Character and Characterization Analysis of Michael Foster
much decoration on it. The dialogue below between his wife and the police officer below also proves that Foster chooses the color of his house himself.
Police Officer : How about this cottage? The red one behind the house.
Foster’s wife : Ours. Police Officer
: What it means? Still owned?
Foster’s wife : Yes, we own it. Michael has been renovating it. 00:59:58-01:00:11
From that explanations of his appearance and his habit above, it can be concluded that Foster is a simple person like the others. There is nothing wrong
with Foster from his outside. He likes to wear casual outfits and does not use something with flashy colors and have much patterns. These things also show his
composure in his life. In addition, as it can be seen from picture 5 and 6 , Foster‟s
houses in the town center and downtown prove that Foster prefers soft colors than full ones and does not put any decorations on it. He chooses the color by himself,
even his wife said that Foster renovates it. They indicate that Foster does not want to show who he is.
The next characteristic of Michael Foster is a successful man. As a successful person, Foster is described as a man who has a good job. From the
dialogue between Foster‟s wife and the police officer below, it can be concluded
what Foster does and where he works. Police Officer :
Where is your husband?
Foster’s Wife : He is working. Police Officer :
Where? Where does he work?
Foster’s Wife : It is downtown. Brent Vista Medical Center. He is a med tech.
00:55:24-00:55:30
The quotation above is taken when the police officers went to Foster‟s house to
look for some information about Foster. In that house, they m et Foster‟s wife and
his children. After asking his wife where Foster was, they knew that Foster was working in his office.
Foster‟s wife said that her husband worked as a Med Tech in Brent Vista Medical Center. As we know, med tech or medical technology is a
kind of job which helps to analyze samples of tissue, blood, or other body fluids to be given to the doctor or other medical industry. This person must have a
certain number of academic trainings and clinical experiences before being able to practice.
As a med tech, Foster had good education and a number of experiences in his youth. It means that Foster has a high social status because based on Julie
McMullin, social status can be seen from occupation, education, wealth, and ownership.
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Furthermore, Foster spent his youth to learn about this field and it put him in a position where he could be trusted to help doctor or other medical
industry for analyzing samples of body fluids. Thus, his hard work during his life time made him become a professional med tech. So that, from the explanation
above, we can know that Foster is a successful person in his work. As a person who has a high social status,
Foster‟s success also can be seen from his wealth. One of his wealth is having several houses in different regions.
The pictures below show his properties.
44
Julie McMullin, Understanding Social Inequality; Intersections of Class, Age, Gender, Ethnicity, and Race in Canada
, Canada: Oxford University Press, 2004, p. 35.
Picture 7 00:54:53 Picture 8 00:59:26
The picture 7 shows the region of Foster‟s main house. This house was located in
the town center. This was a house where Foster lived with his wife and sons. In this house, Foster prepared all things needed by his wife, his sons, and himself.
Besides having the house in town center, Foster had two houses located in the downtown as they are showed on the picture 8. The houses on picture 8 were his
old house. Foster grew up and spent his youth there with his sister. The houses became the witness
of Foster and his sister‟s separation long time ago. Although Foster had not lived there anymore, those houses still belonged to him.
Sometimes, Foster went there to check the condition. The quotation of Foster‟s
wife below shows that Foster is the owner of those houses. Police Officer
: Where is this house?
Foster’s wife : It’s where Michael grew up. Police Officer
: Where is it?
Foster’s wife : It’s gone. It burned years ago. Police Officer
: How about this cottage? The red one behind the house.
Foster’s wife : Ours. Police Officer
: What it means? Still owned?
Foster’s wife : Yes, we own it. Michael has been renovating it. 00:59:40-01:00:11
The quotation above is taken when the police officer came to Foster‟s
house and asked her about the houses in the photo. For the first, she did not give the clear answer but later she told him that the houses in the photo were theirs and
Foster was renovating it. From that explanation, it can strengthen the analysis before that Foster is a
successful person. His success is showed by his wealth that consist of having several houses in different regions; one in the town center and two in the
downtown. Although he does not live in his downtown houses anymore, Foster remains the legal owner of those houses. He still keeps them and makes sure that
the houses are always in good condition by renovating them because those houses have much memories with his sister, Melinda.
Another characteristic of Michael Foster in this movie is lovable. He is described as a man who is full of caring. This characteristic can be seen by the
way Foster loves his sister named Melinda Foster. The pictures below show it.
Picture 9 00:56:08 Picture 10 00:56:11
Picture 11 00:56:30 Picture 12 01:11:04
The pictures above show the closeness between Foster and his sister. They grew up together and spent their childhood with playing and supporting each other.
They looked very happy in every picture they had. Foster liked to express his love to his sister. Hugging and kissing were his way to show his love. As the youngest
child, Foster really took care of his sister. For example, he supported her to be a dancer because he knew it was her passion. For Foster, his sister meant everything
and there was no one who could replace her. Foster is not only a lovable person for his sister, but also for his little
family. Being a husband and father made Foster really loved them. When he was with his family, Foster always smiled and looked happy. He never showed and
told his family about his problems. Happiness was the only thing he wanted to share with them.
Picture 13 00:59:23 Picture 14 01:09:59
Picture 15 00:59:18
Pictures 13 and 14 show Foster‟s position as a father. In the midst of his activity
as a med tech, Foster provided some time to play with his children. They would go to somewhere and enjoyed their free time. For his children, Foster was the best
father. Those pictures above tell the happiness in their life. It is also supported by the scene in picture 15. It is taken
in Foster‟s office room. He put the photos of his wife and their sons on the desk. This scene tells us that wherever Foster goes, he
wants to stay close to his family. In the picture 15, hugging his children describes how deep he loves his children.
From the explanation above, it can be concluded that Foster is lovable. The way Foster shows his love to his sister and his family attests that they are
important in Foster‟s life. That is why Foster treats them well by supporting each other and preparing all things they need. For example, Foster espouses his sister,
Melinda, when she wants to be a cheerleader. Even Foster works hard to bring happiness in his marriage‟s life. It proves that Foster is a lovable person. He likes
to kiss and hug his sister and play with his sons in order to show his feeling of love and cares.
The other characteristic that Foster has is kind. It can be seen from the Foster‟s wife point of view. She believes in Foster if he will not do something
cruel or put himself in the wrong situation. Police officer
: Would you tell me where you think he may take her?
Foster’s wife : There is no place because Michael would not do
something like that.
00:59:38-00:59:43
The quotation above reveals the trust which she gives to her husband. According to
Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, kind means „not causing harm or damage
‟.
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It is like what his wife thinks about Foster. She never thought that Foster would do a crime such as kidnapping and murdering someone like the
police officers told her. She did not believe the officer when he said that Foster had a problem with himself. In her perspective,
Foster‟s attitude to love and take care of her and their sons was the strong evidence which showed Foster was a
kind man. He gave them so much love and everything they needed. Even she got speechless when the officers asked her about the photo in
Foster‟s office room as an early allegation where Foster brought his victims.
45
Elizabeth Walter, Cambridge Advance Learner Dictionary 3
rd
Edition . Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2008.
From the explanation of Foster‟s wife above, it can be concluded that Foster never does something bad before, something that can harm or hurt
someone around him. He acts like a normal person in front of his family. This habit makes his wife believe in him. She does not trust for what the police officers
tell to her about her husband. Later, she answers their question in aplomb by saying that Foster has no place to do a risky thing like that because for her, Foster
is a kind man. Behind the perfection of his appearance and attitude, Foster had another
dark side which he never let anyone to know. Like a human being in general, Foster had some bad tempers. It started to appear when he lost his sister, Melinda,
in his young age. After his sister died, Foster‟s characteristics changed. It left a
deep impact on Foster. He was like a coin with two different sides. The first side was good, but the other one was bad. The death of his sister changed Foster
uncontrollably. His life was cold and meaningless, and the feeling of missing her sister grew and got deeper and deeper. No one knew his dark side, even his wife.
He just kept it by himself. This unsteady condition made his truly self become worse. It changed him to be a cruel man.
Picture 16 00:11:09
Jordan : Okay, listen, whoever this is, the police are on their way right this
second. I suggest you leave the house; before you do anything you are gonna regret.
Leah : crying
Foster
: It’s already done.
Leah : screaming
Foster : yelling
00:11:05-00:11:32
The scene in picture 16 and dialogue above are taken when Foster was on his way to kidnap the girl named Leah Templeton. Leah was alone on her house at that
time because her parents were at the cinema. Foster broke the glass door and found her in her bedroom, trying to hide herself. But, knowing his victim called
911 for a help, Foster got angry. He grabbed that phone and listened to someone on the other line. Jordan Turner, 911 operators, who wanted to help Leah, gave a
warning to Foster as it is showed in the quotation above. She said that the policemen were on their way to find him as soon as possible and it was better for
him to leave the house. Feeling the threatened condition around him, Foster hit Leah‟s head until she terribly screamed as it is showed on the picture 16.
From the previous explanation, it can be argued that Foster hits his victim‟s head several times until the victim is unconscious. Basically, hitting
someone is a cruel thing. This thing is exacerbated when the victims‟ gender is
woman. In this case, Foster lost his patience after he knew that Leah called 911 and the police was heading to Leah‟s house to arrest him. To express his anger,
Foster hit Leah‟s head several times to make her quiet and not talk too much to Jordan who was trying to help her. What Foster does explain that he does not
hesitate to be cruel to woman and will do anything to make his plan works. Even he says “It is already done” to Jordan which means he will not leave the house
before he gets what he wants. Another proof of
Foster‟s sadistic action is showed in the next scenes. Foster does something cruel again to the others victims. Casey Welson and Jordan
Turner are the example of Foster‟s sadistic action. He hits his victim‟s face or dips her head to the water‟s pool.
Picture 17 00:54:06 Picture 18 01:23:03
The girl in picture 17 was Casey Welson. She was the second victi m of Foster‟s
crime. Casey tried to get a help from an active worker at the gas station by crawling out of the car. She screamed loudly from the car and her voice caught the
worker‟s attention. In order to help her, this worker got the terrible revenge from Foster. Foster was angry for what Casey did. After losing his control and killing
that active worker, Foster did something cruel to Casey. He grabbed Casey‟s hand
and hit Casey right on her face until she fainted. Foster shows his sadist again in the picture 18.
It is taken in Foster‟s old house. Jordan who came
to the Foster‟s house in the downtown found a cellar. In that room, she saw that Foster was starting to slash Casey
‟s hair while she was
trying to look for the evidences. In order to help the victim, Jordan hits Foster on his head three times and hoped they could run away from him. Knowing someone
disturbed his action, Foster‟s anger was getting bigger and he started to lose
control. He pulled out Jordan‟s hair, took her to the water‟s pool, and dipped her
head for a long time. In another scene, Foster does the sadistic action again to a man who wants
to thwart Foster‟s action. The picture below describes Foster‟s action where he does not hesitate to hit and stab the intruder.
Picture 19 00:45:34
A man on picture 19 named Alan Denado. Alan met Foster on the road. He was susp
icious about Foster‟s attitude. Seeing the way Foster spoke and acted were strange, such as getting nervous and hiding something, Alan decided to follow
Foster‟s car. When Foster threatened Casey to not to do anything in the trunk, Alan came and asked him if everything was okay. Knowing that Foster sweated a
lot and could not answer him properly, Alan called 911. But, before the call was connected, Foster hit him first using the shovel hardly. Alan did not give up. He
still tried to run away. Foster then grabbed the screwdriver and stabbed him many times until he passed away.
From the explanations above, Foster‟s action can be categorized as
violence because based on World Health Organization WHO cited by Julie McMullin, violence
is „the intentional use of physical force of power, threatened, or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that
either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment,
or deprivation‟.
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In this case, what Foster does is violence because it causes the injury and death. Furthermore, it is
inhumane; especially he did it to women. His attitude is extremely rude. He does not see whether his enemy is male or female. On the other side, he is not hesitant
about killing them if they are very disturbing. For Foster, what he wants is the most important thing. He does not allow the others to interfere his affairs. This
pressure led him to act sadistic easily. In the end, killing people is a pleasure on Foster‟s perspective. That is what he does to people around him who wants to
help his victims. Foster last bad temper is no remorse. If remorse is a feeling of regret, then
Foster has no remorse. As a person who has this characteristic, he never shows his regret. He keeps doing what he believes, even it is wrong.
46
Julie McMullin, op. cit. p. 151.
Picture 20 01:20:37
Picture 21 01:21:45 Picture 22 01:21:48
Actually, when a person feels hesitant on his action, the sense of doubt will be seen from his eyes. As we see on the pictures above, Foster was in his private
room at his old house in the downtown. He brought his victim named Casey and wanted to slash her hair. He prepared the tools he needed without hesitation. His
skill as a med tech made him got the tools easily. He strongly believed in what he was doing. In doing his action,
Foster‟ eyes did not show the slightest doubt. He stared Casey incisively.
The exegesis above reinforces a statement before which is saying Foster has no remorse. He did not have the hesitancy when he started to slash Casey‟s
hair. In Foster‟s perspective, Casey‟s hair was his sister‟s hair. It represented his sister, Melinda. So, it was fair if Fo
ster wants to have Casey‟s hair. Foster‟s desire to have it was a way for Foster to could feel the presence of his sister back. In the
end, he never showed the repentance after slashing the scalps and collecting them in his private room. Whenever he missed his sister, he would go to his private
room and sniffed that scalp. This bad characteristic is also supported by the dialogue below between Foster and Casey.
Casey : Please, just kill me. Kill me, please. Please, just kill me. Just kill
me. Why won’t you just kill me?
Foster : Hair needs a healthy blood flow. If you are dead, pause
Casey : No, please stop, please.
Foster : Then it dies to
Casey : Stop, please.
Foster
: I’m sorry but I can’t. I can’t. Slashing her scalp and crying I can’t stop.
01:21:09-01:21:54
The dialogue above is taken after Foster prepared the tools for doing his action and started to slash her scalp. Casey asked him why he did not kill her from the
beginning because it would make it easier. It is also supported by Foster‟s words
which are saying he could not stop. Later, he slashed her scalp slowly, without hesitation, although Casey screamed loudly feeling the pain. Her screaming made
Foster cry because he remembered Melinda and the pain that she felt in losing her hair.
That explanation strengthens the early statement that Foster has no remorse. As a human being, feeling and showing your sorry about something
wrong you have done is a basic of life. But for Foster, it will never happen on him. He always thinks of his sister and it makes him lose his sanity. What he
believes is the rightness of his action. That is why Foster cannot stop his action or
kill his victim from the beginning. And in the end of his crime, Foster never feels sorry for what he does.
From the all explanations above, the characteristics of Michael Foster are young, white, good looking, and middle-aged. He is also responsible, charitable,
and successful. He builds his own life with his wife and two sons. For them, Foster is kind and never does a mistake. But on the other side, Foster has some
bad tempers, such as cruel, sadistic, and no remorse. They indicate that Foster has personality problem which is caused by the death of his sister, Melinda Foster,
many years ago. Furthermore, F oster‟s personality problem will be discussed in
the next discussion.