A psychological analysis on the main character of sidney sheldon’s the other side of midnight: Viewed Abraham Maslow’s Theory

ABSTRACT

This is literary study seen from psychological aspects. We all know that literature reflects the life of human being. Literature is concerned with thoughts, feeling, behavior, or attitude. We, through literature, especially novel, can enrich and enlarge our experience and interpretation of life.

In this study, the writer analyses Sidney Sheldon’s novel entitled The Other Side of Midnight. And the writer also presents her problem of study, that is; 1. What personality does the main character of Sidney Sheldon’s The Other Side of Midnight have?. 2. How is the main character’s personality, viewed from Abraham Maslow’s theory of motivation?

The theory used is Abraham Maslow’s Theory of Motivation. The writer analyze Noelle’s personality based on five hierarchy of needs; physiological needs, safety needs, esteem needs, love and belonging needs, and self- actualization needs.

In applying her analysis, the writer employs literary criticism. The steps of collecting the data both primary and secondary are; the first, the writer reads and understand the novel by Sidney Sheldon. The second, she selects the data that are related character’s personality on Noelle Page as the main character and Noelle character’s personality viewed from Maslow’s theory. The third, she made record the data from the data sources. The last, the data arranged systematically in accordance to the psychological aspect.

In finding, the writer find out Noelle Page’s personality, there are four traits-types; optimistic, thoughtful, controlled, and active. And character personality viewed from physiological needs, safety needs, esteem needs, love and belonging needs, and self-actualization needs.

Eventually, the writer hopes that this thesis can be a stimulus for students who desire to conduct a literary study, especially, upon novel. He likewise suggests that the students whose interests are on literature should have the love of reading novels for there are hundreds or even thousands of novels challenging to be read and worth analyzing. It is hoped, before the last, that the result of this study can be of high meaningfulness, and it is believed that dealing lots with literary works particularly novels we will be led able to live our lives harmoniously and delightfully and to be able to see and undergo our future lives optimistically better, and to be able to put our worlds and actions more wisely.