Signed before witnesses on this ________ day of _________, in the office of Jonas Wilford Armistead, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 215-216
In summary, it can be said that Taylor has achievement motivation since she was a child and it still remains till she is adult. Taylor’s first achievement
motivation in adopting Turtle is that she is optimist that she can adopt Turtle. Being optimist can be the most important factor in achieving goals. Second,
Taylor has a great hope rather than fear in adopting Turtle. This condition is one of the characteristic of achievement motivation. The last is Taylor’s motivation in
accomplishing something difficult, adopting Turtle, as well and as quickly as possible.
4. Taylor’s Affiliation Motivation in adopting the Indian Child
After leaving her hometown and traveling alone, Taylor needs somebody to accompany her. She needs somebody to be her new family. Taylor does not
expect that she will be entrusted an Indian child. On the way, after Taylor takes a rest in a bar and she will go back to the car, she meets an Indian woman who put a
child in her car 17. The woman asks Taylor to take the child and the woman goes away. Taylor is confused, she will put the child in the bar, but unfortunately
the bar is closed. Along the way, Taylor realizes that the child is an Indian and she is a girl. She has many bruises in her body.
When I pulled off the pants and the diapers there were more bruises. Bruises and worse.
The Indian child was a girl. A girl, poor thing. That fact had already
burdened her short life with a kind of misery I could not imagine. I thought I knew about every ugly thing that one person does to another, but
I had never even thought about such things being done to a baby girl. 23
When Taylor sees the child smiles, she is very happy. Taylor is sensitive that she cannot bear her relief. Then she sends a postcard to her mama and writes
“I found my head rights, Mama. They’re coming with me.” 23. It is clear that afterwards, Taylor considers Turtle, Taylor names the child Turtle because she
likes a mud turtle 22, as her new family. Beck 354 says that the term affiliations refer just to associating with others, apart from the question liking
them or loving them. However, in Taylor’s case, she associates with Turtle because she loves and cares to Turtle.
According to McClelland 346-347, everybody needs others in their life; it cannot be avoided by human. Taylor realizes that she needs somebody in her
life. Her relationship with Turtle gets closer. It is clear when Taylor shows her love to Turtle as she teaches Turtle to talk and plant beans. “As I planted the
beans, Turtle followed me down the row digging each one up after I planted it and putting it back in the jar. “Good girl,” I said. I could see a whole new era arriving
in Turtle’s and my life.” 97-98. Although Turtle is not Taylor’s daughter, people around her think that
Turtle is her real daughter. “Everybody behaved as if Turtle is my own flesh and blood daughter.” 110. The way people consider Turtle is Taylor’s increase
Taylor’s responsibility to Turtle. She declares herself as the one who is responsible for Turtle.
“I can’t answer these questions,” I said. “Are you the parent or guardian?”
“I’m the one responsible for her.” “Then we need the medical history before we can fill out an encounter
form.” “But I don’t know that much about her past,” I said.
“Then you are not the parent or guardian?” This was getting to be a trip around the fish pond. “Look,” I said. “I’m not
her real mother, but I’m taking care of her now. She’s not with her original family anymore.” 121
This conversation happens when Taylor brings Turtle to a doctor for checking Turtle’s health. Another time, when Turtle is almost being kidnapped and there
are police and social worker come to know about what is going on, the social worker asks whether or not Taylor is Turtle’s mother. “She asked me if I was the
mother. I nodded, a dumb animal, not really a mother, and she took me into the hallway.” 166-167.
Raising and trying to adopt Turtle legally are risky things, but Taylor wants to face it. According to Beck 356, there is considerable evidence that
when people are fearful they prefer to be with others. Other people can reduce anxiety. It clarifies that everybody needs others in their life. That also happens in
Taylor’s life, since she needs other people to encourage and ensure her to adopt Turtle. Before Taylor enters the bar in which she got Turtle, she is a bit confused
and nervous. However, Estevan, Esperanza and Turtle encourage her. “Estevan gave me a hug. “For courage,” he said. Then Esperanza gave me a hug. Then
Turtle did.” 199. Then after some hard times in finding Turtle’s relatives to get the sign,
Taylor gets the legal document of Turtle. Taylor tells Turtle that from now on she is Turtle’s mama and she loves Turtle so much.
“Close enough,” I said. “I know it’s been confusing, there’s been a lot of changes in the management. But from here on in I’m your Ma, and that
means I love you the most. Forever. Do you understand what that means?” “That beans?” She looked doubtful.
“You and me, we’re sticking together. You’re my Turtle.”
“Urdle,” she declared, pointing to herself. “That’s right. April Turtle Greer.” 225
Now Turtle is her family, the legal document can prove it. “That means you’re my kid,” I explained, “and I’m your mother, and
nobody can say it isn’t so. I’ll keep that paper for you till you’re older, but it’s yours. So you’ll always know who you are.”
She bobbed her head up and down like a hen, with her eyes fixed on something out the window that only she could see.
“You know where we’re going now? We’re going home.” She swung her heels against the seat. “Home, home, home, home,” she
sang. The poor kid had spent so much of her life in a car, she probably felt more
at home on the highway than anywhere else. “Do you remember home?” I asked her. “That house where we live with Lou Ann and Dwayne Ray?
We’ll be there before you know it.” 232
Taylor makes sure that Turtle could understand that from that time on, Taylor is her mother. At the end, Turtle sings her vegetable-soup song and she mentions her
new family members. She watched the dark highway and entertained me with her vegetables-
soup song, except that now there were people mixed in with the beans and potatoes: Dwayne Ray, Mattie, Esperanza, Lou Ann and all the rest.
And me. I was the main ingredient. 232 It can be concluded that Taylor has achievement motivations. Taylor’s
relationship with Turtle happens because she loves and cares Turtle. Taylor also needs Turtle in her life as one of affiliation motivation that everybody needs
others in their life. Moreover, when people are fearful they prefer to be with others. It also happens to Taylor that she needs Turtle when she is anxious in
finding Turtle’s relatives.
5. Social Facilitation between Taylor and Esperanza
