Lara Cameron’s Motivation In Achieving Power And Wealth In Sidney Sheldon’s The Stars Shine Down (P-82)

1.1 Background of the Study

Nowadays, some people tend to read literature more than to scientific or religious books since they consider that literature will lead human to a better social or personal conduct. Moreover, literary book presents expression of feelings, while scientific or religious books are the most exact kind of reporting. In a very real sense, some people who have read good literature have lived more comfortable than people who cannot or will not read.

Rees (1973: 1-2) defines literature in a broad and a narrow sense. The former means anything that is written such as catalogues, textbooks, brochures, and so on. While the latter means writing that expresses and communicates thoughts, feelings, ideas, and attitudes towards life in serious, fuller and deeper sense of words such as novel, poetry, prose, fiction, essay, and autobiography.
Actually, literature has primary aim is giving pleasure, to entertain those who concern to it. Darma (1984: 55) says that literature is really an expression to explore the life problems, philosophy, and psychology. In other words, the author of literary work is usually considered as an expert in psychology, and philosophy who concern about life problems.

In psychological point of view, there is a relation between psychology and
literature that we called psychoanalysis. Felman, as quoted in Green and LeeBihan
(1996: 143), explains that we normally tend to see psychoanalysis as the active practice performed upon the passive text:
While literature is considered as a body of a language-to be interpreted- psychoanalysis is considered as a body of knowledge, whose competence is called upon interpret. Psychoanalysis, in other words, occupies the place of a subject, literature that of an object. (Felman, 1982: 5)

The main subject of psychoanalysis is the term “unconsciousness”. Psychoanalytic treatment demonstrates how these unconscious factors affect current relationship and patterns of behavior. Ernest R. Hilgrad (1962: 125) states that psychologist have made a distinction between the things we learn, our habits, and the things which make us to use these habits, that is our motives
The subjects of motivation can be found in the literary work. We can find how motivation is described individually or socially and how an individual reacts to his/her motives. However, some people may not recognize that they need certain motivation to reach goal related to power and wealth. Since they probably think that motivation only a piece of science which does not influence in one’s success.

Moreover, motivation appears from the person himself and it does not depend on the environment, so he needs encouragements to build his internal drive to be motivated. Floyd L. Ruch mentioned there are two effects of motivation on behavior. They are:
1. Motives determine the direction of behavior and their change within individual to its environment.
2. Motives make energy available for the activity required.


Because of the varieties of motivate existing in individual the terms of motivation in literary works are significant to be explored principally women’s motivation.
As we know God creates human men and women. They are born to this world with several differentiations in physique, thinking, and characteristic. Commonly men are always identified with his strength and women with her weakness. A lot of opinions on stereotypes say that women are weaker, more emotional, less able to learn and dependent through men who have everything to judge themselves as superior.
Obviously, women have been treated unfairly although that is only public opinion. Based on those differentiations women are motivated to surpass men’s authority. They tend to show that women can do anything better that men. Actually, it is not easy for women to be highly-motivated in the society because they are still norms, principles, and traditions that limit their activities. Now, women’s motivation has moved through the recognition of significant purposes. They are determined to get particular achievement, fulfill their inner drive, or reach higher status in society.

The Stars Shine Down written by Sidney Sheldon talks about a woman who was motivated to achieve power and wealth. The main character, Lara Cameron, had to struggle to change her life. She did hard work in many ways to change her life. Here, in this study, I intend to show Lara Cameron’s motivation in achieving power and wealth. I will discuss the problem in the next chapter.

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