THE INFLUENCE OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE
ON CLARE’S ACHIEVEMENT AS THE FIRST BLACK FEMALE JUDGE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM IN BRISCOE’S UGLY
A THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By Arina Isti’anah Student Number: 041214059
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
i
THE INFLUENCE OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE
ON CLARE’S ACHIEVEMENT AS THE FIRST BLACK FEMALE JUDGE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM IN BRISCOE’S UGLY
A THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By Arina Isti’anah Student Number: 041214059
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
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STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY
I honestly declare that this thesis, which I have written, does not contain the work or parts of the work of other people, except those cited in the quotations and the references, as a scientific paper should.
Yogyakarta, October 10, 2009 The Writer
v
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma:
Nama : Arina Isti’anah
Nomor Mahasiswa : 041214059
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:
THE INFLUENCE OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE ON CLARE’S ACHIEVEMENT AS THE FIRST BLACK FEMALE JUDGE
IN THE UNITED KINGDOM IN BRISCOE’S UGLY
Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal: 10 Oktober 2009 Yang menyatakan,
vi
What’s Life
Life is a challenge - meet it
Life is a gift - accept it
Life is a sorrow - overcome it
Life is a tragedy - face it
Life is a mystery - unfold it - unsolved it
Life is an opportunity - take it
Life is a promise - complete it
Life is a struggle - fight it
Life is a goal - achieve it
Life is love - love it
Life can be adventures - enjoy it
Life is a duty - perform it
Life is a game - out smart it
Life is a beauty - praise it
Life is life - live it - make of something good of it
Jessica Workman
This thesis is dedicated to:
vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my greatest gratitude to Allah SWT for giving me a great opportunity to study in English Language Education Study Program Sanata Dharma University. Having the experience of studying in this University was a miracle for me. Every step in this University can be passed by God’s blessing. I really realize that God always blesses me so I can have a great strength in accomplishing this thesis.
Next, I would like to convey my appreciation to Henny Herawati, S.Pd., M.Hum. for giving me sincere guidance and suggestion during writing this thesis.
I would like to thank her for her patience and encouragement. I am so grateful to Drs. Pius Nurwidasa Prihatin, M.Ed. as my academic sponsor. My special
gratitude goes to my beloved parents, Bapak Suyanto and Ibu Sridati who always give me endless support and love in every condition. I would like to thank them for their effort in earning money to pay my school fee in the department which I really wanted to study.
My thankfulness also goes to my beloved husband, Bakrowi Ibnu Sutomo for giving abundance support and love in my sadness and happiness time.
I also thank Ilham for being my biggest motivator in finishing this thesis. My hearfelt gratitude also goes to Keluarga Panggil for taking care of Ilham since he was a baby. I would like to thank Bapak, Ibuk, Mas Bayu, Mbak Neli, Mas Ludang, and Laras for being friends of Ilham. I also thank my sister, Iin, for
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I would like to convey appreciation to PBI lecturers and staff. I would like to express abundant gratitude to them for sharing their valuable experience which enriches my knowledge in English. I also thank my friends in Play Performance, Practice Teaching, SPD, and KKN for helping me passing the hard courses. My friends in PBI ’04 and ’05 are also meaningful during my time in Sanata Dharma. I would like to thank Epha, Anis, and Bety for supporting me. May God bless them all.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ... i
APPROVAL PAGES ... ii
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ... iv
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN ... v
PAGE OF DEDICATION... vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS... ix
ABSTRACT... xii
ABSTRAK... xiii
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study ... 1
B. Research Problems... 4
C. Objectives of the Study ... 4
D. Benefits of the Study... 4
E. Definition of Terms... 5
CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Review of Related Theories ... 6
1. Character and Characterization ... 6
a. Character ... 7
b. Characterization ... 8
2. Critical Approach ... 9
3. Child Abuse... 10
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b. Emotional Abuse... 11
4. Motivation ... 13
B. Theoretical Framework ... 16
CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study ... 18
B. Approach of the Study ... 19
C. Method of the Study... 20
CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS A. Clare’s Personality Portrayed in the Novel ... 21
1. Smart ... 24
2. Easygoing... 25
3. Brave ... 27
4. Hard Working ... 29
5. Optimistic... 30
B. The Influence of Clare’s Childhood Abuses on Her Life... 32
1. Clare’s Childhood Abuses... 33
a. Physical Abuse ... 33
b. Emotional Abuse... 36
2. The Influence of the Abuse on Clare’s Life... 39
a. Clare’s Psychological Damages... 39
1) Clare’s Attitude towards Other People ... 39
2) Clare’s Feeling of Being Unwanted... 41
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b. The Influence of Clare’s Psychological Damages
on Her Life ... 44
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS A. Conclusions ... 50
B. Suggestions ... 51
1. Suggestions for Future Researchers ... 51
2. Suggestion for Using Literature in Teaching English... 52
REFERENCES... 54
APPENDICES... 57
A. Summary of the Novel ... 58
B. Biography of the Author... 60
C. Lesson Plan for Teaching Intensive Reading 2 ... 61
xii ABSTRACT
Isti’anah, Arina. 2009. The Influence of Childhood Abuse on Clare’s Achievement as the First Black Female Judge in the United Kingdom in
Briscoe’s Ugly. Yogyakarta: Department of Language and Arts Education,
Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.
Childhood is the most important time for human beings. Children need love and support from the family in order to have adequate strength to face the world. However, many children do not have love and support from their family. In the novel, Ugly, Clare, the main character of the story, is physically and emotionally abused by her mother. Clare does not have love and support from her family. She has to struggle hard to stay alive because she has to earn money for herself. Clare tries hard to reach her dream to be a barrister.
There are two problems discussed in this study. They are: (1) How is Clare’s personality portrayed in the novel? (2) How does Clare’s childhood abuse influence her struggle to be the first black female judge in the United Kingdom?
Library study was the method in this study. The primary source was the novel, Ugly. The secondary sources were books and articles on the theory of Character and Characterization, theory of Psychological Approach, theory of Child Abuse and Motivation. The psychological approach became the approach of this study since it focused on one’s motivation in life.
Based on the analysis, there are two main points which can be concluded. First is about Clare’s personality. By using the theory of Character, Clare can be classified as a protagonist, round, and dynamic character. By using theory of Characterization, there are some ways of characterization to describe Clare’s personality traits. Through her speech, reaction, and opinions from other characters, Clare is portrayed as a smart, easygoing, brave, hardworking, and optimistic girl. Second is about the influence of childhood abuse on Clare’s life. In her childhood, Clare is abused physically and emotionally by her mother. Those abuses lead her to have psychological damages in her life. They are Clare’s attitude towards others, Clare’s feeling of being unwanted, and Clare’s unhappy life. Those psychological damages lead her to have motivation and optimism to change her life. She strives to overcome the conflicts she must face in order to achieve her goal to be a barrister. Finally, Clare can enter the New Castle University and becomes the first black female judge in the United Kingdom.
xiii ABSTRAK
Isti’anah, Arina. 2009. The Influence of Childhood Abuse on Clare’s Achievement as the First Black Female Judge in the United Kingdom in Briscoe’s Ugly. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Masa kecil merupakan waktu yang paling penting bagi manusia. Anak-anak membutuhkan kasih sayang dan dukungan dari keluarga agar mereka mempunyai bekal kekuatan yang cukup untuk menghadapi dunia. Namun demikian, masih banyak anak yang tidak mendapatkan kasih sayang dan dukungan dari keluarga mereka. Di dalam novel yang berjudul Ugly, Clare yang merupakan tokoh utama dalm novel mendapatkan penyiksaan secara fisik dan mental. Clare tidak mendapatkan kasih sayang dan dukungan dari keluarganya. Dia harus berjuang keras untuk dapat bertahan hidup karena dia harus menghidupi dirinya sendiri. Clare berjuang keras untuk menggapai impiannya sebagai seorang pengacara.
Terdapat dua masalah yang dibahas di dalam skripsi ini. Masalah pertama ialah Bagaimana kepribadian Clare digambarkan di dalam novel? Kedua, Bagaimana penyiksaan masa kecil mempengaruhi pencapaian Clare sebagai hakim wanita kulit hitam pertama di Inggris?
Metode dalam skripsi ini adalah penelitian perpustakaan. Sumber utama dalam skripsi ini adalah novel yang berjudul Ugly. Sumber lain yang mendukung antara lain buku dan artikel tentang teori Karakter dan Karakterisasi, teori Pendekatan Psikologi, teori Penyiksaan Anak, dan teori Motivasi. Pendekatan psikologi dipilih karena skripsi ini mengenai motivasi seseorang dalam hidupnya.
Berdasarkan pada pembahasan novel, ada dua hal utama yang dapat disimpulkan. Pertama adalah tentang kepribadian Clare. Dengan teori Karakter, Clare digolongkan sebagai karakter protagonis, komplek dan dinamis. Dengan menggunakan teori Karakterisasi, ada beberapa cara untuk mendeskripsikan kepribadian Clare. Dengan menggunakan ucapan, reaksi Clare, dan pendapat dari karakter lain, Clare digambarkan sebagai gadis yang pintar, berhati lembut, berani, bekerja keras, dan optimis. Kedua adalah tentang pengaruh penyiksaan masa kecil terhadap kehidupan Clare. Masa kecil Clare dipenuhi dengan penyiksaan lahir dan mental dari ibunya. Penyiksaan tersebut membuat Clare memiliki luka secara psikologi. Luka tersebut antara lain ialah perilaku Clare terhadap orang lain, perasaan ditolak, dan hidupnya yang tidak bahagia. Luka tersebut berperan dalam kehidupan Clare sehingga dia memiliki motivasi dan bersikap optimis untuk mengubah hidupnya. Dia berusaha keras untuk mengatasi masalah yang harus ia hadapi untuk mencapai tujuannya sebagai seorang pengacara. Pada akhirnya, Clare dapat masuk New Castle University dan menjadi hakim wanita kulit hitam pertama di Inggris.
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1 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This chapter consists of some parts of introduction of the thesis. Those are Background of the Study, Research Problems, Objectives of the Study, Benefits of the Study, and Definition of Terms. In the background, the writer describes the reason of selecting the topic and presents reasons why this study is worth studying. The writer formulates two research questions in the research problems. In the objectives of the study, the writer describes the objectives of the study, which are related to the research problems. The benefits of the study are presented in the next part. Here, the writer identifies the benefits of this study for the English Education students who read this study and English Education Study Program. In the last part, definition of terms, the writer clarifies some terms that are used in this study to avoid misunderstanding.
A. Background of the Study
There are many literary works written by many people. Those are short stories, novels, poems, plays, and so on. Many people enjoy reading those literary works because it is believed that reading literary works may influence their point of view of life. Hudson states,
2
Abrams says that novel is a literary work that reflects the reality of human life (180). Thus, the readers could be influenced by the story when they have understood what the story is about.
This study tries to know and study the importance of childhood abuse to life because it becomes an interesting issue nowadays. We can see that there are many cases related to child abuse. It is reported that on an average of every 10 seconds and three children die every day as a result of such abuse (http://www.childabuse.org/about%20child%20abuse.html). That amount is amazing because those children get abused from people who are close to them like parents, neighbor, and baby sitter. Furthermore, Unicef states,
All children have the right to legal registration at birth, health care, good nutrition, education, and protection from harm, abuse and discrimination. It is the duty of parents and governments to ensure that these rights are respected, protected and fulfilled (http://www.unicef.org/ffl/03/).
Ugly is a true story by Constance Briscoe. Briscoe is the first black female judge in the United Kingdom. Her story becomes an inspiration for many people. Some comments come to this novel. Daily Mail says that this novel is utterly extraordinary harrowing, often deeply disturbing, and ultimately inspiring. Lesley Pearse says, “….Constance’s story will inspire young people everywhere to not only hold on to their dreams and make them happen, but also to be better parents themselves” (Briscoe). Those statements show how good this novel is.
Briscoe has bad experiences in her childhood. In the novel, Briscoe is called as Clare. She is abused by her own mother, Carmen. She struggles to survive in her life without getting affection from her mother and family. Clare is always beaten by her mother when she wets the bed and even makes a little mistake. When Clare is growing up, she looks after herself by working at a shop and Social Services because her mother leaves her at home which there is no electricity and gas. Her mother also asks Clare to pay rent of the house.
4
B. Research Problems
This study intends to reveal two problems as follow 1. How is Clare’s personality portrayed in the novel?
2. How does Clare’s childhood abuse influence her struggle to be the first black female judge in the United Kingdom?
C. Objectives of the Study
This study has two main objectives. The first objective is to describe Clare’s personality as portrayed in Briscoe’s Ugly. Clare’s personality really influences her struggle in life. The second objective reveals how Clare’s childhood abuse influences her struggle so she can achieve the position as the first black female judge in the United Kingdom.
D. Benefits of the Study
E. Definition on Terms
There are some terms that are often used in this study. The writer would like to define those terms to avoid misunderstanding. There are three terms to define. First is Childhood. Hurlock states childhood as the period from age to adolescence (28). Fleming adds childhood as a period of mental passivity from which there is a gradual escape to mental activity through a successive maturing of faculties (33). In this study, childhood refers to a period when Clare grows up as an adolescence until she is going to enter the University.
Second is Abuse. Based on The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), abuse means “any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm” (Child Welfare International Gateway). In this study, abuse means any physical and emotional injuries which Clare gets during her childhood.
Third is Struggle. Struggle means to try very hard to do or achieve something that is difficult (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary). In this study, struggle means Clare’s efforts during her childhood in order to accomplish every requirement which she has to fill for reaching her dream to be a barrister in her very hard times.
6 CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter deals with two main parts. First is review of related theories. Here, the writer involves theory of Character and Characterization, theory of Critical Approach, theory of Child Abuse, and theory of Motivation. Second is theoretical framework, which explains the contribution of the theories involved in this study in solving the problems as formulated in Research Problems in Chapter I.
A. Review of Related Theories
In this part, the writer discusses the theory of Character and Characterization, theory of Critical Approach, theory of Child Abuse, and theory of Motivation.
1. Character and Characterization
a. Character
Abrams proposes that character can be classified into protagonist and antagonist (128). The protagonist is the central figure of a story and usually referred to the main character of the story. Whereas, antagonist creates conflicts or barriers that the protagonist must overcome. Antagonist is not always human; it can be circumstances, situation that creates conflict.
Perrine suggests two kinds of character, namely static and dynamic character (71). Static character is understood as a character who does not undergo the process of change development as result of the things that happen to him. Dynamic character is stated as character who changes when things happen to him (Holman and Harmon 83). Perrine states, “Dynamic character undergoes an important, basic, and permanent change in his character, personality, or perspective” (71).
Rohrberger and Woods state that character is a person in a story who acts out in a particular time and place, some kind of conflict in a pattern of events. According to them, there are two kinds of characters, namely flat and round characters.
8
Round characters are many-sided (Rohrberger and Woods). Laar and Schoonderwoerd add round characters are represented in their wholeness and in all different aspects (170). In round character, there is always the element of surprise. This kind of character is also artistically speaking and a higher achievement.
b. Characterization
Characterization is the process by which the author creates a character (Rohrberger and Woods 20). It also deals with how an author conveys to the reader what sort of people they are, how he makes the reader get to know and understand them (Murphy 161). According to Rohrberger and Woods, there are two kinds of characterization, namely Direct and Dramatic means. Direct means is used to describe the physical appearances of the characters. Dramatic means characters are portrayed in a situation to show what they are by the way they behave or speak.
through directing comment on the character, person’s thoughts, his conversation or through the medium of another person.
Fifth, Conversation of others, the author gives clues through the conversations of other people and the things they say about him. Sixth, Reactions, the author gives clues through how the person reacts to various situations and events. Seventh, Direct comment, the author directly gives comment on a person’s character. Eighth, Thoughts, the author gives the reader of what a person is thinking about. Ninth, Mannerisms, the author describes a person’s mannerisms, habits or idiosyncrasies which tell the reader about the character.
2. Critical Approach
Critical approach in literature is used to understand its nature, function, and positive values (Rohrberger and Woods 3). They propose five kinds of approach, namely Formalist, Biographical, Sociocultural-Historical, Mythopoetic, and Psychological approaches. Formalist Approach focuses on a literary work as its integrity. Biographical Approach deals with the author’s life to understand his works. The readers study the author’s life and its development to explore or understand deeply about his writings and give appreciation to the author.
10
Mythopoeic Approach discovers certain universally recurrent patterns of human thought, which are ancient myths and folk rites, which they believe find some expression in significant works of art. Psychological Approach involves certain recurrent pattern of human thought which draws on a different body of knowledge. It uses psychological criticism, such as human motivation, human personality, and human development. This approach believes that human personality develops from infancy through childhood until adolescence.
3. Child Abuse
The precious time of childhood is one should be nurtured by adults (Pritchard 1). Many adults, even parents, do not really take care of children as how it should. Children are abused physically and emotionally. The best evidence in Britain today is that 7% of children have in the recent past been subject to severe physical abuse, 6% have been physically neglected, 6% have been emotionally abused, and 8% have been victims of contact sexual abuse (Pritchard 1). There are two types of abuse, namely physical abuse and emotional abuse.
a. Physical Abuse
or circumstances that threaten the child with harm or create a substantial risk of harm to the child's health or welfare (Child Welfare Information Gateway).
Commonly, children who experience physical abuse will have the continuing punishment from the abusers. Moreover, children who learn that they deserve frequent physical punishment develop poor self-esteem and make them more vulnerable to severe depression (Pritchard 13). Pritchard and Butler say,
Ironically, as Straus and Gelles show, physically beaten children who act with rebellion and anger are often subject to further, more severe physical punishment. At the extreme they enter a phase self-defeating behavior and attribution, in which apparently deviant children are subjected to further punishment and rejection (2003).
Physically abused children will also have increased risk in later life of depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, alcohol abuse, physical abuse of children, and wife beating. They also have significantly higher lifetime rates of anxiety, alcoholism, and aggression towards others (Pritchard 13-14).
b. Emotional Abuse
There are five different aspects of ‘psychological battering’: rejecting, terrorizing, ignoring, isolating, and corrupting of a child (Pritchard 14). O’Hagan (1993) in Pritchard’s The Child Abusers: Research and Controversy defines psychological abuse as:
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It can also include instability of parenting figures, their sudden departure and arrival of new parents or partners for a mother, as well as inconsistency in parental disciplinary activity, kindness and indulgence for short periods, followed by periods of harshness, emotional and physical cruelty (15).
Emotional abuse is defined as a pattern of behavior that attacks a child’s emotional development and sense of self-worth. It also includes excessive, aggressive, or unreasonable demands that place expectations on a child beyond his or her capacity (http://www.childabuse.org/about%20child%20abuse.html). Emotional abuse also includes failure to provide the psychological nurturing necessary for a child's psychological growth and development -- providing no love, support or guidance (National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse).
When parents ignore their children, and devote little time to them, as they grow older, their poor adjustments frequently lead to mischief (Hurlock 652). Moreover, there are three forms of psychological damage to young children that poor family relationship can cause,
1) They affect children’s attitude towards people outside the home and the way children treat them,
2) They lead to poor adjustments as children grow older. Feeling unloved and unwanted in the family may create inferiority,
Hurlock describes that parental rejection destroys the children self-esteem and creates feeling of helplessness and frustration, which can permanently disable the child in adjustment to life (661). As children grow older, antisocial behavior such as aggression, cruelty, swearing, seeking attention, praise, and unnecessary help, and showing off is common (Hurlock 438).
Parental rejection also has some constructive values. Rejected children become independent and capable of amusing themselves and of developing social interests. They are alert, shrewd, cunning, creative, realistic, and in a hurry to grow up and leave school. Socially, they are early matures (Hurlock 661).
4. Motivation
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In order to accomplish need of achievement, human generally has conflict. Human behavior involves conflict because there are always choices (Beck 256). Beck states, “Conflicts may often be aversive because they involve frustration; a goal cannot be achieved because of the conflict” (256).
Theory of the relation between conflict and motivation is suggested by Miller in Beck’s Motivation Theories and Principles (256-257). There are six assumptions of conflict. First, approach gradient means the closer an organism is to a positive goal, the stronger the motivation to approach that goal. Second, avoidance gradient means the closer an organism is to an aversive goal, the stronger the motivation to escape or avoid that goal. Third, steeper means the avoidance gradient drops off more rapidly as the organism is further from the goal.
Fourth, the levels of either approach or avoidance gradients can be raised or lowered by appropriate manipulations of approach and avoidance motivation (e.g. changes in degree of hunger or level of fearfulness). Fifth, below the asymptote of learning, an increase in the number of reinforced trials will increase the strength of the response tendency that is reinforced (either approach or avoidance). Sixth, when two incompatible responses are in conflict, the one with the stronger motivation (approach or avoidance) will occur.
aversive (Beck 217). There are some rules for punishment as suggested by Azrin & Holz in Beck’s Motivation Theories and Principles (229) as follows,
a. No “unauthorized” escape from the punishing stimulus should be permitted, b. The undesirable behavior should be consistently punished,
c. Punishment should be delivered as quick as possible after the undesired behavior occurs,
d. Extended period of punishment should be avoided,
e. The punishing stimulus should not be associated with a rewarding one,
f. The motivation to make the punished response should be reduced as much as possible,
g. There should be no positive reinforcement of the punished response, h. An alternative to the punished response should be made available.
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punishment is self defeating; the effect can be worse than the behavior that prompted the punishment.
In the theory of Motivation, Franken says that frustration may create aggression because,
Humans are motivated to survive and that they come into the world with general mechanisms and systems to help them to survive. One of those is the tendency to take what we need and to use force if necessary. When basic needs are frustrated, a very powerful force is set to lose. When such frustration is combined with difficult life conditions, this stage is set for aggressive behaviors to develop (229).
Franken suggests that motivation can be triggered by hostile feelings. There are two impacts that hostile feelings can do. First, they motivate the individual to escape the threat. Second, hostile feelings can motivate an individual to attack the threat (230).
B. Theoretical Framework
In Theoretical Framework, the writer mentions the theories involved in this study and mentions briefly the function of each theory. Those theories are the theory of Character and Characterization, theory of Critical Approach, theory of Child Abuse, and theory of Motivation. Theory of Character and Characterization are included in order to answer the first research problem in this study, which is how Clare’s personality is portrayed in Briscoe’s Ugly.
help the writer in answering the second research problem in this study, how Clare’s childhood abuse influences her struggle to be the first black female judge in the United Kingdom. How Clare’s childhood abuse looks like can be seen through the theory of Child Abuse. How Clare’s childhood abuse influences her struggle to be the first black female judge in the United Kingdom can be analyzed by the use of theory of Motivation.
18 CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter reveals three main parts, namely Object of the Study, Approach of the Study, and Method of the Study. First, Object of the Study describes the novel used with its physical description and what the novel is generally about. Second, Approach of the Study involves the approach employed in the analysis, the description of the approach, the reason of selecting the approach, and the procedure of the application of the approach. Third, Method of the study describes the steps in analyzing the novel.
A. Object of the Study
The novel explored in this study is entitled Ugly by the first black female judge in the United Kingdom, Constance Briscoe. The novel was published in London by Hodder and Stoughton Ltd. This novel consists of 400 pages and it is divided into 25 chapters.
Clare never has a good relationship with either Carmen or Eastman. Both of them think that Clare is ugly because she is different from her siblings. She has black skin, whereas the other members of the family have coffee-colored skin. Clare is treated differently by her mother. She never gets the new present when the Christmas comes. On the other hand, her sisters and brothers always get the new presents every year. Clare is accustomed to get this different treatment.
When she is thirteen, Carmen leaves Clare alone at home. Clare should look after herself and live at home which there is no electricity and gas. Furthermore, Clare has to pay rent of the house. She has hard time in her childhood. Thus, she works at a shop and Social Services to earn money. On the other hand, Clare tries hard to enter the University after she completes the requirements. Even though she has hard life, she can successfully go to Newcastle University. At last, Clare determines to not go back to her family and never talk to her mother again. Then, Clare can be a barrister and become the first black female judge in the United Kingdom.
B. Approach of the Study
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or background of the character’s behavior and personality can be identified. Furthermore, Clare’s behavior and personality in struggling to be the first black female judge in the United Kingdom is really influenced by her childhood abuse. Here, psychological theories are used as the framework in analyzing this matter.
C. Method of the Study
The primary source which is used in this study is the novel, Ugly. Besides gaining primary source, there were some secondary sources which became important to involve. They were theory of Character and Characterization, Critical Approach, Child Abuse, and Motivation. Since this study was not a field study, library study became the method to gather the data. The writer went to the library to find some relevant books, and browsed some sources from the internet.
21 CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
This chapter presents the analysis of this study. There are two research problems, first is how Clare’s personality is portrayed in the novel and second is how Clare’s childhood abuse influences her achievement as the first black female judge in the United Kingdom. This chapter consists of two parts. The first part describes Clare’s personality based on the novel. The second part explains the influence of childhood abuse on Clare’s achievement as the first black female judge in the United Kingdom.
A. Clare’s Personality Portrayed in the Novel
This part describes Clare’s personality in the novel. There are some ways in showing Clare’s personality. First, Clare’s character is analyzed by the use of theory of Character. Whereas, the writer uses Murphy’s theory of Characterization to analyze Clare’s personality traits (161-173). Based on the story, Clare is classified as a protagonist, round and dynamic character. Clare has some personality traits which can be analyzed by using theory of Characterization.
22
classified into protagonist. The novel focuses on Clare and how she struggles during her childhood until she can enter the New Castle University. The story is told from Clare’s point of view in first person narrative. Clare is classified into a protagonist character because she becomes the central figure of the story.
Perrine proposes two kinds of character, namely static and dynamic character (71). Static character is understood as a character who does not undergo the process of development changes as a result of the things that happen to him. Dynamic character is stated as character who changes when things happen to him (Holman and Harmon 83). Perrine adds, “Dynamic character undergoes an important, basic, and permanent change in his character, personality, or perspective” (71).
Clare is abused by her mother, Carmen. When she is eleven, she goes to the Social Services and decides not to go back to her mother. She feels rejected by her mother. Clare tries to commit suicide by drinking a bottle of bleach. She is frustrated by her life because she experiences the abuse all the time. At the end of the story, Clare’s feeling of frustration changes into her motivation. Clare starts to love herself by looking forward and having optimism to herself. It is clear that Clare is no longer frustrated, but she is motivated to reach her dream to be a barrister.
is no electricity and gas. Clare’s confidence arises when her teacher, Miss.K, becomes her main motivator at school. When Miss.K gets an accident and cannot teach again, Clare feels so sad. When Clare feels sad and alone, she is aware that no one can help her except herself. As the result, she becomes so motivated and optimistic to realize her dream. Her sadness changes into spirit to show the world that she can reach her dream. The situation in Clare’s life changes her into a mature and motivated person. Therefore, Clare can be classified into a dynamic character.
According to Rohrberger and Woods, there are two kinds of characters, namely flat and round characters. Flat characters are one-sided (Rohrberger and Woods 170). Laar and Schoonderwoerd propose that flat characters are constructed in a single idea or quality and can be summed up in a sentence (170). This kind of character is seen as an actual living people from one particular angle and does not reflect the living completely. Round characters are many-sided (Rohrberger and Woods 170). Laar and Schoonderwoerd add round characters are represented in their wholeness and in all different aspects (170). In round characters, there is always the element of surprise. This kind of character is also artistically speaking and a higher achievement (Rohrberger and Woods 170).
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1. Smart
The author can give the readers a clue of the character of one of the people in the book through what the person says (Murphy 164). That way of characterization is called speech. In the novel, Briscoe is often called as Clare. At school, Clare has a good mark in her English comprehension. It indicates that she is a smart student. Briscoe writes in the novel, “After break we had our English comprehension back. My mark said Very good” (84).
As a good student, Clare tries to love her study. Based on the novel, Clare is described as a smart student. Clare says, “School was cool. I got my homework back with two stars –A++ and could do better. I loved school and they thought I had potential. If I wanted to, I could make it” (152). Her marks during school are excellent. In doing the homework, Clare always completes them punctually. She says, “My homework was always completed in good time. No piece of work was handed in late” (349). It is not easy to get those excellent marks because to enter the University, she must complete some requirements which are not easy to achieve.
Clare’s personality trait can also be known when the author describes the character through the eyes and opinions of another (Murphy 162). Clare’s teachers also think that she is a smart girl. The teachers write the report,
Clare no longer makes excuses. Work is now on time and a great deal of thought goes into it.
A truly excellent round of result-well done.
A very able girl-will go far. Clare has been making steady progress. If it continues she should do well in the next set of results.
The report above shows that Clare’s teacher compliments her excellence. Clare’s personality trait as a smart girl can also be seen from the opinions of another character of the story. She says, “My schoolwork could always be better, but it okay and I was, according to my teachers, ‘a delightful young lady with huge potential” (374). Therefore, we know this kind of personality trait through the eyes and opinions of another.
Clare’s study goes well. She states, “In my exams I did quite well. Not as well as my teachers thought I could have done, but well enough not to cause them any concern” (368). Clare says,
On the day the results came out I walked very slowly to school, putting off the moment of discovery. I was given a slip of paper. Hooray! I had managed to pass all my GCEs! Now I had ten O-levels under my belt, the next stage was A-levels, which were two years away. There was a pat on the back for all of us from our teachers (377).
Those proofs above show how smart Clare is. When Clare has an interview before entering New Castle University, the interview goes well. She says, “The interview had gone very well and they were impressed when I mentioned that I had a pupilage lined up with Michael Mansfield. They offered me a place if I passed my A-levels with good grades” (389). In her hard life, she tries hard to study and gets good marks in order to accomplish the requirements to enter the University.
2. Easygoing
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comes, Clare does not get the new and good present from her mother, while her siblings get the new ones. Clare does not become sad because she thinks that she likes the present even though she gets the same present in three years. Clare says,
Once everybody had their presents we all sat around with them on our laps. Pauline was very pleased with hers. She had been given a new sewing machine. I opened my present. The first one was soft and squiggly. I peeled the paper off. ‘Oh, thank you, Mummy,’ I said. It was my black doll. I had last seen Dollie when I played with her at Burnett Street. ‘What have you got?’ Pauline wanted to know. ‘Let’s see.’
‘It’s Dollie,’ I said.
‘Didn’t you get her last year?’ said Pauline. ‘And the year before that,’ I said (60).
We know that Clare tries to be easy going when she gets the same present on Christmas. She does not think that it is a big matter. She likes the present, Dollie, even though she gets it for three times. She becomes an easy going girl to avoid her hatred to her mother because actually she really wants to have attention and love from her mother. It is fine for her to have the same present in three years.
When Clare comes to the first day in her new school, she just wears her sister’s old school blazer and shoes. On the other hand, her sisters wear the new ones. However, Clare feels happy and fine for her clothing. To know that she is an easygoing student, the writer uses the theory of Characterization. Clare says,
‘Come on, Clare,’ said Pauline. ‘We’re ready now.’
We all left the house together and went to the bus stop. I was very conscious of the fact that I had an old school blazer on and my sisters were smart in new ones. My shoes were already hurting my feet. When we got on the bus I considered taking them off, but I wasn’t sure that I would be able to get them back on (99).
just gives her the old blazer. Her feet are hurt because the shoes are too small for her. She still feels fine to wear them. The most important thing for her is that she can go to school. No matter how hurt her feet and how old her blazer are, going to school is more important.
3. Brave
As a teenager, Clare can be described as a brave girl. It can be seen through her reactions. When Clare cleans her room, Eastman tries to disturb her. There, Clare says,
‘What you looking at?’ I said. ‘Why don’t you go and spy somewhere else?’
‘What you say? What you say, you black b****? What you say?.... ‘Stupid,’ I said (53).
Clare’s reaction to ask Eastman to go somewhere and say that he is stupid can be classified as reactions of a brave girl.
The way she reacts when Eastman punches her might be a proof. Clare states,
By the time I was about twelve, my relationship with Eastman was at an all-time low. During one argument, he had punched me and I punched him back. He grabbed me and I hit him in the stomach and stamped on his giant feet (130).
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Clare does not have a good relationship with Eastman. Clare is brave to oppose him when they have argument. One day, when Eastman starts to disturb Clare, she says,
…’Why don’t you leave me alone, you stupid man? You can’t even read.’ He came over to me. ‘Say what? Go on say it, you ugly black b****. You think I’m your father, you f****** shithouse.’
‘Don’t call me a shithouse. If anyone’s a shithouse, it’s you! Look at you! Big man like you, so stupid you can’t read. If I cooked your name in the frying pan you would eat it because you would not recognise it, you stupid fool’ (131).
The evidence above shows that Clare is a brave girl. She has courage to oppose someone who disturbs her.
At her age, she dares enough to go to a Court and tell that her stepfather abuses her. Clare says,
The next day, Monday, I asked Dad to drop me off at Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court. I entered the building and went to the first floor. The sign above the window said Any Enquiries. I pressed the bell and a lady appeared.
‘Hello,’ she said. ‘What can I do for you?’
‘My stepfather keeps abusing me and I was just wondering whether I could take out some actions against him.’
………’Okey dokey,’ she said. ‘He’ll be notified within seven days and you will both have return to court on the date on the summons and then you can tell the Magistrate what you want’ (134).
Clare determines to go to Court because she wants to prove Eastman and Carmen that they cannot underestimate her. She has her right to be appreciated and respected. When she feels unappreciated, she reacts to go to Court. After going to Court and Eastman gets the letter from Court, Clare is not beaten by Eastman anymore. Those two Clare’s reactions can show that she is a brave girl.
‘What you going to do Eastman?’I said. ‘Put my head through another window? Save your reason until we go to court and if you touch me again I’m going back to tell them, so you can do what you want.’…..’Go on, Eastman, why don’t you hit me? ‘I goaded him. ‘I’m going back to court anyway so I can tell them while I’m there’ (135-136).
From the conversation above, Clare is brave enough to oppose Eastman because she feels secured. At her twelfth, Clare is brave to go to Court and tell what happens to her. Based on the conversation between Clare and Eastman above, Clare can be said as a brave girl through her speech.
4. Hard Working
Since Clare is living with an abusive mother, she must work hard at home. Clare has a weekly routine. She washes the kitchen floor, cleans the gas stove, sweeps the stairs and tidies her bed (149). Her personality trait as a hardworking girl can be seen through her speech. As the story is told by first person-narrative, when Clare tells her story, it can be considered as her speech. If Clare cannot finish her weekly routine, she will be beaten by her mother.
While she has to finish the house works, Clare still tries hard to finish her school works. Clare says,
Once I had finished my task, I went to find my mother….. ’Is there anything to do?’I said.
‘Go and clean the bathroom.’
‘It’s done, and the toilet is cleaned, all the hovering is done and all the clothes are on the line.’
‘Go and find something to do!’ she bellowed (208).
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When Clare is thirteen, her mother leaves her alone. Clare does not only have to look after herself but also she must pay £ 14 a week. In order to earn money, Clare has cleaning and Saturday jobs. After school, she finishes all her school tasks before doing cleaning job. On weekend, she has a Saturday job (354). Fortunately, her meals at school are taken care by the school. Clare works hard to pay the house rent to her mother. In her busy time, Clare tries to find time to do her school works. She says, “In fact, there were a number of occasions when I finished off my homework after I cleaned the offices, sitting at a nice large polished desk until it was time to set off for school” (349). Her personality trait as a hard working girl can be seen through her speech.
5. Optimistic
In order to realize her dream to be a barrister, Clare needs to be optimistic. She tries to find out the requirements to realize her dream. The teacher thinks that Clare cannot be a barrister because she fails the eleven-plus. In fact, she has the eleven-plus. Actually, Clare wants to have a further study in Notre Dame, but because her sisters are in Sacred Heart School, Clare just follows them.
accomplishing the requirements to enter the University at library, even though her teacher does not support her. Here, that Clare is an optimistic girl can be analyzed through her reactions.
Clare thinks that she will need a pupil master when she studies to be a barrister. Clare goes to the Court and tries to find one of the barristers there. She likes the good looking man with a nice smile. His name is Mr. Mansfield. With her spirit, Clare talks to Mr. Mansfield that she wants to be a barrister. She says,
‘I want to be a barrister.’ I piped up. ‘I am going to university and I will study Law and then I am going to the School of Law and then I’m going to find a pupil-master in London.’
……’Mr. Mansfield, when I qualify as a barrister, do you think that you can be my pupil-master?
‘Sure, but you’ve got a long way to go. Stay in touch and when you qualify I’ll give you my pupilage.’
‘I’ll hold you that, Mr. Mansfield. A promise is a promise (243).’
Clare’s decision to find the barrister at court is an attempt that she really wants to be a barrister. When she promises to Mr. Mansfield that she wants him to be her pupil-master later, she is really optimistic that she can reach it. As she is living with an abusive family, she wants to change her life by being a better human being. She needs an optimism to realize her dream. From her reaction, Clare can be described as an optimistic girl.
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(244). Clare’s reaction to keep her mind that she will be qualified as a barrister shows her optimism. No matter the teacher says about her dream, there is nothing impossible in this world. Here, Clare’s reaction shows that she is an optimistic one.
At home, Clare has a very hard life. There is no attention, love, and support from her mother. One time, she listens to her mother singing a Billie Holiday song entitled ‘Good Morning Heartache’. When listening to the song Clare thinks, “Was my life a heartache? Would heartache be there to greet me every morning? No, I decided. Soon, very soon, my heartache would end” (250). Clare determines to try hard in completing the qualification as a barrister. She wants to end her heartache at home. No matter how hard her life, she wants to change it. It is not easy to keep a dream in a hard situation. However, Clare can do it. She can keep her optimism to change her life. From Clare’s reaction to respond her hard life, she can be portrayed as an optimistic girl.
B. The Influence of Clare’s Childhood Abuses on Her Life
1. Clare’s Childhood Abuses
This part consists of two parts. First is Physical Abuse. It describes the physical abuse that Clare experiences in her childhood. It provides some examples of physical abuse found in the novel. Second is Emotional Abuse. It also provides the examples of it.
a. Physical Abuse
Pritchard proposes physical abuse as severe bruising and fractures caused by blows, head injuries, shaking, eye damage, suffocation, poisoning, marks by sticks, whips and cords, marks of burning, biting and scalding (12). It is also described as any nonaccidental physical injury to the child, and also includes acts or circumstances that threaten the child with harm or create a substantial risk of harm to the child's health or welfare (Child Welfare Information Gateway).
Clare is often physically abused by her mother. Since she is five, she sleeps in a bed with just a bare mattress-no sheet, just a plastic cover- because her mother said that Clare will wet the bed so she does not need any sheets (13). One day, when the mother knows Clare wets the bed, she slaps Clare and punches her on the right shoulder (50). Clare states, “My mother pushed me back into the corner by punching me in the shoulder, and as I raised my hand to fend off the blow she grabbed my Minnie and squeezed tightly” (50).
The mother, Carmen, still asks Clare when she will stop her bed wetting. While asking, she abuses Clare physically. Clare says,
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towards her because she had grasped my minnie…she pulled me towards her and the bed…suddenly, she dug her nails into my minnie…she let go abruptly and grabbed hold of my right breast (51).
The abuse happens when Clare wets the bed. On the Boxing Day, Clare wets the bed again. After opening her eyes, Clare is shocked when her mother suddenly in front of her. She says, “The nightdress was slipped over my head and she slapped on me my bare bottom with the shoe” (61).
Clare is accustomed to work hard at home. She cleans the house, washes clothes, dishes, and prepares meal. One day when she cooks in the kitchen, Carmen comes to her and complains because the chicken’s feather is not clear yet. Clare says,
‘The chicken!’ she said. ‘Now do you think that you will forget to pull all the hairs out again?’
‘No,’ I said.
My mother pressed the knife harder into my wrist and drew blood. ‘And why will you remember?’ she said….
She pulled the knife across my arm. Beads of blood rose up from the track of the knife and a straight line of flesh opened up (73).
Clare needs to clean everything because of the blood. Even though she is hurt, Carmen does not care. Clare must do her job at home well in every situation if she feels fine or not.
Clare plans to tell about her being abused to the teacher. When Carmen hears that Clare wants to tell the teacher on Monday, she becomes mad. Carmen pulls Clare toward her and moves her hand down towards Clare’s nipple as she scoops Clare’s left breast in her hand (186). Clare says,
doubled her fist and then she punched me in the left breast…My left breast felt like it had been stung by a bee (187).
What Carmen does to Clare can change Clare’s mind. She does not tell the teachers about what she gets at home. Clare is afraid to tell the teacher in case her mother will abuse her again.
Clare is also abused by her step father, Eastman. Clare is brave enough to tell the Court that Eastman abuses her. In an argument with Eastman, Carmen gets angry and asks Eastman to leave her. Carmen lungs at Clare and grabs her hair (251). Carmen thinks that Clare is too brave to tell the Court that she is abused by Eastman. Clare says,
…she brought my head down level with her knee and then she punched me on the back of my head just above the nape of my neck. I fell forwards with the knife still in my hand. Once I had steadied myself, she kneed me virtually in the face (252).
That physical abuse makes Clare so hurt. All members of the family are afraid that Clare will die because her condition is really bad, but Clare can stay alive.
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b. Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is defined as a pattern of behavior that attacks a child’s emotional development and sense of self-worth. It also includes excessive, aggressive, or unreasonable demands that place expectations on a child beyond his or her capacity (National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse). Emotional abuse also includes failure to provide the psychological nurturing necessary for a child's psychological growth and development -- providing no love, support or guidance (National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse).
Clare looks different from her siblings. That becomes the reason why Carmen rejects Clare as her daughter. She is disappointed to give birth to Clare. Carmen says, “If I hadn’t give birth to her, sweet Lord, I would have sworn she was a fraud” (67). She continues, “Yes, it’s a good thing that abortions were illegal. I would have strung you up” (185). Clare is really neglected by her mother. Moreover, Carmen often calls Clare ugly. Carmen says, “I’ve been telling you for such a long time that you’re ugly” (68). Clare is really aware of that. She feels rejected.
Clare is treated differently from her siblings. She does not have the same treatment as her sisters and brothers. Clare states,
on and see if it fits you.’ It never did, but I would grow into it eventually (12).
Clare’s mother buys a remote controlled toy plane when her brother celebrates his birthday. As Clare enters the room, her mother turns the plane and deliberately flows it in her direction, it slices her left cheek as it zooms past (86). Clare thinks that it is an insult. She never gets a present at her birthday, while her brother gets the expensive one. When Christmas comes, Clare gets the same present for three years, while her siblings get the new ones. Clare says,
Once everybody had their presents we all sat around with them on our laps. Pauline was very pleased with hers. She had been given a new sewing machine. Patsy too had an identical new sewing machine. I opened my present. The first one was soft and squiggly. It was my black doll…’Didn’t you get her last year?’ said Pauline. ‘And the year before that,’ I said (60).
Clare is a smart student. She wants to continue her education into Notre Dame rather than Sacred Heart. Her mother thinks that Clare is not bright enough to go to Notre Dame School (89). Here, Clare does not have support from her mother while actually she can go to Notre Dame. The mother thinks that Clare cannot go to Notre Dame because it is for grammar-school girls, but Clare is not. Before first day to school comes, the family goes to shop and buy new uniforms. There, Clare is never invited to try on them (92). She just looks at her sisters trying on new uniforms. The first day to school, Clare wears her sister’s old blazer and her mother’s old shoes.
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There is a lot you can do. Go away for a start. Go and clean the house…You are so ugly. Have you looked in the mirror recently? You must have jumped out of your skin. Look at those lips. You didn’t get them from my side of the family. Dunlop grip-made to stick to any surface. God, you’re so ugly, with your shock-absorbent rubber lips…(122).
Clare feels neglected by her mother. She does not give any comments to her mother. What Carmen says, Clare obeys. When Clare gives comments on her mother’s words, she will be punched or slapped. It becomes the reason for Clare to be silent.
Clare really misses her mother’s affection, love and support. The opposite responds come from her mother. When Clare expresses her happiness to follow her First Communion, Carmen does not give warmth respond (129). Clare says,
‘I had a nice day today.’ I said.
‘Really,’ said my mother. ‘Close my door on the way out, will you?’ ‘I made my First Communion today’, I said.
‘I would never have guessed.’ My mother said sarcastically. ‘Now – out!’…(129).
Whenever Clare tries to be close to her mother, she is rejected. She feels alone. Her sisters do not really care to her also. When Clare is hospitalized for a week, no one visits her (237). On the other hand, she is also happy because there are no more beatings from her mother.
‘Hello Mummy,’ I said. She did not respond, she just came into my room and looked around. She did not say anything…’Please don’t think you’re going to live in my house for free,’ she said. ‘There is a gas bill here and an electric bill. You must pay for your keep (353).
Clare works in Social Service and in a shop to get enough money to pay the house rent. She becomes an independent school girl. After getting home, she finishes the homework. Then, she starts to work. Clare can stay with such difficult condition without someone who gives support and love.
2. The Influence of the Abuse on Clare’s Life
This part describes the influence of the abuse on Clare’s life. It consists of two points. The first point explains the psychological damages that Clare has as the result of the abuse she experiences. The second point shows the influence of the psychological damages to Clare’s achievement as the first black female judge in the United Kingdom.
a. Clare’s Psychological Damages
Clare lives with a very hard situation. At home, she is abused physically and emotionally. Clare has a bad relation with her mother and other members of her family. As she lives with a poor relationship family, she has three forms of psychological damages (Hurlock 652). Those psychological damages are,
1) Clare’s Attitude towards Other People
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step father. Clare thinks that he is not the member of the family. As a result, she becomes aggressive to him. They often have some arguments. When Eastman knows that Clare still wets the bed, he starts to make troubles with Clare. Clare says,
…I continued to change my sheet and Eastman observed through the crack in the door. ‘What you looking at?’ I said. ‘Why don’t you go and spy somewhere else?’
‘What you say? What you say, you black b****? What you say?’ he came into the room and punched me in the back, forcing me forward onto the bed and then he left. ‘Stupid,’ I said (53).
The physical abuse leads Clare to do physical offence when someone tries to hurt her. When Eastman punches Clare, she punches back (305). Clare’s experience as an abused child makes her motivated to attack the threat (Franken 230). Clare becomes accustomed to attack Eastman whenever he disturbs Clare. That situation causes her having physical injuries. Those injuries really disturb Clare’s life. Even though she gets sickness because of the abuse, Clare must finish her house works. It is not surprised that Clare becomes a brave girl. She dares to attack Eastman and tells the Court about her getting physical abuse.
Clare is also accustomed to get hurting words from Eastman. She starts to reply what Eastman says. Clare says,
Clare becomes easily say hurting sentences as what Eastman and her mother do. She adapts her mother behavior towards her. Clare’s aggression towards Eastman continues until the family leaves her at home alone.
2) Clare’s Feeling of Being Unwanted
Clare does not get enough love from her family. That situation leads her to be an unwanted child. They do not have a good relationship. They do not have a good communication because abusive and neglectful parents seldom interact with children, and when they do communication is always negative (Berk 592-593). Due to the bad relationship at home, Clare thinks it will be better to die rather than stay alive in that situation. One day, Clare tries to commit suicide. She drinks a bottle of bleach and hopes she will die in the following day (2). Clare’s feeling of being an unwanted child is supported by Carmen’s treatment. She often says that she does not want to have a child like Clare, who looks so ugly. Carmen says,” I’ve been telling you for such a long time now that you’re ugly. How long has it been? Years. I been telling you for years that you’re ugly. Have you paid any attention?” (68).
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At her thirteen, Clare stays at home alone. She also must pay home rent to her mother. The mother says, “If you want to live under my roof you obey my rules, otherwise you know where the door is” (355). At the first time, Clare thinks that she does not need to pay her father’s house. Finally, she is absolutely aware that she is an unwanted child who must pay the house rent in her own father’s house. If her mother really wants her, it is impossible for a child to pay rent to her own father’s house.
Since Clare cannot pay the gas and electricity bills, she must stay at home without gas and electricity. Few days later, Carmen comes to home and tells Clare that home rent will increase into 24£ a month. At that time Carmen tells again that she rejects Clare as her daughter. Carmen says,
‘You know, Clare, my biggest regret in life is that I gave birth you, and you and I both know that it is not possible to turn the clock back. I’ll regret that for the rest of my life. You can understand that, can’t you, Scarface?’ (366).
Clare does not respond her mother. She already knows for a long time that she is rejected. It makes her become usual to hear such words.
What the mother says about her neglect of giving birth Clare makes Clare so sad. Clare says,
Clare’s reaction above shows that she feels neglected. Clare thinks her mother does not want to see her anymore. She thinks that it will be better for her to die rather than stay in a neglectful family.
3) Clare’s Unhappy Life
According to Hurlock, children should be happy in their childhood because happiness influences children’s personal and social adaptation (46). Clare has difficulties in social adjustment because her childhood is not happy. She has no friends at school. The only friend she has at school is Ms. K, her teacher. Unfortunately, Clare has to lose Ms. K because she gets a terrible accident which makes her lose one leg. Then, she must go back to Poland.
Clare’s unhappy life begins when her parents do not have a good relationship. Her father, George, leaves the family after Patsy was born (11). Clare hopes to have love and affection from her mother, but she does not. This situation makes her become unhappy because she feels alone and no one gives her attention, love, and support. Clare says, “Over a period of time my mother’s treatment of me made me nervous” (12). Because of anxieties, Clare wets the bed until she is fifteen.
Clare’s bed wetting becomes worse and it makes her punched, slapped, and beaten. Clare says,
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soon as I fell asleep, out of sheer exhaustion, I would miss my bed-wet alarm, and so the cycle continued (15-16).
It can be seen that Clare’s unhappy life continues until she grows older. When Clare stays at home alone at her thirteen, her unhappy life does not stop. Her mother still disturbs her. Clare must work hard to pay home rent. She becomes friendly with her unhappy life. On the other hand, her unhappy life does not stop her spirit to stay alive. Clare wants to realize her dream as a barrister. She wants to leave her unhappy life. Clare thinks, “Was my life a heartache? Would heartache be there to greet me every morning? No, I decided. Soon, very soon, my heartache would end” (250). It shows that Clare really wants to change her life.
b. The Influence of Clare’s Psychological Damages on her Motivation in
Life
Those psychological damages as mentioned above give big influences to Clare’s determination to have optimism for having a better life. Clare’s attitudes towards others can be classified into aggression because she has the courage to oppose Eastman who often makes trouble with her.
Eastman and her mother say about her, it does not stop her optimism to have a better life.
When someone has motivation, he is going to be able to have achievement behind his motivation (Beck 317). Murray in Beck’s Motivation Theories and Principles defines need for achievement as a desire or tendency “to overcome obstacles, to exercise power, to strive to do something difficult as well as quickly possible” (Beck 317).
After graduating from New Castle University, Clare reaches her dream as a barrister. Barrister is a lawyer who can argue cases in the higher courts (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English). Due to her excellence in law, Clare achieves the position as the first black female judge in the United Kingdom. Judge is the official in control of a court who decides how criminals should be punished (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English). Her achievement can be accomplished because she has a strong motivation. Beck adds, “Motivation is broadly, concerned with the contemporary determinants of choice (direction), persistence, and vigor of goal-directed behavior” (24). Clare chooses to survive in her hard life in order to have persistence and achieve the goal to be a barrister.
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from that situation. Clare tries to be taken care by the Social Services. She is not allowed to be taken care by Social Services because she has to get her parents’ consent first, while actually she does not want to live at her home anymore (1). Clare has no choice. What Clare does to overcome her first conflict is that she treats herself to be friendly with the abuse which her mother does. Clare says, “By the time I was seven, my beatings were as regular as ever” (15). The regular abuse she experiences makes her to be an easygoing girl.
The second conflict is Clare is punished by her mother whenever she makes any mistakes. Beck states,
Punishment also becomes a reason in motivating human to accomplish needs of achievement. Punishment may be defined as a delivery of a stimulus that suppresses behavior preceding it, whether or not the stimulus is shown to be aversive (217).
It can be understood that Clare’s getting punishment motivates her to reach her dream. Clare has a reason to work hard in completing the requirements so that she can enter the University. Here, Clare wants to prove her mother that she is not as stupid and ugly as her mother thinks.
so generally disruptive that the punishment is self defeating; the effect can be worse than the behavior that prompted the punishment” (230).
The third conflict which Clare must overcome is her lack of support from her parents. It does not stop her optimism to have a better life. She studies very hard to complete the requirements so that she can go to the University. What she tries hard is not supported by her mother. Clare states,
I had applied to a number of universities. Newcastle-upon-Tyne was my first choice…the interview had gone very well and they were impressed when I mentioned that I had a pupilage lined up with Michael Mansfield. They offered me a place if I passed my A-levels with good grades (389).
The result of the interview shows us that even though Clare does not have any support from her family, she can maintain her motivation to reach her goal. Clare is accustomed to be punished by her mother whenever she wets the bed. She can be punched, beaten and slapped when she wets the bed. Clare becomes accustomed to get those punishments.
Clare is one of three students in her school who can enter the University (392). While she plans to continue her study, she is going to work as an assistant of the radiologist at Guy’s Hospital in the X-ray Department (392). Clare thinks that it will be good to tell her family that she can enter the University. In fact, Clare’s mother does not give positive respond to her. Clare says,
