David`s motivation in getting rid of his down syndrome daughter as seen in Kim Edwards`s The Memory Keeper`s Daughter.

DAVID’S MOTIVATION IN GETTING RID OF

HIS DOWN SYNDROME DAUGHTER AS SEEN IN

KIM EDWADS’S

THE MEMORY KEEPER’S DAUGHTER

A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree

in English Language Education

By

Maria Ayuni Widyastuti 051214053

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION

FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA 2012

DAVID’S MOTIVATION IN GETTING RID OF

HIS DOWN SYNDROME DAUGHTER AS SEEN IN

KIM EDWADS’S

THE MEMORY KEEPER’S DAUGHTER

A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree

in English Language Education

By

Maria Ayuni Widyastuti 051214053

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION

FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA 2012

ABSTRACT

Widyastuti, Maria Ayuni. 2012. David’s Motivation in Getting rid of His Down Syndrome Daughter as Seen in Kim Edwards’s The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.

This thesis analyzes Kim Edwards’s novel The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. This novel tells about an orthopedic surgeon who helps his wife, Norah Henry, in giving birth to a twin, Paul and Phoebe. Unfortunately, Phoebe suffers from Down syndrome. Therefore, David decides to get rid of her with the help of his nurse, Caroline Gill. Instead of leaving Phoebe to the institution, Caroline decides to raise her. David tells his wife that Phoebe is dead right after she was born, but the fact is she is alive.

The aim of this study is to find out David’s motivation in getting rid of his daughter. There are two problems to be answered: (1.) How is David’s character portrayed in the novel? and (2.) What is David’s motivation in getting rid of his Down syndrome daughter?

This thesis is a library study method. There are two kinds of sources used, namely, primary and secondary sources. Kim Edwards’s The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is the primary source. Meanwhile, the secondary sources are taken from some books and articles which are closely related with the issues presented in this study, such as the theory of character and characterization, theory of personality, and theory of motivation. This study uses psychological approach to analyze human personality and motivation.

The result of this study shows that physically, David is a handsome man. Besides, he is a loving and caring man, but he is shamed of his past life. He is also an excellent orthopedic surgeon. There are four main factors that motivate David to get rid of his daughter. His surface motivations are he does not want his wife to feel the same as his mother and raise Phoebe will be difficult due to her condition. Meanwhile, his deeper motivations are he is a selfish person and shames by the fact that he is carried the Down syndrome genetic in his body.

Since this study is imperfect and had many limitations. It is suggested for the future researchers to find out David’s other motivations to make this study perfect. As for English teachers, they are recommended to use this novel in the teaching-learning activity. The writer presents a lesson plan for Paragraph Writing class using The Memory Keeper’s Daughter that can be applied by teachers.

Keywords: Down syndrome, motivation, get rid of, secret, bitter past life, and lie.

ABSTRAK

Widyastuti, Maria Ayuni. 2012. David’s Motivation in Getting rid of His Down Syndrome Daughter as Seen in Kim Edwards’s The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. Jogjakarta: Fakultas Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Departemen Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Tesis ini menganalisis novel berjudul The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

karya Kim Edwards. Novel ini menceritakan tentang seorang dokter bedah tulang yang membantu istrinya, Norah Henry, dalam proses melahirkan bayi kembar bernama Paul dan Phoebe. Sayangnya, Phoebe menderita Down syndrome, David lalu memutuskan untuk membuang Phoebe dengan bantuan perawatnya yaitu Caroline Gill. Alih-alih membawa Phoebe ke sebuah yayasan, Caroline memutuskan untuk merawatnya. David mengatakan pada istrinya bahwa Phoebe telah wafat tepat ketika dia dilahirkan, namun pada kenyataannya, dia masih hidup.

Studi ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui motivasi David dalam membuang anak perempuannya. Ada dua masalah untuk dipecahkan: (1.) Bagaimana karakter David digambarkan dalam novel? dan (2.) Apa motivasi David untuk membuang putrinya yang menderita Down syndrome?

Tesis ini mengaplikasikan metode studi perpustakaan. Ada dua buah sumber-sumber yang digunakan yaitu sumber primer dan sekunder. The Memory

Keeper’s Daughter karya Kim Edwards adalah sumber primer. Sedangkan

sumber-sumber sekunder diambil dari beberapa buku dan artikel-artikel yang berhubungan erat dengan masalah yang dipaparkan seperti contohnya, teori karakter dan karakterisasi, teori personaliti, dan teori motivasi. Studi ini menggunakan pendekatan psikologi untuk menganalisi kepribadian dan motivasi seseorang.

Hasil dari studi ini menunjukkan bahwa David adalah pria menarik yang penyayang, perhatian, seorang dokter yang hebat, dan malu terhadap masa lalunya. Ada empat faktor penting yang memotivasi David untuk membuang putrinya. Motivasinya secara tersirat yaitu dia tidak mau istrinya mengalami hal yang sama seperti ibunya dan mengasuh Phoebe akan sangat berat. Motivasinya yang mendalam adalah dia egois dan malu karena dia mempunyai Down syndrome genetik dalam tubuhnya.

Dianjurkan untuk para peneliti-peneliti yang akan datang, untuk menemukan motivasi-motivasi David lainnya yang belum ditemukan oleh penulis, untuk membuat studi ini sempurna. Hal ini dikarenakan karena studi ini belum sepenuhnya sempurna. Sedangkan untuk guru-guru Bahasa Inggris, dianjurkan untuk menggunakan novel ini dalam kegiatan belajar-mengajar. Studi ini juga memberikan rancangan rencana pembelajaran untuk kelas Paragraph Writing menggunakan novel The Memory Keeper’s Daughter yang bisa diaplikasikan oleh guru-guru.

Kata kunci: Down syndrome, motivasi, membuang, rahasia, masa lalu yang kelam, dan kebohongan

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my greatest gratitude to my Almighty Lord, Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, and Holy Spirit for Their wonderful bless, grace, strength, and health so that, I could finish my thesis. I sincerely thank Them in every minute in my life.

My deepest appreciation goes to my advisor, Dr. A. Herujiyanto, M.A. who has given me guidance and help to finish my thesis. I thank him for his kindness, guidance, patience, input, suggestions, advice, and encouragement in completing my thesis. My gratitude also goes to all PBI’s lecturers who have taught me so many things during my study in Sanata Dharma University.

My sincere gratitude also goes to my beloved parents, Simon Sumadi and

Theresia Sih Lestari for giving me love, support, prayer, shelter, delicious food, and encouragement to finish my thesis immediately. I also thank my one and only big brother, Julius Windy Ari Jatmiko who always supports and believes in what I am doing. I want to send my gratitude for all of my family wherever they are. I am so happy to have a great big family who always support and pray for me. My best gratitude also goes to my late Mbah Uti and Mbah Kakung who always loved me. I believe they always look after me from heaven.

Sincerely, I want to thank my best friends, Rose, Astri, and Fifin who have motivated me to finish my thesis. I am very grateful to have such wonderful friends. My gratitude also goes to my PBI’s friends Agnes, Lucia, Beni, Retno,

I also would like to thank all of USD’s staffs especially Mbak Danik and

Mbak Tari, who helped me in the administration matters.

My sincere gratitude also goes to my inspiration, BigBang. I thank them for their amazing music which always accompanies me day and night in completing my thesis. Thanks for giving me spirit when I am in a bad mood and making me laugh when I am sad.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to all people who I could not mention one by one. I thank them for their contribution and endless support. I will never forget their kindness. May God bless them all.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE ... i

APPROVAL PAGES ... ii

STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY... iv

PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ……….... v

ABSTRACT ……… vi

ABSTRAK ... vii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……… ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS ……….. x

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study ... 1

B. Objectives of the Study ... 3

C. Problem Formulation ... 3

D. Benefits of the Study ... 4

E. Definition of Terms ... 4

CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Review of Related Studies ... 6

B. Review of Related Theories………. 8

1. Theories of Critical Approach ... 8

2. Theories of Character ... 10

3. Theories of Characterization ... 12

4. Theories of Personality ... 15

5. Theories of Motivation C. Theoretical Framework ... 18

CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study ... 19

B. Approach of the Study ... 20

C. Method of the Study ... 20

CHAPTER IV. DISCUSSION A. David’s Character Portrayed in the Novel ... 22

1. David’s Physical Appearance ... 24

2. David’s Personality Trait ... 25

a. A Kind and Loving Man ... 25

b. A Good Doctor ... 29

c. Likes to Collect Stone and Photography ... 31

d. Ashamed of His Past Life ... 32

B. David’s Motivation in Getting rid of Phoebe ... 33

1.Surface Motivation ………... 34

a. Does not Want Norah to End up Like His Mother……….. 34

b. Difficult to Raise Phoebe ……..…………... 36

c. Selfish ………... 37

d. Shame and Afraid by the Fact that He is a Carrier ……… 42

CHAPTER V. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION A. Conclusion ... 56

B. Suggestions ... 58

REFERENCES ... 61

APPENDICES ... 64

A. Summary of the Novel ... 65

B. Biography of the Author ... 68

C. Lesson Plan for Teaching Paragraph Writing ... 70

D. Materials ... 73

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

Chapter one consists of the background of the study, objectives of the study, problem formulation, benefits of the study, and definition of terms. The background of the study is focused on the study, the needs of analyzing the topic, and the writer’s personal reason of choosing the novel. Objectives of the study explain the goals of the study. The problem formulation gives the general description of the problems that will be analyzed in the study. The last part is definition of terms in which some terms related to the study are defined.

A. Background of the Study

According to Henkle (1997), reading a novel is a private experience where people can really feel the situation in the novel, imagine the characters, and save it in their memory (25). That is the exact feeling when the writer read Kim Edward’s The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. The novel drags her into another world and traps into the story. The novel creates a simple movie contains with images of the character, place, time, plot, etc. Each reader has different perception toward a novel and it may depend on the reader’s experience or background. According to Murphy (1972), just like life which is a mixture of joy, disapointment, hope, sorrow, humor, suffering, and success, so the greatest novels reflect life and contain with many elements (p.133). Just like The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, this novel also combines many elements of life. The idea itself came from a true story of 40 years old man who never know that he had a

Down Syndrome brother but the brother died before the man know that he was exist.

The novel is about an orthopedic surgeon, David Henry, who helps his wife, Norah Henry, giving birth to a twin, boy and girl. The baby boy is perfect and healthy but the girl has Down syndrome. Quickly, he makes a decision not to keep the girl but give her to his nurse, Caroline Gill. He asks her to bring his daughter to an institution. Instead of giving the baby into an institution, the nurse decides to raise the baby by herself without telling Henry first. Meanwhile, Henry tells Norah that their baby girl passed away.

Caroline, who keeps the baby girl, names her Phoebe, just as Norah wants if she has a baby girl. Phoebe grows up into a cheerful girl but like other Down syndrome child, she is slow to develop, compare with normal child. In the opposite, her twin, Paul, grow up into a healthy, smart, and charming boy.

To be a person who has disability is not an easy thing to deals with. Sometimes, it needs big effort or others’ help to do a simple thing. They have to depend on others to keep a living because they cannot earn money by themselves. For some, the existence of mentally disabled people only becomes a burden. They often feel unwanted or unloved because of their condition.

After realizing that Phoebe has Down syndrome, without hesitation David gets rid of her. He does not need time to consider his action and ignore the fact that she is his own flesh and blood. In this stage, the readers find that David is a cruel and bad person because what kind of father who is capable to get rid of his children. It does not make any sense. His action cannot be tolerated. If we think

further, in every decision there must be reason and motivation behind it. There must be motivation which encourages David to take the decision. What exactly is his motivation to get rid of his daughter? Is he scared by the fact that it is hard to raise a disabled child or he hated her because she is imperfect so that, it can humiliate his family and pride? Is it easier for him to just get rid of her instead of love her just the way she is? Does he feel guilty, especially when he has to tell a lie? All of these questions become the background of this study. More specifically, the background of the study is to find David’s true intention in getting rid of his daughter.

B. Objective of the Study

The objective of the study is to find out David’s motivation in getting rid of his daughter as seen in the Kim Edward’s TheMemory Keeper’s Daughter.

C. Problem Formulation

1. How is David’s character portrayed in the novel?

2. What is David’s true motivation in getting rid of his Down syndrome daughter?

D. Benefits of the Study

There are at least three groups of people who get benefit from this study. The first is for readers in general. Hopefully, this paper will be useful to encourage them to read the novel. The novel can gives many valuable things and enrich their knowledge about literature. Since the theme is unique, they can get new experience by reading the novel.

The second is for English Education Study Program students, this novel can be a good reference for them who want to know more about literature work. By reading this paper, it may help them to study further about some aspects in a novel which are character, characterization, approaches, and their connection to personalities and motivation.

The last is for English teacher, they can use the novel as an alternative in the teaching-learning activity. Not only interesting, this novel contains many high values that can be taught to students. By reading this paper, the teacher may get better understanding about the novel before introducing it to the students.

E. Definition of Terms 1. Motivation

According to Mcclelland (1985), motivation refers to something in people’s mind which arouses activity and directs people to obtain certain object or condition called goals (p.4).

Aiken, Jr. (1969) states that motivation refers to something in people mind which arouses activity and directs people to obtain certain object or

condition called goals. A motivated person tends to focus his energy and attention to an object or situation that will satisfy his motive (p.3). In this study, David’s motivation becomes the reason why he wants to get rid of his daughter.

2. Goal

According to Hornby (1995), goal is something that you hope to achieve (577). In this study, David wants to achieve a goal which is getting rid of Phoebe. So that, he can protects his family

3. Down Syndrome

Down syndrome is a chromosal disorder caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. People with Down Syndrome has some common physical signs such as flat face with an upward slant to the eye, short neck, abnormally shaped ears, deep create in the palm, white spots on the iris of the eye, poor muscle tone, loose ligament, small hands and feet, and a larger than normal space between the big and second toes (“Wikipedia,” n.d.).

According to Heyn (n.d.), people with Down syndrome often deal with health problem for example congenital heart disease, hearing problem, and eye problem. Beside physical features, they also have mental features, which are mental retardation or a disability that causes limits on intellectual abilities and adaptive behavior; conceptual, social, and practical skills use in everyday lives, delayed language development and low motor development. Down syndrome is the disease which Phoebe is suffered from. The disease is incurable but it can be prevented from getting worse.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter consists of three important parts. They are review of related studies, review of related theories, and theoretical framework. Review of related studies presents the previous works using The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. Reviews of related theories consist of theories which are used in conducting the study. Meanwhile, theoretical framework contents the explanation how the theories presented are applied in the study.

A. Review of Related Studies

There have been several studies related to The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. Siess (2010) in her article Literary and Essays: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

discusses the conflicts faced by David Henry who is the main character in the novel. She states that David has to face a conflict due to his decision in giving away Phoebe. He has to pretend as if nothing happened and takes care of his family. On the other hand, he has another obligation which is to look after Phoebe. In the end, he has to choose between his family’s happiness and Phoebe’s happiness.

The other study is conducted by Poston (n.d.). She reveals how the characters

in The Memory Keeper’s Daughter seem so real and alive. She especially

discusses David and Norah’s character changing. She states that David becomes a hard and distant man after he decides to get rid of Phoebe. David carries out a

burden because he is the only person who knows the truth behind the big secret. She adds how David tries to redeem his mistake by sending Caroline’s money. “He sends money to Caroline for Phoebe, to still his own guilt and fear about the past” as for Norah, she portrays her as a mother ripped from one child. She studies how Norah suffered from lost. “We watch her struggle with addictions, from alcohol to sex to work, constantly filling the hole left by a daughter she never got to know”. In the end, she can find her happiness again. “Eventually, Norah finds love again, but the journey is long and full of loss”.

Morisset (2006) in her study Literary Analysis Essay: “The Memory Keeper’s Daughter” discusses the setting of time of The Memory Keeper’s Daughter which is in 1964. In that year, it would not be a problem if parents with disability children such as Down syndrome, send their children to an institution rather than raise them at home. The reasons are because the conventional thinking that the child would be better care and the rest family members will not feel sad with a child who has special needs. Morisset also adds the theme of The Memory Keeper’s Daughter which is about family relationship. “Edwards’ debut novel spans a quarter century from 1964 to 1989, exploring the life of a nuclear family in which one member harbors an unthinkable secret against the backdrop of rapidly evolving societal roles and expectations”. Besides talking about the setting of time and theme, Morisset slightly discusses the characters.

“Edwards has created characters who reside in the shadows of good and evil, black and white, right and wrong. Each is flawed in his/her own way and it is the characters’ shortcomings that make them fascinating while compelling the story forward. Edwards skillfully pulls readers into the characters’ emotional states”(2006).

However, this study is different from those previous studies. This study focuses on David’s motivation in getting rid of his Down syndrome’s daughter and the discussion of David’s character. Eventhough some of the previous works also discuss the character, but in this study, David’s character is deeply explored not only in general view. The study on David’s motivation to get rid of his daughter is a new study.

B. Review of Related Theories

This part consists of three parts, which are the theory of critical approach, the theory of character, theory of characterization, theory of personality, and theory of motivation.

1. Theory of Critical Approach

Accroding to Rohrberger and Woods, Jr. (1971), a critical approach to literature is used to help the readers in order to judge a work of art. To be able to build the judgment, critical approach needs an understanding of its nature, fiction, and positive values. They also state that by using critical approach, the readers will be in a position to receive some positive esthetic values and provide the means where they can understand the shape of literature and what it meant (p.4). There are five kinds of critical approaches according to Rohrberger and Woods, Jr. (1971), which are the formalist approach, the biographical approach, the sociocultural-historical approach, the mythopoeic approach, and the psychological approach (pp.6-15).

a. The Formalist Approach

This approach examines the literature piece without reference to facts of the author’s life, the genre of the piece, or to its place in the development of the genre or in the literature history, and without reference to its social society.

The concept of formalist approach is concerned with the ideas, personality and the development of the author. The formalist approach might be able to judge the

esthetic value of a piece of work but it could not judge the work’s ultimate greatness or consider the relation to other pieces.

b. The Biographical Approach

The Biographical Approach tends to concern that it is necessary to appreciate the ideas and personality of the author in order to understand the author’s work. This approach sees that a work of art is a reflection of the author. The author’s biographical provides useful facts that could put the reader in a better position to appreciate the author’s work.

c. The Sociocultural Historical Approach

The proponents of this approach insist that the only way to understand a literary work is through studying the civilization that produced it. The historical critics sees that to enrich the reader’s experience. Readers should examine the other works that has relation to it. It could be from the same author or to works of similar subject by different author in the same or different period.

Two important factors which underlying the sociocultural-historical approach are the accuracy to present historical facts as value to the historian, but not

necessarily to the author and a work of literature might have historical significance but not necessarily literature significance.

d. The Mythopoeic Approach

Critics who use this approach tend to discover certain universally recurrent patterns of human thought in which the works of art. Themes about myths such as death and rebirth, sacrificial suffering, and fertility rites, can be found in the literature work whether the author is conscious or unconsiuos in using them. It is difficult to answer if the author is fully aware to use such theme into his work.

e. The Psychological Approach

The Psychological Approach involves the effort to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent pattern just like the Myothopoiec Approach. The different is the Psychological uses different body of knowledge. It mostly emphasis on Sigmund Freud and his followers especially the modern psychological movement which get the biggets effect through Freud’s theory.

Many modern writers have influenced by Freud’s theories. Some critics even use Freud’s ideas to interpret the author’s work before him. Freud’s followers believe that he did not invent behaviour pattern but he analyzed what he believed had always existed.

2. Theory of Character

According to Rohrberger and Woods, Jr. (1971), a character is a person who involves in a story, acts out in particular time and setting, and experiences some kind of conflict in the event . The character must be credible so that people sees it

as a real person. There are two kinds of character; the first one is flat characters which are described as one-sided character. The second one is round characters that have many-side. The most important character and becomes the center in a novel is called protagonist (p.20). The opposite character whom the protagonist most likely involves in conflict with another character is called the antagonist (p.21).

Henkle (1977) states that everything which people talk about fiction has something to do with the people in it. The word people here refer to characters in the novel. Novel itself is a reflection of a deep and rich knowledge of human life (p.86). Characters are the representative of human condition and the times which they life. Characters are categorized into two, which are major characters and secondary characters. Major characters are the main focus in the novel and frequently appear in the story (p.90). By understanding those characters it means that the readers can understand the novel. Major characters hold an important role to build expectations and desires of the readers. They are created to present convicting dramatizations of the human’s issues. The effectiveness of a novel is depends on the major characters’ ability to express and dramatize the human’s issues (p.92).

Meanwhile secondary characters functioned as supportive characters and performed limited functions. The readers can discover the time and the society in the novel by observing the secondary characters’ life (p.94). Secondary characters can be functioned as point of reference, means that the readers can understand the major characters through the secondary characters because they are the one who

come on a scene frequently to comment on the event, be friend with the major characters, and interact with the major characters (p.95). The secondary characters are generally less complex and intense. The characters are limited in ways different from the major characters. Their responses toward conflicts are less complex and interesting so that they may suffer less (p.97).

A novelist E.M. Forster states that there are two types of characters, round and flat. Round character has several traits that form a complex and dynamic personality. It means the character changing as the story progress. While flat character is static from the beginning to the end of the story (as cited in Barnet, Burto, and Cain, 2005, pp. 228-228).

3. Theory of Characterization

Characters are one of the important point in a novel. By studying and examining the characters, the readers can follow the story and be a part of it. Therefore, an author must be able to describe the characters and make it look real and alive. So that, the readers can feel their presence and can fully imagine it. Rohrberger and Woods, Jr. (1971) state that characterization is the process in which an author creates a character. The characters have particular appearance and personal traits which are different from other characters. There are two ways that an author uses to characterize the characters. The first way is directly describes the physical appearance of the characters. The second way is to place the characters in a situation and observe how the characters behave or speak (p.20).

According to Abcarian and Klotz (1988), characterization is the process in which the characters are changed to make them seem real to the readers. Characterization cannot be separated from the other elements of fiction, because it depends on the other elements such as tone, plot, theme, setting, and so on (p.6). Based on Murphy (1972), there are seven ways that an author uses to reveal the characters, so that it become understandable and real to the readers’ imagination (pp.161-173).

a. Personal description

This is the common way used by the author to show the character by giving personal description such as the character’s appearance and what kind of clothes he or she wears.

b. Character as seen by others

In this method, the author using others character’s point of view toward certain character, instead of using other character’s point of view toward the character. The readers can study the character through other characters.

c. Speech

There are many ways to reveal the character. It is not only by describing the character’s outside look, but also through the words he or she said when the character speaks to someone else or gives his or her opinion.

d. Past life

The past life of a character can give the readers clue. The character’s past life helps the readers to shape the character. The readers can find out about the

character’s past life through the author description, the character’s thought, or through the characters conversation with others.

e. Conversation with others

The author gives clue regarding a character through the conversation of other characters about him or her and the thing they say about him or her. People sometimes talk about other people and what they say often gives a clue to the character of the person spoken about.

f. Reactions

The character’s reaction toward various situations and events, gives the readers description about the character’s personality. The readers can learn the character by analyzing the character’s attitude when he or she faces some problem or encounters conflict.

g. Direct Comment

Sometimes, the author gives clue about the character’s through his or her comment or direct description. The author direct comment itself, can lead the reader to learn about character.

h. Thoughts

Through the character’s thought, the readers can read the character’s personality. The character’s thought in a novel is honest and come from the character’s heart. Sometimes, when the character talk with others, the things he or she says or opinion is not honest. Meanwhile, thought is pure and honest. It can help the readers learn the character better.

i. Mannerism

The last method to give the readers clue is through the character’s manner and habit. The habit or manner can show the real personality of the character.

4. Theory of Personality

According to Hall and Gardner (1970), the three systems of personality, namely the id, the super-ego, and ego, have their own mechanism, function, and component but they interact one another and contribute to form behavior. In other words, behavior is the result of the interaction between the three major systems (p.32). Byrne and Kelley (1981) state that id tells what people want to do, super-ego shows what they should do, while ego decides what they can do (p.49). The further explanation of each major follows:

a. Id

Weiner (1980) says id is the original system of the personality, unconscious, and related to biological needs (pp.14-15). Hall and Gardner (1981) add the aims of id are to avoid pain and obtain pleasure (p.50). Id consists of psychological energy and becomes the center of it, because it quickly response the body needs (p.32). Id follows the rule of pleasure principle, which means when someone’s tension raised, id functions to discharge the tension and make he comfortable. Id has two processes, the first one is reflect action, it is inborn and automatic reactions to reduce the tension immediately. The second process is primary process, which discharges tension by forming an image to reduce tension and

influence the thinking process so that, it is hard to distinguish between reality and fantasy (p.33).

b. Ego

According to Hall and Gardner (1971) ego occurs because human need something real to fulfill their needs and closely related to the objective world (p.33). Ego is a part of id, the existence cannot be separated from id and it cannot stand alone. It takes part as the executive of all personality sytems because it chooses the action, decides the environment features to which it will response, what needs that will be satisfied, and in what manner (p.34).

Ego follows the rule of reality principle which means it prevents the discharge of the tension, until the appropriate object to fulfill the needs discovered. It delays the pleasure principle temporally, because the pleasure principle is fulfilled when the needed object is found so that, the tension can be reduced. Ego uses secondary thinking process by creating a plan for satisfaction based on logic and time orientation. Then, test it whether it will work or not by some actions (p.34). Byrne and Kelley (1981) state that ego holds the important key to control the id and super-ego (p.50).

c. Super-ego

Hall and Gardner (1970) mention that super-ego is the moral control of personality. The main concern is to decide whether something is right or wrong so it can act based on the moral standards create by the society (p.34). Super-ego has two subsystems, the first one is conscience, means it punish someone who did something wrong by making him or her feel guilty. The second subsystem is

ego ideal, which is the opposite of conscious; it rewards someone who did something right by making him or her proud. Super-ego has three main functions (p.35):

1) To prevent the impulse of id, especially sexual and an aggressive nature because they are condemn by the society.

2) Persuade ego to change moralistic goals into realistic goals. 3) Strives for perfection

5. Theory of Motivation

Aiken, Jr. (1969) mentions that motivation refers to something in people’s mind which arouses activity and directs people to obtain certain object or condition called goals (p.110). A motivated person tend to focus his energy and attention to an object or situation that will satisfy his motive (p.145). Petris (1981) says motivation is the explanation, used to make sense the behavior that is being observed. Motivation is the concept used to describe the strength of act on or within someone to initiate direct behavior. It is also used to explain differences in the intensity of behavior (p.3). The source of motivation can be from human thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and also social interactions. Motivation is not clear for the person who experiences it. The basic motive of all human is to be fulfilled as they can (p.4).

McClelland (1985) adds the basic motive of all human is to be fulfilled as they can. The subject matter of a motivation is dealing with how behavior gets started, energized, sustained, directed, and stopped (p.4). He also mentions that

motivation’s strength cannot be measured directly but indirectly because of the influence of values, skills, and opportunities (p.152).

C. Theoretical Framework

In order to find the answer of the problem formulations, some theories that are explained before is used.

Before conducting this study, the writer chooses the appropriate approach. Psychological Approach turns out to be a suitable approach. Therefore, the writer uses this approach.

The theories of character and characterization are used by the writer to analyze David Henry’s character as questions in the first problem formulation. The theories help the writer to study the main character further and determine his characteristic.

To answer the second question in the problem formulation, the writer uses the theory of motivation and personality. By applying these theories, the writer can find out the real motivation of David in getting rid of his daughter and the process when he makes the decision. The theories complement each other to find the true motivation.

CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY

This chapter consists of three parts, namely object of the study, approach of the study, and method of the study. The object of the study shows a brief description about the novel The Memory Keepers’ Daughter and the story. The approach of the study consists of the approach in literature that the writer used to analyze the novel and the reason why the approach is chosen. The last part is method of the study, where the writer explains the steps taken in the study.

A. Object of the Study

The subject matter of this study is a novel The Memory Keepers’ Daughter

by Kim Edwards. The first edition of this novel was published in New York, USA, by Penguin Group in 2005 and consists of 513 pages.

The Memory Keepers’ Daughter is a touching novel about an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. David Henry, who gets rid of his daughter, Phoebe, to an institution due to her condition. Actually, his wife, Norah, gave birth to a twin, a healthy baby boy, Paul, and a baby girl with Down syndrome. Dr. Henry who helps his wife delivers the babies, knows that Phoebe suffers from Down syndrome by seeing her physical appearance. Suddenly, he asks his nurse, Caroline Gill, to take Phoebe away. Caroline, who supposes to get rid of the baby, decides to raise her.

Norah, who knows that her daughter died feels so upset and sad. David who knows the truth, could not do anything except cheers her up. Seeing his wife suffers, does not make him want to reveal the secret. He believes that his decision

is right. It is better to get rid of Phoebe rather than raise her, because in the end she will die in a young age.

On the other hand, Caroline’s life becomes better after she raises Phoebe. Phoebe brings a new hope and light in her life. Phoebe who is predicted cannot survive in this world, grows into a healthy girl despite her condition.

B. Approach of the Study

In analyzing the novel, the writer uses one of the critical approaches proposed by Rohrberger and Woods, Jr. There are five approaches which are formalist approach, biographical approach, socio-cultural approach, mythopoeic approach, and the psychological approach. Among the five approaches, the writer uses psychological approach.

The psychological approach is used to understand the characters’ personality by observing their thought and behavior. The approach is also used to reveal the motivation behind David’s decision to get rid of his daughter.

C. Method of the Study

This study conducted library study method. There were two sources that were being used. They were primary and secondary sources. The primary source was Kim Edwards’s The Memory Keeper’s Daughter (2005). Meanwhile, the secondary sources were taken from books and articles from the interne.

There were some steps which the writer took to conduct this study. First, the writer read the novel, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, thoroughly in order to

understand the whole part of the novel. After reading the novel, the writer wanted to know the motivation of the main character behind his decision in getting rid his Down syndrome’s daughter.

Second, the writer chose two problem formulations, which were related with David’s character and his motivation in getting rid of his Down syndrome’s daughter. Third, the writer found the appropriate approach to conduct this study. The approach which was suitable was Psychological Approach. This study focused on the main character’s personality and motivation. Therefore, Psychological Approach was chosen. Forth, the writer analyzed this study by using the theories that were being chosen. The theories were the theory of character, theory of characterization, theory of personality, and theory of motivation.

The last step, the writer drew conclusion about the study. The conclusion includes the summary of the problems that have been answered. The writer also gave some suggestions for the future researchers and teaching learning activities.

         

CHAPTER IV DISCUSSION

This chapter presents the discussion of the problem formulations as stated in the first chapter. This chapter is divided into two parts. The first part is the discussion of David’s character. The second part is the explanation of David’s motivation in getting rid of his Down syndrome’s daughter.

A. David’s Character as Portrayed in The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

To reveal David’s character, several theories have been used, namely theory of character and characterization. Theory of character is used to find out what kind of character David is. Rohberger and Woods, Jr.(1971) state that a character is a person who is involved in a story, acts out in particular time and setting, and experiences some kind of conflict in the event (p.20). Forster mentions there are two kinds of character, flat and round character (as cited in Barnet, Burto, and Cain, 2005, pp. 228-228). David is a round character, because he has several traits that shape him into a complex character. His character is also dynamic, means it changes as the story goes. At the beginning of the story, he is a caring man. He cares about his wife and he expresses his love for her. “He lifted her foot, both delicate and swollen inside the light blue sock, and began to massage it gently” (p.4), but slowly his character changes into a loner person. “Yet everything had changed. David had changed. Evenings, when he sat beside her on the couch, browsing through his journals, he was no longer really there” (p.99).

Norah notices Davis is changing. He becomes obsessed with photography and his job as a doctor. The days when they used to walk together holding hands were no longer exist (p.222). Norah feels as if David sees her as an object of photography not as his wife. She realizes that he does not really see her and has not for years (p.227).

David is the major character in the novel. As Henkle says, major character is the main focus in the novel and frequently appears in the story (90). David is the main focus in the novel because all the events and conflicts which happen in the novel are started from David’s decision in getting rid of Phoebe. He frequently appears in the novel and all the secondary characters often involve David in their action and mind.

David Henry is an orthopedic surgeon. He has a sister, June, but she died when she was twelve years old (p.195). She suffered from heart defect and since his family was poor, June was not able to get proper treatment.

“My parents had hard lives, Paul. They didn’t have money. I don’t mean that they weren’t rich. I mean that sometimes they didn’t know if we were going to have food to eat. And it pained my mother, because they couldn’t get much help for June” (p.279).

His parents died not long after June’s death. His mother was a housewife and his father was a miner. David is married to Norah Asher, a woman whom he meets in the department store. They actually have twin babies, boy and girl, Paul and Phoebe. Due to Phoebe’s condition, David asks his nurse, Caroline Gill, who is madly in love with him, to take her away to an institution. David lies to his wife saying that Phoebe is dead after she was born but the truth is he gets rid of her.

Instead of getting rid of Phoebe, Caroline decides to raise her and moves to another town (p.86). David, who thinks that Phoebe is get rid of, shocks when he finds out that Caroline keeps her. He is angry at first, but he realizes that he cannot do anything. He leaves Phoebe to Caroline to be taken care of.

In order to study David’s character further, the writer applied theory of characterization proposes by Rohberger and Woods, Jr. (1971), they state that characterization is the process in which an author creates a character (p.20). While according to Murphy (1972), there are nine ways to reveal a character namely personal description, character as seen by others, speech, past life, conversation with others, reactions, direct comments, thought, and mannerism (pp.160-173). By applying those theories, the writer concludes the personality of David. David’s character can be well understood through his appearance and personality’s traits.

1. David’s Physical Appearance

David is a handsome and charming man. When Caroline meets him for the first time, she directly falls in love with him. She realizes that he is a kind of man that she has been waiting for.

“He had brown hair with a reddish tinge and his face was lean, his expression attentive, assessing. He was not distinguished, yet there was something in his stance, his manner-some quiet alertness, some quality of listening-that set him apart. Caroline’s heart quickened and she felt a tingling on her skin, both pleasurable and irritating, like the unexpected brush of a moth’s wing. His eyes caught her and she knew it. Before he crossed the room to shake her hand, before he opened his mouth to speak his name, David Henry, in a neutral accent that placed him as an outsider before all this, Caroline was sure of a single simple fact: the person she’d been waiting for had come” (pp.33-34).

As for Norah, David is also a good looking man. She agrees to marry him after three months dating. “Yet here was David, handsome, a doctor, standing in the doorway of her apartment saying, Come on, please, there’s something special I want you to see” (p.102).

2. David’s Personality Traits a. A Kind and Loving Man

David is a loving man. He meets Norah, his wife, in a department store (p.15). He falls in love with her at the first sight and after three months, he married her (p.8). David loves Norah so much and his love grows bigger when she is pregnant. “Watching her, he felt a surge of love and wonder: that she was his wife, that their baby, due in just three weeks, would soon be born” (p.4). As for Norah, David’s presence changes and brings new hope in her life. She used to have a dull life and bored job at the telephone company. She thinks that she will be single for her entire life but her life changes after she meets David.

“There had been moments, watching others go off to sorority parties, or sitting on her stool in the windowless room of the telephone company while co-workers planned their weddings down to the last corsage and party mint, when Norah, so quiet and reserved, believed she would be single all her life. Yet here was David, handsome, a doctor, standing in her doorway of apartment saying….. “ (p.102).

As a father, David also loves both of his children Paul and Phoebe. David is happy when Paul, a beautiful dark-haired boy, is born .When Paul is still very young, he has a close relation with him. They used to play and collect stones together. Paul makes his life perfect despite his busy activity as a doctor.

“He squatted down and held out his arms, and Paul plunged in to them, resting his head briefly on David’s shoulder, the bristle of his new haircut both soft

and stiff against David’s neck. David kissed his forehead, regretting that moment of anger… “ (pp.178-179).

Paul likes to play guitar since he is a teenager. David gives him a special Almansa guitar for his birthday present and it becomes his favorite guitar. “He’d spent hours researching this guitar, ordering it on a company in New York; his face was full of quiet pleasure as Paul lifted it reverently from the box.” (p.228). Everytime he watches Paul’s perform, his eyes become teary as he listens to Paul’s music. Paul wants to be a musician but David disagrees because for him, music is just a hobby not as a choice of career. Although David opposes Paul’s dream, he still loves him. David sometimes travels to another town to watch his son performs. “Sometimes David traveled a hundred miles or more, to Cincinnati or Pittsburgh or Atlanta or Memphis, to slip into the back of a darkened auditorium and watch Paul performs” (p.409).

Eventhough David gets rid of Phoebe, deep inside he still loves her. He keeps every letters and photos of Phoebe in his dark room. Caroline keeps him posted by sending letters, telling that Phoebe is fine and how she grows up. She even puts Phoebe’s photos. When David receives Caroline’s letter for the first time, he does not want to read it, he even throws it in the trash, unopened. However, he ends up keeping it secretly in his dark room (p.182). David always sends money for Phoebe to the address written in Caroline’s post mark letter, along with a note asking where she is now, because the post marks of her letters are from different towns (p.182). Everytime Caroline sends him letters, she never writes down her address. David, who wonders where Phoebe is, hires a private investigator to find her (p.402). He wants to find her and finally he gets her

address in Pittsburgh. Seeing Phoebe, makes he feels as if he is seeing Paul. She really resembles Paul (p.403). David realizes that he is secluded in Phoebe’s life. She is invisible to him for years, but now he sees her real figure. David does not come into her house, he just sees her from his car (p.403). He does not want to disturb Phoebe’s happiness with her new family. He leaves the past undisturbed. Before he dies, he makes an account using Caroline’s name on it (p.402).

David also loves his late sister, June, though she is weak but it does not make he hates her. When he is young, his jobs are to feed the chicken, weed the garden, clean the coop, and watch June. He treats June like a normal healthy child. He does not comfort her when she falls and lets her play dirt, rubs it in her hair “His love for her was so deeply woven with resentment that he could not untangle the two” (p.153).

David has a close relation with June and he always care for her. She is his best friend, everytime he goes home after school; June’s happy face welcomes him. ”Yet when he came up the path from school with his books slung over his back, it was June who looked into his face and understood what his day had been like, who wanted to know all about it” (p.154). He always remember June, his lovely sister. He remembers her sweet voice when she sings, how she likes to eat homemade jelly, how she loves butterflies and wind (p.136), and she does not afraid of snakes (p.195). Her death leaves a deep scar in his heart. He always longs his childhood moment with her. “He thought of June, the way her hair got so blond in the sun each summer, the scent of her skin-soap and warmth and something metallic…. . He had loved her so much, her sweet laughter” (p.143).

David is a kind hearted-man; he proves it when he takes Rosemary to his house. Rosemary is a pregnant girl who is living in his abandoned old house. He brings her home with him. He insists her to stay in his house though Norah disagrees with his decision (p.356). He convinces Norah that Rosemary needs help, she is still very young and pregnant (p.365). He tells her his secret, the big secret that he tries to bury (p.345). Rosemary knows everything about David and it makes Norah suspicious. She feels David’s relation with Rosemary is stronger and closer than physical relation. “And yet Norah sensed something between the two of them, an emotional connection, alive and positively charged, which pierced her as much, perhaps more, than any physical affair would have done” (p.374).

The fact that Rosemary knows everything about David makes Paul jealous. He is jealous because he never gets a chance to visit David’s childhood house. He envies Rosemary for knowing everything about June, about Paul’s hobby and dream, and his relation with his father. She even visits June’s grave with David

“Paul felt something fill him then, some emotion he couldn’t name. Envy, maybe, that this girl, this thin pale stranger with the beautiful ears, had been to a place that mattered to his father, a place he himself had never seen. I’ll take you there someday, his father had promised, but years had passed and he had never mentioned it again” (p.359).

David has a special relationship with Rosemary. He can be himself whenever he is with Rosemary. He shows his broken hearted, fragile and miserable side of him to her. She knows everything about him, his family and Phoebe. He can easily tell her about Phoebe and she is just listening not judging him. She knows that somehow she fills the space left by Phoebe in David’s heart (p.395).

David loves Jack, Rosemary’s son, like his own son. He loves to play with Jack and holds his hand when they are walking (p.394). Moreover, he makes an account for him under Rosemary’s name (p.401). Seeing Jack makes he wonders about his memory with Paul.

“The truth was, he loved to watch the boy. He loved to read Jack stories, feeling his weight and warmth, his head falling against his shoulder as he drifted nearly into sleep. He loved to hold his small trusting hand when they walked down the side-walk to the store” (p.394) .

He is sad when Rosemary and Jack are going to move and leave him. They have been his companions since he divorces with Norah and moves from his house (p.399).

b. A Good Doctor

Since he was a boy, David is a very smart boy. He is able to go to school because he gets a scholarship. He wants to be a doctor after June’s dead. It is his mom who asks him to study and help the world. Actually deep inside his heart, he feels guilty because he is still alive, while his sister is buried on the ground. He feels sorry for her, which is why he wants to be a doctor. He chooses to be an orthopedic doctor because he is amazed by his feet bone. Once he ever gets his feet to be X-rayed and he is amazed by the mysterious figure of his feet (p.195).

David is known to be a very good doctor. He has a great ability in diagnosing and very skillful. He graduated when he is very young. He is the first student who graduated in his class (p.9). He is happy with his profession. “He enjoy his profession as a doctor and very happy with it. He was pleased-it was good to be

able to help people in need, to offer healing-something he could not seem to do for those he loved the most” (p.137).

He is a dedicated doctor. He does not mind to wake up in the middle of the night when he gets call from hospital (p.143). Every Tuesday nights, he treats patients for free. That is why many people would come and fill the waiting room. He often stays until midnight to treat his patients.

“Then rising to open the office doors again on Tuesday nights, a free clinic for patients who could not afford to pay him. The waiting room was always full on those nights, and he was often still there when Caroline finally went home at midnight, so weary herself that she could barely think” (p.38).

Caroline even cannot hate him because she remembers how devoted David is with his patients. He really cares and loves his patients.

“She wanted to hate him still, but she remembered how many nights he had stayed in the clinic, treating patients who could not afford the care they needed. Patients from countryside, from the mountains, who made the arduous trip to Lexington, short on money, long on hope. The other clinics partner had not liked it, but Dr. Henry had not stopped” (p.82).

After he divorces and moves out, he decides to leave his former practice, because a man, who becomes his patient for twenty years, is turned away because he lacks of health insurance (p.398). Now, David has his own practice and he takes care of everyone rich or poor. He works not for money anymore. Money is not the reason why he is still being a doctor. He does not mind when some of his patients do not pay him in a form of money but with field produce or yard work (p.398). When he died, many people come to his funeral and fill the little church. They are his patients whose lives are saved by him (p.417).

c. Likes to Collect Stone and Photography

David likes to collect stone since he was a little boy. It was his father who teaches him about stones and he becomes fond of them, “On one such night his father handed him a smooth stone, on axe head he had found while digging a trench” (p.150). Since then, he likes to collect stones and put it in his shelves (p.135). Later, he also teaches Paul about stone and as a boy Paul also seems to like it (p.179). He likes to look for stones and show it to David. Even when he grows up, he still remembers how David used to tell him about stones and how happy he is when he found stones.

“He reached into his pocket and spread some small stones on the hood of the car. “Remember these?” he asked, as Norah picked one up, fingering the smooth white disk with a hole in the middle.”Crinoids. From sea lilies. Dad taught me about them, the day I broke my arm” (p.390).

Norah is aware of David’s hobby in collecting stone. Sometimes, she finds stones everywhere, in David’s pocket, scatter on the dresser, or tuck into enveloped in the desk (p.171). She feels very happy when she sees David and Paul look for stones together.

David has another hobby which is photography. He becomes obsessed with camera since Norah gives him one for their wedding anniversary’s present. Actually, Norah hopes that the camera can distract David because he is so busy with his job (p.98). Later, she feels regret because he seems to be obsessed with it (pp.170-171). David builds a dark room in their house after his photos get noticed and no one comes into the room except him (p.272). He spends most of his time in that room, developing film or doing experiments with light (p.272). Besides, the

dark room brings different atmosphere. It is cool and quiet. That is why he feels peace there (p.180).

d. Ashamed of His Past Life

David is a mysterious man. It is not only because he hides a big secret but he is also shames of his past life. David never tells Norah much about his family and he does not tell Paul either. He shames by the fact that he used to be poor. Norah understands about David’s feeling. That condition makes him hard to reveal himself (p.422). David’s family has a small clapboard house on the hill. They also have chickens and cow (p.322). David helps his mother by feeding the chickens and milking the cow. He also works in a store near the main street. The money which he gets is used to rent a room because his school is far from his house (p.331). His family is very poor; they collect old engines, tin cans, milk bottles that are scattered across the lawns and hills (p.336). When he was a boy, David used to go with his father to hunt snakes. The snakes are sold and the money is used to pay for food and June’s medication.

“That was one time. There were other days when they went out to catch rattlesnakes. Dusk to dawn, they’d walked through the woods, carrying forked sticks, cloth bags over their shoulders and a metal box swinging from David’s hand” (p.150).

After June died, David goes to university in Pittsburgh to be a doctor and help the world as his mother’s wish. When he studied there, he used David Henry as his name but in fact, his real name is David Henry McCallister. Formerly, it is not his intention to change his name, but it started from a mistyped letter of acceptation with his name on it. Though the name is wrong, the address and

Social Security Number are correct. However, David who is aware of this mistake does not try to fix it. He uses the name David Henry to register in the university. He does not tell anyone about it. He just wants to be a new person with no history and unburden with the bitter past (p.330).

David tries his best to have a better life and gives his family everything. He becomes a successful doctor and earns much money. He also wants Paul to be a successful man who has great income and able to support his future family. That is why, when Paul tells him that he wants to be a musician, he opposes the idea. David believes, that it is alright if Paul likes to play guitar, but not make it as his career. According to David, being a musician does not give much for living. He wants Paul to persuade other things outside music, because Paul has many talents. However, Paul insists that he will go to Julliard to study music though David disagrees (p.255). Music is everything for Paul. That is why he does not want to give up on it (p.280).

B. David’s Motivation in Getting rid of Phoebe

According to Aiken, Jr. (1969), motivation refers to something in people’s mind which arouses activity and directs people to obtain certain object or condition called goals (p.110). Petris (1981) adds that motivation can be from human thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and social interaction (p.4). In this part, the writer tries to find out what is David motivation in getting rid of Phoebe. His motivation comes from his thoughts about his past life especially about June and the feeling of lost that he and his parents ever feel. Besides, there are other factors

that motivated David to give away Phoebe. Those factors are divided into two, surface motivation and deeper motivation.

1. Surface Motivation

Surface motivation means the motivation that can be clearly seen and states in the novel. There are several surface meanings that motivate David to get rid of Phoebe, those are:

a. Does not Want Norah to End up Like His Mother

June has become the center attention of David’s parents since she is diagnosed with heart defect. All of their attention goes to June because she is weak and could not do anything. They try to protect her. When she is dead, David’s parents feel confuse. They do not know what to do, because after all these years, June gets their attention. “He remembered thinking bitterly, that they did not know what to do with themselves without June to care for. She had been the center of all their lives for so long” (p.143). June’s death brings sadness and grief to his family. His mother, who is already sad by the fact that June is different from other child, tries to survive and give June her love. She cries whenever she sees June tries to catch her breath (p.23). Yet, she died when she was twelve years old (p.195). David’s mother has tries to do her best and face the reality. June’s death makes her so sad and lost. The memory of his sad mother is always haunts him. “Still, he remembered the depth and endurance of his mother’s grief, the way she walked uphill to the grave every morning, her arms folded against whatever weather she encountered” (p.21). Not long after June’s death, his father also dead,

and his mother moved to her sister’s house. Since then, David never sees her (p.143).

David wants to protect Norah from pain and loss. He does not want Norah’s life to be broken when Phoebe died. It hurts him to see his mother’s grief and sadness. He does not want Norah to feel the same. “He had wanted to spare her, to protect her from loss and pain; he had not understood that lost would follow her regardless, as persistent and life-shaping as a stream of water” (p.139). Caroline also understands that David’s reason to get rid of Phoebe is to protect Norah. “He told me once about his sister. She had a heart defect and died young, his mother never got over her grief. For what’s worth, I think, he was trying to protect you” (p.472). Moreover, David wants to protect his family from grief and pain. “This was the grief he had carried with him, heavy as a stone in his heart. This was the grief he had tried to spare Norah and Paul, only to create so many others” (p.338). David wants Paul to grow up happily without suffering like David. No matter how hard David tries to protect Paul, he still feel lost. He wonders about his sister. “He reached for his guitar, wondering about his sister. If she hadn’t died. Would she be like him? Would she like to run? Would she sing?” (p.270).

After all, as a mother who loses her daughter, Norah feels really sad, depresses and cannot forget Phoebe. Phoebe is always on her mind, though she tries to be strong and accept the truth. “She’d been paralyzed with grief almost, too full of sorrow even to weep. But she had stayed for several hours before she finally stood up and brushed off her clothes and went home” (p.94). She never has the chance to hold or look at her face. Even in the day when she gives birth, David

would not allow her to see Phoebe. He says that Phoebe is already buried and it is better for them to just go home and take care of Paul (p.48). She wants other people to remember Phoebe. She is angry when her neighbors come to congratulate her and they praise how beautiful Paul is. They do not even mention Phoebe. It breaks her heart (p.60). She always remembers Phoebe and it hurts her. “Oh, this was silly, her loss had happened almost two decades ago. Surely this grief should not wells up, fresh as water in a spring” (p.387). Sometimes, she feels that David is already forget about Phoebe, because everytime she wants to talk about her, David seems to avoid the conversation. He is even mad when Norah wants to have a memorial service for her (p.64).

b. Difficult to Raise Phoebe

Raising a child with a special condition is hard. As a doctor, David knows about it very well. It takes a lot time and money to take care of Phoebe. When he sees Phoebe for the first time, he realizes something is not right. He remembers what his professor said back in his college days.

“A classic case, he remembered his professor saying as they examined a similar child, years ago. A mongoloid, do you know what that means? And the doctor, dutiful, had recited the symptoms he’d memorized from the text: flaccid muscle tone, delayed growth and mental development, possible heart complications, early death. The professor had nodded, pacing his stethoscope on the baby’s smooth bare chest. Poor kid. There’s nothing they can do except try to keep him clean. They ought to spare themselves and send him home” (p.21).

He also remembers the pain that June suffers from. She grows up very slow. Moreover, she is hard to breathe. Her condition gets worse year by year until she dies (p.136). David who knows exactly what will happen to Phoebe, does not want to take the risk. It will be hard for him and Norah to keep Phoebe. There is

nothing he can do, except send Phoebe to an institution. It is the best way because she would be in good hands and get the right treatment (p.25).

2. Deeper Motivation

Deeper motivation means David’s real motivation why he hands Phoebe to Caroline. This motivation is not clearly stated in the novel, but it is holding an important factor why David decides to get rid of Phoebe. Those motivations are:

a. Selfish

Beyond his reason to spare his family from sadness, it is actually he himself who does not want to feel sad again. He has been suffering from the lost since June’s death. It haunts him every day. He is sick of it and he does not want to experience it again. Phoebe reminds him of June. “When he imagined the daughter he’d given away, it was his sister’s face he saw, pale her hair, her serious smile” (p.139). When he thinks about June, he remembers the days they used to spend together. He is always sad whenever he remembers June, his beloved sister, who dies at a young age. “His sister, this girl who loved wind, who laughed at the sun on her face and was not afraid of snakes. She had died at age twelve, and by now she was nothing but the memory of love nothing, now but bones” (p.195). David still feels lost and grief in his heart. He is shock when his mother tells him June is gone. The pain is deep inside his heart and he could not even cry. “The pain he felt was deep inside him and above that was numbness and he could not cry” (p.154). He tries to be a new person. He becomes a great doctor and has a better life. He does not want to ruin it, the new life that he builds so hard.

The memories of David and his mother’s sadness, lost, pain, and grief make him thinking to get rid of Phoebe. In this part, his id is taking a big part. Id is the first system in human personalities proposes by Sigmund Freud. As Hall and Gardner state id is aimed to avoid pain and obtain pleasure (p.33). When David sees Phoebe for the first time, the memories of June emerges. The image of his lost, sad, and heartbroken mother also comes to his mind. It breaks his heart how his mother is truly sad and lost. He does not want Norah and Paul to feel the same sadness the he and his mother ever feel (p.21).

David’s decision to get rid of Phoebe is affected by the feeling of grief and pain that he and his mother experience. Then, his ego decides that it is the best way if he gives her up. Ego is the second system of human personalities. It takes part as the executive of all personality systems because it chooses the action, decides the environment features to which it will response, what needs that will be satisfied, and in what manner (p.34). His memory of lost along with his mother sadness stimulates David to take an action. To avoid the pain he used to feel, he gives away Phoebe. He can live happily with Norah and Paul without concerning about Phoebe’s condition. They will not sad when Phoebe died at any times.

No matter how hard David tries to think that getting rid of Phoebe is the best way, still he feels guilty and regrets (p.253). After all, he does the wrong thing that is why he feels regret and guilty for what happen in his family. His super-ego, the last system in human personalities, makes him feel guilty because of his wrong decision. Super-ego is the moral control of personality; the main concern is to decide whether something is right or wrong so it can act based on the moral

standards create by the society (p.34). David is doing the wrong thing by getting rid of Phoebe. He does not even tell Norah. He lies for his entire life. He makes Norah and Paul suffer because of his action. He really regrets it. The super-ego’s sub system that makes David feels guilty is called conscience. It is punishes someone who doing wrong by making him feels guilty. David feels guilty but he does not have the courage to tell Norah the truth. “He had never been able to tell her the truth, knowing he would lose her entirely- and perhaps Paul too-if he did” (p.394). He realizes that it is his fault which makes his family breaks into pieces. It is all because of the secret that he could not tell. He blames himself for what happen with Norah and Paul.

“He had given their daughter away. This secret stood in the middle of their family; it shaped their lives together. He knew it; he saw it, visible to him as a rock wall grown up between them. And he saw Norah and Paul reaching out and striking rock and not understanding what was happening, only the something stood between them that could not be seen or broken” (p.247). He is aware by the fact, that his secret makes Norah’s life miserable. First, she begins to drink too much and later she has affairs (p.349). He does not blame Norah when she has affairs, because he realizes that it is his fault. He tries to ignore it and forgive her because he is the one who makes it happen.

“He’d made a choice, on the beach; he’d left Norah’s clothes lying on the sand, her laughter spilling into the light. He’d gone back to the cottage and worked with the photos, and when she’d come in, an hour or so later, he hadn’t said a thing about Howard. He’d kept this silence because his own secrets were darker, more hidden, and because he believed that his secrets had created hers” (p.259).

Norah notices that her relation with David is further away. She tries to keep their relation closer, to remember what they are used to be in their early marriage days, but it seems to be nothing (p.222). She prepares a special vacation for David

and Paul. She hopes that it can make their relation becomes close again, but David is only busy with his camera. Norah tries to please him by posing for hours to ease the distance between them. However, David does not notice it. It makes her tired with their relation (p.223). That is why she starts to have affairs.

David realizes that Paul also suffers from his lie and their mess up life. He hurts Paul. He tries to make it right but it is useless.

“Paul suffered for it, he knew that. David had tried so hard to give him everything. He had tried so hard to give him everything. He had tried to be a good father. But however hard he worked to make Paul’s life smooth and easy, the fact remained that David built that life on a lie” (p.327).

He wants to make his relation with Paul become close again but it never works. “He’d wanted to connect with Paul, to have a moment when they understood each other, but his good intentions had spiraled into argument and distance”(p.258). Paul knows that his parents are unhappy with their life. He realizes that his father has secret and he knows Norah is having affair.

“You and Mom,” Paul said, his words bursting out, as if he he’d been holding them back a long time, “What’s wrong with you, anyway? You live like you don’t care about anything. You don’t have any joy. You just get through the days no matter what. You don’t even give a damn about that Howard guy” (p.255).

He realizes that it is partly his fault why his parents are unhappy. He believes that it is his duty to protect his family. It is his responsibility since he is the one who still alive unlike Phoebe (p.272). Through his music, Paul wants to make everything right. He wants to bring joy and happiness for his parents. He plays music to shout out his heart. He is good at it, but his parents never seem to care.

“All these years he had been good, but it hadn’t made any difference. He’d discovered music and played his heart out into the silence of that house, into the hole his sister’s death had made in their lives, and that hadn’t

mattered either. He had tried as hard as he could to make his parents look up from their lives and hear the beauty, the joy that he’d discovered. He’d played so much and he’d gotten so fine. And yet all this time they’d never looked up, not once, not until Rosemary had steeped through the door and altered everything” (p.370).

David finds his new passion through photography. He really obsessed with it, that is why he spends most of his spare time in his dark room. He feels peace in the dark room and it is quite (p.180). No one ever goes there except him. For David, photography is about perception series, images of the body that look like something else all and secrets that people will have and never tell (p.257). He sees the world different through camera, “Sometimes watching images emerge in the bath of developer, he glimpse Norah arm, the curve of her hip, and full with a deep sense of his love for her” (p.245). Aside photography, David is very busy with his job as a doctor. He is busy in helping others. “He had devoted himself to his work and, in those areas of life he could control, had been very successful” (p.394). He does not have time to do other things beside working and photographing. “He worked so hard, and spent long hours in his darkroom too, clipping images to dry on the clothes he’d strung form wall to wall” (p.222). Norah hates David’s hobby in photography because he tends to ignore the other things. “It makes her sad because he speaks of photography as he had spoken once of medicine, of their marriage, a language and tone that evoked the lost past and filled her with longing” (p.223).

Material for Paragraph Writing

I. Warming up questions:

1. What is meant by narrative text?

2. What is the purpose of narrative text?

3. What are the generic structures of narrative text?

II. Read and analyze the text!

When Jack was born, David set up an account for him in Rosemary’s name, and one for Phoebe, in Caroline’s name. It was easy enough; he’d always had Caroline’s Social Security number, and he had her address too. It had taken a private investigator less than a week to find Caroline and Phoebe, living in Pittsburgh, in a tall narrow house near the freeway. David had driven there and parked on the street, meaning to go up the steps and knock on the door. What he wanted was to tell Norah what had happened, and he couldn’t do that without telling her where Phoebe was. Norah would want to see their daughter; he was sure, so it wasn’t only his own life he might change, or Norah’s or Paul’s. He had come here to tell Caroline what he was hoping to do. Was it the right thing? He didn’t know. He sat in the car. Phoebe had grown up here.

And then David saw her: Phoebe, his daughter. She was in the dining room, setting the table. She had Paul’s dark hair and his profile, and for an instant, until she turned to reach for the saltshaker, David felt as if he must be watching his son. She was short and stocky, and her hair was thin, held back with barrettes. Even so, the resemblance was still visible to David: there was Paul’s smile, his nose, Paul’s expression of concentration on Phoebe’s face when she put her hands on her hips and surveyed the table.

 

 

By then it was fully dark. David stood, transfixed, glad there was little traffic. Now he understood that he was not in control of this situation, he was excluded from it as completely as if he didn’t exist. David went back to his car. He had caused Norah pain; his deception had made her suffer in ways he had never imagined or intended. But he could spare her this. He could drive away and leave the past undisturbed. And that was what he did, finally, travelling all night across the flat expanse of Ohio.

Taken from: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards (pp.402-403)

a. Orientation:

--- b. Complication:

--- c. Resolution:

---

III. Read the text and answer the questions!

David stood, stretched, and loped off to the park. About a mile into his run, he remembered the other thing that had been nagging him all morning, the importance of the day beyond Rosemary’s test: July twelfth, Norah’s birthday. He ran, veering away from the park, heading instead for his old neighborhood. Rosemary was right, Norah should know. He would tell her today. He would go to their old house, where Norah still lived and wait until she returned and he would tell her, though he could not imagine now how Norah would respond.

David turned down to his old street. He had not been here in months. The driveway was empty; Norah wasn’t home. He paced across the lawn a few times

to catch his breath, and then walked to where the key was still hidden beneath a brick beside the rhododendron. He let himself inside and got a water of drink. There was a yellow legal pad on the desk by the phone, full of cryptic notes. He tore this page off carefully, neatly, arranging it in the center of the desk, then carried the pad back to the breakfast nook, sat down, and began to write. Our little girl did not die. Caroline Gill took her and raised her in another city. He crosses this out. I gave away our daughter. He sighed and out the pen down. He couldn’t do this; he could hardly imagine anymore what his life would be without the weight of his hidden knowledge. Distantly, the tap in the downstairs bathroom dripped. Something that had driven him crazy for years, something had always meant to fix. It took him more than an hour to fix the faucets in the bathroom.

Well, at least she would be happy about the faucets. And he was too; he’d done a careful, meticulous job. He stood in the kitchen, stretching his arms wide as he prepared to finish his run and picked the yellow legal pad up again. I fixed the bathroom sink, he wrote. Happy Birthday. Then, he left, locking the door behind him, and ran.

Taken from: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards (pp.410-411)

IV. Answer these questions!

1. Analyze the text based on the generic structure!

2. What is the topic sentence of the text above?

 

 

V. Reflection Time!

1. What have you leant today?

2. Do you have any difficulty in understanding narrative text?

3. What do you think about using literature work in today’s learning?

 

ABSTRACT

Widyastuti, Maria Ayuni. 2012. David’s Motivation in Getting rid of His Down Syndrome Daughter as Seen in Kim Edwards’s The Memory Keeper’s

Daughter. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Department

of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.

This thesis analyzes Kim Edwards’s novel The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. This novel tells about an orthopedic surgeon who helps his wife, Norah Henry, in giving birth to a twin, Paul and Phoebe. Unfortunately, Phoebe suffers from Down syndrome. Therefore, David decides to get rid of her with the help of his nurse, Caroline Gill. Instead of leaving Phoebe to the institution, Caroline decides to raise her. David tells his wife that Phoebe is dead right after she was born, but the fact is she is alive.

The aim of this study is to find out David’s motivation in getting rid of his daughter. There are two problems to be answered: (1.) How is David’s character portrayed in the novel? and (2.) What is David’s motivation in getting rid of his Down syndrome daughter?

This thesis is a library study method. There are two kinds of sources used, namely, primary and secondary sources. Kim Edwards’s The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is the primary source. Meanwhile, the secondary sources are taken from some books and articles which are closely related with the issues presented in this study, such as the theory of character and characterization, theory of personality, and theory of motivation. This study uses psychological approach to analyze human personality and motivation.

The result of this study shows that physically, David is a handsome man. Besides, he is a loving and caring man, but he is shamed of his past life. He is also an excellent orthopedic surgeon. There are four main factors that motivate David to get rid of his daughter. His surface motivations are he does not want his wife to feel the same as his mother and raise Phoebe will be difficult due to her condition. Meanwhile, his deeper motivations are he is a selfish person and shames by the fact that he is carried the Down syndrome genetic in his body.

Since this study is imperfect and had many limitations. It is suggested for the future researchers to find out David’s other motivations to make this study perfect. As for English teachers, they are recommended to use this novel in the teaching-learning activity. The writer presents a lesson plan for Paragraph Writing class using The Memory Keeper’s Daughter that can be applied by teachers.

Keywords: Down syndrome, motivation, get rid of, secret, bitter past life, and lie.

vii 

ABSTRAK

Widyastuti, Maria Ayuni. 2012. David’s Motivation in Getting rid of His Down Syndrome Daughter as Seen in Kim Edwards’s The Memory Keeper’s

Daughter. Jogjakarta: Fakultas Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Departemen

Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Tesis ini menganalisis novel berjudul The Memory Keeper’s Daughter karya Kim Edwards. Novel ini menceritakan tentang seorang dokter bedah tulang yang membantu istrinya, Norah Henry, dalam proses melahirkan bayi kembar bernama Paul dan Phoebe. Sayangnya, Phoebe menderita Down syndrome, David lalu memutuskan untuk membuang Phoebe dengan bantuan perawatnya yaitu Caroline Gill. Alih-alih membawa Phoebe ke sebuah yayasan, Caroline memutuskan untuk merawatnya. David mengatakan pada istrinya bahwa Phoebe telah wafat tepat ketika dia dilahirkan, namun pada kenyataannya, dia masih hidup.

Studi ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui motivasi David dalam membuang anak perempuannya. Ada dua masalah untuk dipecahkan: (1.) Bagaimana karakter David digambarkan dalam novel? dan (2.) Apa motivasi David untuk membuang putrinya yang menderita Down syndrome?

Tesis ini mengaplikasikan metode studi perpustakaan. Ada dua buah sumber-sumber yang digunakan yaitu sumber primer dan sekunder. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter karya Kim Edwards adalah sumber primer. Sedangkan sumber-sumber sekunder diambil dari beberapa buku dan artikel-artikel yang berhubungan erat dengan masalah yang dipaparkan seperti contohnya, teori karakter dan karakterisasi, teori personaliti, dan teori motivasi. Studi ini menggunakan pendekatan psikologi untuk menganalisi kepribadian dan motivasi seseorang.

Hasil dari studi ini menunjukkan bahwa David adalah pria menarik yang penyayang, perhatian, seorang dokter yang hebat, dan malu terhadap masa lalunya. Ada empat faktor penting yang memotivasi David untuk membuang putrinya. Motivasinya secara tersirat yaitu dia tidak mau istrinya mengalami hal yang sama seperti ibunya dan mengasuh Phoebe akan sangat berat. Motivasinya yang mendalam adalah dia egois dan malu karena dia mempunyai Down syndrome genetik dalam tubuhnya.

Dianjurkan untuk para peneliti-peneliti yang akan datang, untuk menemukan motivasi-motivasi David lainnya yang belum ditemukan oleh penulis, untuk membuat studi ini sempurna. Hal ini dikarenakan karena studi ini belum sepenuhnya sempurna. Sedangkan untuk guru-guru Bahasa Inggris, dianjurkan untuk menggunakan novel ini dalam kegiatan belajar-mengajar. Studi ini juga memberikan rancangan rencana pembelajaran untuk kelas Paragraph Writing menggunakan novel The Memory Keeper’s Daughter yang bisa diaplikasikan oleh guru-guru.

Kata kunci: Down syndrome, motivasi, membuang, rahasia, masa lalu yang kelam, dan kebohongan