ego defense mechanisms of the stranger in paulo … · ego defense mechanisms of the stranger in...
TRANSCRIPT
EGO DEFENSE MECHANISMS OF THE STRANGER IN
PAULO COELHO’S THE DEVIL AND MISS PRYM
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
THERESIA AYU SANTIKA
Student Number: 114214042
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2017
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
ii
EGO DEFENSE MECHANISMS OF THE STRANGER IN
PAULO COELHO’S THE DEVIL AND MISS PRYM
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
THERESIA AYU SANTIKA
Student Number: 114214042
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2017
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
iii
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
vii
You only live ONCE,
BUT if you do it RIGHT,
Once is ENOUGH.
-- Mae West --
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
viii
For My Beloved Parents, Sister, Brother,
And
My Beloved Best Friends
Who Become My Light in the Darkness.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. F.X. Siswadi, M.A. and Drs.
Hirmawan Wijanarka M.Hum. for their thoughtful suggestion and invaluable
encouragement throughout this process which have helped me to improve and
complete my thesis. I appreciate the insight and correction from my co-advisor
Adventina Putranti, S.S., M.Hum. which have helped me to evaluate my thesis.
My gratitude also extends to my academic advisor and all lecturers in English
Letters Department for giving me knowledge and empowerment to be a better
person.
To my family and my best friends who have stayed with me to provide
support and inspiration, I am terribly blessed to have you. I am thankful that you
all have been there for me when I feel like giving up and provided me comfort to
make sure that I keep going on and finish my thesis.
Theresia Ayu Santika
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
xi
3. Being a Selfish Man ............................................................................. 38
a. Acting Righteous to Others ........................................................... 38
b. Being Disheartened to Others ....................................................... 40
B. The Types of Anxieties of the Stranger .................................................... 41
1. Realistic anxiety ................................................................................... 41
a. Saving His Wife and Two Daughters from the Terrorists ............ 42
b. Saving Chantal from a Rogue Wolf .............................................. 43
2. Neurotic anxiety ................................................................................... 44
3. Moral anxiety ........................................................................................ 46
C. Ego Defense Mechanisms of the Stranger ................................................ 48
1. Coming to Viscos and Conducting His Plan in There .......................... 49
2. Alluring Chantal with His Gold Bar ..................................................... 52
3. Accepting the Devil after Losing His Wife and Two Daughters ......... 53
4. Saving Chantal from a Rogue Wolf ..................................................... 54
CHAPTER V ....................................................................................................... 56
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................... 59
APPENDIX .......................................................................................................... 61
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
xii
ABSTRACT
SANTIKA, THERESIA AYU. Ego Defense Mechanisms of the Stranger in
Paulo Coelho’s The Devil and Miss Prym. Yogyakarta: Department of English
Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2017.
This study is conducted to analyze the ego defense mechanisms of the
stranger after the deaths of his wife and two daughters in an abduction in The
Devil and Miss Prym. Ego defense mechanism is a mechanism of ego that
functions to relieve the pressure of excessive anxiety. It operates at the
unconscious level, therefore, is self-deceptive and it distorts individual‟s
perception of reality to make anxiety less threatening to the individual.
Applying psychoanalytical approach, this study has three objectives. The
first objective is finding out what the stranger‟s characteristics described in the
story. The second objective is finding out types of anxieties that the stranger has
in the story. The third objective is finding out the ego defense mechanisms used
by the stranger when he overcomes his anxieties in the story.
To achieve these objectives, the library research method is used to collect
the primary and secondary data from related literatures and websites. Conducting
the analysis, this study has four steps applied. The first step of this study is
reading the novel through close reading method to find the characteristics of the
stranger by using character disclosure in fiction theory and personality
organization theory. The second step of this study is finding out types of anxieties
that the stranger has by using types of anxiety theory. The third step of this study
is observing the ego defense mechanisms seen in the stranger to overcome his
anxieties by using ego defense mechanisms theory. The last step of this study is
composing conclusions consisted of summary in the analysis.
There are three findings from this study. First, the characteristics of the
stranger are strongly affected by his unconscious mind built from his past.
Second, the stranger‟s anxieties are strongly affected by events that happen after
his wife and two daughters abducted by a terrorist group. Third, the stranger‟s ego
defense mechanisms are seen through his decisions in the story as his ways to
cope up with the grief from losing his wife and two daughters in an abduction.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
xiii
ABSTRAK
SANTIKA, THERESIA AYU. Ego Defense Mechanisms of the Stranger in
Paulo Coelho’s The Devil and Miss Prym. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Sastra
Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2017.
Studi ini bertujuan untuk menganalisa mekanisme pertahanan ego dari
karakter si orang asing setelah kehilangan istri dan dua anaknya dalam penculikan
di The Devil and Miss Prym. Mekanisme pertahanan ego adalah mekanisme dari
ego yang berfungsi untuk melindungi diri dari tekanan akibat kecemasan yang
berlebihan. Mekanisme ini bekerja di alam bawah sadar dengan cara menipu dan
menyamarkan persepsi individu dari realita sehingga, individu tidak merasa
terancam dengan kecemasan yang timbul dari realita tersebut.
Mengaplikasikan pendekatan psikoanalitik, studi ini memiliki tiga tujuan.
Tujuan pertama adalah menemukan karakteristik si orang asing dalam cerita.
Tujuan kedua adalah menemukan kecemasan si orang asing dalam cerita. Tujuan
ketiga adalah menemukan mekanisme pertahanan ego si orang asing saat
menghadapi tekanan akibat kecemasannya dalam cerita.
Untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut, metode penelitian pustaka digunakan
untuk mengumpulkan data primer dan sekunder dari literatur dan situs pendukung
yang berkaitan. Ada empat langkah yang ditempuh dalam pembahasan di studi
ini. Pertama, membaca novel secara mendalam untuk menemukan karakteristik si
orang asing dengan menggunakan teori penyingkapan karakter dalam fiksi dan
teori organisasi kepribadian. Kedua, menemukan tipe kecemasan si orang asing
dengan menggunakan teori tipe kecemasan. Ketiga, mengobservasi mekanisme
pertahanan ego si orang asing saat mengatasi tekanan akibat kecemasannya
menggunakan teori mekanisme pertahanan ego. Terakhir, menyusun kesimpulan
yang terdiri dari ringkasan analisa.
Ada tiga hasil yang ditemukan dalam studi ini. Pertama, bahwa
karakteristik si orang asing sangat dipengaruhi oleh alam bawah sadarnya yang
dibangun dari masa lalunya. Kedua, bahwa kecemasan yang dimiliki si orang
asing sangat dipengaruhi oleh masa lalunya yang dimulai ketika istri dan dua
putrinya diculik oleh sekelompok teroris. Ketiga, bahwa mekanisme pertahanan
ego si orang asing terlihat melalui keputusan-keputusan yang dibuatnya dalam
cerita sebagai caranya untuk mengatasi rasa kehilangan mendalam yang
dialaminya karena kematian istri dan dua putrinya dalam sebuah penculikan.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Literature refers to the revelation of events, experiences and feelings of
individuals during their life in form of language. The revelations in literature are
mostly affected by the society in which the creator of a literary work lives in. The
influences that the creator of a literary work gets are easily seen in the characters
and their characteristics in his or her literary work.
Based on the connection between the creator of a literary work and the
society in which the creator lives in, it cannot be denied that the behaviors of
characters in a literary work are closely related to the behaviors of the society.
Therefore, it is justifiable for literary works that deal with psychological matters
to be analyzed by using psychoanalytical approach since they both deal with
individuals and their reactions, perceptions of the world, miseries, wishes, desires,
fears, conflicts, and reconciliations. (Bressler, 1999: 4 – 5).
Using psychoanalytical approach, this study aims to investigate the
interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in mind, in the interpretation of
literature (Barry, 2002: 96). Therefore, this study will threat a literary character as
a living individual to reveal the character‟s characteristics, anxieties and ego
defense mechanisms seen through his decisions.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
2
Freud took the view that the writer is rather like a child at play. He creates
a world of fantasy which he himself takes very seriously. He disguises it
so that its self-centredness is not apparent, and hence enables the reader to
enjoy his own fantasy without guilt, reproach or shame … Freud further
suggested that the recurrent themes of great novels and drama are often the
expression of fundamental human conflict which is reflected
unconsciously in the author‟s mind (Cohen, 1958: 190).
Ego defense mechanism, as the main focus of this study, is a strategy of
individuals to help them avoid conscious recognition of unacceptable instinctual
impulses, or to protect them from overwhelming anxiety, so that they can perform
maximally in their daily lives (Kalish, 1973: 47). The unconscious mind of
individuals, the part of the mind beyond consciousness, has a strong influence
upon their actions. It links with the idea of repression, which is the „forgetting‟ or
„ignoring‟ of unresolved conflicts, un-admitted desires or traumatic past events, so
that they are forced out of conscious awareness and into the realm of the
unconscious. A similar process also happens in the sublimation, whereby the
represented material is „promoted‟ into something grander or is disguised as
something „noble‟ (Barry, 2002: 97).
In The Devil and Miss Prym, the character of the stranger plays an
important role in emphasizing Coelho‟s message to the readers about life.
Depending on how individuals live, life can seem either very long or very short
(Coelho, 2000: 205). It is all a matter of control and choice (Coelho, 2000: 201).
Coelho believes that individuals have been condemned to exist within
eternal division, always moving between good and evil in their lives. He believes
that life sets them a challenge (love, death and power) to test their courage and
willingness to change. The challenge does not wait and life does not look back,
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
3
therefore they must be very careful in their decision making. They must be able to
control their desire, thus, in the future they do not regret anything if something
happens to them (Coelho, 2000: x).
This study focuses on the character of the stranger instead of Carlos. Since
Carlos is a fake name created by the stranger when he conducts his plan in Viscos.
The stranger plans to prove whether human is born good or evil because he needs
to know the nature of human beings.
The stranger‟s need to know the nature of human beings, is affected by the
death of his wife and two daughters. The death of his wife and two daughters has
built his unconscious mind and affected his conscious mind to do what he does to
himself and people around him.
The stranger‟s decision to give the people of Viscos gold bars if they break
one of Ten Commandments „Thou shalt not kill‟ in the story is deemed to be
unreasonable and unacceptable. This is proven with the rejection and
disagreement that are shown by other characters in the story. They reject and
disagree with the stranger‟s decision as they think that his decision is wrong
because it makes others suffer (Coelho, 2000: 79).
The death of his wife and two daughters is not a thing that he can control,
and the pain of losing them is not a thing that can be easily understood by others.
Thus, by analyzing the stranger‟s ego defense mechanisms, this study will prove
three things. Firstly, the characteristics of the stranger are strongly affected by his
unconscious mind built from his past. Secondly, the stranger‟s anxieties are
strongly affected by events that happen after his wife and two daughters abducted
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
4
by a terrorist group. Thirdly, the stranger‟s ego defense mechanisms in the story
are his ways to cope up with the grief from losing his wife and two daughters in
an abduction.
Having understood this study, the readers are expected to see the
practicality of others‟ capability in dealing with problems. Therefore, they will not
over generalize and easily judge others‟ ways to deals with problems.
B. Problem Formulation
To be able to draw conclusions, this study provides three questions that
need to be answered.
1. What are the stranger‟s characteristics described in the story?
2. What are the types of anxieties that the stranger has in the story?
3. What are the ego defense mechanisms seen in the stranger when he
overcomes his anxieties in the story?
C. Objectives of the Study
There are three objectives in this study. To reveal that the character of the
stranger is a dynamic human being, the first objective is to find out what the
stranger‟s characteristics described in the story. To reveal the pressure and fear
that the stranger has, the second objective is to find out the types of anxieties that
the stranger has in the story. To reveal how he overcomes his anxieties in the
story, the third objective is to find out the ego defense mechanisms seen in the
stranger.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
5
D. Definition of Terms
There are two terms often used in this study. The first term is anxiety and
the second term is ego defense mechanism.
Anxiety is an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear
concerning the reality and nature of threat, and the capacity of an individual to
cope up with it. It is produced by the ego when it cannot cope up with the demand
coming from the incompatible but equally unrealistic id, the superego and the
external world (Hjelle and Ziegler, 1981: 46).
Meanwhile, ego defense mechanism is a strategy of individuals‟ ego to
help them avoid conscious recognition of unacceptable instinctual impulses, or to
protect them from overwhelming anxiety, so that they can perform maximally in
their daily life (Kalish, 1973: 47).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
6
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter consists of three parts that function as review of literature.
They are review of related studies, review of related theories and theoretical
framework. The first part is review of related studies that consists of the brief
reviews of the previous studies of The Devil and Miss Prym done by others. The
second part is review of related theories that consists of reviews of the theories
needed to answer the questions through the study. The last part is theoretical
framework consists of the explanation on how the related theories are used to
answer the questions in this study.
A. Review of Related Studies
To understand more about the previous studies done on The Devil and
Miss Prym and to avoid the plagiarism of studies‟ content, this study provides
reviews of two undergraduate theses and a journal article. The undergraduate
theses reviewed in this study are entitled “Understanding Carlos‟ Behavior as
Seen in The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho” by Adi Hermawan and “The
Main Character‟s Motivation in Saving Viscos as Seen in Paulo Coelho‟s The
Devil and Miss Prym” by Helen Monica. A journal article reviewed in this study
is entitled “Relocating the Soul in Paulo Coelho‟s Novel The Devil and Miss
Prym” by Sheme Mary P U.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
7
The first review is about the undergraduate thesis entitled “Understanding
Carlos‟ Behavior as Seen in The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho” by Adi
Hermawan. In his thesis, he analyzes about the characteristics of Carlos (the
stranger) and explains how Carlos‟ unusual behaviors are understood in the novel.
He explains that Carlos is a major character that is round and dynamic. He is
considered as an antagonist in the story. Hermawan uses characterization theory to
justify the „motives‟ and „behaviors‟ of Carlos.
According to the role of the characters serve in the story, Carlos is one of
the major characters. He is one of the most essential characters in the
story. He has the fullest attention because of the most conflicts of the story
are provided by him from the beginning up to the end of the story.
(Hermawan, 2013: 45)
In this study, it uses the same novel as Hermawan‟s to be analyzed which
is Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym. The research done in this study also
has relation with Hermawan‟s thesis in the part that Carlos comes to Viscos is
related to Carlos‟ past. The difference between this study and Hermawan‟s is on
how this study digs more about the characteristics, anxieties and ego defense
mechanisms of the stranger (Carlos) that are analyzed by using psychoanalytical
approach rather than the conscious mind of the stranger that is analyzed by using
psychological approach.
The second review is about the undergraduate thesis entitled “The Main
Character‟s Motivation in Saving Viscos as Seen in Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and
Miss Prym” by Helen Monica. In her thesis Monica says that Chantal (Prym) as
the major character in The Devil and Miss Prym has two motives when she makes
the decision to save Viscos. Firstly, she believes that Chantal has an internal
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
8
motive to get the gold bar to pursue her dream to be out from Viscos and start a
new life. Secondly, she believes that Chantal has an external motive to prove that
human is good and not evil.
Chantal‟s goal is the same with most of people that is having a luxurious
life without have to work hard. This is what Chantal thought when she
heard about the stranger‟s offer. However, Chantal is motivated to reach
her goal in life but in this case Chantal still has conscience, so she can still
use her mind that what she will do right now is right or wrong (Monica,
2008: 52).
In this study, it uses the same novel as Monica‟s to be analyzed which is
Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym. The research done in this study also has
relation with Monica‟s thesis in the part when the character in the story wants to
decide something there must be reasons behind it, whether they are internal or
external motives, or whether they are unconscious or conscious motives. The
difference between this study and Monica‟s is the focus of the study. This study
analyzes the character of the stranger in the story and the ego defense mechanisms
of the stranger, not the character of Prym and her motives.
The third review is about the journal article entitled “Relocating the Soul
in Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym” by Sheme Mary P U. Mary states
that the purpose of the study is to identify Miss Prym in a new light where the
psychic transformations are observed and experienced by the society. The study
also emphasizes the importance of Miss Prym in the society in making the right
choice using the psychoanalysis theory by Freud.
The study identifies the woman who holds the titular role in the novel …
also emphasizes the importance of the partaking role of women in the
society in making the right choice (Mary P U, 2013: 44)
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
9
In this study, it uses the same novel as Sheme Mary‟s journal which is
Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym. The research done in this study also has
the relation with her journal in the part of the approach that she uses, which is
psychoanalytical approach. The difference between Sheme Mary P U‟s journal
and this study is that the focus in her study is Chantal Prym rather than the
character of the stranger.
B. Review of Related Theories
There are four theories discussed in this part used to answer the questions
in problem formulation.
1. Character Disclosure in Fiction Theory
This study aims to explore the ego defense mechanisms of a character in a
literary work. Thus, this study needs to understand the character‟s qualities first
before exploring the ego defense mechanism of the character.
There are four different ways that the creator of a fiction, as one kind of
literary work, especially novel in this study, uses to disclose a character in his or
her work. The first way is what the characters themselves say and, or, think.
Related to this, speeches, considered together with the situation or total context of
a statement, are used to indicate the character of the speaker. The second way is
what the characters do. Related to this, actions should be interpreted as signs of
the character since “actions speak louder than words”. The third way is what other
characters say about them. Related to this, opinions from other characters must be
considered in terms of context and source before using them in analyzing a
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
10
character. The last way is what the author or the creator of the literary work,
speaking as storyteller or observer, says about the character. Related to this, what
the author says about a character is usually to be accepted as truth and, or, fact,
but the interpretations or conclusions are still drawn by the readers (Roberts and
Jacobs, 1987: 123 – 124).
2. Personality Organization Theory
Understanding the character‟s qualities, this study then relates the qualities
to the character‟s mental life. According to Freudian theory, one of
psychoanalysis theories, mental life is divided into two levels. First is the
unconscious level and second is the conscious level. The unconscious level,
according to Freud, is divided into two levels which are the unconscious proper
and the preconscious (Kalish, 1973: 23 – 24).
The unconscious represents all of desires, instincts or urges that
individuals are not aware of. All of them are the ones that motivate most of
individuals‟ words, feelings, and actions (Feist and Feist, 2006: 33). The
unconscious images are then seen as relatively pleasant and non-threatening
experiences when they enter the conscious levels (Kalish, 1973: 25).
The preconscious contains all those elements, often called as “available
memories”, that are not conscious now but later, can become or be summoned
into the conscious readily or with some difficulties. The preconscious is the bridge
between the unconscious and the conscious (Feist and Feist, 2006: 32). Therefore,
the contents of the preconscious come from the unconscious and the conscious as
its sources.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
11
The conscious includes all the sensations and experiences that individuals
are aware at any given moment. According to Freud, the conscious only controls
and contains a small part of the individual‟s mental life. It represents a small part
of and limited aspects of individual‟s personality since his or her personality is
mostly affected and controlled by the unconscious (Feist and Feist, 2006: 32).
The organization of personality cannot be separated from the existence of
the structural model of mental life. It is three basic structures in the anatomy of
personality that consists of id, ego and superego. The interrelationship between
these personality structures and the levels of consciousness is shown on how the
id consists of the unconscious, how ego consists of the unconscious, preconscious,
and conscious and how superego consists of the unconscious and preconscious
(Kalish, 1973: 27).
The id is the core of personality and completely unconscious. It contains
everything inherited, present at birth, and fixed in the individual‟s constitution.
It is raw, animalistic, and unorganized, knows no laws, obeys no rules, and
remains basic to the individual throughout life. Operating on a primitive
basis, it is free from all inhibitions. (Feist and Feist, 2006: 33)
The id glorifies the primary principle of all individual‟s life called the pleasure
principle. The id obeys it and manifests itself in an impulsive, irrational, and
narcissistic manner, regardless of the impacts of its actions for others or its own
self-preservation (Kalish, 1973: 28 – 29).
The ego is that portion of the psychic apparatus that seeks to express and
gratify the desires of the id in accordance with the restrictions of both
outer reality and the superego. The ego acquires its structure and functions
from the id, having evolved from it, and proceeds to borrow some of the
id‟s energy for its own use in response to the demands of the environment.
(Feist and Feist, 2006: 35)
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
12
Ego, assuring the safety and self-preservation of the individual, functions
as the decision-making or executive branch of personality. In its battle to survive
against both the external world and the instinctual demands of the id, ego must
continuously differentiate between things in the mind and things in the outer
world of reality (Feist and Feist, 2006: 35). It requires the individual to learn,
think, reason, perceive, decide, memorize, and so on in expressing his or her id to
show the instinctual needs in accordance with the norms and ethics of the social
world called the reality principle. At times, the ego can control the powerful,
pleasure-seeking id, but at other times it loses control (Kalish, 1973: 29).
When children experience rewards and punishments from their parents,
this is where the ego functions as the children have not developed a conscience
and ego-ideal called superego. The learning process of what to do and what to not
do for children with the assistance of their parents is the origin of the superego
(Kalish, 1973: 29). The superego then develops through the socialization of a
system of values, norms, ethics and attitudes which are compatible with the
society when they grow up (Feist and Feist, 2006: 35). The superego may be
considered as an individualized reflection of society‟s “collective conscience”
even if the child‟s perceptions of society‟s real values may be distorted. When
self-control that is not served by the reality principle replaces parental control, this
is, then, when superego is said to be fully developed. While trying to control id
impulses, the superego also tries to persuade the ego that perfectionistic goals are
better than realistic ones (Feist and Feist, 2006: 36).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
13
3. Types of Anxiety Theory
Since this study is dealing with psychoanalytical approach, it cannot be
separated from the use of anxiety theory. The anxiety theory, then, is used to
determine what kind of anxiety the character of the stranger in the story has that
influences his ego defense mechanisms.
Anxiety is an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear
concerning the reality and nature of threat, and the capacity of an individual to
cope up with it. It is produced by the ego when it cannot cope up with the demand
coming from the incompatible but equally unrealistic id, the superego and the
external world (Kalish, 1973: 33).
There are several types of anxieties; three of them are neurotic anxiety,
moral anxiety and realistic anxiety. The first type is realistic anxiety resulted from
the dependency of the ego on the outer world. This anxiety is closely related to
fear but also different. If fear involves a specific fearful object, this anxiety is
defined as an unpleasant, non-specific feeling involving a possible danger that
does not involve a specific fearful object; that helps to ensure self-preservation.
The second type is neurotic anxiety resulted from the dependency of the ego on
the id. This anxiety is defined as the fear toward instincts because previously
experiencing unconscious feelings of destruction against something (Kalish, 1973:
34). This fear is resulted from the ego that cannot control the id thus it breaks
loose and cause ones to do something for which ones will be punished (Nordby
and Hall, 1974: 48). Neurotic anxiety can be displayed in three forms. First is
apprehensiveness or nervousness, which is shown by always expecting something
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
14
dreadful to happen. Second is phobia, which is shown through the out proportion
of intense or irrational fear to the actual danger of the object of which ones are
afraid. Third is panic or near-panic reaction, which is shown by the sudden
appearance and with no apparent provocation (Hall, 1999: 65 – 67). The last type
is the moral anxiety is a fear of conscience resulted from the dependency of the
ego on the superego. This anxiety may also be caused from the failure to behave
constantly with what is so called morally right. Therefore, it directs behavior into
activities that are acceptable to the individual‟s conscience (Kalish, 1973: 34).
4. Ego Defense Mechanism Theory
As anxiety serves as an ego-preserving mechanism signaling that some
dangers are at hand, it cannot be separated from the ego defense mechanism
theory. This theory is used to explore about the unconscious motives of the
character of the stranger in his decision-makings.
He (Freud) suggested that the ego reacts to the threatened breakthrough of
id impulses in either of two ways: (1) by blocking the impulse from
expression in conscious behavior, or (2) by distorting it to such a degree
that the original intensity is markedly reduced or deflected. (Feist and
Feist, 2006: 47)
Freud further explains that all ego defense mechanisms share two common
features. First, they operate at the unconscious level, therefore, are self-deceptive.
Second, they distort one‟s perception of reality to make anxiety less threatening to
the individual. The three types of anxiety are seldom clear-cut or easily separated
as they often exist in combination. Therefore, it is common for an individual to
use several ego defense mechanisms and their features.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
15
Several types of ego defense mechanisms used in this study are as stated
below:
a. Displacement
Displacement is an ego defense mechanism in which the ego redirects the
unacceptable urges onto a variety of people or objects so that the original impulse
is disguised or concealed. An instinctual impulse is usually redirected from a
more threatening individual or object to a less threatening one. Displacement is
also observed in an adult‟s hypersensitivity to minor annoyances. Nevertheless,
the less common form of displacement is running against the self, whereby hostile
impulses toward others are redirected to oneself, producing feelings of depression
and self-depreciation (Feist and Feist, 2006: 48 – 49). When the substitute object
of displacement is one that represents higher cultural goal, it is called as
sublimation (Hall, 1999: 82).
b. Repression
The repression is an ego defense mechanism in which the ego represses
undesirable id impulses and forces them into the unconscious. These impulses
may remain unchanged in the unconscious, they may also force their way out into
consciousness in an unaltered form, in which case they create more anxiety than
the individual can handle. Besides, the impulses may be expressed in displaced or
disguise forms that clever enough to deceive the ego (Kalish, 1973: 35).
c. Projection
Projection is an ego defense mechanism in which the ego attributes the
unwanted impulse to an external object, usually another individual, to reduce the
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
16
anxiety provoked by an internal impulse (Kalish, 1973: 37). The ego tries to
transform neurotic or moral anxiety into objective anxiety when it employs
projection. The purpose is to change an internal danger from the id or the
superego which is difficult for the ego to handle into an external danger which is
easier for the ego to deal with. It also offers an individual an excuse for expressing
his or her real feelings without feeling guilty because, his or her aggression is
justified (Hall, 1999: 90).
d. Rationalization
Rationalization is an ego defense mechanism in which the ego finds a
justifiable excuse or alibi in the external world for doing something frowned upon
by the superego. It also refers to the substitution of a socially approved motive for
a socially disapproved one (Hall, 1999: 90). Rationalization also refers to
fallacious reasoning, meaning that it misinterprets irrational behaviors to make it
appeal rational thus, justifiable to oneself and others (Feist and Feist, 2006: 49).
e. Reaction Formation
Reaction formation is an ego defense mechanism in which the ego
disguises the repressed forbidden impulse by directly showing it to the
consciousness in a directly opposite form. It is especially evident in sociably
acceptable behavior that is compulsive, exaggerated and rigid (Feist and Feist,
2006: 49). It is only directed to a single limited object, for example, people with
reactive hatred shower insults only on the individual toward whom they feel
unconsciously loved (Kalish, 1973: 36).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
17
f. Regression
Regression is an ego defense mechanism in which the ego reverses to an
earlier period of life that was more secure and pleasant. While it reduces anxiety,
regression often leaves unresolved the cause of the initial anxiety since it is only
temporary investing the initial anxiety into more primitive and familiar objects
(Kalish, 1973: 36 – 37).
They (ego defense mechanism) are universal in that everyone engages in
defensive behavior to some degree. Each defense mechanism combines
with repression, and each can be carried to the point of psychopathology
(Kalish, 1973: 38)
In every case psychological energy is expended to maintain the defense,
thereby limiting the flexibility and strength of the ego. Moreover, to the extent
ego defense mechanisms are working effectively, defenses create a distorted
picture of the individual‟s needs, fears and aspiration.
g. Sublimation
Sublimation is an ego defense mechanism that enables individuals to
adaptively divert impulses so that they can be expressed through socially
approved thoughts or actions (Feist and Feist, 2006: 47). Thus, it is said that this
ego defense mechanism is considered to be the only healthy constructive strategy
to fight against negative impulses since it allows the ego to change both the aim
and the object without inhibiting their expression into other socially acceptable
channels of expression.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
18
C. Theoretical Framework
This study focuses on ego defense mechanisms of the stranger. Thus,
theories related to it must be used to accomplish the analysis.
Character disclosure in fiction theory is used to find out the qualities or
characteristics of the stranger in the story. Those characteristics, seen through
literature perspective, are then being related to psychoanalytical approach through
personality organization theory. Personality organization theory is used to find
out the characteristics that the stranger has that are affected by his unconscious
mind built from his past life. The characteristics of the stranger are then related to
the decisions that he makes to find out about the reason behind his decisions.
Hand in hand with the provinces of the mind theory, this study uses this theory to
analyze the id, ego, and superego of the stranger to see how it is affected by his
unconscious, preconscious and unconscious mind.
After finding out on how the stranger„s provinces of mind work, this study
then uses types of anxiety theory to characterize what kind of anxieties they are
that the stranger has thus affecting him in his decision makings. Hand in hand
with this theory also, this study uses ego defense mechanism theory to justify
what kind of defense mechanism that he uses unconsciously as seen through the
psychoanalytical approach.
Those are how the related theories are used to do analysis in this study.
Those theories are completing each other to answer the questions in problem
formulation.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
19
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter consists of three parts that function as methodology. They
are object of the study, approach of the study and method of the study. The first
part is object of the study that consists of the explanation of the object focused in
this study. The second part is approach of the study that consists of reviews of the
approach used in this study. The last part is method of the study that consists of
the explanation on how the process of this study is done.
A. Object of the Study
The object of the study in this undergraduate thesis is the ego defense
mechanisms of the stranger in Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym. Paulo
Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym is an English version of E Demonio E. A
Senhorita Prym. This English version was released in 2000 by Harper Collins
Publisher. This 25-chaptered-and-205-page novel concludes a trilogy of And on
the Seventh Day. The first two books on this trilogy are By the River Piedra I Sat
Down and Wept (1994) and Veronica Decides to Die (1998). Each book in the
trilogy is concerned with the life of ordinary people in a week who are suddenly
confronted with love, death and power.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
20
The Devil and Miss Prym focuses on the temptation in human‟s life. It tells
a story about a stranger, claiming his name is Carlos, who comes to a remote
village of Viscos. The stranger carries a backpack containing a notebook and
eleven gold bars. He comes to Viscos to seek an answer whether human is born
good or evil years after his wife and two daughters are dead, murdered by
terrorists. Seeking for an answer, he allures one of the people in Viscos, Chantal
Prym, to help him doing his plan.
Meeting with Chantal Prym, he offers her a gold bar for herself alone if
she wants to comply with his plan, that is for her to tell the people in Viscos that
the other ten gold bars are going to be given to the people of Viscos if they break
the „Thou shalt not kill‟ commandment. He goes on by saying that during a week
one of them must be murdered, be it a useless old man, or someone with an
incurable illness, or a mental defective who requires constant attention, it does not
matter.
The stranger keeps pressuring Chantal to do what he has said. He even
threatens her that he is going to make the people in Viscos hate her if she does not
comply.
Finally, after several days in despair, Chantal tells the people of Viscos
about the stranger‟s plan. There are debates within the people of Viscos about
what they should do. Having reached an agreement, the people of Viscos,
excluding Chantal and Berta, decide to „sacrifice‟ Berta for the sake of the
village‟s poverty since they think that she is lonely, old and still suffering from
her husband‟s death thus, it is justifiable for her to be sacrificed.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
21
The story ends with Chantal succeeds in saving Berta by convincing the
people of Viscos that this plan is too risky for all of them to be done. She also
gives the stranger an answer that every human is born good and evil, it depends on
the control that human has, to decide whether he or she chooses to be good or evil.
B. Approach of the Study
In this study, it uses psychoanalytical approach. This approach uses some
of psychoanalysis techniques, which aims to investigate the reasons of the
individual‟s behaviors related to the interaction of conscious and unconscious
elements in the individual‟s mind (Barry, 2002: 96). Specifically, this theory
provides a way to think through the issues of choice and the individual
responsibility, to know the true feelings, unspoken desire and even the nature of
reality (Bressler, 1999: 147). It tends to portray the individual as a rational,
conscious actor who can understand the basis for his action (Sarup: 1989: 7).
Meanwhile, literature, the revelation of events witnessed by individuals
through their experiences, and feelings during their life in form of language, helps
individuals grow both personally and intellectually. It provides an objective base
for their knowledge and understanding that connects them to the cultural context
in which they are a part. It also provides them the comparative basis in which they
can see worthiness in the aims of others, and therefore help them see beauty
around them through exercises in emotions in form of interest, concern, tension,
excitement, hope, fear, regret, laughter, and sympathy. It can shape their
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
22
judgments through constant comparison of the good against the bad. It helps to
make them human.
Psychoanalytical approach, in accordance with literary work used in this
study, is applied to identify ego defense mechanisms of the stranger in Paulo
Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym. Ego defense mechanism deals with the threats
and dangers that beset an individual and trigger anxiety, by attempting to lessen
the anxiety through denying, falsifying, or distorting reality that hampers the
development of personality (Hall, 1999: 85).
Looking back at the story, the stranger‟s motives to prove that human is
born good or evil are affected by his past. He is intrigued to get an answer since
he wants to understand why certain things happen, like why the terrorists kill his
wife and two daughters, for example. There are certain things that make him
cannot let go of his death wife and two daughters easily and why he does what he
does. Those things are only justifiable to be analyzed using psychoanalytical
approach since the stranger himself is not aware of the reasons behind those
things.
C. Method of the Study
In this study, it used library research method to gather the data. The
sources used in this study were primary and secondary sources. The primary
source of this study was Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym novel. The
secondary sources of this study were books of literature, theses of literature and
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
23
journal articles of literature related to the primary sources that were used to
support this study.
There were several steps taken in this study. The first step of this study
was reading the novel through close reading method. It helped to understand the
background of the character of the stranger in the story. From this step, the
characteristics of the stranger were found by concluding the characteristics of the
stranger based on what he said and thought, what he did, what other characters
said and thought about him and what the author said about him. The second step
of this study was finding out the types of anxieties that the stranger had by
analyzing the id, ego, and superego of the stranger to see how his behaviors were
affected by his unconscious, preconscious and unconscious mind. The third step
of this study was observing the ego defense mechanism that the stranger showed
unconsciously to overcome his anxieties as seen through the psychoanalysis
theory. The last step of this study was composing conclusions. These conclusions
contained the review of previous discussion in which the main focus of this study
was analyzed.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
24
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
This chapter consists of three parts that function as analysis. The first part
is the stranger‟s characteristics described in Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss
Prym. The second part is types of anxieties that the stranger has in Paulo Coelho‟s
The Devil and Miss Prym. The last part is ego defense mechanisms seen in the
stranger to overcome his anxieties in Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym.
A. The Characteristics of the Stranger
Using character disclosure in fiction theory and personality organization
theory, this study finds three characteristics of the stranger described in the story.
Every author wants us to understand his characters and their motivation
properly, but no author can tell us anything at once ... an experienced
reader learns to suspend his opinion of a character, to let each new clue
qualify his impression, and to avoid a final interpretation until he has seen
all the evidence (Stanton, 1965: 17).
The characteristics of the stranger are as stated below:
1. Being a Good Man
A good man in this study can be interpreted as someone who is seen as a
well-behaved man by other people. The stranger is categorized as a good man
because of three reasons. Firstly, not being discriminative to others. Secondly,
being obedient to the laws. Thirdly, acting fair to others.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
25
a. Not Being Discriminative to Others
Financially, the stranger and people of Viscos are different in status. The
stranger is rich and well respected, but still, he treats the people of Viscos who are
economically lower than him, nicely.
On the following three nights, he paid – again in cash – for a round of
drinks for everyone ... and the man came to be viewed as friendly,
generous and open – minded, prepared to treat country folk as if they were
equals of men and women from the big cities (Coelho, 2000: 21).
The stranger likes to listen to the stories told by the people there and tell stories to
them too (Coelho, 2000: 19). They are frequently exchanging stories and
comfortable with each other. The stranger even goes as far as paying for rounds of
drinks and meals for everyone coming to the bar located in the hotel he stays in
when he eats, just like how it is done between close colleagues. These close
relationship and good impressions make the people of Viscos think that they are
going to miss the stranger when he leaves on the following Monday.
At the end of that year, I left my job. I traveled to the four corners of the
earth, alone with my grief, asking myself how human beings can be
capable of such evil. I lost the most precious thing a man can have: my
faith in my fellow man (Coelho, 2000: 68).
According to personality organization theory, the stranger is not
discriminative to others because his conscious mind is affected by his unconscious
mind. Unconsciously, he is longing for companionship since he has lost his wife
and two daughters. In the story, it is told that the stranger has been lonely for
years because of the death of his wife and two daughters. He has no one to share
his problems and grief. Thus, when he goes to Viscos, he unconsciously tries to
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
26
fight the loneliness he feels by consciously trying to blend in with the people of
Viscos.
The conscious mind of the stranger has been through several steps before
it decides not to be discriminative to others by trying to blend in with the people
of Viscos. The unconscious mind of the stranger tells that the stranger is lonely,
thus he is longing for companionship. The preconscious mind of the stranger,
then, tries to recall his memories, on how lonely he is for years and how happy he
is to have his wife and two daughters as his companion. The thought of blending
in with the people of Viscos comes up after recalling those memories. Thus, after
the unconscious mind of the stranger is seen as a non-threatening thing to do, the
conscious mind of the stranger allows him to be nice with the people of Viscos
and be comfortable to be with them.
b. Being Obedient to the Laws
The stranger is categorized as a man who obeys the laws because he
follows the rules in the company he works in and leaves crime matters to the
authorities.
I knew the value of every item I sold, so I personally checked all our
transactions; that way I uncovered several cases of corruptions and
dismissed those who involved and halted the sales (Coelho, 2000: 64).
As a director in a major arms industries company, he is obliged to be a good
example for his employees. He needs to follow the rules of the company and keep
the company away from bankruptcy. Therefore, to prevent the mishaps in the
company he personally checks and remembers the value of every item the
company sells. By doing so, he can uncover several cases of corruption and
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
27
dismiss those who involve and halt the sale of the weapon of the company he
works in. The things he has done are seen as examples for others to keep
upholding the justice and as deterrent effects so that such things do not happen
again (Coelho, 2000: 64).
As a law-abiding citizen, the stranger also believes the authorities to
handle crime matters. It is proven when his family is kidnapped by the terrorists.
Since I was a good citizen, brought up to respect the law and feel protected
by it, the first thing I did was to ring the police. A minute later, I was no
longer the master of my own decisions; I was transformed into someone
incapable of protecting his own family; my universe was suddenly filled
with anonymous voices and frantic phone calls (Coelho, 2000: 66).
One of the terrorists calls him to tell him that his wife and two daughters are
kidnapped and that he must keep quiet and give them a large quantity of weapons
that his companies produce if he wants his wife and two daughters to be safe.
Despite the threats from the terrorists and the stranger‟s capability and power to
handle this case by himself, the stranger still decides to call the police (Coelho,
2000: 64) since he still believes in the protection given by the authorities and their
capability to handle this case.
According to personality organization theory, the stranger obeys the laws
because his conscious mind is affected by his unconscious mind. Unconsciously,
he is afraid of the consequences of breaking the laws. It is told in the story that the
stranger is well respected, thus he is afraid if he breaks the laws he will lose the
respect he gets (Coelho, 2000: 64). As a highly paid director who has a lot of
responsibilities, his dignity depends on his behavior. Thus, when he happens to
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
28
deal with crimes, he unconsciously tries to save his dignity by consciously solving
them according to the laws and respecting the authorities.
The conscious mind of the stranger has been through several steps before
it decides to obey the laws by following the rules in the company he works in and
leaving crime matters to the authorities. The unconscious mind of the stranger
tells that the stranger needs to protect his dignity, thus he is afraid to break the
laws. The preconscious mind of the stranger, then, tries to recall his memories, on
how shameful it is to be called as a criminal and how glorious it is to have his
beloved ones felt proud of him. The thought of following the rules in the company
he works in and leaving crime matters to the authorities come up after recalling
those memories. Thus, after the unconscious mind of the stranger is seen as a non-
threatening thing to do, the conscious mind of the stranger allows him to prevent
mishaps in the company he works in and to believe the authorities to handle the
case of his wife and two daughters‟ abduction.
c. Acting Fair to Others
The stranger is categorized as someone who acts fair because he gives
reward for those who deserve it. In the story, the stranger comes to Viscos to seek
an answer whether human is born good or evil. He wants to prove that by offering
a gold bar to Chantal for helping him to tell the people of Viscos about his plan
and ten gold bars to people in Viscos if they agree to kill a person.
I showed you a gold bar, which would give you the necessary financial
independence to get out of here … as for the other ten gold bars … when
you go back to the village, I want you to say that you saw them and that I
am willing to hand them over to the inhabitants of Viscos on conditions
that they do something they would never ever dream of doing (Coelho,
2000: 16).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
29
Though in the end of the story, the stranger agrees to give all the gold bars to
Chantal (Coelho, 2000: 199).
By proposing such offers, the stranger wants to give Chantal and people in
Viscos the rewards – the eleven gold bars – which they deserve. It is a win-win
solution for all sides since the stranger is able to have an answer that he is looking
for while Chantal and people in Viscos are able to get the financial support that
they need to rebuild their lives to be better.
There‟s the village gold … it looks like I end up without the gold and
without an answer … you know I wasn‟t going to do what you said I
would do. And as for the contempt you feel for me, it‟s nothing more than
the contempt you feel for yourself. You should be grateful for all that‟s
happened, because by showing you the gold, I gave you more than the
possibility of simply becoming rich. I forced you to act, to stop
complaining about everything to take a stand (Coelho, 2000: 199).
In the end of the story the stranger agrees to give all the gold bars to
Chantal even after she convinces the people of Viscos that conducting the
stranger‟s plan is too risky and too ridiculous. The stranger agrees to do so
because she stops the stranger for making a big sin by indirectly killing a person
and gives the stranger the answer that human is born both good and evil, it is all
the matter of control and choice, thus she deserves the gold bars.
According to personality organization theory, the stranger acts fair because
his conscious mind is affected by his unconscious mind. Unconsciously, he is
afraid of the consequences of unfairness. In the story, it is told that the stranger
really upholds fairness and believes that people reap what they sow, thus, for
example, he uncovers corruptions and dismisses incompetent workers (Coelho,
2000: 64). As someone who believes in fairness, he knows that it is painful when
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
30
people are not rewarded as what they deserve. Thus, when he happens to unfairly
lose his wife and two daughters in an abduction even though they are innocent and
he does good deeds, he unconsciously tries to save himself from going through
unfairness again by consciously living his life in fairness.
The conscious mind of the stranger has been through several steps before
it decides to give reward as he offers a gold bar to Chantal for helping him tell the
people of Viscos about his plan and ten gold bars to people in Viscos if they agree
to kill a person, and in the end gives all the gold bars to Chantal. The unconscious
mind of the stranger tells that the stranger needs live in fairness, thus he needs to
give reward as he offers a gold bar to Chantal for helping him tell the people of
Viscos about his plan and ten gold bars to people in Viscos if they agree to kill a
person, and in the end gives all the gold bars to Chantal. The preconscious mind
of the stranger, then, tries to recall his memories, on how painful it is to unfairly
lose his beloved wife and two daughters in an abduction and how incredible it is if
he were able to save his family and live in fairness. The thought of giving reward
as he offers a gold bar to Chantal for helping him tell the people of Viscos about
his plan and ten gold bars to people in Viscos if they agree to kill a person, and in
the end gives all the gold bar to Chantal, come up after recalling those memories.
Thus, after the unconscious mind of the stranger is seen as a non-threatening thing
to do, the conscious mind of the stranger allows him to prevent himself going
through unfairness again by consciously living his life in fairness.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
31
2. Being an Intelligent Man
An intelligent man in this study can be interpreted as someone who has the
above average ability to learn or understand things or to deal with new or difficult
situations. The stranger is categorized as an intelligent man because of three
reasons. Firstly, being experienced or mature in life. Secondly, being logical in his
actions. Thirdly, being aware of his actions‟ consequences.
a. Being Experienced or Mature in Life
The stranger has many experiences in life because of the roles that he has
as a highly paid director in a huge arms firm, devoted husband of a beautiful wife,
and father of two beautiful daughters.
I married a woman who loved me, I had two beautiful daughters, I never
stole a penny from my company, and always succeeded in recovering any
money owed to me … I was a highly paid director of a huge firm … my
weapons were made to help defend order, which is the only way to ensure
progress and development in this world, or so I thought (Coelho, 2000: 63
– 64).
Based on his job, his intelligence is highlighted through his responsibility as a
director in a huge firm. Director is one of the highest positions in a company that
can be achieved if someone has high intelligence, dedication, and integrity thus
make him or her as someone who is reliable and trusted to run the company.
Becoming a director, the stranger also needs to be professional. He must
fire people who are not competent to work in the firm or even report corruptors in
the firm to the police. He must be strict and give no forgiveness when it is
necessary because every decision he makes will affect the firm he is running.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
32
Having been through a lot of hardships to achieve his position, and dealt
with many kinds of people as a highly paid director make the stranger become an
expert in judging a person‟s ways of thinking and personalities, and more mature
too. It can be proven when meets Chantal in a forest.
He had worked for many years with all kinds of people and he knew –
almost for certain – what she must be thinking. She probably thought he
had shown her the gold in order to impress her with his wealth, just as now
he was trying to impress him with her youth and indifference (Coelho,
2000: 13).
His assumption is not entirely wrong because that is what exactly Chantal does.
She wants to find a possible new love and one-way ticket out of the valley where
she lives.
In his life, the stranger has already felt the grief of losing his family in an
abduction by terrorist group too. As a devoted husband and father, the stranger‟s
life is highly connected with his wife and children. He is dedicating his hard work
and purpose of life to his wife and children. Therefore, when his wife and two
daughters are killed by the terrorists, the grief, the lost and the emptiness he feels
cannot be compared to those who never lose their beloved one. Thus, as someone
who ever loses his beloved ones, he can understand more about the importance of
appreciation, memory and happiness and other good things that can be achieved
through living the fullest with his beloved ones.
Before they died, however, they had time to execute my wife and
daughters. If even God has hell, which is his love for mankind, then any
man has his hell within easy reach, and that‟s his love for his family …
despite all my efforts, my struggle to ensure that everything was carried
out according to the strictest regulations for their manufacture and sale, my
family had been killed by something which I, at some point, had sold –
perhaps over a meal at an expensive restaurant, while I chatted about the
weather or world politics (Coelho, 2000: 66-67).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
33
According to personality organization theory, the stranger is experienced
in life or mature because his conscious mind is affected by his unconscious mind.
Unconsciously, he is afraid to make and repeat mistake. In the story, it is told that
the stranger loses his wife and two daughters in an abduction. As someone who
has many experiences in life or mature, it cannot be denied that he regrets and
feels ashamed for unsuccessfully saving his wife and two daughters. Therefore,
when he needs to make any decision, he unconsciously tries to save his self from
making or repeating mistakes by consciously trying to be wise and think carefully.
The conscious mind of the stranger has been through several steps before
it decides to be matured with many experiences he has. The unconscious mind of
the stranger tells that the stranger needs to stop making or repeating mistake, thus
he needs to be wise and careful in decision makings. The preconscious mind of
the stranger, then, tries to recall his memories, on how regretful and ashamed he is
to make and repeat mistake, and how glorious it is to be wise and not make any
mistake. The thought of being mature (professional and wise) comes up after
recalling those memories. Thus, after the unconscious mind of the stranger is seen
as a non-threatening thing to do, the conscious mind of the stranger allows him to
be professional and careful in his decisions, and also to be wise by appreciating
the time he spends with his beloved family before they die.
b. Being Logical in His Actions
The stranger is categorized as a logical man because he does not easily
believe in something since everything must have reasons. As an intelligent man,
he always feels curious about things he does not know. He always wants to know
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
34
more and more. This can be proven in the story when the stranger comes to
Viscos because he needs to know the nature of human beings.
I need to know if we are good or evil. If we are good, God is just and will
forgive me for all I have done, for the harm I wished on those who tried to
destroy me, for the wrong decisions I took at key moments, for the
proposition I am putting to you now – for He was the one who drove me
towards the dark (Coelho, 2000: 18).
When his wife and two daughters are kidnapped, the police has surrounded
and outnumbered the terrorist group but they still fail to save his wife and two
daughters. Being surrounded and outnumbered by the police, the terrorist group
still tries to fight back and even kills the stranger‟s wife and two daughters. The
stranger cannot understand why the terrorist group kills his wife and two
daughters if they know that it can only worsen their punishments since logically
people do not want to be put in jail even just for a second. He needs to find the
answer thus, he conducts plans to find the answer in Viscos.
You may decide not to cooperate, in which case, I‟ll tell everyone that I
gave you the chance to help them, but you refused, and then I‟ll put my
proposition to them myself. If they do decide to kill someone, you will
probably be their chosen victim (Coelho, 2000: 18).
According to personality organization theory, the stranger is logical
because his conscious mind is affected by his unconscious mind. Unconsciously,
he is afraid of making mistake and being taken advantage of by others. In the
story, it is told that the stranger instead, is afraid of making mistake and taking
advantage of others by using their weaknesses. As someone who is logical, he
knows how regretful and ashamed it is to make mistake and be taken advantage of
by others. Thus, when he happens to not understand or lack in something, instead
of assuming things, making mistake and being taken advantage of by others who
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
35
are smarter than he is, he unconsciously tries to save his self from being taken
advantage of by consciously afraid of making mistake and taking advantage of
others and manipulating them who are less intelligent than he is.
The conscious mind of the stranger has been through several steps before
it decides to be logical. The unconscious mind of the stranger tells that the
stranger needs to make no mistake and understand things by all means, thus he
needs to do all he can to achieve it. The preconscious mind of the stranger, then,
tries to recall his memories, on how terrifying it is to make mistake and be taken
advantage of by others and how satisfying it is to be able to perform perfectly and
understand things. The thought of being logical comes up after recalling those
memories. Thus, after the unconscious mind of the stranger is seen as a non-
threatening thing to do, the conscious mind of the stranger allows him to prevent
his self to make mistake and be taken advantage of by others and manipulate
others who are less intelligent than he is to achieve his purpose.
c. Being Aware of His Actions’ Consequences
The intelligence of the stranger can also be seen when he is aware of the
consequences of his actions. His awareness is a sign that he thinks ahead and
prepares for the possibilities that can happen, thus, he plans everything in details.
The first proof that the stranger plans everything in details is when he
fakes his identity to come to Viscos.
The stranger carefully read the form he was given to fill in at the hotel,
deciding what he was going to put. From his accent, they would know he
came from some South American country, and he decided it should be
Argentina, because he really liked their football team. In the space left for
his address, he wrote Colombia Street, knowing that South Americans are
in the habit of paying homage to each other by naming important places
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
36
after neighboring countries. As his name, he chose that of a famous
terrorist from the previous century (Coelho, 2000: 6).
Since he is aware that his plans can be categorized as a crime, he needs to protect
his identity if something bad happens in the future when he is conducting his plan,
therefore he goes to such extent.
The second proof that the stranger plans everything in details is when he
becomes discreet and cautious with everything.
Apart from anything else, he was extremely discreet, a quality everyone
had noticed because of one particular detail: most travelers, especially
those who arrived alone, were always very quick to try and strike up a
conversation with the barmaid, Chantal Prym, possibly in hopes of a
fleeting romance or whatever. This man, however, only spoke to her when
he ordered drinks and never once traded seductive or lecherous looks with
the young woman (Coelho, 2000: 21).
The stranger is discreet with everything he does. He chooses to pay everything in
cash when he needs to pay in Viscos instead of using credit cards since he can be
tracked down if he uses online transactions (Coelho, 2000: 20). It is too risky if he
uses the credit cards, therefore he chooses to pay in cash no matter how much it
costs.
The stranger is really cautious with everything chooses. He chooses
Viscos as a place to conduct his plans and Chantal Prym as a subordinate to help
him conducting his plans.
As for the other ten gold bars … they are worth enough to mean that none
of the inhabitants of this village would ever need to work again. I didn‟t
ask you to rebury the gold bars, because I‟m going to move them to a
place only I will know about … I am willing to hand them over to the
inhabitants of Viscos on condition that they do something they would
never ever dream of doing (Coelho, 2000: 16).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
37
He knows very well the characteristics of Viscos and Chantal (predictable,
organized and reliable) are very advantageous for him (Coelho, 2000: 29). He can
help the people of Viscos and Chantal to have a better life by providing the gold
bars, knowing before hands that wealth is the only thing that can help them
instantly.
According to personality organization theory, the stranger is aware with
the consequences of his actions because his conscious mind is affected by his
unconscious mind. Unconsciously, he is afraid to make any mistakes because of
the traumatic experience of losing his wife and two daughters. He is also afraid to
make mistake because of the after-effects if he is put in jail when his identity is
discovered. In the story, it is told that the stranger is really careful and discreet
with everything he does (Coelho, 2000: 20). As someone who is aware of the
consequences of his actions, he knows that what he does to Chantal and the
people of Viscos can be categorized as a crime. Thus, when he happens to make
any decision makings to smoothly conduct his plan, he unconsciously tries to
prevent his self to be put in jail by consciously being careful and discreet with
everything he does.
The conscious mind of the stranger has been through several steps before
it decides to become aware with the consequences of his action. The unconscious
mind of the stranger tells that the stranger can be put in jail if he is discovered by
the police when conducting his plan, thus he needs to be careful and discreet with
everything when conducting his plan. The preconscious mind of the stranger,
then, tries to recall his memories, on how terrifying it is to be put in jail and how
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
38
incredible it is to have his plans conducted smoothly. The thought of being careful
and discreet with everything come up after recalling those memories. Thus, after
the unconscious mind of the stranger is seen as a non-threatening thing to do, the
conscious mind of the stranger allows him to be careful and discreet with
everything he does.
3. Being a Selfish Man
A selfish man in this story can be interpreted as someone who has
concerns only for his self and not for the needs or feelings of others. The stranger
is categorized as a selfish man because of two reasons. Firstly, he always wants to
be right and secondly, he wants others to feel the despairs he feels.
a. Acting Righteous to Others
In the story, when the stranger is talking to Chantal, she accuses him of
being coward because he uses others to resolve his own conflicts when he is
incapable to do it himself but the stranger denies it. He does not want to be called
as a coward.
A German philosopher once said: „Even God has a hell: his love of
mankind.‟ No, I‟m not a coward … unlike you, who feel persecuted by
destiny, I was always a man of action, someone who struggled with the
many difficulties in my way, who lost some battles and won others, but
always understood that victories and defeats form part of everyone‟s life –
everyone, that is, except cowards, as you call them, because they never
lose or win (Coelho, 2000: 63).
Based on this dialogue, he tries to justify himself by denying himself as a
coward because he at least takes actions to solve his problems, unlike others who
never take actions. Even though he knows what Chantal means by using others, he
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
39
still denies it, because even if he does not solve it directly by himself, at least he
tries to solve it.
According to personality organization theory, the stranger always wants to
be right because his conscious mind is affected by his unconscious mind.
Unconsciously, he is afraid of the despair he feels if he is proven to be wrong. In
the story, it is told that he is conducting his plans in Viscos because he wants to
prove that things he believes are correct (Coelho, 2000: 17).
Both the police and the kidnappers used weapons made by my company.
No one knows how the terrorists came to be in possession of them, and
that‟s of no importance: they had them. Despite my efforts, my struggle to
ensure that everything was carried out according to the strictest regulations
for their manufacture and sale, my family had been killed by something
which I, at some point, had sold – perhaps over a meal at an expensive
restaurant, while I chatted about the weather or world politics (Coelho,
2000: 67).
As someone who always wants to be right, he knows how important it is to
make others believes him so. Thus, when he happens to find other people mock
him for his false beliefs, he unconsciously tries to save his self from despair of
being wrong by consciously forcing or making his beliefs to always be right.
The conscious mind of the stranger has been through several steps before
it decides to always want to be right. The unconscious mind of the stranger tells
that the stranger will be in despair if he is wrong, thus he needs to do anything to
prove that he is right. The preconscious mind of the stranger, then, tries to recall
his memories, on how terrifying it is to be in despair when he is wrong and how
incredible it is when he is right. The thought of always being right comes up after
recalling those memories. Thus, after the unconscious mind of the stranger is seen
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
40
as a non-threatening thing to do, the conscious mind of the stranger allows him to
do anything to prove that he is always right, even by force.
b. Being Disheartened to Others
In the story, the stranger is categorized as a selfish person because he
thinks what he does is right. If human is born good, God is just and will forgive
him for all he has done, but if human is born evil, then, everything is permitted, he
never takes a wrong decision because human is condemned from the start.
I would continue to suffer, but knowing that everyone else is suffering too
would make the pain more bearable. But if only a few of us are
condemned to suffer tragedies, then there is something very wrong with
Creation (Coelho, 2000: 17 – 18).
Furthermore, his statements prove that the stranger is selfish because he
also wants others to feel the despairs he feels. If he suffers, he does not want to be
the only one to suffer. Others have to suffer too because he and others are the
same, they are human beings.
According to personality organization theory, the stranger always wants
others to feel the despair he feels because his conscious mind is affected by his
unconscious mind. Unconsciously, he wants to relieve the despair he feels by
having control in others. In the story, it is told that he does not really care whether
his plans will affect the people of Viscos or not, if they agree to conduct his plans.
As someone who wants others to feel the despair he feels, he knows how
important it is for the people of Viscos to agree to conduct his plans. Thus, when
he happens to find others refuse to do so, he unconsciously tries to relieve his self
from despair of being wrong by consciously forcing or making others agree to
conduct his plans.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
41
The conscious mind of the stranger has been through several steps before
it decides to want others to feel the despair he feels. The unconscious mind of the
stranger tells that the stranger needs to relieve the despair he feels by having
control in others, thus he needs to do anything to make others conduct his plans.
The preconscious mind of the stranger, then, tries to recall his memories, on how
terrifying it is to be in despair and how satisfying it is to always feel free from the
despair. The thought of wanting others to feel the despair he feels comes up after
recalling those memories. Thus, after the unconscious mind of the stranger is seen
as a non-threatening thing to do, the conscious mind of the stranger allows him to
do anything to relieve the despair he feels by making or forcing the people of
Viscos to conduct his plans.
B. The Types of Anxieties of the Stranger
Using types of anxiety theory, this study finds that the stranger has
realistic anxiety, neurotic anxiety and moral anxiety. Anxiety is a painful
emotional experience resulted from internal or external stimulation and governed
by the autonomic nervous system. It plays an important role in the development of
personality as well as in the dynamics of personality functioning (Hall, 1999: 61).
1. Realistic anxiety
Realistic anxiety is a painful emotional experience that occurs from a
perception of threat in the external world. This perception of threat may be
inherited since birth or it may be obtained during the lifetime, thus makes ones
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
42
become afraid in the presence of certain objects or environmental conditions
(Hall, 1999: 63).
This study finds two realistic anxieties that are experienced by the stranger
in the story. Those two realistic anxieties are experienced by the stranger when
first, he tries to save his wife and two daughters from the terrorists, and second,
when he tries to save Chantal from a rouge wolf.
a. Saving His Wife and Two Daughters from the Terrorists
In the story, it is told that the stranger is a highly paid director of a huge
arms trade firm. He is paid commission on every deal he makes, thus, he earns
more than enough to support his wife, his daughters, and even his grandchildren
and greatgrandchildren. On one evening, the stranger receives a phone call in his
office from a woman saying that her terrorist group has kidnapped his wife and
two daughters. She wants a large quantity of weapons produced by the firm he
works in and the stranger to keep quiet about it if he wants his wife and two
daughters to be safe (Coelho, 2000: 65). Since the stranger is a good citizen,
brought up to respect the laws and to feel protected by the laws, the first thing he
does is to ring the police. The hiding place where the terrorists keep his wife and
two daughters has been discovered before the day is out. Since the terrorists are
young and inexperienced, the police are able to handle them by shooting them to
death, but unfortunately before the terrorists die, they succeed to kill his wife and
two daughters by shooting them with their illegal weapons from the stranger‟s
firm (Coelho, 2000: 66 – 67).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
43
At the end of the year, I left my job. I traveled to the four corners of the
earth, alone with my grief, asking myself how human beings can be
capable of such evil. I lost the most precious thing a man can have: my
faith in my fellow man … all my sense of compassion gradually vanished,
and now my heart has entirely shriveled up; I don‟t care whether I live or
die. But first, for the sake of my wife and daughters, I need to grasp what
happened in that hiding place (Coelho, 2000: 68).
The terrorists in this story is seen by the stranger‟s ego as a dangerous
threat from the external world as they are criminals therefore, the government
tries so hard to eradicate them. The terrorists can harm or even kill not only
himself but also his wife and two daughters. Therefore, since it is labeled as a
dangerous threat, the stranger then, reacts by calling the police as the authorized
party to handle these terrorists. Unfortunately for the stranger, his anxiety
becomes reality as his wife and two daughters die by the terrorists‟ gunshots.
b. Saving Chantal from a Rogue Wolf
In the story, it is told that the stranger has provoked Chantal, and been
taking advantages from the offers he gives to Chantal. It makes Chantal think that
she is not so much stealing a gold bar as she is just claiming her wages for her role
in the stranger‟s plan, thus, she deserves not only the gold bar but much, much
more for having endured what has happened in her life too. Having this thought,
Chantal then digs down into the soft earth and sees the gold bar. Before being able
to pick the gold bar, Chantal hears a voice and automatically begins to push the
earth back into the hole – ready to explain that she is looking for the treasure –
only to realize that the voice belongs to a rouge wolf that is able to terrify her so
much (Coelho, 2000: 113 – 114).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
44
At the moment, a stone arced across the sky and landed near the wolf,
which turn with the phenomenal speed and hurled off in the direction of
this new threat … she ran in the direction of her only refugee, while the
man likewise clambered lithely up to other tree. By the time the rouge
wolf reached him, he was safe (Coelho, 2000: 116).
The rouge wolf in this story is seen by the stranger‟s ego as a dangerous
threat from the external world. Rouge wolf is described as a dangerous animal as
it is wild and carnivore by the ancestors. It can harm or even kill not only himself
but also Chantal. Therefore, since it is labeled as a dangerous threat, the stranger
then, reacts by clambered lithely up a tree to save himself from it. The anxiety
caused by the rouge wolf also makes the stranger to be in a kind of trance. It
makes Chantal must repeat her instruction three times until the stranger registers
what she says. The stranger also tries to drive away the rouge wolf by making fire
from the tree‟s branches, since it is believed that the rouge wolf is afraid of fire.
2. Neurotic anxiety
Neurotic anxiety is a fear toward unknown danger because previously
experiencing unconscious feelings of destruction against something (Hjelle and
Ziegler, 1981: 34). This fear is resulted from the ego that cannot control the id
thus it breaks loose and cause ones to do something for which ones will be
punished (Nordby and Hall, 1974: 48).
This study finds a neurotic anxiety of the stranger as he constantly shows
apprehensiveness or nervousness by always expecting something dreadful to
happen in the story. The stranger is experienced this anxiety when he plans
everything in details as he comes to Viscos to seek answers.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
45
As mentioned above in the characteristic of the stranger, the stranger is
aware of the consequences of his actions as his plans can be categorized as a
crime, and he can be arrested for it. Therefore, he needs to prevent the possibility
of being arrested by planning everything in details to protect his identity prove his
innocence. The first proof that the stranger plans everything in details is when he
fakes his identity to come to Viscos.
The stranger carefully read the form he was given to fill in at the hotel,
deciding what he was going to put. From his accent, they would know he
came from some South American country, and he decided it should be
Argentina, because he really liked their football team. In the space left for
his address, he wrote Colombia Street, knowing that South Americans are
in the habit of paying homage to each other by naming important places
after neighboring countries. As his name, he chose that of a famous
terrorist from the previous century (Coelho, 2000: 6).
The second proof that the stranger plans everything in details is when he becomes
discreet and cautious with everything.
Apart from anything else, he was extremely discreet, a quality everyone
had noticed because of one particular detail: most travelers, especially
those who arrived alone, were always very quick to try and strike up a
conversation with the barmaid, Chantal Prym, possibly in hopes of a
fleeting romance or whatever. This man, however, only spoke to her when
he ordered drinks and never once traded seductive or lecherous looks with
the young woman (Coelho, 2000: 21).
The stranger is discreet with everything he does. He chooses to pay everything in
cash when he needs to pay in Viscos instead of using credit cards since he can be
tracked down if he uses online transactions. Too risky to use the credit cards, he
then chooses to pay in cash no matter how much it costs.
The stranger is also really cautious with everything chooses since he has
failed to save his wife and two daughters. Having been cautious, he then carefully
chooses Viscos as a place to conduct his plans and Chantal Prym as a subordinate
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
46
to help him conducting his plans. He knows very well the characteristics of Viscos
and Chantal (predictable, organized and reliable) are very advantageous for him
(Coelho, 2000: 29). He can help the people of Viscos and Chantal to have a better
life by providing the gold bars, knowing before hands that wealth is the only thing
that can help them instantly (Coelho, 2000: 16).
The possibility of his identity being revealed and his plans failed are seen
by the stranger‟s ego as fears toward instincts because previously experiencing
unconscious feelings of destruction against his failure in saving his wife and two
daughters from the terrorists. It fears that if the ego of the stranger cannot control
the id, then the stranger may do something reckless and everything will be a mess
as his identity is revealed and when his plans fail he will be arrested by the
authorities. Therefore, since it is labelled as fears toward instincts, the stranger
then, reacts by planning everything in details to prevent himself from it.
3. Moral anxiety
Moral anxiety is a fear of the conscience resulted from the dependency of
the ego on the superego. This anxiety can also be caused from the failure to
behave constantly with what is so called morally right. Therefore, it directs
behavior into activities that are acceptable to the individual‟s conscience (Hjelle
and Ziegler, 1981: 46).
This study finds a moral anxiety of the stranger as he does not want to feel
guilty of his selfish side by showing his good side at the same time. The stranger
is experienced this anxiety when he is seen as a good man as he does not value
others based on their social status and acts fairly. While at the same time, he
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
47
shows his selfish side as he uses innocent people‟s life to redeem himself for the
loss of his wife and two daughters.
Financially, the stranger and the people in Viscos are different in status.
The stranger is rich and well respected, but still, he treats the people of Viscos
who are economically lower than him, nicely. It is shown when the stranger are
frequently exchanging stories, comfortable with and paying for rounds of drinks
and meals for everyone coming to the bar located in the hotel he stays in when he
eats, just like how it is done between close colleagues (Coelho, 2000: 19 – 21).
In the story, the stranger is also categorized as someone who acts fairly
because he gives reward for those who deserve it. The stranger comes to Viscos to
seek an answer whether human is born good or evil. He wants to prove that by
offering a gold bar to Chantal for helping him tell the people of Viscos about his
plan and ten gold bars to people in Viscos if they agree to kill one of their people
(Coelho, 2000: 16). Though in the end of the story, the stranger agrees to give all
the gold bars to Chantal (Coelho, 2000: 199).
By proposing such offers, the stranger wants to give Chantal and people in
Viscos the rewards – the eleven gold bars – which they deserve. It is a win-win
solution for all sides because the stranger is able to have an answer that he is
looking for while Chantal and people in Viscos are able to get the financial
support that they need to rebuild their lives to be better.
In the end of the story the stranger agrees to give all the gold bars to
Chantal even after she convinces the people of Viscos that the stranger‟s plan is
too risky and too ridiculous to be conducted. The stranger agrees to do so because
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
48
she stops the stranger for making a big sin by indirectly killing a person and gives
the stranger the answer that human is born both good and evil, it is all the matter
of control and choice, thus she deserves the gold bars (Coelho, 2000: 199 – 201).
In the story, the stranger shows his good side as well as his selfish self
when he wants to prove whether human is born good or evil. The stranger uses
innocent people‟s life to redeem himself for the loss of his wife and two daughters
is seen by the ego as a fear of conscience resulted from his superego that he
develops as he is taught to respect the laws and feel protected by the laws
(Coelho, 2000: 66). Morally, killing a person intentionally is wrong moreover if
that person is innocent. Therefore, because it is seen as morally wrong, the ego
reacts by trying to direct it to make it acceptable for the stranger‟s conscience.
The ego tries to do so by making the stranger‟s plan be seen as a morally right
killing, thus, the stranger tries to conduct his plans by making it as if he is justified
to do so because he is the victim of God‟s unfairness and because he can help all
the people in Viscos who are in the brink of extinction and also Chantal who has
suffered all her life since childhood.
C. Ego Defense Mechanisms of the Stranger
Using ego defense mechanism theory, this study finds several ego defense
mechanisms of the stranger that are seen in the story.
One of the major tasks imposed upon the ego is that of dealing with the
threats and dangers that beset the person and arouse anxiety. The ego may
try to master danger by adopting realistic problem-solving methods, or it
may attempt to alleviate anxiety by using methods that deny, falsify or
distort reality and that impede the development of personality. The latter
methods are called defense mechanisms of the ego (Hall, 1999: 85).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
49
According to Freud, individuals rarely rely upon an ego defense mechanism to
protect themselves from anxiety. Thus, it is more common for them to use several
ego defense mechanisms.
Since it rarely happens to rely on a single ego defense mechanism, this
study will analyze several ego defense mechanisms that can be seen on the
stranger based on his decision makings.
1. Coming to Viscos and Conducting His Plan in There
In the story, the stranger comes to Viscos to prove whether human is born
good or evil. He wants to test his theory about the nature of human beings that if
they are confronted by temptations, they will always fall and given the right
circumstances, they will be willing to commit crime.
So then I thought up my own game: I would go to some remote place,
where everyone looked on life with joy, peace and compassion, and I
would see if I could make the people there break a few of the Ten
Commandments (Coelho, 2000: 15)
According to the statement above, the stranger‟s decision to come to
Viscos and conduct his plan in there is called as projection. The stranger is
unconsciously attributing his own unacceptable impulses, attitudes and behaviors
in proving whether humans are born good or evil by breaking on of the Ten
Commandments in exchange of gold bars, to God.
His wife and two daughters are kidnapped by a group of terrorists who
demand weapons from the stranger. Despite the threat of a group of terrorists, the
stranger decides to call the police to ask help and save his wife and two daughters.
The police succeed in finding the terrorists and kills them, but the police fail to
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
50
save his wife and two daughters as they are killed by the terrorists first. The
deaths of his wife and two daughters make the stranger lose his faith in humans.
He laughs and weeps at God‟s irony, at the absurd way He has chosen to
demonstrate to him that he is the instrument of good and evil (Coelho, 2000: 65 –
67).
The stranger‟s decision to come to and conduct his plan in Viscos is also
called as displacement. The stranger‟s ego is unconsciously attributing his
unacceptable fate caused by God through the terrorists who has more power to the
people of Viscos who have less power. The stranger is displeased by the fact that
the people of Viscos who has the possibility to choose, thus, because he does not
have the possibility to choose he wants to see whether the people of Viscos may
have acted differently than the terrorists who kill his wife and two daughters.
The terrorists were already surrounded and defeated; nevertheless they
killed my family merely in order to carry out a useless, empty ritual. Your
village has what I did not have: it has the possibility to choose. They will
be tempted by the desire for money and perhaps believe they have a
mission to protect and save their village, but even so, they still retain the
ability to decide whether other not to execute the hostage. That‟s all. I
want to see whether other people might have acted differently than those
poor, bloodthirsty youngsters (Coelho, 2000: 69).
In the story, the stranger mostly blames God for the unfortunate fate that
he has as he has to lose his wife and his two daughters in an abduction by the
terrorists (Coelho, 2000: 67). Since he fears God, and he cannot directly confront
God who has more power than him, the stranger‟s ego thus redirects his impulses
to the people of Viscos who have less power because he, as an extremely rich and
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
51
a famous industrialist, feels that he has more power than the people of Viscos
(Coelho, 2000: 63 – 64).
The stranger‟s decision to come to Viscos and wants the people of Viscos
to break one of the Ten Commandments „Thou shalt not kill‟ are also called as
rationalization. The stranger‟s ego tries to distort the reality of the irrational plan
of the stranger to give gold bars in exchange of a murder and thus protect the self-
esteem of the stranger to conduct his plan.
Losing his wife and two daughters in an abduction makes the stranger lose
his willingness to live.
All my sense of compassion gradually vanished, and now my heart has
entirely shriveled up; I don‟t care whether I live or die. But first, for the
sake of my wife and daughters, I need to grasp what happened in that
hiding place (Coelho, 2000: 68).
Therefore, when he decides to go to Viscos and conducts his plan in breaking one
of the Ten Commandments, the stranger‟s ego makes his decisions seem rational
thus he keeps pursuing his plans. The stranger thinks that his decisions are rational
because he has nothing to lose. If he proves that humans are born good then God
is just and will forgive him for all he has done for He is the one who drives the
stranger towards the dark, but if he proves that humans are born evil then
everything is permitted, he never takes the wrong decision because humans are
condemned from the start for redemption lies beyond either humans thought or
deed (Coelho, 200: 18).
The stranger‟s plan to make the people of Viscos break one of the Ten
Commandments, makes the people of Viscos angry because killing an innocent
person is categorized as a criminal act. The people of Viscos then begin to think
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
52
differently. They are reminded with the conditions of their village which is in the
brink of extinction, the amount of money that they need to build their village and
to enhance their financial stability. They also start to believe that the sacrifice of
one individual saves all humanity (Coelho, 2000: 108).
2. Alluring Chantal with His Gold Bar
In the story, the stranger begins to allure Chantal by confessing that
everything he writes on the form at the hotel is false and wanting to show her
something that she‟s never seen before (Coelho, 2000: 8). After showing Chantal
the gold bars and being asked so many questions by her, the stranger is pleased
with Chantal‟s intelligence which is suitable to be the person who helps him
conducting his plans (Coelho, 2000: 15).
The stranger‟s decision to allure Chantal with his gold bar is called
displacement. Since the stranger cannot direct his impulse to God and the
terrorists already die, he then directs his impulse to Chantal who is less
threatening and easy to „read‟.
You may decide not to cooperate, in which case, I‟ll tell everyone that I
gave you the chance to help them, but you refused, and then I‟ll put my
proposition to them myself. If they do decide to kill someone, you will
probably be their chosen victim (Coelho, 2000: 18).
The stranger‟s threat to Chantal and the conditions that she is in make her have no
choice but to obey in helping him to conduct his plans.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
53
3. Accepting the Devil after Losing His Wife and Two Daughters
In the story, the stranger recalls when he first hears the devil‟s voice after
Chantal tells the people of Viscos about his plans.
He had first heard the devil‟s voice on an island, where he had traveled
after resigning from his job; he was on the beach, in terrible emotional
pain, trying desperately to believe that his suffering must have an end,
when he saw the most beautiful sunset he had ever seen. It was then that
his despair came back in force, and plumbed the depths of the deepest
abyss in his soul precisely because such a sunset should also have been
seen by his wife and children. He broke into uncontrollable sobs and felt
that he would never climb up from the bottom of that pit (Coelho, 2000:
84).
The stranger‟s grief that comes back after seeing the beautiful sunset is called
repression. When losing his beloved wife and two daughters, the stranger‟s ego
tries to repress the grief caused by his losing into the unconscious but
unfortunately, that grief forces its way out into consciousness in an unaltered form
thus makes him break into uncontrollable sobs and feel that he will never be able
to recover from that grief.
In that moment of grief, the devil tries to reason with the stranger that he is
not alone and there is no such thing as good because life in this world is just a
little joke played on him by God. Life is full of terrors but the stranger is lucky
because he has been through the worst since his worse fear becomes reality as he
has lost his wife and two daughters (Coelho, 2000: 86). The stranger‟s decision to
accept the devil after the deaths of his wife and two daughters is called projection.
He is unconsciously attributing his own unacceptable impulses, attitudes and
behaviors to his personal experience of evil, thus now he wants to pass it on to
others.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
54
Which is perhaps what is happening to me … God, I did not deserve what
happened to me, if you did that to me, I can do the same to others. That is
justice (Coelho, 2000: 89).
His decision is also called rationalization. The stranger tries to cope with
frustration and anxiety caused by the deaths of his wife and two daughters, by
distorting reality that he does what he does because he wants justice since he does
not deserve what has happened to him.
When the stranger‟s ego disguises the repressed forbidden impulse that he
deserves what has happened to him by directly showing it to the consciousness in
a directly opposite form, it is called as reaction formation.
In the forest, you told me that you wanted answer to certain question, but
from the way you have constructed your plan, only Evil will be rewarded;
if no one is murdered, Good will earn nothing but praise ... You‟re not
trying to find the answer to a question, you‟re simply trying to confirm
something you desperately want to believe: that everyone is evil (Coelho,
2000: 79 – 80).
The stranger unconsciously tries to prove that he deserves to lose his wife and two
daughters because he is evil. He is evil because he is planning to indirectly kill an
innocent person by using the people of Viscos. He takes advantage of the
weakness of Chantal and the people of Viscos.
4. Saving Chantal from a Rogue Wolf
In the story, when Chantal goes to the Y-shaped rock, thinking of what she
will do with the gold as soon as she has it, she meets with a rouge wolf. She is
defenseless and cannot move her body at all; her mind is blank to be able to think
on how she can save her life. Surprisingly, the stranger comes to her rescue. He
distracts the rogue wolf by throwing it rock so that he and Chantal can climb a
tree and avoid the rogue wolf. When Chantal asks the stranger to show her that he
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
55
is a man by lighting a few branches of the tree to attack it and chase it, the
stranger is so afraid.
He climbed down with the burning torch in his hands, ignoring the sparks
that occasionally singed his cheeks. When he saw the animal‟s foam-
flecked teeth close-up, his fear increased, but he had to do something–
something he should have done when his wife was abducted, his daughters
murdered (Coelho, 2000: 117).
The stranger‟s ability to attack and chase away the rogue wolf makes his
memory about his incapability to save his family that he has repressed by a
selective forgetting appears again (repression). Besides, his action to chase away
the rouge wolf is also called as regression. It is because he comes back to his
earlier life when he imagines that he was still happy with his family, how if he
were actually given the courage to change his destiny thus he were able to save
his family. The stranger is also said to have experienced sublimation when he
saves Chantal from a rouge wolf because remembering his grief unconsciously
makes him able to save Chantal, as he does not want to fail in saving life again.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
56
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
The focus of this study is the ego defense mechanisms of the stranger in
Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym. The ego defense mechanism of the
stranger helps the stranger to protect him from overwhelming anxieties. The
anxieties that the stranger has are caused by the abduction of his wife and two
daughters by a group of terrorists, that then, leads to the death of his wife and two
daughters.
This study finds three conclusions based on the analysis. The first
conclusion is the characteristics of the stranger described in the story. The second
conclusion is the types of anxiety that the stranger has in the story. The third
conclusion is the ego defense mechanisms seen in the stranger when he
overcomes his anxieties.
First, using character disclosure in fiction theory and personality
organization theory, this study finds three characteristics of the stranger described
in the story. The first characteristic of the stranger is a good man. The stranger is
seen as a good man because of three reasons. Firstly, he is a man who does not
value others based on their social status because unconsciously, he is longing for
the companionship since he has lost his wife and two daughters. Secondly, he is a
man who obeys the laws because unconsciously, he is afraid of losing his dignity
if he breaks the laws. Thirdly, he is a man who acts fairly because unconsciously,
he is afraid of the consequences of unfairness. The second characteristic of the
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
57
stranger is an intelligent man. The stranger is seen as an intelligent man because
of three reasons. Firstly, he is experienced or mature in life because
unconsciously, he is afraid to be underestimated for his failure or mistake.
Secondly, he is logical because unconsciously, he is afraid of making mistakes
and being taken advantage of by others. Thirdly, he is aware of the consequences
of his actions because unconsciously, he is afraid to make any mistakes because of
his traumatic experience of losing his wife and two daughters. The third
characteristic of the stranger is a selfish man. The stranger is seen as a selfish man
because of two reasons. Firstly, he always wants to be right because
unconsciously, he is trying to save himself from the despair of being wrong
Secondly, he wants others to feel the despair he feels because unconsciously, he is
trying to relieve the despair he feels by having control in others.
Second, using the types of anxiety theory, this study finds three types of
anxiety that the stranger has in the story. The first type of anxiety is realistic
anxiety. There are two realistic anxieties experienced by the stranger. One, when
he tries to save his wife and two daughters from the terrorists who kidnap them.
Two, when he tries to save Chantal who tries to flee from Viscos with his gold bar
from a rouge wolf in the forest. The second type of anxiety is neurotic anxiety.
The stranger, even though not directly, is experienced this neurotic anxiety when
he plans everything in details as he comes to Viscos to seek answers. The third
type of anxiety is moral anxiety. The stranger is experienced this anxiety when he
is seen as a good man as he does not value others based on their social status and
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
58
acts fairly. While at the same time, he shows his selfish side as he uses innocent
people‟s life to redeem himself for the loss of his wife and two daughters.
Third, using ego defense mechanism theory, this study finds seven ego
defense mechanisms that can be seen on the stranger based on his four decisions
in the story. The first is the stranger‟s decision to come to and conduct his plan in
Viscos. The ego defense mechanisms that can be seen based on this decision are
projection, displacement, and rationalization. The second is the stranger‟s decision
to allure Chantal with his gold bar. The ego defense mechanism that can be seen
based on this decision is displacement. The third is the stranger‟s decision to
accept the devil after the deaths of his wife and two daughters. The ego defense
mechanisms that can be seen based on this decision are repression, projection,
rationalization and reaction formation. The fourth is the stranger‟s decision to
save Chantal from the rogue wolf. The ego defense mechanisms that can be seen
based on this decision are repression, regression and sublimation. The stranger‟s
decisions in the story are his ways to cope up with the grief he feels after he fails
to save his wife and two daughters.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
59
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory
(second edition). Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2002.
Bressler, Charles. Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice.
New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1999.
Coelho, Paulo. The Devil and Miss Prym. New York: HarperCollins Publisher,
2000.
Cohen, John. Humanistic Psychology. London: George Allen & Unwind Ltd,
1958.
Feist, Jess and Gregory J. Feist. Theories of Personality (sixth edition). New
York: McGraw-Hill, 2006.
Hall, Calvin. S. A Premier of Freudian Psychology. New York: Penguin Book,
1999.
Hermawan, Adi. “Understanding Carlos‟ Behaviour as Seen in The Devil and
Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho.” Thesis, Yogyakarta: Sanata Dharma
University, 2013.
Hjelle, Larry A. and Daniel J. Ziegler. Personalities Theories (second edition).
New York: McGraw-Hill, 1981.
Kalish, Richard A. The Psychology of Human Behavior. California: Brooks/Cole
Publishing Company, 1973.
Monica, Helen. “The Main Character‟s Motivation in Saving Viscos as Seen in
Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym.” Thesis, Yogyakarta: Sanata
Dharma University, 2008.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
60
Nordby, Vernon J. and Calvin S. Hall. A Guide to Psychologists and Their
Concepts. San Fransisco: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1974.
Roberts, Edgar V. and Henry E. Jacobs. Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and
Writing. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1987.
Sarup, Madan. An Introductory Guide to Post-structuralism and Postmodernism.
United States of America: The University of Georgia Press Athens, 1989.
Sheme Mary P U. “Relocating The Soul in Paulo Coelho‟s Novel The Devil and
Miss Prym” Research Journal of English Language and Literature
(RJELAL). Vol 1. Issue 2. (2013): p. 42. A Peer Reviewed International
Journal. (http://www.rjelal.com). October 10, 2016.
Stanton, Robert. An Introduction to Fiction. New York: Holt, Reinhart and
Winston, 1965.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
61
APPENDIX
Summary of Paulo Coelho’s The Devil and Miss Prym
The Devil and Miss Prym focuses on temptation in human‟s life. It tells a
story about a stranger who comes to a remote village of Viscos. The stranger is
carrying a backpack containing a notebook and eleven gold bars. Staying in a
hotel, the strange carefully reads the form given to fill in and decides what he is
going to put. From his accent, they will know he comes from some South
American country, and he decides it should be Argentina, because he really likes
their football team. In the space left for his address, he writes Colombia Street,
knowing that South Americans are in the habit of paying homage to each other by
naming important places after neighboring countries. As his name, he chooses a
famous terrorist name from the previous century, Carlos.
The next morning after he eats breakfast, he brings the gold bars in his
rucksack and sets off for the mountain to the east of the village. He plunges into
the forest, dugs a hole close to a rocky outcrop in the shape of a Y and hides one
of the gold bars there. Then, he digs another hole in a rocky outcrop in the shape
of an eagle and hides the remaining ten gold bars.
When he is on his way back to the hotel, he sees a woman and decides to
befriend her. The woman is named Chantal Prym, she works in the evenings at the
bar of the hotel he stays. The stranger confesses to that he is 52 years old, his
name is not Carlos and everything he writes on the form at the hotel is false when
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
62
she does not seem to be interested with the stranger‟s offer to follow him
because he wants to show her something she has never seen before, a gold bar.
Succeeding to persuade Prym, the stranger begins to explain his purpose to
come to Viscos. To Prym, he explains that he comes to Viscos to seek an answer
whether a human is born good or evil years after his wife and two daughters are
dead, murdered by terrorists. Thus, he offers a gold bar for Prym alone if she
wants to comply with his plan, that is for her to tell the people in Viscos that the
other ten gold bars are going to be given to the people of Viscos if they break the
„Thou shalt not kill‟ commandment. He goes on by saying that during a week one
of them must be murdered, be it a useless old man, or someone with an incurable
illness, or a mental defective who requires constant attention, it does not matter.
The stranger keeps pressuring Prym to do what he has said. He even threatens her
that he is going to make the pwoplw in Viscos hate her if she does not comply.
The stranger‟s threat to Prym make her life in despair. Prym is afraid of
what will happen if she agrees or does not agree to do what the stranger tells her
to because no matter what her choice is, it will always bring harms. Therefore, she
is always cautious when the stranger is around her and people of Viscos because
she is afraid that the stranger will tell people of Viscos about his plan himself.
After several nights, the stranger cannot be patient anymore to wait. He
finally decides to secretly slips Prym a note asking her to meet him alone, though
he does not refuse if she wants to meet him with people of Viscos present too, a
treat that Prym does not miss to understand.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
63
When Prym agrees to meet with him, she calls him a coward because he
uses other people to resolve his own conflicts but he is incapable of taking certain
decisions. The stranger does not want to be called as a coward because he is
always a man of action. He, then, starts to tell Prym his past life that he used to be
a married man with two daughters, a regular churchgoer and a highly paid director
of a huge firm specialized in arms trade.
His life begins to change when one evening a group of terrorists kidnap his
wife and two daughters, asking him to give them weapons from his firm if he
wants his wife and two daughters to be safe. Since he is a good citizen, brought up
to respect the laws and feel protected by the laws, the first thing he does is to call
the police despite the terrorists‟ threat to tell anybody. The police succeed in
executing the terrorists but they fail to save his wife and two daughters because
before they shoot the terrorists dead, the terrorists manage to kill his wife and two
daughters.
The stranger lives in a despair after his wife and two daughter die. He
starts to blame God for the misfortune that happens in his life. Therefore, to drive
away the devil and have hope in life again, he needs an answer why the
misfortune happens to him. He needs to know whether human is born good or evil
in order to understand why the terrorists kill his wife and two daughters that is
why he comes to Viscos.
Finally on Friday night, Prym tells the people of Viscos about the
stranger‟s plan. The people of Viscos are shocked. They are mad with the
stranger. They try to kick out the stranger from Viscos but the stranger threatens
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
64
them so they cannot make him leave. They are also mad with Prym because she
should never have allowed herself to become the stranger‟s mouthpiece and made
Viscos turn to hell by agreeing with the stranger‟s offer.
Even if there are debates within the people of Viscos about what they
should do. In the end, the people of Viscos, excluding Prym and Berta, decides to
„sacrifice‟ Berta for the sake of the village‟s poverty since they think that she is
lonely, old and still suffering from her husband‟s death thus, it is justifiable for her
to be sacrificed.
On the night when the stranger‟s plan is executed, Prym stops the people
of Viscos in shooting Bertha. She tries to reason with them that doing the
stranger‟s plan will bring them harms instead of good because the gold bars are
not as valuable as a human being‟s life. The people of Viscos finally realized that
it is too risky to kill Bertha for ten gold bars and leaves the execution place until
there are just the stranger, Prym and Bertha left. The stranger, then, gives all the
gold bars to Prym and demands the answer he has been searching from Prym. She
says that every human is born good and evil, it depends on the control that human
has to decide whether he or she chooses to be good or evil.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI