THE OUTLINE OF THE RESEARCH ON LITERATURE

BY : NURUL HILALIA

STUDENT NUMBER : 1500004133

CLASS : C

Title : Will Trainor’s Personality Changes As Reflected In Jojo Moyes ‘ME

BEFORE YOU’ : An Psychological Approach.

The Topic : Will Trainor’s Personality Changes.

The work’s title : Me Before You

The approach : Psychological

A. The objectives of the study

The objectives of this research are :
1. To describe the plot of the novel Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
2. To describe the personality changes of Will Traynor
3. To find the moral values that can be taken from novel novel Me Before You by
Jojo Moyes.

B. Theories
1. Plot ( definition and divisions of plot )

According to Klarer (2004:15) the plot is the logical interaction of the various
thematic elements of a text which lead to a change of the original situation as presents
at the outset of the narrative. Abrams (2012:293) states that plot (which Aristotle
termed the mythos ) vin a dramatic or narrative work is “constituted by its events and
action, as these are rendered and ordered toward achieving particular artistic and
emotional effects.”

Subhan (2015:23) state that there are two kinds of plot:

1. The progressive plot

This plot usually employs foreshadowing. It means that this plot is the following
structure that starts with the setting, conflict, then the rising action over a climax and
winds up with an ending.

2. The regressive plot

 This plot conducts information about events that happen at the beginning of the story
or is usually called flashback. In the story, the information events can occur randomly
in every part. It is interpolated narratives or scenes often justified, or naturalized as a
memory, a reverie or a confession by one of the characters which represent events that
happened before the time at which the work opened (Abrams.2012:296).

Literary critics are divided into two kinds of plot, namely the progressive and
regressive plot. Tennyson (1967:21) in Subhan (2015:24) says that the plot has a
structure which contains five parts: (1) exposition, (2) rising action, (3) crisis/climax,
(4) falling action, and (5) catastrophe/resolution.

3. Exposition (The Beginning)

There is a beginning (Exposition) as the first part of a plot to every story. It introduces
the characters and setting that happen in the story. During this section of the story, the
author usually gives some information such as all of the main characters, the setting,
the kinds of person they are, shows how they relate to one another, about the
background of the story and explain the problems that happen in the story. To make
the reader understand the events in the story is the purpose of exposition

4. Rising action (Introduction of the Problem or Conflict)

In this section, the readers see the problem arises when the events build up. The
problem increases until it reaches its climax. The rising action introduced as the
complicated problem in a plot. The complicated problem can be occurred from against
another people, nature, society, religion, etc.

5. Climax (The High Point)

The climax is the main point of the story. According to Abrams (2012:25), it is an
ascending sequence of importance. In this level, the story begins more exciting which
the readers want to know what is going to happen next. It is the primary or crucial
event that the character faced.
6. Falling Action (Winding Down)

After the climax, the problem of the story begins to wind down slowly. In the falling
action, the reader knows how the character was facing or making a decision to solve
the problem.

7. Resolution (The End)

The resolution is the final part of a plot to the story. According to Abrams (2012:297),
the action or intrigue ends in success or failure for the protagonist, the conflicts
settled, the mystery solved, or the misunderstanding cleared away. This last plot also
is known as denouement. In this level, the problems are started cooling down and
resolved, and the story concluded with a happy or sad ending.

2. Definition of Personality and personality changes

Personality is a pattern of character that sure people have, such as behavior, emotion,
feeling and thinking. Features of nature make people different from another, and these
elements are usually takes from characteristics. According to Subhan (2015:64)
personality is derived from the Latin word persona meaning the masks that actors
wore and the characters they portrayed.” Thus, personality in literary means that
attitude, behavior, feeling or emotion that acted by actors.

Following Levin’s (1978) ideas, Subhan (2015:64) argues that personality has been
defined as a consistent pattern of behavior based on an individual’s thoughts, feelings,
and perceptions, and it has been viewed in terms of adjustment and the general
manner in which an individual meets the demands of his or her environment.

Personality is not the only character, which is formed as the simple one but also needs
a process to become an evil or better. According to Cattle in Subhan (2015:65), all of
the human’s personalities are made up of the same traits. But it depends on the degree
which each trait is expressed.

Personality changes

According to Roberts,Walton&Viechtbauer (2006) as cited in The Role of Beliefs in

Personality and Change‘s Carol S.Dweek (2008: 391), personality changes is as a
flexible and dynamic thing that changes over the life span and is shaped by
experience. Indeed, Personality is shaped by early life experiences and tends to stay
stable over time but personality can still occur depending on new life experiences.
People who have experienced severe emotional trauma or life-changing events can
experience significant personality changes as well. Even the kind of social roles we
take on can change personality. Human’s Personality can be stable or change depends
on their decision or accidentally by experiences. The condition stable can be seen
when they enjoyed their life.

3. Definition of Psychological approach

According to Hornby (1997:697) “the word psychological derives from Greek psyche and
logos. “Psyche” means soul, spirit of human mind and mentally, while “logos” means a
science. Psychology means science study of human soul, spirit, nature or mind in process.
Psychology can be used to help a literary work (Subhan,2015:57).

4. Definition of moral value

According to Hornby (2000:825-826) Moral has the definitions, namely:

1. Concerned with principles of right and wrong behavior.

2. Based on your sense of what is right and fair, not a legal right or duties.
3. Following the standards behavior considered acceptable and right by most people.
4. Able to understand the difference between right and wrong.

In Hornby (1995:755), “ moral is described as standards’ of behavior, principle of right and

wrong. It is also a practical lesson that a story and event or experience teaches.”

Moral value considered as one of the essential elements that build the history. Incorporating
moral values are just one way in which an author can communicate with the readers about
what is good or bad according to the author belief. Moral values can be stated implicitly and
could be of right or wrong behavior. (The author usually describes the good relation to the
life, the sadness and the happiness of life by using her or his literary work.)

C. Analysis
1. The plot of the story

The plot is series of events based on the cause and relationship in the novel which has two
kinds; they are Progressive and Regressive of the novel. The plot of the novel is a progressive
plot. In this novel has chronological structure which provides the setting, conflicts then
follows the rising action through to a climax and concludes with a resolution.

The introduction is when the story begins with flashback two years earlier. It
describes the causes of Will’s becomes quadriplegia. In that morning, he starts his day by
going to work. He usually rides motorcycle to work. It can be proved from the following
quotation:

“His motorbike leathers are on the back of the door, and he reaches for them. He always
throws his motorbike jacket over his arm.” (Moyes,2012:2)

However, it is a rainy day so he decides to take a taxi. When he tries to catch the taxi, the
motorcycle crash happen. The exposition of the novel is proved by the following quotation
below:

“He glances up at the screeching sound, the rude blare of a horn. He sees the side off the
glossy black taxi in front of him, the driver already winding down his window and at the edge
of his field of vision something he can’t quite make out, something coming toward him at an
impossible speed.” (Moyes,2012:4)
And the other quotation:

“He turns toward it, and in that split second he realizes that he is in its path, that there is no
way he is going to be able to get out of its way. His hand opens in surprise, letting the
Blackberry fall to the ground. He hears a shout, which may be his own. The last thing he sees
is leather glove, a face under helmet, the shock in the man’s eyes mirroring his own. There is
an explosion as everything fragments. And then there is nothing.” (Moyes,2012:5)

The author gives some introduction about the background of the story by the causes of Will
becomes paralyzed and explains the problems that happen in the story. The story continues
with Louisa Clark, an unambitious and cheerful girl. She works to support her family, but she
loses her job as a waiter in Buttered Bun, a small local coffee near a castle because the owner
will move to Australia. Louisa gets a suggestion after she goes to job center to become a
caretaker after she went to job center. It can be proved from the following quotation:

“I’m afraid, Louisa, you’re not qualified for much else. If you wanted to retrain, I’d be happy
to point you in the right direction. There are plenty of course at the adult education
center…but now this might work, care assistant position’’ (Moyes,2012:18)

The quotation above shows that Camila Traynor is interested in Louisa’s personality. She
accepts her to take care her son. She needs caretaker who has warm heart and can motivate
her son rather than someone who has best qualification but has cool heart and cannot
motivate her son to stay alive. His mother also tells that her job will be to monitor him at all
hours of the day, even though he already has a professional taking care of his medical needs.

The crisis is when Will Traynor acts so rude to Louisa. He forbids Louisa to talk to
him. It can be proved from the following quotation:

“Here’s what I know about you, Miss Clark. My mother says you’re chatty.” He said it like it
was an affliction. “Can we strike a deal? Whereby you are very unchatty around me?”
(Moyes,2012:45)

The quotation above shows that Will would not talk to other people. Thing is worsened after
Alicia, Will’s ex-girlfriend, visits him with Rupert. Rupert is Will’s best friend. Alicia tells
Will that they are getting married. Will did not his reaction, he was very calm and just said
Congratulation. It can be proved from the following quotation:

“I could picture his face. I could see that look of his that managed both to be unreadable and
to convey a kind of distant contempt. “Congratulations,” he said again. “I’m sure you’ll both
be very happy.” (Moyes,2012:57)

But the situation changes when they gone. Will becomes moody and more sarcastic. It can be
proved from the following quotation:

“Oh Christ…spare me the psychological therapy. Just go and read your bloody gossip
magazines or whatever it is you do when you’re not making tea.” (Moyes,2012:64)
Louisa cannot stand with Will’s attitude. She tries to talk with him that she does not care
about Will and his condition, and she explains that she is hired by his mother, not him. It can
be proved from the following quotation:

“Your friends got the shitty treatment. Fine. They probably deserved it. But I’m just here day
after day trying to do best job I can. So I would really appreciate it if you didn’t make my life
as unpleasant as you do everyone else’s.’ (Moyes,2012:64)

And the other quotation:

I’m not employed by you. I’m employed by your mother. And unless she tells me she doesn’t
want me here anymore, I’m staying. Not because I particularly care about you, or like this
stupid job, or want to change your life one way or another, but because I need the money.
Okay? I really need the money.” (Moyes, 2012:64)

However, he slowly warms up to Louisa, and their relationship grows closer. Will
asked Louisa to accompany him watch movie and he even agreed to cut his hair helped by
Louisa.

The climax is when Louisa knows Will signing up for end his life in Dignitas, a
society, located in Swiss that accompanied suicide to those people who suffer
from severe physical. It can be proved from the following quotation:

“I ran over and over the conversation I had heard, trying to interpret it in some alternative
way, trying to convince myself that I had misunderstood what they had said. But Dignitas
wasn’t exactly somewhere you went for minibreak.” (Moyes, 2012:126)

Louisa would not to interfere in this affair. She also tries to quit her job after she knew it from
Will’s mother and Will’s sister (Georgina) conversation. But Will’s mother prevents Louisa
and asks her to change Will’s mind. It can be proved from the following quotation:

“Just think about it. Tomorrow is Good Friday. I’ll tell Will you have a family commitment if
you really just need some time. Take the Bank Holiday weekend to think about it. But please.
Come back. Come back and help him.” (Moyes, 2012:136)

Louisa is helped by her sister, Treena, and they devise ways that will contribute to convince
Will to abandon his death wish. She takes will on a series of excursions to show him that life
is still worth living. Some of these trips do not go well, like one ill- advised jaunt to horse
races, but some are truly eye-opening, like a romantic night at the symphony. It can be
proved from the following quotation:

“I don’t want to go in just yet. I just want to sit and not have to think about… I just want to be
a man who has been to a concert with a girl in a red dress. Just for a few minutes more.”
(Moyes, 2012:185)

The big trips comes near the ends of the six months, Louisa persuades Will to go on a trips
with her to refresh his mind, but before they leave, Will contract near-fatal pneumonia. It can
be proved from the following quotation:
“It’s not the first time, Lou. He gets a bit of bacteria in his lungs, his cough mechanism
doesn’t work like it should, he goes down pretty fast. I tried to do some clearing techniques
on him Saturday afternoon but he was in too much pain. He got a fever out of nowhere, then
he got a stabbing pain in his chest. We had to call an ambulance Saturday night. Sorry, should
have called you, but Will was insisted that we shouldn’t bother you.” (Moyes, 2012:328)

It makes Louisa to cancel their plans for taking a vacation. However, after Will's condition
becomes better, they take a vacation in Mauritius Island, a small island off the coast of Africa
accompanied with Nathan. During his vacation, Will looks happy. He also makes Louisa
agreed to try scuba diving. It can be proved from the following quotation:

“One was that, under pressure from Will, I agreed to try scuba diving. He had been at me for
days, stating that I couldn’t possibly come all this way and not go under the water. I had been
hopeless at windsurfing, barely able to lift my sail from the waves, and had spent most
attempts at water-skiing face-planting my way along the bay” (Moyes, 2012:354)

In the last night in Mauritius Island, before they return home, Louisa declares her love for
him and wants him to be with her. She also admits that she already knew about his plans with
Dignitas. She trying suggests Will to cancel his decision and stay alive. However, Will
cannot bear to live in a wheelchair. Will say that he loves her, too but it cannot change Will’s
mind. It can be proved from the following quotation:

“The thing is, I get that this could be a good life. I get that with you around; perhaps it could
even be a very good life. But it’s not my life. I am not the same as these people you speak to.
It’s nothing like the life I want. Not even close.” (Moyes,2012:360)

The quotation shows that Will cannot live with his limitation. He feels useless for cannot do
anything by him. Will loves being a sensible person, before he gets an accident. Will says
that after this vacation, he decides to go to Swiss and also asks Louisa to accompany him.
However, Louisa refuses his favor. It can be proved from the following quotation:

“I tell you I love you and I want to build a future with you, and you ask me to come and
watch you kill youself?” (Moyes,2012:362)

Louisa feels hurt and does not speak to him for the rest of the vacation. When Will’s parents
pick Will up in the airport, Louisa says that she fails to change Will’s decision. It can be
proved from the following quotation:

“Mrs. Traynor, I’d like to hand in my notice. I can’t … I can’t do these last few days. I’ll
forfeit any money owed to me. In fact, I don’t want this month’s money. I don’t want
anything. I just…” (Moyes,2012:371)

Will’s mother looks pale, desperate and almost fells if her husband does not catch her.

2. The main character of this story are Will Trainor and Louisa Clark
Will’s characterization

Will Traynor was a successful international businessman, rich, humble, and lived a full life
every sense of the phrase before his accident by enjoyed travel. It can be proved from the
following quotation:

“As I vacuumed around the bed, I allowed myself a quick peek at them. There was a man
bungee jumping from a cliff, his arms outstretched like a statue of Christ. There was a man
who might have been Will in what looked like a jungle, and him again in the midst of a group
of drunken friends. The men wore bow ties and dinner jackets and had their arms around one
another’s shoulders and the other one; he was on ski slope, beside girl with dark glasses and
long blond hair” (Moyes,2012:41)

The quotation above shows that Will Traynor is interested partook in every extreme sport
under the sun. Ironically, he not injured by any of these extreme exploits. He is injured by a
motorcycle accident that leaves him paralyzed in a wheelchair. That accident also becomes a
reason his girlfriend, Alicia Dewar leaves Will and married with Rupert, Will’s friend. It can
be proved from the following quotation:

“I know what you’re thinking. But neither of us meant for this to happen. Really. For an
awfully long time we were just friends. Friends who were concerned about you. It’s just that
Rupert was the most terrific support to me after your accident….” (Moyes,2012:56)

He has given up on ever living a fulfilling life again and wants his parents to allow him to go
with assisted suicide. It can be proved from the following quotation:

“I don’t want to live like this, Mother. This is not the life I chose. There is no prospect of my
recovery; hence it is a perfectly reasonable request to ask to end it in a manner i see fit.”
(Moyes,2012:123)

That explains why Will has such a hard time adapting to quadriplegia. He was never the type
of men who was content to just sit around and think, he always had to be doing. So that
would be tough thing for Will to handle.

Louisa characterization

Louisa Clark is Will’s caretaker. She is a optimistic and kind-hearted girl with an exceedingly
positive outlook on life and has unique sense of style. It can be proved from the following
quotation:

“Will sticking to the path and me watching my satin pumps darken in the damp grass. He said
that I have interesting choice of footwear and asked where I came from because I don’t dress
like someone around here.” (Moyes,2012:108)

She has a long-term relationship with a physical trainer who is obsessed with training for
triathlons and keeping his body in peak physical fitness named Patrick. He and Louisa
eventually drift apart due to their disparate perspectives on life and Patrick’s jealously over
Louisa’s close relationship with Will. It can be proved from the following quotation:
“Your job isn’t meant to be about thi. No medical stuff. It wasn’t part of your job description.
A sudden thought occurred to him. You could sue. Constructive dismissal, I think it is, when
they change the terms of your job.” (Moyes,2012:204)

Before she becomes caretaker, she was a waitress in Buttered Bun. It can be proved from the
following quotation:

“I liked arriving early at the Buttered Bun, firing up the huge tea urn in the corner, bringing in
the crates of milk and bread from the backyard, and chatting to Frank as we prepared to
open.” (Moyes,2012:10)

And another quotation:

“But the most I liked the customers. I liked Kev and Angelo, the plumbers, who came the
most mornings and teased Frank about where his meat might have come from. I like the
Dandelion Lady, nicknamed for the shock of white hair, who ate one egg and chips from
Monday to Thursday and sat reading the complimentary newspapers and drinking her way
through two cups of tea. I always made an effort to chat with her.” (Moyes2012:11)

The quotation above shows that Louisa very like her job because she can has a lot of
interaction with people. She has never ventured far from her small-town in the English
countryside because she feels responsible for taking care of her mother (Josie), father
(Bernard Clark) and her sister Treena. It can be proved from the following quotation:

“I knew the real reason for Dad’s anxiety. They relied on my wages. Treena earned next to
nothing at the flower shop. Mum couldn’t work, as she had to look after Granddad, and
Granddad’s pension amounted to almost nothing. Dad lived in a constant state of anxiety
about his job at the furniture factory. My modest wages had been a little bedrock of
housekeeping money, enough to help see the family through from week to week.”
(Moyes,2012:12)

She is caring and loves her family. Though the relationship between the sisters is strained,
she feels stuck in her sister’s shadow because Treena is smarter than Louisa. Louisa always
tells Will’s condition and his plan to end his life and Treena support Louisa’s plan to show
Will the best in life.

She also scared of life because she has bad experienced in the past. When she was a teenager,
she had been partying in the maze outside the caste in her small town. Then, suddenly all of
her friends disappeared, leaving her alone with group of aggressive men. Louisa is haunted
by this traumatic memory. It can be proved from the following quotation:

“I glanced over at the maze, at its dark, dense box hedging. I was being ridiculous. Perhaps I
had been behaving ridiculously for years. It was all over, after all. And I was moving on.”
(Moyes, 2012:269)
 3. Moral values.
There are moral values that can be taken from the Me Before You novel, as
follows:
1. Support is the best way to love someone.

As Louisa’s father said to her, as much as we want to change the people in our lives, as much
as we want to show them the way, it is not simple. The researcher honestly believes that
people change people, but people cannot be changed if they do not want to change. It may be
not understood the reasons why people do that, and their decision is somehow frustrating.
However, support and loving them through the good and bad is ultimately worth gift.

2. Grateful is a way to appreciate life

The character Will Traynor in this novel realizes that the little things in life are big things.
For example, being able to walk to places and live freely without any limitations. Feeling
unaware about what belongs to us until the life changing happened which happens to Will.
Everyone might have bad moments, but sometimes we forget that there are people who have
much worse than us.

3. Living boldly makes life with no regret.

While Louisa decides living in a happy and simple life, Will pushes her to become more
active as he once was before gets quadriplegia. Many incredible opportunities can be take the
advantage and it is up to us to seize every moment. Will teaches us to take every chance you
get in life because some things only happen once. We should not regret the actions we take in
life, and rather we should appreciate the lessons they have taught us.

4. Compassion toward others defines as human beings.

The character Louisa Clarck in this novel is most selfless, kind and caring. She puts other
before herself, including Will and her family. She works hard to support her family and opens
Will’s heart to love again. Louisa shows us that helping those in need and just smiling at
someone can go a long way. Compassion is contagious, and it is something we should strive
for every day.

5. Appreciating your life for happiness.

As Will Traynor said to Louisa Clark before he dies “You only get one life. It is your duty to
live it as fully as possible”. It has similar meaning like “You only live once, so you should
cherish every moment and take the advantage of every opportunity you have received in life”
because in the end, we only regret the chances that we do not take.

D. Conclusion
First, the plot of the novel is progressive plot, including the introduction when the
story begins with flashback two years earlier. It describes the cause of Will’s becomes
quadriplegia. Then crisis is defined when Will acts so rude to Louisa. He forbids
 Louisa to talk to him. The climax happened when Louisa knows Will signing up for
end his life in Dignitas, a society, located in Swiss that accompanied suicide to those
people who suffer fro severe physical.
Second, Will’s personality change in Will trainor. His personality’s change after
getting the accident are his emotionally stable changes to affected by feelingsfrom
socially bold to shy/timid,from extrovert to introvert,and from low anxiety to high.
The last is that the story of the ovel has several moral values, including support is the
best way to love someone,grateful is a way to appreciate life, living boldly makes life
with no regret, compassion toward other defines as human beings,and appreciating
your life for happiness.

E. Bibliography
Devi Martha, 2017. Will Trainor’s Personality Changes As Reflected In Jojo Moyes
‘ME BEFORE YOU’ : An Psychological Approach. UAD,Yogyakarta