42 following quotation, from Savannah’s statement when she tells John about Alan
and Tim. “I guess that’s when I first started coming over here. You know, to help out.” p. 281.
Tim tells John about Tim’s illness, Alan who is also there hears about what they talk about. Alan becomes inconsolable. It is sho
wn by Alan’s head rolled faster and he begins to slap his tights. Savannah as a caring girl will never
stand still when she looks Alan becomes inconsolable. Then, Savannah takes action
. From Savannah’s reaction toward Alan, it can be seen that Savannah has ability to hold Alan who is inconsolable. Savannah realizes that she can make
Alan begins to calm down. Here, it can be said that Savannah is needed by Tim and Alan. Tim also tells John that Alan is in the good hand. We can see it in this
conversation below between Tim and John. Alan’s head rolled even faster, and he began to slap his thighs. Savannah
turned away. I already knew I shouldn’t have asked. “That’s what the doctors are for,” Tim replied. “I’m in good hands.” I
knew the answer was more for Alan than me, and Alan began to calm down. p. 291.
C. Savannah’s Motivation to Marry Tim
In the beginning of this chapter, the writer has already discussed about the main character’s characteristics and the main character’s conditions. This part of
discussion focuses on Savannah’s motivations to marry Tim by considering the
explanation of conditions which have been mentioned above. Everyone has reasons in doing something and their reasons become their
motivation. Jung says that motivation includes terms that refer to such diverse states as desire, wishes, plans, goals, intents, impulses, and purposes. Some of
43 these states imply a deliberate and calculated process involving reason.
Furthermore, Robert C. Beck says that motivation is a choice 1978: 24. When we have two different choices, we will choose one for our best choice. That will
be our motivation to do something. Combining Savannah’s characteristics and her conditions at the previous
parts, the writer is helped by using the theory of motivation to explain about Savannah’s motivations to marry Tim. It also supports the writer about the
analysis. Marriage has become a goal for Savannah. Her goal itself is derived from motivations. She has to decide whether she keeps her relationship with John
or ends up the relationship with him, and then marries Tim. Marriage, in Dear John
, becomes significant because this novel deals with the activity in choosing husband. The choice is chosen as the best choice and it involves the reasons.
In this novel, it can be seen clearly that the character of Savannah shows her motivations to marry with. The motivations that Savannah experienced are
based on her conditions. These motivations lead her to approach a goal. There are reasons why Savannah decides to choose Tim as her husband. It is started when
Savannah has long distance relationship with John. As already mentioned before, Savannah is a friendly girl. Therefore, she
can be closed with John. Savannah is also described as a loving girl. It can be shown in her behavior toward John. She loves John very much. Savannah is also a
kind-hearted girl; it gives John good impression about Savannah. In this story, there are several conditions that Savannah faces.
44 At the first condition her motivation is shaped by gaining certain
achievement in her life. She is not satisfied with her current condition which is in her long distance relationship. The fact that she feels hard during her relationship
drives her in decision to end her relationship. In order to be closer with someone else, she has to end her relationship.
In doing her action, Savannah needs reason. Based on Savannah’s reason s
he is motivated to do the action which it involves Tim. Savannah’s reason derives from her condition that motivates her to achieve something that she wants
and it needs Tim. Savannah’s action is from the frustrated life that she has. At Savannah’s first condition, Savannah has condition that she has a long
distance relationship with John. Seeing such a situation, Savannah has hard feeling. Savannah does not get much physical contacts, just mental contacts that
she gets. She just gets mental contacts from communication by letters and phones. Physical contact is just got when John comes home and they spend time together
inspite of just a little. Savannah needs time where Savannah and John can spend time together. Therefore, she really needs physical contact from John. It can be
known from the quotation below,
“Still, what we needed was time together. Time alone. If our relationship was a battery, my time overseas was continually draining it, and we both
needed time to recharge.” p. 219. She feels hard about the long distance relationship because she cannot
fulfill her desire to get the need of attention and affection. When she misses John very much, she can only imagine and remember all those things that they have
been through together. It is shown in this quotation.
45 “When I walk, it’s almost as if I can feel your hand in mine. Those things
are still real to me, but where they once brought comfort, now they leave me with an ache.” p. 228.
“How much I missed you and how hard it was to be apart. And it was hard.” p. 280.
Based on Savannah’s characteristic as an dependent girl encourages Savannah to get someone who is always beside her. It can be seen that Savannah
always wants John is close to her. The only thing Savannah can do is creating imagination. Her imagination shows that she feels frustrated because of her desire
cannot be fulfilled. Those mean that she cannot get physical contact from John. Physical contacts are all what she needs from the relationship. Not only by mental
contact such as sending letters and making a call, but she also wants John is close to her. This feeling shows that she cannot live without love near her. If she does
not live with the condition of long distance relationship, she does not feel the hard time.
Savannah feels lonely when John is in a far place. Therefore, she makes a lot of activities
while waiting for John’s arrival. Savannah needs each other to comfort and support her. Savannah and Tim need one another in order to avoid
living in lonely and meaningless life. By looking at Savannah’s desire to get attention, affection, and touch from someone she loves, it can be understood that
Savannah prefers to find someone that can fulfill her desire. The difficulty to have a relationship with John is surely frustrated her. Accordingly, she prefers to avoid
her frustration by ending her relationship with John. She is tired of missing John and wants to meet John, but she cannot reach him. There are some reasons why
Savannah ends her relationship with John. Savannah does not get physical
46 contacts from John and the lack of Jo
hn’s presence become the reason that motivates her to end her relationship with John.
This kind of Savannah’s first condition is a good reason to end her relationship with John and get closer with
Tim. That is the reason why she chooses to leave John.
According to Huffman, Mark Vernoy and Judith Vernoy 2000. 401, intrinsic motivation refers to the desire of someone an act for their own sake. A
motivation comes from our own behavior. In intrinsic motivation, there is not a reward such as money, certificate or status for someone’s work, but the reward is
Savannah’s satisfaction. What Savannah do is not because of any reward that she obtains, but it is because she gets satisfaction. Savannah is motivated to end her
relationship with John because she cannot get what Savannah wants. In addition according to David C. Edward in his book General
Psychology , he stated that if a person seeks out other individuals, we say that he is
satisfying the conditions of this particular state of affairs which we call the motive for affiliation, as opposed to describing the behavior in terms of other possible
factors 1969: 50. In this novel, Savannah seeks out another person who can satisfy her as stated in David C. Edward
’s theory. From Savannah’s long distance relationship with John, it describes that she cannot have good relationship. She
always feels hard with her relationship. Having hard feeling during her long distance relationship with John motivates Savannah to end her relationship and
finds someone who can make her comfortable. Savannah has desire to get physical and mental contacts from someone. She realizes that John cannot give
47 Savannah physical and mental contacts since they are in the long distance.
Therefore, Savannah seeks out Tim who can fulfill her need. Savannah’s second condition with Tim while John is in the army makes
Savannah is always together with Tim. The separation between Savannah and John makes Savannah and Tim become close to each other. She always shares
with Tim about her hard feeling toward John. Sometimes when Savannah misses John, she shares with Tim. As stated in this quotation below.
“Tim knew I was in love with you . . . but he was there, you know? He listened when I talked about how much I missed you and how hard it was
to be apart.” p. 280. “Anyway, we spent a lot of time together, and he was good at consoling
me whenever I got down.” p. 280. Those things make Savannah and Tim become intimate and make them
fall in love. Tim is always around Savannah when Savannah needs someone. Tim is to be somebody who is important for Savannah. Savannah and Tim also always
do activies together. Savannah has similarities with Tim. Savannah and Tim have same purpose in making a ranch program for autistic kids. They work in the same
place and they also concern in the same thing which is to take care of Alan. It is stated in the quotation below when Savannah tells John about the relationship of
Tim and her. “Tim started working at the same developmental evaluation center where I
did and then decided that he wanted to start a weekend ranch program for autistic kids.”
“After that, we were together almost all the time. Setting up the ranch gave us both something to focus on, and it helped Alan, too.” p. 282.
48 By the time, they begin to fall in love.
Savannah’s dream to open a riding camp for autistic kids can comes true when she is with Tim.
The quotations above show that Savannah tells John that Savannah and Tim often meet every day. They talk to each other and spend a lot of times
together. She finds happiness when she is with Tim. This is what she cannot find when she was with John. She feels comfortable because Tim always gives the
attention and affection that she needs by being closed with her. Savannah feels that Tim can fulfill her desire of love. She gets what she
needs in love, like touch, attention, and affection. When Tim is besides Savannah, she feels comfortable. She is happier by having close physical relationship. She
can only get it with Tim. In the condition where Savannah with Tim, he can fulfill Savannah’s desire of love and get what she needs in love. For those reasons,
Savannah decides to marry Tim. It can be seen that Savannah tries to make better feeling by getting closer with Tim. In order to get physical and mental contact,
Savannah prefers to choose Tim. Based on the condition when Savannah with Alan, she feels pity to Alan
because his parent died in an accident. Here, it can be seen that Savannah is a caring girl. Tim cannot take care of Alan by himself, so she helps Tim to take care
of Alan. Savannah tries to help both of them. Both Savannah and Tim try to help Alan. It is shown in this quotation below.
“We just ended up consoling each other. I tried to help him, and he tried to help me, and we both tried to help Alan.” p. 281.
Savannah knows Alan is an autistic boy. Her pity over Alan gives a kind
of motivation for Savannah to marry Tim. Taking care of Alan is as the reason in
49 choosing Tim as her husband. From the two conditions here, Savannah gets closer
with Tim and wants to help Tim to take care of Alan. Savannah needs someone to be needed by Alan and to be loved by Tim. Those reasons motivate Savannah to
marry Tim. In order to make relationship with Tim, therefore she ends her relationship
with John. The ending of her relationship with John is her decision to start making new relationship with Tim. Being closer with Tim is the way to direct her goal to
marry Tim. Savannah knows that in order to make her life better.
Savannah’s desire toward her goal of marriage and her motivation to take care of Alan make
Savannah choose Tim as her husband. Having close relationship with Tim and Alan means being closer to her goal. Savannah knows that if she marries Tim, she
will be able to help Tim to take care of Alan. Her motivation has made Savannah approaches her goal of married. It is similar to Miller’s theory of motivation in
Robert C. Beck’s Motivation Theories and Principles which stated that the closer an organism is to a positive goal, the stronger the motivation to approach that
goal. From all the explanations above, it can be concluded that Savannah has an
intrinsic motivations in her decision to marry Tim. First, she needs physical and mental contacts. Then of course she loves Tim. Second, she wants to help Tim to
take care of Alan. Her concern about Alan’s condition leads her to marry Tim. Looking at that condition, Savannah takes care of Alan by herself. She feels pity
50 over Alan. Having an intrinsic motivation, Savannah chooses Tim without asking
any reward in return because she is doing such things from his heart.
51
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION
The novel by Nicholas Sparks Dear John is basically a love story. In the story, Savannah as the main character is facing some conditions that make her
marries Tim. She has motivations in choosing her husband. Marriage is as a goal for her. Based on the analysis conducted in chapter four, the writer is finally able
to find the answers for the problems in problem formulation in the first chapter. Several points also can be drawn as the conclusion of the study. The writer applies
the theory of character and characterizations to answer the first problem about the character of Savannah.
The writer finds out the characteristics of Savannah. First, Savannah is described as friendly girl. It is shown in the beginning of the story when Savannah
meets John in the beach, Savannah answer John’s greeting friendly. Savannah also can associate with other person easily. Savannah is also kind-hearted toward her
behaviors to John. Savannah invites John to eat together with her and her friends. Besides kind-hearted, Savannah is also caring girl. She is willing to help the
others who need help. She becomes a volunteer of Habitat for Humanity and builds houses with her church since she was sixteen. She also helps Tim to take
care of Alan. Savannah can be described as dependent girl because she needs someone
to live next to her. She always imagines and remembers all activities that Savannah and John have done together. The only thing she can do is just
