aunt Lud, Aunt Nesta, K Tince, Restin,
Irma, for all their supports
Finally, the writer would like to thank all whose names are not mentioned
here for supporting her in the process of studying and composing this undergraduate
thesis.
EFRIDA ITA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ……………………………………………………………..........
APPROVAL PAGE ……………………………………………………………
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ………………………………………………………..
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ………………………………
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN ……………………………….
MOTTO PAGE ………………………………………………………………...
DEDICATION PAGE …………………………………………………………
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………………...
TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………………………………………………...
ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………………....
ABSTRAK ……………………………………………………………………...
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CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………..
A. Background of the Study …………………………………………
B. Problem Formulation …………………………………………….
C. Objectives of the Study …………………………………………...
D. Definition of Terms ……………………………………………….
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CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ………………………………….
A. Review of Related Studies ………………………………………..
B. Review of Related Theories ………………………………………
1. Theory of Character and Characterization ……………………
2. Theory of Motivation …………………………………………
3. Theory of Love ………………………………………………..
4. The Relation between Literature and Psychology …………….
C. Theoretical Framework …………………………………………..
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CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ………………………………………….
A. Object of the Study ……………………………………………….
B. Approach of the Study ……………………………………………
C. Method of the Study …………………………….………………..
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CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS …………………………………………………...
A. The Characterization of Meggie Cleary and
Father de Bricassart ……………………………………………...
1. Meggie Cleary ………………………………………………...
2. Father de Bricassart …………………………………………...
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B.
C.
The Change and the End Result of Love Relationship
of the Two Main Characters …………………………………......
1. The description of the change of love relationship ………........
1.1. Brotherly love …………………………………………...
1.2. Erotic love ………………………………………….……
2. The end result of love relationship of the two main characters...
The Motivations of the Main Characters in Maintaining Their
Love Relationship ……....................................................................
1. Physiological need …………………………………………….
2. Security and safety …………………………………………….
3. Love and feelings of belonging ……………………………….
4. Competence, prestige, and esteem …………………………….
5. Self-fulfillment or self-actualization ………………………….
6. Curiosity and the need to understand …………………………
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CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ……………………………………………….
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BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………………….......
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APPENDIX ……………………………………………………………………..
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ABSTRACT
EFRIDA ITA. The Main Characters’ Motivations in Maintaining Their Love
Relationship as seen in Colleen McCullough’s The Thorn Birds. Yogyakarta:
Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2009.
This undergraduate thesis discusses a novel by Colleen McCullough entitled
The Thorn Birds. It is a story of a ten-year-old little girl, Meggie Cleary, a daughter of
a poor New Zealand farmer who does not get enough love, care and attention from
her parents and brothers. With her family, she moves to Australia on a request of her
wealthy aunt. Here she meets a priest who is 28 years old, Father Ralph de Bricassart
who adores her. From Father Ralph, Meggie gets love, care, attention and everything
that matters to a little girl. As Meggie grows older, their brotherly love relationship
slowly changes into erotic love. Although Father Ralph refuses to abandon his
priesthood and marry Meggie and Meggie decides to marry someone else, their love
relationship does not end here. This study deals with the two main characters‘
motivations in maintaining their love relationship.
There are three objectives in this study. Firstly, to find out how the
characteristics of the two main characters, Meggie Cleary and Father Ralph de
Bricassart are characterized. Secondly, to describe how the change of love
relationship of the two main characters carries on. Thirdly, to put forward the
motivations of Meggie and Father Ralph that make them so very much attached to
each other in spite of the fact that they both know that their love relationship is
against the law of the church and social norms.
To discuss the three objectives mentioned above the writer uses library
research to get the theories and information in connection with this study. The
primary data is a novel entitled The Thorn Birds and its secondary data are taken from
books on theory of character, love, motivation and the holy bible and also other
sources from internet. The psychological approach is applied in this study since the
topic deals with motivation.
There are three results of this study. Firstly, Meggie is a little girl who does
not get enough love, care and attention from her parents and her brothers. As a
daughter of a poor family, other people often look down on her and the fact makes
her a strong woman. Ralph, a sensible, honest, smart, kind, and wise priest who
always has something to give meets Meggie and he deliberately gives his love, care
and attention to Meggie. Secondly, the characteristics of the two main characters lead
them to a stage where they share a lot of things and in the end they fall in love. Their
love relationship is against church law and social norms but they decide to go on with
it. Thirdly, there are motivations that make the two main characters maintain their
love relationship. These motivations are listed respectively which means if the first
motivation is fulfilled then emerges the second, and if the first and the second are
gratified then comes the third one and so on. Physiological need which is the need of
food and the like; security and safety; love and feelings of belonging; competence,
prestige, and esteem; self-fulfillment or self-actualization; curiosity and the need to
understand.
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ABSTRAK
EFRIDA ITA. The Main Characters’ Motivations in Maintaining Their Love
Relationship as seen in Colleen McCullough’s The Thorn Birds. Yogyakarta:
Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2009.
Skripsi ini membahas sebuah novel karya Colleen McCullough yang berjudul
The Thorn Birds. Novel ini mengisahkan tentang seorang anak kecil berusia 10 tahun
bernama Meggie Cleary yang sebelumnya hidup di New Zealand dalam lingkaran
kemiskinan dan kekurangan kasih sayang (cinta) serta perhatian dari orangtua dan
saudara-saudaranya. Atas permintaan tantanya yang kaya raya, dia bersama
keluarganya kemudian migrasi ke Australia dan di sini dia bertemu dengan pastor
Ralph de Bricassart berusia 28 tahun yang sangat mengasihinya. Meggie
mendapatkan perhatian, kasih sayang, cinta dan segala sesuatu yang dibutuhkan oleh
seorang gadis kecil dari pastor ini. Hubungan yang berawal dari hubungan
persaudaraan murni ini akhirnya berubah menjadi hubungan percintaan. Namun
demikian, pastor Ralph tidak mau melepaskan imamatnya dan Meggie akhirnya
memutuskan untuk menikah dengan orang lain namun hal ini tidak mengakhiri kisah
cinta mereka. Skripsi ini menganalisis motivasi-motivasi hubungan percintaan kedua
tokoh utama tersebut.
Skripsi ini membahas tiga hal pokok. Pertama, mengidentifikasi karakterisasi
dua tokoh utama yaitu Meggie Cleary dan Pastor Ralph de Bricassart. Kedua,
menggambarkan perubahan cinta dari cinta persaudaraan menjadi cinta erotis yang
dialami oleh kedua tokoh tersebut. Ketiga, mengemukakan motivasi-motivasi yang
menyebabkan kedua tokoh ini tetap mempertahankan hubungan percintaan mereka
sekalipun melanggar hukum gereja dan norma-norma sosial.
Untuk membahas ketiga hal tersebut, penulis menggunakan studi kepustakaan
guna menemukan teori-teori yang berkaitan dan informasi-informasi yang membantu
studi ini. Data primer yaitu sebuah novel yang berjudul The Thorn Birds dan data
sekunder yaitu buku-buku yang berhubungan dengan teori karakter, teori cinta dan
teori motivasi dan juga Alkitab serta sumber-sumber lain yang berasal dari internet.
Karena topik yang dibahas adalah motivasi maka pendekatan psikologi digunakan
dalam studi ini.
Studi ini memperlihatkan tiga hasil. Pertama, Meggie adalah seorang anak
kecil yang kekurangan kasih sayang (cinta) dan perhatian dari kedua orangtua dan
saudara-saudaranya. Dia juga hidup dalam lingkaran kemiskinan sehingga seringkali
diremehkan. Situasi ini membuat dia menjadi seseorang yang sangat tegar dan
mandiri dalam menghadapi kehidupannya di masa depan. Pastor Ralph, seorang yang
penuh cinta, perhatian, bijaksana, jujur, cerdas, peka dan ramah terhadap semua
orang, bertemu dengan Meggie dan dengan sukarela memberikan perhatian, kasih
sayang (cinta) kepada Meggie. Kedua, karakteristik kedua tokoh ini menyebabkan
mereka saling berbagi dan saling memperhatikan yang pada akhirnya berubah
menjadi saling jatuh cinta. Ketiga, adanya motivasi-motivasi yang membuat kedua
karakter ini tetap mempertahankan dan melanjutkan hubungan cinta mereka
meskipun hubungan tersebut melanggar hukum gereja dan norma sosial. Motivasimotivasi tersebut secara berurutan dalam arti bila kebutuhun pertama terpenuhi maka
kebutuhan kedua akan muncul dan bila kebutuhan pertama dan kedua tercapai akan
timbul kebutuhan ketiga dan seterusnya. Kebutuhan-kebutuhan tersebut yaitu:
kebutuhan fisiologis (faali), kebutuhan akan keselamatan, kebutuhan akan rasa
memiliki dan rasa cinta, kebutuhan akan harga diri, kebutuhan akan perwujudan diri
dan kebutuhan untuk mengetahui dan memahami.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Love is an intense feeling of tender affection and compassion for somebody
such as a close relative or friend, or for other being like God or gods, or something
such as a place, an ideal, or an animal. When love comes to the case between a man
and a woman then it would be a feeling of romanticism and sexual desire and longing
for each other. Love is very much needed to make life more meaningful and more
beautiful and even to survive. Its joys and sorrows have inspired artists and poets,
novelists, filmmakers, and other students of human interaction – indeed, love and its
effects are probably one of the most pervasive themes in the art of literature of many
cultures. People need to love and to be loved. They starve for love. They watch
endless numbers of films about happy and unhappy love stories, such as Titanic,
Romeo and Juliet, Rama and Shinta, The Thorn Birds, There is Something About
Mary, Shrek, Cinderella and many others; they listen to hundreds of trashy songs
about love, yet hardly anyone thinks that there is anything that needs to be learned
about love.
Although everyone around the globe knows what love is and how to express it
accordingly, it is not so easy to get a complete definition about love. Carl Rogers as
quoted by Maslow in The Third Force: The Psychology of Abraham Maslow cites
that love is a stage of mutual understanding and is accepted wholeheartedly (1971:
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74). In the New Testament, St. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians said, ‗Love
suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed
up; does not behave rudely; does not seek its own; is not provoked, thinks no evil;
does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7). Despite the
definitions given, it is uneasy to understand exactly what love really is. Kephart as
quoted by Crooks and Baur in Our Sexuality states that when asked in one study, two
out of three college students were not sure they knew what love was (1983: 196).
People cannot deny that the existence of love can really change their heart and
mind and their whole life. The best and worst moments in somebody‘s life may be
tied to a love relationship. Love might drive people crazy. Some people even put their
lives to an end by committing suicide because of love while some others want to live
a thousand years because they meet the right persons to love or who love them. Love
is the motor to move one‘s machine; mind and body.
Here the writer tries to analyze one of the genres of the literary works, which
is a novel. Most novels involve many characters and tell a complex story or more
richly detailed tales by placing the characters in number of different situations. It can
be said that character is one of the most important elements in a story. There would
not be a story if there is no character. In this writing, the writer is determined to
discuss the two main characters of the novel The Thorn Birds by Colleen
McCullough. They are Father Ralph de Bricassart and Meggie Clearly. Murphy, in
Understanding Unseens states that just as life is a mixture of joy, disappointment,
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hope, sorrow, humor, suffering, success, so the greatest novels reflect life and are
compounded similarly of many elements (1972:133).
Nobody needs to be convinced that love relationships are important to our
lives, and nobody needs to be told that they are intriguing. There are many love
relationships in this world such as love relationship between parents and their
children, people and God, men and their pets or plants, one friend and the other and a
man and a woman and so on.
In this study, love relationship refers to the love between a married woman
and a catholic priest. The writer is interested to study the topic because it is an
unusual love story in which the two main characters, Father Ralph de Bricassart and
Meggie Clearly are very much in love but cannot be united in a marriage bond
because the male character is a Catholic priest who has taken the vow of chastity and
does not want to break it. Later on the female character gets married to a man whose
physical appearance is similar to Father Ralph. Their love does not stop at the stage
when Ralph refuses to break his chastity or Meggie gets married. On the contrary, it
goes on of course secretly until Meggie gives birth to a son, the son of Father Ralph.
They both know very well that their relationship is wrong but they feel so right. It is
clear here that Father Ralph does not want to abandon his priesthood but he cannot
avoid his feeling towards Meggie and Meggie who later accepts a status of being a
married woman cannot escape from thinking of Ralph. This is the big mystery of
love.
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There must be something in everything. Nobody wants to do something for
nothing. No matter how small a reward is expected from an action, still there is. One
wants to do something willingly or unwillingly because one is driven by a motivation.
Rules are applied in daily life anywhere. The rules are settled for special
purpose to control or govern our behavior and must be obeyed. But somehow rule
breaking are common occurrence. For example in a Catholic community, there is a
rule that a priest has to take a vow on celibacy. Those who have taken a vow in
celibacy especially priest are well-educated and they know exactly what they are
doing. Celibacy is a choice not to have an intimate, sexual relationship with another
person. Celibate people have to be able to control their sexual desire and instead they
shape it in certain ways toward God. Priesthood is very much honored as being a
priest means being a man of God.
A marriage is a serious aspect in life. It is not a game to play with. It is
expected to take place once in a life time. To make a marriage successful a couple
must have the basic thing which is love because love is one of the reasons why a man
and a woman are committed to a marriage life. A marriage has rules. The basic rule
of a marriage is a husband should be faithful to his wife and a wife has to be faithful
to her husband. James Whitehead and Evelyn Whitehead, in Marrying Well state that
marriage is a relationship, a commitment, and a lifestyle (1983: 20).
From this novel, the writer learns that the two main characters break the rules
of life. Meggie sleeps with another man and this man turns out to be a Catholic priest
even a Cardinal who has taken a vow of celibacy. To talk about a priest who is having
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sexual intercourse with a married woman is unthinkable, at least during the time the
author writes the book. But Colleen McCullough in her book entitled The Thorn
Birds talks about it. This book brings new life and light to the literature work that to
talk about sexual desire of celibacy is possible. If one does not know the story in
detail he or she would surely get angry with the fact that Cardinal de Bricassart is
having an affair with Meggie who is somebody‘s wife and she bears him a son. But
after reading the book one will understand why. Here readers are once again
enlightened that true love is so powerful that it finds its way and exceeds all things.
B. Problem Formulation
1). How are the main characters characterized in the novel?
2). How are the change of love relationship of the two main characters depicted?
3). What are the motivations that make the two main characters maintain their love
relationship?
C. Objectives of the Study
The aim of this writing is to present a discussion about the motivations of the
main characters in maintaining their love relationship from a novel by Colleen
McCullough entitled The Thorn Birds. The discussion is mainly to answer the three
questions in the problem formulation above.
Firstly, the writer finds out how the characteristics of the two main characters,
Meggie Cleary and Father Ralph de Bricassart, characterized. Secondly, the writer
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describes how the change of love relationship of the two main characters carries on.
Thirdly, the writer will put forward the motivations why Meggie and Father Ralph are
so very much attached to each other in spite of the fact that they both know that their
love relationship is against the law and norm.
D. Definition of Terms
1). Motivation
In his book Human Motivation, Franken defines motivation as the forces that
account for the arousal, direction, and persistence of behavior (2002: 9).
2). Love
Erich Fromm in his book, The Art of Loving, ―love is an activity, not a passive
affect; it is a ―standing in‖, not a ―falling for‖. In the most general way, the active
character of love can be described by stating that love is primarily giving, not
receiving‖ (1956: 18).
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CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
In this chapter, the discussion is divided into three sections. The first one is a
review of the related studies. Here the writer will provide some comments about
Colleen McCullough‘s The Thorn Birds. The second part is a review of related
theories, which consists of the theories that will be used to support the analysis. The
last one will be a theoretical framework, which tells readers how the theories will be
applied in analysis.
A. Review of Related Studies
In this part, the writer provides some comments and reviews about the novel,
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough.
Colleen McCullough is a master in weaving words to make a beautiful story.
Her The Thorn Birds is a page-turner book. This book brought her fame as well as
wealth.
That was all she expected authorship to bring her, but the astounding
success of her second novel, The Thorn Birds, changed all that. Even
before it was published in 1977, the American paperback rights were
sold for what was then a world record figure of $1.9 million. The
Thorn Birds went on to become an international bestseller and, in
1983, was adapted into a television miniseries which has become one
of the most-watched of all times. <http://calitreview.com/74+
review+of+the+thorn+birds+by+colleen+mccullough&hl=id&ct=clnk
&cd=9&gl=id, 2007>.
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Reading The Thorn Birds, readers will learn how true love will find its way in
one way or another. The author is so smart in describing things that readers can
understand why the characters of the novel act the way they do.
The title of the book is very apt as the sacrifice and pains of the bird is
likened to that of the protagonists as they sacrifice everything for their
love and to find true love. It talks about sublime love, a love so divine
that knows no demands, that seeks nothing in return, which longs for
nothing but love in return. It talks about the platonic relation which
two people truly deeply madly in love share, a relation, which remains
warm and cherished, unimpaired by the vagaries of mortal world. Like
the thorn bird, the protagonists keep forfeiting everything, for their
love for each other is so great, that nothing else would do. They are
willing to live their lives just with the thoughts of each other. It talks
of a love, which is so surreal that it nauseates someone who does not
understand the depth of love and it is true meaning.
<http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Thorn_Birds_Colleen_McCullough.
html, 2005>.
London Times said that The Thorn Birds is a story, which is superbly told.
Miss McCullough deals with the vast canvas of characters with assurance
<http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Thorn_Birds_-_Colleen_Mc-Cullogh-702771.html>
The Thorn Birds is written by Colleen McCullough. This epic family saga,
focusing on forbidden love between a married woman and a Catholic priest, was not
greeted with uniform praise by literary critics, especially the more cerebral ones.
―The fate of The Thorn Birds will certainly not hang on literary merit,‖ remarked a
Time reviewer. But the reading public had no such reservations, with the book soon
translated into more than 20 languages and winning fans for McCullough around the
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world.
It
also
brought
about
<http://www.mouthshut.com/review/
irrevocable
changes
in
her
life
Thorn_Birds_-_Colleen_McCullogh-70277-
1.html>
According to Fins, Resident Scholar, this is a literary classic full of beautifully
descriptive scenes that Colleen McCullough is famous for. The Thorn Birds is truly
one of the most sincere, tasteful, beautifully written love stories that can appease any
romantic story <http://www.allreaders.com/ Topics/info_3252.asp>.
Colleen McCullough has an expressive style of writing. While winning the
1983 Golden Globe award for Best Miniseries, The Thorn Birds was not without its
controversy. The subject matter - a priest breaking his vow of celibacy - was
contestable enough, but the fact that ABC chose to broadcast the program beginning
on Palm Sunday and running through Holy Week, raised the ire of the US Catholic
Conference <http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/tv/drama/ thornbirds.htm>.
The writer agrees with those comments. Colleen McCullough masterminds
her second novel, The Thorn Birds very well. She has the ability to manage the
conflicts and describes every aspect about Father de Bricassart and Meggie Cleary as
the central characters in the novel. And the very amazing thing is McCullough as a
woman author is extremely successful in portraying Father Ralph‘s feeling; she
makes it so wonderful and effects readers emotionally. The subject matter of the
novel, a priest breaking his vow of celibacy is contestable enough. No wonder this
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novel becomes the international bestseller and is adapted into one of the mostwatched television miniseries of all times.
The novel becomes an international bestseller and later the story is made into
a famous television miniseries because it tells about a love relationship of the two
main characters. Hence, this study is focused on the persistence of the two main
characters, Meggie Cleary and Father de Bricassart to maintain their love relationship
although they both know that it is against the law and norm.
Another study about The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough is conducted by
Retno Purwantiningsih under the title ‗Revealing Messages through the Development
of the Three Major Characters in Colleen McCullough‘s The Thorn Birds.‘ The three
major characters meant in this analysis are Fee, Meggie, and Justine. The focus of this
study is to find out the possible messages from the novel in which each generation is
doomed to repeat the missteps and failure of the previous generation.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
Every story basically reveals actions. To portray actions in a story, of course,
persons who do those actions are needed. In other word, if there is an action there
must be someone to act, the actor, the character. Character in literature in general and
especially in fiction is an extended verbal representation of a human being, the inner
self that determines thought, speech, and behavior. Through dialogue, action, and
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commentary, authors capture some of the interactions of character and circumstance.
Fiction makes these interactions interesting by portraying characters who are worth
caring about, rooting for, and even loving, although there are also character at whom
you laugh or whom you may dislike or even hate.
Characters are defined by Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms as the
persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader
as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional equalities that expressed
in what they say (the dialogue) and by what they do (the action) (1993: 23-25).
In Microsoft Encarta 2008 Microsoft Corporation, the characters of a book
are the fictional figures who move through the plot. They are invented by the author
and are made of words rather than of flesh and blood. Therefore they cannot be
expected to have all the attributes of real human beings. Nevertheless, novelists do try
to create fictional people whose situations affect the reader as the situations of real
people would.
According to Stanton, in An Introduction to Fiction, the use of term
―character‖ refers to two different usages. It designates the individual who appears in
the story and it may refer to the description of attitudes, desires, emotions, interests,
and moral principles that these individuals have (1965:17). He adds that character in a
story can be categorized into two different types: major character and minor
character. Major character is a character that may dominate the whole story and is
frequently presented in it. Meanwhile, the minor character is presented in order to
11
explain and help the other characters, especially the major character (1965:17-18). He
also defines character through our knowledge of the characters. We understand their
actions. Through their actions, we understand the characters. So, in order to
understand the characters, the readers must first understand the actions of all the
characters in the story. To analyze more about character is not enough only from his
or her actions, but also from their dialogue (1965:18).
Authors describe the more simple characters in novels with no more than a
few phrases that identify the character‘s most important traits. These characters have
little capacity for personal growth, and they appear in the novel as limited but
necessary elements of the plot. Despite their small parts, such characters are often
vivid.
Perrine in his book, Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense defines a
character into two: static character and dynamic character. He describes that all
fictional characters can be classified as static or dynamic.
a. Static character
Such character does not undergo a change. Such character will have the same
characteristics from the beginning he made until the end of the story (1974:71).
b. Dynamic character
Dynamic character is also called a developing character. The character will change
in certain conditions and it can be developed under some possibilities. The
developing or dynamic character undergoes a permanent change in some aspects of
12
his or her character, personality or outlook. The change may be for a large or a
small one, it may be better or worse; but it is something important or basis
(1974:71).
Murphy in Understanding Unseens: An Introduction to English Poetry and
the English Novel of Overseas Students, there are nine ways in which an author
attempts to make his characters understandable to and come alive for his readers.
Those nine ways are:
a. Personal description
The author can describe a character by using the appearance and clothes; through
the appearance readers will be easily noticeable, whether he is handsome, tall, thin,
like parts of the body of the character and the clothes she or he wears (1972: 161162).
b. Characters as seen by another
The author can describe a character through the opinions, attitudes, view, and
comments of other characters instead of describing a character by himself. The
readers will catch a reflected image of the characters the author means (1972: 162).
c. Speech
The author can explain a character through the way she or he speaks and the
language she or he uses in a conversation with another, whenever she or he puts
forward an opinion, so readers will get an insight into the characteristics (1972:
164-166).
13
d. Past life
Using the past life the author can present a clue to events that help to shape
characteristics by giving the readers the character‘s past life. This is reasonably
helpful to analyze the motives that a character has when he has a particular
characteristic or does something extraordinary (1972: 166).
e. Conversation of others
This means the author can provide an explanation about a character through the
conversation of other characters and what they say about him or her.
From this
readers will learn that what others say about a character may reveal what kind of
characters she or he is (1972: 167-168).
f. Reactions
The author can describe the characteristics by displaying the way a character‘s
responses or reactions to various situations and events in a story. The reaction may
give a clue to what characteristics a character has (1972: 168-170).
g. Direct comment
This becomes the best way for the readers to imagine the characteristics of the
character when the author gives comments and descriptions on it directly because
the readers will know what the author precisely wants to reveal (1972: 170-171).
h. Thoughts
The author can give readers a direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about.
The author can tell readers what different people are thinking (1972: 171-172).
14
i. Mannerism
A person‘s mannerism, habits or idiosyncrasies can also be characterized by the
author to tell readers something about the character‘s characteristics (1972: 173).
In fiction an author usually reveals the characters of imaginary person. The
ability to characterize is a primary aspect of a good writer. In A Handbook to
Literature Harmon and Halmon define characterization as the creation of these
imaginary persons so that they exist for the reader as lifelike (1986: 81). In A
Handbook of Literary Terms, Yelland, Jones and Easton express that the foundation
or basis of all good fiction is character-creation and nothing else and it perhaps one of
the highest aims of literary art. It is generally agreed that the events of a story should
flow naturally from the characters of those involved (1953: 30-31).
2. Theory of Motivation
People conduct an action with motivation. This motivation leads them to
behave in their manner to get some achievement. It would be impossible to discover
motivation unless behavior was organized. It means that motivation cannot be
observed if one does not conduct series of behavior.
The American psychologist, Abraham Maslow, in his book entitled Motivasi
dan Kepribadian devises a six-level hierarchy of motivations that, according to his
theory, determine human behavior. Maslow ranks human needs as follows: (1)
physiological; is the basic need, the need of food and the like also commonly known
15
as hunger drive; (2) Security and safety; if the physiological needs are relatively well
gratified, there then emerges a new set of needs, which we may categorize roughly as
the safety needs; (3) Love and feelings of belonging; if both the physiological and the
safety needs are already met, then there will be love and affection and belongingness
needs; (4) Competence, prestige, and esteem; people who live together with others
have a need or desire for a stable, firmly based, high evaluation of themselves, for
self-respected, or self-esteem, and for the esteem of other; (5) Self-fulfillment or selfactualization; even if all these needs are satisfied, people may still often (if not
always) expect that a new discontent and restlessness will soon develop, unless the
individual is doing what he is fitted for; (6) Curiosity and the need to understand;
when all the above mentioned needs are met people would have other need and that is
the need to satisfy their sense of curiosity and the need to understand things (1984:
39-57). In short, people want to see rather than to be blind.
3. Theory of Love
According to Josef Pieper as it is stated in his book entitled About Love, there
are three kinds of love: Agape, Eros and Philia. Agape refers to an unselfish love. It
has nothing to do with lust or desire. Usually, Agape refers to love to God. Eros is a
kind of love with human ego as the base, which is full of desire. Philia refers to a
universal love. In other words, it can also be called as friendship or solidarity among
human beings in general (1974: 12, 60-61).
16
Forster in Aspects of Novel and Related Writings simplifies the meaning of
love as ―the desire to give and to get‖ (1974: 35). Love is defined by Sadler in Living
A Same Sex Life Before and After Marriage as a feeling of attraction and a sense of
self-surrender arising out of a need and directed toward an object that offers hope of
gratification (1944: 134-135). Crooks and Baur cite that love is a special kind of
attitude with strong emotional and behavioral components (1983: 196).
Erich Fromm in his book The Art of Loving, says that love is an action, the
practice of human power which can be practiced only in freedom and never as the
result of a compulsion (1956: 22). In a more elaborate way, he describes that there are
five types of love. They are: brotherly love, motherly love, erotic love, self-love and
love of God.
a. Brotherly love is a love for all human beings. It is the most fundamental kind of
love which is about the sense of responsibility, care, respect, knowledge of any
other human being. The beginning of brotherly love is the love of the helpless one,
love of the poor and the stranger. Man begins to develop love for his brother by
having compassion for the helpless one. The basic of brotherly love is equality, that
all human beings are one.
b. Motherly love is the love of parents especially mother to the children. This is an
unconditional love, the love for the helpless.
17
c. Erotic love is the craving for complete fusion, for union with one other person. It is
by its very nature exclusive and not universal; it also perhaps the most deceptive
form of love there is.
d. Self-love is the love to oneself. Many people think that self-love is other form of
selfish. Actually it is not. To love one‘s own self is the basic of love itself. How can
one love someone else if one does not love oneself? The Holy Bible says ‗Love thy
neighbor as thy self‘ (Matthews 22:39). It is clear hear that before one loves
someone else out there one first has to love oneself.
e. Love of God is the religious form of love. It is a love devoted to a higher Being
(1956: 39-69).
In Love and Sex: Cross-Cultural Perspective, Hatfield and Rapson classify
love into two types. They are passionate love and companionate love.
a. Passionate love is a ―hot,‖ intense emotion, sometimes called a crush, obsessive
love, lovesickness, head-over-heel in love, infatuation, or being in love. Passionate
love has been defined as a ―longing for union.‖ They define it this way:
A state of intense longing for union with another. Passionate love is a
complex functional whole including appraisals or appreciations,
subjective feelings, expressions, patterned physiological process,
action tendencies, and instrumental behaviors (1996:3).
In Our Sexuality, passionate love is also known as romantic love or
infatuation, is a state of extreme absorption in another. It is characterized by intense
feelings of tenderness, elation, anxiety, sexual desire, and ecstasy. Strong sexual
18
desire is typically a major component. Another characteristic of intense passionate
love is that it often does not last very long (Crooks & Baur, 1983: 208-209).
b. Companionate love (sometimes called true love or marital love) is a ―warm,‖ far
less intense emotion. It combines feelings of deep attachment, commitment, and
intimacy. They define it this way:
The affection and tenderness we feel for those with whom our lives are
deeply entwined. Companionate love is a complex functional whole
including appraisals or appreciations, subjective feelings, expressions,
patterned physiological process, action tendencies, and instrumental
behaviors (1996: 3).
In Our Sexuality, companionate love is a less intense emotion. It is
characterized by friendly affection and a deep attachment that is based on extensive
familiarity with the loved one. It involves a thoughtful appreciation of one‘s partner.
Companionate love often encompasses a tolerance for another‘s shortcomings along
with a desire to overcome difficulties and conflicts in a relationship. Companionate
love may develop first in a situation where two people know each other for an
extended period as acquaintances, friends, or coworkers.
Companionate love has also been described as a mutative relationship. This
notion implies that the two individuals in a love relationship, as well as the
relationship itself, continually generate change. This kind of relationship has a
dynamic quality that helps satisfy the often contradictory human desires for both
security and excitement. The people in this relationship grow and change, sometimes
in response to individual challenges, sometimes in response to the relationship itself.
19
The partners share a sense of collaboration in their joint life, exhibit a great deal of
empathy for each other, and demonstrate a high degree of androgyny (Crooks &
Baur, 1983: 210).
4. The Relation between Literature and Psychology
Literature and psychology have a close relation though they come from the
different field. Literature is defined by Hudson in his book, An Introduction to the
Study of Literature, as the expression of human‘s life through the medium of
language (1960: 10), whereas psychology as stated in Microsoft Encarta 2008 is the
scientific study of human mind and mental states, and of human behavior. From the
definitions of the two fields, literature and psychology we can see that actually both
have a similarity. Both have the same object that is human being.
Kennedy and Gioia in Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and
drama, said that modern psychology has had an immense effect on both literature and
literary criticism. By exploring new and controversial areas such as wish-fulfillment,
sexuality, the unconscious, and repression it has changed our notions behaviour
(1999: 1947). We can say that it will be very helpful to analyze and understand more
about characters‘ mind and attitudes in the way they say, they act in a literary work
based on psychological interpretation.
C. Theoretical Framework
In this section the writer uses some theories as explained previously. The
theories have their own contribution to the analysis. They are the theory of character
and characterization, the theory of motivation and the theory of love.
20
The main characters that will be analyzed are Father Ralph and Meggie. To
understand those characters the writer uses the theory of character and
characterization. This theory is used to analyze Father Ralph and Meggie‘s attitude
from the beginning to the end of the novel.
The second theory is the theory of motivation. The use of this theory is to see
the motivations that make the two main characters keep up their love relationship.
The third theory is the theory of love. This theory is needed to identify the
love that binds the two main characters in the novel.
21
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
Colleen McCullough is a native Australian was born on June 1, 1937 in
Wellington, Central West New South Wales. McCullough attended Holy Cross
College, Sydney and finding temporary employment as a teacher, librarian, bus
driver, and journalist, McCullough eventually settled into work as a neurophysiology
researcher in Sydney and London, and finally the Yale University School of Internal
Medicine, where she remained from 1967 to 1976. While at Yale, McCullough wrote
Tim as her first novel (1974) and The Thorn Birds (1977) in the evening hours after
work, both of which she sought to publish as a source of additional income. With the
enormous success of The Thorn Birds, McCullough abandoned her scientific
employment to devote her full attention to writing. She soon left the United States for
the quiet isolation of Norfolk Island, an idyllic locale in the remote South Pacific.
There she met Ric Robinson, a former house painter; they married in 1984.
Some of Colleen‘s works have been made into films such as Tim in 1981 and
the popular miniseries adaptation of The Thorn Birds which aired in 1983. Since
McCullough's resettlement to Norfolk Island, she has produced additional best-selling
novels, including An Indecent Obsession, A Creed for the Third Millennium, The
Ladies of Missalonghi (1987), and the first four volumes of her Masters of Rome
22
series—The First Man in Rome, The Grass Crown (1991), Fortune's Favorites
(1993), and Caesar's Women (1996).
The Thorn Birds was written by Colleen McCullough and was destined to be
the one of the biggest selling. The miniseries The Thorn Birds was broadcast on ABC
between 27 and 30 March 1983. While winning the 1983 Golden Globe Award for
Best Miniseries, The Thorn Birds was not without its controversy. The subject matter
- a priest breaking his vow of celibacy - was contestable enough, but the fact that
ABC chose to broadcast the program beginning on Palm Sunday and running through
Holy Week, raised the ire of the US Catholic Conference and TV Guide, in fact, has
listed The Thorn Birds as one of the top 20 programs of the 1980s
<http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-literarycriticism/McCulloughColleen>
(22
August 2008).
The Thorn Birds was published by Futura Publications, A Division of
MacDonald & Co. and it has seven chapters. Every chapter used the name of the
characters on this novel. First chapter is Meggie 1915-1917, second chapter is Ralph
1921-1928, third chapter is Paddy 1929-1932, fourth is Luke 1933-1938, fifth is Fee
1938-1953, sixth is Dane 1954-1965, and the last is Justine 1965-1969.
The Thorn Birds tells about the story of the two main characters, Meggie
Cleary and Father Ralph de Bricassart. It begins in 1915 when Paddy Cleary, a poor
New Zealand farmer, with his wife and their seven children move to Drogheda,
Australia. There Meggie, the only daughter of the family who is 10 years old and very
23
beautiful meets Father Ralph de Bricassart, the handsome parish priest who is 28
years of age. Father Ralph loves Meggie so much, the way a priest loves a little girl.
As time goes by their love changes to the love of a man and a woman although they
both realize that they will never be tied as a married couple because Ralph is a
faithful priest. Meggie then finds a husband, Luke O‘Neill, a man who does not really
love her and from this marriage a daughter is born. The relationship between Father
Ralph and Meggie goes on until they have a son.
B. Approach of the Study
To gain the right conclusion of this study, the writer has to apply a suitable
approach to analyze it. This approach will help the writer to reach the conclusion.
Since the topic of the study deals with love relationship and the motivation, the writer
uses psychological approach in analyzing the work. By applying this approach, the
writer can understand character‘s mind and behavior well.
In A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature, Guerin states that
psychological approach is a controversial approach. The boundary of the
psychological approach is its aesthetic inadequacy. It means that psychological
approach can afford many useful clues toward solving a work‘s thematic and
symbolic mysteries, but it can also seldom account for the beautiful symmetry of a
well-wrought literary work. The psychological approach concerns with the motives
that underlying human behavior (1979: 121). He adds that psychological approach is
24
an excellent tool for ―reading beneath the lines‖ (1979: 121). However, the
psychological approach can be fascinating and rewarding since its proper application
to interpret the literary work can enhance the researcher‘s understanding and
appreciation of literature. The approach lets the readers to analyze character‘s
psychology or situations in the literary works (1979: 125).
Rohrberger and Woods in Reading and Writing about Literature said that
psychological approach draws a different body of knowledge. This approach involves
the effort to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent patterns, such as a man‘s
capacity for creation and the complexity of his thought and behavior. Those contents
of this region of mind find the expression in symbolic words, thoughts, and actions
(1971: 15).
In Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama by Kennedy and
Gioia cite that modern psychology has had an immense effect on both literature and
literary criticism. Psychological criticism is a diverse category, but it often employs
three approaches. First, it investigates the creative process of the artist: what is the
nature of literary genius, and how does it relate to normal mental functions? The
second major area for psychological criticism is the psychological study of a
particular artist. Most modern literary biographies employ psychology to understand
their subject‘s motivations and behavior. The third common area of psychological
criticism is the analysis of fictional character (1999: 1947).
25
C. Method of the Study
In this writing, the writer used the method of library research. All the sources
were taken from books and other writings such as reviews on internet that supported
the topic of the discussion.
There were two kinds of resources used in this study. The primary source of
the research was taken from a novel entitled The Thorn Birds written by Colleen
McCullough. The secondary sources were taken from books on literature related to
the theory on character and characterization, theory on motivation and theory on love
such as M. H Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms, A Handbook of Critical
Approaches to Literature by Wilfred L. Guerin, Perrine in Literature: Structure,
Sound and Sense, Marrying Well by James Whitehead and Evelyn Whitehead,
Reading and Writing about Literature by Rohrberger and Woods, Literature: An
Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama by Kennedy and Gioia, E. M. Forster in
Aspects of Novels and related writings, The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm, and the
other books. There were also theories and reviews taken from encyclopedia such as
Encarta and websites.
The writer underwent a few steps in doing this research. The first step was
reading and re-reading the novel again and again to grasp the meaning and the nature
of the novel and its details which was much needed in the process of writing this
work. Secondly, the writer decided the topic of the study to be discussed which was
the main characters‘ motivations to maintain their love relationship. The third step
26
was collecting sources of theories, views and other information needed for the
research.
The next step, armed with knowledge from various prominent sources and the
ability to grasp the meaning of the novel wholly, the writer conducted the analysis by
answering the questions in the problem formulation. Finally, the discussion arrived at
its conclusion.
27
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
In this analysis, the writer will divide the study into three parts to answer the
questions formulated in the problem formulation. The first part is to analyze the
characterization of Meggie Cleary and Father Ralph de Bricassart. The second part is
to describe how their love relationship of the two main characters portrayed. In the
third part the writer puts forward the motivations that make the two main characters
maintain their love relationship in spite of the fact that they both know very well that
their relationship is against law and norm.
A. The Characterization of Meggie Cleary and Father de Bricassart
1. Meggie Cleary
Meggie Cleary is a sweet little girl, a daughter of a poor New Zealand farmer.
She is the only daughter out of nine children of the Cleary family. Every one in her
son-oriented family never thinks that she is important. As a child, she does not get
enough love, care and attention from her parents and also brothers.
They took no notice of Meggie as she stood crying; it did not occur to
her to seek help, for in the Cleary family those who could not fight
their own battles got scant aid or sympathy, and that went for girls, too
(p.15).
28
She is a beautiful girl with silver-grey eyes of such a lambent purity, like
melted jewels and hair of a color which defied description, not red and not gold, a
perfect fusion of both.
‗She is so pretty, your daughter. I have a fondness for titian hair, you
know. Hers would have sent the artist running for his brushes. I have
never seen exactly that color before.‘ (p. 91)
‗Meggie, you were by far the prettiest girl at the party, …‘(p. 167).
Meggie suffers a great deal for being the daughter of one of the have-nots as
she is often underestimated by her friends and teachers. She often becomes the target
of her teacher‘s cruelty. No matter how small a mistake she makes, she is punished
severely. She is not given the chance to explain and to reason.
‗Why did she cane all of us, Frank?‘ Meggie asked.
‗We are poor, Meggie, that‘s the main reason. The nuns always hate
poor pupils. … They can do what they like to us…‘ (p. 41).
Meggie is actually a smart child if not brilliant. In the first months of her
schooling, she manages to learn how to read and write. She finds arithmetic easy but
she cannot overcome her fear to Sister Agatha, her teacher. And this makes her look
so very stupid.
For it was always her slate Sister Agatha held help up to sneer at,
always her laboriously written sheets of paper Sister Agatha used to
demonstrate the ugliness of untidy work (p. 45).
Meggie‘s being left-handed causes her a great pain to bear. Although it is not
her fault that she is not born right-handed but her teacher, Sister Agatha makes it
clear that it is a big sin to be left-handed. In Sister Agatha‘s mind God‘s children are
all right-handed; left-handed children are the spawn of the devil. So Meggie has to
29
switch. How can she do it when all her muscles are automatically formed to be lefthanded?
Sister Agatha won the battle. One morning line-up she tied Meggie‘s
left arm against her body with a rope, and would not undo it until the
dismissal bell rang at three in the afternoon. Even at lunch time she
had to eat, walk around and play games with her left side firmly
immobilized (p. 46).
She is the most adorable girl as she behaves herself well and is not whiny. She
is not spoiled or demanding. Many little girls of her age especially being the only
daughter in the family will have so many things to ask. In the beginning poverty
forbids her to ask for things she likes but even when their life improves and money is
not a problem any more she still does not ask for them. She loves to experience some
new things in life but if once she asks for it and is denied she will not push.
Meggie learned to ride forthwith. For years she had longed for the
chance, had once timidly ventured to ask her father might she, but he
had forgotten the next moment and she never asked again, thinking
that was Daddy‘s way of saying no (p. 154)
Her social life becomes a lot easier in Drogheda of Australia because she
becomes the niece of the richest woman in New South Wales. Soon she learns that
riches do help to stop those cynical eyes from staring at her or even more to make
them staring with admiration.
Meggie and Stuart found it a strange, peaceful existence at the Holy
Cross after their life on Drogheda, but especially after the Secret Heart
in Wahine. Father Ralph had subtly indicated to the nuns that this pair
of children were his protégées, their aunt the richest woman in New
South Wales (p. 104).
No one caned them, no one shouted at them, … (p. 104).
30
She is an obedient child. Knowing that her mother cannot run the household
anymore on her own, she gives up school and returns home to help her mother. She
does all the endless jobs of a mother day in day out without any complaints.
In spite of the drudgery, the knitting, and mending and sewing, the
washing, the ironing, the hens, all the other jobs she had to do, Meggie
found her life very pleasant (p. 127).
She is a born mother for she is able to perform with pleasure the duty of
grown-ups by taking care of the house works and her little brothers at her age, an age
when most children will be out there, playing and having fun.
Just like a tiny mother, she was. It had to be a thing born in them, he
mused, that peculiar obsession women had for infants, else at her age
she would have regarded it as a duty rather than pure pleasure, and
been off to do something more alluring as fast as she could (p. 131).
Hardship in her early childhood life has turned her into a tough girl. Tears are
not easily shed. Crying is not her way of dealing with difficult things and situation.
Meggie sat down on a vacant chair and folded her hands in her lap.
Oh, he was hers and he was dead! Little Hal, whom she had cared for
and loved and mothered (p. 136).
No, not a thing to cry over; … (p. 136).
Meggie is a tough, patient, strict and hard working woman. She does not
easily give up although she faces difficult situation during her married life with Luke.
While Luke works as a sugar cane cutter and lives in a barrack with other cutters, he
finds her a job as a housemaid so that he does not have to spend money to rent a
house of their own. She does her job well although every month her salary goes to
Luke‘s account. This goes on for a few years even until they have a daughter. But at a
certain point Meggie decides to leave Luke behind. She leaves and she never looks
back or regrets it.
31
2. Father de Bricassart
Ralph de Bricassart is a good looking Irishman who deliberately chooses to
serve God by being a Catholic priest. The walk of life he picks has led him to a
remote parish called Gillanbone of Australia to serve Christian community there. This
young and smart priest is sent to Gillanbone when he is 28 years of age.
‗How old are you? She asked without further preamble.
‗Twenty-eight,‘ he replied (p.70).
….enjoying his beauty, his attractiveness,… In all her life she could
not remember seeing a better-looking man, … (p.71).
Gillanbone is an isolated parish and if a priest is sent out here then he must
have made a big mistake for it is more a place for punishment then a place to perform
priesthood duty.
‗…. What did you do, to make them send someone like you out here
into the back of beyond?‘
‗I insulted the bishop,‘ he said calmly, smiling (p. 70).
A priest might leave his priesthood rather than put up with Gillanbone but
Ralph de Bricassart is a faithful man of God.
‗…..Why not leave the priesthood rather than put up with it? … (p.71)
‗My dear Mrs. Carson, you are a Catholic. You know my vows are
sacred. Until my death I remain a priest. I cannot deny it. ... I am a
vessel, Mrs. Carson, and at times I‘m filled with God. If I were a better
priest, there would be no periods of emptiness at all. And that filling,
that oneness with God, isn‘t function of a place. Whether I‘m in
Gillanbone or a bishop‘s palace, it occurs‘ (p.72).
Father Ralph de Bricassart obeys Jesus, his master‘s words to the fullest
extent that a priest is there to serve not to be served. This patient and kindhearted
priest is so popular with every member of his flock, rich and poor. He would not
32
mind traveling a great distance on horseback to see his more remote parishioners if
they cannot get into the parish center.
‗... until Mary Carson had given him his car he had gone on horseback.
His patience and kindness had brought him liking from all and sincere
love from some; … (p. 73).
Father Ralph is a wise sensible man for he can easily recognize if there is
someone around in need of help. This caring shepherd will have no doubt to give a
hand even if he has to demonstrate personal affection openly. It is not his nature to
leave someone who needs his help behind.
It had begun with pity that day in the dusty station yard when he had
noticed her legging behind: set apart from the rest of her family by
virtue of her sex, he had shrewdly guessed (p.105).
‗… - but I can‘t permit my favorite girl to muddy her shoes, now can
I?‘ (p. 112).
He picked Meggie up and tucked her easily against his hip,…. (p.
112).
Used to the touch-me-not reserve of some other priests, many people will find
it hard to cope with Father Ralph‘s easy, cheerful bonhomie. He is the kind of priest
who takes care of his people well. People who come to him never feel that he looks
down on them, or blame them for their weaknesses. He does not like to burden his
people with his deeds or his words.
Many priests left their people feeling guilty, worthless or bestial but he
never did (p. 150).
Ralph is an honest man. To women who are interested in him personally, he
tells them clearly that he is a priest and he will never leave God, never leave the
33
church and never abandon his priesthood under any circumstances. His love for them
is the love of a priest, a shepherd towards his flock not the love of a man to a woman.
‗When I say I love you, I don‘t mean I love you as a man. I am a
priest, not a man. So don‘t fill your head with the dreams of me (p.
182).
No doubt that Ralph de Bricassart is a talented and brilliant priest that in his
later career he is chosen a Bishop, an Archbishop, a Cardinal, a Papal Legate and
finally a personal Holy Father‘s aide.
B. The Change and the End Result of Love Relationship of the Two Main
Characters
This section is divided into two parts. The first part is the description of the
change of love relationship of the two main characters from brotherly love into erotic
love. And the second part is the end result of their love relationship. This love
relationship is worth analyzing because Ralph is a priest and he does not want to
abandon his priesthood while Meggie is a married woman but they decide to maintain
their love relationship in spite of the fact that they know exactly it is against social
norm and church law.
1. The description of the change of love relationship
Erich Fromm, in his book The Art of Loving, stated that there are five types of
love. They are brotherly love, motherly love, erotic love, self-love and love of God
(1956: 39-69). This analysis will deal with two kinds of love out of the five namely
brotherly love and erotic love. These two types of love are suitable to be applied in
34
the story of Ralph and Meggie because their relationship starts with a brotherly love
and ends up with an erotic love.
1. 1. Brotherly love
As explained in the related theories, brotherly love is a love for all human
beings. It is the most fundamental kind of love which is about the sense of
responsibility, care, respect, knowledge of any other human being. The beginning of
brotherly love is the love of the helpless one, love of the poor and the stranger. Man
begins to develop love for his brother by having compassion for the helpless one.
In the beginning, the love between Father Ralph and Meggie is a brotherly
love. Their first meeting occurs in a dusty station yard of Australia when Meggie is
ten years old and Ralph, a parish priest, is twenty eight years of age. With his well
trained eyes, Ralph can easily spot that Meggie who is tailing behind, lacks of love,
care and attention from her big family. Knowing that Meggie belongs to a son
oriented family Ralph gives her as much of his company as he can. He even helps her
in decorating her room at the presbytery. He fills the emptiness in Meggie‘s life.
Meggie is a helpless, a poor and a stranger little girl and Ralph cares for her, respects
her, listens to her and he speaks to her in a way she can understand. There is nothing
wrong with his love toward Meggie because she is a child of ten years old and he is a
priest.
‗she was a child and therefore no danger to his way of life or his
priestly reputation…(p. 105).
Right from the beginning Ralph is interested in Meggie‘s physical appearance.
He can see something unique in Meggie. She is different from any other little girls he
has ever met.
35
…and Meggie. The sweetest, the most adorable little girl he had ever
seen; hair of a colour which defied description, not red and not gold, a
perfect fusion of both. And looking up at him with silver-grey eyes of
such a lambent purity, like melted jewels (p. 88).
Ralph watches Meggie grows from a very close distance, even much closer
than Fee, Meggie‘s own mother. He often wonders how a girl of her age can perform
the duty of grown-ups by taking care of the house works and also her little brothers.
Meggie does everything with pleasure. To her, whatever she does is not a sacrifice.
She is a born mother. In his eyes Meggie is amazing.
Just like a tiny mother, she was. It had to be a thing born in them, he
mused, that peculiar obsession women had for infants, else at her age
she would have regarded it as a duty rather than pure pleasure, and
been off to do something more alluring as fast as she could (p. 131).
There are two people Meggie adores in her life. The first one is Frank, her
eldest brother. Frank spends a lot of time with her. He often explains things to her in a
way that she can understand. It is too bad that Frank does not stay long with her as he
runs away. And the second man is Father Ralph de Bricassart who also spends so
much time with her. They both talk to her as if she were their equal.
Sandwiched between the two men she worshipped, and hanging on to
their hands for dear life, Meggie was in seventh heaven (p. 111).
Since Frank flees away Meggie relies on Father Ralph de Bricassart. He is her
shoulder to cry on, her wall to lean on and her ray of sunshine in the midst of rain.
He was her friend, the cherished idol of her heart, the new sun in her
firmament (p. 150).
Ralph in Meggie‘s eyes has more things to offer compare to Frank. He is the
source of her knowledge about everything she cannot find in books.
As far as Meggie was concerned, he talked to her the way Frank had
talked to her….. But he was older, wiser and far better educated than
Frank ….. (p. 150).
36
Meggie turns to Ralph when she is fighting with her own thoughts as she
thinks that she is dying of cancer due to the fact that she has been having painful
stomach, and blood has been running out of her bottom, and Father Ralph, as usual
assures her that she is not dying. After a thoughtful moment in a very careful way he
enlightens her that what she has is not a cancer. It is called menstruation.
‗In years to come, as you grow older and learn more about the ways of
the world, you might be tempted to remember today with
embarrassment, even shame. But don‘t remember today like that,
Meggie. There‘s absolutely nothing shameful or embarrassing about it.
In this, as in everything I do, I am simply the instrument of Our Lord.
It is my only function on this earth:….(p. 149).
‗You‘re only doing what all women do, Meggie. Once a month for
several days you‘ll pass blood….(p.149).
Their brotherly love has bound them together. Meggie as a little girl trusts
Ralph wholeheartedly while Father Ralph as a priest proves that he can be relied on.
Meggie takes him as her mentor and Ralph acts accordingly as he truly cares for
Meggie. For Meggie, he is willing to go deep inside a woman‘s world and unfolds the
secrets of womanhood.
1. 2. Erotic love
Erotic love, according to Erich Fromm in his book entitled The Art of Loving,
is the craving for complete fusion, for union with one other person. It is by its very
nature exclusive and not universal; it also perhaps the most deceptive form of love
there is (1956: 44-48).
In line with Meggie‘s physical growth, their brotherly love slowly changes
into an erotic love. In her late teens, Meggie‘s adoration of Father Ralph has turned
into an ardent, very girlish crush.
……. she permitted herself the luxury of dreaming about him, of
wondering what it would be like to be held in his arms, receive his kiss
(p. 154).
37
Ralph has always been so impressed and proud of Meggie‘s beauty. In his
eyes Meggie shines all the other young ladies down.
‗Meggie, you were by far the prettiest girl at the party, …..‘ (p. 167).
He tells Meggie not to call him Father Ralph all the time, which means
sometimes she can call him Ralph, ‗Ralph only‘. It indicates that at some point he
wants Meggie to take him as any other men.
‗….. Please take it, Father.‘
‗My name is Ralph,‘ he said (p. 242).
He is not annoyed with Meggie and Meggie also does not get angry with him
when under the force of circumstances they manage to kiss each other on their lips.
As he bent his head to come at her cheek she raised herself on tiptoe,
and more by luck than good management touched his lips with her
own (p. 183).
They probably do not kiss each other on purpose but this kiss stays a long
time in their hearts vividly.
Yet the ache for father Ralph was there, too, the memory of his kiss
something to be dreamed about, treasured, felt again a thousand times
(p. 203).
…he missed the human affection he had known on Drogheda. He told
himself nothing had changed when he yielded to a passing weakness
and kissed Meggie back;...(p.214).
There are other moments when Ralph and Meggie are aware that their close
relationship might lead them to a stage of an erotic love since Meggie is not a child
any more.
He found her mouth, force it open hungrily, wanting more and more of
her, not able to hold her close enough to assuage the ghastly drive
growing in him. She gave him her neck, bared her shoulders where the
38
skin was cool, smoother and glossier than satin; it was like drowning,
sinking deeper and deeper, gasping and helpless (p. 234).
Since Ralph is assigned a new post in Rome as the aide of the Holy Father, he
finds it a must to say good bye to Meggie who at that moment is having a holiday on
Matlock Island, an island known for its privacy. Ralph travels to Matlock Island
under the name of Luke O‘Neill. Now they are on their own, just the two of them.
There is no priest, no little kid of ten years old. There are only Ralph of forty four and
Meggie of twenty six. He comes to say good bye but circumstance leads them
somewhere else. He feels sorry for his poor Meggie for being deserted by her
husband. Ralph is totally ruled by his emotion and desires.
….he bent his head, groped with his mouth for hers, found it (p. 354)
Did he carry her to the bed, or did they walk? He thought he must have
carried her, but he could not be sure; only that she was on it, he was
there upon it, … (p. 354).
He wrapped his arms about her and looked down with eyes full of
tears at the still, faintly lit face, watched its rosebud mouth drop open,
gasp, become a helpless O of astonished pleasure. Her arms and legs
were round him, living ropes which bound him to her, … (p. 355).
Meggie tells Ralph that in Matlock Island and Drogheda, Ralph belongs to her
only. In Drogheda he deliberately comes to Meggie‘s room.
‗Were you sure I‘d come to you, Meggie?‘
‗I told you. On Drogheda you‘re mine. Had you not come to me, I‘d
have gone to you, make no mistake‘ (p. 442).
In the end Ralph and Meggie are lovers. Like any lovers, they know that their
relationship is wrong, but they feel so right. Their brotherly love has been
39
transformed into erotic love. They both are happy with this love transformation
although they realize that it is full of conflict.
2. The end result of love relationship of the two main characters
Ralph de Bricassart is a Catholic priest who chooses this walk of life
deliberately. The law of the church states that a man who is ordained to be a priest
has to take three solemn vows; they are poverty, chastity and obedience. By receiving
the sacrament of Holy Orders, Ralph knows exactly that he will live a celibate life.
Every Catholic even non-Catholic knows that a person who embraces celibacy is not
supposed to have sex. Celibacy is the choice not to have an intimate, sexual
relationship with other person. A celibate has consecrated his/her virginity to Christ.
The love relationship of Ralph and Meggie begins when their brotherly love
slowly turns into an erotic love. Father Ralph de Bricassart who is supposed to love
his flock equally turns out that he loves Meggie more than the rest. His love towards
Meggie has grown to be far more than the love of a shepherd towards his sheep. His
love towards Meggie finally has a strong sexual attraction. Everything will be fine if
Ralph is not a Catholic priest or the burden will be less heavy if he is willing to
abandon his priesthood and marry Meggie. Since Father Ralph loves God and the
church more than anything and anyone else he stays a priest although he is badly in
love with Meggie.
Knowing that she will never have Ralph as a husband, Meggie decides to
marry someone else. Under the law of the church, a married woman should be
faithful to her husband. On her wedding day, when she receives the sacrament of
40
Marriage, before the priest and the audience who attend her wedding, Meggie swears
that she will love and be faithful to her husband. The law of the church says, ‗what
God has joined together, let not man separate.‘ Meggie should have sex only with her
husband.
At this stage both Ralph and Meggie are leading a complicated life. Ralph
performs his priestly duties daily with Meggie‘s face embedded in his mind and
Meggie lives with a man who is her husband while thinking that that man could have
been Ralph de Bricassart, the man of her dream. They often feel lonely even though
they are among the crowd. Although they live far apart they cannot forget each other.
Out of sight is not out of mind after all.
Their relationship does not end here. It goes on in later phase of their lives.
At one point they meet in Matlock Island when Ralph is 46 years old and Meggie
who is a wife of Luke O‘Neill and a mother of Justine O‘Neill is 26 years of age and
they surrender to each other completely. Ralph and Meggie have a son. Ralph breaks
his chastity vow of not having sex and Meggie breaks her marriage oath to be faithful
to her husband. What they perform is against norm or the standard pattern of behavior
that is considered normal in a society. They break the law of the church. Ralph, a
Catholic priest who has taken a vow of chastity has a son with Meggie and Meggie, a
married woman who has taken a pledge to be faithful to her husband has a son by a
Catholic priest who at that moment is a cardinal.
Their relationship does not end after having a son. They have a commitment
that every time Ralph comes to Drogheda; Ralph belongs to Meggie ahead of God
41
and the church. They maintain their relationship until Ralph‘s death. They are
separated only by death.
C. The Motivations of the Main Characters in Maintaining Their Love
Relationship
Both Ralph and Meggie are struggling in their lives because of the power of
their love to each other. In the one hand Ralph wants to stay a priest and performs his
priestly duties well, but on the other hand he misses Meggie and her womanly
touches. Knowing that Meggie‘s marriage does not work out well, Ralph decides to
approach her again not as a priest but as a man. The fact that Meggie leaves her
husband behind assures Ralph that no man touches his Meggie any longer. This
feeling allows him a certain space of freedom within himself that his career within the
church raises higher and higher.
…You ought to have known Meggie was incapable of going back to Luke.
You ought to have known at once whose child Dane was… (p. 557).
Meggie, who marries someone else because she cannot marry Ralph de
Bricassart, finds her life very difficult to cope with. It is not easy for her to
understand why Ralph chooses to be a priest and why Ralph cannot stop being a
priest and marry her. But one thing she knows for sure is, out there Ralph is sleeping
alone. He is not in someone else‘s arms. So when she has the chance of having him in
her arms, she gives and takes everything she can. She does not mind leaving her
husband behind for other chances to be with Ralph. She knows very well that the only
way to have Ralph de Bricassart, the man of her dream is to let him be a priest and to
42
let him go to the church. Someday he will come back because before being a priest he
is first a man and a man needs a woman. There within the church Meggie knows he is
not with a woman. In one way or another, Ralph is hers.
‗Ralph had absolutely no allegiance to any woman, except to me. The Church
isn‘t a woman… (p. 422).
It is clear that the love relationship of Ralph and Meggie is against social
norm and church‘s law because Ralph is a Catholic priest who has taken the vow of
chastity and Meggie is a married woman.
They must have strong motivations to conduct such an action. The writer of
The Thorn Birds does not define the motivations that make the two main characters
maintain their love relationship, thus readers are free to interpret the motivations. In
this part of the analysis the writer will reveal the motivations based on the description
of the love relationship of the two main characters.
People conduct an action with a motivation. This motivation leads them to
behave in their manner to get some achievement. It would be impossible to discover
motivation unless behavior was organized. Abraham Maslow, in his book entitled
Motivasi dan Kepribadian devises a six-level hierarchy of motivations that, according
to his theory, determine human behavior. Maslow ranks human needs as follows: (a)
physiological; is the basic need, the need of food and the like also commonly known
as hunger drive; (b) Security and safety; if the physiological needs are relatively well
gratified, there then emerges a new set of needs, which we may categorize roughly as
43
the safety needs; (c) Love and feelings of belonging; if both the physiological and the
safety needs are already met, then there will be love and affection and belongingness
needs; (d) Competence, prestige, and esteem; people who live together with others
have a need or desire for a stable, firmly based, high evaluation of themselves, for
self-respected, or self-esteem, and for the esteem of other; (e) Self-fulfillment or selfactualization; even if all these needs are satisfied, people may still often (if not
always) expect that a new discontent and restlessness will soon develop, unless the
individual is doing what he is fitted for; (f) Curiosity and the need to understand;
when all the above mentioned needs are met people would have other need and that is
the need to satisfy their sense of curiosity and the need to understand things (1984:
39-57). It means that human beings have several needs to be fulfilled. It starts from
the basic needs to the fulfillment of desire to know something new.
To see the motivations of Ralph and Meggie in maintaining their love
relationship, in this section the writer will analyze based on Maslow‘s theory above.
1. Physiological need
Maslow, in his book, Motivasi dan Kepribadian states that physiological is the
basic need, the need of food and the like also commonly known as hunger drive
(1984: 39-41). Physiological need is the first and the most essential need to be
fulfilled in men‘s lives. Without the fulfillment of this need people cannot do
something better. This priority need must be satisfied.
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Father Ralph de Bricassart who is a catholic priest and in his later carrier is
chosen as a cardinal has nothing to worry about his physiological need. As an aide to
the Holy Father himself, Ralph‘s all physiological needs are met. He does not have to
think about these needs. Because of his good personality he inherits Mary Carson‘s
13 million pounds and this fact makes him one of the richest figures in the
community of Holy Catholic Church of Rome.
… I hold her priest, Father Ralph de Bricassart. It is solely because of his
kindness, spiritual guidance and unfailing support that I so dispose of my
assets... give or take my a few hundred thousands, my fortune amounts to
some thirteen million pounds (P. 171).
Meggie‘s childhood is dotted with the lack of physiological need. She is the
daughter of a poor farmer family. Their life gets better only after they move from
New Zealand to Australia where she meets Father Ralph. When her rich aunt passes
all her riches to Ralph before she dies, Meggie knows that her income and also the
income of every member of Drogheda family depend on Ralph.
‗…. I have enough money to support myself during whatever sort of training I
choose, isn‘t that right?‘
‗Yes, thanks to Cardinal de Bricassart‘ (p. 453).
With Ralph, Meggie is sure that her physiological or her basic need, the need
of food and the like is absolutely fulfilled. Ralph makes sure that everyone in
Drogheda including Dane and Justine, the two Meggie‘s children, gets more then
enough yearly income. Although they all are working hard to run Drogheda farm,
Meggie knows that their income depends on Ralph.
45
2. Security and safety
Maslow, in his same book, Motivasi dan Kepribadian, expresses that if the
physiological needs are relatively well gratified, there then emerges a new set of
needs, which we may categorize roughly as the safety needs (1984: 42-44). It can be
said that when men‘s physiological needs have been fulfilled, then another need will
definitely appear.
Ralph knows very well that his love relationship with Meggie is absolutely
safe. Meggie will never reveal it to anyone. He has been with Meggie since her
childhood. He helps shaping her into womanhood.
‗I‘ve known Meggie since she was ten years old, …… You might in
all truth say that I‘ve known Meggie through flood and fire and
emotional famine, and through death and life (p. 324).
Apart from his being honest by telling her the truth that he will never abandon
the church and his chastity vow, that he will never love her the way a man loves a
woman, he never hurts her. And he is certain that Meggie can understand this because
when they meet, he is already a priest and Meggie knows what it is like to be a
Catholic priest.
‗Oh, yes. If you have loved her thus, then she is woman enough to
understand. Otherwise you would have forgotten her, and abandoned
this relic long since (p. 313).
So when it happens what it has to happen; he has an affair with Meggie he
feels safe. There is no danger awaits him concerning his future career within the
church. He is not afraid of being blacklisted, he is not afraid of being disgraced, he is
46
not afraid of being denounced, he is not afraid of being excommunicated; in short, he
will stay His Grace Cardinal Ralph de Bricassart to his death.
‗I‘ll write to you, Meggie.‘
‗No, don‘t. Do you think I need letters after this? I don‘t want anything
between us which might endanger you, fall into the hands of
unscrupulous people….‘ (p. 359).
Had it someone else, his name and face could be in the front page of
newspapers and magazines all over the world in no time. Just imagine, a Cardinal, an
aide of the Holy Father himself has a son hidden somewhere in the outback of
Australia.
This feeling of safety makes them a perfect couple and there is no reason to
put their love relationship to an end. Who cares if it is against the law and norm?
Most things in world which are considered against the law and norm only matter if
they are publicly known.
3. Love and feelings of belonging
Another motivation according to Maslow‘s theory that determines human
behavior is love and feelings of belonging. He says that if both the physiological and
the safety needs are already met, then there will be love and affection and
belongingness needs (1984: 45-47).
It is true that in the beginning Ralph is not in love with Meggie in any sort of
romantic fashion which is absolutely not possible because she is only a little girl of
47
ten years old and he is a Catholic priest of twenty eight. He takes a good care of her.
He adores her. He spends so much time with her.
Meggie was not asleep; she was lying with eyes wide in the dim light
of the little lamp beside her bed. The priest sat down beside her and
noticed her hair still in its braids. Carefully, he untied the navy ribbons
and pulled gently until the hair lay in a rippling, molten sheet across
the pillow (p. 124).
But as Meggie grows up his love has finally shaped itself into that sort of
romantic fashion he fears for for many years. He physically wants her otherwise he
does not kiss her on her mouth and he remembers these kisses always.
‗I love you. I always have, and I always will. Remember it (p. 360).
‗… he had physically wanted her from the time of their first kiss, …
(p. 353).
A part of love and feelings of belonging motivation is sex. When his love
towards Meggie turns into an erotic love, he accepts it. As a normal man, Ralph has
sexual desire and he knows that he can have sex with Meggie and stay His Grace
Cardinal Ralph de Bricassart. He leads a double life of being a Catholic priest and a
lover of Meggie.
As for Meggie, when she grows up to be a big girl Father Ralph shows her
that it is a big world and she has to find someone kind out there to marry. It is not so
easy for Meggie to find someone out there to fall in love with when her heart is stolen
by Ralph. Does he steal it? No, she gives it to him deliberately.
…He knew, he knew! At last he knew. What had he thought, how
much had it grieved him? And why had he pushed her to do this? It
hadn‘t made things any better. She didn‘t love Luke, she never would
48
love Luke. He was nothing more than a substitute, a man who would
give her children similar in type to those she might have had with
Ralph de Bricassart (p.309).
Meggie is terribly in love with the priest. At one point she even hopes that
father Ralph will stop being a priest and marries her. But Ralph cannot do it. He is a
priest and he does not want to abandon his priesthood. So she lets things flow.
‗But he could stop being a priest. It‘s just that I haven‘t had a chance
to talk to him about it (p.209).
‗…All the years I‘ve loved you, and wanted no one but you, and
waited for you…(p. 328).
She falls in love with Ralph since she is a young girl so when the opportunity
comes that Ralph can be her lover she takes it gladly. After all, Ralph is the man of
her dream and by being her lover Ralph only makes her dream comes true. Both
Ralph and Meggie have the same feeling. They belong to each other.
4. Competence, prestige, and esteem
Maslow, in his book, Motivasi dan Kepribadian also adds one of motivation
in people‘s lives is competence, prestige, and esteem. People who live together with
others have a need or desire for a stable, firmly based, high evaluation of themselves,
for self-respected, or self-esteem, and for the esteem of other (1984: 48-51). At a
certain point of life people have the need to be respected by others.
In being a priest a man has to take three vows: poverty, chastity and
obedience. Father Ralph claims that he has no problem in accepting and maintaining
those three.
49
But his future life turns unpredictable. The first vow Father Ralph breaks is
poverty because he receives Mary Carson‘s thirteen million pounds bequest.
However, the bequest turns him into one of the leading figures and one of the most
important priests in the Holy Catholic Church of Rome. With this fortune, good
manner, good instinct in politic and also a sharp business mind, it is easy to predict
his future career within the Church. Father Ralph soon becomes the private secretary
of the archbishop, a bishop, an archbishop himself and finally a cardinal.
His Grace Archbishop Ralph de Bricassart, at the present time aide to the
Secretary of State of the Holy See of Rome, was today created Cardinal de
Bricassart by His Holiness Pope Pius XII (p. 427).
‗I have no son, ‗ he said,‘ but among the many, many things I learned from
yours was that no matter how hard it is, my first and only allegiance is to
Almighty God,‘
‗Dane was your son too,‘ said Meggie.
He stared at her blankly, what?‘
‗I said, Dane was your son too. When I left Matlock Island I was pregnant.
Dane was yours, not Luke O‘Neill‘s.‘ (p.554).
The second vow he disobeys is chastity. Meggie bears him a son although
Father Ralph knows the fact that Dane is his son only after his death.
Luke, Meggie‘s husband does not respect Meggie that much. While he goes
out working as a sugar cane cutter he sends Meggie to live with someone else and
makes her working as a housemaid. She becomes a wife of somebody who looks
down upon her while she knows that there is someone out there in the same world
who values her as a person.
‗Doing what?‘
‗Cutting sugar cane,‘ (p.277)
… You‘re going to work as a housemaid on Himmelhoch, … (p.290).
50
The feeling of being disrespected by her husband keeps haunting Meggie‘s
marriage life. She is living under the pressure of her own husband. Meggie‘s need of
competence, prestige, and esteem cannot be met with her husband. She leaves her
husband for Dogheda, for Ralph because she knows that with Ralph her need of
competence, prestige and esteem will be gratified.
5. Self-fulfillment or self-actualization
Maslow states even if all these needs are satisfied, people may still often (if
not always) expect that a new discontent and restlessness will soon develop, unless
the individual is doing what he is fitted for (1984:53-55). This is the need of selffulfillment or self-actualization.
With Luke, Meggie cannot actualize herself as a wife and a mother for Luke
does not love her and does not want to have children. They do not have a place where
they can call home.
Meggie had written right away to tell Luke she was pregnant, ….. His
answering letter scotched any such delusions. He was furious. As far as he
was concerned, becoming a father simply meant he would have two
nonworking mouths to feed, instead of none (p. 319).
The only choice left for her to fulfill her dream of being a mother is by
leaving Luke and being with Ralph although being with Ralph has to be in secret
since Ralph can only actualize himself well in the church as a priest. But she is happy
with it because this is her chance to actualize herself so that she can look far into the
future for her children.
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6. Curiosity and the need to understand
According to Maslow, when all the above mentioned needs are met people
would have other need and that is the need to satisfy their sense of curiosity and the
need to understand things (1984: 55-57).
Since Meggie and Ralph can meet their needs, they have the chance to think
about exploring new things to understand in life. It can be seen when Meggie returns
to Drogheda, she learns many things there such as how to run the paddock without
her brothers around, how to ride a horse better, how to take care of her children, how
to shape and keep everything in her live with Ralph secretly and how to face Justine
when she is old enough to decide what she wants.
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CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
After analyzing the three questions formulated in the problem formulation, a
conclusion can be summarized. This chapter contains a brief explanation about what
has been analyzed in the previous chapter. The first analysis is to describe the
characterization of the two main characters in the story; Meggie Cleary and Father
Ralph de Bricassart. They both are the main characters and the book itself is about
their life and love. Meggie Cleary is depicted as a sweet and beautiful little girl, an
obedient child, and a daughter of a poor New Zealand farmer. She is the only
daughter out of nine children of the Cleary family. Everyone in her son-oriented
family never thinks that she is important. As a child, she does not get enough love,
care and attention from her parents and also brothers. They live in poverty. This
situation changes when they move to Drogheda, Australia asked by her wealthy aunt,
Mary Carson. Their life improves a lot in Australia.
There she meets a handsome and kind Catholic priest who is twenty eight
years old, Father Ralph. He is one of the priests who takes care of his folk well.
People who come to him never feel that he looks down on them, or blame them for
their weaknesses. He does not like to burden his people with his deeds or his words.
He is a wise sensible man for he can easily recognize if there is someone around in
need of help. Ralph de Bricassart is a talented and brilliant priest that in his later
career he is chosen a Bishop, an Archbishop, a Cardinal, a Papal Legate and finally a
53
personal Holy Father‘s aide. Fate leads him to meet Meggie, the only daughter of the
Cleary family who is ten years old at that time.
The second part of the analysis describes the change of love relationship of
the two main characters which are found in Colleen McCullough‘s The Thorn Birds.
In the beginning, the love, care and attention that Father Ralph devotes to Meggie is
not worth observed, for he is a priest and as a priest it is normal for him to take a
good care of all his parishioners and Meggie is just one of them. It is a brotherly love.
There is nothing wrong with his love toward Meggie because she is a child of ten
years old and he is a priest. But their relationship slowly changes into an erotic love
when Meggie turns into a mature woman. Although he is terrible in love with Meggie
and he wants her physically he does not want to abandon his priesthood and marry
Meggie. In the years to come Father Ralph performs his priestly duties with Meggie‘s
face embedded deeply in his mind.
Knowing that she cannot marry Father Ralph the man of her dream, Meggie
decides to accept Luke when he proposes her. But this working class guy called Luke
does not want Meggie. He only wants her money. Meggie accepts Luke because she
has to find someone as substitute of Ralph. They both get married for wrong reason.
Meggie leads a married life with someone she does not love while keeps on thinking
that the man she is married to could have been Ralph de Bricassart.
Although the two main characters live a difficult life separately but they carry
on. At one point they meet and they surrender to each other completely. Ralph and
Meggie have a son. Ralph breaks his chastity vow of not having sex and Meggie
54
breaks her marriage oath to be faithful to her husband. Both of them have broken the
social norms and church laws.
In the third part of the analysis the writer puts forward the motivations why
Meggie and Father Ralph are so very much attached to each other in spite of the fact
that they both know that their love relationship is against the church laws and social
norms. This analysis is based on the theory of motivation by Maslow.
Firstly, physiological need; it is the basic need in men‘s lives such as the need
of food and clothes and the like. This motivation is suitable to be applied to Meggie.
As a child she lives a poor life and when she is adult, her income and even the income
of the whole Drogheda family depend on Father Ralph de Bricassart who inherits
thirteen million pounds from Mary Carson, Meggie‘s aunt.
Secondly, security and safety; this is another need which appears when
physiological needs have been fulfilled. Meggie feels safe among her family after
returning to Drogheda and Ralph feels very safe in the community of the church and
furthermore Ralph feels that his love relationship with Meggie is absolutely safe.
There is no danger awaits him concerning his future career within the church. Meggie
will never reveal it to anyone. He has been with Meggie since her childhood. He
helps shaping her into womanhood. He knows Meggie.
Another need that comes up after the two needs above are met is love and
affection and belongingness. Although Father Ralph is a priest, he still needs the love
and affection and touch of a woman. At the bottom of his heart he still wants Meggie
physically, he still thinks that he and Meggie belong to each other. He needs sex.
Meggie who marries the wrong guy for a wrong reason constantly feels lonely. She
55
has to leave her husband behind and return to Drogheda because there in Drogheda
she can be with Ralph. Like Ralph, Meggie also feels that they belong to each other.
They know it is wrong but they feel so right.
Competence, prestige, and esteem are the needs that come after the above
mentioned needs. Ralph is highly respected in the church community that he is
chosen a cardinal. Within the church he proves that he is one of leading figures. The
feeling of being disrespected by her husband keeps haunting Meggie‘s marriage life.
She is living under the pressure of her own husband. Meggie‘s need of competence,
prestige, and esteem cannot be met with her husband. She leaves her husband for
Drogheda, for Ralph because she knows that with Ralph her need of competence,
prestige and esteem will be gratified.
The fifth need is Self-fulfillment or self-actualization. Both Ralph and Meggie
know that their need self-actualization can be met only if they let each other free.
Freedom is the thing that cannot be obtained unless they are willing to give it to
someone else. So Ralph carries on with duties as a priest and Meggie goes on with
her life in Drogheda. Every now and then they meet.
The last need of men is curiosity and the need to understand. Since Meggie
and Ralph can meet their needs, they have the chance to think about exploring new
things to understand in life.
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APPENDIX
Summary of Colleen McCullough’s The Thorn Birds
Meggie Cleary is a sweet little girl, the only daughter out of nine children of a
poor New Zealand farmer family. Every one in her son-oriented family never thinks
that she is important. As a child, she does not get enough love, care and attention
from her parents and also brothers. Meggie suffers a great deal for being the daughter
of one of the have-nots as she is often underestimated by her friends and teachers.
At age ten, along with her family on a request of her father‘s rich sister,
Meggie moves to Australia. In this new land she meets Father Ralph de Bricassart, a
parish priest who is 28 years of age. Father Ralph is a wise and sensible man for he
can easily recognize if there is someone around in need of help. This caring shepherd
will have no doubt to give a hand even if he has to demonstrate personal affection
openly. It is not his nature to leave someone who needs his help behind. He is the
kind of priest who takes care of his people well. People who come to him never feel
that he looks down on them, or blame them for their weaknesses. He does not like to
burden his people with his deeds or his words.
On seeing Meggie, he knows immediately that Meggie needs help. He
recognizes the fact that the Cleary family is so son-oriented. He devotes most of his
free time to Meggie. Meggie gets love, care, attention and everything that matters to a
little girl from Father Ralph. Father Ralph loves Meggie so much and Meggie loves
Father Ralph equally. There is nothing wrong with this love relationship because it is
truly a brotherly love.
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Years later, when Meggie becomes a grown up girl, she starts falling in love
with Father Ralph and Father Ralph has the same feeling. Father Ralph does not want
to abandon his priesthood and marry Meggie so he asks her to forget him and find
someone out there then get married. But at the bottom of his heart he cannot forget
Meggie. He performs his priestly duties everyday with Meggie‘s face heavily
embedded in his mind. Meggie marries someone else not because she loves that
person but because she wants to forget Ralph. But she makes a mistake. She can
never forget Ralph although she is married. The man Meggie marries also does not
love Meggie. He marries Meggie for her money.
Meggie‘s unhappy married life drags Father Ralph back to her. They again
meet when Meggie is 28, and Ralph is 46. They meet on Matlock, an island known
for its privacy. Here, Meggie is not a child of 10, and Ralph is not parish priest. Here
they meet as a man and a woman. They surrender to each other completely. There is
no more brotherly love. There is only erotic love. They have a son together.
Meggie then leaves her husband behind and returns to Drogheda where she
knows she will see Ralph again in the future. In Drogheda she knows that all her
needs are fulfilled. She does not have to worry about anything because Ralph is
always there to help. She can cope with the fact that Ralph does not often come to her
because out there with the church Ralph is not sleeping with a woman. She is the only
woman in Ralph‘s life. Every now and then Ralph comes to Drogheda to be with his
love, his Meggie. He even dies in the arms of the woman he loves, in the arms of
Meggie.
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