Behind Altruism: Posey’s Willingness to Sacrifice in Mitch Albom’s Novel “For One More Day”
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64850/polyglot.v1i2.136Keywords:
Altruism , For One More Day, Mitch Albom, Willingness to SacrificeAbstract
This paper examines Posey's selfless actions, namely her readiness to make sacrifices, as a major character in Mitch Albom's For One More Day. Emotional empathy and a strong moral commitment are frequently present in altruism, which is characterized as unselfish care for the welfare of others. This study uses a qualitative yet psychological literary analysis to look at how Posey's self-sacrificing actions, whether they be financial, emotional, or physical, show what true altruism is all about. Posey continuously puts the needs of others before her own, from taking on dual parental responsibilities to facing social shame and working nonstop to maintain her family. The results demonstrate that Posey's sacrifices are based on resilience, responsibility, and true love. Her character serves as a reflection of the transforming potential of caring and emphasizes the inner strength needed to continuously give without expecting anything in return.
Downloads
References
Albom, M. (2006). For one more day. Little, Brown.
Atabaeva, N. B. (2019). Psychological factors affecting the development of altruism in humans. Central Asian Journal of Education, 3(1), 98–119. https://files01.core.ac.uk/download/pdf/285997462.pdf
Berkey, B. (2021). The philosophical core of effective altruism. Journal of Social Philosophy, 52(1), 93–115. https://doi.org/10.1111/josp.12347
Bhuvana, M. L., Pavithra, M. B., & Suresha, D. S. (2021). Altruism, an attitude of unselfish concern for others-an analytical cross sectional study among the Medical and Engineering students in Bangalore. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 10(2), 706–711. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_834_20
Farashifah, N. I., Putri, A. S. L., Pasopati, R. U., Wijaya, K., & Hariyono, H. (2025). Spot's empowerment to Arlo in The Good Dinosaur movie. EL2J (English Language and Literature Journal), 4(1), 11–24. https://doi.org/10.38156/el2j.v4i1.72
Kirana, K. S., Nurdin, D. S. F., Wijayanto, B. P., Hizbullah, A. D., & Pasopati, R. U. (2025). Persistent doubts and uncertainties of Evelyn's despair in Everything Everywhere All at Once movie script. JELLE, 6(02). 9-17. https://jurnal.unikal.ac.id/index.php/jelle/article/view/6793
Leahy, C. P. (2023). Mother love: Mothers and their children. Dalam Becoming a mother (hlm. 116–146). Manchester University Press. https://doi.org/10.7765/9781526161215.00010
Mulyanto, L. Z., Napitupulu, J. C. P., Pasopati, R. U., Hariyono, H., & Wijaya, K. (2025). Revenge and/or justice in Quentin Tarantino's film Inglourious Basterds. SALIENCE: English Language, Literature, and Education, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.60155/salience.v5i1.531
O'Reilly, A. (Ed.). (2021). Maternal theory: The essential readings. Demeter Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1s2t0hn
Pasopati, R. U., Zhafirah, M. Q., Wirnoto, Y. A. A., Fadillah, M. R. I., & Andharu, D. (2025). The psychoanalytical roles of imaginary friends in emotional development in If movie. Alphabet, 8(1), 57–66. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.alphabet.2025.08.01.06
Pastor, Y., Pérez-Torres, V., Thomas-Currás, H., Lobato-Rincón, L. L., López-Sáez, M. Á., & García, A. (2024). A study of the influence of altruism, social responsibility, reciprocity, and the subjective norm on online prosocial behavior in adolescence. Computers in Human Behavior, 154, 108156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108156
Pfattheicher, S., Nielsen, Y. A., & Thielmann, I. (2022). Prosocial behavior and altruism: A review of concepts and definitions. Current Opinion in Psychology, 44, 124–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.08.021
Putriana, K. O. N., Zaky, R. A., Hamdani, F. N., Salsabila, A. T., & Pasopati, R. U. (2024). The relevance of perpetual peace in Henry Van Dyke's Ashes of Vengeance. SALIENCE: English Language, Literature, and Education, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.60155/salience.v4i1.397
Rhoads, S. A., & Marsh, A. A. (2023). Doing Good and Feeling Good: Relationships Between Altruism and Well-being for Altruists, Beneficiaries, and Observers. In J. Helliwell, R. Layard, J. D. Sachs, J.-E. De Neve, L. B. Aknin, S. Wang, & S. Paculor (Eds.), World Happiness Report (11 ed., pp. 103-130). Sustainable Development Solutions Network. https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2023/doing-good-and-feeling-good-relationships-between-altruism-and-well-being-for-altruists-beneficiaries-and-observers/
Ricard, M. (2015). Altruism: The power of compassion to change yourself and the world. Little, Brown. https://ird.mcu.ac.th/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Altruism-The-Power-of-Compassion-to-Change-Yourself-and-the-World.pdf
Riza, D. A., Oktavia, D., Pasopati, R. U., Andharu, D., & Fadillah, M. R. I. (2025). The interpretations of morality and ideology in Wes Anderson's film Isle of Dogs. Foremost Journal, 6(2), 176–183.
Sharma, N. (2024). The role of altruism in promoting psychological well-being among healthcare workers: A review of the literature. Educational Administration: Theory and Practice, 30(4), 9048–9059. https://doi.org/10.53555/kuey.v30i4.3026
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Riska Dewi Ramadhani, Novanda Lukwita Hakim, Nasywa Nuzula Ramadhani, Happy Julia Rahmadianti, Rommel Utungga Pasopati (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
