Institutional Repository | Satya Wacana Christian University: Basil’s Inconsistent and Unpredictable Personality in Harris’s Not A Day Goes By A Psychological Analysis T1 392014508 BAB I
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Literature contributes in some majors parts in humans daily life and is able to
make people become more imaginative. Literature is a kind of artistic writing
which is especially imaginative, fictional and creative. And the word of literature
itself is described like many ways. Literary works are commonly written and
found in human affairs, such as novel, short story, movie, etc. In this study, the
writer will use novel as the object. Literature could be connected with some
theories or approaches to analyze the components of literature itself.
Many novels told about someone’s personality, and the writer chose a novel
entitled Not A Day Goes By. Novel is one of literary works that reflects human
daily life and novel is written fictional prose narratives of substantial experience
length and complexity. The writer chose Not A Day Goes By because this novel
has a great story. What makes Not A Day Goes By have a great story is that the
author of this novel brought the homosexual issue, which is still not accepted in
some countries into this novel and how the main character, Basil, deals with the
issue. It makes the readers curious about the next chapter in this novel.
Not A Day Goes By was published in 2000 and written by E. Lynn Harris.
Not A Day Goes By told about John Basil Henderson who has always played the
field, both as a profesional football player and as an equal opportunity lover. He
1
2
surprised everyone, including himself, by running to his past while a lavish
wedding is planned Yancey Harrington Braxton. A fiercely driven Broadway star
on the rise, blessed with beauty, charm, and a fondness for the finer things in life,
she appears to be his ideal mate. The author successfully serves the reader a great
story with great conflict from the main character, John Basil Henderson. Not A
Day Goes By is best seller novel chosen by The USA Today and New York Times,
also Not A Day Goes By is the number one of publishers weekly and blackboard
bestseller of San Fransisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal,
Houston Chronicle, and Phildelphia Inquirer Bestseller.
John Basil Henderson or usually called Basil is someone who has
complicated personality. Basil tried to be a normal guy, but he always tempted to
return to be a gay and the writer is interested to analyze this. He successfully
surprised the readers in every section of the novel by his action or his clash in
himself. And that is why the writer chosen the main character of Not A Day Goes
By, not the other character to analyze and why the writer chosen the main
character named Basil as the point to analyze? Because Basil has an interesting
personality. Basil’s personality and what defense he has in a clash in his mind and
heart are interesting to be discussed. For the reason that its about personality and
clashing in self, the writer thought used Psychoanalysis theory is the proper theory
to solve the problem.
People had different personality. Sigmund Freud said personality is
interpreted as a result that influenced between motive, push, desire, and conflict.
For example, the main character of Not A Day Goes By, Basil, has a desire to be
3
with a man. And absotulety, people has a clash or conflict itself, between mind,
heart, reality, and society. People differ in their ego defense mechanism which
control expression of forces in personality and psychoanalysis provides a method
for overcoming psychological conflict. According to Freud theory of personality,
the writer thought that Basil is the main character of Not A Day Goes By that very
interesting to be analyzed, so the writer chose Basil. Freud’s Psychoanalysis
theory are used because inside the Psychoanalysis, there are theory of id, ego,
superego, anxiety, and defense mechanism that are suitable for the analysis of
Basil’s personality.
The writer used Psychoanalysis theory from Sigmund Freud because the
theory is proper for analyzing personality from Basil. Basil always had a clash on
his mind, whether to follow his heart or listen to what others said, as a result of
the actions he did. The Psychonalysis theory from Freud is very complete from
Three Psychic Zones, anxiety, until the defense mechanism of personality. With
the use of this theory, the writer will be able to find Basil’s id, ego, superego, the
anxiety, and the defense mechanism. So, the writer decided to use Three Psychic
Zones, anxiety theory, and the defense mechanism theory to analyze the
personality of Basil as the main character of novel Not A Day Goes By.
1.2 Problem Formulation
The homosexual issue existed in the story makes the main character, Basil,
have to deal with several events and to do some actions. From the actions that he
4
did, the writer would like to find his true personality, therefore the problems are
formulated as follow:
1. What are events that construct plot in Basil’s view?
2. What are Basil’s id, ego, superego, anxiety, and the defense mechanism in
Not A Day Goes By seen from Freud’s theory?
3. What is Basil’s personality in novel Not A Day Goes By?
1.3 Objectives of The Study
The main objective of this study is to find the solution to the problem stated
above, that is to find Basil true personality. However, in finding the ultimate goal,
there are some questions that need to answer. Those questions are formulated to
find these following objectives:
1. To seen the action of Basil in every stages of plot in novel Not A Day Goes
By.
2. To find out the id, ego and superego that worked on Basil, the anxiety, and
also the defense that Basil used to survive in Not A Day Goes By based or
seen from Freud’s theory.
3. To find out the true personality of Basil in Not A Day Goes By.
1.4 Scope of The Study
This study will focus on Basil as the main character of novel Not A Day
Goes By. To make the analysis better, the writer will concentrate on plot of the
novel, Freud’s Three Psychic Zones, anxiety, and defense mechanism.
5
1.5 Significance of The Study
The writer hopes the reader can understand more why someone has different
personality, and sometimes the condition or environmental could change
someone’s personality. The way Basil used defense mechanism to fight his mind
or himself become inspiration that every human must have a defense mechanism
for itself. Also the reader knows there’s great novel Not A Day Goes By which we
can learning more for this novel.
1.6 Definition of Terms
In order to have similar understanding between the writer and the readers,
there are several terms that need to define. The terms used in this study are:
1.6.1
Plot
Plot is the way the story event’s arranged. Plot divided into 5 stages:
exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution or
denoument.
1.6.2
Freud’s Three Physic Zones:
Id contains biological drives. It is hedonistic and aims to satisfy
its urges, which reduces tension and brings pleasure. And the
motivation of id is to seek pleasure and to avoid pain of
everything.
Ego usually find reality and works based reality principle. Ego
can understand reality and can adapt itself to the constraints of
the real world.
6
Superego represented our morality aspect. Contains dreams that
we fight and follow the reality in society, especially rules in
family and society. The superego develops at a young age.
1.6.3
Anxiety is an aversive inner state or feeling that people seek to avoid
or escape. If someone felt anxiety and did not used any defense
mechanism, it could be that someone following his or her id or it could
be crazy because there was a clashing between id, ego, and superego.
There are three types of anxiety: neurotic anxiety, moral anxiety, and
realistic anxiety.
1.6.4
Defense Mechanism is strategies to solve intrapsychic conflic or
problems. All defense mechanisms begin with repression of
unacceptable impulses. There are 9 defense mechanism in Freud’s
theory that is denial, reaction formation, projection, displacement,
identification,
sublimation.
isolation,
rationalization,
intellectualization,
and
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Literature contributes in some majors parts in humans daily life and is able to
make people become more imaginative. Literature is a kind of artistic writing
which is especially imaginative, fictional and creative. And the word of literature
itself is described like many ways. Literary works are commonly written and
found in human affairs, such as novel, short story, movie, etc. In this study, the
writer will use novel as the object. Literature could be connected with some
theories or approaches to analyze the components of literature itself.
Many novels told about someone’s personality, and the writer chose a novel
entitled Not A Day Goes By. Novel is one of literary works that reflects human
daily life and novel is written fictional prose narratives of substantial experience
length and complexity. The writer chose Not A Day Goes By because this novel
has a great story. What makes Not A Day Goes By have a great story is that the
author of this novel brought the homosexual issue, which is still not accepted in
some countries into this novel and how the main character, Basil, deals with the
issue. It makes the readers curious about the next chapter in this novel.
Not A Day Goes By was published in 2000 and written by E. Lynn Harris.
Not A Day Goes By told about John Basil Henderson who has always played the
field, both as a profesional football player and as an equal opportunity lover. He
1
2
surprised everyone, including himself, by running to his past while a lavish
wedding is planned Yancey Harrington Braxton. A fiercely driven Broadway star
on the rise, blessed with beauty, charm, and a fondness for the finer things in life,
she appears to be his ideal mate. The author successfully serves the reader a great
story with great conflict from the main character, John Basil Henderson. Not A
Day Goes By is best seller novel chosen by The USA Today and New York Times,
also Not A Day Goes By is the number one of publishers weekly and blackboard
bestseller of San Fransisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal,
Houston Chronicle, and Phildelphia Inquirer Bestseller.
John Basil Henderson or usually called Basil is someone who has
complicated personality. Basil tried to be a normal guy, but he always tempted to
return to be a gay and the writer is interested to analyze this. He successfully
surprised the readers in every section of the novel by his action or his clash in
himself. And that is why the writer chosen the main character of Not A Day Goes
By, not the other character to analyze and why the writer chosen the main
character named Basil as the point to analyze? Because Basil has an interesting
personality. Basil’s personality and what defense he has in a clash in his mind and
heart are interesting to be discussed. For the reason that its about personality and
clashing in self, the writer thought used Psychoanalysis theory is the proper theory
to solve the problem.
People had different personality. Sigmund Freud said personality is
interpreted as a result that influenced between motive, push, desire, and conflict.
For example, the main character of Not A Day Goes By, Basil, has a desire to be
3
with a man. And absotulety, people has a clash or conflict itself, between mind,
heart, reality, and society. People differ in their ego defense mechanism which
control expression of forces in personality and psychoanalysis provides a method
for overcoming psychological conflict. According to Freud theory of personality,
the writer thought that Basil is the main character of Not A Day Goes By that very
interesting to be analyzed, so the writer chose Basil. Freud’s Psychoanalysis
theory are used because inside the Psychoanalysis, there are theory of id, ego,
superego, anxiety, and defense mechanism that are suitable for the analysis of
Basil’s personality.
The writer used Psychoanalysis theory from Sigmund Freud because the
theory is proper for analyzing personality from Basil. Basil always had a clash on
his mind, whether to follow his heart or listen to what others said, as a result of
the actions he did. The Psychonalysis theory from Freud is very complete from
Three Psychic Zones, anxiety, until the defense mechanism of personality. With
the use of this theory, the writer will be able to find Basil’s id, ego, superego, the
anxiety, and the defense mechanism. So, the writer decided to use Three Psychic
Zones, anxiety theory, and the defense mechanism theory to analyze the
personality of Basil as the main character of novel Not A Day Goes By.
1.2 Problem Formulation
The homosexual issue existed in the story makes the main character, Basil,
have to deal with several events and to do some actions. From the actions that he
4
did, the writer would like to find his true personality, therefore the problems are
formulated as follow:
1. What are events that construct plot in Basil’s view?
2. What are Basil’s id, ego, superego, anxiety, and the defense mechanism in
Not A Day Goes By seen from Freud’s theory?
3. What is Basil’s personality in novel Not A Day Goes By?
1.3 Objectives of The Study
The main objective of this study is to find the solution to the problem stated
above, that is to find Basil true personality. However, in finding the ultimate goal,
there are some questions that need to answer. Those questions are formulated to
find these following objectives:
1. To seen the action of Basil in every stages of plot in novel Not A Day Goes
By.
2. To find out the id, ego and superego that worked on Basil, the anxiety, and
also the defense that Basil used to survive in Not A Day Goes By based or
seen from Freud’s theory.
3. To find out the true personality of Basil in Not A Day Goes By.
1.4 Scope of The Study
This study will focus on Basil as the main character of novel Not A Day
Goes By. To make the analysis better, the writer will concentrate on plot of the
novel, Freud’s Three Psychic Zones, anxiety, and defense mechanism.
5
1.5 Significance of The Study
The writer hopes the reader can understand more why someone has different
personality, and sometimes the condition or environmental could change
someone’s personality. The way Basil used defense mechanism to fight his mind
or himself become inspiration that every human must have a defense mechanism
for itself. Also the reader knows there’s great novel Not A Day Goes By which we
can learning more for this novel.
1.6 Definition of Terms
In order to have similar understanding between the writer and the readers,
there are several terms that need to define. The terms used in this study are:
1.6.1
Plot
Plot is the way the story event’s arranged. Plot divided into 5 stages:
exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution or
denoument.
1.6.2
Freud’s Three Physic Zones:
Id contains biological drives. It is hedonistic and aims to satisfy
its urges, which reduces tension and brings pleasure. And the
motivation of id is to seek pleasure and to avoid pain of
everything.
Ego usually find reality and works based reality principle. Ego
can understand reality and can adapt itself to the constraints of
the real world.
6
Superego represented our morality aspect. Contains dreams that
we fight and follow the reality in society, especially rules in
family and society. The superego develops at a young age.
1.6.3
Anxiety is an aversive inner state or feeling that people seek to avoid
or escape. If someone felt anxiety and did not used any defense
mechanism, it could be that someone following his or her id or it could
be crazy because there was a clashing between id, ego, and superego.
There are three types of anxiety: neurotic anxiety, moral anxiety, and
realistic anxiety.
1.6.4
Defense Mechanism is strategies to solve intrapsychic conflic or
problems. All defense mechanisms begin with repression of
unacceptable impulses. There are 9 defense mechanism in Freud’s
theory that is denial, reaction formation, projection, displacement,
identification,
sublimation.
isolation,
rationalization,
intellectualization,
and