ANNA FITZGERALD’S ALTRUISM IN JODI PICOULT’S MY SISTER’S KEEPER

ANNA FITZGERALD’S ALTRUISM IN JODI PICOULT’S MY SISTER’S KEEPER

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Diah Mayasari English Literature, Languages and Arts Faculty, State University of Surabaya

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Hujuala Rika Ayu, SS., MA. English Literature, Languages and Arts Faculty, State University of Surabaya

[email protected]

Abstrak

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis altruisme pada karakter Anna Fitzgerald. Anna Fitzgerald dalam novel My Sister’s Keeper ciptaan Jodi Picoult adalah karakter utama yang merupakan seorang altruistik. Sebagai seorang altruistik, Anna Fitzgerald selalu fokus pada kebaikan kakak perempuannya daripada kebaikannya sendiri. Dia selalu membantu kakak perempuannya, Kate Fitzgerald, untuk sembuh dari penyakit yang dideritanya. Dia tidak memikirkan akan dirinya sendiri. Dia telah menyumbangkan darah, sum sum tulang belakang, dan bagian tubuh lainnya untuk mempertahankan hidup Kate. Hal ini sama seperti konsep altruisme. Altruisme adalah salah satu tipe tingkah laku manusia yang memfokuskan diri pada kesejahteraan orang lain dari pada kesejahteraan dirinya sendiri. Keberadaan altruisme dipengaruhi oleh adanya faktor penyebab. Faktor penyebab tersebut adalah perasaan empati kepada seseorang. Dengan kata lain, empati merupakan akar dari altruisme. Konsep ini digagas oleh C. Daniel Baston dalam bukunya yang berjudul Altruism in Human. Konsep tersebut digunakan dalam studi ini untuk menjawab dua permasalahan pokok. Dua permasalahan tersebut adalah bagaimana altruisme dalam diri Anna Fitzgerald yang ada dalam novel My Sister’s Keeper, karangan Jodi Picoult dan pengaruh apa saja yang timbul sebagai akibat dari altruisme dalam hidup Anna Fitzgerald. Pembelajaran ini menunjukkan bahwa Anna merupakan seorang altruistik. Dia memiliki keempat karakteristik dari altruisme, yaitu dia senang membantu Kate; apa yang telah dia lakukan pada Kate bukan hanya untuk kebaikan Kate tapi juga untuk keluarganya; dia telah memperoleh resiko besar karena pengorbanannya; dan dia tidak mengharapkan hadiah. Karena sifat altruismenya, Anna telah memperoleh dua akibat, akibat positif dan negatif. Dampak positif dalam hidup Anna adalah Anna Fitzgerald lebih sensitif pada orang lain; Anna Fitzgerald senang menolong orang lain, tidak hanya Kate; orang lain percaya pada Anna Fitzgerald; dan altruisme telah membuat Anna dekat dengan Kate. Sedangkan dampak negatifnya yaitu Kate menjadi ketergantungan pada Anna dan altruisme telah membuat Anna tidak memikirkan dirinya sendiri.

Kata Kunci: Altruisme, Empati, Sakit, Kesejahteraan

Abstract

This study aims to analyze altruism in Anna Fitzgerald’s character. Anna Fitzgerald in Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper is as main character who is an altruistic person. As an altruistic person, Anna Fitzgerals always focuses on her older sister’s goodness rather than herself. She always helps her older sister, Kate Fitzgerald, to recover from her illness. She does not think about herself. She has already given her blood, bone marrow, and the other part of her body to make her older sister alive. It is same with the concept of altruism. Altruism is type of human behavior that tends to focus on the welfare of others rather than his own. Existence of altruism has casual factor. The casual factor of altruism is feeling empathy to someone else. In other hand, empathic is the root of altruism. This concept is inspired by C. Daniel Batson in his book, Altruism in Human. The concepts have used in the study to answer the two statements of the problems. Those are how is Anna Fitzgerald’s altruism in Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper and what are the impacts of altruism in Anna Fitzgerald’s life. The study showed that Anna Fitzgerald is an altruistic. She has four characteristics of altruism. They are: she likes to help Kate; all of she has done to Kate is not only for Kate but also for her family; she has received high risk because of her sacrifice; and the last, she didn’t expect any external reward. Because of Anna’s altruism, Anna has given two impacts in her life. They are positive and negative effects. The positive effects are The positive impacts of altruism in Anna Fitzgerald’s life are: Anna Fitzgerald is more sensitive to other people; Anna Fitzgerald likes to help another, it is not just Kate; other people believe on Anna Fitzgerald; and altruism has made Anna close to Kate. Then the negative effect are altruism has made Kate being addicted to Anna and altruism has made Anna didn’t think about her.

Key Words: Altruism, Empathy, Illness, Welfare


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INTRODUCTION

Jodi Picoult;s My Sister’s Keeper is one example of realistic fiction. My Sister’s Keeper is based on the true story. In 2000, the first family who use Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is the Nash family from Englewood, Colorado. They used Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) to help their first child, Molly to recover from her Fanconi anemia’s disease. Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is the way to have a baby with perfect condition (a condition that is what the parents want). Nash family planned to have a new baby that has same characteristic with their older child. So, they have used Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) and after that Mrs. Nash had a baby, Adam.

My sister’s keeper is a bestseller book. It won Book Browse Diamond Award for the most popular novel in 2005 written by Jodi Picoult. This novel has influenced the reader’s emotion by telling complicated family conflict. The novel is also translated into Indonesian language by Hetih Rusli with Gramedia Pustaka as the publisher in 2007. This novel is adapted into feature film that was directed by Nick Cassavetes. The film had the same title “My Sister’s Keeper” and released on 26 June, 2009. My Sister’s Keeper’s movie won Teen Choice Award with Choice Summer Movie Drama’s category.

Jodi Picoult as the writer of the novel “My Sister’s Keeper” is a very famous American Author. She is the bestselling author of twenty one novels, such as Songs of the Humpback Whale (1992), My Sister’s Keeper (2004), The Storyteller (2013), etc. In 2003 she was awarded the New England Bookseller Award for Fiction. Her books have been copied about 14 million copies in print worldwide. Jodi Picoult has also been the recipient an Alex Award from the Young Adult Library Services Association; the Book Browse Diamond Award for novel of the year; a lifetime achievement award for mainstream fiction from the Romance Writers of America; Cosmopolitan magazine’s ‘Fearless Fiction’ Award 2007; and many more.

The novel is talking about a girl who gives whatever her older sister’s need. That girl is Anna Fitzgerald. She has already given her blood, bone marrow, kidney and the other part of her body to make her older sister alive. Her older sister, Kate Fitzgerald is dying from APL (Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia), a blood and bone marrow cancer. Anna Fitzgerald is the one who can help her older sister. She loves her sister very much. In her mind, the happiness of Kate is the important thing in her life. In this case Anna’s altruism appears.

Altruism or selflessness is the opposite of egoism. Egoism is selfish feeling or love their self. One loves herself and only thinks about herself but altruism is unselfish feeling. It is the feeling of loving others more than themselves. Altruism is just not a feeling but, it also takes an action and the altruistic people do not expect any reward for their action. Altruistic people will give what

the others need even though they need too. As quoted in Altruism in Humans, “Altruism is a desire to benefit someone else for his or her sake rather than one’s own and even exists in humans”. (Batson, 2011; 3) Altruism can be defined as a general phenomenon in which a person takes over the interests of other people and make it as their own interests. (Scott and Seglow, 2007; 2)

The existence of altruism is debated. If altruism exists it is good. But actually in this world, there is no something that is always good. There are good side and bad side of altruism itself. For example, chocolate is delicious, many people like chocolate, but chocolate cake has calories and cholesterol. This case shows why altruism is still debated. But C. Daniel Batson argue that altruism is exist, he said that Empathy-induced altruism apparently does exist, which means we need to think more carefully about the first belief. (2011; 161)

Anna Fitzgerald is an altruistic person. Altruism is possible in human life. In many religious traditions, there is lesson that asks to human to help the other people without expect any reward for them. For example, in Islam, there is rule that ask people to help others who are getting disaster; giving contribution to orphaned; etc. That is based on the C. Daniel Batson idea in his books, Altruism in Humans that many, especially within religious traditions, have said that we humans ought to be altruistic. (Batson, 2011; 3) C. Daniel Batson explained that as religious humans, people should help others and does not hope the rewards. This is why he said that altruism does exist in human’s life.

The root of altruism is empathy. People in this world were born with selfish desire or egoism. They want to satisfy themselves. Then they grow up and they look around them. In this time, their other personality is growing up. Such as, have feeling empathy to someone. Then superego suppresses the basic selfish desires, and altruism emerges, either as a result of guilt (imposed by the superego for moral transgressions) or as a result of the internalization of values and standards learned in early childhood. (Monroe, 1996; 180) So, altruism appears because of the feeling of empathy to someone else.

The topic of altruism have been discussed by other researcher in State University of Surabaya, such as Putri Fitriana (2011) who analyzed altruism of Mariam in Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns and Andi Pramono (2006) who analyzed altruism of characters in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. But altruism of main character, Anna Fitzgerald, in Jodi Picoult’s My Sister Keeper is never been analyzed by other researcher in State University of Surabaya (UNESA).

In order to prove the originality this study, the researcher takes two theses as the previous study. The researcher realized that there are previous studies and analysis already done by the topic of altruism in different literary work. They are Putri Fitriana (2011) who analyzed altruism of Mariam in Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns and Andi Pramono (2006) who analyzed altruism of characters in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s


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The Scarlet Letter. Both of them are students of State University of Surabaya.

The title of Putri Fitriana’s thesis is Mariam’s Altruism in Khaled Hosseini’s a Thousand Splendid Suns. In her thesis, Putri Fitriana took two statements of problems. First, she analyzed about the altruism of Mariam. And the last, she analyzes the causes of Mariam’s altruism. In her thesis, she only uses theory of altruism.

The title of Andi Pramono’s thesis is Altruism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s the Scarlet Letter. In his thesis, Andi Pramono took two statements of problems. First, he analyzed altruism that is revealed in Scarlet Letter. And the last, he analyzed the effect of altruism on the altruistic character. Andi Pramono analyzed two characters in Scarlet Letter as the altruistic character. They are Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Both of them are major characters in the story. In his thesis, he not only uses theory of altruism but also theories of character and characterization.

All the research above that explained about altruism will be used as a guide for the analysis. The understanding and explanation provided above will give a clear picture about altruism. It will be the help in the analysis.

Finally, according to the background of study above, it can be simplified to discuss between two problems thatemerge as a significant concern toward the novel.

1. How is Anna Fitzgerald’s altruism in Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper?

2. What are the impacts of altruism in Anna Fitzgerald’s life? RESEARCH METHOD

Research methodology is divided into three parts. They are the data source and the data; data collection and data analysis.

The data source is a novel with title My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult in the form of an e-book, which is published in the United States, by Atria Boob, a division of Simon and Schuster, Inc in 2004. The novel that is in form of e-book is taken from internet in early September 2013. And the data is taken from the novel text which involves quotation, sentence fragments, dialogue and monologue that reveal from the statements or action not only from the main character itself but also point of view from the other characters in that novel.

There are three steps that are used in collecting data. First step is reading the novel. In this step, it is required to read many times. It is done to get the main idea of the story. The second step is deep reading. In this step, it is not just reading but also giving mark to the statements that will show the answer of the problems. It is done to collect the data which is in speeches, actions, and attitudes of Anna Fitzgerald as the main character of the novel and speeches, actions, and attitudes of the other characters that related to Anna Fitzgerald. And the last step is observation of the data to view the Anna

Fitzgerald’s altruism and the impact of altruism on Anna Fitzgerald’s life.

The collection data will be selected and analyzed by the guide of the theories. The data will be analyzed with theory of altruism. To analyze altruism, it begins by giving mark which speeches, actions, and attitude of the Anna Fitzgerald’s character that reveal altruism. And giving marks which speeches, actions, and attitude of the other characters that related to Anna Fitzgerald that reveal altruism of Anna Fitzgerald. Finally, it is ended by giving explanations, comments, and judgments to those classifications. ANALYSIS OF THE STUDY

Analisis of the study will describe and discuss about

the results of data which have been collected and analyzed based on research question (1) how is Anna Fitzgerald’s altruism in Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper?, (2) what are the impacts of altruism to Anna Fitzgerald’s life? So, the explanation and discussion of this chapter will focus on those two aspects. It hopes that the analysis results can give us some brief descriptions about Anna Fitzgerald’s altruism and the impact to her life.

Anna Fitzgerald’s Altruism

Altruism loves others more than themselves,

behavior that want to help others although they will get high risk from their action and they do not expect any rewards. Anna Fitzgerald’s altruism is for the happiness of Kate Fitzgerald’s life. It proves from her sacrifice to Kate Fitzgerald. She doesn’t think about her life but she always thinks about the happiness of others person. It is not only for the happiness of Kate but also for her family because her family want to make Kate recovered from her diseases.

Based on the characteristics of altruism in chapter two, it is mentioned that there are four characteristics of altruism. They are altruism is as helping behavior, altruism is to benefit a group, altruism involve a high risk to the doer and altruism do not expect any external reward. In the first section, it will be discussed the characteristic of altruism. Anna Fitzgerald Likes to Help Kate

C. Daniel Batson said that altruism is just not a

motivation but also an action to benefit the others (2011:23). It was shown in Anna’s character. Anna Fitzgerald is always helping her older sister with an action. She always gives whatever Kate needs for her life. It is directly explaining in Anna Fitzgerald’s narrating.

I'm an allogeneic donor--a perfect sibling match. (Picoult, 2004 : 6). The statement that explains if Anna is a donor for Kate. She admitted that she was a perfect donor for her older sister, Kate Fitzgerald. Allogeneic in here is cell or tissue that is obtained from the donors for used in transplantation. When Kate needs leukocyte, stem


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cells or bone marrow to make her healthy, Anna will give it for her. Anna is aware that she is an allogeneic donor for Kate.

“A perfect sibling match” is enough to explaining

that both of them (Anna and Kate) is a perfect sibling. It is just like a ballpoint pen with the ink. Ballpoint pen can’t be used if there is no ink. It is same with Anna and Kate. They are a perfect sibling match. Anna is always completing Kate’s deficiencies. And Kate makes Anna feel happy because her life is very useful for her older sister.

When Kate needs leukocytes or stem cells or bone marrow to fool her body into thinking it's healthy, I'm the one who provides them. Nearly every time Kate's hospitalized, I wind up there, too. (Picoult, 2004 : 6)

Kristen Renwick Monroe said that altruism must

entail action. Altruism cannot merely be good intentions or well-meaning thoughts (1996:6). In their action, altruistic people do not think about themselves. They will give something to the other’s who is in need even though they are in need too. It also happens in Anna’s life that always helps her older sister with an action.

Everytime Kate Fitzgerald relapses, Anna is the only person who is faithfully donates what is needed by Kate. She is always willing to be a healer for Kate. She will give leukocytes or stem cells or bone marrow in her body to Kate, everythime Kate needs it. So every time Kate stays in the hospital, then Anna will be there too. She is a hero for her older sister, Kate Fitzgerald.

Anny Fitzgerald loves her older sister very much. Besides Kate’s parents, Anna is someone who is always disquiet all about Kate. She always cares about the health of Kate. Every time she cried or any signs of recurrence of Kate’s disease appear, Anna always looks worried on Kate.

Anna Fitzgerald’s Altruism is to benefit her Family

The second characteristic of altruism is to benefit a

group. Group is collection of individuals who interact with each other and have same goal. Such as: family, political party, class, bands, school, collage, and many more. Small Family is one example of group that consist of father, mother, and children (there are brother and sister). So, Fitzgerald family is also the example of group because it consist of father (Brian), mother (Sara), Jesse (first son), Kate (first daughter) and Anna (second daughter).

Kate is a second child in the Fitzgerald family. She is the first daughter in there. Kate’s position as the first daughter in Fitzgerald family makes her be a center of the attention. Even more, she has dangerous disease, APL (Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia), a blood and bone marrow cancer. Because of her disease, the attention of all family members focuses on Kate. They all always try to find the way how to make Kate recover from her diseases and make her still alive.

In Fitzgerald family, Brian’s position is a father

who has dying daughter, Kate Fitzgerald. It is very painful because his first daughter will pass away. Be like another parents, Brian also hope that Kate can recover from her diseases. He wants to see Kate grow up be a adolescent, graduate her senior high school, and see her in her wedding party. There are no parents in this world who want to see their children pass away in her young age.

Kate is going to die. It took me a long time to be able to say that. We all are going to die, when you get down to it, but it's not supposed to be like this. Kate ought to be the one who has to say good-bye to me. (Picoult, 2004 : 35) Brian understood that everyone will die. It will

happen to himself, Sara (her wife), Jesse, Kate, and Anna too. In Brian’s opinion, death is only for a person who is old enough. Based on his opinion, someone who should die is him, not Kate. He is old enough whereas Kate is too young. Brian did not want to let her passed away. So he said that Kate should be the one to say goodbye to him.

Sara Fitzgerald is a mother in Fitzgerald family. She

loves her children very much, especially Kate Fitzgerald. Sara’s attention to Kate is bigger than to the other children. She always cares with everything about Kate. She did not want to lose her first daughter. This condition made her beliefs on others be reduced. Moreover, it is about Kate. For Sara, if bad condition happens to Kate, the world will be doomsday. Be like Brian, Sara also did not want to see her children, Kate, pass away.

"Did you hear that?" "Hear what?" "Kate." "I didn't hear anything." But she doesn't take my word for it, because when it comes to Kate she doesn't take anybody's word for it. She marches upstairs and opens up our bedroom door to find my sister hysterical on her bed, and just like that the world collapses again. (Picoult, 2004 : 6) Another Fitzgerald family member is Jesse. Jesse is

the first children in Fitzgerald family and the older brother for Kate and Anna. Jesse is displaced children. Since Kate was dying from APL (Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia), a blood and bone marrow cancer, both parents only focus on Kate. Jesse did not get attention from his parents as before. Jesse was growing up into a child who is lack of compassion. But Jesse loves Kate too.

When Kate’s diseases have been relapsed, Jesse helped her to go to hospital. He has holded her in her arms and then took her to the hospital. Not only that, Jesse is also regret with what he was done to Kate. An hour before Kate’s diseases has relapsed, Jesse and Kate was watching television. Kate wanted to watch television program that she is liked but Jesse did not agree with


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that. He regrets it. Then on the way went to hospital, Jesse broke the traffic lights for Kate.

Now, as I run through red lights, I'm wishing that I'd let her watch that retarded soap. (Picoult, 2004 : 83)

Then the next shocking evidence has in hospital.

Jesse and Kate arrived in hospital. After Dr. Chance, Kate’s doctor, has checked on Kate’s condition, the doctor said that Kate needed a kidney transplant. Jesse offered himself to be a donor for Kate. He would give his kidney to Kate. In these parts, Jesse shows his love for Kate. He was willing to give the most important part of his body for Kate.

"Wait." You'd think my throat had just been paved with straw. Would mine work?' (Picoult, 2004 : 84)

Anna Fitzgerald Receives High Risk because of Her Sacrifice

Altruistic people will give deep impact to the doer

because they never worry about the risk of their sacrificed. Anna Fitzgerald in Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper is main character who always gives whatever Kate needs. Anna is the last child of Sara Fitzgerald and Brian Fitzgerald. All of people in Fitzgerald’s family love Kate very much. They are afraid that something bad happens to Kate (death). Especially Anna, she is a donor for Kate although she will receive high risk from her action.

The bruises and the deep bone ache after I gave up my marrow; the shots that sparked more stem cells in me, so that there'd be extra for my sister. The fact that I'm not sick, but I might as well be. (Picoult, 2004 : 11)

Anna said directly that she was also sick when

Kate’s diseases have relapsed. Process of giving part of Anna’s body, makes her painful. Anna should get injection when she has given her marrow to Kate. Not only had the painful of injection, but also bruises and deep bone ached because of her action. Her body that is healthy became sick, as sick as Kate and must be hospitalized too for several days.

"Bone marrow," she says woodenly, before I can ask the question. "She was put under general anesthesia because she was so young, and needles were put into the crests of her hips to draw out the marrow." "Was it one needle stick, like the other procedures?" "No," Sara says quietly. "It was about fifteen." (Picoult, 2004 : 270)

It was what Campbell said about Anna. Anna

should be injected with fifteen needle sticks when she has donated bone marrow for Kate. Of course it was very

painful for Anna’s physical. Anna who gives whatever Kate needs got high risk for her action. Anna Fitzgerald Does not Expect any External Reward

Altruistic people do not expect any external reward.

Expect in here have same meaning with wishing or hoping from other people because of their sacrifice. Then external reward is different with internal reward. External reward is the type of physical rewards that people have got because of their performance, action, sacrifice and many more. Examples of external reward are money, necklace, ring, cars, and many more. Altruistic people do not expect it but they will get internal reward. They are feeling of self-satisfaction and pleasure because the doer could help them (someone who is in needed).

Of course Anna should be honored for donating her bone Marrow. Of course she deserves recognition. (Picoult, 2004 : 213)

Sara said that Anna deserved a gift because of her

sacrifice to Kate. After Anna has given her bone Marrow, her father gave her a necklace. Necklace includes as external reward but Anna did not expect it. Anna gave her bone Marrow just want to make Kate recover from her diseases. Sara also confirmed that Anna should be honored. She did not say that Anna hoped or wished necklace or the other goods for her sacrifice. “I have something to sell," (Picoult, 2004 : 5)

That is the evidence which proves that Anna did not expect the necklace. She has sold the necklace. She did it because she needed money to pay a lawyer in order to make Kate’s wish is real. Kate wanted to give up from her diseases. Then Anna is the only one person who can make it comes true. If Anna expected the necklace, she will not sell it just to help Kate. She will keep the necklace on her neck.

Today is a good day. By this I mean she feels up to yelling at me for borrowing two of her CDs without asking. (Picoult, 2004 : 226)

Anna said that in her opinion, good day is when

Kate scolded because Anna has taken her CD without her permission. It means that Anna prefer to hear Kate’s anger rather than see Kate in hospital. By Anna’s statement, it explains that Anna will give whatever Kate’s need in order to see Kate has better life. By that action, Anna will fell better and get self-satisfaction.

Altruistic people do not expect any external reward. They will get internal reward. They are feeling of self-satisfaction and pleasure. What was done by Anna is to make her older sister, Kate, recover from her illness. Because of that it made Anna fell self-satisfaction and pleasure. In her life, her good day is when Kate was in good condition, her diseases were not relapse.

People as a donor will have higher self-esteem and feel more important within the family structure. They consider themselves as superheroes. It is because they


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can do the one thing that no one else can do it. They just want to get internal reward rather than external reward. It happens in Anna’s life. As altruistic people, she is never hoping any external reward from her parents. What was got by Anna is just a present from her parents because of her action. She never expects it.

The Impact of Altruism to Anna Fitzgerald’s Life

There are two impacts of altruism to the doer and the receiver. They are the benefit (advantages) and the liabilities (disadvantages). As altruistic people, Anna Fitzgerald get the good and bad impact of it.

There are some good sides of Anna Fitzgerald’s

altruism. They are (1) altruism influence her to be more sensitive to other people; (2) altruism influence her to help another; (3) altruism makes other people believe on her; and (4) altruism makes Anna close to Kate (the doer close to the receiver). There are some bad sides of Anna Fitzgerald’s altruism. They are (1) altruism makes the receiver addicted to the doer and (2) altruism makes the doer does not think about herself.

The Good Sides of Anna Fitzgerald’s Altruism a. Anna Fitzgerald is more sensitive to other people

Altruism makes Anna more sensitive to

another. She can easier to see the bad condition of the other people. For example, when Anna has come to Campbell Alexander’s office for the first time, she saw that Campbell is strange. He is not blind, but he has a dog that is always near him. And then Anna was asking to Campbell about it, but suddenly she was regret because she knew well how rude she is who asked the sensitive question.

"So what's the matter with you?" The minute I say it, I want to take it back. Haven't I watched Kate field this question from hundreds of rude people? (Picoult, 2004 : 11)

The other attention of Anna to other people is

seen to Julia, Anna’s guardian ad litem. Julia is someone new in Anna’s life. In one occasion, Julia came to hospital, the place of Kate in that day. The arrival of Julia in hospital was to communicate with Kate. She wanted to give some question to her. Anna suggested her to do not speak up about court. This is the form of Anna’s attention to Julia. She did not want her mother, Sara, be angry to Julia.

I expect a fight from Sara, but it is Anna who speaks up. "I don't think it's such a good idea," she says, although she knows this is the very reason I've come here. "I mean, Kate's still pretty sick." (Picoult, 2004 : 143)

Anna’s statement made Julia very surprising. Then Julia understood what the purpose of Anna’s statement. What was done by Anna was to keep her from her mother, Sara. She could find another day to have communicated with Kate, certainly in good condition.

In those condition, it showed that Anna as

altruistic people have sensitive characteristic. She is very easy to feel compassion to the others. This is the first benefit of altruism. It can make someone’s heart (altruistic people) less of fickle help and far from egoism. She can easier to see the bad condition of the others. So she does not think about herself.

b. Anna Fitzgerald likes to help another

The second point of benefit effect of altruistic

people is they like to help another. Altruistic people not only help one person but more than one. They would help others without asked first. It make the altruistic people become more sensitive with bad condition in others people’s life. This is same with Anna. She was not only helping her older sister, Kate, but also the other person in her life even though she never meets them before.

On the way went to hospital to help Mrs. Eldie Briggs’s life, Anna hold her hand. Hold someone’s hand can make her more powerful to face the fact. In this condition, Mrs. Eldie Briggs got psychological support from Anna. What was done by Anna to Mrs. Eldie Briggs was not a command from other people. She did it because she wanted to do it and she thought this action will make her condition be better.

c. The Other People Believe on Anna Fitzgerald

Altruism can instill beliefs each others.

Altruism can make the other people believe on them (altruistic people). It is because they do not want to receive any reward. They just want to help them. Throughout this benefit, people will have great belief to the others.

Anna is the only proof I have that I was born into this family, instead of dropped off on the doorstep by some Bonnie and Clyde couple that ran off into the night. (Picoult, 2004 : 80)

In Fitzgerald family, Jesse is the first son of

Sara Fitzgerald and Brian Fitzgerald. He is lack of his parent’s attention. Both of his parents seems like do not consider his existence. His bedroom is far from her home. It is located in out of his room. And he always do something danger just to make his parents care on him. He burned school building, empty building, stole a Humvee car, and many more. But his parent was too busy with Kate’s condition.


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For Jesse, Anna, his younger sister is the only one person who considers the existence of Jesse in Fitzgerald family. Only Anna who made him really lives in that family. Because of that, Jesse believes on Anna. During this time, Jesse thought that he was not Sara and Brian’s son because he did not get attention as much as the attention for Kate. He also close to Anna likes an ordinary brother and sister.

d. Altruism Makes Anna Close to Kate

Altruism makes the altruistic people and the

receiver closer. The receiver feels that they have a debt of gratitude to the doer (altruistic people). And the doer is also feeling happy because they can help them. This feeling makes them closer. Kenrick said that altruism can expand sense of “we”. (http://bookzz.org/book/512032/e18dd4 : page 316)

Kate and I are Siamese twins; you just can't see the spot where we're connected. Which makes separation that much more difficult. (Picoult, 2004 : 80)

Kate and Anna are very close. Both of them

are not twin sisters. But their relationship is like twin sisters. Anna said that she and Kate could not be separated each other. It was because without Anna, Kate is nothing. As a donor for Kate, it did not make Anna be arrogant. Anna loves her older sister very much. If Kate is not sick, both of them are like an ordinary sister. They played together, told about their daily life, and many more

In Kate’s heart, she wanted to be Anna’s older sister truly. She wanted to protect Anna from something harmful. Because of her condition, she could not do it. Anna takes her place. In fact, Anna is the one person who always protects Kate from something harmful with her life. This condition made both of them very close. They needed each other.

The Bad Sides of Anna Fitzgerald’s Altruism a. Altruism Makes Kate Addicted to Anna

Altruism without wisdom will make

destruction for the giver and the receiver. In other word, altruism will make the receiver be addicted with the giver’s help. They cannot be independent and always need the other to solve their problems. It is same with Kate condition that cannot be separated from her younger sister, Anna.

“Kate is counting on you” (Picoult, 2004 : 211). As a mother for Kate and Anna, Sara closes to her daughters. She knows well about Kate. She knows that Kate’s life is very depending on Anna. Kate always waits Anna’s help to make her recover from her illness. And Kate knows that Anna will not refuse her desire. Anna will do whatever Kate needed.

Nearly every time Kate's hospitalized, I wind up there, too. (Picoult, 2004 : 6). Anna’s altruism makes Kate become dependent to Anna. Every time Kate relapse and should be hospitalized, Anna will be in there too. Kate can be far from Anna. It is because everything that she needed is on Anna. Anna is like an angel for Kate.

Anna gives everything that she has to Kate. When Kate has got infections, Anna donated her granulocytes. When she has relapsed again, Anna gave her peripheral blood stem cells. When Kate has needed bone marrow, Anna gave her bone marrow for Kate. When Kate has felt tired with her condition and wanted to die, Anna tried to stop be a donor for her.

Altruism makes Kate addicted to Anna. Because there is no other people who can give match bone marrow for her. Her brother ever tried to be a donor for Kate, but his kidney is not match with Kate. If her brother, Jesse, give it to Kate, it will make Kate’s condition worse. Then it will make her going to die. So it is why the receiver cannot be separated from the giver.

b. Altruism Makes Anna Does not think about herself

Altruistic people will think about someone’s

benefit. The necessity of someone else is more important that their own necessity. They will give everything for the other although they need it too. It is because altruism will make someone does not think about the warfare of her or himself. Anna is also like that.

Sara told Anna and Kate that Kate needed a kidney because her kidneys have been not working. She needed kidney to make her life save. Kate’s case is not usual. She needed match kidney to help her. They all knew that someone who has match kidney with Kate is only Anna. Then Anna said that she will give one of her kidney for Kate although Kate asked to Anna to do not give it to her. "What are you talking about? Of course I'm going to do it”. (Picoult, 2004 : 344)

Anna knew that she needed her kidney too. She realized that if she gives one of her kidney for Kate, she will get high risk. When she is on operation table to do kidney operation, she has 1 in 3.000 chance of dying on the operating table. If the operation is safe, she will hospitalize for four to seven days. Then someone who life with one kidney, they should be careful with her food and they do not allowed to do strenuous exercise. In fact, Anna is like to play hockey. So if she gives her kidney, she must leave hockey.

Altruistic people will think about someone’s benefit rather than her own benefit. They prefer to be a donor although they will get bad impact because of their action. It seems like there is a strong connection between the giver and the receiver. The connection between them cannot be separated.


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CONCLUSION

Anna Fitzgerald is the main character in My Sister’s Keeper. She is the last daughter of Fitzgerald. In her life, Anna always helps her older sister, Kate. She gave whatever Kate needed to make her alive. She has given her blood, bone marrow, peripheral blood stem cells, granulocytes and many more. She wants to make her life and also her family is being happy. Because the happiness of her family is seeing Kate recovers from her diseases. Because of her action, Anna Fitzgerald got many high risks, not only in her physical but also in her psychological. But Anna never expected any external reward for all she has done for Kate.

From the findings, it was found that Anna Fitzgerald is an altruistic. She has four characteristics of altruism. They are: she likes to help Kate; all of she has done to Kate is not only for Kate but also for her family; she has received high risk because of her sacrifice; and the last, she didn’t expected any external reward. All of the proofs have been written on the novel.

The benefit impacts of altruism in Anna Fitzgerald’s life are: Anna Fitzgerald is more sensitive to other people; Anna Fitzgerald likes to help another, it is not just Kate; other people believe on Anna Fitzgerald; and altruism has made Anna close to Kate. Because of her altruism, Anna can feel what the other people feeling. She also helps stranger woman (Mrs. Eldie Briggs), her older brother (Jesse), Julia and many more. It makes the other people trust on her. They believe that Anna will help them. The closeness of Kate and Anna is because of Anna’s altruism. It is Because altruism can produce sense of we.

The liabilities of altruism in Anna Fitzgerald’s life are: altruism has made Kate being addicted to Anna and altruism has made Anna didn’t think about her. As a donor for Kate, Anna has everything that Kate needed. It means that is only Anna who can give whatever Kate needed. So, Kate is being addicted. As a younger sister and also a donor for Kate, Anna will give whatever Kate needed although she needs it too. It makes Anna never think about herself.

REFFERENCES

Batson, Daniel C. 2011. Altruism in Humans. New York : Oxford University Press

Monroe, Kristen Renwick. 1996. The Heart of Altruism : Perceptions of a Common Humanity. United Kingdom : Princeton University Press

Picoult, Jodi. 2004. My Sister’s Keeper. September 17, 2013 available in http://www.jodipicoult.com/my-sisters-keeper.html

Scott, Niall and Jonathan Seglow. 2007. Altruism. England : Open University Press

Online sources :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodi_Picoult, taken on November 8, 2014

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/954408.stm, taken on November 5, 2013

http://www.jodipicoult.com/ , taken on November 8, 2014

www.altruists.org/ideas/, taken on January 5, 2014

Documents

ANNA FITZGERALD’S ALTRUISM IN JODI PICOULT’S MY SISTER’S KEEPER