Jack’s Motivation to Escape from Captivity in Emma Donoghue’s Novel Room

Abstract

This study is entitled “Jack’s Motivation to Escape from Captivity in Emma Donoghue’s novel Room”. This study aims to analyze intrinsic and extrinsic elements that happens in the main character named Jack from the novel Room. Using descriptive qualitative methods. The intrinsic and extrinsic contains the structural and psychological aspect from the novel Room. The structural approach was used to describe the main character’s traits, conflicts, and settings (Time and Place), while the psychological approach was used to describe Jack’s motivation as the main character of the novel “Room”. The research data collection used libraries and internet sources as the supporting method. The results show that Jack as the main character, is an Ambitious, Broad-minded, Happy, Stubborn, Fun, Curious, Pessimistic, Smart, and Well-Adapted person. From Jack’s characteristics, it also indicates that Jack is a Dynamic character since his character changes following the story from Ambitious, Pessimistic, Smart, and becomes a Well-Adapted person. The psychological approach was used to analyze Jack’s hierarchy of needs. The use of the psychological approach is to find Jack’s motivation. It appeared when he got his stimuli or secondary reinforcement from his mother and the person that encouraged him to escape from room and become an adapted person finally. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs covers Physical needs, Safety needs, Esteem needs, Love and Belongingness needs, and Self- Actualization. Jack’s self-actualization indicates his significant achievement, i.e., escaping from the room with his mother and living his life afterward. Jack’s Tension is based on his conflicts between his mother, himself, and the environment. In the end, Jack is capable of self-actualizing himself as the normal child.