b. The Conflicts
According to Baron and Byrne 276, when a child becomes an adult, the parent-child relationship will be less pleasant. There will be more conflicts in their
interactions. The parents who dominate and control their children’s life and action will get rebellion. According to the styles of parenting proposed by Baumrind,
authoritarian parents attempt to shape, control, and evaluate the behavior and attitudes of the child in accordance with behavior and words of parents qtd in
Noller and Fitzpatrick 135. Roolin and Thomas add that the more parents control their children, the more they get rebellion from them qtd. in Noller and
Fitzpatrick 202. In this relationship, there are two main cases that lead them to the conflict. First is the authoritarian power from Sara. Second is the different
perspective between them which forms a thought in Anna’s mind that her mother does not love her very much except wanting her bodily organ.
Firstly, the conflicts happen because Sara treats Anna authoritatively. In the novel, Sara shapes, controls and decides what is right for her healthy daughter.
For Sara, saving Kate from her illness is the most important purpose in her life. Thus, she always asks Anna to give her bodily organ while her sister needs it for
survival. A demand for kidney donation causes the most serious conflict that leads them to the trial. Feeling sick of all medical treatments, Anna does not want to be
the donor for her sister anymore. Consequently, she sues her parents for the sake of her own body Picoult 21. She hires a lawyer to send a petition of medical
emancipation for her mother and to represent her party in the trial Picoult 60.
To deal with the conflict above, Anna applies avoidance to resolute the conflict. Avoidance can be done through the physical and the emotional escaping
from the situation and the unwillingness to talk about the problem Blake and Mouton in Noller and Fitzpatrick 106. When Sara receives a petition for medical
emancipation, she is shocked and asks for Anna’s explanation. However, Anna keeps herself silent and runs away from Kate’s room. She hides in the maternity
ward where no one can find her Picoult 60-61. From Anna’s reaction, it can be seen that she does not want to explain about the case and releases herself from that
situation. Sara’s authoritarian power also deals with her effort to have Anna call off
the lawsuit. There are some conflicts caused by Sara’s demand to make Anna withdraw her petition and give her kidney to Kate. In this case, the conflict occurs
when Sara begs her daughter to withdraw the lawsuit but Anna refuses. Sara becomes very angry and slaps her daughter’s face Picoult 63-64. To solve their
conflict, Sara applies solving resolution by going to Anna’s bed and explaining how much she loves her. She hugs Anna and promises that she can fix the
problem without the Judge’s help Picoult 68. The willingness to talk about and to solve the problem is considered as solving resolution Blake and Mouton in
Noller and Fitzpatrick 106. On the contrary, Anna uses avoidance to evade quarrel with her mother. She lies to her mother that she agrees calling off the
lawsuit and want to do anything for her sister. Thus she does not tell the truth when she wants to go to her lawyer’s office Picoult 93-94.
The conflict also happens when Sara gets a notice for a temporary restraining order. As Anna’s lawyer knows that Sara often convinces her daughter
not to continue the trial, he sends the notice. It involves getting Sara out of the house and having no contact with her healthy daughter. Sara becomes so angry
that she decides to be a lawyer again and is willing to fight against her daughter in the lawsuit.
. . . “I don’t know what’s going on,” I say. “Then how can you think you’re qualified to make decisions for yourself?”
My mother stands so abruptly her chair clatters to the cafeteria floor. “if this is what you want, Anna, we can start right now. “Her voice, it’s thick and
rough as rope the moments before she leaves Picoult 218. In line with the case, they use avoidance resolution that they are unwilling to
talk about the problem Blake and Mouton in Noller and Fitzpatrick 106. Two days before the trial starts, Sara and Anna visit Kate in hospital. Both of them do
not talk about the trial and pretend that there is nothing happen. On Saturday morning, I am at the hospital with Kate and my mother, all of
us doing our best to pretend that two days from now, my trial won’t begin. You’d think this is hard, but actually, it’s much easier than the alternative.
My family is famous for lying to ourselves by omission: if we don’t talk about it, then – presto - there’s no more lawsuit, no more kidney failure,
no worries at all Picoult 300.
On one occasion, Sara also applies compromise resolution to deal with Anna’s lawsuit. As Kate needs to get Anna’s kidney transplant in a week, Sara
comes to Alexander’s office to make a compromise with him, Anna and Brian, Anna’s father. Sara offers a deal saying that if Anna is willing to donate a kidney,
she will be absolved from all the medical procedures for her sister. My mother sits down. “I know. I was . . . well, I’m hopping that we can
clear this up. I want us to make a decision, together. Campbell raps his fingers on the table. “Are you offering us a deal?”
He makes it sound so businesslike. My mother blinks at him. “Yes, I guess I am.”
. . . If the cancer comes back, if this kidney transplant doesn’t work, if things
don’t wind up the way we all wish they would for Kate – well, I will never ask you to help you sister again . . . but Anna will you do this one last
thing?” Picoult 329.
However, Sara’s efforts to have Anna call off the lawsuit and donate her kidney are failed. Their conflict is brought to the courtroom in which Sara herself fights
against her daughter’s party for the sake of Kate’s life. As Noller and Fitzpatrick 99 define that the family conflict occurs
because of the different point of view among others’ behavior, opinion, and decision, these differences also happen in this relationship. In line with this case,
the different perspectives form a thought in Anna’s mind that her mother does not really love her. It means that the conflicts are caused by the inequality of Sara’s
love. For Sara, giving more attention to the helpless daughter than the other
daughter is necessary and it does not mean that she does not care the other. Moreover, designing and asking Anna to be a donor for her sister is a need. On the
contrary, Sara’s perspective is differently perceived by Anna. She doubts her existence if Kate is healthy and thinks that her mother does not really love her. It
can be seen when she is talking to Alexander, her lawyer. She explains that her parents do not listen to her. They do not really pay attention unless they want
Anna’s bodily organ to be given. Anna thinks she will not be alive if Kate is healthy Picoult 24. Encountering this problem, Anna decides to solve through
the trial. She wants to get her own rights Picoult 21.
Another conflict which occurs in line with this case happens when Sara wants to know what she has done which makes Anna keep pursuing her lawsuit. Anna
tells that it does not happen for what her mother has done. It happens because she has not listened to her.
“My God, Anna,” my mother says, stunned. “What have we done to you to deserve this?”
“It’s not what you’ve done to me.” “It’s not what we haven’t done, right?”
“You aren’t listening to me” I yell Picoult 217.
Besides, the conflict also happens when Sara prohibits Anna to join a girl hockey camp in Minnesota. At that time, Anna gets a letter which notifies that
she is accepted to join the girl hockey camp and to practice with the goalie on USA team. She asks for her mother’s permission to go there but Sara does not
allow her because she is afraid of what may happen to Kate when her sister is gone. Thus, Anna becomes angry with her mother. She crumples the letter and
shoots hockey stick against the wall of the garage Picoult 322-323. Dealing with this case, Sara uses avoidance resolution. Sara keeps silent
and lets Anna shoot a hockey stick against the garage wall for nearly an hour until the sound is like a rhythmic beat. Sara ignores her daughter’s anger until she
forgets that Anna is out of the house and begins to think a home might have its own pulse Picoult 323.
To sum up, there are two primary causes of their inharmonious relationship. First is the authoritarian of parenting style which involves asking
Anna to call off the lawsuit and insisting that Anna donate her bodily organ. Second is about the inequality of mother’s love. In this relationship, Sara is
considered as an authoritarian mother. Based on the styles of parenting proposed by Baumrind in Noller and Fitzpatrick, an authoritarian parents attempt to shape,
control, evaluate the behavior and attitudes of the child in accordance with standard behavior and what the parents said. In the novel, Sara shapes, controls
and decides what is right for her daughter. Consequently, Anna rebels against her. Sara’s excessive attention to Kate also creates friction between them. However,
both of them love each other so they try to solve their conflicts. Sara tends to use avoidance, competition or pushing aggression, compromise, and solving the
problems. While Anna uses avoidance and competition in order to solve their problems.
3. The Relationship between Sara and Jesse
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