According to Baron in his book entitled Annotated Instructor’s Edition, Psychology Third Edition, stated that
Motivation is internal processes that can’t be directly observed, but which activate, guide, and maintain their overt behaviors Baron, 1995:
375.
We can also say that such actions occur because the persons involved are motivated to perform them.
4. Theory of Struggle
According to Braun, Linder and Asimov in the book Psychology Today 1979 are stated that in people’s life there are many life events
happening. For every life events will make people to force themselves to make some struggles in their life. For example of life events such as divorce, death
of spouse, gaining a new family member, personal injury or illness, family members leaving home, and many other. While people try to deal with all
these problems and challenges of life, they will need to adjust their selves. For that reason, how people react from all these events is one aspect of the process
called adjustment Braun, L.A, 1979: 479-480. In their book, Braun, Linder and Asimov says that adjustment is just a process of copying the events,
problems, challenges, and other difficult situations which occur in people’s life.
They stated that adjustment is divided into three categories. 1. The problem solving. When people try to deal with their problems, they
will seek out the solutions. By facing different problems in life, people
will automatically develop their problem solving skill. 2. The acceptance toward the situation. Sometimes it is better for people to
accept the problems and its consequences, as if there is no solution for it. However people need to be careful with the unconsidered acceptance.
Sometimes in some case, people accept the consequences that are avoided. 3. The defense mechanisms as repression and denial. These defense
mechanisms are very helpful in decreasing people’s stress and anxiety while trying to deal with the difficult situations. But in some cases, it has a
danger too. The overuse of these defenses can make severe disturbances in people’s life Braun, L.A, 1979: 478.
Struggle can be interpreted as a person’s strategy to protect him from problems in life. According to Bernard, in some condition people have
rationally and consciously implement strategies which enable them to survive toward stresses or problems of life. When they try to face problems, they
usually will seek for some strategies or ideas to survive toward their problems. Although sometimes it is difficult and feel painful, people will keep trying to
find ways to resolve problems in life by struggling Weiner, Bernard, 1980: 481.
Struggle is such a mission or goal that requires much effort to accomplish or achieve. People do struggle because they have their own goal
that can motivate them to achieve their dream. For that reason, people usually will give their best effort to achieve the dreams. Automatically it will make
them struggling, even in the worst situation. Sometimes people get fail in the
way to reach their goal, but they will keep struggling from the unpleasant experience. They will learn the positive things from what it done by
struggling. Every people believe that they need to struggle, because they realize all of their efforts will be satisfied McKechnie, 1989: 367.
Since people live, problems will always happen in their life and it is various. Some might be easy or some other might be difficult. When people
face problems, they will have various ways to struggle to overcome their problems. Struggle according to Abate means that people make some
determine efforts under their difficulties and make some efforts to keep struggling in dealing toward problems which emerging in life Abate, 1996:
1514.
C. Theoretical Framework
There are two problems which are discussed in this study, they concern about the characterization of James J. Braddock and to explain James’
motivations for survival as seen in his struggles against poverty in Marc Cerasini’s Cinderella Man.
In order to solve the first problem which concerns with the characterization of James J. Braddock, the writer uses theory of character and
characterization. These theories are applied because the writer discusses character and characterization. Characterization is part of character, so it
cannot be separated.
