Social Facilitation between Taylor and Esperanza

5. Social Facilitation between Taylor and Esperanza

Esperanza and Estevan are illegal immigrants who live in Mattie’s house. They are Indian and they are used to live in Guatemala 93. His wife, Esperanza is so still that reminds Taylor to Turtle. “When the rest of us talked and splashed and laughed she sat still, a colorful outgrowth of rock. She reminded me of Turtle.” 93. According to Weiner 127, the presence of others has big influence to person especially to motivate this person to perform better. The presence of Esperanza also has big influence to Taylor to motivate her to adopt Turtle. The way Esperanza sees Turtle shows that she loves Turtle as much as Taylor does. When Taylor, Turtle, Lou Ann, Dwayne Ray, Mattie, Esperanza and Estevan have a picnic, Taylor realizes that Esperanza always keeps staring on Turtle. Esperanza was just stepping out of the cab, and when she saw the kids she fell back against the seat, just as if she’d been hit with twenty-eight pounds of air. For the next ten minutes she looked blanched, like a boiled vegetables. She couldn’t take her eyes off Turtle. 93 A little later Estevan says that Turtle looked like a child they had known in Guatemala 94. While they are sitting on the rocks and eat baloney sandwiches, Esperanza keeps watching Turtle 94. Taylor cannot deny that the sight of Esperanza and Turtle is so sweet. But she was off on her own somewhere. From time to time she would gaze over to where the kids were asleep on the blue bedspread. And who could blame her, really? It was a sweet sight. With the cottonwood shade rippling over them they looked like a drawing from one pf those old- fashioned children’s books that show babies in underwater scenes, blowing glassy bubbles and holding on to fishes’ tails. 94-95 Taylor realizes that when Estevan said they have no children, Esperanza looks as though she has been slapped across the face 105. Later after Esperanza tries to kill herself by consuming a bottle of baby aspirin 131, Estevan tells Taylor that they have a daughter named Ismene 136. “She was taken in a raid on their neighborhood in which Esperanza’s brother and two friends were killed. They were members of Estevan’s teacher’s union.” 136. Ismene is not killed, she is taken. Taylor’s sensitivity increases that she knows the sad story. She comes to Esperanza’s room and tries to encourage her. “I guess the main thing I came up here to tell you is, I don’t know how you go on, but I really hope you’ll keep doing it. That you won’t give up esperanza . I thought of that last night. Esperanza is all you get, no second chances. What you have to do is try and think of reasons to stick it out.” She had tears in her eyes, but that seemed better somehow than nothing at all. “It’s terrible to lose somebody,” I said, “I mean, I don’t know firsthand, but I can imagine it must be. But it’s also true that some people never have anybody to lose, and I think that’s got to be so much worse.” 148 Triplett in Bootzin, Loftus and Zajonc 609, decided that the presence of others performing the same task increases a person’s motivation and thus improves performance. After sometimes, Taylor sees how close Esperanza and Turtle’s relationship is, it makes her a bit jealous. After knowing Esperanza lost her daughter, Taylor’s motivation in adopting Turtle is increasing. However, Taylor still drives Estevan and Esperanza to a safe house in Oklahoma and she will find Turtle’s relatives as well 158-159. On the way, they are stopped by a young officer and asked whether they are all US citizens. The officer also asks whether the child is Taylor’s or Estevan and Esperanza’. Estevan answers that Turtle is Estevan and Esperanza’s 191, and it makes Taylor annoyed. “You looked a t me. I thought it might seem suspicious if I said she was yours. He might wonder why you didn’t say it.” “I know, I know, I know. You’re right. It’s no problem. The only thing that matters is we made it through.” It did bother me though, just as it bothered me that Turtle was calling Esperanza “Ma.” Which was a completely unreasonable thing to resent, I know, since Turtle called every woman Ma something. There’s no way she could have managed “Esperanza.” 191 The way Turtle calls Esperanza “Ma” also bothers Taylor. It seems that Esperanza loves Turtle so much. In the back seat Esperanza is stroking Turtle’s hair and singing to her though in Spanish while Taylor drives the car and Estevan also sits in the front seat 194. Taylor is envious when she sees Esperanza and Turtle are playing and sometimes Taylor hears Esperanza calls Turtle Ismene. When I looked in the rear-view mirror I caught sight of her on Esperanza’s lap, playing with Esperanza’s hair and trying on Esperanza’s sunglasses. Later I saw them playing a clapping-hands game. The two of them looked perfectly content: “Madonna and Child with Pink Sunglasses.” Nobody, not even a Mayan, could say they weren’t. One time I thought-though I couldn’t swear it-I heard her call Turtle Ismene. I was getting a cold feeling in the bottom of my stomach. 198 Turtle and Esperanza are becoming inseparable. They are playing and going everywhere together. However, Taylor is grateful for the babysitting since she is busy driving and finding Turtle’s relatives 205. When Taylor cannot find Turtle’s relatives, she decides to go to Lake o’ the Cherokees 203. They have a picnic there and Taylor only wants to take a picture of Estevan, Esperanza and Turtle. She needs the picture as a proof that Turtle is Estevan and Esperanza’s daughter. While they are sitting in the little pine forest, so often she finds a pine cone, she will bring back and give to Taylor or to Esperanza. Taylor tries very hard not to keep counting of whose pile of cones is bigger 209. Taylor, then, bravely asks Estevan and Esperanza for a help. Estevan and Esperanza, fortunately, say yes. They create a story that Estevan and Esperanza is Turtle’s parents and they will entrust Turtle to Taylor. Esperanza’s acting is so great. “Esperanza was holding Turtle tightly in her arms and beginning to get tears in her eyes. Already it was clear that, of the three of us, she was the first in line for the Oscar nomination.” 213. After sometimes convincing Mr. Armistead, finally he believes the story and decides to make the document. However, Taylor is so sad seeing Esperanza crying. She realizes that Esperanza might not be acting for crying but it is real that Esperanza loves Turtle. “Of all the many times when it seemed to be so, that was the only moment in which I really came close to losing Turtle. I couldn’t have taken her from Esperanza. If she had asked, I couldn’t have said no.” 215. Though Taylor feels jealous to Esperanza, but as a woman she is willing to lose Turtle if Esperanza wishes it. In summary, Taylor’s motivation in adopting Turtle is also because of social facilitation. The presence of Esperanza encourages her to adopt Turtle since she does not want to lose Turtle. 58

CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

This chapter consists of two parts. The first is the conclusion of the analysis. The second part is the suggestion for further researchers on the novel and also the suggestion for English Teacher.

A. Conclusions

This part discusses the conclusion of the analysis in Chapter 4. There are two conclusions based on the two research problems. The first research problem aims to find out how Taylor is described in Kingsolver’s The Bean Trees. Based on the theory of character, Taylor can be classified into round and major character. Physically, Taylor is about 25 years old woman. She is a skinny and flat-chested woman. Moreover, based on the theory of characterization, Taylor is described as a responsible, brave, optimist, sensitive, loving and caring woman. Taylor’s characteristics can be analyzed through her character as seen by another, speech, thought and reactions. The second research problem of this thesis deals with Taylor’s motivations in adopting the Indian child. This analysis is based on the theory of motivation according to Franken and McClelland and also theory of social facilitation. According to Franken, this thesis applies approach and avoidant motivation. While based on McClelland, this thesis only uses two of three motives. They are achievement and affiliation motives.