ANNA’S MOTIVATION
IN STOPPING HER ORGAN DONATION FOR HER SISTER AS SEEN IN JODI PICOULT’S MY SISTER’S KEEPER
A THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Agnes Ratna Kusuma Dewi 051214062
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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ANNA’S MOTIVATION
IN STOPPING HER ORGAN DONATION FOR HER SISTER AS SEEN IN JODI PICOULT’S MY SISTER’S KEEPER
A THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Agnes Ratna Kusuma Dewi 051214062
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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The road of success is not straight.
There is a curve called Failure,
A loop called Confusion,
Speed bumps called Friends,
Red lights called Enemies,
Caution light called Family.
You will have flats called Jobs.
But if you have spare called Determination,
An engine called Perseverance,
Insurance called Faith,
A driver called Jesus
You will make it to a place called SUCCESS.
(Unknown)
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ABSTRACT
Dewi, Agnes Ratna Kusuma. 2011. Anna’s Motivation in Stopping Her Organ Donation for Her Sister as Seen in Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.
This thesis analyzes Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper. My Sister’s Keeper tells about Anna, a thirteen-year-old girl, who sends a lawsuit to her parents. Anna’s birth in this world is the result of her parents’ intention to have a perfect match donor for their sick daughter, Kate. Feeling of having unfair life, Anna decides to sue her own parents to get medical emancipation.
This study raises two problems to be solved: (1.) how is Anna’s personality portrayed in the novel? (2.) what is Anna’s motivation to stop her organ donation to her sister? Therefore, this study aims to find out Anna’s personality as being described in the novel and to find out Anna’s motivation that forms the background of Anna’s action in stopping her organ donation for her sister.
This thesis employs a library study method. There are two kinds of sources those are applied in this study. They are primary and secondary source. My Sister’s Keeper novel by Jody Picoult is the primary source. Meanwhile, the secondary sources are obtained from some books and articles those are closely related to the issue being discussed in this study, such as theory of critical approach, theory of character and characterization, theory of personality, theory of motivation as well as theory of human needs. This study uses psychological approach, since this approach is needed to get the understanding of human motivation and personality.
The result of the analysis shows thatthere are two ways those are used to understand Anna’s character. The first one is through Anna’s name. Anna’s real name, Andromeda, is the most suitable name for her since it represents Anna’s fate. Besides, form the physical traits, Anna is described as a smart and well-developed, cheerful, tough, independent and mature girl. There are four factors that motivate Anna to stop her organ donation to her sister. Intrinsically, Anna is motivated to stop the organ donation because she wants to get her parents’ attention and affection, to avoid the pain during the harvest/organ donation and to have her right back. Extrinsically, she wants to help her sister to end her misery.
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ABSTRAK
Dewi, Agnes Ratna Kusuma. 2011. Anna’s Motivation in Stopping Her Organ Donation for Her Sister as Seen in Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan and Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Skripsi ini menganalisa sebuah novel karya Jodi Picoult yang berjudul My Sister’s Keeper. Novel My Sister’s Keeper bercerita tentang seorang anak perempuan berusia tiga belas tahun yang mengirimkan surat tuntutan untuk orang tuanya. Anna terlahir di dunia ini karena orangtuanya menginginkan seorang anak yang dapat menjadi donor yang sempurna bagi anak perempuan mereka, Kate, yang sedang menderita sakit parah. Merasa tidak mendapatkan keadilan, Anna memutuskan menuntut orangtuanya untuk mendapatkan kebebasan medis.
Penelitian ini mengangkat dua permasalahan: (1.) bagaimana kepribadian Anna digambarkan dalam novel tersebut? (2.) apakah motivasi Anna untuk menghentikan pendonoran organ untuk kakaknya? Novel ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana kepribadian Anna digambarkan dan untuk mengetahui motivasi Anna dalam menghentikan pendonoran organnya.
Skripsi ini menggunakan metode studi pustaka. Terdapat dua sumber yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu sumber primer dan sekunder. Sumber primer yang digunakan adalah novel My Sister’s Keeper karangan Jodi Picoult, sedangkan sumber sekunder diperoleh dari beberapa buku dan artikel yang berkaitan dengan permasalahan yang dibahas dalam penelitian ini. Beberapa diantaranya yaitu teori pendekatan psikologi, teori karakter dan karakterisasi, teori kepribadian, teori motivasi dan teori kebutuhan manusia. Sebagai pendekatan utama, penelitian ini menerapkan teori pendekatan psikologi. Teori ini digunakan untuk memahami motivasi dan karakter manusia.
Hasil analisa menunjukkan bahwa untuk mendalami karakter Anna, ada dua hal yang dapat dilihat. Yang pertama adalah melalui nama Anna. Nama Anna yang sesungguhnya, Andromeda, merupakan nama yang cocok untuk menggambarkan takdirnya. Di samping itu, di lihat dari ciri personalitinya Anna digambarkan sebagai seorang gadis yang pintar dan berkembang baik, periang, kuat, mandiri dan dewasa. Ada empat faktor yang mendorong tindakan Anna untuk menghentikan pendonoran organ untuk kakaknya. Secara intrinsik, Anna menghentikan pendonoran organ karena Anna ingin mendapatkan perhatian dan kasih sayang dari orang tuanya, untuk menghindari penderitaan/sakit akibat dari pendonoran/pencangkokan, dan untuk mendapatkan haknya. Sedangkan secara ekstrinsik, Anna ingin untuk menolong kakaknya mengakhiri penderitaannya
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to present my greatest gratitude to my dearest Almighty
Lord, Jesus Christ, Mother Mary and Holy Spirit for Their wonderful bless, grace, strength and guidance so that I could finish my thesis. I thank Them for being my saviors when I am down.
My deepest appreciation also goes to my sponsor V. Triprihatmini, S.Pd., M. Hum., M.A. who has given me total guidance since the beginning I was doing my thesis until the end. I thank for her kindness, patience, guidance, suggestions, advices and encouragement in completing my thesis. My gratitude also goes to all PBI’s lecturers who have shared their worthy knowledge and life experience during my study in Sanata Dharma University.
Sincerely, I would like to express my gratitude to my beloved parents Theodulus Supino and Chatarina Rubiyawati, for giving me love, support, prayer and encouragement to finish my thesis. My deep love also goes to my beloved brothers, Yulius Ariv Kusuma and Leo Renovi Ismaya Kusuma. I thank for their togetherness, support and love. I also want to send my gratitude to my grandmothers who always pray for the best of me.
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possible. I thank them for the beautiful moment they have shared. My gratitude also goes to all of my PBI’s friends Lucia, Ayuni, Linda, Retno, Bangkit, etc.
My thanks also go to all of USD staffs especially, mbak Danik & mbak Tari who helped me in facilitating the administration matter.
Finally, I would like to express my thanks to all people who I cannot mention one by one. I thank for their contribution and support in completing my thesis. 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 PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS ... v
PAGE OF DEDICATION... vi
ABSTRACT ... vii
ABSTRAK ... viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... xi
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study ... 1
B. Problem Formulation ... 3
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 ... 7
1. Theory of Critical Approach ... 7
2. Theory of Character and Characterization ... 8
3. Theory of Personality ... 12
4. Theory of Motivation ... 13
xii
b. Kinds of Motivation ... 15
4. Theory of Human Needs ... 16
B. Review of Related Studies ... 19
C. Theoretical Framework ... 20
CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study ... 21
B. Approach of the Study ... 22
C. Method of the Study ... 23
CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS A. Anna’s Character as Portrayed in My Sister’s Keeper ... 24
1. Anna’s Name ... 27
2. Anna’s Personality Trait ... 28
a. Smart and well-developed ... 28
b. Cheerful ... 30
c. Mature and Independent ... 31
d. Tough ... 32
B. Anna’s Motivation to Stop Her Organ Donation ... 34
1. Intrinsic Motivation ... 36
a. To Get Her Parents’ Attention and Affection ... 36
b. To Avoid the Pain during the Harvest/Organ Donation ... 40
c. To Have Her Right Back ... 44
2. Extrinsic Motivation ... 48
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CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
A. Conclusions ... 53
B. Suggestions ... 55
1. Suggestions for Future Researchers ... 55
2. Suggestion for the Learning-teaching Activities ... 55
REFERENCES ... 58
APPENDICES ... 60
A. Summary of the Novel ... 61
B. Biography of the Author ... 64
C. Lesson Plan for Teaching Intensive Reading 2 ... 67
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
This first chapter consists of five parts. The first part is research background, which explores the description of the topic and the reasons why the writer chooses that novel. The second part is problem formulation, which contains questions discussed in this study. The third part is objective of the study, which answers questions, which are stated in the problem formulation. The fourth part is benefit of the study. It explains the benefit of this work to the readers. The last section is definition of terms. Definition of terms describes important terms related to the topic being discussed.
A. Background of the Study
Literature is a kind of art that provides enjoyment for the readers. Besides, it involves valuable points, which are able to develop someone’s experience, and knowledge since literature is the portrayal of human beings and their relationship with others. Novel is one of various literary works despite short story, play, and poem. The purpose of novel is to give pleasure and enjoyment for the readers. By reading a novel, readers’ emotion will be challenged and their mind will be expanded. Readers could use their imagination to jump into the real situation of the story to get the actual feeling and to flow with the story. Hence, readers will get pleasure by reading novel. However, it is not the only purpose. The other importance of a novel is to develop readers’ understanding related to certain
events or issues that may happen in the society since novel is the representative of social or human life problem. Holman & Harmon state, “All novels are representation of fictional narrative of life and experience but the form itself as a protean as life and experience themselves” (336).
So many issues or events are portrayed in novels, such as issue about feminism, racism, political, and psychology. This study analyzes a novel entitled My Sister’s Keeper. This novel raises psychological issue, that is motivation.
Motivation is a driving force for someone to do something to achieve certain goal. Beck states, “Motivation is broadly concerned with contemporary determinants of choice (direction), persistence and vigor of goal-directed behavior” (24).
Everyone from all age, adult, teenager, old people or even child, have motivation why they behave as they do. Beck adds, “All of us like to feel that we are free to act as we choose” (7). It is for the reason that all of people have desire and free will to attain their goal. They have desire to fulfill their needs. However, sometimes others do not give their countenance on their need and goal since it may cause bad effect for others’ importance.
This condition is experienced by the focused-character of My Sister’s Keeper novel, namely Anna. Anna is a thirteen-year-old girl who is intentionally
needed by her sister such as leukocytes, bone marrow and her kidney. Surprisingly, she decides to stop her organ donation for her sister. Even, Anna hires a professional lawyer to support her effort to be medically emancipated. She really wants to be free from the entire things related to the organ donation. However, her parents cannot accept her risky action that will cause serious problem for Kate. Besides, Anna’s parents assume that a child does not have right yet to make her own medical decision. Moreover, they think that what Anna does is an unthinkable action. They expect that Anna will continue to support her sister’s life because the only one who can save Kate’s life is Anna. Despite Anna has already known about the consequences of her action that may cause her sister’s death, she stands ground upon her decision.
This study discovers Anna’s motivation to stop her organ donation for her sister. It will analyze the factors that lead Anna to come into such peril decision that will give bad impact for her sister, her family as well as for she herself. Moreover, this study will observe the Anna’s personality. The understanding of Anna’s personality is considered important because it will affect her motivation in doing that action.
B. Problem Formulation
Referring to the background of study above, these following two questions are discussed:
1. How is Anna’s character portrayed in the novel?
C. Objective of the Study
Related to the problem formulation; this study answers both questions. There are two focuses of this literary study. The first one is to find out the personality of a thirteen-year-old child named Anna, which is portrayed in the novel. The second one is to identify Anna’s motivation to stop her organ donation. Personality and motivation are closely related each other. Someone’s personality may be driven by his/her motivation and motivation may affect someone’s personality. Therefore, in analyzing Anna’s motivation, understanding Anna’s personality is important.
D. Benefit of the Study
E. Definition of Terms
This part consists of some terms and their definitions to avoid the misunderstanding. There are four terms, which will be defined. They are motivation, goal, organ donation, and medical emancipation.
The first one is motivation. According to Stanton, motivation is the reason why people behave as they do (17). In this study, Anna’s motivation is Anna’s reason to stop her organ donation for her sister by sending a lawsuit against her parents to obtain medical emancipation.
The second one is goal. Goal, according to Hornby in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, is something that you hope to achieve (577). In this study,
goal is something that Anna hopes to achieve which is not to be her sister’s organ donor anymore.
The third term is organ donation. According to Mosby’s Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health, organ is part of living thing consisting of
transplantation of Anna’s parts of body into her sister’s body to safe her sister’s life.
The last term is medical emancipation. According to The New Oxford American Dictionary, medical is of the science of medicine, of curing disease
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The second chapter presents two important points. They are review of related theories and theoretical framework. Review of related theories reviews theories, which are applied for conducting the study. Meanwhile, theoretical framework explains the contribution of the theories to solve the problem and the reason why this study applies such theories.
A. Review of Related Theories 1. Theories of Critical Approach
In studying literary work, researchers may apply some approaches. Rhorberger and Woods propose five approach to literature. They are formalist approach, biographical approach, sociocultural-historical approach, mythopoeic approach and psychological approach (7-11).
Formalist approach is used to comprehend the totally of the literary object. Meanwhile, biographical approach is related to the author’s life and background that help in shaping the work. Biographical approach speculates the writer’s own motivation. Sociocultural-historical approach is needed to investigate the social millieu in which a work was created and which it necessesarily reflects. This approach shows that time and place of the creation give impact to the meaning of the work. Mythopoeic approach can be used to discover the past of human thought.
The last approach is psychological approach. Psychological approach believes that literature reflects the real of human motivation and behavior. The basis of psychological approach is the existance of human consciousness (impulse, desire and feelings) that influence human emotion and behavior. This approach is used to explore the character’s motivation and the simbolic meaning of the events appear in the story. Therefore, this study uses psychological approach to analyze the Anna’s personality and motivation.
2. Theories of Character and Characterization
Character is one aspect in a novel despite setting, plot, conflict, etc. Rohrberger and Woods (20) state “A narrative course, is a story, and stories involve persons, called characters, who act out in a particular time and place (setting) some kind of conflict in a patterns of events (plot)”. Stanton (17) also gives two definitions of character. First, he defines character as the individual who appears in the story. Second, character is the mixture of interest, desires, emotions and moral principles that makes up each of these individuals. Further, Abrams defines character as,
“the persons presented in dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say-the dialogue-and by what they do-the action” (23).
novels, have more than a person central to the action (20). Protagonist is also known as major characater. Protagonist is the most important character in literary work because he/she becomes the focus of the story.
Rohrberger and Woods explains, when protagonist is involved in conflict with another character, the other character is called the antagonist (21). In other word, antagonist is the person who becomes the opponent or rival of the protagonist.
Moreover, Henkle classifies fictional character into major and secondary character. Major character is the most important figure in a literary work. Major character can be identified through the complexity (the range of human characteristics) and the attention given (92). Major character needs to be well understood by the readers because by understanding the major character, the readers presumably understand the vocal experience of the literary work.
Meanwhile, secondary character or minor character is the supporting character. Secondary characters perform limited function. Henkle states, “The most obvious function of secondary characters is to populate the world of the novel” (94). They could be act as foils to the major character or acts within the shadow of the major character. The minor character is less complex or less intense.
characterization in that character is the result, while characterization is the process.” Rohrberger and Wood define characterization as the process of creating a character by the author (20). Characterization is the description of character. Murphy adds that through this characterization, an author conveys the characters and the personality of the person he/she writes about (161). He/she conveys what sort of people they are through this characterization. Rohrberger and Woods add that there are two ways in characterizing a figure of a literary work. Those are direct and dramatic. Direct describes physical appearance or somebody’s intellectual and moral attributes or the degree of sensitivity. Meanwhile, dramatic is applied for describing someone’s character and personality through the behavior or speaks. Moreover, Holman and Harmon define characterization as the way of creating imaginary persons so that they exist for the readers as lifelike (81).
The third one is speech. The author describes the character of an individu through the speech. By what that person says, the readers could catch the information and clue related to someone’s character because sometimes the author often put the clue in the person’s speaks. The author also gives the clue by letting the readers to understand the character’s past life; what event that contributes in shaping someone’s character.
Besides, the author gives clues of a person’s character through the conversation of other people and the things they said about him/her. The conversation between characters in the novel often talk about other people and the things they say often give clue related to other character. Murphy adds that through the characterization (personal contact and other people), readers will know about the events and happenings of someone’s past life. Thus, it helps the readers to know why a person behaves and acts as he does at the present time (161). The author also give clue to the readers by the action and the reaction of the character in certain condition and situation. Direct comment in the novel is also an author’s way to describe the person’s character.
3. Theory of Personality
Personality is derived from Latin word persona that means mask. According to Allport as cited in Hurlock, psychologically the term personality means the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic behavior and thought (7). Meanwhile, Feist and Feist define personality as “a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior” (4). They add that traits give contribution on the difference of someone’s behavior, the consistency and stability of someone’s behavior (4). Traits are unique and the pattern is different one to each other. It creates the unique personality of every individual.
Giving judgment on someone’s personality can be conducted through many ways. It can be through the first impression. Hurlock says that a first impression can be based on physical appearance, facial features or expression, gestures, dress, name, nationality, race, speech, attitude, or other physical or psychological characteristic, etc (10). Giving accurate judgment on someone’s personality is not simple. It is difficult to distinguish between the person’s real personality and his manifest personality because most of people act in accordance with social expectation in order to gain acceptance (18).
determinants and family determinants (143-351). Meanwhile, Anderson as cited in Hurlock, points out three major factors in determining the development of personality. They are the individual’s hereditary endowment, early experience with the family and important events in later life outside the home environment (19).
4. Theory of Motivation
This study is related to psychology study that is human motivation. Everyone is motivated to achieve his/her goal. Motivation drives people to reach their goal. This study is about Anna’s motivation in stopping her organ donation for her sister. In addition, to get the answer of her motivation, the understanding of motivation should be broardened. Moreover, this part will present the definitions and kinds of motivation.
a. Definitions of Motivation
Many psychologists have defined the meaning of motivation. Petri defines motivation as “the concept we use when we describe the forces acting on or within an organism to initiate and direct behavior” (3). Petri explains that concept of motivation can be use as parameter to see the different of intensity behavior. Moreover, it can be used to initiate the direction of behavior. For instance, when people feel sleepy, they will direct their behavior to close their eyes then get to sleep.
and vigor of goal directed behavior” (24). Kasschau adds that motivation cannot be studied directly. It only can be concluded by seeing the goal directed behavior. “Since motivation cannot be observed directly, psychologists, like the rest of us, infer motivation from goal-directed behavior” (134).
Discussing about motivation, it will also talk about behavior because motivation underlies the basic cause of behavior. Worchel and Shebilkse explain that motivation explains the reason why an organism acts in certain way at certain time (374). Kasschau states although all psychology is concerned with what people do and how they do it, research on motivation and emotion focuses on the underlying why of behavior (133). According to Worchel and Shebilske, there are two different perceptions of human behavior. Based on the doctrine of determinism, human behavior is influenced by internal and external factors and it is unplanned and uncontrol. An extreme view of this doctrine holds that human, like other living creatures, react automatically to internal and external forces; there is no planning or control exercised over behavior (374). However, the doctrine of rationalism has opposite argument from the doctrine of determinism. This doctrine believes that human can determine how will they behave. In other word, their actions are controlled by reasoning and planning (374). Other expert, Beck, stated that “Behavior, however, is affected by many conditions (variables) and to the extent that we do not know what conditions are prevailing at given time, we will predict with greater or les accuracy” (8).
appears when people have goal to be achieved or needs to be fulfilled. Motivation leads people to fulfill their needs. If someone’s need is fulfilled, he/she will get satisfaction. If people have needs to be fulfilled, they will do something for achieving their needs (behavior). Consequently, if they could achieve their needs, they will satisfy themselves.
b. Kinds of Motivation
There are two kinds of motivation those are proposed by Worchel & Shebilske (408). They are intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
1.) Extrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic motivation will appear when someone is motivated by external reward or to avoid punsihment. It could be based on the desire for pay, status, grades, promotion, or any similar types of rewards. For example, a student studies hard to have good mark in the examination. Commonly, people who have extrinsic motivation will stop their effort when the extrinsic reward is no longer available. People who prioritize the external reward, such as good mark or money, they are controled by the reward.
2.) Intrinsic Motivation
is when they believe that they have capability and competency. This kind of motivation, which prioritizes intrinsic reward such as intellectual challenge, makes people feel that they are in control. They will keep doing their work regardless of external conditions.
5. Theories of Human Needs
All of the people have their own dreams to be realized in their life. Someone will be motivated to do actions that will lead him/her into the goals or dreams. However, having a dream is not only reason that leads someone to take an action. There are needs that will support them to achieve their dreams or goal. People have enormous needs to be fulfilled for their survival. Maslow, one of the pioneers of humanistic psychology, develops five hierarchy of needs. It becomes the most popular theory of human needs. There are five levels those are explained by Maslow.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are represented in the shape of a pyramid that places human needs in the hierarchy or list. The lowest level of need is at the bottom and the highest of needs is on the top. According to Maslow as cited in Petri (302-305), those five basic needs are:
a. Physiological Needs
It has to be satisfied before someone could move to the higher level. Physiological needs control human thought and behavior.
b. Safety Needs
Maslow as cited in Hufman, Vernoy & Vernoy state, “Stronger needs (such as hunger and thirst) must be satisfied before one can move on the higher needs, such as self-esteem” (407). Therefore, before someone could satisfy the psysiological needs, he/she will not be able to meet the safety needs. The second prority of needs is called safety needs. Everyone always needs to feel secure in his/her life. This includes the safety of body, employment, resources, morality, the family, health, prosperity, etc. Higher needs will be unimportant if someone is in danger.
c. Love/Belonging/Social Needs
The third need is called love/belonging needs. Human needs to feel the sense of belonging by small or large social group (family, collegues, religious group, etc). Besides, human also needs to love and to be loved by others. If this elements are absence, people tend to feel the loneliness, social anxiety and clinical depression. This need can overcome the two previous levels depends on the strength of the peer pressure.
d. Esteem Needs
from other, requires reputation, status, recognition, attention, appreciation of one’s ability and the feeling of important. All of people want to be accepted and valued by others. When this need is met, people will be confident and valuable.
e. Self-actualization Needs
The higher level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is called self-actualization needs. This last need can be reached only if the fourth previous needs (psychological, safety, love/belonging, and esteem needs) have been fulfilled. This includes morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, and acceptance of facts. As what is sated in Gleitman, Maslow and other humanistic psychologists describe this as “the desire to realize one’s potentialities, to fulfill oneself, to become one can become” (734).
Maslow, as cited in Bootzin et. al, clasifies those five needs into two groups; those are basic or deficiency needs and metaneeds. Deficiency needs include physiological (food, water, sleep, and so on) and psychological (affection, security, and self esteem). “It is called deficiency needs because if they are not met, a person, lacking of something, will seek to make up for deficiency” (434). Meanwhile, the higher needs is called metaneeds or growth needs. It includes the need for justice, goodness, beauty, order and unity. Deficiency needs take priority over metaneeds.
one need must be satisfied before another can be.” (143). They may agree on Maslow’s types of needs that may operate on human being, but there is no guarantee that human needs must be satisfied in order. For example, a starving person does not always lack need for love and self-esteem.
B. Review of Related Studies
My Sister’s Keeper novel is a new literary work. However, there have been
several studies on My Sister’s Keeper novel. Julie Ackendorf (2009) in her article Review of Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper expands the character’s development.
She states that the characters of the novel are very well developed. She explores briefly related to the Fitzgerald family’s characters, Anna, Sara, Kate and Jesse. Moreover, Ackendorf also examines the themes being discussed in the novel. “Author Jodi Picoult explores the legal, ethical, and moral issues involving sibling organ donation and whether parents have the right to make the decision for the donor.” (2009).
Louise Crook (2005) in her article entitled My Sister’s Keeper-Discussion Guide, explores the background of Jodi Picoult’s writing through a conversation
with the author. In the conversation, Picoult states that she comes about the idea of the novel through the back door of a previous one, Second Glance. She adds that her study on the human genome project in America leads her to write about baby’s designer as the subject for My Sister’s Keeper novel.
melodrama begins when 13-year-old Anna Fitzgerald walks into a lawyer's office with $136.87, her life's savings, asking to be medically emancipated from her parents” (2004).
Meanwhile, the study on Anna’s motivation to stop her organ donation to
her sister is different from those previous works. This study focuses on the exploration of Anna’s character and Anna’s motivation in stopping her organ donation. In the previous study, the characters of the novel have been explored briefly in general view. However, this study will be more focusing in exploring Anna’s character in detailed way. The study on Anna’s motivation in discontinuing her organ donation to her sister is a new study.
C. Theoretical Framework
This part presents the theories will be used to answer and analyze the two formulated problems stated in the problem formulation. Firstly, the writer will use theory of critical approach by Rohrberger & Woods to select the best approach to analyze this study. This study, then, applies psychological approach because this study deals with psychological problem which is personality and motivation.
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
This chapter discusses the methodology, which are used to conduct this study. Those are object of the study, approach of the study and method of the study. Object of the study contains the description of the work that is going to be analyzed along with its physical description. Approach of the study deals with approaches, which are employed in the analysis. Meanwhile, method of the study explains the procedures and steps being used to analyze the study.
A. Object of The Study
The object of the study in this work is a novel entitled My Sister’s Keeper, written by Jodi Picoult in 2004. My Sister’s Keeper is one of Jodi’s famous works in spite of her other great works such as Mercy, The Pact, Keeping Faith, Plain Truth, Salem Falls, Perfect Match, Second Glance, Vanishing Acts and The Tenth
Circle. Jodi Picoult, who is the New York Times bestselling author, is known for
writing controversial and ethical issue novels. The first edition of My Sister’s Keeper was published in Great Britain in 2004 by Hodder and Stoughton. This
novel consists of 407 pages. It is written in first person by all characters.
My Sister’s Keeper traces the story of a thirteen-year old girl named Anna
who sues her parents to get medical emancipation. The main problem of this novel is whether Anna should be medically emancipated for rights towards her own body. The root of the problem begins when her elder sister, Kate, suffers from
Leukemia illness since she is two years old. Anna’s parents then made a plan to create an embryo that will be a perfect match donation for Kate and that will be Anna. At first, Anna is only needed to donate her umbilical cord blood, but the next following years she has to donate platelets, bone marrow, and finally she has to donate one of her kidneys. Surprisingly, she rejects to donate her kidney. She does not want to be her sister’s organ donor anymore. However, her parents do not agree on her decision. That is why she takes the case into the family court by hiring a lawyer to sue her parents for medical emancipation.
B. Approach of the Study
Some approaches are applied to analyze literary work. Rohrberger and Woods (8) propose five aprroaches in literature. However, this study applies psychological approach.
C. Method of the Study
This study is carried out by using library study method. In conducting the research, two kinds of sources are applied. They are called primary and secondary sources. The novel entitled My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult (2004) becomes the primary source. Meanwhile, the secondary source is taken from some sources related to the cases being discussed such as books, journals, and articles from the internet.
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
This chapter is purposed to answer the two previous questions which are stated in the problem formulation. This chapter is divided into two parts. The analysis of the focus character’s personality in the novel, Anna, will be the first. Meanwhile, the examination on Anna’s motivation to stop her organ donation to her sister, Kate, will be the second. The understanding of Anna’s personality is needed because it influences her motivation in having such decision.
A. Anna’s Character as Potrayed in My Sister’s Keeper Novel
To examine Anna’s character, theory of character and characterization will be implemented. Stanton proposes two descriptions of character. First, he defines character as the individual who appears in the story. Second, he defines character as the mixture of interest, desires, emotions and moral principles that makes up each of these individuals (17). The former definition refers to the persons appear in the story, meanwhile the second one refers to the characteristics of the persons. In this case, since Anna appears in the story, she becomes one of character in the novel.
This novel is written in first person by all characters. It indicates that every single character in the novel has portion as the first person in telling the story. There are seven characters. They are Anna who becomes the focused-character, Campbell who becomes Anna’s lawyer, Sara as Anna’s mother, Brian as Anna’s
father, Jesse as Anna’s brother, Julia as Anna’s guardian ad litem and Kate as Anna’s sister.
According to Henkel, there are two kinds of character based on the significance on the story, major and minor character. Major character can be seen from the complexity and attention which are given in the story. Those are the complexity of the characterization, the attention which are given to certain figures, and the personal intensity that a character seems to transmit (87). Anna becomes the major character in the story since she experiences the complexity of the problem. Though the author wrote the story in first person by all characters, Anna becomes the focus in the story because she is given much attention rather than the other characters. The major characters in a novel is portrayed and given the prominence, through this means (87).
Anna is thirteen years old and she is three years younger than her sister is. She is a special girl because she was born for special purpose through special way. She is created through baby designer process. It does not mean that her parents are intended to have a perfect baby, who has perfect intelligent and perfect physical look. They just want a baby who is perfectly matched for Kate. In order to save Kate’s life, Anna is created from the very specific and detailed plan from the chromosome until the detailed cells that is intentionally designed as perfect as Kate is.
“We didn’t asked for a baby with blue eyes, or one that would grow to be six feet tall, or one that would have an IQ of two hundred. Sure, we asked for specific characteristic – but they’re not anything anyone would ever consider to be model human trait. They’re just Kate’s traits. We don’t want a super baby; we just want to save our daughter’s life.” (100).
During Anna’s life, she has to back up Kate’s life by donating some of her organs. However, when she gets sick of all the medical treatments, she wants to end her donation by sending a lawsuit against her parents. Knowing that, her mother becomes exceedingly angry. This is the beginning of the crucial problem for Anna and her family.
thoughts. Anna’s character can be well understood through two ways. Those are Anna’s name and Anna’s personality traits.
1. Anna’s Name
Hurlock states that in giving judgment of a person can be seen through many cues or “symbol of itself” (45). It is such as clothing, names, speech and age. According to Freud as cited in Hurlock, name is symbol of self that represents the personality pattern of the bearer and often being used by others in making their judgment of that person (52). In this novel, Anna’s real name is Andromeda. Her father is the one who gives that unusual name. Yet, it is the most appropriate given name for her since the history of Princess Andromeda is similar with hers. Both of them have to sacrifice themselves for other’s importance. Princess Andromeda has to sacrifice herself to the sea monster because of her mother mistake. Meanwhile, Anna has to sacrifice herself for supporting her sister’s life. It likes what other character, which is her father sees.
Anna’s real name is Andromeda. It’s on her birth certificate, honest to God. The constellation she is named after tells the story of a princess, who was shackled to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster – punishment for her mother Cassiopeia, who had bragged to Poseidon about her own beauty. (41)
2. Anna’s Personality Traits a. Smart and Well-developed
Someone’s intellectual growth is influenced by many conditions. As what is stated by Hurlock, there are many important conditions that affect someone’s intellectual development such as the physical condition, the use of intellectual capacities, education, motivation, early experiences, emotional states and personality pattern (178). Anna’s intelligent development is mostly affected by her motivation, her early experience and her emotional states.
Anna is considered smarter than other children in her age. Her ability to think about everything is well developed. She is often questioning about something in detail and further. Other children in that age commonly do not have that way of thinking. If being compared with other common children, Anna is different. She is very critical and she has big curiosity. When her friends are trying to find out what is meant by penis and vagina, she is paying attention into different details like why some mothers only have one child, while other families seem to multiply before your eyes (7). She looks beneath the surface on what she is curious about. “When I was little, the great mystery to me wasn’t how babies were made, but why. The mechanics I understood, ….” (7). This kind of intellectual growth is affected by emotional states that Anna has. Anna’s critical thought and curiosity is the expression of her question of her role in this world.
donate her parts of the body. She is capable to recognize the parts of human body, even the detailed one. She knows the parts and the functions of human’s organs. Her medical vocabulary is amazing. She learns it from her own experience. It can be seen through Anna’s speech when she explains her medical treatments experience to her lawyer, Mr. Campbell.
“The first time I gave something to my sister, it was cord blood, and I was new born. She has leukemia – APL – and my cells put her into remission. The next time she relapsed, I was five and I had lymphocytes drawn from me, three times over, because the doctors never seemed to get enough of them in the first time around. When that stopped working, they took bone marrow for a transplant. When Kate got infection, I had to donate granulocytes. When she relapsed again, I had to donate peripheral blood stem cells.” (20).
Those explanations amaze Mr. Campbell much. He admits that Anna’s medical vocabulary is much better than he is. This intellectual growth is affected by her early experiences. Her medical experience that she has experienced more than 13 years old is quite a lot to build her understanding on human’s organ.
Moreover, Anna is considered as a smart child because she can think further how to reach her goal to be medically emancipated. She has a brilliant plan dealing with that case. She understands the procedure how to file a lawsuit, by hiring a professional lawyer. She is capable to decide what kind of lawyer she needs. Although at first, she finds difficulties how to make the lawyer helps her but she is smart enough to persuade the lawyer to work with her.
Hurlock (197) that motivation affects how and how much one uses his intellectual capacities.
In conclusion, from Anna’s thought, like her critical thought on why baby is born, from her speech when she explains about the medical treatments she had experienced, and from the attorney’s comment, Anna is considered as a smart girl. Besides, Anna’s mental development is also well developed. She knows how to work with lawsuit. However, Anna’s mental development is not instantly formed. It is affected by many conditions such as her motivation, her emotional states and her early experience.
b. Cheerful
narcotic addict and an arsonist. These attitudes create the situation of the family is going to worst.
Nevertheless, Anna is the one who brings brightness for the family. She creates joy for the family through her behaviors that entertain the other family members. Moreover, her actions lighten the family’s burden. Anna creates a condition that makes her family look likes like a normal family, although inside it does not. It is proved when Brian, Anna’s father, gives his opinion about Anna.
I am used to struggling with Jesse, to lightening Kate’s load; but Anna is our family’s constant. Anna comes in with smile. Anna tells us about the robin she found with a broken wing and a blush on its cheek; or about the mother she saw at Wal-Mart with not one but two sets of twins (37). Based on the exploration on Anna’s behavior, which is seen from her father’s view, it can be derived that Anna is a cheerful girl. She brings brightness for her family. She lightens the family’s burden through her entertaining behavior.
c. Mature and Independent
stay alone in a house? Social service might say so, but Anna is different. Anna grew up a year ago.” (143).
Anna’s maturity leads her to be an independent person. It is proved when she hires a professional lawyer, she collects money by herself. She sells her lovely worthy necklace that was given by her father as the appreciation after she finishes her first bone marrow’s donation. Her sense of responsibility is very high. It is proved when the money that she earns from her saving and the necklace selling is not enough to pay the lawyer’s service, as a result she offers herself to work in the lawyer’s office by polishing his doorknobs. The lawyer does not expect her to do so, but she does not want to employ the lawyer’s service freely.
From Anna’s reactions in facing problem, it shows that Anna is mature and independent. She grows up faster than other children do in the same age. The factor that leads her to be mature and independent is influenced by the condition that she had experienced since she was child.
d. Tough
the education for the children and keeping the harmonically of the family. However, in Fitz’s family, the absence of the mother’s care causes an imbalance condition.
This brings negative influence, particularly for the children. Both Jesse and Anna become the victims of their mother’s careless. For Jesse, being ignored and neglected turn out to be his daily consumption. Unlike Jesse, Anna is getting extra attention because she is required to help Kate every time she gets relapse. Outwardly, Anna looks little bit lucky than Jesse, but in fact she does not. She suffers more than Jesse does. She is born to save Kate’s life. Knowing that reason is truly hurt her. Previously, she knows about her background why she is existed in this world, but she never complains. She never asks her role in her life. She is tough and strong. She keeps enjoy her living in that terrible family. Even, she could create a good atmosphere by behaving like stay in a normal family.
In her new residence, in a firefighter’s office, she stays with her father. Of course, it is not a comfortable and homey place to live. Frequently, she is unaccompanied because emergency calls force her father to do his duty as a rescuer. Loneliness and desperate feeling does not let her to give up. She keeps struggle because she has a dream to reach. It is a mission that she does not want to do but she has to do.
Thousands problems may come into her head. However, she keeps a stiff upper lip throughout the ordeal of the family. Her burdens may too heavy for a very young girl like Anna. However, her way to encounter such problem and to handle all of her problems shows that she is a strong and tough child. She is tough because she is motivated to reach her goal; a goal that will change everything in her life.
From Anna’s action in encountering every problem shows that Anna is strong and tough. She never gives up with her condition because she is strong motivated to reach a goal that will change everything in her life. Moreover, she does not want to show her weakness in front of others.
B. Anna’s Motivation to Stop Her Organ Donation
My Sister’s Keeper novel mainly talks about Anna’s effort to have her
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It includes physiological needs, safety needs, love/belonging needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs. According to Maslow as cited in Kasschau, before the lower needs are satisfied, it is impossible to achieve the higher needs (144). However, other psychologists doubt it. They state that there is no guarantee that those needs should be satisfied in order (144). In this study, Anna is trying to fulfill her unsatisfied needs. Those are safety needs, love/belonging needs and esteem needs.
Besides, Worchel and Shebilske divide kind of motivation into two. Those are intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (408). Intrinsic motivation comes from intrinsic factors, inside of a person like desire or needs. Meanwhile, extrinsic motivation appears when someone is motivated by external factor. In Anna’s case, her motivation is driven by intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
Everybody will be very happy if he/she knows that his/her birth is because of the parent’s love, not because of something flattering. All of people will be happy if their parents really wait for their birth. However, it will be different if the reason of their existence is already prepared for some business or for other’s sake. Anna experiences this kind of life. She is born because of certain purpose. It is to support her sister who suffers from Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia.
freedom. Her entire body is prepared to be harvested whenever her sister needs it. She has to give the leukocytes, stem cells, bone marrow, etc. Therefore, she cannot go far from Kate. Anna has to be ready on Kate side. This causes depress feeling for Anna. She gets no freedom as what a common child has. Deep inside, Anna really wants to have a normal life. She wants to enjoy her childhood moment freely, playing with her friends, doing her hobby and doing everything she wants as a child. However, she has no opportunity to do that. She is trapped in unfortunate situation as well as in unfortunate family. Even, she pretends that Fitz’s family is not her real family. “I used to pretend that I was just passing through this family on my way to my real one.” (47)
1. Intrinsic Motivation
a. To Get Her Parents’ Attention and Affection
Kate is sick since she was two. Since that time, her mother, Sara, devotes most of her time and energy to take care for Kate, moreover if Kate is being hospitalized. This situation makes her time for doing the household chores is very limited.
sometimes does not have enough time for take care her children, meanwhile child needs his/her mother closeness after being away from his/her all day.
Anna’s mother is not a working mother. She used to be a lawyer but since Kate fell ill, she decided to stop her job for totally keeping an eye to Kate. Although Sara is not a working mother she is alike an executive mother who spends most of her time outside the house. She spends almost her time in the hospital to give treatments for Kate. Therefore, she does not have sufficient time to take care her other two children, Anna and Jesse. She often leaves them in the house. It seems unfair for Jesse and Anna, but it seems too fair for Kate. It is a normal situation when Sara pays more attention to her sick child rather than her healthy children. However, it is out of normal when it happens more than 13 years. Sara too focuses on Kate’s health and unintentionally she ignores her other children.
especially her mother. However, he is not alone. There is Anna who also has the same problem, which is being neglected. Different from Jesse, Anna gets extra attention from her mother. Of course if it is in the relation to Kate’s health. However, Anna is not better than Jesse is, even she is worst.
When Anna falls into trouble, her mother does not even realize it. She assumes that Anna’s problem is just because she is entering the teenager moment. Sara thinks that Anna is fine if it is compared with Kate’s health. Even when Brian, Anna’s father who realizes that there is something wrong with Anna, tries to discuss about the changing of Anna’s behavior Sara seems does not pay much attention on it. She tries to make sure Brian that Anna is fine. “Compared to Kate’s kidneys and Jesse sociopathy, I’d say she’s doing fine.” (42). “May be she’s just being teenager.” (42)
As a mother, Sara is careless. She does not pay attention on Anna’s development. Moreover, every child expects to get the equal love from his/her parents. In the development processes, each child needs parent’s affection and attention. It is like what is stated by Sara’s sister, “We all know you’re supposed to love your children equal, but that’s not always how it works out.” (144).
Once, Anna realizes that she could find only a very few pictures of her in the house. At first, she tries to think positively. It maybe she is the third child in that family that her parents tired of keeping a catalogue of life or they forgot to put her picture. However, she feels that although those are just pictures it has meaning behind it.
photo says, You were so important to me that I put down everything else to come watch. (128)
It seems a simple matter but if it is applied in Anna’s condition, it proves that Anna is not equally loved. On the other hand, though Anna feels that she does not get enough attention and affection from her mother, Sara thinks that she has done her best for her daughters, she states that she loves both of them equally (156). Sara understands that she has two daughters who need her attention and affection. Nevertheless, it is confusing her much. One of her daughters is extremely ill and the other is extremely unhappy. To be equal and fair in sharing love is complicated. In fact, Sara tends to pay attention to Kate rather than Anna.
Like what happens when Anna has to donate her bone marrow. She gets hurt after the transplant. She needs her mother’s companion, but at the same time, Kate needs her mother too because she gets relapse. “‘Can you stay here?’ I shake my head. ‘Kate’s sick. I’m going to have to go back.’ Anna pulls away. ’But I’m in the hospital,’ she says, ‘I’m in the hospital!’” (230).
It seems unfair. Anna is sick but her mother still does not give his attention. She is hurt, she needs her mother, but still, she does not have it. Instead of giving companion for Anna, Sara gives Anna more medicine doses for her pain so that Anna will not feel the pain anymore. After giving that medicine, she leaves Anna then moves to her other sick daughter. It hurts Anna much more than the pain she gets after the operation. She has given her best for saving Kate, but she cannot get her mother’s attention.
find it (334-335). Moreover, Maslow adds “people who have received only a little amount of love have strong needs for affection and acceptance than do people who have received either a healthy amount of love or no love at all.” (282).Anna files the lawsuit because she is motivated to get her mother’s attention and affection. Anna hopes that through sending the lawsuit, her mother will see her problem seriously. She wants her mother understand her needs. Therefore, when her mother states that they will fix anything wrong, she is willing to continue in helping Kate. “My mother holds me tighter. ‘We walk to the judge, and explain it. We can fix this, ‘she says. ‘We can fix everything,’ and because those words are really all I’ve ever wanted to hear, I nod.” (57). Anna thinks that what is meant by ‘fix anything’ is that her mother will fulfill her love need.
From the mother’s action and reaction on Anna, it can be derived that Anna does not get enough attention and affection from her mother. Anna is getting sick of the condition. She wants to be equally loved by her parents, especially her mother. She wants to fulfill her love/belonging needs.
Everybody needs love and to be loved by other. It is like what is stated by Petri, he says that human needs to feel the sense of belonging by small or large social group (family, collegues, religious group, etc) (305). Therefore, Anna is motivated to get her mother’s attention and affection.
b. To Avoid the Pain During the Harvest/Organ Donation
she does not even aware of it. However, after several years, she has to give another help for Kate. She has to donor lymphocytes, bone marrow, granulocytes, and peripheral blood stem cells. Although she is just thirteen, she has undergone innumerable surgeries to donate those needs.
“The first time I gave something to my sister, it was cord blood, and I was a newborn. She has leukemia – APL – and my cells put her into remission. The next time she relapsed, I was five and I had lymphocytes drawn from me, three times over, because the doctor never seemed to get enough of them the first time around. When that stopped working, they took bone marrow for a transplant. When Kate got infections, I had to donate granulocytes. When she relapsed again, I had to donate peripheral blood stem cells.” (20)
When Anna had to donate the lymphocytes, she is just five. Her blood is drawn from the crook of her arms. At that time, she does not know that her blood will be taken from her. The nurse holds her so that she will not squirm around. A little compulsion happens there. After being taken her lymphocytes, she gets the side effects. She gets some bruising and some tenderness. For a little girl like Anna it is painful. Unfortunately, she has to experience another pain when the lymphocytes are taken, does not enough yet. A month later after the first drawing, she has to face the same needle, the same action and the same pain. Even, she has to experience the same pain for the third time because to get all the lymphocytes, it takes that long.
Moreover, she is given the analgesic so that she will not get hurt. “She was put under general anesthesia because she was so young, and needles were put into the crest of her hips to draw out the marrow.” (289)
The treatment by giving the analgesic is not safe for children. The anesthesia involves potential risks, from the simplest risk until the highest risk. As what is stated by the doctor who is taking care for Anna, there are side effects in using analgesic in the medical treatment.
“These risks may include, but are not limited to: adverse drug reaction, sore throat, injury to teeth and dental work, damage to vocal cords, respiratory problems, minor pain and discomfort, loss of sensation, headache, infection, allergic reaction, awareness during general anesthesia, jaundice, bleeding, nerve injury, blood clot, heart attack, brain damage, and even loss of body function or of life.” (324-325)
When Anna donates her bone marrow, she is given the general anesthetic. It is because Anna is still very young and it is to avoid the traumatic. There is no mistake on the procedure but Anna feels the side effects that come after the donation process. It is painful. Moreover, at that time her mother feels that the medicine that is given to Anna still causes the pain. Therefore, she decides to give more doses. The medicine helps to reduce the pain, but medically, it is not good for children in a very young age to be overmedicated.
There is way too much to explain – my own blood seeping into my sister’s veins; the nurses holding me down to stick me for white cells Kate might borrow; the doctor saying they didn’t get enough for the first time around. The bruises and the deep bone ache after I gave up my marrow; the shots that sparked more stem cells in me, so that there’d be extra for my sister. The fact that I’m not sick, but I might as well be. (18)
When Anna is thirteen, Kate goes into renal failure. It requires her to have a kidney transplant. Directly, her mother asks Anna to donate one of her kidney for her sister, but Anna rejects it. She knows the consequences may happen in the kidney transplantation. She knows that kidney transplant is an invasive operation. An invasive operation that she shall not have, an operation that is painful for her, an operation that will give variation side effects and an operation that will affect her future. She imagines how her future life is going to be if she donates one of her kidney. She is just thirteen. It means that she is too young to undergo the invasive operation. She imagines how to live with only one remaining kidney. What if someday when she is getting old and her only one kidney is broken, will she dead? (326).
She is one of hockey players. If she donates her kidney, she has to leave her hobby. Besides those reasons, Anna really wants to be medically emancipated as soon as possible because if it is not stopped, it will never end.
“‘When you complain because someone’s sticking a needle into you for the tenth time, it’s considered standard operating procedure. All the adults look around with fake smiles and tells each other that no one voluntarily asks for more needles.’ I blow my nose into a Kleenex. ‘The kidney – that’s just today. Tomorrow it’ll be something else. It’s always something else.’” (86).
Knowing the processes and the consequences, Anna is afraid to do the process. She does not want to get hurt any longer, so she rejects the mother’s wish. It is liken what is stated by Maslow as cited in Gleitman, “…, people always want to get away from something (pain, hunger, sexual tension) rather than to gain something positive” (732). Moreover, Anna is a child. A child is often motivated by safety needs. It is like what is stated by Maslow, as cited in Feist and Feist “Children, however, are more often motivated by safety needs because they live with such threats ….” (281). Safety needs is including physical security, stability, dependency, protection and freedom from threatening forces.
Anna’s pain during more than 13 years motivates her to do an action to stop it. She does not want to be hurt any longer. The treatment and the pain she has experienced make her to lose the insecure feeling. Through this action, Anna expects to satisfy her safety needs.
c. To have her right back
My Sister’s Keeper novel discusses the struggle of a child to have her right
She expects to have the right to her own body, since she feels that her mother imprisons her right. She knows that she was born to be her sister’s perfect match. At the beginning, what is needed is only her umbilical cord. However, since a cancer is a chronic illness that is difficult to be recovered, she has to continue her donation. As time goes by, the condition becomes worst and worst. Kate needs lot of organs transplant that is harvested from her perfect match, Anna. On the other hand, Anna is growing up and she starts to question about her identity and her role in this life. She feels that she does not get her right, especially in relation with her body. She knows that Kate is the only reason why she was born in the world. She knows about her background, but she is a human being who was born with basic human right. She has privacy and right as well.
Hart (1973) defines right as the protected exercise of choice, as cited in http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Pages/WhatareHumanRights.aspx. It means that having a right is having a power to enforce the other’s duty to provide the need. Everyone in this world is born with basic human right. Everyone has his/her own right. Even, human right is guaranteed and protected in all nations in the world.
In some cases, children are incapable in making any choices. They are too young to have choice because their mental are not totally developed at those ages. Therefore, children need someone to be their behalf. Parents, who are considered as the closest relatives of the children, usually become their behalf. Parents, as the representatives of the children, can take a choice for the children. In this novel, Anna’s mother becomes Anna’s behalf in exercising a choice in medical treatment. Anna’s mother takes the decision for Anna to donate her parts of body for her sister. She has the authority to make a choice for Anna since Anna is still very young to have her own decision. Her mother makes Anna’s body to be harvested whenever Kate needs it.
control their children. Not all parents are strict with this principal. Some parents give lots of freedom for their children.
Anna’s parents give different treatment to their children. Anna’s brother, Jesse, gets lots of freedom. It is not because the parents intentionally want to give those all freedom, but they seems to ignore him. He grows up becomes a bad boy. Jesse has the right to have freedom, but he does not have the right to be loved by his parents. His love needs is unsatisfied.
Different from Jesse, Anna seems never get freedom. Anna’s mother authorizes her life since she was baby. Her freedom is imprisoned. Moreover, Anna gets tired to live in the shadow of her sister’s illness. When entering the adolescence time, she is brave to break it because she really wants to have her freedom. She wants to do what she wants to do. Fortunately, she gets the opportunity to have her right back.
against her own internal conflict. In one hand, she wants to have freedom but on the other side of it, she is afraid to lose her lovely sister as well.
Before she files the lawsuit, she is an obedient child. She will do whatever her mother asks her to do. However, since she is motivated to change her boring and unjust life she braves to fight against her own mother. She defends her right by herself because no one will struggle for her. After facing lots of difficult situations and hard moments, she reaps the fruit. Finally, she gets her right back. The final judgment wins her lawsuit.
The analysis above shows that Anna does not get the right toward her own body. Her right is imprisoned inside her duty to be her sister’s keeper. That is why she wants to have her right back. What motivates her to do the action is for fulfilling her esteem needs that is not satisfied yet. As what is sated in Feist and Feist, Maslow states that esteem needs including “desire for strength, for achievement, for adequacy, for mastery and competence, for confidence in the face of the world, and for independence and freedom” (283). Anna wants to be her herself, to be fully developed her potential, to be more confident, to be more independent, and to get freedom in her life. That is why she is motivated to have right and freedom.
2. Extrinsic Motivation
a. To help her sister to end her misery
