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a. Inferiority Feeling Complex
Hanna Schmitz lives almost her whole lifetime with an inferiority feeling. This inferiority feeling increased exceedingly as she grows; moreover, she has no
family as her supporter. Hanna experiences this inferiority feeling more than the common other girls in her age. She spends her teen-age working for a living. She
must face a harsh life before she is ready for it p. 39. The inferiority feeling becomes higher when she is to face any events
requiring her to read; whereas she is illiterate. She feels more inferior and withdraws herself instead as found by Michael Berg,
That was why she had avoided being promoted by the streetcar company... That was why she had let me do all the writing and reading on our bicycle
trip and why she had lost control that morning in the hotel when she found my note... That was why she had admitted to writing the report in order to
escape a confrontation with an expert p. 132.
Her insecurity, as di scussed earlier, toward other people‘s acceptance of
her weakness frightens her, which then becomes the cause of the abnormally increased feeling of inferiority. This inferiority feeling complex makes her suffer
since the early years of her social life. It is explained by Adler 1981 that a person is indicated to experience an
inferiority feeling complex when he or she tries to intoxicate himself or herself into feeling superior p. 79. Here Hanna shows the superior feeling by showing
Michael and others her domineering trait. Hanna, as seen in the character traits discussion above, tends to control and overpower Michael which finally reveals
her inferiority feeling complex.
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b. Inferiority Symptom Complex
As the abnormal feeling increased, the social condition of Hanna becomes worse. This condition leads Hanna to presenting herself and others that she is not
strong enough to solve a given problem in a socially useful way, which then said by Adler to be her inferiority symptom complex p. 258. Related to the
personality, as it is also stated earlier about the psychoanalytic theory in Horney‘s that a person with a basic anxiety will try to protect himself by various defenses.
The person may behave in three ways: move toward others and become over- compliant, against them in hostile aggressiveness, or away from them in
withdrawal and isolation p. 122. In this case, Hanna presents herself by staying away from the society antisocial and limits her world. Being introvert and
secretive, and her withdrawal make her more isolated by people; these situations are not socially useful ways to solve her problem.
The conversation between Michael and the warden tries to uncover her inferiority symptom complex,
―... and she had to retreat even further, into a lonely cell safe from all eyes, where looks, clothing, and smell meant nothing. No it would be wrong to
say that she had given up. She redefined her place in a way that was right for her, but no longer impressed the other women.‖ p. 208.
Besides, the inferiority symptom complex possessed by Hanna can be
seen through her manners toward Michael in their affair. In her domination and having lack of remorse in the relationship, Hanna tends to be abusive as seen in
their fight in Amorbach below,
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―Don‘t touch me.‖ She was holding the narrow leather belt that she wore around her dress; she took a step backwards and hit me across the face
with it. My lip split and I tasted blood. It didn‘t hurt. I was horrorstruck. She swung again.‖ p. 55
The hostile aggressiveness is reflected in her rudeness toward Michael.
Hanna is filled with rage when she cannot know where Michael leaves that she cannot read his note. Her furious way and her abusive behavior toward Michael is
not a socially useful way for Hanna to disentangle herself from problems. Adler testifies that inferiority symptom complex is a dead-end for any
development p. 258. Here Hanna Schmitz endures the inferiority symptom complex that can be seen by her ways of presenting that she is not strong enough
to solve a given problem in a socially useful way; her withdrawal from society and her abusive behavior are the representations to show the inferiority
symptom complex of Hanna Schmitz.
2. Mechanism
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