B. The Relationship between Sara and Her Children
There are three relationships that will be analyzed in this part, namely the relationship between Sara and Kate, the relationship between Sara and Anna, and
the relationship between Sara and Jesse.
1. The Relationship between Sara and Her Dying Daughter, Kate
a. The Relationship
According to Noller and Fitzpatrick 267, a mother-daughter relationship is the strongest mother-children relationship. She is a very important figure and
has a strong bond with her daughter. Based on the theory of motherhood proposed by Deutsch, in the novel Sara is described as a masochistic mother. A masochistic
component of motherliness involves the mother’s readiness for self-sacrifice in order to undergo her child’s pain without expecting anything from the child
Deutsch 19. She does whatever Kate asks without asking for return. Because of her love toward her daughter is the greatest thing in her life, she wants to make
her child secure in life and to give her happiness. Thus, her relationship with Kate is described as close, warm and comfortable relationship.
In this relationship, Kate feels secure with her mother. When she finds her self in a terrible situation, she comes to her mother and expects her mother’s
opinion. Kate believes in what Sara has said, like for an example when Kate is sick and the doctor needs her blood to be tested. She is very afraid when her
brother tells that the way the doctor takes her blood is by injuring her with a big
and long needle. In her fairness, Kate lays great expectation on her mother’s help. Thus, Sara convinces her that the needle is small and the injection will not hurt.
My daughter, who trusts me to tell her when it’s safe to cross the street, to cut her meat into tiny pieces, and to protect her from all sorts of horrible
things like large dogs and darkness and loud firecrackers, stares at me with great expectation. “Only a small one,” I promise . . . “It’s just going to be a
tiny pinch” Picoult 34. Their relationship becomes warm and makes Kate secure because of her
greatest love. She will not let her dying daughter endure her pain alone. She always accompanies and gives encouragement whenever Kate relapses. When
Kate gets fever, she spends the night in the hospital sitting beside Kate’s bed. Sara smoothes the cover over Kate’s leg and compares her own temperature with
Kate’s Picoult 80-82. In her effort to calm Kate, Sara tends to make her dying daughter feel secure. She always encourages her daughter’s spirit.
Her eyes slit open. For a moment she struggles, unsure of where she is. “Kate,” I whisper. “I’m right here.” As she turns her head and focuses on
me, I lift her palm to my mouth, press a kiss in its center. “You are so brave,” I tell her, and then I smile.” When I grow up, I want to be just like
you.” Picoult 82-83. After Kate’s health is getting better and allowed to go home, Kate is not
strong enough to face the situation outside the hospital. She is aware that everything will change when she steps her foot outside. Sara holds Kate’s hand
and promises to walk together with her. It is obvious that Sara always tries to protect and to give the secure feeling with her presence.
Kate nods, but she doesn’t step forward. She stands rigid, fully aware that once she sets foot outside this doorway, everything changes. “Mom?”
I fold her hand into mine. “We’ll do it together,” I promise, and side by side, we take the first step Picoult 285.
Based on the types of mother-daughter relationship proposed by Mark, their relationship tends to be considered as the friendship type of mother-daughter
relationship. It is characterized by the open communication between them. As a friend, they share and ask for opinion. Kate shares her feeling when she is falling
in love with Taylor. She asks her mother whether Taylor will call her or not after getting her number. She also has her mother give an idea where they will go for a
date Picoult 371. After getting a call from Taylor, Kate looks excited. She looks at herself in
the mirror, pursuing her lips and raising her brows. Then, she openly asks her mother to give comments on Taylor’s impression on her. She tells about her
feeling and Taylor’s cure rate of his Acute Myeloid Leukemia. She expects her mother to convince that her feeling is a part of love.
“What do you think he sees when he looks at me?” Kate asks. “I think he sees a girl who knows what he’s been through,” I tell her
honestly. “I got on the internet and read up on AML,” She says. “His leukemia’s got
a pretty high cure rate.” She turns to me. “When you care more if someone else lives than you do about yourself . . . is that what love’s like?”
It is hard, all of a sudden, to pull an answer through the tunnel of my throat. “Exactly” Picoult 372.
Since love is the basis for their relationship, neither Sara nor Kate wants to hurt each other. Consequently, Kate never tells about her stress in dealing with all
treatments of her illness and her effort to kill herself. She is afraid if her stupid action will kill her mother too. It can be seen from Anna’s statement, Kate’s sister,
when she gives testimony in the courtroom. “She couldn’t tell you”, I reply. “She was too afraid if she killed herself she’d be killing you, too” Picoult 460.
It can be concluded that the relationship between Sara and her dying daughter is a positive one. They are close to each other. Sara never lets her dying
daughter undergo her illness by herself. She loves and takes care of her. Thus, Kate feels secure and comfortable with her mother’s presence in coping with her
terrible life. They also have an open and good communication.
b. The Conflicts
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