AN ANALYSIS OF ANNA FITZGERALD’S REBELLION IN
NICK CASSAVETES’ FILM “MY SISTER’S KEEPER”
THESIS
By
DADAN YULFIAN ADIGARA 09360213
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF MUHAMMADIYAH MALANG
AN
ANALYSIS OF ANNA FITZGERALD’S REBELLION IN
NICK CASSAVETES’ FILM “MY SISTER’S KEEPER”
THESIS
This thesis is submitted to meet one of the requirements to Achieve Sarjana degree in English education
By
DADAN YULFIAN ADIGARA
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF MUHAMMADIYAH MALANG
MOTTO AND DEDICATION
God gives every bird his worm but He does not throw it into the nest
“Liam Carey”
I’m not afraid of dying, I’m afraid of not trying “Jay Z”
Do
n’t complain !! just work harder “Chris Grosser”
This thesis dedicated to :
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Alhamdulillah, all praise be to Allah SWT, the Merciful and Charitable for the guidance
and blessing, so the writer can finish this thesis.
The writer would like to express the deepest gratitude to Dr. Sri Hartiningsih, M.M as the
first advisor and Dr. Mas’udi M.Ed as the second advisor, for their suggestions, invaluable
guidance and advice during the consultation period, and their comments and corrections during
the completion of this thesis.
He also wishes to thanks to beloved father Kusdarmaddji, Alm and Mother Budi Lisyani,
Almh for all motivation, material, and their support, his brother Fernandi Afrian Ramadhana,
Frizki Yustian Prayudinata, S.E for the motivation and support, his close friend Nur
Mafissamawati Sholikhah for the time, support and motivation, his boarding house’s friend
Guntur Prasetya, Hardiyanto, and Puspita Chandra Korona for all of motivation, his Mahameru
journey’s friends Eka Yusriansyah, Andromeda Febrianto, Caraka Bangsa Cara, Nailul In’am,
Rey, Vivit, Catur and Hardiyanto for all of motiavation and struggle, his all of English
Department’s friends Aditya Agung Setiawan, Ervan Kristiansyah, Guntur Prasetya, Eka
Yusriansyah, Reza Bigmantara, Yanuardana Constantino, Dwi Kristiana, Fajrin Al-Fera, Syaiful
Bahri, Evi Zubaidah, Marta Dwi Putra, Zulfa Diani, Larasati Ika Kumala, Palupi Yuningtyas,
Nafianti, Ulum Vahidin, Eva Rachmayanti, Ibrahim, Riska Maulina Wulandari, Adromeda
Febrianto, Kusuma Wardhana, Wima Nur Azizah, Taufik Hermansyah, etc for their
encouragement, love, care, suggestions and pray so that he can finish this thesis. Hopefully,
Malang, Oktober 28, 2013
TABLE OF CONTENT
APPROVAL ……… i
LEGALIZATION ……….. ii
MOTTO AND DEDICATION ………. iii
ABSTRACT ……… iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ……… v
TABLE OF CONTENT ……… vii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of Study ………. 1
1.2 Statement of Problem ………. 4
1.3 Purpose of Study ……… 4
1.4 Significant of Study ………... 5
1.5 Scope and Limitation ………. 5
1.6 Definition of the key term ……….. 6
2.2 Kinds of Literature ………. 9
2.3 Film ……… 9
2.4 Type of Film ……….. 11
2.4.1 Action Film ……… 11
2.4.2 Adventure Film ………. 11
2.4.3 Comedy Film ……… 11
2.4.4 Crime and Gangster Film ………. 12
2.4.5 Drama Film ……… 12
2.4.6 Horror Film ………. 12
2.4.7 Science Fiction Film ……… 12
2.4.8 War (Anti-War) Film ………. 13
2.4.9 Western Film ………. 13
2.5 Element of Film ……….. 13
2.5.1 Character ……… 13
2.5.2 Plot ………. 14
2.5.3 Setting ………. 15
2.5.5 Theme ……….. 16
2.5.6 Conflict ……… 16
2.6. Rebellion ……… 17
2.7 Kinds of Rebellion ………. 18
2.8 Causes of Rebellion ……….. 19
2.5.6.4 Effects of rebellion ………. 20
CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Research Design ………... 22
3.2 Approach ……… 23
3.3 Object of the Study ……… 25
3.4 Data Collection ……….. 25
3.5 Data Analysis ………. 26
CHAPTER IV: FINDING AND DISCUSSION 4.1 Research Finding ………. 27
4.1.1 Kind of Anna Fitzgerald’s rebellion ……….. 27
4.1.2 The causes of Anna Fitzgerald’s Rebellion ……… 29
4.1.2.2 Unfair ……… 31
4.1.2.3 Proper life in the future ………. 33
4.1.3 The Effect of Anna Fitzgerald’s rebellion ………... 35
4.1.3.1 Anna did not want to donate her organ anymore ………. 35
4.1.3.2 Kate Fitzgerald passed away ……… 37
4.2 Discussion ………... 38
4.3 Lesson ………. 40
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION 5.1 Conclusion ……….. 41
5.2 Suggestion ……… 42
REFERENCES
Adler, E. S., & Clark, R. 2003. How it’s done: An invitation to social research (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thompson Learning.
Anonymous.n.d.”My_Sister’s_Keeper”.
Wikipedia.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Sister’s_Keeper_film
(Accesed on 28 October 2013, 08.30 P.M )
Anonymous.n.d.”Nick_Cassavetes”. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Cassavetes
(Accesed on 28 October 2013, 08.37 P.M)
Arp, Thomas & Johnson, Greg. 2006. Literature Structure, Sound, and Sense, Ninth Edition. USA: Thomson Wadsworth
Ary, Donald. Et.al. 2002. Introduction to Research in Education. Sixth Edition. New York: Wadsworth Thomson Learning
Babbie, Earl. 2002. The Basics of Social Research: Second edition. Belmont: Wadsworth Thomson Learning
Brown, H. Douglas. 2000. Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, 4th ed. White Plains, NY: Longman.
Connoly, Francis. 1955. The Types of Literature. New York: Harcourt, Brace.
Donald, Ary. 2002. Introduction to Research in Education. New York: CBS College Publishing.
Hartiningsih, Sri. 2001. Introduction to Literature. Malang: UMM Pres.
http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/10/11-rebel-with-a-cause.php
http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/10/13-early-adolescence.php
Jones Jr., H. Edward. 1968. Outline of Literature. New York: The Mac Millan Company.
Kennedy, X. J. 1983. LITERATURE: An Introduction to fiction, poetry, drama. Canada: Little, Brown and Company (Canada) Limited
Koesnosoebroto, Sunaryo Basuki. 1988. The Anatomy of Prose Fiction. Jakarta: Depdikbud Dirjen Dikti
Macmillan. 1984. Understanding Literature. California: Mac Millan Publishing Company, A Division of Mac Millan, Inc.
Meyer, Michael. 1990. The Bedford Introduction to Literature Second Edition. Bedford: St. Martin’s Press
Pickhardt. Carl. 2009. Early Adolescence. Retrieved from
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/200902/early-adolescence-9-13-change-the-worse
(Accesed on Saturday, 5 of August 2013, 09. 07 P.M)
Pickhardt. Carl. 2009. Rebel With a Cause: Rebellion in Adolescence. Retrieved from
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/200912/rebel-cause-rebellion-in-adolescence
(Accesed on Saturday, 5 of August 2013, 09. 07 P.M)
Schmidth, Bogarad, & Crockett. 2006. Legacies: Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Non-Fiction Edition. USA: Thomson Wadsworth.
Sudjiman, Panuti. 1988. Memahami Cerita Rekaan. Jakarta: Pustaka Jaya
Sulloway, Frank. 2000. Born to Rebel, Star. Available Online:
http://www.paulnervy.com/pnn192.html
1
1.1 Background of Study
Language is the way of communication. People can imagine how difficult life
without language. „Language is a system of arbitrary conventionalized vocal, written,
or gestural symbol that enable members of a given community to communicate
intelligibly with one another‟ (Brown, 2000:5). People use language to communicate
with others no matter it uses words, spoken, written, or combine of them. By
language, people not only get information, but also use it to express feeling.
Sometimes, when people describe a person as a good communicator, they are likely
thinking of the way he/she speaks and feels their expression.
There are so many ways to express human expression. Literature is one way
to describe human‟s expression. According to Koesnosubroto (1988:1), „Literature is,
and cannot be anything but, a kind of extension and application of certain language‟.
People can see the relationship between literature and language on the basic of the
real fact that the literary work is a verbal work of art, and the authors of literary work
use language to describe their imagination.
There are some literary works which expose the human life. They are prose,
2
primarily to be performed, not read. It normally presents its action (a) through actors,
(b) on a stage, and (c) before an audience‟ (Arp & Jhonson, 2006: 1027). Drama has
similarity with film, because film shares many characteristics with drama: setting,
plot, character, conflict, dialogue, images, symbolism, and theme. But audience
cannot see the actors immediately in film because the audiences only can see it by
using a screen as a media itself.
Film shows the audiences about the story that happens around them, like how
people live in their daily life, how they think and act, and the real life society.
Sometimes, film also depicts the history. So, if film directors want to make good
relationship with audience, the film directors can try to approach them with put a
good story in film which gives good message and good impression to them.
My Sister's Keeper is an American film and released on 26th June 2009. It
was directed by Nick Cassavetes, the talented director, actor, and screenwriter. The
film is starred by Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Sofia Vassilieva, and Alec Baldwin
and it was produced by New Line Cinema.
My Sister’s Keeper is one of Cassavetes film with theme of love, struggle, and
rebellion. It tells about the complex problems in a family. The story begins when
Kate, a daughter of the couple husband and wife, Brian and Sara Fitzgerald convicts
suffering of leukemia, a blood and bone marrow cancer. Anna, Kate‟s younger sister
was conceived as a savior sibling, in order to harvest blood from her umbilical cord to
use in treatments to help save Kate's life. Anna is usually willing to donate whatever
3
help of lawyer Campbell Alexander, so that she will be able to make her own
decisions regarding her medical treatment and the donation of her kidney.
My Sister’s Keeper was chosen as the research object because two reasons.
First, it has unusual story because the parents in this story want to use the younger
sister to be a savior for the oldest sister by donating kidney. Second, this film is very
interesting because we can learn about a rebellion girl to get her human right,
especially to keep her organs of body.
Krisnapuri (2008) conducted a research related to reflection of youth
rebellion. “Youth Rebellion” she stated that the main character, James Dean reflects
the Youth Rebellion valued through his behavior and also through his appearance.
From his behavior, it could be seen through his hobby in racing and from his
exploration in acting. Meanwhile, his appearance was revealed throughout his fashion
style and his body language. All were mold into unity that personify and described
the Youth Rebellion value.
Actually, rebellion is not good thing to do because people assume that it is
related to violence. According to Sulloway (2000), „Rebellion is a control issue (or
power issue). Rebels are control freaks (or power freaks). Actually it is not an
authority problem but a control (power) problem. More exactly, an authority problem
is a type of control (power) problem‟.
From the explanation above, the researcher is really interesting in analyzing
the rebellion of Anna‟s to get human right for her kidney in “My Sister’s Keeper”
film. So, the title of this research is An Analysis of Anna‟s Rebellion in Nick
4
1.2 Statement of Problems
Based on the background of the study described about, the problems of this
study are formulated as follow:
1. What kind of rebellion does Anna do in Nick Cassavetes‟s film “My Sister’s
Keeper”?
2. What are the causes of Anna‟s rebellion in Nick Cassavetes‟s film “My Sister’s
Keeper”?
3. What is the effect of Anna‟s rebellion to her sister in Nick Cassavetes‟s film
“My Sister’s Keeper”?
1.3 Purpose of the Study
Considering the given statement of the problems above, the purposes of the
study are:
1. To explain the kind of Anna‟s rebellion in Nick Cassavetes‟s film “My Sister’s
Keeper”.
2. To describe the causes of Anna‟s rebellion in Nick Cassavetes‟s film “My
Sister’s Keeper”.
3. To find out the effect of Anna‟s rebellion to her sister in Nick Cassavetes‟s film
5
1.4 Significance of the Study
The result of this study is very expected to give contributions to the
students and lecturers of English Department of University Muhammadiyah
Malang, also further researcher. The contribution will be as follow:
1. For Students
It is hoped this study will be able to help the readers in analyzing
literature especially film. Moreover, this study is also expected to enlarge the
student‟s knowledge and appreciation toward literary works.
2. For the teachers and lecturers
The result of this analysis will encourage the teacher or the lecturers
to use “film” as material in teaching in order that the students have knowledge
and appreciation toward film.
3. For the researcher
It is also expected that the study may provide a helpful references
for the further researchers who are interested in conducting the study in the
same field.
1.5 Scope and Limitation
In this film, the researcher takes the scope on a Rebellion in Nick
Cassavetes‟s film “My Sister’s Keeper”, and limits the discussion of analyzed
only the main character, Anna Fitzgerald‟s, especially about kind, the causes
6
1.6 Definition of Key Terms
1. Analysis is a method by which a thing is separated into parts, and those
parts are given rigorous, logically, detailed scrutiny, resulting in a
consistent and relatively complete account of the elements of the things and
the principles of their organization (Holman, 1986:20).
2. Rebellion is a control issue (or power issue). Rebels are control freaks (or
power freaks). Actually it is not an authority problem but a control (power)
problem. More exactly, an authority problem is a type of control (power)
