THE COLLAPSE OF CLAUDIA’S COMMITMENT NOT TO
HAVE A BABY IN BABY PROOF
A PAPER
BY
ATIKA AKHMAR
REG. NO. 102202034
DIPLOMA-III ENGLISH STUDY PROGRAM
FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDY
UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA
MEDAN
▸ Baca selengkapnya: besides scanning a baby’s dna, the new method
(2)It has been proved by Supervisor,
Dra. Redita Lubis, Dip. Appl. Ling., M.Hum. NIP. 19490423197412 2 001
Submitted to Faculty of Cultural Study, University of North Sumatera in partial fulfillment of the requirements for DIPLOMA (D-III) in English
Approved by
Head of Diploma III English Study Program,
Dr. Matius C.A. Sembiring, M.A. NIP. 19521126198112 1 001
Approved by the Diploma III English Study Program Faculty of Cultural Study, University of North Sumatra
Accepted by :
The Board of Examiners in Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the D-III Examination of the Diploma III English Study Program, Faculty of
Culture Studies, University of North Sumatera.
The examination is held on June 2013
Faculty of Cultural Study, University of North Sumatera
Dean,
Dr. Syahron Lubis, M.A. NIP. 19511013197603 1 001
Board of Examiners
No. Name Signature
1. Dr. Matius C.A. Sembiring, M.A. (Head of ESP)
2. Dra. Redita Lubis, Dip. Appl. Ling., M.Hum. (Supervisor)
AUTHOR'S DECLARATION
I, ATIKA AKHMAR declare that I am the sole author of this paper. Except where the reference is made in the text of this paper, this paper contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a paper by which I have qualified for or awarded another degree.
No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text of this paper. This paper has not been submitted for the award of another degree in any tertiary education.
COPYRIGHT DECLARATION
Name : ATIKA AKHMAR
Title of Paper : The Collapse of Claudia’s Commitment Not Have a Baby Qualification : D-III / Ahli Madya
Study Program : English
I am willing that my paper should be available for reproduction at the discretion of the Librarian of the Diploma III English Department Faculty of Cultural Study USU on the understanding that users are made aware of their obligation under law of the Republic of Indonesia.
ABSTRAK
ABSTRACT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Bismillahirrahmaanirrahiim.
First of all, I would like thanks The Almightly Allah SWT, for giving me His blessing, mercy and guidance. Because His pure will, I can immediately accomplish this thesis.
In this opportunity, I would like to express my gratitude to the Dean of Faculty of Science Studies Dr.Syahron Lubis M.A and the Head of English Department Dr. Matius C.A. Sembiring, M.A. Then I would like to express my special gratitude to my supervisor Dra. Redita Lubis, Dipl.App.Ling., M.Hum
for her time, advice, and guidance to correct this paper during the process of writing and thank to Drs. Chairul Husni, M.Ed. TESOL as my reader. I also thank other lecturers of English Diploma III Program who have contributed their knowledge in teaching me during my academic years.
Futhermore, I would like to express my great regard to both of my parents
Ackhyar Syauraf and Dra. Maria br. Bangun who grow me up, guide and take care of me. Thank my sisters Yulia Akhyar, Annisa Nadra, my brother Indra Mulia, also my beloved nephews Akbar and Zafran. For them, I will do my best.
gratitude Nero Gank; Ivana (thanks for everything not!), Nelfi (Ufi memeng), Yati (Lobet), Sadrak (Indomi), Anggi (Kakek) and Guntur (just do your paper tur!) also thank to Ana and Winda (hope your dream come true to go to America) and all my classmate that I can’t mention one by one.
Finally, I hope that this paper will be a worthwhile contribution to the readers. And I also receive any constructive criticism to develop this paper.
Medan, July 2013 The writer
ABSTRAK
ABSTRACT
1.
INTRODUCTION
1.1Background of Study
Commitment not to having a baby is usual commitment for young ladies nowadays. There are a lot of woman who has a dream that she wants to be a successful women. And in modern area, many women think that not to have a baby is a commitment and life without a baby will make them happier rather than have a baby. If we compare to the old generation, every woman wants to have a baby and be a good mother that can protect them and give an affection. It’s very different to the story in Baby Proof by Emily Giffin. In this novel, the author give an explanation about women that life in modern area who has commitment not to have a baby and life just as a wife but not to be a mother.
Ben. Because of the sincere love to Ben, it makes her commitment not to have a baby is collapsed and finally she is ready to have a baby
Novel is human literature creations. Novel does not, however, present a documentary picture of life. Kennedy (1991: 203) says that novel is a book-lenght story in prose, whose author try to create senses while we read, we experience actual life. The novel is a picture of real life and manner time when it was written. Some of them are fiction (unreal) and some of nonfiction (real). In nonfiction novel, the author’s present actual people and events. In fiction novel, the readers can know more about the characters. By this description, the readers will know about characters are categorized as a main character and peripheral characters. Character is one part which very important in a story. Character make the story become real and interesting. We can understand about the way of story in a novel. Without character, the novel is nothing. The readers can get meaning and many messeges of life from the character in a story. To understand a novel, we must be able to know the elements of prose, such as setting, plot, theme, characterization etc. And we need the ability to identifying the element of novel if we want to analyze a novel.
1.2Problem of Study
Based on the background of the analysis, the problem of the study may be recognized as follows:
• How Claudia keep the commitment not to have a baby ?
• Why Claudia’s commitment not to have a baby to be collapse ?
1.3Scope of Study
In this novel, the writer finds that the collapse of Claudia’s commitment not to have a baby is very interesting to be analyzed. In this paper, the writer just focuses on the main character and he commitment not to have a baby to be collapse.
1.4Purpose of Study
In writing this paper, the purpose of study is the writer wants to analyzes and to explain the reason why Claudia’s commitment not to have a baby to be collapse.
1.5 Significance of the Study
1.6Methode of Study
The writer uses the work of the library method that is by collecting data from books in the library and the writer also search the information from internet, such as data are colleceted, sorted, and summarized.
The writer also uses intrinsic approach by Wellek and Warren (1994:24) which is the approach taken the data from text itself and also use library method (Library Research) that is by collecting data from books in the library and also search the information from internet, such as data are colleceted, sorted, and summarized.
1.7Reason for Choosing the Topic
2.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Novel
Novel is a story which tells about someone life. Novel tells stories, which are usually defined as a series of events described in a sequence. The novel has been a part of human culture for over a thousand years, although its origins are somewhat debated. Regardless of how it began, the novel has risen to prominence and remained one of the most popular and treasured examples of human culture and writing. Its form and presentation tends to change with the times, but it remains an essential part of the literary cultures of nearly all societies around the world.
2.2 Plot
Plot is the arrangement of whole conflict that found in a story. By this plot, we can tells the story briefly without lose any necessary part of the incidence. It is the easy way if we want to analyze the characters of the story. It is very important to know the information of the story first. We can start by who are the figures of the story, what happen, when, and where. We cannot do anything without this essential data for the further step like in human life, those are become the breath.
Hamalian and Karl (1967:167) defines that one time in the development of the short story, plot predominated. Stories were often thought of as forms as pure entertainment, and one spoke of a good plot or a compelling plot. This conception of a story has changed. Plot has as it were, suffered a downfall. In fact, critics now hardly speak of plot as such-it has become a component of other elements; to such as extant that it is difficult to find modern stories featuring plot, for example any disscussion immediately carries the reader of into character, theme, even setting, and atmosphere.
dtory, it is often frustrating for the readers because plot is like an iceberg above the submerged and hardly discernible by eye.
2.3 Character
Abrams (1981 : 42) defines that characters are the persons represented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as possessing particular moral, intellectual, and emotional qualities by inferences from what the persons say and their distinctive ways of saying it the dialogue and from what they do—the action. The grounds in the characters’ temperament, desires, and moral nature for their speech and actions are called their motivation. A character may remain essentially “stable,” or unchanged in outlook and disposition, from beginning to end of a work.
2.4 Theme
To understand the theme requires a lot of guesswork by asking what a particular story is about, a question which usually leads to a great deal of speculation. The whole process should not course be a matter of hit or miss, unless we assume as at time we might that the author was confused by the creation.
2.5 Setting
Hamalian and Karl (1967:59) state that the setting of the story can mean many things besides the obvious where it takes place include the location, the background, and the regional aspect. It can designate a particular time, historical era, and a political situation. From the setting of the story, we know the beginning of the story set and setting also affects what the characters do. Setting is not only a particular time and a particular place, or a very substance of a region, but also how the people things, how they react, their prejudices, their insanities, and their lifestyle with all elements that related indirectly.
Setting also includes the background: aspect of atmosphere, a series of details, nuances which give a certain shape to theme and plot. In other word we can say that setting is usually integrated into other aspects in a story, plot, theme, character, and philosophical implication.
3.
THE DESCRIPTION
3.1Claudia and Ben
As human being, everybody has a sense of parenthood and has a baby. Baby is a gift from God that is very craving by everybody. But in fact, there are some people who don’t want to have a baby in their family. Not because they don’t like or can’t give an affection but the fear of change and the fear of decline their career. That’s one of the factor of someone to make a commitment not to have a baby. It happens to Claudia, she is a career woman that works as a editor publishing in Manhattan. But it doesn’t like the other woman, she never wanted to be a mother. Even when she was a little girl, playing a plastic dolls and pretend to be a good Aunt Claudia but honestly she really doesn’t like that. As written as follow,
I never wanted to be a mother. Even when I was a litle girl. Playing dolls with my two sisters, I assumed the role of the good Aunt Claudia. I would bathe and diaper and cradle their plastic babies and then be on my way, on to more exciting pursuits in the backyard or basement. (Giffin,2007:1)
Everything looks usual, Claudia hopes that she can find a man that has same thought with her. And then she meets with Ben; on a blind date orchestrated by their mutual friends, Ray and Annie. Claudia fell comfortable with Ben and she can learn and share her felling about children “Then I met Bet. Beautiful, kind, funny Ben who seemed way too good to be true, especially after I learned that actually shared my felling on children”
Ben and Claudia quickly discovered that they had a lot more in common than their view on children and a lot more binding them together than their crazy chemistry. It is not just the same thought about children, they also have similar background of their life; they both grew up in New York with two sisters and parents who divorced late in the game. Moreover, they are both hardworking, high achievers who were passionate about their careers and also they both have same hobbies, like watch a movie, travelling, reading the paper in bed and drinking coffee into the evening hours.“We had a similar background. . .”
Their relationship closer after seven months later on their anniversary. They also had exchanged the vows. It makes Claudia really sure about her felling and nothing would ever change her felling to Ben “. . .Nothing would ever change, except the addition of wrinkles and gray hair and sweet satisfying memories”
of you when you’re old?”. Ben and Claudia would say “Each other” and Claudia stated that “The children are no guarantee of anything, you could have a kid who grows into a selfish”.
But over the time, they learned to keep quite on their subject not to have a baby. It was so much easier for them, they would simply exchange a knowing glance and discuss about their future. They were annoyed by the narrow minded assumption that children were a given, but at the same time they enjoyed the underlying smugness that came from being apart of a child free union..
Then about two years into their marriage, something changed. Suddenly Ben has a desire to have a baby. Ben became over interested in the progress of Annie’s pregnancycy. He admired the ultrasound photos, even taping one to their refrigerator “.... Ben became all too interested in the progress of Annie’s pregnancy...”
Ben really does not know about his feelings and why he suddenly wants to be a father also has a baby after all. But it’s not the same with Claudia, she just tries to stay calm as she delivered eloquent speech and told to Ben that all of that parenthood stuff wasn’t who they are and Ben can’t have both. It can be seen in the following dialogue,
“I don’t know how to say this, Ben said, his voice cracking. “So I’ll just come out with it” I nodded, feeling queasy. “Go ahead” think I might want kids after all.” “You scared me.” I laughed. “I’m serious Claudia. I don’t know it’s just this feeling I have, “Ben said, making a first over his heart (Giffin, 2007:15)
Claudia. Ben tries to tell it to Claudia, but Claudia can’t say anything. “She looks like you, If we had a daughter, she’d look like that” and Claudia just give him a look.
Ben keeps trying to give understanding to Claudia about his feeling to have a baby, he said that baby will change their life for the better life and a pregnant women are more beautiful, but Claudia tell to Ben that she does not want to be pregnant. Ben also suggests Claudia to adopt a baby whereas Claudia does not think that is the good idea. Finally Ben defers to Claudia, he thinks that they don’t have to have a baby immediately, he does not need to have one now and they can wait a view years to do this,
Now, they wanted different things, Ben wants a baby and Claudia still stays with her commitment not to have a baby. This problem make them always clash with each other and seems like there is no love between them. “...He said, fuck you, Claudia.” “No, fuck you Ben” said Claudia.
Claudia feels confused, disappointed also sick when everyone assuming that she has to have a baby to be happy “I’m just so sick of everyone assuming that you have to have kids to be happy. I thought Ben was different, but he’s just like everyone else. He totally bait and switched me.” Nobody can understand about her feeling why she never wanted a baby and she never think that Ben can changed like that. It’s hard to Claudia to choose whether she still be Ben’s wife or getting divorced with Ben. The next day, Claudia decides to meet her lawyer Nina Raden to tell her that she is getting divorced and Claudia insists that there isn’t another woman in Ben’s life. Then Claudia tells her that she just wants her personal property
After analyzing this description, it is found that the strong of Claudia’s commitment not to have a baby is a guideline of life held by Claudia so far. Not because she doesn’t like children, but the fear of change and the fear of failed to be a good mother that make Claudia never wanted a baby. It’s hard to Claudia to choose whether she is ready to have a baby or getting divorced with Ben. It seems that Claudia is a selfish woman that willing divorced with her husband only for a commitment
3.2The Collapse of Claudia’s Commitment Not to Have a Baby
After the writer tells the story about Claudia and Ben, the writer thinks that need to tell about “Why Claudia’s commitment to be collapsed?”. In this section the writer wants to continue about the collapse Claudia’s commitment not to have baby.
Love between Claudia and Ben are so strong, even when they have getting divorced, but they still love each other and there is nothing that can’t change that feelings. Claudia can’t erase Ben from her memories, she really loves him and suddenly Claudia feels that she wants to be a mother and has a baby, but it’s impossible cause Claudia and Ben have a different life after getting divorced even she does not know whether Ben has got new girlfriend or not.
considers that Ben will marry Tucker and Ben considers that Claudia will marry Richard, but they are wrong.
Ben just tells Claudia that he loves her with his whole heart and he has done everything to get her back. He also said that he does not need a baby because he just wants Claudia “I must tell you that I love you with my whole heart and I’d do anything to get you back, I don’t need a baby, I don’t even want one if it’s not with you.” It makes Claudia stunned and speechless, she can’t believe what she is hearing just now. Same like Claudia, she will do everything to get him back, even if that means having a baby “I would do anything to get him back, even if that means having a baby. That I nearly might even want a baby with him.”
Finally Claudia’s commitment not to have a baby collapsed by the sincere love. Her sincere love to Ben is really strong rather than the strong of her commitment. And now Claudia realizes that having baby will make their life happy, she also tries to make sure herself that she is ready to be a mother and having a baby although she can’t be the good one, . It can be seen in the following statement,
“I don’t know”, I breathe, thinking that there are a lot of things I don’t know. I dont know wheather I will someday be a mother and wheather I am capable of being a good one. But for now, it is Chirstmas, and I am with Ben, and thats all tha seems to matter. So I hold tightly and whisper his name. As a wish and a promise for things to come. (Giffin, 2007:356)
4.
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
4.1 Conclusions
Emily Giffin (1972) is the author who wants to make the readers understand about the love and commitment happens in this novel. How love and commitment are related each other. Although commitment can be selfish, but love can change it .
After reading Baby Proof, the writer likes to analyze about the commitment held by Claudia and Ben. In the first part of the novel, say that Claudia never wanted to be a mother. She hopes that she can get a husband who has same thought with her. And then she meets Ben, an architect that has same thought with her about baby and it is not about the same thought but they also have a similar background of their life. It makes Claudia sure that Ben is her soulmate. They don’t need much time to make sure their heart that they are the best for each of them and finally they decide to get married.
Their marriage life look very happy, even their commitment not having a baby not reduce their happiness. But the commitment only lasted for 2 years, suddenly Ben has a different future in mind, he wants to be a father and having a baby. It makes Claudia very confused with this situation. She really loves Ben, but she never wants to have a baby and still stay with her commitment not to have baby. Claudia’s commitment is really strong and she is willing to get divorced with Ben.
without Claudia and he hopes that Claudia wants to back to him. Finally, Claudia’s commitment not to have baby is collapse with the sincere love, she really loves Ben and nothing can change her feeling and also she is ready to have a baby and be a mother although she is not sure she can be the good one. This makes the writer interested in analyzing this novel.
Furthermore, the writer takes the conclusion that having baby doesn’t make the life looked bad, but otherwise, having a baby will make your day more colorful and you can share your love to your baby, so never be afraid to have a baby.
4.2. Suggestions
The writer hopes that this paper will be helpful for the readers, who want to know about the collapse of Claudia’s commitment not to have a baby in Baby Proof. She hopes that by reading the novel, the readers do not only sit and read the entire of story, but also understand what the story is talking about. In this paper the writer wants the readers know that having baby is a gift from God and a woman shouldn’t opposed to have baby. Don’t think that baby will make your life bad. The writer realizes that the analyses of The Collapse of Claudia’s Commitment Not to Have a Baby in Baby Proof are still limited. Therefore, the writer suggests any readers interested in analyzing the love and the strong of commitment will do further research.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abrams,M.H.1981. A Glossary of Literary Term. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.
Giffin, Emily, 2007. Baby Proof. Orion Books Ltd
Hamalian, Leo and Karl, Frederick R. 1967. The Shape of Fiction. New York; MC Graw-Hill Book Company.
Kennedy, X.J. 1991. Literature, An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. New York; Harper Collins Publisher.
APPENDICES
BIOGRAPHY OF EMILY GIFFIN
Emily Fisk Giffin was born in 20 March1972 and although she has only written 4 books so far, she has already established herself as a bestselling author. Her last book love the one your with, debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. Film rights have been bought by 2times Oscar winning Hilary Swank for the novels Something Borrowed and Something Blue. Her books have more than a million copies in print and have been translated into 12 different languages. So keep an eye open for future releases.
Something Borrowed was released spring 2004 and it was adapted into a
third, Baby Proof, made its debut. No new hardcover accompanied the paperback release of in 2007. Instead, Giffin spent the year finishing her fourth novel and enlarging her family. Emily Giffin and her husband Hartley has 3 children, identically twins Edward and George born 2003 and youngest daughter Harriet born 2007. They now live in Atlanta
Emily Giffin’s Career
Emily Giffin started her career practicing law in New York, but only days after she moved to London to pursue her dreams fulltime. It was there that she began writing Something Borrowed (2004), a story of a young woman who, upon turning thirty, finally learned to take a risk and follow her heart. One year later, Giffin's own gamble paid off, as she completed her manuscript, landed an agent and signed a two-book deal on both sides of the Atlantic. The following summer, Something Borrowed, hailed as a "heartbreakingly honest debut" with "dead-on dialogue, real-life complexity and genuine warmth," became a surprise sensation, and Giffin vowed never to practice law again. to pursue writing, her true passion. Her legal skills do come in handy though. Not only does it serve as an inspiration to her characters, like Rachel in Something Borrowed, but also when negotiating book deals and movie contracts.
rejected by eight publishers. Giffin began a new novel, then titled Rolling the Dice, which became the bestselling novel
Giffin found an agent in 2002 and signed a two book deal with
storyteller," Giffin has since penned four more New York Times bestsellers, Something Blue (2005), Baby Proof (2007), Love the One You're With (2008) and Heart of the Matter (2010). Her five novels, all filled with her endearinglynflawed characters and emotional complexity, have been translated into twentynine languages, with five million copies in print worldwide. In addition, three of her novels have been optioned for the big screen, and Something Borrowed has been fast-tracked for an early 2010 shoot by the production companies of Hilary Swank and Edward Burns.
SUMMARY OF THE NOVEL
Claudia sure that babies were a factor. It cause when Charlie asked Claudia how many children She wanted, then Claudia reported a firm “zero”. It makes Charlie confused and satisfied to Claudia.
Therefore, Caludia really hope someday she could find a man that has a same thought with her. After she hope in a long time, finally she met with Ben, the beautiful and kind man who has same commitment with Claudia that not to have a baby will make them happy. They meet on the blind date orchestrated by teir mutual friends, Ray and Annie. Althought that the first time they met, but Claudia feel comfortable with Ben, cause with Ben, Claudia can share her feelings about having baby.
Claudia and Ben fell seem perfect each other. From their first date, when they discover that neither seems children in their future, their relationship destined to succed. They fall in love and don’t need much time to decide get . They life happy as a small family, and don’t fell that they need a baby to tinted their life. But, about two years into their marriage, something change. Suddenly Ben has a different thought with Claudia; he want a baby and be a father. Ben become too interested in the progress of Annie’s pregnancy. He admired the ultrasound photos, even taping one to their refrigerator.
