Institutional Repository | Satya Wacana Christian University: Character Analysis of Gwenda Cataret in May Sinclair’s The Three Sisters: A Psychological Case Study T1 4101013 BAB V
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CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Chapter V is the final chapter of this research study. This chapter consists
of conclusion of the study and recommendation for further study using the same
object or theories.
The conclusion part discusses the result from the analysis and
interpretation in chapter IV, in summary, as the answering process from the
problem formulation of:
1. What are the characteristics of the main female protagonist, Gwenda
Cataret?
2. How does Gwenda's unconscious part of mind influences her
consciousness as seen from her characteristics (personality traits)?
The next part of recommendation involves some suggestion topic for
further study on the some object of May Sinclair's The Three Sisters, and also
some possible alternative ways to use the same theories of characterization and
psychoanalytic on other object of study, another novel.
5.1. Conclusion
In conclusion, the study main aims on analyzing Gwenda's personality as
seen from her psychological side, using Psychodynamic of Conscious and
Unconscious theory by Sigmund Freud, has been developed and reached the main
core of the study on how unconscious part of human mind determines most of
120
121
human's consciousness in the ways of thinking, speaking and also behaving as
well. The study has revealed Gwenda's unconscious influences over her
consciousness as she thinks, speaks, and also behaves in her relationship and
interaction with her inner-self and other significant characters in the story; her
father, sisters, and lover, as can be seen through her personality traits or
characteristics.
Gwenda's personality traits, or in literature term it calls characteristics, has
derived from characterization study using the mixing theories of PickeringHoeper and Roberts-Jacobs, it analyzes and interprets her characteristics through
her appearance, the description by a narrator, her dialog and action as she makes
relationships and interaction with her inner self and another characters around her
in the story. And the data result from the characterization analysis and
interpretation process taken for further study on psychological point of view.
Using Psychodynamic of Conscious and Unconscious Theory by Sigmund Freud,
the study tries to reveal how unconscious part of mind influences consciousness as
seen from the defense mechanism process occurs in Gwenda's life.
Here is a brief discussion on Gwenda's characteristics, and follows by her
psychological side of her life that shows how her unconscious part of mind
influences most of her consciousness as seen through the defense mechanism
occurs in her life, through her characteristics.
122
5.1.1. Gwenda's Characteristics
In summary, Gwenda's personality traits or characteristics as discusses on
the characterization analysis and interpretation part in chapter IV, using a
combination theories of Pickering – Hoeper and Roberts – Jacobs for
characterization study through appearance, narrator's description, dialog and
action, in her relationship with her inner–self and the most important characters
around her, the father : Mr. James Cataret, the sisters : Mary and Alice Cataret,
and the lover, Dr. Steven Rowcliffe, as follows:
1. Gwenda is smart strong willed self whose youth energetic provides the
strength for her to do anything she wills; capable to do anything,
2. Gwenda is capable to do anything, her father term to describe her
stubbornness as he sees her.
3. Gwenda is strong and healthy, seeing from her energetic youth of walking
habits, an out door sport activity, rarely done by a Victorian female, but the
writer of the story portrays her character, Gwenda to be like that, she calls
her like Artemis, a Greek goddess for virgin who love freedom and
adventure.
4. Gwenda is intelligence, mostly appears in her relationship and interaction
with father and lover.
5. Gwenda is independent or stubborn, her intelligence and strong willed self
makes her an independent character, or in her father's and lover's point of
view it calls stubborn.
6. Gwenda is compassionate. She loves her family devotionally, it can be
123
seen through her capability to do anything she wills: sacrificing her love
chance to save her dying younger sister, accompanying her betraying
older sister in her child birthing and loves the children; devotionally,
taking care her dependent invalid father because of heart attack, that in
their earlier relationship she is the most trouble maker daughter for the
father.
7. Gwenda is fragile-hearted and sensitive. The tragic thing happens in her
life has revealed her fragility and sensitivity side of self, that all of the
time covers by the dominant side of her strong-willed self.
In short, in a whole picture, Gwenda is smart strong willed-self character,
whose intelligence and youth energetic provide her the circumstance to be an
independent female who is capable to do anything, using her father term for her.
She is stubborn in her father's eyes, full of compassion for her family, and strong
and healthy as seen from her habits of walking activity, that is rare for a Victorian
time female. In other side, the hard life trials she has to be experienced has turned
her into a more fragile–hearted or sensitive character, a quality trait that covered
by her dominant nature of being strong willed–self. However, the complexities of
her personality traits has included her as round character, and the transformation
of a strong willed character into a fragile–hearted one includes Gwenda as
dynamic character.
124
5.1.2. Gwenda's Psychodynamic Side Views through Her Personality.
The study's main aim is to know and to understand the process of
unconscious part of human mind that mostly consists of irrational wishes or
impulses as Freud believes influencing human consciousness in the way they
behave, whether they are alone or in interaction with other people. The character
studied Gwendolen Cataret, or Gwenda, a main protagonist in The Three Sister by
May Sinclair. It has been discussed before on the previous part of characterization
analysis and interpretation process in chapter IV, Gwenda describes as a smart –
strong willed self, whose youth energetic provides her the circumstance to be an
independence female who is capable to do anything. There are also stubbornness,
compassion, and fragility side in her characteristic. These personality traits takes
from her relationship and interaction with her innerself and other significant
character in her life, through dialog and action, there is also some support element
in determining her characteristics, through her appearance and the narrator's
description. However, viewing from the way she behaves or speaks in her
relationship with another characters or through her way of thinking, the reader can
find out or recognize Gwenda as what kind of person she is, it calls her
personality traits or characteristics. Moreover, using psychoanalytical glasses, the
reader can know more deeply about the character, finding out the reasons or
causes occur behind a certain behavior of action, speaking, or thinking. More
specifically, using Psychodynamic Theory of Conscious and Unconscious by
Sigmund Freud, the reader can understand that the unconscious part of human's
mind plays the most part influencing everything happen or occur in human
125
consciousness of thinking, speaking, behaving. In other word, based on Freud's
theory, any human consciousness determines mostly with the thing existing in the
unconscious part of mind. Since, anything exists in the unconscious part of mind
are irrational: unacceptable impulses of hidden desire, or taboo wishes as
perceived by the morality or society, such as killing desire or unusual sexual
orientation wishes, the mind unconsciously struggle with the conscious demands
or needs for a safe or acceptable outlet for the unacceptable impulse, this struggle
produces responses that Freud calls as defense mechanism (Bernstein, 1991:544545).
5.1.2.1. Gwenda's Repression
The defense mechanism takes many forms in overcoming the irrational
impulses to be acceptable by the outside world of the character. The first defense
mechanism Freud has ever developed, repression seems mostly appearing in
human's life, for the reason most of the things exist in the unconscious part of
human mind are the repressed things of the irrational impulses. In this research
study, Gwenda does the defense mechanism of repression that she herself not
aware of being repressed something in her mind, but the reader can indicate the
repression through her way of thinking, speaking or behaving as she makes an
interaction process with her inner-self as well as with another characters around
her, the data takes from her personality traits. Understanding more about Gwenda
through her characteristic.
In her fragile hearted or sensitive characteristics, Gwenda represses the
126
desire to kill her betraying older sister whom takes her lover to marry with, thus,
one night Gwenda dreams about Mary and her first born child on the crook of her
arm has death. The dream occurs after Gwenda waiting and accompanying her
sister's first child birthing. It is in the evening and the night Gwenda dreaming, the
dream makes her waking up in anguish and terror. The dream content shows
Gwenda irrational wishes for the death of both Mary and her child. She is not
aware about its existence in her unconscious part of mind, until she had the dream,
therefore, she gets shock that she wakes up in anguish and terror as describes by
the narrator. (p. 98-99)
Another repression process as seen through her fragility characteristic is
when Gwenda refuses to feel the misery in her heart. The narrator says about
Gwenda's heart as so mortally wounded as to be unaware that it is hurt, it shows
Gwenda repression on her hurt feeling; her disappointment to her betraying lover
and sister. Further at the sight of white path Karva and the flowering thorn-trees,
Gwenda's heart stirs from its hiding place, showing there is pain in her heart she
refuses to feel. The sight of the white path on Karva and the flowering thorn-trees
reminds her to Dr. Steven Rowcliffe whom used to be her lover and the path were
their, the flowering thorn-trees as well. When she has to face with the things
remind her to her betraying lover, the repressed hurt feeling appears on the
surface. (p. 96-97 ).
There is also fear occurs in her heart at the sight of the village, where she
and the dependent half paralyzed father lives. The place where she used to be love
and adore has become the fearful place for her. The fear in her consciousness is a
127
result of the hurt feeling she repressed as the entire tragic thing happen in her life,
happen in the village. The narrator describes her feeling as “It share her fear as it
crouches there, like a beaten thing, with its huddled houses, naked and blackened
as if fire had passed over them” (Sinclair, 1984:387), Gwenda feels beaten, naked
and blackened as the storm passing over her life. The fear for the village she used
to love is an indication of the repressed things in her unconsciousness about what
has happened in her life, during her stays in the village, that hidden some
unpleasant memories of hers. (p. 97-98)
Further, in her fragility, Gwenda unconsciously has transformed the way
she sees her surrounding. Her love for nature has created an outlet to refuse the
existence of misery and pain in her heart. However, the dim color of green, grey
and opal, also the blue and violet for winter, instead of bright color, represents
Gwenda's fragility. The wound in her heart as caused by the tragic things she has
to experience has created fragility in her heart, that unconsciously she has changed
the way she sees the nature surround her, that untouched by any direct contact
with human, it exclusively hers. That out of her awareness, she is afraid it is taken
by anybody, as everybody she loves leaving her alone. She says that at least this is
hers, and no one can not take this away from her, not even Steven. Her mention of
Steve shows her feeling about him that she loves him still, but repressed the
feeling, that makes her a fragile -hearted character (p.92-96).
5.1.2.2. Gwenda's Reaction-Formation
Another defense mechanism as Freud develops is reaction formation, a
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defense in the form of the person reaction or responses over an anxiety impulse,
produces by a certain situation, into an opposite to his or her true feeling
(Lazerson, 1975:18). Gwenda's defense mechanism of reaction formation occurs
in her compassion characteristics. More specific, in one occasion in her
interaction with her older betraying sister, Mary. After three years of their
marriage, finally Mary gets pregnant and she tells her sister, Gwenda. Her
response at the hearing of the news is glad, she is happy for Mary. Viewing from
ordinary perception, it shows Gwenda's compassion to her sister. But, through a
direct access to her mind, as describes by the narrator, there is an indication of
reaction-formation occurrence, Gwenda feels an aching in her heart, she glad but
her true feeling is hurt. Gwenda's respond to Mary is glad, but her heart is aching
(p.100-103). It is a reaction formation of defense mechanism, as Gwenda's
respond to overcome the anxiety impulse of aching in her heart.
5.1.2.3. Gwenda's Projection
The defense mechanism of projection occurs in Gwenda's life as can be
seen through her sensitive characteristic (p.103-104). Projection itself is a defense
for irrational impulses to be projected to other people or outside world. In
Gwenda's case, the projection of defense mechanism occurs as she thinks about
Mary who do a caddish thing by snapping behind her back stealing her lover then
marrying him. The duologue, I uses the narrator term, occurs in her mind as she
thinks about her emptiness and loneliness in her life, she thinks about taking back
his lover from her betraying sister. During the earlier time of the marriage,
129
Rowcliffe still shows how he does really care and love Gwenda, there are many
times both of them alone together, it also many times for Gwenda to take the
chance to go back to her betraying lover whom showing her that he loves her still.
However, her consciousness rejects the temptation, but outside her awareness
there is a desire to do a caddish thing as Mary does to her. It can be seen from the
duologue inside her mind, instead taking her chance of going back to her lover,
she projects Mary as the one who does the caddish thing. Gwenda projects her
hidden desire to her betrayal sister, Mary.
5.1.2.4. Gwenda's Displacement
Gwenda's personality trait of compassion includes a displacement process
of defense mechanism as the result of anxiety impulse overcoming toward hidden
desire to hate Rowcliffe's children. There is a situation in which Rowcliffe invites
Gwenda to his family, for Mary is dying to show Gwenda the toddlers, their
children are three after eight years of their marriage. Gwenda cannot refuse the
invitation, and she prefers to come to the family while Rowcliffe is not in the
house. At the sound of the children, Gwenda's heart produces a pain as if she hates
those kids, however, some couples seconds later her heart melts and grows tender,
but she feels the tenderness more unbearable than its pain. Displacement in
defense mechanism is redirecting an unacceptable emotion into a more safe
alternative target (Bernstein, 1991:545), Gwenda has redirected her hateful
emotion toward Rowcliffe's children into a tender one (p. 105-106 ).
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5.1.2.5. Gwenda's Intellectualization
The term intellectualization in defense mechanism, as develops by
Sigmund Freud, relates with how the mind reducing the anxiety feeling caused by
a certain situation, by creating an excuse using abstract term. The defense
mechanism of intellectualization appears in Gwenda's life can be viewed through
her stubbornness, when she has to deny her true feeling as Rowcliffe asks her to
marry him, Gwenda says that she does not want to marry him nor anybody else, in
the effort of reducing the anxiety feeling caused by her denial of her own self, she
creates an excuse that she wants her liberty by earn her own living like any other
women do, and Rowcliffe believe her because she capable of anything(p.109-111).
Another intellectualization occurs when Rowcliffe tries to catch her attention to
him, but Gwenda prefer to create arguing conversation about the moon, and her
liberty as the most important thing in her life (p. 107-109). Being alone with a
man who understand her well and loves her as the way she is, has never occurred
in her life before, the uncomfortable situation has produced anxiety feeling that
makes her tend to stay in her comfort zone of intellectuality.
5.1.2.6. Gwenda's Denial
Denial says to be the most primitive defense, in which “a person distorts
reality simply by negating the truth “(Bernstein, 1991:545). Gwenda's denial can
be seen through her stubbornness, when her lover asks her to marry him, she
denies her true feeling, because the real situation not allows her to accept it. She
has to save her dying sister life (p.112-114). There is also denial of defense
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mechanism in her strong willed-self, that Gwenda simply denies her flirting desire
on Dr. Steven Rowcliffe, at the beginning of the story, because Gwenda never
flirts or attracts on any men before, she has never in love. Thus, the flirting desire
has produce anxiety in her mind that she denies the desire, later (p.114-116 ).
5.1.2.7. Gwenda's Sublimation
From an ordinary reading habit, Gwenda has became a furious reader. She
has the brain, the brain of intellectual one, it can be seen through her
independence or strong willed-self that makes her capable to do anything in the
support with her smartness. Therefore, as a strong willed-self character, Gwenda
refuses to pity on herself when all the tragic things happen continuously in her
life, instead she uses her mind to channel her passion for life into reading, she
reads all the heavy stuff her brain can bite on to keep her mind thinking. It is
sublimation, a defense mechanism process that transforms libido into socially
acceptable and useful achievement. (Lazerson, 1975:18). Gwenda's fragility does
not make her into a weak creature; instead she fights it and channeling the energy
of passion for life into a furious reading habit (p. 116-118).
In summary the defense mechanism process shows the unconscious part of
mind that plays the most part in determining Gwenda's consciousness. The forms
of defense mechanism occur in Gwenda's life involved some certain
circumstances and contexts. It supports the indication of the type of defense
mechanism forms occurs in a certain behavior of thinking, speaking, and action,
in her relationship with her inner-self, as well as with other significant characters
132
around her. Furthermore, the study reveals her inner-self viewing from
psychological side. It digs deeper into her characteristics, explaining and
exploring anything happen in her inner life. All the repressed things, the causes
and the effects of it into her behavior that creates her characteristics as whole
characters. The repression, reaction formation, projection, displacement,
intellectualization, denial and sublimation, explain Gwenda certain behavior
views from her personality traits. It also reveals how her unconscious part of mind
influences most of her consciousness.
5.2. Recommendation
May Sinclair's The Three Sisters has three main protagonists in the story:
Mary, Gwendolen and Alice Cataret, each character represents a typical of female
personality: a steady womanly older sister, the young independent female, and
frail younger sister. Each protagonist in their differences and unique quality have
the same life background, living in the some house with the same widowed
tyrannical father, Mr. James Cataret, and facing the same problem of loving one
man, Dr. Steven Rowcliffe : one man for three women seems to be the central
story of this novel. There are three female with different characteristics, but
having the same life background and facing the same problem. It is worth tying to
develop a study on each main protagonist. Since the novel takes some influence
on Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory. It best suits to develop the study using
psychoanalytic approach. Studying the character's psychological side. Here are
some suggestion topics to be developed for further study on this novel, The Three
133
Sisters by May Sinclair:
1. The study on Alice Cataret's personality, how her unique typical of
personality has created her into a tend to be neurotic anxiety character.
2. Study on Alice Cataret weakness in nature (her fragile self) as influenced
by her father, Mr. James Cataret, dominant tyrannical style of parenting.
3. Study on Mary's femininity of sweetness and goodness influences the
motive behind her betraying action to her sister, Gwendolen Cataret.
4. The study on Mr. James Cataret's personality, how his windowed status of
three daughter with different characteristics has created him into a hard
tyrannical father. A socio-psychological study.
5. The study on Dr. Steven Rowcliffe inner conflict as he has to decide to
marry with his lover's sister, viewed from his psychological side. It will
study on his id, ego, and superego process of problem overcoming.
Those suggestion topics above are a few among many other topics can be
digged from the novel's characters. However, the research study on the characters
in the novel will enrich the researcher's and the reader's understanding and
knowledge about humanity, more specifically as views from psychological side.
Further, another suggestion for using the psychological theories, more
specifically using Sigmund Freud's, to be applied on another literary works or
novels, is better to use a psychological based novel or the one with childhood
background of the character of the story, in the reason Freud's theory mostly
relates with childhood experience as the basic of human development.
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Chapter V is the final chapter of this research study. This chapter consists
of conclusion of the study and recommendation for further study using the same
object or theories.
The conclusion part discusses the result from the analysis and
interpretation in chapter IV, in summary, as the answering process from the
problem formulation of:
1. What are the characteristics of the main female protagonist, Gwenda
Cataret?
2. How does Gwenda's unconscious part of mind influences her
consciousness as seen from her characteristics (personality traits)?
The next part of recommendation involves some suggestion topic for
further study on the some object of May Sinclair's The Three Sisters, and also
some possible alternative ways to use the same theories of characterization and
psychoanalytic on other object of study, another novel.
5.1. Conclusion
In conclusion, the study main aims on analyzing Gwenda's personality as
seen from her psychological side, using Psychodynamic of Conscious and
Unconscious theory by Sigmund Freud, has been developed and reached the main
core of the study on how unconscious part of human mind determines most of
120
121
human's consciousness in the ways of thinking, speaking and also behaving as
well. The study has revealed Gwenda's unconscious influences over her
consciousness as she thinks, speaks, and also behaves in her relationship and
interaction with her inner-self and other significant characters in the story; her
father, sisters, and lover, as can be seen through her personality traits or
characteristics.
Gwenda's personality traits, or in literature term it calls characteristics, has
derived from characterization study using the mixing theories of PickeringHoeper and Roberts-Jacobs, it analyzes and interprets her characteristics through
her appearance, the description by a narrator, her dialog and action as she makes
relationships and interaction with her inner self and another characters around her
in the story. And the data result from the characterization analysis and
interpretation process taken for further study on psychological point of view.
Using Psychodynamic of Conscious and Unconscious Theory by Sigmund Freud,
the study tries to reveal how unconscious part of mind influences consciousness as
seen from the defense mechanism process occurs in Gwenda's life.
Here is a brief discussion on Gwenda's characteristics, and follows by her
psychological side of her life that shows how her unconscious part of mind
influences most of her consciousness as seen through the defense mechanism
occurs in her life, through her characteristics.
122
5.1.1. Gwenda's Characteristics
In summary, Gwenda's personality traits or characteristics as discusses on
the characterization analysis and interpretation part in chapter IV, using a
combination theories of Pickering – Hoeper and Roberts – Jacobs for
characterization study through appearance, narrator's description, dialog and
action, in her relationship with her inner–self and the most important characters
around her, the father : Mr. James Cataret, the sisters : Mary and Alice Cataret,
and the lover, Dr. Steven Rowcliffe, as follows:
1. Gwenda is smart strong willed self whose youth energetic provides the
strength for her to do anything she wills; capable to do anything,
2. Gwenda is capable to do anything, her father term to describe her
stubbornness as he sees her.
3. Gwenda is strong and healthy, seeing from her energetic youth of walking
habits, an out door sport activity, rarely done by a Victorian female, but the
writer of the story portrays her character, Gwenda to be like that, she calls
her like Artemis, a Greek goddess for virgin who love freedom and
adventure.
4. Gwenda is intelligence, mostly appears in her relationship and interaction
with father and lover.
5. Gwenda is independent or stubborn, her intelligence and strong willed self
makes her an independent character, or in her father's and lover's point of
view it calls stubborn.
6. Gwenda is compassionate. She loves her family devotionally, it can be
123
seen through her capability to do anything she wills: sacrificing her love
chance to save her dying younger sister, accompanying her betraying
older sister in her child birthing and loves the children; devotionally,
taking care her dependent invalid father because of heart attack, that in
their earlier relationship she is the most trouble maker daughter for the
father.
7. Gwenda is fragile-hearted and sensitive. The tragic thing happens in her
life has revealed her fragility and sensitivity side of self, that all of the
time covers by the dominant side of her strong-willed self.
In short, in a whole picture, Gwenda is smart strong willed-self character,
whose intelligence and youth energetic provide her the circumstance to be an
independent female who is capable to do anything, using her father term for her.
She is stubborn in her father's eyes, full of compassion for her family, and strong
and healthy as seen from her habits of walking activity, that is rare for a Victorian
time female. In other side, the hard life trials she has to be experienced has turned
her into a more fragile–hearted or sensitive character, a quality trait that covered
by her dominant nature of being strong willed–self. However, the complexities of
her personality traits has included her as round character, and the transformation
of a strong willed character into a fragile–hearted one includes Gwenda as
dynamic character.
124
5.1.2. Gwenda's Psychodynamic Side Views through Her Personality.
The study's main aim is to know and to understand the process of
unconscious part of human mind that mostly consists of irrational wishes or
impulses as Freud believes influencing human consciousness in the way they
behave, whether they are alone or in interaction with other people. The character
studied Gwendolen Cataret, or Gwenda, a main protagonist in The Three Sister by
May Sinclair. It has been discussed before on the previous part of characterization
analysis and interpretation process in chapter IV, Gwenda describes as a smart –
strong willed self, whose youth energetic provides her the circumstance to be an
independence female who is capable to do anything. There are also stubbornness,
compassion, and fragility side in her characteristic. These personality traits takes
from her relationship and interaction with her innerself and other significant
character in her life, through dialog and action, there is also some support element
in determining her characteristics, through her appearance and the narrator's
description. However, viewing from the way she behaves or speaks in her
relationship with another characters or through her way of thinking, the reader can
find out or recognize Gwenda as what kind of person she is, it calls her
personality traits or characteristics. Moreover, using psychoanalytical glasses, the
reader can know more deeply about the character, finding out the reasons or
causes occur behind a certain behavior of action, speaking, or thinking. More
specifically, using Psychodynamic Theory of Conscious and Unconscious by
Sigmund Freud, the reader can understand that the unconscious part of human's
mind plays the most part influencing everything happen or occur in human
125
consciousness of thinking, speaking, behaving. In other word, based on Freud's
theory, any human consciousness determines mostly with the thing existing in the
unconscious part of mind. Since, anything exists in the unconscious part of mind
are irrational: unacceptable impulses of hidden desire, or taboo wishes as
perceived by the morality or society, such as killing desire or unusual sexual
orientation wishes, the mind unconsciously struggle with the conscious demands
or needs for a safe or acceptable outlet for the unacceptable impulse, this struggle
produces responses that Freud calls as defense mechanism (Bernstein, 1991:544545).
5.1.2.1. Gwenda's Repression
The defense mechanism takes many forms in overcoming the irrational
impulses to be acceptable by the outside world of the character. The first defense
mechanism Freud has ever developed, repression seems mostly appearing in
human's life, for the reason most of the things exist in the unconscious part of
human mind are the repressed things of the irrational impulses. In this research
study, Gwenda does the defense mechanism of repression that she herself not
aware of being repressed something in her mind, but the reader can indicate the
repression through her way of thinking, speaking or behaving as she makes an
interaction process with her inner-self as well as with another characters around
her, the data takes from her personality traits. Understanding more about Gwenda
through her characteristic.
In her fragile hearted or sensitive characteristics, Gwenda represses the
126
desire to kill her betraying older sister whom takes her lover to marry with, thus,
one night Gwenda dreams about Mary and her first born child on the crook of her
arm has death. The dream occurs after Gwenda waiting and accompanying her
sister's first child birthing. It is in the evening and the night Gwenda dreaming, the
dream makes her waking up in anguish and terror. The dream content shows
Gwenda irrational wishes for the death of both Mary and her child. She is not
aware about its existence in her unconscious part of mind, until she had the dream,
therefore, she gets shock that she wakes up in anguish and terror as describes by
the narrator. (p. 98-99)
Another repression process as seen through her fragility characteristic is
when Gwenda refuses to feel the misery in her heart. The narrator says about
Gwenda's heart as so mortally wounded as to be unaware that it is hurt, it shows
Gwenda repression on her hurt feeling; her disappointment to her betraying lover
and sister. Further at the sight of white path Karva and the flowering thorn-trees,
Gwenda's heart stirs from its hiding place, showing there is pain in her heart she
refuses to feel. The sight of the white path on Karva and the flowering thorn-trees
reminds her to Dr. Steven Rowcliffe whom used to be her lover and the path were
their, the flowering thorn-trees as well. When she has to face with the things
remind her to her betraying lover, the repressed hurt feeling appears on the
surface. (p. 96-97 ).
There is also fear occurs in her heart at the sight of the village, where she
and the dependent half paralyzed father lives. The place where she used to be love
and adore has become the fearful place for her. The fear in her consciousness is a
127
result of the hurt feeling she repressed as the entire tragic thing happen in her life,
happen in the village. The narrator describes her feeling as “It share her fear as it
crouches there, like a beaten thing, with its huddled houses, naked and blackened
as if fire had passed over them” (Sinclair, 1984:387), Gwenda feels beaten, naked
and blackened as the storm passing over her life. The fear for the village she used
to love is an indication of the repressed things in her unconsciousness about what
has happened in her life, during her stays in the village, that hidden some
unpleasant memories of hers. (p. 97-98)
Further, in her fragility, Gwenda unconsciously has transformed the way
she sees her surrounding. Her love for nature has created an outlet to refuse the
existence of misery and pain in her heart. However, the dim color of green, grey
and opal, also the blue and violet for winter, instead of bright color, represents
Gwenda's fragility. The wound in her heart as caused by the tragic things she has
to experience has created fragility in her heart, that unconsciously she has changed
the way she sees the nature surround her, that untouched by any direct contact
with human, it exclusively hers. That out of her awareness, she is afraid it is taken
by anybody, as everybody she loves leaving her alone. She says that at least this is
hers, and no one can not take this away from her, not even Steven. Her mention of
Steve shows her feeling about him that she loves him still, but repressed the
feeling, that makes her a fragile -hearted character (p.92-96).
5.1.2.2. Gwenda's Reaction-Formation
Another defense mechanism as Freud develops is reaction formation, a
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defense in the form of the person reaction or responses over an anxiety impulse,
produces by a certain situation, into an opposite to his or her true feeling
(Lazerson, 1975:18). Gwenda's defense mechanism of reaction formation occurs
in her compassion characteristics. More specific, in one occasion in her
interaction with her older betraying sister, Mary. After three years of their
marriage, finally Mary gets pregnant and she tells her sister, Gwenda. Her
response at the hearing of the news is glad, she is happy for Mary. Viewing from
ordinary perception, it shows Gwenda's compassion to her sister. But, through a
direct access to her mind, as describes by the narrator, there is an indication of
reaction-formation occurrence, Gwenda feels an aching in her heart, she glad but
her true feeling is hurt. Gwenda's respond to Mary is glad, but her heart is aching
(p.100-103). It is a reaction formation of defense mechanism, as Gwenda's
respond to overcome the anxiety impulse of aching in her heart.
5.1.2.3. Gwenda's Projection
The defense mechanism of projection occurs in Gwenda's life as can be
seen through her sensitive characteristic (p.103-104). Projection itself is a defense
for irrational impulses to be projected to other people or outside world. In
Gwenda's case, the projection of defense mechanism occurs as she thinks about
Mary who do a caddish thing by snapping behind her back stealing her lover then
marrying him. The duologue, I uses the narrator term, occurs in her mind as she
thinks about her emptiness and loneliness in her life, she thinks about taking back
his lover from her betraying sister. During the earlier time of the marriage,
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Rowcliffe still shows how he does really care and love Gwenda, there are many
times both of them alone together, it also many times for Gwenda to take the
chance to go back to her betraying lover whom showing her that he loves her still.
However, her consciousness rejects the temptation, but outside her awareness
there is a desire to do a caddish thing as Mary does to her. It can be seen from the
duologue inside her mind, instead taking her chance of going back to her lover,
she projects Mary as the one who does the caddish thing. Gwenda projects her
hidden desire to her betrayal sister, Mary.
5.1.2.4. Gwenda's Displacement
Gwenda's personality trait of compassion includes a displacement process
of defense mechanism as the result of anxiety impulse overcoming toward hidden
desire to hate Rowcliffe's children. There is a situation in which Rowcliffe invites
Gwenda to his family, for Mary is dying to show Gwenda the toddlers, their
children are three after eight years of their marriage. Gwenda cannot refuse the
invitation, and she prefers to come to the family while Rowcliffe is not in the
house. At the sound of the children, Gwenda's heart produces a pain as if she hates
those kids, however, some couples seconds later her heart melts and grows tender,
but she feels the tenderness more unbearable than its pain. Displacement in
defense mechanism is redirecting an unacceptable emotion into a more safe
alternative target (Bernstein, 1991:545), Gwenda has redirected her hateful
emotion toward Rowcliffe's children into a tender one (p. 105-106 ).
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5.1.2.5. Gwenda's Intellectualization
The term intellectualization in defense mechanism, as develops by
Sigmund Freud, relates with how the mind reducing the anxiety feeling caused by
a certain situation, by creating an excuse using abstract term. The defense
mechanism of intellectualization appears in Gwenda's life can be viewed through
her stubbornness, when she has to deny her true feeling as Rowcliffe asks her to
marry him, Gwenda says that she does not want to marry him nor anybody else, in
the effort of reducing the anxiety feeling caused by her denial of her own self, she
creates an excuse that she wants her liberty by earn her own living like any other
women do, and Rowcliffe believe her because she capable of anything(p.109-111).
Another intellectualization occurs when Rowcliffe tries to catch her attention to
him, but Gwenda prefer to create arguing conversation about the moon, and her
liberty as the most important thing in her life (p. 107-109). Being alone with a
man who understand her well and loves her as the way she is, has never occurred
in her life before, the uncomfortable situation has produced anxiety feeling that
makes her tend to stay in her comfort zone of intellectuality.
5.1.2.6. Gwenda's Denial
Denial says to be the most primitive defense, in which “a person distorts
reality simply by negating the truth “(Bernstein, 1991:545). Gwenda's denial can
be seen through her stubbornness, when her lover asks her to marry him, she
denies her true feeling, because the real situation not allows her to accept it. She
has to save her dying sister life (p.112-114). There is also denial of defense
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mechanism in her strong willed-self, that Gwenda simply denies her flirting desire
on Dr. Steven Rowcliffe, at the beginning of the story, because Gwenda never
flirts or attracts on any men before, she has never in love. Thus, the flirting desire
has produce anxiety in her mind that she denies the desire, later (p.114-116 ).
5.1.2.7. Gwenda's Sublimation
From an ordinary reading habit, Gwenda has became a furious reader. She
has the brain, the brain of intellectual one, it can be seen through her
independence or strong willed-self that makes her capable to do anything in the
support with her smartness. Therefore, as a strong willed-self character, Gwenda
refuses to pity on herself when all the tragic things happen continuously in her
life, instead she uses her mind to channel her passion for life into reading, she
reads all the heavy stuff her brain can bite on to keep her mind thinking. It is
sublimation, a defense mechanism process that transforms libido into socially
acceptable and useful achievement. (Lazerson, 1975:18). Gwenda's fragility does
not make her into a weak creature; instead she fights it and channeling the energy
of passion for life into a furious reading habit (p. 116-118).
In summary the defense mechanism process shows the unconscious part of
mind that plays the most part in determining Gwenda's consciousness. The forms
of defense mechanism occur in Gwenda's life involved some certain
circumstances and contexts. It supports the indication of the type of defense
mechanism forms occurs in a certain behavior of thinking, speaking, and action,
in her relationship with her inner-self, as well as with other significant characters
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around her. Furthermore, the study reveals her inner-self viewing from
psychological side. It digs deeper into her characteristics, explaining and
exploring anything happen in her inner life. All the repressed things, the causes
and the effects of it into her behavior that creates her characteristics as whole
characters. The repression, reaction formation, projection, displacement,
intellectualization, denial and sublimation, explain Gwenda certain behavior
views from her personality traits. It also reveals how her unconscious part of mind
influences most of her consciousness.
5.2. Recommendation
May Sinclair's The Three Sisters has three main protagonists in the story:
Mary, Gwendolen and Alice Cataret, each character represents a typical of female
personality: a steady womanly older sister, the young independent female, and
frail younger sister. Each protagonist in their differences and unique quality have
the same life background, living in the some house with the same widowed
tyrannical father, Mr. James Cataret, and facing the same problem of loving one
man, Dr. Steven Rowcliffe : one man for three women seems to be the central
story of this novel. There are three female with different characteristics, but
having the same life background and facing the same problem. It is worth tying to
develop a study on each main protagonist. Since the novel takes some influence
on Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory. It best suits to develop the study using
psychoanalytic approach. Studying the character's psychological side. Here are
some suggestion topics to be developed for further study on this novel, The Three
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Sisters by May Sinclair:
1. The study on Alice Cataret's personality, how her unique typical of
personality has created her into a tend to be neurotic anxiety character.
2. Study on Alice Cataret weakness in nature (her fragile self) as influenced
by her father, Mr. James Cataret, dominant tyrannical style of parenting.
3. Study on Mary's femininity of sweetness and goodness influences the
motive behind her betraying action to her sister, Gwendolen Cataret.
4. The study on Mr. James Cataret's personality, how his windowed status of
three daughter with different characteristics has created him into a hard
tyrannical father. A socio-psychological study.
5. The study on Dr. Steven Rowcliffe inner conflict as he has to decide to
marry with his lover's sister, viewed from his psychological side. It will
study on his id, ego, and superego process of problem overcoming.
Those suggestion topics above are a few among many other topics can be
digged from the novel's characters. However, the research study on the characters
in the novel will enrich the researcher's and the reader's understanding and
knowledge about humanity, more specifically as views from psychological side.
Further, another suggestion for using the psychological theories, more
specifically using Sigmund Freud's, to be applied on another literary works or
novels, is better to use a psychological based novel or the one with childhood
background of the character of the story, in the reason Freud's theory mostly
relates with childhood experience as the basic of human development.