Leading Character’s Personality As Reflected In Stephen Chbosky’s Novel The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1.
Background of the Study
Literature is used to describe anything from creative writing to more
technical or scientific works, but the term is most commonly used to refer to
works of the creative imagination, including works of poetry, drama, fiction,
and nonfiction. According to Wellek and Warren (1997 : 02), literature is the
writing or study of books made as works of the arts which can be divided into
three genres, such as prose fiction, poetry, and drama. Prose fiction includes
novels, short stories, romances, parables, myths.
Psychology Literature is the analysis of the text by considering the
relevance and role of psychological studies. That is, psychology played an
important role in analyzing a literary work by working from the corner of the
psychiatric literature both elements of the author, the characters, and readers.
By paying attention to the figures, it will be analyzed the inner conflict inherent
in literature.
The writer’s focus refers to the literature which is written from the
novel The Perks of Being A Wallflower as an object of the analysis. Novel is a
long narrative, normally in prose, which describes fictional characters and
events, usually in the form of a sequential story. The term novel refers back to
the production of short stories that remained part of a European oral culture of
storytelling into the late 19th century. Fairy tales, jokes, and humorous stories
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designed to make a point in a conversation, and the exemplum a priest would
insert in a sermon belong into this tradition.
There are two ways to analyze a literature, it’s called the intrinsic and
extrinsic elements. The intrinsic element is about literary work such as : theme,
characters, setting, plot, symbols, point of view, also the customs, poitics,
historical problems, economics and psychological life. And the extrinsic
element is about the writing of literature namely backround of the writer’s life,
beliefs and point of view, also the customs, politics, historical problems,
economics and psychological life.
This thesis will be assessed in detail on the psychology of literature and
its relation to the Leading Character's Personality by using the psychoanalysis
theory. Psychoanalysis is a set of psychological and psychotherapeutic
theories and associated techniques, created by Austrian physician Sigmund
Freud.
According to Freud, The author in creating a literary work is being
'attacked' by mental illness called 'neurosis'. Sometimes it reaches the stage of
'psychosis' such as nerve pain and mental make it in a state of very depressed
(not to be construed in a state insane), lamented a result of new ideas and
tempestuous who wants sublimated or channeled into the creation of literary
works. And therefore, a literary work can not be separated from the problem of
creation covered by a wide range of psychiatric problems, then to use this
psychological approach should be through psychological support.
Freud also said that our personality develops from the interactions
among what he proposed as the three fundamental structures of the human
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mind : the Id, Ego, and SuperEgo. Conflicts among these three structure and
our efforts to find balance among what each of them “desires”, determines how
we behave and approach the world.
This analysis is focused on Charlie’s character as depicted in the novel
written by Stephen Chbosky The Perks of Being A Wallflower. Character is the
main element in a literary work, and Characters are the figures in the book, also
the important element to be discussed in this analysis. Character is an
evaluation of a particular individual's stable moral qualities. According to
Robert (1993:20) Character is the persons presented in dramatics of narrative
work who are interpreted by reader as being endowed with the moral and
dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say and what they do in
an action. It refers to the Personality in a character itself to express everything
could happen in the life. Personality has to do with individual differences
among people in behaviour patterns, cognition and emotion. The term
"personality" refers to enduring personal characteristics that are revealed in a
particular pattern of behaviour in a variety of situations.
The writer takes Charlie’s personality as the main topic because this
problem is the focus of the analysis to provide the information to the reader
about the Id, Ego, and SuperEgo of Charlie are described in the novel. The
novel The Perks of Being A Wallflower is expected to make the readers more
realize and understand about the personality deeply like the other moral people
could, so that we can live our lives sucessfully in accordance with the
knowledge gained to make life more manageable.
The writer uses library research method and some other references.
Such as books and online reaserch to complete and support the theory. The
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source data is obtained from The Perks of Being A Wallflower novel and the
other book which related to the problems. This analysis refers to the descriptive
qualitative method, and deals with theory of Sigmund Freud. By using
Sigmund’s theory as the analysis basic, the writer could find out the problems
of leading character’s Id, Ego, and SuperEgo and could be the knowledge that
can be increased by the readers about personality in a character.
1.2.
Problem of the Study
In this thesis, the writer analyzes the problems of personality in
Charlie’s character based on Stephen Chbosky’s novel The Perks of Being A
Wallflower :
1. How is the leading character’s Id described in the novel?
2. How is the leading character’s Ego described in the novel?
3. How is the leading character’s SuperEgo described in the novel?
1.3.
Objective of the Study
There are three objectives found in it, i.e :
1. To describe the leading character’s Id in the novel.
2. To describe the leading character’s Ego in the novel.
3. To describe the leading character’s SuperEgo in the novel.
1.4.
Scope of the Study
According to the background of the study above and to limit the
research, the writer focuses the problems on the leading character in the novel,
Charlie, who had some terrible incidents that influenced his Id, Ego and
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SuperEgo which are seen through Sigmund Freud’s Structural Theory of
Personality in Charlie’s character as reflected in The Perks of Being A
Wallflower novel.
1.5.
Significance of the Study
The analysis of this thesis is expected can be useful theoretically and
practically in living a life. Theoretically, the result of this analysis can be used
as an insight additional about the leading character. The analysis result of the
structural theory of personality which exists in the novel can be used as a
comprehension and reference in a socialization of living a life. The concepts
and theories that related to the literature and an entertainment thing, especially
which express and explain about the leading character which related to the
stuctural theory of personality and can make us reach much knowledges that
related to the character analysis in a novel. Practically, the writer expects that
the readers can make this analysis as their review related to the personality of a
character meaning, so it could be a guidance in living a life to behave properly.
Universitas Sumatera Utara
INTRODUCTION
1.1.
Background of the Study
Literature is used to describe anything from creative writing to more
technical or scientific works, but the term is most commonly used to refer to
works of the creative imagination, including works of poetry, drama, fiction,
and nonfiction. According to Wellek and Warren (1997 : 02), literature is the
writing or study of books made as works of the arts which can be divided into
three genres, such as prose fiction, poetry, and drama. Prose fiction includes
novels, short stories, romances, parables, myths.
Psychology Literature is the analysis of the text by considering the
relevance and role of psychological studies. That is, psychology played an
important role in analyzing a literary work by working from the corner of the
psychiatric literature both elements of the author, the characters, and readers.
By paying attention to the figures, it will be analyzed the inner conflict inherent
in literature.
The writer’s focus refers to the literature which is written from the
novel The Perks of Being A Wallflower as an object of the analysis. Novel is a
long narrative, normally in prose, which describes fictional characters and
events, usually in the form of a sequential story. The term novel refers back to
the production of short stories that remained part of a European oral culture of
storytelling into the late 19th century. Fairy tales, jokes, and humorous stories
Universitas Sumatera Utara
designed to make a point in a conversation, and the exemplum a priest would
insert in a sermon belong into this tradition.
There are two ways to analyze a literature, it’s called the intrinsic and
extrinsic elements. The intrinsic element is about literary work such as : theme,
characters, setting, plot, symbols, point of view, also the customs, poitics,
historical problems, economics and psychological life. And the extrinsic
element is about the writing of literature namely backround of the writer’s life,
beliefs and point of view, also the customs, politics, historical problems,
economics and psychological life.
This thesis will be assessed in detail on the psychology of literature and
its relation to the Leading Character's Personality by using the psychoanalysis
theory. Psychoanalysis is a set of psychological and psychotherapeutic
theories and associated techniques, created by Austrian physician Sigmund
Freud.
According to Freud, The author in creating a literary work is being
'attacked' by mental illness called 'neurosis'. Sometimes it reaches the stage of
'psychosis' such as nerve pain and mental make it in a state of very depressed
(not to be construed in a state insane), lamented a result of new ideas and
tempestuous who wants sublimated or channeled into the creation of literary
works. And therefore, a literary work can not be separated from the problem of
creation covered by a wide range of psychiatric problems, then to use this
psychological approach should be through psychological support.
Freud also said that our personality develops from the interactions
among what he proposed as the three fundamental structures of the human
Universitas Sumatera Utara
mind : the Id, Ego, and SuperEgo. Conflicts among these three structure and
our efforts to find balance among what each of them “desires”, determines how
we behave and approach the world.
This analysis is focused on Charlie’s character as depicted in the novel
written by Stephen Chbosky The Perks of Being A Wallflower. Character is the
main element in a literary work, and Characters are the figures in the book, also
the important element to be discussed in this analysis. Character is an
evaluation of a particular individual's stable moral qualities. According to
Robert (1993:20) Character is the persons presented in dramatics of narrative
work who are interpreted by reader as being endowed with the moral and
dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say and what they do in
an action. It refers to the Personality in a character itself to express everything
could happen in the life. Personality has to do with individual differences
among people in behaviour patterns, cognition and emotion. The term
"personality" refers to enduring personal characteristics that are revealed in a
particular pattern of behaviour in a variety of situations.
The writer takes Charlie’s personality as the main topic because this
problem is the focus of the analysis to provide the information to the reader
about the Id, Ego, and SuperEgo of Charlie are described in the novel. The
novel The Perks of Being A Wallflower is expected to make the readers more
realize and understand about the personality deeply like the other moral people
could, so that we can live our lives sucessfully in accordance with the
knowledge gained to make life more manageable.
The writer uses library research method and some other references.
Such as books and online reaserch to complete and support the theory. The
Universitas Sumatera Utara
source data is obtained from The Perks of Being A Wallflower novel and the
other book which related to the problems. This analysis refers to the descriptive
qualitative method, and deals with theory of Sigmund Freud. By using
Sigmund’s theory as the analysis basic, the writer could find out the problems
of leading character’s Id, Ego, and SuperEgo and could be the knowledge that
can be increased by the readers about personality in a character.
1.2.
Problem of the Study
In this thesis, the writer analyzes the problems of personality in
Charlie’s character based on Stephen Chbosky’s novel The Perks of Being A
Wallflower :
1. How is the leading character’s Id described in the novel?
2. How is the leading character’s Ego described in the novel?
3. How is the leading character’s SuperEgo described in the novel?
1.3.
Objective of the Study
There are three objectives found in it, i.e :
1. To describe the leading character’s Id in the novel.
2. To describe the leading character’s Ego in the novel.
3. To describe the leading character’s SuperEgo in the novel.
1.4.
Scope of the Study
According to the background of the study above and to limit the
research, the writer focuses the problems on the leading character in the novel,
Charlie, who had some terrible incidents that influenced his Id, Ego and
Universitas Sumatera Utara
SuperEgo which are seen through Sigmund Freud’s Structural Theory of
Personality in Charlie’s character as reflected in The Perks of Being A
Wallflower novel.
1.5.
Significance of the Study
The analysis of this thesis is expected can be useful theoretically and
practically in living a life. Theoretically, the result of this analysis can be used
as an insight additional about the leading character. The analysis result of the
structural theory of personality which exists in the novel can be used as a
comprehension and reference in a socialization of living a life. The concepts
and theories that related to the literature and an entertainment thing, especially
which express and explain about the leading character which related to the
stuctural theory of personality and can make us reach much knowledges that
related to the character analysis in a novel. Practically, the writer expects that
the readers can make this analysis as their review related to the personality of a
character meaning, so it could be a guidance in living a life to behave properly.
Universitas Sumatera Utara