PSYCHOPATHIC PERSONALITY AS SEEN IN THE MAIN CHARACTER OF RICHARD WRIGHT’S BLACK BOY: A RECORD OF CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH

  PSYCHOPATHIC PERSONALITY AS SEEN IN THE MAIN CHARACTER OF RICHARD WRIGHT’S BLACK BOY: A RECORD OF CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH

  AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

  For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra In English Letters

  By

FREDY WIJAYA

  Student Number: 014214060

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMEE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2007

  Gotta find a way yeah I cant wait another day aint nothing gonna change if we stay around here gotta do what it takes cause it’s all in our hands we all make mistakes yeah but it’s never too late to start again take another breath and say another prayer

   (taken from the lyric of Aerosmith – Fly Away From Here)

  This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to: My Beloved Parents My Brother and Sisters and

  My Half Heart

  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  First of all, I thank Jesus Christ for giving me the chance to finish my thesis and the chance to step up into a new harder life after college.

  And for my parents, my father who always pushes me to finish my school so I can do something more real outside campuss, my mother who always tells me to stand on my own feet. For my brother who always makes a party to welcome me, my sisters who always wait for my present so I can buy them some pizza.

  My much appreciation is dedicated to my advisor Dra. Th. Enny Anggraini, M.A for being so understanding. I will not finish this thesis without her help. And also for Miss Eliza Dwi Wardani, S.S., M.Hum and Mr. G. Fajar Sasmita Aji, S.S., M.Hum.

  For my academic advisor Miss Maria Ananta T.S, S.S. and Miss Dewi Widyastuti. S.Pd., M.Hum, I thank them in their guidance for me to take a necessary credit so I can finish my study in a right moment.

  The following gratitude I refer to all my friends in English Letters 2001; Kardiman, Kukon, Nyoto, Bola, Sigit, Nova, Bima, Fembri, Tito, Bertus, Sandi, Wulan, Amanda, Prima, Meti, Dian Keriting, Dian Bangka, Sinda, Ian, Monda, Wisnu, Fara, Endra, Aryo, Erna, Petrus, Ikhsan, Gery, Deni and all of the class of 2001.

  The last, I’m very thankfull to God for giving me such a amazing patner of life, who always there for me in my heaviest time, who always loves me with all her heart, who lifting me up when I was in lower place, and never gets angry when I was not there when she needed me. My beloved ima chrysanthemum.

  B. Wright’s feeling about the gap between the whites and blacks that he experienced in his society……………………… ………… 32 C. The gaps that turning Richard Wright‘s personality into a psychopathic

  4. The Relation between Psychology and Literature……………….. 18

  2. The Physical Aspect……………………………………………… 31

  26

  A. The Setting of the Story…………………………………………………. 26 1. The Social Aspect………………………………………………..

  23 CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS……………………………………………………. 25

  22 C. Method of the Study……………………………………………………..

  21 B. Approach of the Study…………………………………………………...

  

CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY…………………………………………… 21

A. Object of the Study………………………………………………………

  C. Theoretical Framework……………………………………………………. 19

  3. Theory of Personality Disorder………………………………….. 13

  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  2. Theory of Character……………………………………………... 13

  1. Theory of Setting………………………………………………… 10

  B. Review of Related Theories……………………………………………… 10

  A. Review of Related Studies………………………………………………. 7

  6 CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW…………………………………… 7

  5 D. Definition of Terms……………………………………………………...

  5 C. Objective of the Study…………………………………………………...

  

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………… 1

A. Background of the study………………………………………………… 1 B. Problem Formulation…………………………………………………….

  TITLE PAGE…………………………………………………………………… i APROVAL PAGE……………………………………………………………… ii ACCEPTANCE PAGE…………………………………………………………. iii MOTTO PAGE………………………………………………………………… iv DEDICATION PAGE………………………………………………………….. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………….. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………. vii ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………. ix ABTSRAK……………………………………………………………………... x

• Psychopathic Personality……………………………………… 16

CHAPTER V CONCLUSION………………………………………………… 47 BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………… 50 APPENDIX……………………………………………………………………… 52

  

ABSTRACT

  FREDY WIJAYA. Psychopathic Personality as Seen in the Main Character of

  

Richard Wright’s Black Boy; A Record of Childhood and Youth. Yogyakarta:

Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2007.

  Richard Wright’s Black Boy; A Record of Childhood and Youth tells about a black child who tries to change the habit of the black people who always take themselves as a white man’s slave. During his life, he sometimes deviates with his race himself, just because he does not want to act like the others who always bow to every white people. That’s why he hates his environment very much. Therefore, the writer categorizes him as an antisocial person or in psychological term known as

  Psychopathic Personality.

  The research focuses on main character’s personality in Richard Wright’s Black Boy whose name is also Richard Wright. There are three questions related to the topic. The first question is about the setting of the story. The second question is about how Richard Wright feels about the gap between the black and the whites that he faced in his society, the last question is questioning Richard Wright’s personality that turns to

  Psychopathic because of the gap, about what are the causes and where he gets it.

  This research uses the library research method as the primary source and internet research as the secondary source. The theories and the cricism related to the subject are used as the main basic of the analysis. To analyze the problem, the writer would use psychological approach. The reason of the writer chooses this approach because the study dealing with the development of one’s personality, so it is necessary to deal with psychological aspect.

  From the analysis, the writer understands that the main character in this novel is trying to change the perception about the quality of a man. From the first question, the setting described as the first thing that affects Richard Wright’s personality. In the second question, the writer shows the feeling of Richard Wright toward his society, about his anger in knowing the fact that someone will be judged not by his qualification or capability but more to the difference of skin color. The third problem, the writer shows the causes of Psychopathic Personality that Richard Wright has that comes from Wright’s society and also his family.

  

ABSTRAK

  FREDY WIJAYA. Psychopathic Personality as Seen in the Main Character of

  

Richard Wright’s Black Boy; A Record of Childhood and Youth. Yogyakarta:

Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2007.

  Novel yang berjudul Black Boy; A Record of Childhood and Youth karangan dari Richard Wright bercerita tentang seorang anak kulit hitam yang mencoba merubah kebiasaan dari orang-orang hitam yang selalu menganggap diri mereka adalah budak dari orang-orang kulit putih. Selama hidupnya, dia kadang-kadang berselisih dengan kaumnya sendiri hanya karena tidak mau menunduk kepada setiap orang kulit putih.

  Karena kebiasaan-kebiasaan itu, anak tersebut sangat membenci lingkungannya sendiri. Oleh karena itu, penulis mengkategorikannya dalam kelompok antisosial atau dalam istilah psikologi sering disebut dengan Psychopathic Personality Penelitian ini berfokus pada kepribadian karakter utama dalam novel Richard Wright,

  

Black Boy, yang juga bernama Richard Wright. Terdapat tiga pertanyaan yang

  berhubungan dengan topik. Pertanyaan pertama adalah tentang seting cerita dan hubungannya terhadap kepribadian Richard Wright. Pertanyaan kedua tentang perasaan Richard Wright terhadap kesenjangan antara kaum kulit hitam dan kaum kulit putih yang dihadapi di dalam masyarakatnya. Pertanyaan terakhir mempertanyakan tentang kepribadian Richard Wright yang berubah menjadi

  

Psychopathic akibat dari kesenjangan tersebut, tentang apa saja penyebabnya dan

darimana dia mendapatkannya..

  Penelitian ini menggunakan metode studi pustaka sebagai sumber utama dan studi internet sebagai sumber kedua. Teori-teori dan kritik yang berhubungan dengan subyek menjadi dasar terpenting dalam analisa. Untuk menganalisa perumusan masalah, penulis menggunakan pendekatan psikologi. Alasannya karena masalah yang berkaitan berhubungan dengan kepribadian seseorang, jadi sangatlah berguna bila berhubungan dengan aspek psikologi.

  Dari analisa, penulis mengerti bahwa karakter utama di novel ini mencoba untuk mengubah suatu persepsi tentang kualitas seseorang. Pada pertanyaan pertama, setting digambarkan sebagai penyebab utama yang mempengaruhi kepribadian Richard Wright. Di pertanyaan kedua, penulis menunjukkan perasaan Richard Wright terhadap masyarakat di lingkungannya, tentang kemarahannya dalam menyadari fakta bahwa seseorang akan diadili bukan dari kualifikasi atau kemampuannya tetapi lebih kepada perbedaan warna kulit. Pertanyaan ketiga, penulis menunjukkan sebab-sebab dari Psychopathic Personality yang di derita oleh Richard Wright yang berasal dari masyarakatnya dan juga keluarganya.

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study In our daily life, we often hear or read from mass media, such as television,

  radio and the press about the statement “all men are created equal”. This statement has a relationship with the right of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness for every man. Then, a question appears in the writer’s mind, “what about the black people in America?” Are they sharing the same equality? Are they having the same prosperity like the whites have? Later on, the question would deal with more serious problem concerning the status of the black people within the America society.

  According to Logan, the black people have more difficulties to overcome than other minorities in America. If we look back to the time of blacks’ enslavement, we can imagine how hard their lives were. They faced the condition that seemed limiting their existence as a part of American citizen. Over the years, the blacks are objects of prejudice and dicrimination because of the color of their skin. The whites always treat them as the inferior and do not respect their right of living (1957:3).

  Let us specify the context of the whites’ attitude toward the blacks here. If the blacks are represented by an individual, we may say that he is trapped by the condition that regulates and defines his life, for example, the society’s negative reaction and assumption of the blacks. Sometimes, a black man has to surrender by this condition which tries to keep him under control. He may realize that he must be controlled by the established authority. Nevertheless, he will feel as if he is caught up entittled The Structure of Freedom says that freedom means expression of individuality or self expression. He also states that a person is free to the extent that he has the capacity, the opportunity, and the incentive to give expression to what is in him and to develop his potentialities (Bay. 1970:15).

  The writer chooses Richard Wright’s Black Boy; A Record of Childhood and

  

Youth because he is considered as one of the most powerful writers of the twentieth

  century. Richard Nathaniel Wright captured the American people with his vivid portrayals of the plight of black Americans in the modern world. Drawing largely from his own experiences, Wright "was perhaps the very first writer to give the white community explanations and themes that cut through its prejudices and forced it to look at the reality of black life in America," according to biographer Robert Felgar.

  Black Boy was named among the top 25 non-fiction works on the century,

  Richard Wright’s Black Boy has made a strong impact on American Literature with its strong commentary on the cultural, political, racial,

  

th

  religious and social issues of 20 century American society. It is often describe as a superb example of subtlety – crafted narrative describing Wright’s journey into adulthood. Many critics question whether the book should be considered pure autobiography or fiction, particularly because doubt the accuracy of Wright’s recollection as well as because of its novelistic style. But, it is agreed that the book monumentalizes an important piece of American, as well as African American culture.

  ) When Black Boy exploded onto the literary scene in 1945, it caused a sensation.

  Orville Prescott of the New York Times wrote that "if enough such books are written, if enough millions of people read them maybe, someday, in the fullness of time, there will be a greater understanding and a more true democracy." Opposing forces felt argued that the purpose of this book "was to plant seeds of hate and devilment in the minds of every American." From 1975 to 1978, Black Boy was banned in schools throughout the United States for "obscenity" and "instigating hatred between the races."

  (http://www.amazon.com/Black-Boy-American-Hunger-Childhood/dp/0060812508)

  Connected to the novel that the writer chose, Black Boy: A Record of

  

Childhood and Youth , the writer tries to show that a black man or any other man in

  general can not be restricted in any field of life. A man has the right to choose every thing that is useful for him. Because of the limitation that is given to them, makes them feel that they have to struggle in order to get what thay deserved.

  Along with the process to get a better life for them, the blacks have a lot of self-conflict in their own life. It is affected in their personality, like what happened to the main character in the novel. The main characater in the novel, which is Richard Wright himself, suffered from a kind of personality disorder. This happened because in his childhood, Richard Wright experienced the life that extremely hard for him as a child. This personality disorder is usually called Psychopathic Personality. “A personality disorder is a severe disturbance in the characterological constitution and behavioural tendencies of the individual, usually involving several areas of the personality, and nearly always associated with considerable personal and social disruption. Personality disorder tends to appear in late childhood or adolescence and continues to be manifest into adulthood. It is therefore unlikely that the diagnosis of personality disorder will be appropriate before the age of 16 or 17 years. General supplementary descriptions are provided with each of the subtypes“.

   )

  The writer choses the topic in order to attract the readers to read both the novel and the thesis more and to get some information that can be useful for them about personality disorder like what Richard Wright experienced in his childhood. Richard Wright does not realize the condition he experienced. He thinks this normally happenned because the situation he faced. He often got bad treatment from the whites. This condition shapes his personality without knowing the causes. Personality disorders are characterized by enduring maladaptive patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior that lead to chronic disturbances in interpersonal and occupational functioning. For example, a person with narcissistic personality disorder has severe trouble in relationships because of a tendency to use people, to devalue or totally dismiss them when they "get in the way," to be hyper sensitive to criticism, to feel entitled to special privileges, and to become regale. Individuals with this disorder show little empathy for other people. One patient who was asked about the feelings of a woman he had just rejected callously remarked, "What do I care? What can she do for me anymore? Hey, that's the breaks -, the game-sometimes you dump, sometimes you get dumped. Nobody would cry if this had happened to me."

  (http://www.mentalhealth.com/icd/p22-pe04.html)

B. Problem Formulation

  To make a focused analysis, the writer will give several major questions that lead us to the problem

  1. How is the setting in the story described?

  2. Based on the setting, how does Wright feel about the gap between the whites and blacks that he experienced in his society?

  3. How can the gaps turning Richard Wright’s personality into a psychopathic personality?

  C. Objective of the Study

  The objective of this study is, firstly to discuss the description of setting in the novel. The setting wil divide into social aspect and physicalaspect. The social aspect will describe the social gap and social injustice in the main character’s environment. The physical aspect will explore the condition of life of the main character.

  Secondly, to find out about Wright’s feeling to the gap between the whites and the blacks, the writer explain about the boundary bertween the whites and the blacks in Wright’s society and then tell us about Wright’s feeling toward it.

  Next, to identify about the ‘psychopathic personality’ which Richard Wright experienced in his childhood and youth, the writer will give an explanation about psychopathic personality and connect it with the main character’s attitudes in the book. And also explain the causes and characteristic of psyshopathic personality that the main character experienced.

  D. Definition of Terms

  Here, the writer will explain the term Psychopathic Personality. Psychopathic derived from the word psychopat. The psychopath is one of the most fascinating and remains attached to anyone or anything. A psychopath needs relationships, but sees people as obstacles to overcome and be eliminated. If not, he sees people in terms of how they can be used. They use people for stimulation, to build their self-esteem and they invariably value people in terms of their material value (money, property, etc..).

  A psychopath can have high verbal intelligence but typically lack "emotional intelligence". He can be expert in manipulating others by playing to their emotions.

  There is a shallow quality to the emotional aspect of their stories (i.e., how they felt, why they felt that way, or how others may have felt and why). The lack of emotional intelligence is the first good sign you may be dealing with a psychopath.

  (http://www.oregoncounseling.org/Handouts/PsychopathicPersonality.htm)

  It is generally assumed that psychopathic behavior develops in early childhood. Often psychopaths come from families where all must look out for themselves. There are few if any consistent standards of moral conduct and little emotional warmth. Rules are arbitrary and often unjust. Physical punishment is common, and the child learns early that manipulating others pays off. Psychopaths often come from families in which the parents themselves have psychopathic tendencies. (http://www.mozsite.com/a/personality-disorder-range/)

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies When Black Boy exploded onto the literary scene in 1945, it caused a

  sensation. Orville Prescott of the New York Times wrote that "if enough such books are written, if enough millions of people read them maybe, someday, in the fullness of time, there will be a greater understanding and a more true democracy. ).

  Some critics have criticized Richard Wright’s Autobiography, ‘the autobiography uses techniques so well usually reserved for fiction that many experts question if these events are nonfiction. When read as such, however, Black Boy sparks many emotions that are sometimes lost in today’s society, where racism is perhaps not as overt as it used to be’. )

  Elizabeth Schultz in her critical essay entitled To Be Black and Blue: The

  

Blues Genres in Black American Autobiography , explained that Richard Wright’s

Black Boy is the history of imagination compare to Henry James’ description on his

  own Autobiography. In her statement, she tries to say that Richard Wright wants every black man to determine themselves. He history of (an) imagination; so might Richard Wright have called Black Boy. Beginning a long list of purely natural sensory experiences early in the autobiography, Wright notes that “Each…spoke with a cryptic tongue “two more such lists follow, the last one a list of superstition involving natural phenomena Wright seems, in making such lists as a boy, to be seeking for the organizing principle in the phenomena world. Which would give him the means for understanding and controlling it. His interpretations are inevitably emotional in terms of his delight, nostalgia, melancholy, disdain, alarm, and glory, panic (1981: 118-119). This criticism tells about the fiction aspect of Richard Wright’s Black Boy as an autobiography novel compare to Henry James’ interpretation on his own autobiography. The criticism shows Richard Wright’s Black

  Boy can be categorized as fiction.

  Then the other criticism as quoted from the internet also gave explanation about the subjectivity and high selective of the book Black Boy, which makes it, can be categorized as fiction work. At the time Wright wrote Black Boy, he was already an accomplished author of fiction. He had published a collection of short stories called Uncle Tom’s Children and the highly successful novel Native Son. Wright chose carefully the experiences he includes in Black Boy, the ones he highlights, and the tone in which he writes about them. Many readers even think that he invents some of the incidents. Most agree, however, that Wright crafts his autobiography for the precise impact he wants. )

  Taryl Savage from Herndon, VA in her essays gives comment that the book

  

Black Boy gave a natural description of African American person who try to fit into

  the white comunities, no matter how hard it could be and it has a strong effect toward the reader. In this case, the reader might think about their own attitude toward the inferior and what the effects toward the inferior are? The autobiography of Richard Wright has a really strong sense of power to it. It shows the everyday trials that a young black boy has to go through in order to be accepted in this society. Giving real life situations this book is filling everybody that reads it in on the life and times of a normal African American human. Situations were very hected during the time that Richard Wright was growing up and he knew being a black child was a top reason that he would never make it through. Strength comes from within the mind and soul and there were a lot of examples showing how strong he was. No matter what stood in his way, he never gave up. There was plenty of negativity, stereotyping, and hatred against blacks and most of that still exists to day believe it or not. Black Boy captured the attention of many individuals and gave a sense of what it was like to get anywhere in the world today as a young afro-American. Just telling of all the events that he went through shows how much one can do with very little opportunities. Overall,

  

Black Boy is a very powerful book and should be read by teenagers all across the

  country. ) Most of the criticism above discussed Black Boy in term of autobiography, although there some question about the narrative style which Richard Wright’s use and the accuracy of the work as an autobiography. These facts show the fiction side and subjectivity of Black Boy.

B. Review of Related Theories

  Literary theory is used as the basic for the analysis in the thesis. Furthermore, it is used to support the analysis in answering the problem formulation. In this analysis, the writer uses four theories of literature to support and to give basis for the analysis, that are the theory of setting, theory of character, theory of personality disorder and the relationship between literature and psychology. They are listed as follows.

1. Theory of Setting

  To understand Richard Wright’s character is to understand Richard Wright’s attitude toward the society in which he lived. Therefore, the setting of the story will be considered as the main consideration to examine Black Boy: A Record Of

  

Childhood and Youth. Like most other autobiographical novel, the main thing that we

  have to see very carefully is the aspect of setting and its relationship to character. The fact is the setting can influence the main character’s personality or his behavior and it also can contribute to the conflict of the story. Therefore, the setting is dynamic because it ‘may thrust itself dynamically into the action, affecting events and being in turn affected by them, and together with these event; setting seems to assume the role of the major character’ (Kenney, 1966:40)

  In addition, Holman and Harmon report that there are some elements of which the setting is composed: a. The actual geographical location, its topography, scenery and such physical arrangements as the location of the windows and doors in a room. c. The time or period in which the action takes place, for example, epoch in history or season in the year.

  d. The general environment of the characters, for example, religious, mental, moral, social and emotional conditions through which the people in the narrative moved (1986:468). There is a close relationship between the setting and the central idea of the story. The setting of the story is also important in affecting action and character as

  Murphy says that setting of the novel has a great effect upon the personalities, actions and way of thinking of the characters (1972:41).

  Furthermore, Langland in his book Society In The Novel, contributes several statement about the relationship between the society as one of the factors that shape the main character, “The society plays an important role to the character’s growth and self-realization although the characters define themselves within their society as their background” (1984:8). Langland also mentions that the character, society and narrator are the centers of value in the novel. The character may be in conflict with the society values in which he lives. Langland says that the author usually interested in exploring the conflict between the individual and the social environment in which he lives. The conflict basically happens where there is a contrast between an individual with his special needs or particular needs for social environment with its values that are generally “unresponsive to this particular needs” (1984:11)

2. Theory of Character

  In literary work, character is one of the intrinsic elements of a literary work such as a novel. He or she is the person in the novel that presents human personality.

  The author of the novel describes him or her in the experience of a number of situation, relationship and contest. In these contexts, he or she makes sense for the readers. These contexts may be called intrinsic knowledge for them (Harvey, 1965: 31). Therefore, they can obtain knowledge from her or him.

  The characters in the literary work are divided into two parts. The first is the major characters or the main characters. The second part is the minor characters or the secondary characters. Roger B.Henkle in his book Reading the Novel explains that major characters are the most important and the complex characters in the novel.

  They can be identified from their characterizations, the attentions of the author and the readers, the attitudes of other characters to them and the transmitting process of their characters intensity (1977: 97). The major characters also build opinion that can establish the readers’ virtues. While the secondary are “the characters in which their performances are limited’ (1977: 97). They may be less sophisticated. Therefore, their responses to the experiences in the story are also less complex.

  The changes of the characters are also influenced by conflicts in a story. It determines them to change into significant way. Their changes that are influenced by conflicts are divided into two parts. They are the dynamic character and the static character. Dynamic or developing character is the character that is able to change in some aspects of his character. The change can be big or small. It can be for a better or a worse. Static character is the character who keeps the same part of person from

  In addition, a character according to the writer understanding is not only type of a person but also more about the personality of the person. The writer sees the character as the individual himself, who has such quality inside him/her. In seeing this, the writer must see him/her deeply into his/her heart. Moreover this can be explored by knowing him in person in which in analyzing literary works it cannot be a face-to-face relation but a kind of observation on him. Continuously we know his personality by analyzing what kind of person he/she is, how he/she thinks, speaks, and behaves. It is the way he/she is looked by others.

3. Theory of Personality Disorder

  According to the book of Diagnostic and Statitistical Manual of Mental

  

Disorder page 65, a personality disorder is an enduring pattern of inner experience

  and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time and leads to distress or impaiment. The Personality Disorder included:

  a. Paranoid Personality Disorder is a pattern of distrust and suspiciousness such that others’ motives are interpreted as malevolent.

  b. Schizoid Personality Disorder is a pattern of detachment from social relationship and a restricted range of emotional expression.

  c. Schizotypal Personality Disorder is pattern of acute discomfort in close relationships, cognitive or perceptual distortions, and eccentricities of behavior.

  d. Antisocial Personality Disorder is a pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the right of others.

  

sociopathic personality disorder, is a pattern of deviant behavior that is serious

  Antisocial personality disorder, which has been known as psychopathic or

  both for the individual and society. The following characteristic define the antisocial personality disorder and typifi most of the people receiving the diagnostic label:

• Violate social conventions,

  They chronically break the rules of the home, job, or school, and frequently break the law.

• Violent.

  Aggressive behavior is common. They are easily provoked both to minor and criminal acts of violence and vandalism.

• Dishonest.

  They lie and deceive frequently and easily. The lies are often skillful.

• Irresponsible.

  They are generally irresponsible in their behavior. They frequently default on obligation and debts and do not carry out family responsibilities.

• Absence of guilt.

  They experince little or no quilt about their antisocial behavior. Indeed, they generally consider their behavior to be fully justified.

• Impulsive.

  Antisocial personalities are impulsive and quick to anger.

• Fail to learn punishment.

  Individuals given the label of antisocial personality disorder do not appear to learn from punishment. Although they may be frequently caught and punished for they misbehavior, they do not appear to learn from mistaken.

• Stimulation seeking.

  Individuals given this label appear to seek stimulation to a maladaptive extent. They appear to need thrills and excitement, move from one place to another.

• Intelligent.

  The antisocial personality is clasically considered to be unusually capable and intelligent.

• Underschieving.

  Their level of school and job performance is generally lower than their ability would indicate. Most antisocial personalities are barely literate and employable, despite their relatively high potential.

• Socially deviant.

  Although antisocial personalities are generally straight, but they always do something unusual (1980:318-319) e. Borderline Personality Disorder is a pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity.

  f. Histrionic Personality Disorder is a pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking.

  g. Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy.

  h. Avoidant Personality Disorder is a pattern of social inhibition, feelings of i. Dependent Personality Disorder is a pattern of submissive and clinging behavior related to an excessive need to be taken care of. j. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is a pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control

  Psychopathic Personality.

  The term psychopathy refers the condition in which the main pathological manifestation is in the individual’s action and behavior, and is based on his inability to experience certain interpersonal, social and moral values. Dynamically and genetically, the types of origin discussed under conduct disorder in children and under delinquency in adolescent can be recognized:

  1. The individual, through rejection and deprivation with the parents or substitutes; he lacks the fundamental qualities of closeness and internalized ideals.

  2. The individual was first indulged and was therefore not confronted with the problem of having to develop inhibitions for the sake of acceptance; then ensued a period of excessive severity in handling, against which he rebelled, developing no adequate identification and restriction, and feeling he had been treated unfairly.

  3. In some respect the individual has a strong need for acceptance and a sense of guilt, but this is not constructively intergrated with his total personality (1960:87-88). The diagnostic criteria for Psychopathic Personality (2000:706):

• Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest.
• Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure.
• Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead.
• Irritability and aggresiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults.
• Reckless disregard for safety of self or others.
• Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations.
• Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated , or stolen from another.

  The psychopath is one of the most fascinating and distressing problems of human experience. For the most part, a psychopath never remains attached to anyone or anything. He needs relationships, but see people as obstacles to overcome and be eliminated. If not, he sees people in terms of how they can be used. He uses people for stimulation, to build their self-esteem and they invariably value people in terms of their material value (money, property, etc..). A psychopath can have high verbal intelligence, but they typically lack "emotional intelligence". He can be expert in manipulating others by playing to their emotions. There is a shallow quality to the emotional aspect of their stories (i.e., how they felt, why they felt that way, or how others may have felt and why). The lack of emotional intelligence is the first good

  (http://www.oregoncounseling.org/Handouts/PsychopathicPersonality.htm)

  It is generally assumed that psychopathic behavior develops in early childhood. Often psychopaths come from families where all must look out for themselves. There are few if any consistent standards of moral conduct and little emotional warmth. Rules are arbitrary and often unjust. Physical punishment is common, and the child learns early that manipulating others pays off. Psychopaths often come from families in which the parents themselves have psychopathic tendencies. )

4. The Relation between Psychology and Literature

  According to Wellek and Warren, psychology and literature have a very close relation in which some of literary works talk about psychological cases. They say that people can learn theory of psychology that may be revealed in works of literature by analyzing the works. Furthermore, the important part is the application of the psychological laws within works of literature (1956: 81).

  While in the book Psychology and its Allied Disciplines vol. 1 edited by Bornstein, stated that literature is best at describing the human condition in a dramatic form, while psychology has the strenght to investigating human character or behaviour in systematic ways (1984:144). Both literature and psychology have one common purpose that is to describe human conditions. Literature tries to depict human condition into drama while psychology studies human characteristic systematically and scientifically.

  In some aspect, literature and psychology has a close relationship with each other, according to Rene Wellek and Austin Warren in their book Theory of

  

Literature stated that literature must stand in recognizable relation in life such away

  that is in case a selection from life. Literature is an expression of life, and this expression has the power to move the reader’s hearth, it can be happiness and sadness. In this case, a literary work must be creative and imaginative to bring the reader mind to understand what the author’s intention or purpose in his or her work.

  (1956: 212).

C. Theoretical Framework

  In this study, the writer uses some approaches to make the explanation of the analysis more clearly. They are theory of setting, theory of character, theory of personality disorder and the relation between psychology and literature. The theory of setting is appropriate because it can shows that one personality can be shaped by the condition of society, how they life and which part of the city he lives in. The theory of character is used because the writer is going to analyze the main character and his relation to the society. The theory of personality disorder will be used in order to reveal Richard Wright’s psychopathic personality as the main character in this book, what are the causes and its major characteristic? The psychopathic personality which the writer takes as the title in this thesis will be explained from the development of Wright’s character. The relation between psychology and literature is used because the writer is interested to discuss the conflict based on psychology cases and also because there are several aspect reveal in the relation between psychology and

CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study The object of the study in this thesis is a book entitled Black Boy which is

  written by Richard Wright based on his own life. Black Boy was named among the top non-fiction works of the century. Richard Wright’s Black Boy has made a strong impact on American literature with its strong commentary on the cultural, political,

  th

  racial, religious, and social issues of 20 century American society. The setting of the

  th

  story takes place in southern United States in the 20 century. The book consists of 228 pages and divided into 14 chapters. Each chapter is unnamed. Harper and Brothers Publishers published this book in 1937, 1942, 1944, and 1945 (the edition the writer used)

  Black Boy is a classic of American autobiography, a subtly crafted narrative of

  Richard Wright's journey from innocence to experience in the Jim Crow South. An enduring story of one young man's coming off age during a particular time and place,

  

Black Boy remains a seminal text in American history about what it means to be a

  man, black, and Southern in America. From the 1960s the work came to be understood as the story of Wright's coming of age and development as a writer whose race, though a primary component of his life, was but one of many that formed him as an artist.

  (http://www.amazon.com/Black-Boy-American-Hunger-Childhood/dp/00608125080