When the characters appear, the audience will make an assumption by seeing their facial features, dress, physical build,
and the way they move. The assumption can change anytime as the story is on progress, but the first impression seeing them is really
influential.
Characterization through Dialogue
Characters in a movie will show their truly self by what they say, the way they deliver their words, and their choice of
words. Their thought, their feeling, and their emotions will be revealed by dialogue. The using of dialect and sentence structure
also shows their social and economic position.
27
Characterization through External Action
Action has the biggest part in revealing someone‟s character. A character usually does what he wants to do and has the
motive behind his action. A relationship between the character and his action will be clear and a story will grow naturally. If the
motivation for character‟s action is clearly established, the character and the plot become closer and impossible to separate.
28
Characterization through Internal Action
If there are unseen or unheard actions in a movie, they should be an inner world of action. It is difficult to be understood,
because no one knows what the others think. These internal actions
27
Ibid., p. 61.
28
Ibid., p. 62.
occur in characters ‟ minds and emotions. They are unspoken
thoughts, fears, daydreams, memories, happiness, or even secrets. It is really important to be understood as long as the characters
exist.
29
Characterization through Reactions of Other Characters
Sometimes the information about a character comes from the other characters. Even, there is a scene where the
characteristics of the main character are found before she or he appears. They will show and tell about the problems which is
caused by the main character and the characteristics of him or her.
30
Characterization through Choice of Name
One important method of characterization is the use of names possessing appropriate qualities of sound, meaning, and
connotation. The choice of characters‟ name cannot be done randomly. The name must have the meaning that is compatible
with their action and their attitudes. A screenwriter usually thinks out
his characters‟ name carefully.
31
C. Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is first introduced by Sigmund Freud. Freud was born on May 6, 1856 in Freiberg, Moravia. His father, named Jacob, is a
29
Ibid.
30
Ibid., p. 64.
31
Ibid., p. 66.
seller and his mother, named Amalie Freud, is an active woman. Freud has two brothers, Emanuel and Phillip. He spends his entire life in Wina.
Freud continues his study at the University of Vienna Medical School. During his college years, he is involved in various kinds of
research. He is very creative and productive. In writing his research, he is really thorough. The main focus of his research is neurophysiology.
In 1885, Freud got a chance to study about hysteria in Paris with Josef Breuer. Hysteria is a disorder characterized by paralysis or impaired
function of organs. Freud emphasized that sexual experience is a source of hysteria. In 1895, Freud published his work entitled Studies of Hysteria. In
this book, Freud introduced the term “psychological analysis” that he later described as “psychoanalysis”.
Freud then developed the idea of self-defense mechanism in 1920. The concept is further enhanced by his daughter, Anna. Freud believes that
personality is divided into three part functions; Id, Ego, and Superego.
D. Personality Structure
In 1920, Freud introduces three important parts of personality structure. He divides human personality structure based on their functions
or purposes.
32
The first is id, which is unconscious; the second is Ego that has conscious, preconscious, and unconscious components; and the last
one is both of preconscious and unconscious, superego. They interact with
32
Jess Feist Gregory J. Feist, Theories of Personality, Sixth Edition New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2006, p. 27.
each other to make an interaction as human behavior. Although they have their own po
wer, they also have their limit in human‟s personality. 1.
Id The deepest part of personality is id. The id is unconscious.
The id contains of all urges, instincts, needs in human self, started from the birth until the death. This part of structure personality is
beyond our awareness. The id does not have a contact with reality too because all of the urges, instincts, or needs come from the id must be
satisfied. The id works based on pleasure principle.
33
The id just needs satisfaction. All the id wants, the id gets. There is no tolerance for time
and reality. But the id influences someone‟s words, feeling, and
actions. The obvious example of this part is a newborn baby. Actually,
a baby sucks her mother‟s nipple to survive. By doing her action, a
baby gets the satisfaction. It is not a matter if the nipple is present, but the condition will change when the nipple is absent. A baby will look
for another thing to replace the nipple without thinking it is possible or impossible. And the last thing she found is sucking her thumb. She
does not even realize that sucking her thumb cannot make herself survive.
33
Ibid.
