An analysis of the main character’s hierarcky need in Norah Vincent’s Self-Made Man

ABSTRACT

Biography is a part of literary work that represents the real life. It consists of many characters that are more or less similar with human life. The event that happened to the character of biography also happens to human being commonly. That event can influence their behavior. It proves that human behavior is motivated by many events that happen to them. It is in accordance with the biography of Norah Vincent’s personality as the main character of Ned in Self- Made Man that tells many events opened to the main character, Ned. Those events can influence his behavior and finally determine his personality.

Beside on the background above, it can be formulated some problems as follows: (1). How is the main character happening in self made man from Maslow’s hierarchy of need’s theory? (2). What is the dominant need of the main character in Self-Made Man. These researches are intended to describe Ned’s personality as the main character of Ned in Self-Made Man biography viewed from Maslow’s humanistic theory of personality and to find out the dominant need felt by Ned.

Theories used in this research are psychology and literature, the biography, personality, humanistic theory of personality, the hierarchy need is formulated by Abraham Maslow.

This research applies a literary criticism because the writer conduct discussion of literature, including description, analysis, and interpretation of a literary work in this research. In addition, the writer applies the psychological approach because this research analyzes personality of the main character in Self-Made Man. From this research, there are two findings can be stated. First Ned personality viewed from Maslow’s humanistic theory of personality are the physiological needs for example food, drink, oxygen, exercise, sleep, protection from extreme temperatures, and sensory stimulation , safety needs These include physical security (safety from violence, delinquency, and aggressions) the belonging and love needs such as friendship, the esteem needs it is vital that the status, prestige, and good reputation, and the self-actualization need The person must become what he or she has the potential to be. Second, the dominant need felt by Ned, is that he is the character who needs more the safe than other needs.