The influence of Sam`s mental retardation towards the conflicts in Kristine Johnson`s I Am Sam.
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ABSTRACT
Creseilla Leonita Rahajaan. The Influence of Sam’s Mental Retardation
towards the Conflicts in Kristine Johnson’s I Am Sam. Yogyakarta: Department of
English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2014.
Every story has conflict. Conflict holds an important role in every story
because it creates a plot. This study analyzes the movie script I Am Sam from the
psychological point of view. The analysis is specified to the influence of Sam’s
mental retardation toward the conflicts. There are many things that can influence
conflicts. This research provides the explanation; how Sam’s mental retardation
influences his conflicts.
This undergraduate thesis consists of three objectives. The first is to identify
the conflicts that are faced by Sam. The second is to analyze Sam’s mental retardation
symptoms and the third is to analyze the influence Sam’s mental retardation toward
the conflicts.
The method that is used to realize this study is library research, since the data
for this study is taken from books and articles. There are some theories that are
applied in this research. They are theory of conflict, mental retardation symptoms,
and theory of intelligence. In this study, these theories are used to answer the
questions in the problem formulation. The focus of this research is to analyze the
influence the major character’s mental retardation which is a psychological disability
toward the conflicts that he faces. Therefore, the most suitable approach to be applied
in this study is psychological approach.
In the analysis, the conflict is identified by using the theory of conflict by
Ferster, Harmon and Lewin. There are three types of conflicts that can be found in the
story; the conflict between persons, the conflict between a person and society, and the
last is the internal conflict within a person which is called approach-avoidance
conflict. To analyze how Sam’s mental retardation is described in the movie script,
mental retardation and also autistic disorder symptoms by Davidson and Wilson are
applied in the second part of analysis. The result of the analysis shows that Sam is
described by the script writer as man who is impaired in some adaptive skills, parrots
others’ speech, and also shows compulsive and ritualistic act. This finding confirms
the statement in the movie script that Sam is a mentally retarded man with autistic
tendencies. The last part in the chapter IV contains the analysis of the influence of
Sam’s mental retardation toward the conflicts. According to the analysis, Sam’s
mental retardation does not only influence his reaction toward conflicts, it also
influences people’s opinion of him, his opinion toward himself, and it often becomes
the reason or the trigger of the conflicts that Sam faces.
x
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ABSTRAK
Creseilla Leonita Rahajaan. The Influence of Sam’s Mental Retardation
towards the Conflicts in Kristine Johnson’s I Am Sam. Yogyakarta: Department of
English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2014.
Setiap cerita memiliki konflik. Konflik memegang peranan penting dalam
setiap kisah, sebab konflik menciptakan alur serita. Karya ini menganalisis skrip film
berjudul I Am Sam dengan menggunakan sudut pandang psikologi. Analisa dalam
studi ini secara spesifik membahas tentang pengaruh dari retardasi mental yang
dimiliki Sam terhadap konflik yang ia hadapi.
Skripsi ini terdiri dari tiga tujuan. Tujuan pertamanya adalah untuk
mengidentifikasi konflik-konflik yang dihadapi oleh Sam. Tujuan berikutnya adalah
untuk menganalisa gejala-gejala retardasi mental Sam dan yang ke tiga adalah untuk
menjelaskan pengaruh retardasi mental Sam terhadap konflik-konflik yang ia hadapi.
Metode yang digunakan untuk mewujudkan penelitian ini adalah studi
pustaka, hal ini dikarenakan data yang diambil untuk melakukan penelitian ini berasal
dari buku-buku dan juga artikel-artikel. Ada beberapa teori yang diaplikasikan dalam
studi ini. Teori-teori tersebut adalah teori konflik, gejala-gejala retardasi mental dan
teori inteligensi. Dalam penelitian ini, teori-teori tersebut digunakan untuk menjawab
pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang terdapat dalam rumusan masalah. Fokus dari studi ini
adalah untuk menganalisa pengaruh dari mental retardasi Sam terhadap konflikkonflik yang ia hadapi. Oleh karena itu, pendekatan yang sangat tepat untuk
digunakan untuk studi ini adalah pendekatan psikologi.
Pada bagian analisis, konflik diidentifikasi dengan menggunakan teori konflik
yang diungkapkan oleh Ferster, Harmon dan Lewin. Terdapat tiga jenis konflik yang
dapat ditemukan cerita tersebut, yaitu konflik antara dua karakter, konflik antara
seorang karakter dan sebuah komunitas, dan konflik batin yang terjadi dalam diri
seorang karakter. Untuk menganalisa penggambaran mental retardasi Sam, penjelasan
mengenai gejala-gejala mental retardasi dan autisme yang diungkapkan oleh
Davidson dan Wilson diaplikasikan dalam analisis bagian kedua. Hasil analisa
menunjukan bahwa Sam digambarkan sebagai seorang pria yang memiliki
keterbatasan dalam beberapa kemampuan beradaptasi, membeo perkataan orang lain,
dan memiliki rutinitas yang bersifat wajib serta diulang terus menerus. Penemuan ini
membenarkan pernyataan bahwa Sam menderita keterbelakangan mental dan
kecenderungan autisme. Bagian terakhir bab IV menganalisa pengaruh dari mental
retardasi Sam terhadap konflik-konflik. Analisis pada bagian ini menunjukan bahwa
mental retardasi yang ia alami tidak hanya mempengaruhi reaksinya terhadap konflik.
Mental retardasinya juga mempengaruhi pandangan orang lain terhadap Sam,
mempengaruhi pandangannya terhadap dirinya sendiri, dan juga sering menjadi
alasan maupun pemicu dari konflik-konflik yang terjadi dalam kehidupan Sam.
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THE INFLUENCE OF SAM’S MENTAL RETARDATION
TOWARDS THE CONFLICTS
IN KRISTINE JOHNSON’S I AM SAM
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
CRESEILLA LEONITA RAHAJAAN
Student Number: 094214071
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2014
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THE INFLUENCE OF SAM’S MENTAL RETARDATION
TOWARDS THE CONFLICTS
IN KRISTINE JOHNSON’S I AM SAM
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
CRESEILLA LEONITA RAHAJAAN
Student Number: 094214071
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2014
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STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY
I certify that this undergraduate thesis contains no material which has been previously
submitted for the award of any other degree at any university, and that, to the best of
my knowledge, this undergraduate thesis contains no material previously written by
any other person except where due reference is made in the text of the undergraduate
thesis.
Yogyakarta, October 31, 2014
Creseilla Leonita Rahajaan
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LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH
UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, Saya mahasiswa Sanata Dharma
Nama
Nomor Mahasiswa
: Creseilla Leonita Rahajaan
: 094214071
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan
Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya berjudul
THE INFLUENCE OF SAM’S MENTAL RETARDATION
TOWARDS THE CONFLICTS
IN KRISTINE JOHNSON’S I AM SAM
beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan
kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan
dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk perangkat data,
mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain
untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin kepada saya maupun
memberikan royalty kepada saya selana tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai
penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal 14 Oktober 2014
Yang menyatakan,
Creseilla Leonita Rahajaan
v
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For
My Beloved Mom, Dad, Sister
And Grandparents
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ACKNOWLAGDEMENTS
My greatest gratitude goes to my parents, who raise me, work hard for giving
me life, pray for me every day, give me advices, and be patient to all my mistakes. I
also thank to the Creator for giving me such a loving family.
I would also like to express my gratitude to all lecturers and staff of English
Letters Department for their support as long as I study in Sanata Dharma University.
My special thank goes to my advisor, Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum. and my coadvisor, Dra. A.B. Sri Mulyani, M.A., Ph.D. for their guidance that helps me so much
in finishing this thesis.
Yogyakarta has been an amazing place for me in these past few years. It
happens because I meet many kind and talented people. Therefore, in this part, I
thank to all my classmates, my friends; Yoga, Yeyen, Emi and Ivan, my friends in
karate dojo, INKAI Sanata Dharma/ Atma Jaya Yogyakarta and also all my boys in
SkyWalkers Tricking (Extreme Martial Art) Jogja. I also give my gratitude to
Frederick Winatan for his kindness and support.
The last but not least, I want to thank all people that I know and my friends
wherever they are, whose names cannot be mentioned one by one. I thank them for
their support for me in any form.
CRESEILLA LEONITA RAHAJAAN
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE…………………………………………………………………...
i
APPROVAL PAGE………………………………………………………….....
ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE…………………………………………….…………..
iii
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY………………………………….……......
iv
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH..
v
DEDICATION PAGE………………………………………………………….
vi
ACKNOWLEGDEMENTS……………………………………………………
vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………..…….…….
viii
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………..………...
x
ABSTRAK……………………………………………………………..……….
xi
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION…………………………………..…………
1
A.
B.
C.
D.
Background of the Study……………………………………...……..
Problem Formulation…………………………………..………….…
Objectives of the Study………………………………………………
Definition of Term………………………………………..…….……
1
4
4
4
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW………………..…………………
6
A. Review of Related Studies………………………………..…..………
B. Review of Related Theories………………………………….………
a. Theory of Conflict………………………………..……………...
b. Relation between Literature and Psychology.... ………………...
c. Mental Retardation Symptoms………………………..…………
d. Theory of Intelligence……………………………………………
C. Theoretical Framework……………………………...……………….
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY………………………………..…………
6
9
9
11
12
16
18
20
A. Object of the Study………………………………………..…………
B. Approach of the Study…………………………………….…………
C. Method of the Study……………………………………….…………
20
21
22
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS……………………………………………………
23
A. Conflicts in I Am Sam……………………..……………….…………….
1. Conflicts between Sam and other Persons……………………….
24
25
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a. Conflict between Sam and Conner………………...…………
b. Conflicts between Sam and Lucy………………….…………
c. Conflicts between Sam and Rita…………………..……...….
2. Conflict between Sam and Society……………….........…………
3. Conflict between Sam and Himself………………………………
25
27
30
35
49
B. Mental Retardation Symptoms……………………….………………
1. Communication………………………………...…………………
2. Social Skills……………………………………..………………..
3. Academic Skills…………………………………………………..
4. Sensorimotor Skills………………………………………………
5. Self-Help Skills…………………………………………………...
6. Vocational Skills……………………………….…………………
42
45
46
48
51
51
52
C. The Influence of Sam’s Mental Retardation Toward the Conflicts…..
1. Conflict between Sam and Conner………………...……………..
2. Conflicts between Sam and Lucy………………….……………..
3. Conflicts between Sam and Rita…………………..……...………
4. Conflict between Sam and Society……………….........…………
5. Conflict between Sam and Himself………………………………
62
62
65
69
73
79
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION………….………………………….………….. 83
BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………….…………..………….. 87
APPENDIX……………………………………………….…….……………..… 89
ix
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ABSTRACT
Creseilla Leonita Rahajaan. The Influence of Sam’s Mental Retardation
toward the Conflicts in Kristine Johnson’s I Am Sam. Yogyakarta: Department of
English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2014.
Every story has conflict. Conflict holds an important role in every story
because it creates a plot. This study analyzes the movie script I Am Sam from the
psychological point of view. The analysis is specified to the influence of Sam’s
mental retardation toward the conflicts. There are many things that can influence
conflicts. This research provides the explanation; how Sam’s mental retardation
influences his conflicts.
This undergraduate thesis consists of three objectives. The first is to identify
the conflicts that are faced by Sam. The second is to analyze Sam’s mental retardation
symptoms and the third is to analyze the influence Sam’s mental retardation toward
the conflicts.
The method that is used to realize this study is library research, since the data
for this study is taken from books and articles. There are some theories that are
applied in this research. They are theory of conflict, mental retardation symptoms,
and theory of intelligence. In this study, these theories are used to answer the
questions in the problem formulation. The focus of this research is to analyze the
influence the major character’s mental retardation which is a psychological disability
toward the conflicts that he faces. Therefore, the most suitable approach to be applied
in this study is psychological approach.
In the analysis, the conflict is identified by using the theory of conflict by
Ferster, Harmon and Lewin. There are three types of conflicts that can be found in the
story; the conflict between persons, the conflict between a person and society, and the
last is the internal conflict within a person which is called approach-avoidance
conflict. To analyze how Sam’s mental retardation is described in the movie script,
mental retardation and also autistic disorder symptoms by Davidson and Wilson are
applied in the second part of analysis. The result of the analysis shows that Sam is
described by the script writer as man who is impaired in some adaptive skills, parrots
others’ speech, and also shows compulsive and ritualistic act. This finding confirms
the statement in the movie script that Sam is a mentally retarded man with autistic
tendencies. The last part in the chapter IV contains the analysis of the influence of
Sam’s mental retardation toward the conflicts. According to the analysis, Sam’s
mental retardation does not only influence his reaction toward conflicts, it also
influences people’s opinion of him, his opinion toward himself, and it often becomes
the reason or the trigger of the conflicts that Sam faces.
x
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ABSTRAK
Creseilla Leonita Rahajaan. The Influence of Sam’s Mental Retardation
toward the Conflicts in Kristine Johnson’s I Am Sam. Yogyakarta: Department of
English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2014.
Setiap cerita memiliki konflik. Konflik memegang peranan penting dalam
setiap kisah, sebab konflik menciptakan alur serita. Karya ini menganalisis skrip film
berjudul I Am Sam dengan menggunakan sudut pandang psikologi. Analisa dalam
studi ini secara spesifik membahas tentang pengaruh dari retardasi mental yang
dimiliki Sam terhadap konflik yang ia hadapi.
Skripsi ini terdiri dari tiga tujuan. Tujuan pertamanya adalah untuk
mengidentifikasi konflik-konflik yang dihadapi oleh Sam. Tujuan berikutnya adalah
untuk menganalisa gejala-gejala retardasi mental Sam dan yang ke tiga adalah untuk
menjelaskan pengaruh retardasi mental Sam terhadap konflik-konflik yang ia hadapi.
Metode yang digunakan untuk mewujudkan penelitian ini adalah studi
pustaka, hal ini dikarenakan data yang diambil untuk melakukan penelitian ini berasal
dari buku-buku dan juga artikel-artikel. Ada beberapa teori yang diaplikasikan dalam
studi ini. Teori-teori tersebut adalah teori konflik, gejala-gejala retardasi mental dan
teori inteligensi. Dalam penelitian ini, teori-teori tersebut digunakan untuk menjawab
pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang terdapat dalam rumusan masalah. Fokus dari studi ini
adalah untuk menganalisa pengaruh dari mental retardasi Sam terhadap konflikkonflik yang ia hadapi. Oleh karena itu, pendekatan yang sangat tepat untuk
digunakan untuk studi ini adalah pendekatan psikologi.
Pada bagian analisis, konflik diidentifikasi dengan menggunakan teori konflik
yang diungkapkan oleh Ferster, Harmon dan Lewin. Terdapat tiga jenis konflik yang
dapat ditemukan cerita tersebut, yaitu konflik antara dua karakter, konflik antara
seorang karakter dan sebuah komunitas, dan konflik batin yang terjadi dalam diri
seorang karakter. Untuk menganalisa penggambaran mental retardasi Sam, penjelasan
mengenai gejala-gejala mental retardasi dan autisme yang diungkapkan oleh
Davidson dan Wilson diaplikasikan dalam analisis bagian kedua. Hasil analisa
menunjukan bahwa Sam digambarkan sebagai seorang pria yang memiliki
keterbatasan dalam beberapa kemampuan beradaptasi, membeo perkataan orang lain,
dan memiliki rutinitas yang bersifat wajib serta diulang terus menerus. Penemuan ini
membenarkan pernyataan bahwa Sam menderita keterbelakangan mental dan
kecenderungan autisme. Bagian terakhir bab IV menganalisa pengaruh dari mental
retardasi Sam terhadap konflik-konflik. Analisis pada bagian ini menunjukan bahwa
mental retardasi yang ia alami tidak hanya mempengaruhi reaksinya terhadap konflik.
Mental retardasinya juga mempengaruhi pandangan orang lain terhadap Sam,
mempengaruhi pandangannya terhadap dirinya sendiri, dan juga sering menjadi
alasan maupun pemicu dari konflik-konflik yang terjadi dalam kehidupan Sam.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A.
Background of the Study
Reading literature does not only give people aesthetic pleasure, it can also
help people explore things they do not experience in their own life. Whatever we
read, whether it is fiction or non-fiction we are led by the story to explore various
experiences of human life. Literature has some genre. They are poetry, prose, and
play. Play or drama that is considered as literature is play in the written form. As
the other literature, play is also a door for everybody to explore many experinces
of human life.
Along with the development of the technology, play or drama is not only
performed on stage. Camera makes it possible to film a perfomance. As a result
we can find product like a movie or film. The script that is used in the making
process of movie then known as movie script. In the book Understanding Plays,
Barranger emphasizes that the word “text” or “script” to describe the written form
which is performable (Barranger, 1990: 4). Movie script is a script that is used in a
movie making not to be performed on a stage. Therefore, it can be said that movie
script and a play script are different in the way they are performed. Yet, it does
not make one is less than another. Movie script is also a literary art. A (movie)
script can be regarded as a literature in the way it fulfills the imaginative, aesthetic
quality and creative aspect, which is highly structured by its plot, character, tone,
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symbols, conflict, and other elements, which involves emotions, actions, and ideas
in the form of a story (Bressler, 1999: 10).
In this study, a literary work is seen from the psychological point of view.
Coleman in Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life states “The relation of
literature and psychology happened long before abnormal psychology became an
area of scientific study, based on their observation of human behaviour (Coleman,
1976: 8). Mental problem that is discussed in this research is mental retardation.
Because of that, the writer often uses the term mental retardation. It is a term of
the psychology field which is used to describe a condition characterized by
subaverage intelligence begining before the age of 18, accompanied by
impairments in adaptive functioning (Wilson, 1996: 486). The influence of the
main character’s mental retardation toward conflict will be the writer’s object of
analysis in this research.
To realize this study, the writer uses a movie script written by Kristine
Johnson entitled I Am Sam as the study object. I Am Sam is a 2001-Americandrama film written and directed by Jessie Nelson. A review written by A. O. Scott
in The New York Times states that anyone who has tried to raise a young child
will be helpless before ''I Am Sam,'' a shamelessly uplifting melodrama about a
mentally challenged man fighting for custody of his young daughter
(www.nytimes.com/movie/review). The script introduces the conflict between
family (Sam and his daughter, Lucy) and the Department of Social Services. The
Department Social Services try to take Lucy away because they believe Lucy will
not be able to develop intelectually, if she lives with Sam. It is said before that
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Sam is “a mentally challenged man,” meaning to say he has psychological
problem called mental retardation.
People with mental retardation have their own stereotype that is created by
normal people. We can find numerous result of mental retardation stereotype in
the internet. The stereotype can be right, can be wrong. The burden of disability is
unending; life with a disabled person is a life of constant sorrow, and the ablebodied stand under a continual obligation to help them. People with disabilities
and their families--the "noble sacrificers"--are the most perfect objects of charity;
their function is to inspire benevolence in others, to awaken feelings of kindness
and generosity (www.disabilitymuseum.org/dhm/edu/essay.html?id=24). That is
one of the stereotypes that can be found in the internet. The statement that say
disability is unending burden is contrary to the characterization of Sam as a
mentally retarded man. It does not mean that script writer is wrong in picturing a
retarded man as the major character in I Am Sam. The truth is, that stereotype is a
narrow generalization. In fact, there are some types of mental retardation that we
need to put attention on.
It is said before that the writter wants to analyze the influence of the major
character’s mental retardation or intellectual disability toward the conflicts that
happen in the script. To be able to do that the writer needs to show readers the
conflicts that occur in the story, the classification of mental ratardation, and the
type of Sam’s mental retardation based on its symptoms that are described in the
script. Therefore, Sam’s description as mentally ratarded man who can order food,
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earning money by himself and raise his good little daughter can be eccepted in the
readers’ sense.
B.
Problem Formulation
Based on the focus of the study, the problems are formulated as follows:
1.
What are the conflicts that experienced by the major character?
2.
How are the symptoms of mental retardation described in the script?
3.
How does Sam’s mental retardation influence the conflicts in Kristine
Johnson’s I am Sam?
C.
Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this research are based on the problem formulation that
has been stated above. Firstly, the writer wants to identify the the conflicts that
happend in the story, I Am Sam. Second is to analyze the symptoms of mental
retardation described in the script and the third is to analyze the influence of
Sam’s mental retardation toward the conflicts.
D.
Definition of Terms
In order to provide the right understading, the writer gives readers the
terms that related to the study. The terms that need to be explained are mental
retardation. Since in this study the writer uses this term a lot, the readers need to
have right understanding about the term.
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According to APA Dictionary of Psychology, mental retardation is a
disorder that is characterized by intellectual function that is significantly below
average: specifically that of an individual with a measured IQ of 70 or below,
whose adaptive behaviour is impaired, and in whom the condition is manifested
during the developmental period, defined variously as below the age of 18 or 22
(VandenBos, 2002: 569).
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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A.
Review of Related Study
I Am Sam is a movie script written by Kristine Johnson and Jessie Nelson.
Jessie Nelson is not only involved in the script writing, he is also the director of the
movie. The script that tells about a mentally retarded father who fights for the custody
of his seven year old daughter was filmed in 2001 by New Line Cinema. Right at her
seventh birthday, Lucy is taken by the Department of Social Services because they
believe that Sam who has mental retardation will not be able to raise Lucy properly.
After that, Lucy is removed from Sam's home and placed in court protection while
the custody issue is resolved. In order to win the court trial and gets Lucy back, Sam
tries to hire a lawyer Rita Harrison but it turns out Rita takes Sam’s case as a pro
bono case. In the story, Sam’s mental issue is the main reason that makes his ability
as a father is questioned. Sam’s life is no longer simple. He has to face court trial,
involved in conflicts that he never found before and thinking about questions that
even a mentally normal parent might has difficulty in answering them.
It can be said that I Am Sam is not a new movie. It has been 13 years since the
movie was released. Yet, there is only one study that can be found related to the
movie script. The only research that analyzes the movie script of I Am Sam that the
writer found is a research by Megan Dowdy entitled I Am Sam: Portrayal of
Disabilities in Popular Film. She uses the movie script I Am Sam as her object of
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study. She analyzed the medical model portrayal and social model portrayal in I Am
Sam. The conclusion of her study is, the social model becomes a method of
empowerment for Sam. Meaning to say, the social model that is portrayed by Sam
prevails over his medical model.
In reference to the title, I Am Sam, by the end of the film, through both
character interactions and production elements, Sam is identified by himself
and not by his medical problems. Through the social model, he is portrayed as
an asset to society and a positive, loving influence for Lucy. By using the
social model to resolve the conflict of Sam’s right to guardianship over his
daughter, the film portrays the social model as the preferred method of
viewing people with disabilities (Dowdy, 2002: 29).
This study is clearly not the first study that sees a literature from
psychological point of view and also not the first that analyze the psychological
problem in a work of literature. An undergraduate thesis written by Theodora Filli
Astrida, entitled The Contribution of Conflict Revealing Nina Sayers’ Personality
Disorder Seen in Mark Heyman’s Black Swan also analyzes conflict and
psychological problem. In order to do her study, at first she analyzes the
characterization of the major character. Second, identify the conflict, and then explain
how conflict revealing the main character’s psychological problem which is called
schizophrenia (Astrida, 2011: 6).
Another study that analyze a literary work from the psychological point of
view is done by Ade Daniel Patty in his undergraduate thesis, Schizophrenia
Paranoid Type as Seen in the Main Character in Andrea Heinz, Mark Heyman, and
John McLaughlin’s Black Swan. Patty analyzes the appearance of a mental disorder
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named schizophrenia. He analyzes how the main character characterized, identified
the symptoms of schizophrenia paranoid type, and factors that cause the main
character’s schizophrenia paranoid type in Black Swan (Patty, 2012: 4).
Unlike those three previous studies, this study focuses on the influence of the
major character’s mental retardation toward the conflict. Even though the study that is
done by Dowdy uses the same movie script, her focus of study is on the comparison
of medical model portrayal and social model portrayal of Sam Dawson. The research
by Astrida is also different from this study. Astrida’s and the writer’s patterns of
analysis is different. There is no analysis on character or characterization in this
research. The writer only focuses on the symptom of mental retardation that describes
in the script and the intrinsic element in this case conflict. Patty’s research that uses
the movie script Black Swan is also different from this research in the pattern of
analysis. The study that is done by Patty analyzes the characterization of the main
character and also analyzes the cause of mental problem that the main character has.
In the other hand, the study that the writer does focuses on the conflicts, symptoms,
and the influence of mental retardation toward the conflicts. Moreover, the mental
disorder that becomes the object of analysis in Astrida’s and Patty’s studies is
different from the mental disorder that the writer analyzes in this research. The
mental disorder that is analyzed by them is schizophrenia. On the contrary, the writer
analyzes the mental retardation.
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B.
9
Review Of Related Theories
There are some theories that are used in this study in order to answer the
question in the previous chapter. They are theory of conflicts, retardation symptoms,
and the last one is the theory of intelligence.
1.
Theory of Conflicts
According to Ferster in Through Literature: a Thematic Anthology and Guide
to Academic Writing, conflict may include clashes or tension between people or
groups who want exclusive possession of the same thing or who have contrasting
goal and value. The problems may appear as the need for someone to overcome
obstacles to achieve the goal (Ferster, 2005:74). Therefore, it means the conflict that
occurs in a story is caused by rivalry of possessing the same thing or contrasting goal
and value. In A Handbook to Literature: Ninth Edition, William Harmon explains that
there are four types of conflict (Harmon, 2003: 114), they are:
a.
A struggle against nature. This kind of conflict happens when a character must
face some natural obstacles or conditions. For example: extreme weather,
natural disaster, dangerous sea wave, or animals may all consider as a struggle
against nature.
b.
A struggle against another person. It is a struggle between two people that
want the same thing or who have different goal and value.
c.
A struggle against society. It is a struggle that occurs when a character is in a
conflict with a particular social force.
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A struggle for mastery by two elements within the person. This type of
struggle is called internal conflict. It is a conflict between aspects in a
character’s inner self that struggle for dominance. These aspects can be
emotional, intellectual or moral.
Conflict in a person’s inner self appears when that person experience
incompatible demands or desires. A social psychologist, Kurt Lewin, suggested that
conflict can be described by two opposing tendencies: approach and avoidance
(Pettijohn, 1987: 257). From those two tendencies, conflict is divided into three types,
they are:
a.
Approach-Approach Conflict. There are two equally desirable goals that are
incompatible in this type of conflict. In facing this conflict people often have
difficulty in making decision, because choosing one goal means giving up the
other one. For example, someone cannot see two movies at the same time, he
or she can only choose one. Whatever the person chooses, she or he will have
doubts about it. This condition leads to stress that would not have existed if
that person do not has to choose one over another.
b.
Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict. There are two equally undesirable demands in
this conflict. No matter which one is chosen, it will not give people happiness.
The objective of this situation is to choose the alternative which is less likely
to be stressful. If there is a way to escape this conflict, people have tendency
for choosing to escape.
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Approach-Avoidance Conflict. In this type of conflict, there is only a goal and
this goal has both negative and also positive side. People who experience this
conflict may remain undecided and let the opportunity slip away. Lewin says
“we may try an alternative solution before we make the move, being aware
that the consequences are not all positive (Pettijohn, 1987: 258).” It means,
almost anything we do will result in some stress.
Lewin’s theory of conflict is conflict that occurs within individual, meaning to
say it is an internal conflict (online.sfsu.edu/psych200/unit10/101.htm). In this study,
the writer uses Ferster, Harmon and Lewin’s theory of conflict all together to analyze
the conflict that occurs in Sam, the main character’s life.
2.
Relation between Literature and Psychology
This study is going to analyze the influence a movie script entitled I Am Sam
as the work of literature, which is seen from the psychological point of view. Work of
literature can be seen from mimetic orientation, which says the explanation of art as
essentially an imitation of aspects of the universe (Abrams, 1993: 8). This statement
means that a literary work can be seen as an imitation or representation of human life.
It is well known that psychology is the study of human behavior, and literature as an
imitation of human life is made based on observation of human behavior.
Literature talks about many things; economics, poverty, colonialism, politics,
illness, abnormality, and many others. It is possible that literature can be related to
everything in human life, including psychology. In Abnormal Psychology and
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Modern Life 5th Edition, Coleman makes a statement that supported Abrams’ theory.
He said, “The relation of literature and psychology happened long before abnormal
psychology became an area of scientific study, based on their observation of human
behavior” (Coleman, 1976: 8). Based on the quotation above, it can be said that
literature and psychology is related for a very long time. Both literature and
psychology observe human behaviors. They have a really deep connection, since
psychological situation such as feelings can be found easily in literary works from
every era. Moreover, literary works do not only talk about feelings toward events, it
also talks about abnormal psychology, like in the movie script I Am Sam.
3.
Mental Retardation Symptoms
The diagnostic criterion for mental retardation is significantly subaverage
functioning: an IQ of approximately 70 or below on an individually administrated IQ
test (Wilson, 1996: 487). It means people with mental retardation have IQ about 70 or
below. In Davidson’s book that also talks about the nature of mental retardation, it is
stated that a retarded person is generally limited at least to some extent in six skills
needed for daily living-communication, social skills, academic skills, sensorimotor
skills, self-help skills, and vocational skills (Davidson, 2004: 404). Mentally retarded
people are limited in some of adaptive skills that have been stated above. In his book,
Davidson also gives more explanation about those adaptive skills:
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Communication
People with mild handicaps may require only minimal support to achieve
effective communication. On the other hand, people who more disabled need
intensive language training and some who considered too disabled use
language communicate by sign language in order to express effectively their
basic needs and feeling.
b.
Social skills
It is common for people with mental retardation to have difficulties making
and keeping friends. The more seriously retarded people show little awareness
of social conventions.
c.
Academic skills
Mentally retarded people are limited in academic skills. Academic skills refer
to reading, writing, and mathematics.
d.
Sensorimotor skills
Many people that appear to be mentally retarded also have physical disability,
such as cerebral palsy and hearing loss. People with cerebral palsy are those
who have difficulties in walking and speaking, problem with using hands in a
smooth, coordinate fashion and uncontrollable facial grimaces.
e.
Self-help skills
Self-help skills are the routine activities of daily living, such as bathing,
dressing, eating, and using a telephone.
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Vocational skills
Vocational skills means skills that are needed to support people in the world
of work. People with mental retardation can learn some work skills, the simple
ones. They are usually skills for simple jobs, structured and supervised, in
sheltered workshops or family businesses.
There are four degrees of severity of mental retardation. The first is mild
mental retardation, characterized by IQ of between 50-55 and 70. Second is moderate
mental retardation, characterized by IQ level 35-40 to 50-55. The third is severe
mental retardation, which required IQ of between 20-25 to 35-40, and the last is
profound mental retardation, which IQ level below 20 or 25. Related to this study, the
writer will provide more about the second degree; moderate mental retardation.
Wilson explains that moderate mental retardation people are those who are
often able to benefit from vocational training and, with supervision, can learn to care
for themselves. They are able to acquire minimal academic skills, although they
generally do not progress beyond the second grade level (Wilson, 1996: 488). Which
means no matter how old a moderate mentally retarded man for example, he has the
intelligence of an around six or seven year old boy. Wilson also adds that during
adolescence, people with moderate mental retardation may having successful
relationships with peers. As adults, these individuals can work at unskilled or
semiskilled jobs in sheltered settings in the community (Wilson, 1996: 488).
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There are significant numbers of mentally retarded people who have autistic
tendency. In his book Abnormal Psychology, Integrating Perspectives, Wilson says
that three out of people who are diagnosed as mentally retarded with moderate range
are autistic (Wilson, 1996: 510). Mentally retarded people with autistic tendency are
they who have intellectual function which is significantly below average and also
show some symptoms of autistic disorder such as, autistic aloneness, limited in
language or have a great obsessive desire that everything about them remain exactly
the same all the time (Davidson, 2004: 420). There are three symptoms of autistic
disorder that differentiate it from mental retardation and also schizophrenia. They are:
a.
Extreme Autistic Aloneness
Autistic people have poor social development. They do not withdraw from
society. Indeed, they never joined it to begin with. People with autism are
completely self-absorbed, never noticing the comings, goings and doings of
other people (Davidson, 2004: 422).
b.
Communication Problems
Half of autistic people remind mute or speechless for entire their life. The
other half that speaks may parrot the speech of others. This behavior is termed
echolalia (Wilson, 1996: 510). For example, if a teacher asks an autistic boy,
“What is your name?” The boy will not respond by giving an answer.” The
respond will be “What is your name?”
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Compulsive and Ritualistic Acts
Autistic people do not like changes. They become very upset over changes in
daily routine and their surroundings (Davidson, 2004: 424). People with
autistic disorder have an “obsessional” quality. A rearrangement of furniture
can make them cry or mad. They cannot take variation, white must go with
white, and they cannot stand to see white and pink at a same container. They
also live in preservation of sameness, they will not eat at a new restaurant
because they want to taste new menu. They will always eat the restaurant they
have been eating throughout they life. It can be seen that they do not see
eating as an activity to fulfill their body needs. They eat in compulsive and
ritualistic manner rather than for it intended purpose (Davidson, 2004: 424).
People with mental retardation and autistic tendency may show all the
symptoms of autistic disorder, or show just one or two of them.
4.
Theory of Intelligence
Intelligence is a difficult term to define properly. Yet, people understand what
is meant by intelligent behavior. To be able to understand the term, the writer tries to
see how intelligence is measured and find the proper meaning of intelligence related
to the study. One’s intelligence can be measured by an intelligence test, which often
produces an IQ or intelligence quotient. Most intelligence tests stress verbal skills,
quantitative skills and problem solving skills. In his book Psychology: a Concise
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Introduction, Pettijohn states that intelligence is simply the performance of an
individual on a test design to measure the abilities necessary for success in society
(Pettijohn, 1987: 128).
According to Pettijohn, intelligence is related to verbal skills, quantitative
skills, practical problem-solving ability, and social competence (Pettijohn 1987: 127).
Pettijohn also states that intelligence influence other behavior processes, such as
learning, memory, language and perception. In his study, Guilford states that
intelligence influence information a person is thinking about, actions of a person and
result of thinking about the information (Pettijohn, 1987: 128). Therefore, it can be
concluded that one’s intelligence influence his reaction toward all kinds of event that
happens in his life.
The discussion of mental retardation cannot be separated from intelligence.
Mental retardation is extreme lower of intelligence. Mentally retarded people are they
who have IQ below 70 based on a particular intelligence test. An adult with extreme
lower of intelligence or mental retardation are lack of verbal skills, quantitative skills,
problem-solving ability, and also social competence (Pettijohn, 1987: 127). As a
person’s intelligence has influence toward all kinds of event that he faces, a person’s
extreme lower of intelligence or mental retardation also has influence toward all
kinds of event that happens in his life.
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Theoretical Framework
This study discusses the influence of the main character, Sam Dawson’s
mental retardation toward conflicts that happened in the story. In this research, writer
uses theory of conflict, mental retardation symptoms, and also the theory of
intelligence. The theories are chosen based on their relevancy to the topic in order to
do the analysis. The writer is going to use those theories to answer the questions in
the problem formulation, first chapter.
Firstly, the theory of conflicts, there are three theories in this part. They are
theory of conflict by Madden, Kenne, and Ferster. The writer uses these theories to be
able to see the conflicts that happen to the major character and also to identify the
type of conflict that the major character faces.
The second is the relation between literature and psychology. Since this study
sees a literary work from the psychological point of view, it is important to point out
the relationship between these two fields.
The next is mental retardation symptoms. This theory is used to answer the
second question in the problem formulation since it is about major character’s mental
retardation symptoms that describe in the script. Mental retardation symptoms are
used by the writer to see how many symptoms that the major character shows as a
mentally retarded man. This theory also helps the researcher to categorize the major
character’s degrees of severity of mental retardation. Yet, the most important of all,
the mental retardation symptoms help the writer in explaining Sam’s limitations as a
person who is mentally retarded. In this study, it is very important to understand what
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mental retardation is and how mental retardation limits Sam as a person and as a
father. This theory is much needed as a foundation to explain the last question of
problem formulation. Besides mental retardation symptoms, the writer also uses
autistic disorder symptoms. They are used because the major character does not only
have mental retardation. He also has autistic tendencies according to the movie script.
The third is the theory of intelligence. This last theory is related to the last
question in the problem formulation. Theory of intelligence is going to be used by
writer in analyzing the influence of Sam’s mental retardation toward all the conflicts
that he faces in the movie script.
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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A.
Object of the Study
The object of study in this research is a movie script written by Kristine
Johnson and Jessie Nelson, I Am Sam. The script was filmed in 2001 by New Line
Cinema and directed by one of the scriptwriter, Jessie Nelson. There are some
differences between the film and the movie script. The writer finds four scenes that
exist in the script but they do not appear in the film. However, since the object of
study in this research is the movie script I Am Sam, writer only focuses on the movie
script. Besides those four scene that is not included in the film there is no other
difference that can be found.
The movie script tells a story about a mentally retarded father named Sam
Dawson and his daughter Lucy. Lucy Diamond Dawson is Sam’s daughter with a
homeless woman, Rebecca. Right after Lucy’s birth Rebecca leaves both Sam and
Lucy without a word. Sam eventually needs to raise Lucy by himself. Years has
passed, Lucy has grown and becomes a smart girl. There is no sign that shows she
will be like her father. Everything changes at Lucy’s seventh birthday. The
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ABSTRACT
Creseilla Leonita Rahajaan. The Influence of Sam’s Mental Retardation
towards the Conflicts in Kristine Johnson’s I Am Sam. Yogyakarta: Department of
English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2014.
Every story has conflict. Conflict holds an important role in every story
because it creates a plot. This study analyzes the movie script I Am Sam from the
psychological point of view. The analysis is specified to the influence of Sam’s
mental retardation toward the conflicts. There are many things that can influence
conflicts. This research provides the explanation; how Sam’s mental retardation
influences his conflicts.
This undergraduate thesis consists of three objectives. The first is to identify
the conflicts that are faced by Sam. The second is to analyze Sam’s mental retardation
symptoms and the third is to analyze the influence Sam’s mental retardation toward
the conflicts.
The method that is used to realize this study is library research, since the data
for this study is taken from books and articles. There are some theories that are
applied in this research. They are theory of conflict, mental retardation symptoms,
and theory of intelligence. In this study, these theories are used to answer the
questions in the problem formulation. The focus of this research is to analyze the
influence the major character’s mental retardation which is a psychological disability
toward the conflicts that he faces. Therefore, the most suitable approach to be applied
in this study is psychological approach.
In the analysis, the conflict is identified by using the theory of conflict by
Ferster, Harmon and Lewin. There are three types of conflicts that can be found in the
story; the conflict between persons, the conflict between a person and society, and the
last is the internal conflict within a person which is called approach-avoidance
conflict. To analyze how Sam’s mental retardation is described in the movie script,
mental retardation and also autistic disorder symptoms by Davidson and Wilson are
applied in the second part of analysis. The result of the analysis shows that Sam is
described by the script writer as man who is impaired in some adaptive skills, parrots
others’ speech, and also shows compulsive and ritualistic act. This finding confirms
the statement in the movie script that Sam is a mentally retarded man with autistic
tendencies. The last part in the chapter IV contains the analysis of the influence of
Sam’s mental retardation toward the conflicts. According to the analysis, Sam’s
mental retardation does not only influence his reaction toward conflicts, it also
influences people’s opinion of him, his opinion toward himself, and it often becomes
the reason or the trigger of the conflicts that Sam faces.
x
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ABSTRAK
Creseilla Leonita Rahajaan. The Influence of Sam’s Mental Retardation
towards the Conflicts in Kristine Johnson’s I Am Sam. Yogyakarta: Department of
English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2014.
Setiap cerita memiliki konflik. Konflik memegang peranan penting dalam
setiap kisah, sebab konflik menciptakan alur serita. Karya ini menganalisis skrip film
berjudul I Am Sam dengan menggunakan sudut pandang psikologi. Analisa dalam
studi ini secara spesifik membahas tentang pengaruh dari retardasi mental yang
dimiliki Sam terhadap konflik yang ia hadapi.
Skripsi ini terdiri dari tiga tujuan. Tujuan pertamanya adalah untuk
mengidentifikasi konflik-konflik yang dihadapi oleh Sam. Tujuan berikutnya adalah
untuk menganalisa gejala-gejala retardasi mental Sam dan yang ke tiga adalah untuk
menjelaskan pengaruh retardasi mental Sam terhadap konflik-konflik yang ia hadapi.
Metode yang digunakan untuk mewujudkan penelitian ini adalah studi
pustaka, hal ini dikarenakan data yang diambil untuk melakukan penelitian ini berasal
dari buku-buku dan juga artikel-artikel. Ada beberapa teori yang diaplikasikan dalam
studi ini. Teori-teori tersebut adalah teori konflik, gejala-gejala retardasi mental dan
teori inteligensi. Dalam penelitian ini, teori-teori tersebut digunakan untuk menjawab
pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang terdapat dalam rumusan masalah. Fokus dari studi ini
adalah untuk menganalisa pengaruh dari mental retardasi Sam terhadap konflikkonflik yang ia hadapi. Oleh karena itu, pendekatan yang sangat tepat untuk
digunakan untuk studi ini adalah pendekatan psikologi.
Pada bagian analisis, konflik diidentifikasi dengan menggunakan teori konflik
yang diungkapkan oleh Ferster, Harmon dan Lewin. Terdapat tiga jenis konflik yang
dapat ditemukan cerita tersebut, yaitu konflik antara dua karakter, konflik antara
seorang karakter dan sebuah komunitas, dan konflik batin yang terjadi dalam diri
seorang karakter. Untuk menganalisa penggambaran mental retardasi Sam, penjelasan
mengenai gejala-gejala mental retardasi dan autisme yang diungkapkan oleh
Davidson dan Wilson diaplikasikan dalam analisis bagian kedua. Hasil analisa
menunjukan bahwa Sam digambarkan sebagai seorang pria yang memiliki
keterbatasan dalam beberapa kemampuan beradaptasi, membeo perkataan orang lain,
dan memiliki rutinitas yang bersifat wajib serta diulang terus menerus. Penemuan ini
membenarkan pernyataan bahwa Sam menderita keterbelakangan mental dan
kecenderungan autisme. Bagian terakhir bab IV menganalisa pengaruh dari mental
retardasi Sam terhadap konflik-konflik. Analisis pada bagian ini menunjukan bahwa
mental retardasi yang ia alami tidak hanya mempengaruhi reaksinya terhadap konflik.
Mental retardasinya juga mempengaruhi pandangan orang lain terhadap Sam,
mempengaruhi pandangannya terhadap dirinya sendiri, dan juga sering menjadi
alasan maupun pemicu dari konflik-konflik yang terjadi dalam kehidupan Sam.
xi
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THE INFLUENCE OF SAM’S MENTAL RETARDATION
TOWARDS THE CONFLICTS
IN KRISTINE JOHNSON’S I AM SAM
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
CRESEILLA LEONITA RAHAJAAN
Student Number: 094214071
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2014
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THE INFLUENCE OF SAM’S MENTAL RETARDATION
TOWARDS THE CONFLICTS
IN KRISTINE JOHNSON’S I AM SAM
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
CRESEILLA LEONITA RAHAJAAN
Student Number: 094214071
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2014
i
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STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY
I certify that this undergraduate thesis contains no material which has been previously
submitted for the award of any other degree at any university, and that, to the best of
my knowledge, this undergraduate thesis contains no material previously written by
any other person except where due reference is made in the text of the undergraduate
thesis.
Yogyakarta, October 31, 2014
Creseilla Leonita Rahajaan
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LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH
UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, Saya mahasiswa Sanata Dharma
Nama
Nomor Mahasiswa
: Creseilla Leonita Rahajaan
: 094214071
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan
Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya berjudul
THE INFLUENCE OF SAM’S MENTAL RETARDATION
TOWARDS THE CONFLICTS
IN KRISTINE JOHNSON’S I AM SAM
beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan
kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan
dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk perangkat data,
mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain
untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin kepada saya maupun
memberikan royalty kepada saya selana tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai
penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal 14 Oktober 2014
Yang menyatakan,
Creseilla Leonita Rahajaan
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For
My Beloved Mom, Dad, Sister
And Grandparents
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ACKNOWLAGDEMENTS
My greatest gratitude goes to my parents, who raise me, work hard for giving
me life, pray for me every day, give me advices, and be patient to all my mistakes. I
also thank to the Creator for giving me such a loving family.
I would also like to express my gratitude to all lecturers and staff of English
Letters Department for their support as long as I study in Sanata Dharma University.
My special thank goes to my advisor, Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum. and my coadvisor, Dra. A.B. Sri Mulyani, M.A., Ph.D. for their guidance that helps me so much
in finishing this thesis.
Yogyakarta has been an amazing place for me in these past few years. It
happens because I meet many kind and talented people. Therefore, in this part, I
thank to all my classmates, my friends; Yoga, Yeyen, Emi and Ivan, my friends in
karate dojo, INKAI Sanata Dharma/ Atma Jaya Yogyakarta and also all my boys in
SkyWalkers Tricking (Extreme Martial Art) Jogja. I also give my gratitude to
Frederick Winatan for his kindness and support.
The last but not least, I want to thank all people that I know and my friends
wherever they are, whose names cannot be mentioned one by one. I thank them for
their support for me in any form.
CRESEILLA LEONITA RAHAJAAN
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE…………………………………………………………………...
i
APPROVAL PAGE………………………………………………………….....
ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE…………………………………………….…………..
iii
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY………………………………….……......
iv
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH..
v
DEDICATION PAGE………………………………………………………….
vi
ACKNOWLEGDEMENTS……………………………………………………
vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………..…….…….
viii
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………..………...
x
ABSTRAK……………………………………………………………..……….
xi
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION…………………………………..…………
1
A.
B.
C.
D.
Background of the Study……………………………………...……..
Problem Formulation…………………………………..………….…
Objectives of the Study………………………………………………
Definition of Term………………………………………..…….……
1
4
4
4
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW………………..…………………
6
A. Review of Related Studies………………………………..…..………
B. Review of Related Theories………………………………….………
a. Theory of Conflict………………………………..……………...
b. Relation between Literature and Psychology.... ………………...
c. Mental Retardation Symptoms………………………..…………
d. Theory of Intelligence……………………………………………
C. Theoretical Framework……………………………...……………….
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY………………………………..…………
6
9
9
11
12
16
18
20
A. Object of the Study………………………………………..…………
B. Approach of the Study…………………………………….…………
C. Method of the Study……………………………………….…………
20
21
22
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS……………………………………………………
23
A. Conflicts in I Am Sam……………………..……………….…………….
1. Conflicts between Sam and other Persons……………………….
24
25
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a. Conflict between Sam and Conner………………...…………
b. Conflicts between Sam and Lucy………………….…………
c. Conflicts between Sam and Rita…………………..……...….
2. Conflict between Sam and Society……………….........…………
3. Conflict between Sam and Himself………………………………
25
27
30
35
49
B. Mental Retardation Symptoms……………………….………………
1. Communication………………………………...…………………
2. Social Skills……………………………………..………………..
3. Academic Skills…………………………………………………..
4. Sensorimotor Skills………………………………………………
5. Self-Help Skills…………………………………………………...
6. Vocational Skills……………………………….…………………
42
45
46
48
51
51
52
C. The Influence of Sam’s Mental Retardation Toward the Conflicts…..
1. Conflict between Sam and Conner………………...……………..
2. Conflicts between Sam and Lucy………………….……………..
3. Conflicts between Sam and Rita…………………..……...………
4. Conflict between Sam and Society……………….........…………
5. Conflict between Sam and Himself………………………………
62
62
65
69
73
79
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION………….………………………….………….. 83
BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………….…………..………….. 87
APPENDIX……………………………………………….…….……………..… 89
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ABSTRACT
Creseilla Leonita Rahajaan. The Influence of Sam’s Mental Retardation
toward the Conflicts in Kristine Johnson’s I Am Sam. Yogyakarta: Department of
English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2014.
Every story has conflict. Conflict holds an important role in every story
because it creates a plot. This study analyzes the movie script I Am Sam from the
psychological point of view. The analysis is specified to the influence of Sam’s
mental retardation toward the conflicts. There are many things that can influence
conflicts. This research provides the explanation; how Sam’s mental retardation
influences his conflicts.
This undergraduate thesis consists of three objectives. The first is to identify
the conflicts that are faced by Sam. The second is to analyze Sam’s mental retardation
symptoms and the third is to analyze the influence Sam’s mental retardation toward
the conflicts.
The method that is used to realize this study is library research, since the data
for this study is taken from books and articles. There are some theories that are
applied in this research. They are theory of conflict, mental retardation symptoms,
and theory of intelligence. In this study, these theories are used to answer the
questions in the problem formulation. The focus of this research is to analyze the
influence the major character’s mental retardation which is a psychological disability
toward the conflicts that he faces. Therefore, the most suitable approach to be applied
in this study is psychological approach.
In the analysis, the conflict is identified by using the theory of conflict by
Ferster, Harmon and Lewin. There are three types of conflicts that can be found in the
story; the conflict between persons, the conflict between a person and society, and the
last is the internal conflict within a person which is called approach-avoidance
conflict. To analyze how Sam’s mental retardation is described in the movie script,
mental retardation and also autistic disorder symptoms by Davidson and Wilson are
applied in the second part of analysis. The result of the analysis shows that Sam is
described by the script writer as man who is impaired in some adaptive skills, parrots
others’ speech, and also shows compulsive and ritualistic act. This finding confirms
the statement in the movie script that Sam is a mentally retarded man with autistic
tendencies. The last part in the chapter IV contains the analysis of the influence of
Sam’s mental retardation toward the conflicts. According to the analysis, Sam’s
mental retardation does not only influence his reaction toward conflicts, it also
influences people’s opinion of him, his opinion toward himself, and it often becomes
the reason or the trigger of the conflicts that Sam faces.
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ABSTRAK
Creseilla Leonita Rahajaan. The Influence of Sam’s Mental Retardation
toward the Conflicts in Kristine Johnson’s I Am Sam. Yogyakarta: Department of
English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2014.
Setiap cerita memiliki konflik. Konflik memegang peranan penting dalam
setiap kisah, sebab konflik menciptakan alur serita. Karya ini menganalisis skrip film
berjudul I Am Sam dengan menggunakan sudut pandang psikologi. Analisa dalam
studi ini secara spesifik membahas tentang pengaruh dari retardasi mental yang
dimiliki Sam terhadap konflik yang ia hadapi.
Skripsi ini terdiri dari tiga tujuan. Tujuan pertamanya adalah untuk
mengidentifikasi konflik-konflik yang dihadapi oleh Sam. Tujuan berikutnya adalah
untuk menganalisa gejala-gejala retardasi mental Sam dan yang ke tiga adalah untuk
menjelaskan pengaruh retardasi mental Sam terhadap konflik-konflik yang ia hadapi.
Metode yang digunakan untuk mewujudkan penelitian ini adalah studi
pustaka, hal ini dikarenakan data yang diambil untuk melakukan penelitian ini berasal
dari buku-buku dan juga artikel-artikel. Ada beberapa teori yang diaplikasikan dalam
studi ini. Teori-teori tersebut adalah teori konflik, gejala-gejala retardasi mental dan
teori inteligensi. Dalam penelitian ini, teori-teori tersebut digunakan untuk menjawab
pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang terdapat dalam rumusan masalah. Fokus dari studi ini
adalah untuk menganalisa pengaruh dari mental retardasi Sam terhadap konflikkonflik yang ia hadapi. Oleh karena itu, pendekatan yang sangat tepat untuk
digunakan untuk studi ini adalah pendekatan psikologi.
Pada bagian analisis, konflik diidentifikasi dengan menggunakan teori konflik
yang diungkapkan oleh Ferster, Harmon dan Lewin. Terdapat tiga jenis konflik yang
dapat ditemukan cerita tersebut, yaitu konflik antara dua karakter, konflik antara
seorang karakter dan sebuah komunitas, dan konflik batin yang terjadi dalam diri
seorang karakter. Untuk menganalisa penggambaran mental retardasi Sam, penjelasan
mengenai gejala-gejala mental retardasi dan autisme yang diungkapkan oleh
Davidson dan Wilson diaplikasikan dalam analisis bagian kedua. Hasil analisa
menunjukan bahwa Sam digambarkan sebagai seorang pria yang memiliki
keterbatasan dalam beberapa kemampuan beradaptasi, membeo perkataan orang lain,
dan memiliki rutinitas yang bersifat wajib serta diulang terus menerus. Penemuan ini
membenarkan pernyataan bahwa Sam menderita keterbelakangan mental dan
kecenderungan autisme. Bagian terakhir bab IV menganalisa pengaruh dari mental
retardasi Sam terhadap konflik-konflik. Analisis pada bagian ini menunjukan bahwa
mental retardasi yang ia alami tidak hanya mempengaruhi reaksinya terhadap konflik.
Mental retardasinya juga mempengaruhi pandangan orang lain terhadap Sam,
mempengaruhi pandangannya terhadap dirinya sendiri, dan juga sering menjadi
alasan maupun pemicu dari konflik-konflik yang terjadi dalam kehidupan Sam.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A.
Background of the Study
Reading literature does not only give people aesthetic pleasure, it can also
help people explore things they do not experience in their own life. Whatever we
read, whether it is fiction or non-fiction we are led by the story to explore various
experiences of human life. Literature has some genre. They are poetry, prose, and
play. Play or drama that is considered as literature is play in the written form. As
the other literature, play is also a door for everybody to explore many experinces
of human life.
Along with the development of the technology, play or drama is not only
performed on stage. Camera makes it possible to film a perfomance. As a result
we can find product like a movie or film. The script that is used in the making
process of movie then known as movie script. In the book Understanding Plays,
Barranger emphasizes that the word “text” or “script” to describe the written form
which is performable (Barranger, 1990: 4). Movie script is a script that is used in a
movie making not to be performed on a stage. Therefore, it can be said that movie
script and a play script are different in the way they are performed. Yet, it does
not make one is less than another. Movie script is also a literary art. A (movie)
script can be regarded as a literature in the way it fulfills the imaginative, aesthetic
quality and creative aspect, which is highly structured by its plot, character, tone,
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symbols, conflict, and other elements, which involves emotions, actions, and ideas
in the form of a story (Bressler, 1999: 10).
In this study, a literary work is seen from the psychological point of view.
Coleman in Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life states “The relation of
literature and psychology happened long before abnormal psychology became an
area of scientific study, based on their observation of human behaviour (Coleman,
1976: 8). Mental problem that is discussed in this research is mental retardation.
Because of that, the writer often uses the term mental retardation. It is a term of
the psychology field which is used to describe a condition characterized by
subaverage intelligence begining before the age of 18, accompanied by
impairments in adaptive functioning (Wilson, 1996: 486). The influence of the
main character’s mental retardation toward conflict will be the writer’s object of
analysis in this research.
To realize this study, the writer uses a movie script written by Kristine
Johnson entitled I Am Sam as the study object. I Am Sam is a 2001-Americandrama film written and directed by Jessie Nelson. A review written by A. O. Scott
in The New York Times states that anyone who has tried to raise a young child
will be helpless before ''I Am Sam,'' a shamelessly uplifting melodrama about a
mentally challenged man fighting for custody of his young daughter
(www.nytimes.com/movie/review). The script introduces the conflict between
family (Sam and his daughter, Lucy) and the Department of Social Services. The
Department Social Services try to take Lucy away because they believe Lucy will
not be able to develop intelectually, if she lives with Sam. It is said before that
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Sam is “a mentally challenged man,” meaning to say he has psychological
problem called mental retardation.
People with mental retardation have their own stereotype that is created by
normal people. We can find numerous result of mental retardation stereotype in
the internet. The stereotype can be right, can be wrong. The burden of disability is
unending; life with a disabled person is a life of constant sorrow, and the ablebodied stand under a continual obligation to help them. People with disabilities
and their families--the "noble sacrificers"--are the most perfect objects of charity;
their function is to inspire benevolence in others, to awaken feelings of kindness
and generosity (www.disabilitymuseum.org/dhm/edu/essay.html?id=24). That is
one of the stereotypes that can be found in the internet. The statement that say
disability is unending burden is contrary to the characterization of Sam as a
mentally retarded man. It does not mean that script writer is wrong in picturing a
retarded man as the major character in I Am Sam. The truth is, that stereotype is a
narrow generalization. In fact, there are some types of mental retardation that we
need to put attention on.
It is said before that the writter wants to analyze the influence of the major
character’s mental retardation or intellectual disability toward the conflicts that
happen in the script. To be able to do that the writer needs to show readers the
conflicts that occur in the story, the classification of mental ratardation, and the
type of Sam’s mental retardation based on its symptoms that are described in the
script. Therefore, Sam’s description as mentally ratarded man who can order food,
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earning money by himself and raise his good little daughter can be eccepted in the
readers’ sense.
B.
Problem Formulation
Based on the focus of the study, the problems are formulated as follows:
1.
What are the conflicts that experienced by the major character?
2.
How are the symptoms of mental retardation described in the script?
3.
How does Sam’s mental retardation influence the conflicts in Kristine
Johnson’s I am Sam?
C.
Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this research are based on the problem formulation that
has been stated above. Firstly, the writer wants to identify the the conflicts that
happend in the story, I Am Sam. Second is to analyze the symptoms of mental
retardation described in the script and the third is to analyze the influence of
Sam’s mental retardation toward the conflicts.
D.
Definition of Terms
In order to provide the right understading, the writer gives readers the
terms that related to the study. The terms that need to be explained are mental
retardation. Since in this study the writer uses this term a lot, the readers need to
have right understanding about the term.
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According to APA Dictionary of Psychology, mental retardation is a
disorder that is characterized by intellectual function that is significantly below
average: specifically that of an individual with a measured IQ of 70 or below,
whose adaptive behaviour is impaired, and in whom the condition is manifested
during the developmental period, defined variously as below the age of 18 or 22
(VandenBos, 2002: 569).
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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A.
Review of Related Study
I Am Sam is a movie script written by Kristine Johnson and Jessie Nelson.
Jessie Nelson is not only involved in the script writing, he is also the director of the
movie. The script that tells about a mentally retarded father who fights for the custody
of his seven year old daughter was filmed in 2001 by New Line Cinema. Right at her
seventh birthday, Lucy is taken by the Department of Social Services because they
believe that Sam who has mental retardation will not be able to raise Lucy properly.
After that, Lucy is removed from Sam's home and placed in court protection while
the custody issue is resolved. In order to win the court trial and gets Lucy back, Sam
tries to hire a lawyer Rita Harrison but it turns out Rita takes Sam’s case as a pro
bono case. In the story, Sam’s mental issue is the main reason that makes his ability
as a father is questioned. Sam’s life is no longer simple. He has to face court trial,
involved in conflicts that he never found before and thinking about questions that
even a mentally normal parent might has difficulty in answering them.
It can be said that I Am Sam is not a new movie. It has been 13 years since the
movie was released. Yet, there is only one study that can be found related to the
movie script. The only research that analyzes the movie script of I Am Sam that the
writer found is a research by Megan Dowdy entitled I Am Sam: Portrayal of
Disabilities in Popular Film. She uses the movie script I Am Sam as her object of
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study. She analyzed the medical model portrayal and social model portrayal in I Am
Sam. The conclusion of her study is, the social model becomes a method of
empowerment for Sam. Meaning to say, the social model that is portrayed by Sam
prevails over his medical model.
In reference to the title, I Am Sam, by the end of the film, through both
character interactions and production elements, Sam is identified by himself
and not by his medical problems. Through the social model, he is portrayed as
an asset to society and a positive, loving influence for Lucy. By using the
social model to resolve the conflict of Sam’s right to guardianship over his
daughter, the film portrays the social model as the preferred method of
viewing people with disabilities (Dowdy, 2002: 29).
This study is clearly not the first study that sees a literature from
psychological point of view and also not the first that analyze the psychological
problem in a work of literature. An undergraduate thesis written by Theodora Filli
Astrida, entitled The Contribution of Conflict Revealing Nina Sayers’ Personality
Disorder Seen in Mark Heyman’s Black Swan also analyzes conflict and
psychological problem. In order to do her study, at first she analyzes the
characterization of the major character. Second, identify the conflict, and then explain
how conflict revealing the main character’s psychological problem which is called
schizophrenia (Astrida, 2011: 6).
Another study that analyze a literary work from the psychological point of
view is done by Ade Daniel Patty in his undergraduate thesis, Schizophrenia
Paranoid Type as Seen in the Main Character in Andrea Heinz, Mark Heyman, and
John McLaughlin’s Black Swan. Patty analyzes the appearance of a mental disorder
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named schizophrenia. He analyzes how the main character characterized, identified
the symptoms of schizophrenia paranoid type, and factors that cause the main
character’s schizophrenia paranoid type in Black Swan (Patty, 2012: 4).
Unlike those three previous studies, this study focuses on the influence of the
major character’s mental retardation toward the conflict. Even though the study that is
done by Dowdy uses the same movie script, her focus of study is on the comparison
of medical model portrayal and social model portrayal of Sam Dawson. The research
by Astrida is also different from this study. Astrida’s and the writer’s patterns of
analysis is different. There is no analysis on character or characterization in this
research. The writer only focuses on the symptom of mental retardation that describes
in the script and the intrinsic element in this case conflict. Patty’s research that uses
the movie script Black Swan is also different from this research in the pattern of
analysis. The study that is done by Patty analyzes the characterization of the main
character and also analyzes the cause of mental problem that the main character has.
In the other hand, the study that the writer does focuses on the conflicts, symptoms,
and the influence of mental retardation toward the conflicts. Moreover, the mental
disorder that becomes the object of analysis in Astrida’s and Patty’s studies is
different from the mental disorder that the writer analyzes in this research. The
mental disorder that is analyzed by them is schizophrenia. On the contrary, the writer
analyzes the mental retardation.
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B.
9
Review Of Related Theories
There are some theories that are used in this study in order to answer the
question in the previous chapter. They are theory of conflicts, retardation symptoms,
and the last one is the theory of intelligence.
1.
Theory of Conflicts
According to Ferster in Through Literature: a Thematic Anthology and Guide
to Academic Writing, conflict may include clashes or tension between people or
groups who want exclusive possession of the same thing or who have contrasting
goal and value. The problems may appear as the need for someone to overcome
obstacles to achieve the goal (Ferster, 2005:74). Therefore, it means the conflict that
occurs in a story is caused by rivalry of possessing the same thing or contrasting goal
and value. In A Handbook to Literature: Ninth Edition, William Harmon explains that
there are four types of conflict (Harmon, 2003: 114), they are:
a.
A struggle against nature. This kind of conflict happens when a character must
face some natural obstacles or conditions. For example: extreme weather,
natural disaster, dangerous sea wave, or animals may all consider as a struggle
against nature.
b.
A struggle against another person. It is a struggle between two people that
want the same thing or who have different goal and value.
c.
A struggle against society. It is a struggle that occurs when a character is in a
conflict with a particular social force.
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d.
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A struggle for mastery by two elements within the person. This type of
struggle is called internal conflict. It is a conflict between aspects in a
character’s inner self that struggle for dominance. These aspects can be
emotional, intellectual or moral.
Conflict in a person’s inner self appears when that person experience
incompatible demands or desires. A social psychologist, Kurt Lewin, suggested that
conflict can be described by two opposing tendencies: approach and avoidance
(Pettijohn, 1987: 257). From those two tendencies, conflict is divided into three types,
they are:
a.
Approach-Approach Conflict. There are two equally desirable goals that are
incompatible in this type of conflict. In facing this conflict people often have
difficulty in making decision, because choosing one goal means giving up the
other one. For example, someone cannot see two movies at the same time, he
or she can only choose one. Whatever the person chooses, she or he will have
doubts about it. This condition leads to stress that would not have existed if
that person do not has to choose one over another.
b.
Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict. There are two equally undesirable demands in
this conflict. No matter which one is chosen, it will not give people happiness.
The objective of this situation is to choose the alternative which is less likely
to be stressful. If there is a way to escape this conflict, people have tendency
for choosing to escape.
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Approach-Avoidance Conflict. In this type of conflict, there is only a goal and
this goal has both negative and also positive side. People who experience this
conflict may remain undecided and let the opportunity slip away. Lewin says
“we may try an alternative solution before we make the move, being aware
that the consequences are not all positive (Pettijohn, 1987: 258).” It means,
almost anything we do will result in some stress.
Lewin’s theory of conflict is conflict that occurs within individual, meaning to
say it is an internal conflict (online.sfsu.edu/psych200/unit10/101.htm). In this study,
the writer uses Ferster, Harmon and Lewin’s theory of conflict all together to analyze
the conflict that occurs in Sam, the main character’s life.
2.
Relation between Literature and Psychology
This study is going to analyze the influence a movie script entitled I Am Sam
as the work of literature, which is seen from the psychological point of view. Work of
literature can be seen from mimetic orientation, which says the explanation of art as
essentially an imitation of aspects of the universe (Abrams, 1993: 8). This statement
means that a literary work can be seen as an imitation or representation of human life.
It is well known that psychology is the study of human behavior, and literature as an
imitation of human life is made based on observation of human behavior.
Literature talks about many things; economics, poverty, colonialism, politics,
illness, abnormality, and many others. It is possible that literature can be related to
everything in human life, including psychology. In Abnormal Psychology and
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Modern Life 5th Edition, Coleman makes a statement that supported Abrams’ theory.
He said, “The relation of literature and psychology happened long before abnormal
psychology became an area of scientific study, based on their observation of human
behavior” (Coleman, 1976: 8). Based on the quotation above, it can be said that
literature and psychology is related for a very long time. Both literature and
psychology observe human behaviors. They have a really deep connection, since
psychological situation such as feelings can be found easily in literary works from
every era. Moreover, literary works do not only talk about feelings toward events, it
also talks about abnormal psychology, like in the movie script I Am Sam.
3.
Mental Retardation Symptoms
The diagnostic criterion for mental retardation is significantly subaverage
functioning: an IQ of approximately 70 or below on an individually administrated IQ
test (Wilson, 1996: 487). It means people with mental retardation have IQ about 70 or
below. In Davidson’s book that also talks about the nature of mental retardation, it is
stated that a retarded person is generally limited at least to some extent in six skills
needed for daily living-communication, social skills, academic skills, sensorimotor
skills, self-help skills, and vocational skills (Davidson, 2004: 404). Mentally retarded
people are limited in some of adaptive skills that have been stated above. In his book,
Davidson also gives more explanation about those adaptive skills:
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a.
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Communication
People with mild handicaps may require only minimal support to achieve
effective communication. On the other hand, people who more disabled need
intensive language training and some who considered too disabled use
language communicate by sign language in order to express effectively their
basic needs and feeling.
b.
Social skills
It is common for people with mental retardation to have difficulties making
and keeping friends. The more seriously retarded people show little awareness
of social conventions.
c.
Academic skills
Mentally retarded people are limited in academic skills. Academic skills refer
to reading, writing, and mathematics.
d.
Sensorimotor skills
Many people that appear to be mentally retarded also have physical disability,
such as cerebral palsy and hearing loss. People with cerebral palsy are those
who have difficulties in walking and speaking, problem with using hands in a
smooth, coordinate fashion and uncontrollable facial grimaces.
e.
Self-help skills
Self-help skills are the routine activities of daily living, such as bathing,
dressing, eating, and using a telephone.
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Vocational skills
Vocational skills means skills that are needed to support people in the world
of work. People with mental retardation can learn some work skills, the simple
ones. They are usually skills for simple jobs, structured and supervised, in
sheltered workshops or family businesses.
There are four degrees of severity of mental retardation. The first is mild
mental retardation, characterized by IQ of between 50-55 and 70. Second is moderate
mental retardation, characterized by IQ level 35-40 to 50-55. The third is severe
mental retardation, which required IQ of between 20-25 to 35-40, and the last is
profound mental retardation, which IQ level below 20 or 25. Related to this study, the
writer will provide more about the second degree; moderate mental retardation.
Wilson explains that moderate mental retardation people are those who are
often able to benefit from vocational training and, with supervision, can learn to care
for themselves. They are able to acquire minimal academic skills, although they
generally do not progress beyond the second grade level (Wilson, 1996: 488). Which
means no matter how old a moderate mentally retarded man for example, he has the
intelligence of an around six or seven year old boy. Wilson also adds that during
adolescence, people with moderate mental retardation may having successful
relationships with peers. As adults, these individuals can work at unskilled or
semiskilled jobs in sheltered settings in the community (Wilson, 1996: 488).
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There are significant numbers of mentally retarded people who have autistic
tendency. In his book Abnormal Psychology, Integrating Perspectives, Wilson says
that three out of people who are diagnosed as mentally retarded with moderate range
are autistic (Wilson, 1996: 510). Mentally retarded people with autistic tendency are
they who have intellectual function which is significantly below average and also
show some symptoms of autistic disorder such as, autistic aloneness, limited in
language or have a great obsessive desire that everything about them remain exactly
the same all the time (Davidson, 2004: 420). There are three symptoms of autistic
disorder that differentiate it from mental retardation and also schizophrenia. They are:
a.
Extreme Autistic Aloneness
Autistic people have poor social development. They do not withdraw from
society. Indeed, they never joined it to begin with. People with autism are
completely self-absorbed, never noticing the comings, goings and doings of
other people (Davidson, 2004: 422).
b.
Communication Problems
Half of autistic people remind mute or speechless for entire their life. The
other half that speaks may parrot the speech of others. This behavior is termed
echolalia (Wilson, 1996: 510). For example, if a teacher asks an autistic boy,
“What is your name?” The boy will not respond by giving an answer.” The
respond will be “What is your name?”
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Compulsive and Ritualistic Acts
Autistic people do not like changes. They become very upset over changes in
daily routine and their surroundings (Davidson, 2004: 424). People with
autistic disorder have an “obsessional” quality. A rearrangement of furniture
can make them cry or mad. They cannot take variation, white must go with
white, and they cannot stand to see white and pink at a same container. They
also live in preservation of sameness, they will not eat at a new restaurant
because they want to taste new menu. They will always eat the restaurant they
have been eating throughout they life. It can be seen that they do not see
eating as an activity to fulfill their body needs. They eat in compulsive and
ritualistic manner rather than for it intended purpose (Davidson, 2004: 424).
People with mental retardation and autistic tendency may show all the
symptoms of autistic disorder, or show just one or two of them.
4.
Theory of Intelligence
Intelligence is a difficult term to define properly. Yet, people understand what
is meant by intelligent behavior. To be able to understand the term, the writer tries to
see how intelligence is measured and find the proper meaning of intelligence related
to the study. One’s intelligence can be measured by an intelligence test, which often
produces an IQ or intelligence quotient. Most intelligence tests stress verbal skills,
quantitative skills and problem solving skills. In his book Psychology: a Concise
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Introduction, Pettijohn states that intelligence is simply the performance of an
individual on a test design to measure the abilities necessary for success in society
(Pettijohn, 1987: 128).
According to Pettijohn, intelligence is related to verbal skills, quantitative
skills, practical problem-solving ability, and social competence (Pettijohn 1987: 127).
Pettijohn also states that intelligence influence other behavior processes, such as
learning, memory, language and perception. In his study, Guilford states that
intelligence influence information a person is thinking about, actions of a person and
result of thinking about the information (Pettijohn, 1987: 128). Therefore, it can be
concluded that one’s intelligence influence his reaction toward all kinds of event that
happens in his life.
The discussion of mental retardation cannot be separated from intelligence.
Mental retardation is extreme lower of intelligence. Mentally retarded people are they
who have IQ below 70 based on a particular intelligence test. An adult with extreme
lower of intelligence or mental retardation are lack of verbal skills, quantitative skills,
problem-solving ability, and also social competence (Pettijohn, 1987: 127). As a
person’s intelligence has influence toward all kinds of event that he faces, a person’s
extreme lower of intelligence or mental retardation also has influence toward all
kinds of event that happens in his life.
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C.
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Theoretical Framework
This study discusses the influence of the main character, Sam Dawson’s
mental retardation toward conflicts that happened in the story. In this research, writer
uses theory of conflict, mental retardation symptoms, and also the theory of
intelligence. The theories are chosen based on their relevancy to the topic in order to
do the analysis. The writer is going to use those theories to answer the questions in
the problem formulation, first chapter.
Firstly, the theory of conflicts, there are three theories in this part. They are
theory of conflict by Madden, Kenne, and Ferster. The writer uses these theories to be
able to see the conflicts that happen to the major character and also to identify the
type of conflict that the major character faces.
The second is the relation between literature and psychology. Since this study
sees a literary work from the psychological point of view, it is important to point out
the relationship between these two fields.
The next is mental retardation symptoms. This theory is used to answer the
second question in the problem formulation since it is about major character’s mental
retardation symptoms that describe in the script. Mental retardation symptoms are
used by the writer to see how many symptoms that the major character shows as a
mentally retarded man. This theory also helps the researcher to categorize the major
character’s degrees of severity of mental retardation. Yet, the most important of all,
the mental retardation symptoms help the writer in explaining Sam’s limitations as a
person who is mentally retarded. In this study, it is very important to understand what
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mental retardation is and how mental retardation limits Sam as a person and as a
father. This theory is much needed as a foundation to explain the last question of
problem formulation. Besides mental retardation symptoms, the writer also uses
autistic disorder symptoms. They are used because the major character does not only
have mental retardation. He also has autistic tendencies according to the movie script.
The third is the theory of intelligence. This last theory is related to the last
question in the problem formulation. Theory of intelligence is going to be used by
writer in analyzing the influence of Sam’s mental retardation toward all the conflicts
that he faces in the movie script.
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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A.
Object of the Study
The object of study in this research is a movie script written by Kristine
Johnson and Jessie Nelson, I Am Sam. The script was filmed in 2001 by New Line
Cinema and directed by one of the scriptwriter, Jessie Nelson. There are some
differences between the film and the movie script. The writer finds four scenes that
exist in the script but they do not appear in the film. However, since the object of
study in this research is the movie script I Am Sam, writer only focuses on the movie
script. Besides those four scene that is not included in the film there is no other
difference that can be found.
The movie script tells a story about a mentally retarded father named Sam
Dawson and his daughter Lucy. Lucy Diamond Dawson is Sam’s daughter with a
homeless woman, Rebecca. Right after Lucy’s birth Rebecca leaves both Sam and
Lucy without a word. Sam eventually needs to raise Lucy by himself. Years has
passed, Lucy has grown and becomes a smart girl. There is no sign that shows she
will be like her father. Everything changes at Lucy’s seventh birthday. The
Depa