function is helpful to the patient with disturbance since when the repressed could not be recognized by the patient, heshe would not be able to solve the problem.
6. The Relations between Literature and Psychoanalysis
In the history of psychoanalytic criticism, the very first time it was introduced as psychobiography. This method tries to relate the biographical data
of the author to the latent content of hisher work. In 1950s, the method turned to the character analysis, studying the various aspects of characters’ minds Bressler,
1998: 161. Psychoanalytical literary criticism was then divided into four kinds depending on the object of attention. “It can attend to the author of the work; to
the work’s contents; to its formal construction; or to the reader” Eagleton, 1996: 155. This study used the work’s content as the object.
In relation to literature, Freud believed that a work of literature is the external expression of the author’s unconscious mind. The author it is also
usually known as the artist, like most of human beings, is neurotic. The neurotic then “is oppressed by unusually powerful instinctual needs which lead him to turn
away from reality to fantasy” Eagleton, 1996: 156. Work of literature is the outward manifestation of the author’s repressed wish. Therefore, it might be
considered as the dream or fantasy of the author Bressler, 1998: 159. Psychoanalytic critic believes that somewhere beyond various levels of the story,
there lies the real meaning or interpretation of it, hidden and censored.
According to the concept of jouissance it is translated in English as pleasure, it can be said that literature and psychoanalysis have a simple
connection in between. Since instinctively human always avoids pain and seeks pleasure, every little action that human does is expected to lead human into
pleasure. Reading literature is also included in such action. Therefore, the reason why people read works of literature is because “they find them pleasurable”
Eagleton, 1996: 166. To understand why works of literature are considered to be pleasurable, it
should be related to the previous explanation about the statement that it is the manifestation of repressed things. Eagleton described the reason as that it
transforms our deepest anxieties and desires into socially acceptable meanings.
C. Theoretical Framework
There are three theories which are used in this research. The first one is the theory of character and characterization. This theory is the means to analyze the
work through intrinsic elements, character. It is used to figure out the characteristics of some significant characters in the story, such as Stephen and
other characters included in his school life. The second one is psychoanalytic theory. Through the characteristics and
characterization of the characters, this research analyzes how such action and thought were conducted by the characters in the story. Psychoanalytic criticism
enters beyond the superficial conscious realm of the events. It seeks the
unconscious repressed ideas of the characters or situations through reading the symptoms and any other signs shown by them.
The third one is the theory of subject presented by Lacan. The first sub- point in the explanation of this theory is functioned to recognize the process that
the characters in the story as a ‘subject’ in Lacan’s term lead. Afterwards, the theory of Other is used to identify the parts of school system which make
limitation and repression. The theory of desire and symptom is closely related to the theory of
repression. These theories are the means to analyze whether the examples of cases taken in the analysis are truly a repression or not. In each case, the characters
involved show some symptoms. These symptoms are figured out. Besides the symptoms, the desire of the characters is also identified. A repression is
recognized when there is a limitation and pressure given to the desire. Then, it is proven by the existence of the forms of “the return of the repressed” where
symptom is one of them.
