TUDY PRO ENGLISH L F LETTER MA UNIVER KARTA R OF THE

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AN
NTISOCIA
AL PERSON
NALITY DISORDER
D
R OF THE JOKER
IN CHRISTOPHER NOLA
AN’S THE DARK
D
KNIIGHT MOV
VIE SCRIP
PT

AN UND

DERGRADU
UATE THE
ESIS

ment of the Requiremeents
Preseented as Parrtial Fulfillm
for thee Degree off Sarjana Sa
astra
iin English Letters
L

By
ADIT
TYA KRISN
NA RENDY
Y
6
Studennt Number: 084214056

ENGLISH LE

ETTERS ST
TUDY PRO
OGRAMM
ME
DEPARTM
D
MENT OF ENGLISH
E
LETTERS
L
FAC
CULTY OF
F LETTER
RS
SANATA
A DHARM
MA UNIVER
RSITY
YOGYAK
KARTA

2014

 

 

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ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER OF THE JOKER
IN CHRISTOPHER NOLAN’S THE DARK KNIGHT MOVIE SCRIPT

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By
ADITYA KRISNA RENDY
Student Number: 084214056

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2014

 

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“Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, we are
not the same person.”
- Dr. P. HarySusanto, S.J.
“Why so serious?”
- The Joker
“Religion keeps us away from sins, but
how many sins do we commit in the
name of religion?”

- RadenAjengKartini
(My Translation)
 

 
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This
undergraduate
thesis is dedicated
to my beloved
parents
 

 
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Praise to Jesus Christ, the merciful, the compassionate, and the most
beneficent who has given His remarkable blessing without which I would never
have accomplished this thesis.
This research project would not have been possible without the support of
many people. First and foremost I must acknowledge my indebtedness to my
advisor Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M. Hum and my co-advisor Dr. FX.
Siswadi M.A., who had been so kindly and carefully reading, correcting, giving
me advices and guidance during the process of writing this thesis.

My sincere thanks go to my beloved family, especially my parent, Eko
Wijaya and Tintin Susanti for their love, care, support, patience, prayer, and
understanding during my study.
My gratitude also goes to all my lecturers in English Letters Department,
Sanata Dharma University who have been willing to share their valuable
knowledge, lessons, and experiences. I also thank all staff in the secretariat of
English Letters Department in Sanata Dharma University, especially Mbak
Ninik, for her help in the administrative matter.
My special thanks go to Dewi Agustina (Chacha) and Ayu Rhema for
giving me their knowledge and their time for reading, criticizing, and assisting in
writing this thesis. I also thank Ubaid, Rendy “Selat” Lancerianda, Okky “The
Jawn”, Ucca, Rohman “My Man”, Adit “Tip Top” for being my lads. Thank
you for our togetherness, laughter, and bittersweet memories we had.
YOU GUYS ROCK!

 

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I would like to thank my friends who were my team in PORDA DIY 2013
Cabang Olah Raga Gulat Kontingen Kota Yogyakarta, Synergy Viper MMA, and
Synergy HAN Academy: Coach Anton, Coach Adit, Coach Febry, Coach
Johan Mulia Legowo, Pipin, and Surya.
My deepest love goes to my lovely partner, Dian Pratiwi Andini
Saputri. I thank for her love and her support during my writing process.
The last but not least, I would like to thank all my friends; I really do
appreciate their contribution of help, idea, energy, prayer and support.

Aditya Krisna Rendy

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE PAGE .............................................................................................
i
APPROVAL PAGE ...................................................................................
iii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ..............................................................................
iv
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ........................................
v
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH
........................................................................................................
vi
MOTTO PAGE .............................................................................................. vii
DEDICATION PAGE ................................................................................... viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................... ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................... xi
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................... xiii
ABSTRAK ....................................................................................................... xiv
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study ................................................
B. Problem Formulation ......................................................
C. Objectives of the Study ...................................................
D. Definition of Terms ........................................................
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies .............................................
B. Review of Related Theories ...........................................
1. Theory of Character ....................................................
2. Theory of Characterization ..........................................
3. Theory of Relation between Psychology and
Literature ...................................................................
4. Theory of Antisocial Personality Disorder ................
C. Theoretical Framework ..................................................

1
4
4
4

6
8
8
9
12
13
17

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study .........................................................
B. Approach of the Study ....................................................
C. Method of the Study ........................................................

18
19
20

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS
A. The Joker’s Characteristics............................................... 23

 

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1. Physical ........................................................................
2. Social ............................................................................
3. Psychological ..............................................................
4. Moral ............................................................................
B. The Joker’s Antisocial Personality Disorder ...................
1. Failure to conform to social norms with respect to
lawful behavior ............................................................
2. Deceitfulness ................................................................
3. Impulsivity ...................................................................
4. Irritability and aggressiveness .....................................
5. Reckless disregard for safety of self or others .............
6. Lack of remorse ...........................................................

23
23
25
33
33
34
35
37
38
40
41

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ...................................................................

43

BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................... 46
APPENDIX ...................................................................................................... 50

 

 
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ABSTRACT

Rendy, Aditya K. Antisocial Personality Disorder of the Joker in Christopher
Nolan’s the Dark Knight Movie Script. Yogyakarta: Department of English
Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University. 2014

This study is based on the movie script of Christopher Nolan, The Dark
Knight. In this study, the researcher relates the literature and psychology, which
are two subjects that explore human’s life. This study focuses on the Joker, one of
the characters in The Dark Knight.
There are two problems in this thesis. The first problem is aimed at
finding out the Joker’s characteristics. The second problem is aimed at
identifying the Joker’s antisocial personality disorder based on the psychological
theories.
In analyzing the Dark Knight movie script, the researcher applied the
psychological approach to help the writer reveal the issue that the Joker suffered
from Antisocial Personality Disorder. The researcher used library research in
order to collect the data which were divided into two, primary and secondary
data.
The findings showed that based on the personal description, the Joker is
described as someone who wears sweaty clown makeup with scars which widen
his mouth permanently. From the social point of view, the Joker is an antisocial
person. He is mysterious and he also has poor relationship with his family. From
the psychological point of view, the Joker is smart, dishonest, fearless, dangerous
and also trouble maker. From the moral point of view, the Joker lacks moral
values.
After analyzing the Joker’s characteristics, it can be concluded that the
Joker suffers from personality disorder. The Joker’s pattern of behavior and
thought are typical as a person who experiences personality disorder. He lacks of
regard of the rights of others. The Joker’s behavior is characterized by apparent
violence and destructiveness. He is not aware that he is in danger after
committing his action. Moreover, he feels no guilt of his antisocial behavior.

 

 
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ABSTRAK

Rendy, Aditya K. Antisocial Personality Disorder of the Joker’s Character in
Christopher Nolan’s the Dark Knight. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris,
Fakultas sastra, Universitas Sanata Darma. 2014

Penelitian ini berdasarkan pada naskah film Christopher Nolan, The Dark
Knight. Dalam hal ini, peneliti mengaitkan antara sastra dengan psikologi yang
merupakan dua bidang yang mengeksplorasi kehidupan manusia. Penelitian ini
berpusat pada Joker, salah satu karakter dalam The Dark Knight.
Terdapat dua permasalahan di skripsi ini. Permasalahan pertama adalah
bertujuan untuk mencari apa saja karakteristik dari the Joker. Permasalahan
kedua bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi gangguan kepribadian antisocial yang
diderita the Joker berdasarkan teori-teori psikologi.
Dalam menganalisis naskah film The Dark Knight, peneliti menggunakan
pendekatan psikologis yang digunakan untuk membantu penulis dalam
mengungkapkan permasalahan bahwa Joker menderita perilaku antisosial.
Penulis menggunakan studi pustaka untuk mengumpulkan data yang dibagi
menjadi dua yaitu, data primer dan sekunder .
Hasil menunjukkan bahwa berdasarkan uraian personal, Joker
digambarkan sebagai seseorang yang memakai riasan badut dengan bekas luka
yang melebarkan mulutnya secara permanen. Dari sudut pandang sosial, Joker
adalah seseorang yang anti sosial. Dia misterius dan dia juga memiliki hubungan
yang buruk dengan keluarganya. Dari sudut pandang psikologis, Joker adalah
seseorang yang cerdas, jujur, tidak mengenal takut, berbahaya dan juga pembuat
masalah. Dari sudut pandang moral, Joker adalah seseorang yang kurang akan
nilai-nilai moral.
Setelah menganalisa karakter Joker, dapat disimpulkan bahwa Joker
menderita gangguan kepribadian. Pola perilaku dan pemikiran Joker yang khas
sebagai seseorang yang mengalami gangguan kepribadian adalah sangat tidak
memperhatikan hak orang lain. Perilaku Joker ini ditandai dengan adanya
kekerasan dan pengrusakan. Dia tidak peduli dan menyadari bahwa dia berada
dalam bahaya setelah melakukan aksinya. Selain itu, dia merasa tidak bersalah
atas perilaku antisosialnya.

 

 
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A.

Background of the Study
A film is a visualization of a drama. It is considered as one form of literary

works. There is a story which is going to be presented either in a film or literature.
They only have a different way to do it. This is in line with Alexander Astruc
(1972: 165), who states “A filmmaker/an author writes with his camera as a writer
writes with his pen”.
In making film, there are many visual effects used to illustrate the story
and the characters which are difficult to be expressed into written way, for
instance the details of the situation and the expression of the characters. However,
it does not mean that a film cannot be analyzed. “The fact that we do not generally
“read” films does not mean we should ignore the principle of literary or dramatic
analysis when we see a film.” (Boggs, 1978:19-20).
The analysis of a film can be done like literary analysis. It is obvious
because of the aesthetic value that films have also existed in literature. As Joseph
M. Boggs states, “Perceptive film analysis is built on the same elements used in
literary analysis and if we apply what we have learned in the study of literature to
our analysis of films, we are far ahead of those who do not.” (1978: 20).
The relationship between a film and literature is the movie script. It is
supported by Gianetti who says that a movie script is rarely an autonomous
literary product (1987: 256). As in literature, a movie script is related to stories

 

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and characters. Therefore, a movie script can be analyzed as what is done toward
a literary work.
In a movie script, the character can be seen through their speech, thought,
and actions described in the script. It is in line with what Abrams says that the
character can be judged by the readers from what they expressed in what they say,
the dialogue, and in what they do in action. (1981: 21-22).
This study is based on the movie script by Christopher Nolan, The Dark
Knight. This study focuses on the Joker, one of the characters in The Dark Knight.
In this study, the researcher relates the literature and psychology, which are two
subjects that explore human’s life, because this study analyses a movie script,
which is a literature work, and characteristics which belong to anti-social
personality disorder, which is best described using psychology theory. March H.
Bornstein in his book Psychology and its Allied Disciplines vol I states that
literature is best at describing the human condition in a dramatic form, while
psychology has the strength to investigate human character or behavior in
systematic ways (1984: 144).
The Joker is a super-villain and the archenemy of Batman. The Joker is a
master criminal with a clown-like appearance. Initially portrayed as a violent
sociopath who murders people for his own amusement, the Joker later in the
1940s began to be written as a goofy trickster-thief. That characterization
continued through the late-1950s and 1960s before the character became again
depicted as a vicious, calculating, psychopathic killer. The Joker has been
responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of

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Barbara Gordon (Batgirl/Oracle) and the murders of Jason Todd (the second
Robin) and Jim Gordon’s second wife Sarah Essen.
According to DC comics database, the Joker has been referred to as the
Clown Prince of Crime, the Harlequin of Hate, and the Ace of Knaves. The
Joker's physical appearance is a polar opposite of Batman. Batman uses dark
colors such as gray and black to intimidate criminals, while the Joker relies on
bright colors, such as purple, green, and sometimes orange to do his bidding. The
Joker also has a melted cliché clown face, the origins of which differ depending
on the continuity he is used in. Some incarnations of The Joker see him wearing
actual make up, such as in the film The Dark Knight, while others show his skin
actually having been bleached as in the 1989 Batman.
Throughout the evolution of the DC universe, interpretations and
incarnations of the Joker have taken two forms. The original and currently
dominant image of the Joker is a sadistic, fiendishly intelligent lunatic with a
warped sense of humor, deriving pleasure from inflicting twisted, morbid death
and terror upon innocent people. The other version, popular in comic books from
the late 1940s to the 1960s and in the 1960s television series, is an eccentric,
harmless prankster and thief. The Joker is typically seen in a purple suit with a
long-tailed, padded-shoulder jacket, a string tie, gloves, striped pants and spats on
pointed-toe shoes. This appearance is such a fundamental aspect of the character
that when the 2004 animated series The Batman placed the Joker in a straitjacket,
it quickly redesigned him in his familiar suit.

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Based on that data, the researcher is interested in identifying the
characteristics of the Joker and Antisocial Personality Disorder had by him in The
Dark Knight movie script based on psychological theories. It can be revealed
through studying the Joker’s personality, in terms of his reactions intimidating
Batman by threatening citizen and in the way he behaves.
B.

Problem Formulation
This research is going to analyze Joker’s personality and psychological

condition. Therefore, the following problems are formulated:
1.

What are the Joker’s characteristics in The Dark Knight movie script?

2.

How do the Joker’s characteristics reveal anti-social personality disorder
symptoms?

C.

Objectives of the Study
The objective of the study is to discuss the Joker, the villain in Christopher

Nolan’s movie script The Dark Knight. First is to find out the Joker’s
characteristics as the villain character in the story. After describing the
characteristics, the next objective is to prove that the Joker suffers from anti-social
personality disorder by classifying the Joker’s characteristics which belong to
anti-social personality disorder characteristics.
D.

Definition of Terms
There are three terms in this study that need to be explained in order to

avoid misunderstanding. They are:

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Character
Abrams in A Glossary of Literature says that characters are the persons
presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as
being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in their
dialogue and their action. (1981: 20).
Characterization
Rohrberger and Woods in their book Reading and Writing about
Literature define characterization as the process by which the author creating the
character, the devices by which making the reader believes that a character is the
particular type of person he is. (1971: 20)
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Robert A. Baron in his book Psychology defines Antisocial Personality
Disorder as a personality disorder involving a lack of conscience and sense of
responsibility, impulsive behavior, irritability, and aggressiveness. (1995: 569)

 

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CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW

A.

Review of Related Studies
The Joker as a fictional character is one of the most heinous of the villains

that has ever existed in any comic book. It was hinted in one that he has over
2,000 kills to his name. His evil truly knows no bounds. But he is also an
example of what humanity could indeed become. Mental madness means one
thing, but when people are taught that mass killing is worthy of being canonized,
then it may just be what happens to society at large.
The origins of the Joker are left deliberately ambiguous in The Dark
Knight. Christopher Nolan and his co-writer Jonathan Nolan suggested the Joker's
first two appearances in 1940's issues of Batman as crucial influences. Just as in
these issues of the Batman comic, the Joker's back-story is expanded upon little.
Instead, the Joker is portrayed as an "absolute". "The Joker we meet in The Dark
Knight is fully formed...To me, the Joker is an absolute. There are no shades of
gray to him - maybe shades of purple. He's unbelievably dark. He bursts in just as
he did in the comics." Nolan later reiterated, "We never wanted to do an origin
story for the Joker in this film", because "the arc of the story is much more
Harvey Dent's; the Joker is presented as an absolute. It's a very thrilling element
in the film, and a very important element, but we wanted to deal with the rise of
the Joker, not the origin of the Joker." (http://batman.wikia.com/wiki/The_Joker_
(Heath_Ledger))

 

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The Joker’s history, according to Lucient Maverick (retrieved from http://
lucien0maverick.wordpress.com/character-analysis-the-joker/) there is a bit of
argument as to where the Joker actually came from. There is no definite backstory for his character. Different comics and movies have had different points of
view, but “he has always had a long-standing history of crime, which is a
constant.” At first he appears in the comics, he is just a homicidal maniac, but his
character quickly evolves over time. Even how he is disfigured is often contested.
There is no definite story at all about him. “Sometimes, he is dumped into a vat of
chemicals, other times he is the victim of self-mutilation, or in the case of The
Dark Knight, the stories contradict one-another.”
According to Lucient Maverick the Joker also has contradiction in
physical prowess. “Some comics show the Joker is a very capable combatant.
Others have him as being a very weak character, almost too frail for his own
good.” This contradiction is meaningless in the broad scheme of things, because
it is not about his physic that attack Batman. It is more about a war of brains
between the Joker and Batman who have mental problems.
Sandra J. Lowe in Character Analysis of Batman and Joker explains the
character of the Joker.
The Joker had a personality of a rabid dog that needed to be put to sleep.
He is the epitome of what we called domestic terrorist. This sadistic
homicidal maniac witnessed the mutilation of his wife by loan shark. This
event resulted PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) for him because he
was helpless to save her from perpetrator. The end of this episode drove
him to the point where he developed the mentality of a psychopath with
self-injurious behavior (2009:2).

 

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The previous quotation shows only a reason why the Joker got his face
scar. In fact, the Joker told two separate stories of how he got his face scar in The
Dark Knight. He seems eager to tell traumatizing stories to some people, though.
He has one for Rachel about a wife who abandons him, and has one for Gambol
about a violent father. The Dark Knight showed the way the Joker was meant to
be portrayed. It really captured him in the best way possible.
B.

Review of Related Theories

1.

Theory of Character
According to M. H. Abrams in A glossary of Literary Terms, character is

a person presented in a work and the person is interpreted by the reader through
his speech and action.
Characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who
are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional,
and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say and what they
do (1981: 21).
Barnet (1988:712) describes character by using three ways. First is with
what the character says. What and how the character says can help the reader to
interpret. Second is with what the character does. Some section that the character
does in the story can be the representative of the character. The third is with what
other characters say about the character.
Furthermore, a character can be either static or dynamic. A static
character is one who changes little or not at all. Although there is a change in the
plot, this kind of character will not have any changes. A dynamic character, on

 

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the other hand, undergoes a permanent change in some aspects of his character,
personality, or outlook (Perrine, 1978:71).
Perrine also adds based on their psychological behavior that characters are
divided into flat and round character. The flat character is not described as fully
as a major in the story is. It is simple, no changing happens and it is a static kind
of character in the story. Round character, on the other hand, often appears as the
center of the story; they look like a real human being, who is complex, dynamic,
and less predictable.
2.

Theory of Characterization
According to Rohrberger, characterization is the process by which the

author creates the character, the devices by which he makes us believe that a
character is the particular type of person he is. Characterization is the way author
creates characters; therefore characterization should be conveyed into good way
so as to create a clear image to the reader perception (1971: 20).
Furthermore, Murphy (1972: 161-173) describes nine ways that the author
can do to make his character understandable and become alive for the reader.
Those nine ways are:

a. Personal Description
It means that the author describes the characters through a person’s
appearance, such as face, skin, eyes, body, and clothes directly in the story.

 

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b. Character as Seen by Others
The author describes the character through the eyes and others’ opinion. The
characterization lies on the way the others thinking about him.
c. Speech
The characterization of a person can be seen from the way he says about
something, whenever he speaks in conversation with the others and the way
he gives an idea or opinion.
d. Person’s Past Life
The author gives us a clue to events that has happened in the past and helped
to shape a person’s character. The past life is presented by the author’s direct
comment, through the character’s conversation about the other.
e. Conversation with Others
The author gives a clue through the conversations of other people and the
things they say about the character. People talk about other people and the
things they say often give the readers a clue to the character of the person
spoken about.
f. Reaction
The author gives a clue to a person’s character by letting the readers know
how the character reacts to various situation and events.
g. Direct Comment
The author describes or comments on a person’s character directly.

 

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Thoughts
The author describes what the character thinks and the readers can use the
character’s thinking as a tool to get a better understanding upon the character.

i. Mannerism
The description about a person’s mannerism and habits may tell us something
about characterization.
Those are nine ways in which the author makes the reader understand the
personality and the characters that the author developed in his work.
Understanding the nine ways can help the reader to get better understanding and
appreciation to the work of literary world. Not all of those elements are found
when observing a character, but the reader can use one or more of that elements
to observe the character.
According to Oscar G. Brockett (1974: 39-40), there are four levels of
characterization in drama plays. They are:
a. Physical
It concerned only with such basic facts as sex, age and color. It presents when
the play is produced because actors necessarily give concrete form to the
characters.
b. Social
It includes a character’s economic status, profession, religion, family
relationship and all those factors that place the character in his environment.

 

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c. Psychological
It reveals a character’s habitual responses, attitudes, desires, motivations,
likes and dislikes, the inner workings of the mind, both emotional and
intellectual which precede action because habits of feeing, thought, and
behaviour define characters more fully that do physical and social traits, and
because drama is the most essential level of characterization.
d. Moral
Although implied in al plays, it is not always emphasized. It is most
appropriate to be used in serious plays especially tragedies. Although almost
all human action suggest some ethical standard, in many plays, the moral
implications are ignored, and decisions are made on grounds of expediency.
The movie script itself is closely related to plays. Murphy’s theory of
characterization refers to novel, but some of the methods to analyze character are
relevant to be used. It is applied in order to gain an accurate analysis on the
character of the Joker.
c.

Theory of Relation between Psychology and Literature
Literature and psychology are two different fields. However, these two

fields are closely related. Wellek and Warren (1949:81) in Theory of Literature
describe that psychology and literature have a very close relation in which some
of literary works talk about psychological cases. Through psychology, people will
learn about human condition in systematic way, meanwhile people will learn
about psychological value in the art of writing through literature.

 

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It is supported by March H. Bornstein in Psychology and its Allied
Disciplines who states that literature is the best at describing the human condition
in a dramatic form, while psychology has the strength to investigate human
character or behavior in systematic ways (1984: 144). Both literature and
psychology have one common purpose that is to describe the human condition.
Literature tries to depict human condition into drama while psychology studies
human characteristics systematically and scientifically.
In addition, Richard A. Kalish in The Psychology of Human Behavior
states that Literature also “holds the mirror up to the man”. A good novelist can
communicate the feeling of his functional characters and make them seem more
life-like than the real people whose behavior attempted to describe by the
psychologist. Writers can use the understanding provided by psychologists to
enrich their stories and psychologists can gain their understanding of human
behavior by drawing from the deep sensitivity of good authors (Kalish, 1972: 8).
d.

Theory of Antisocial Personality Disorder
Antisocial Personality Disorder comes from personality disorder as one of

the categories in psychological disorders. According to the book Abnormal
Psychology by Davison and Neale, personality disorder can be defined as extreme
personality variation associated with the failure to achieve the universal tasks of
establishing a personal identity, forming attachments to others, experiencing
intimacy with them, and seeking affiliation. Personality disorder involves traits

 

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that are inflexible and maladaptive and cause either significant impairment in
social and occupational functioning or subjective distress (1986: 230).
Robert A. Baron in Psychology says, Antisocial Personality Disorder
(ASPD) is one type of personality disorders. Psychological disorder can be
defined as “pattern of behavior and thought that are typical, that are viewed as
undesirable or unacceptable within a given culture, that are maladaptive, and that
usually (although not always) cause the person who experience them considerable
distress” (1995: 544).

It is supported by Gary Chapman (1997: 483) in

Psychology and Principles who says that there are categories in psychological
disorders and one of them is personality disorder which includes antisocial
behaviors or psychopath as its symptom.
Development of ASPD should be seen as a “multifactorial process
involving neurobiological, genetic, epidemiological, and sociobiographical
factors” (Weber, et al., 2008: 2). Structural brain abnormalities have been isolated
in the emotional and learning parts of the brains of psychopaths (Weber et al.,
2008: 2). Neuroimaging and neuropsychological testing have found support for
prefrontal dysfunction associated with psychopathic personality traits (Dinn and
Harris, 2000). These abnormalities may predispose a person to develop ASPD
(Weber et al., 2008: 3). Other biological concerns are the depletion of the
serotonegenic system and evidence for deficits in their processing of emotional
stimuli (Kernberg & Caligor, 2005). Environmental factors, like trauma, child
abuse and neglect have also been linked to ASPD and psychopathic (Kernberg &
Caligor; Luntz & Widom, 1994). It is important to note that psychopaths are not

 

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crazy, they are aware of right and wrong, they just do not feel it applies to them,
or if they do they scoff at it as irrelevant (N. Smith, personal communication,
November 2, 2007; Warner Bros., 2008)
Ililienfeld and Arkowitz (2008: 90) claim that psychopaths are
superficially charming, self-centered, dishonest, reckless, outrageous, rarely learn
from their mistakes, lack impulse control, are causal and callous in relationships,
are devoid of guilt, empathy and love, and disturb the peace solely for the fun of
it. It would seem that ASPD and psychopathic are closely related.
Davidson and Neale in Abnormal Psychology state that Antisocial
Personality Disorder and psychopath are often used interchangeably. They
demonstrate several characteristics that make individuals with this disorder
dangerous to others. Rules and regulations are not for them, so they often have a
history of antisocial behavior. They are often irritable and aggressive, highly
impulsive, seemingly fearless in the face of danger, and highly deceitful-they will
lie to anyone (1986: 233).
The key point for Antisocial Personality Disorder is that a person with
Antisocial Personality Disorder shows total disregard for the rights of others,
coupled with reckless behavior, fearlessness, and inability to form close
relationships with others (Coleman, 1986: 363). These are the symptoms of
Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) which are taken from the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Fourth Edition, Text Revision by Allen
Frances as editor (2000: 706):

 

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1. Failure to Conform to Social Norms with Respect to Lawful Behaviors
Persons with ASPD often break the social norms and as a result, they are
frequently arrested.
2. Deceitfulness
Persons with ASPD lie to others for particular intention, which basically only
they get the benefit.
3. Impulsivity or Failure to Plan Ahead
Persons with ASPD often act spontaneously without considering the risks and
they are not able to think about something to do in the future.
4. Irritability and Aggressiveness
Persons with ASPD often attack people physically or emotionally.
5. Reckless Disregard for Safety of Self or Others.
Since persons with ASPD are not aware that they are in danger after
committing their action, they barely worries to think about their own safety.
6. Consistent Irresponsibility
Persons with ASPD are usually unemployment for long period, and do not
have a realistic plan for getting another job.
7. Lack of Remorse
It can be said that persons with ASPD have lost their compassion. They rarely
feel regret to what they have done, either having hurt, mistreated, or stolen
from another.

 

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Theoretical Framework
In this research, the researcher applies some theories. They are the theory

of character, the theory of characterization, the theory of the relation of literature
and psychology, and the theory of Antisocial Personality Disorder. The theory of
character and characterization used to answer problem number one because the
researcher is going to analyze the main villain character.
Theory of the relation of literature and psychology is used to give deeper
comprehension that literature is correlated with another field. Since the aim of
this study is to reveal that the main character suffers from anti-social personality
disorder, psychology is the most suitable field to be included.
Theory of Antisocial Personality Disorder is applied to know what the
criteria of being antisocial and the explanation from the experts are. The
explanation helps the researcher to know whether the main character has
antisocial behavior or not by analyzing his characteristics. Those characteristics
should fulfill the requirement of having antisocial behavior.

 

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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY

A.

Object of the Study
The object of the research was a movie script entitled the Dark Knight. It

was a second sequel of Batman story created by Christopher Nolan. The script of
the storyline was written by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer, while the
film was directed by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan. The film of the Dark
Knight achieved the best film in 2009, wins 2 Oscars awards, and another 93 wins
and 68 nominations awards
This movie script was about Batman’s struggle against crime in Gotham
City. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent,
Batman set out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The partnerships
proved to be effective, but soon, they found themselves prey to a reign of chaos
unleashed by a criminal mastermind known as the Joker who terrified citizens of
Gotham.
This research focused on the Joker’s character. The Joker, although
fictional, is a brilliant creation. As one of the Producers of The Dark Knight
(Nolan et al., 2008) expresses, “The Joker is one of the great villains in comic
book lore – psychopathic, enigmatic, clever, diabolical, charming, funny, and
completely enjoyable to watch” (Warner Bros., 2008: 8).
The Joker’s characteristics were interested to be analyzed and different
from others. It could be seen through his action and reaction, conversations, and

 

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the way he thought. They showed him as an antisocial person. This was the main
purpose of the researcher to analyze the character of the Joker, and identify his
antisocial personality through the psychological theories
B.

Approach of the Study
In analyzing the Dark Knight, the researcher used the psychological

approach. Psychology is the science of behavior and mental processes. Its
immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing
general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of
psychology is to benefit society. In this field, a professional practitioner or
researcher is called a psychologist, and can be classified as a social scientist,
behavioral scientist, or cognitive scientist.
Psychology as a theory that learn about humans’ personality had a unique
manner of looking at the world. This was the theory that was reflecting the
personal backgrounds, childhood experiences, philosophy of life, and personal
relationship. Personality theories grew from theorist’ own personalities, a study
of those personality was appropriate. In recent years a sub discipline of
psychology called psychology of science had begun to look at personal traits of
scientist.
It was undeniable that literature and psychology were two different fields
that had a close relationship. Literature, in some dramas or novels, created
characters that could be analyzed through the theory of psychology. The
researcher could use this approach to deal with someone’s emotions and even

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such an illness that they suffer. In this case, this approach used psychological
theories to explain “human motivation, personality, and behavior pattern” written
in a literary object (Rohrberger and Woods, 1971:20). Psychological approach
was used to help the researcher to reveal the issue that the Joker was suffering
from antisocial personality disorder.
Since the psychological approach was used, the theories in this study
concern about psychology. The researcher used theory of antisocial personality
disorder to analyze the symptoms that the Joker shows within his attitude, his
way of thinking, and his feeling toward people. The symptoms then should
complete three or more of the seven criteria of being antisocial personality
disorder.
C.

Method of the Study
In conducting a research, it is important for a researcher to determine the

research method to use. A method is a kind of systematical work plan in order to
make the research work become easier, so that it can achieve its main purpose
(Sudaryanto, 1993:9).
Arranging the research method is the initial step before doing the process
of collecting data and analyzing them. The method in research is selected by
considering its appropriateness with the research object. In this case, the object
determinates the method, not in the other hand. This research method is arranged
based on the problem analyzed and the main purpose of the research.

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The researcher used library research in order to collect the data. This data
was divided into two, primary and secondary data. The primary data were taken
from the movie and movie script entitled the Dark Knight.
The secondary data were taken from some books, journals, and internet
about the Joker, psychological approach, antisocial personality disorder, and
everything related to the topic. Those written and internet sources were used to
support and complete the data of this research.
Having a better understanding in analyzing the movie script, there were
some ways to take. The first step was watching the movie and trying to
understand the content of the movie. it needed several times to watch the movie
in order to have better understanding on the subject of the study. The focus, while
watching the movie was on the Joker’s character, actions, and reactions. Next, the
researcher read and reread the entire text to find deeper understanding and detail
of the conversation.
After that, the researcher uses the theory of character and characterization
in order to get clear description and understood the personality of the Joker. The
researcher made a list of the characteristics of the Joker.
After finding the characteristics of the Joker, the researcher began to
analyze the psychological problem of the Joker and used theory of antisocial
personality disorder. By focusing on the criteria that had been listed, it was able
to match the characteristics of the main character with those symptoms.
The last step, the researcher drew a conclusion based on the analysis that
the main character was suffering from antisocial personality disorder by

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examining his characteristics which fulfilled the characteristic of being antisocial.
Through the way he behaves, thought, and what other characters talked about
him, the researcher knows the Joker is suffering antisocial personality disorder.

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CHAPTER IV
DATA ANALYSIS

This part will answer the problem formulation mentioned in the previous
chapter and systematically divided into two main parts. The first part covers the
character and characterization of the Joker, the main villain character in this
movie script. By identifying and analyzing the character, the researcher is able to
go further to the next problem which is discussing the way the characteristics of
the Joker reveal the anti-social personality disorder symptom.
A.

The Joker’s Characteristics
The investigation of the main villain character is the primary step to reach

the aim of this study. The researcher will discuss first the character and the
characterization of the Joker since the goal of this study is to reveal the
personality disorder that is suffered by the main villain character. The following
is the characteristics of the Joker:
1. Physical Characteristics
Looking from the physical characteristics, the Joker is different with other
normal people. He has style which is extremely different and it proves that the
Joker does not care with others’ thought of his style which can be strange and
scary for other people.

 

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a. Scary
As Murphy mentioned in his book Understanding Unseen (1972: 161173), he said, “The author can describe a person’s appearance and clothes”.
The author Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer describe the Joker’s
appearance. He is a man who wears a sweaty clown makeup with scars which
widen his mouth permanently to scare people. He appears disheveled, unkempt,
and scary. Here is the description of the Joker’s appearance:
The Joker. Sweaty clown makeup obscuring the AWFUL SCARS
which widen his mouth into a PERMANENT. GHOULISH
SMILE. (p. 32)
2. Social Characteristics
The Joker is a person who has negative social characteristics. He does not
have good relation with all of the people, including his family.
a. Mysterious
The Joker is a mysterious person, he is brilliant at concealing his identity.
No one really knows who he is. Little can be confirmed regarding his early life
before he turned to a life of crime. Despite his capture, no traces can be found on
his fingerprints, dental records, or DNA matches against the Gotham City Police
Department's databases. Even the police commissioner Gordon cannot find the
Joker true identity.
GORDON
Nothing. No matches on prints, DNA, dental. Clothing is custom,
no labels. Nothing in his pockets but knives and lint. No name, no
other alias... nothing. (p. 100)

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b. Having Poor Relationship with His Family
The Joker's own testimony, while normally quite true when it comes to
carrying out threats, seems at times contradictory, and he is known to lie at times
when describing past events in his life, more specifically how he gets his scars.
One of his anecdotes tells of an extremely abusive and alcoholic father, stating
that after attacking his mother with a knife, the blade is next turned on the young
Joker, creating his mutilated smile. Another story he told stated that he once had a
wife who had her face cut by enforcers of loan sharks. In a desperate effort to
assure his wife that he did not care about the damage to her appearance, he took a
razor to his cheeks to produce his Glasgow smile. But the disturbing image
instead caused his wife to leave him, damaging his psyche.
The fact that the Joker later references his father and his hatred of him to a
party guest while crashing Harvey Dent's party implies that at the very least, he
has an extremely poor relationship with his father.
THE JOKER
You know, you remind me of my father.
(GRABS him)
I hated my father. (p. 64)
3. Psychological Characteristics
a. Smart
The Joker is an evil genius, a master manipulator and master of strategy.
He knows exactly what to say to get the people that he is trying to manipulate. He
also knows his enemies’ weaknesses. His intelligent and his abilities make him
always staying one step ahead of everyone else, including Batman, cops, and the

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mobs. His unique world view, as well as the complete mystery surrounding his
identity also gives him something of an edge. Having no connections, friends,
former identities or family to be traced back to makes him very difficult to predict,
track down, or even understand. He is also shown to be a skilled, fearless and
unpredictable fighter, taking on mob henchmen and cops with ease, and showing
how he can be lethal with many forms of weaponry; and was even capable of
holding his own against Batman and trapping him.
The Joker is smart through his speeches, actions, and what other character
say about the Joker. He is able to force batman to reveal his identity though later
Harvey Dent must pretend to be the true Batman.
THE JOKER
This is how crazy Batman’s made Gotham. You want order
in Gotham? Batman has to go. So . . .
Batman must take off his mask, and turn himself in. Every
day he doesn’t. . .people will die.
Starting tonight. I’m a