THE STUDY OF THE MAIN CHARACTER’S DEPRESSION  IN ME BEFORE YOU BY JOJO MOYES

Authors

In this research, the writer analyzes the depression of the main character in

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. The novel depicts an adventurous male character

whose life changed after a fatal accident. The research uses psychological approach.

The method applied is close reading which is helping the writer in selecting and analyzing

the data. The result of the research is there are causing factors of the main character’s

depression that characterized by two main aspects. There is life event; quadriplegia, loss job,

and losing adventure of life. The second causing factors is ongoing stress. The main character

creates the tension to his girlfriend and his family, and feeling trapped in medical treatment.

The symptoms which is shown are losing interest in many aspects of life, trouble sleeping, feeling

irritable, feeling worthless, thought of death and suicide attempt and the last is isolated himself

from people around him. In conclusion, the are several factors that trigger the main character’s

depression. Yet, the main cause is his condition as quadriplegic patient whose previous life is totally

in contrast to the current condition.

Keywords: the main character, depression, life events, ongoing stress, quadriplegia