CHAPTER 2
THEORETICAL BACKGROUNDS
2.1 Review of Related Studies
There is a study of physchoanalysis which concerns in finding the defense
mechanism of someone from Khairul Fuad, student of English Department,
Faculty of ADAB and Cultural Sciences, Static Islamic University Sunan
Kalijaga, Yogyakarta, 2014. The topic is “Jilly’s Defense Mechanism As Seen In
Phyllis A Whitney’s The Singing Stones.”
The writer of this study analyzed the defense mechanism of the main
character named Jilly in novel The Singing Stones. Because Jilly always felt
anxiety of strange person, she used the defense mechanism to solve her problem
according to Freud’s theory.
2.2 Review of Related Theories
2.2.1 Plot
According to Kirsner and Mandell, plot is the way in which story’s
event’s arranged, it is shaped by causal connections –historical, social, and
personal- by the interaction between characters, and by the juxtaposition of events
(1991:67). And plot is divided to five stages:
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1. Exposition: the way the writer presents the basic information such as
character or setting and introduces the basic situation in which
characters are involved.
2. Rising Action: which complications develop and conflicts emerge.
Rising action is a peak in the story’s action.
3. Climax: which point the plot’s tension peaks. Climax is the scene that
presents a strys decivise action or event.
4. Falling action: is the intensity subsides, eventually winding down to
resolution.
5. Resolution or denouement: which stage that all loose ends are tied up.
Resolution draws the action to a close.
2.2.2 Freud’s Three Physic Zones
According to Sigmund Freud, Three Physic Zones is structures of
the personality or mind of someone and divided into three structures
(2008:37). There are:
1. Id contains biological drives. Id is represented source of the energy. It
is hedonistic and aims to satisfy its urges, which reduces tension and
brings pleasure. Id’s motivation to seek pleasure and to avoid pain of
everything. Id is like spoilts of child. When Id wants something, Id
must have it. Id don’t have any reason, logic, value, and morality.
Opposite,
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id have demand, impulsive, blind, irrational, selfish, and love pleasure
or hedonistic.
2. Ego is the structure of personality that brings about the unity of
personality and it operates according to the reality principle. Ego
usually find the reality and can understand the reality. The function of
ego is to express the id with the two things: opportunity and obstacle in
the reality. Ego is half of id and half of superego and its must be
balance.
3. Superego represented our morality aspect. Superego contains dreams
that we fight and follow the reality in society, especially rules in
family and society. Usually, superego develops at a young age.
Superego controls our act in society according the rules and values.
Superego gives sense of proud if we do the right thing and gives sense
of guilty if we do the wrong.
2.2.3 Anxiety
Superego can make someone feel guilty. When there is clash
between id and superego, ego serves as a mediator. This condition is called
anxiety. A person can not stay in a state of anxiety, thus the condition
should be overcome. To deal with anxiety, ego applys defense mechanism
(2008:39). The explanation of defense mecahnism will be presented in the
following sub topic. Through the clashing between id, ego, and superego,
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its appear an anxiety in someone. In order to survive, someone using the
defense mechanism.
Freud devides the anxiety into three types, they are neurotic
anxiety, moral anxiety, and realistic anxiety.
1. Neurotic Anxiety
The first type of anxiety is neurotic anxiety. Neurotic anxiety is aneffect
when the instinct is pressed. This feeling is located in the ego part but
the source comes from the id. Neurotic anxiety usually occurs when the
ego is still weak. And happens because there is something which will
attack the instinct. Therefore, neurotic anxiety occurs because the
danger signal will attack the id.
2. Moral Anxiety
The second type of anxiety is moral anxiety. The moral anxiety happens
because there is a clash between ego and superego. Usually this anxiety
appears because the personality controlled by the superego.
3. Realistic Anxiety
The last type of anxiety is realistic anxiety. This anxiety seems similar
to fear. Realistic anxiety is fear of danger that exists in reality. It
appears suddenly and Freud himself cannot define the causes. The
effect of this type of anxiety has relevance to the heartbeat, dizziness
and hard breathing.
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2.2.3 Defense Mechanism
Defense mechanism is strategies to solve intraphychic conflict or
problems.all of defense mechanism begin with repression of unacceptable
impulses. There are 9 defense mechanisms according to Freud’s theory.
1. Denial
It is a primitive defense mechanism which individual does not
acknowledge some painful or anxiety aspect of reality or of the self. In
other words, ego does not accept reality because it is too painful
(2008:42).
For example, smokers may refuse to admit to themselves that
smoking is bad for their health.
2. Reaction formation
It is when a person thinks or behaves in a manner is in the opposite
to the unaceptable unconscious impulse (2008:43).
The example of this defense mechanism is someone believes that
the opposite action is true to avoid the real truth and does not want to
face it. It is when you say you’re not angry when you really are.
3. Projection
This type of defense mechanism is where a person’s own
unacceptable impulse is incorectly thought to belong to someone else
(2008:43).
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Projection can be seen in the following situation: a person might
hate someone else, but her superego tells her that such hatred is
unacceptable. She can ‘solve’ the problem by believing that the other
hates her.
4. Displacement
When energy in transferred from one object or activity to another is
called displacement (2008:43).
An example of displacement is when someone who is frustated by
his or her boss at work may go home and destroy things.
5. Identification
It happens when a person fuses or models after another person
(2008:44).
For instance, someone is acting like another person.
6. Isolation
This type is conflictful material that kept disconnected from other
thoughts (2008:44).
Acting aloof and indifferent toward someone when she or he really
dislikes that person is one example of isolation.
7. Rationalization
This type of defense mechanism is where reasonable, conscious
explanations are offered rather than true unconscious motivations
(2008:44).
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For example: someone always studies hard for tests and he or she
knows a lot of people who cheat so it’s not a big deal if he or she also
cheats at time.
8. Intellectualization
Intellectualization is when a person focuses of thinking and avoids
feeling (2008:44).
An example of this type of defense mechanism is when someone
avoids wrong feeling and keeps thinking right.
9. Sublimation
It is when impulses are expressed in socially acceptable ways
(2008:44).
Sports in an example of putting our emotions into something
constructive, according to sublimation.
2.3 Theoretical Framework
There are several theories used in this thesis and in this part will be
explained briefly. The first theory of plot is from Kirszner and Mandell. Five
structures of plot as element of literature are used as a means to coordinate the
analysis of three psychic zones (id, ego, superego), where Basil had a crash on his
mind and where the defense mechanism works. Second theory is Three Psychic
Zones from Sigmund Freud used for finding out Basil’s id, ego, or superego
according to his personality. Third, theory of anxiety from Sigmund Freud used
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for finding anxiety of Basil. And the last is the theory of defense mechanism also
from Sigmund Freud used to find out which defense mechanism that Basil used.