Negation Of Volition: A Critical Study Of Veronika Decides To Die

Abstract

Free will, choice, and autonomy in decision-making not only provide people with a sense of freedom, but these are also essential for self-realization and self-actualization. Depriving an individual of free will and choice is like robbing a person of his status of humanity. This research is going to examine the impacts of free will and choice on individuals when they are denied to them. The research will also demonstrate the impacts of negating the volition to individual life and career. This negation of volition refers to the rejection of someone’s own decisions or their ability of decision-making and free choice. Liberal humanism, Free Choice Theory and Maslow’s (1943) Self-actualization theory will be taken as the conceptual framework of the thesis. The first hand data will be obtained from Paulo Coelho’s (1999) novel, Veronika Decides to Die, while secondary data will be collected from books, library, journals and other internet sources. The study will use the approach of qualitative research. Selected data from the novel by Paulo Coelho will be examined through the lens of close reading. This dissertation will also illustrate how different characters of the novel recognize the meaning of their present life/status after having got the freedom of choice and the right of making their own decisions.