Leading Character’s Antisocial Personality Disorder In James B Stewart’s Blind Eye
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of The Study
The crime rate is rising, along with the development of this modern era. This
action caused by various factors and motives. The factors are economic factors,
political, cultural, religious, and others. But there are also criminal acts caused by
personality disorders, such as a murder case by Ted Bundy.
Ted Bundy is American serial killer and rapist. He was one of the most
notorious criminals of the late 20th century. Ted Bundy was born November 24,
1946, in Burlington, Vermont. His charm and intelligence made him looked like a
celebrity during his trial, and his case inspired many novels and films about serial
killers. His act of killing also usually followed a gruesome murder. He often raped
his victims before beating them to death. During serial killer, kidnapper, rapist and
necrophilia (sexual interest in dead bodies), Ted Bundy’s final interview before his
execution, he explained what led him to commit such atrocious crimes. He was one
of five children who grew up in a loving, Christian home. He was never abused. He
showed an unusual interest in the macabre things at an early age. Around the age of
3, he became fascinated by knives. He was a shy, but bright child who did well in
school, but not with his peers. As a teenager, a darker side of his character started to
emerge. He liked to peer in other people's windows and thought nothing of steal
things that he wanted from other people. According to Bundy, he lived a normal life
before becoming addicted to pornography. Up to his arrest, nobody, not also his
close friends and family, knew that he had kidnapped, tortured and murdered young
women. Bundy admitted to killing more than 35 women, but some thought he had
1
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committed one hundred or more. Finally, He was executed by electric chair on
January 24, 1989.
While experts found Bundy’s precise diagnosis elusive, the majority of
evidence pointed away from bipolar disorder or other psychosis, and toward
antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).
ASPD patients frequently identified as
sociopaths or psychopaths that are often outwardly charming, even charismatic; but
beneath the facade there is little true personality or genuine insight. Most sociopaths
are not demonstrably psychotic; they can readily distinguish right from wrong, but
such ability has minimal effect on their behavior. They are devoid of feelings of guilt
or remorse, a point readily admitted by Bundy himself.
Based on Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder IV, 4th edition,
Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR, 2004) stating that Psychopathic or Antisocial
Personality Disorder is a personality disorder pattern dominated by indifference and
violation of the code of conduct, norms, ethics, and law. Psychopaths and
psychology is a form of personality disorder, where patients tend narcissistic, and
antisocial. Someone psychopath never admitted or feel that he is sick or has a
disorder, they have excessive confidence (narcissistic) so as to influence others. Do
not feel guilty for any action because it has renationalization justification for his
behavior. Any dissatisfaction, inner conflict and depressed feelings and so on, cannot
be detained or overcome with reasonable, but expressed in the form of behaviors that
causes others to suffer because of it. They are aggressive, selfish; do not care about
other people. The psychopath is a short term for a psychiatric disorder that was
originally identified as antisocial personality disorder (shallow emotions, easy
explosiveness irresponsible, self-centered, and lack of empathy and remorse). Misery
was considered too cool, very extreme feeling as happy continues, too many ideas,
2
Universitas Sumatera Utara
insightful, always wanted to get all, maniac, sweet nature that forces and cut corners
to achieve his wish. A psychopath has antisocial behavior. Antisocial personality
usually continue to take criminal behavior, namely that lack of empathy or concern
for others and do not have a sense of shame, regret or guilty if you make a mistake.
In some research about psychopathology suggest that actually it is difficult to
differentiate between the acts of murder that individuals who have mental disorder
do with individuals have not. But the thing can look from aspect serial killer.
Specialist of mental health agrees that sadistic serial killer is more incline being by
individual has sociopath disorder. The thing assumed because a sociopath patients
experience personality disorder and their mind are not disorder so personally.
Sociopaths are people don’t have empathy to their victim.
In literature, psychology of studies said that psychopath connected with
patient mental illness and personality disorder, namely antisocial. In the end 1960s
psychiatrist proposed to differentiate sociopath with mental illness and classified
sociopath and psychopath as part of antisocial personality disorder (APD).
So, murder is one of antisocial behavior that is an attitude that leads
contradictory or opposed the rules or norms prevailing in society. People who have
antisocial behavior, shows the pattern of impulsive behavior, irresponsible, not
thought out, and sometimes criminal. But they are intelligent and articulate, with the
ability to mesmerize and manipulate others.
Murder is one act of antisocial behavior, can found in a literary form of the
novel as a novel Blind Eye: The Terrifying Story of a Doctor Who Got Away with
Murder by James B Stewart. This book talk about a doctor psychopath becomes a
serial killer. The name of the doctor is Michael Swango. He is obsessed with violent
death. Thirty-five patients die poisoned. Several paramedics also become victims.
3
Universitas Sumatera Utara
FBI said Michael Swango murdered more than sixty of his patients and tried to
poison his friends in hospital and his girl friend. He dubs the Incredibly Deadly
Doctors. But Michael Swango, who a handsome man makes many people like him,
makes hard for someone to believe that Swango is the murderer. In this novel tells
that Michael Swango have personality disorder. There are many behavior of Swango
that show his antisocial personality disorder.
James B. Stewart, is a lawyer, journalist, and author of books such as Den of
Thieves, Blood Sport, and Follow the Story: How to Write Successful Nonfiction. In
addition to teaching at Columbia University, a graduate of Harvard Law School and
DePauw University is also known as the author of Common Sense, a column in
SmartMoney and SmartMoney.com who also appeared in the Wall Street Journal. He
received the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for his article in the Wall Street Journal
happenings stock market crash and insider trading scandal in 1987. In 1999, James B
Stewart wrote the novel Blind Eye: The Terrifying Story of a Doctor Who Got Away
with Murder. He won the 2000 Edgar Award in the best fact crime category. The
novel is a literary work of a true story of a criminal of the leading character who
works as a doctor.
1.2 Problem of the Study
The main research question of this paper is what and how Dr. Michael
Swango‘s disorder is. In order to narrow the aspects of Swango‘s disorder that are
investigated, two partial questions are formulated:
1. How is Dr. Michael Swango’s antisocial personality disorder portrayed in the
novel?
4
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2. What are the causes of Dr. Michael Swango’s antisocial personality disorder?
1.3 Objective of the Study
In this research, the writer concluded that there are objectives based on the
problem that has been decided:
1. To find out how Dr. Michael Swango’s antisocial personality disorder is
portrayed in the novel.
2. To know the causes of Dr. Michael Swango’s antisocial personality disorder.
1.4 Scope of the Study
Since this paper examines the psychological aspects of the character Swango
in Blind Eye: the Terrifying Story of a Doctor Who Got Away with Murder by James
B Stewart, the scope of the study that writer analyzes character of Swango from the
author‘s and other character’s description. The writer also investigates Swango‘s
environment (e.g. his house and the hospital where he work) and attire; for both
aspects are influenced by his personality that he has personality disorder.
In this thesis also writer explain the causes of personality disorder. The writer
also uses quotes’s Elly M Setiadi and Usman Kolip about antisocial and Diagnostic
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM IV), a manual that is referred by
mental health professionals when diagnosing mental illnesses to know general
criteria of antisocial personality disorder that can support analysis.
1.5 Significance of the Study
The writer hopes that this research can help reader understand about analysis
character to found the antisocial personality disorder that found in the novel with
5
Universitas Sumatera Utara
looked in character of actor as the action, speech, behaviors, etc that uses method
characterization and to know the causes of the antisocial personality disorder. The
writer also hopes that it will help the reader to understand about using Diagnostic
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM IV), a manual that is referred by
mental health professionals when diagnosing mental illnesses to find out that there
are suitability between general criteria antisocial personality disorder with data in
novel. The data is characters of leading character in novel and added with source to
support the thesis.
6
Universitas Sumatera Utara
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of The Study
The crime rate is rising, along with the development of this modern era. This
action caused by various factors and motives. The factors are economic factors,
political, cultural, religious, and others. But there are also criminal acts caused by
personality disorders, such as a murder case by Ted Bundy.
Ted Bundy is American serial killer and rapist. He was one of the most
notorious criminals of the late 20th century. Ted Bundy was born November 24,
1946, in Burlington, Vermont. His charm and intelligence made him looked like a
celebrity during his trial, and his case inspired many novels and films about serial
killers. His act of killing also usually followed a gruesome murder. He often raped
his victims before beating them to death. During serial killer, kidnapper, rapist and
necrophilia (sexual interest in dead bodies), Ted Bundy’s final interview before his
execution, he explained what led him to commit such atrocious crimes. He was one
of five children who grew up in a loving, Christian home. He was never abused. He
showed an unusual interest in the macabre things at an early age. Around the age of
3, he became fascinated by knives. He was a shy, but bright child who did well in
school, but not with his peers. As a teenager, a darker side of his character started to
emerge. He liked to peer in other people's windows and thought nothing of steal
things that he wanted from other people. According to Bundy, he lived a normal life
before becoming addicted to pornography. Up to his arrest, nobody, not also his
close friends and family, knew that he had kidnapped, tortured and murdered young
women. Bundy admitted to killing more than 35 women, but some thought he had
1
Universitas Sumatera Utara
committed one hundred or more. Finally, He was executed by electric chair on
January 24, 1989.
While experts found Bundy’s precise diagnosis elusive, the majority of
evidence pointed away from bipolar disorder or other psychosis, and toward
antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).
ASPD patients frequently identified as
sociopaths or psychopaths that are often outwardly charming, even charismatic; but
beneath the facade there is little true personality or genuine insight. Most sociopaths
are not demonstrably psychotic; they can readily distinguish right from wrong, but
such ability has minimal effect on their behavior. They are devoid of feelings of guilt
or remorse, a point readily admitted by Bundy himself.
Based on Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder IV, 4th edition,
Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR, 2004) stating that Psychopathic or Antisocial
Personality Disorder is a personality disorder pattern dominated by indifference and
violation of the code of conduct, norms, ethics, and law. Psychopaths and
psychology is a form of personality disorder, where patients tend narcissistic, and
antisocial. Someone psychopath never admitted or feel that he is sick or has a
disorder, they have excessive confidence (narcissistic) so as to influence others. Do
not feel guilty for any action because it has renationalization justification for his
behavior. Any dissatisfaction, inner conflict and depressed feelings and so on, cannot
be detained or overcome with reasonable, but expressed in the form of behaviors that
causes others to suffer because of it. They are aggressive, selfish; do not care about
other people. The psychopath is a short term for a psychiatric disorder that was
originally identified as antisocial personality disorder (shallow emotions, easy
explosiveness irresponsible, self-centered, and lack of empathy and remorse). Misery
was considered too cool, very extreme feeling as happy continues, too many ideas,
2
Universitas Sumatera Utara
insightful, always wanted to get all, maniac, sweet nature that forces and cut corners
to achieve his wish. A psychopath has antisocial behavior. Antisocial personality
usually continue to take criminal behavior, namely that lack of empathy or concern
for others and do not have a sense of shame, regret or guilty if you make a mistake.
In some research about psychopathology suggest that actually it is difficult to
differentiate between the acts of murder that individuals who have mental disorder
do with individuals have not. But the thing can look from aspect serial killer.
Specialist of mental health agrees that sadistic serial killer is more incline being by
individual has sociopath disorder. The thing assumed because a sociopath patients
experience personality disorder and their mind are not disorder so personally.
Sociopaths are people don’t have empathy to their victim.
In literature, psychology of studies said that psychopath connected with
patient mental illness and personality disorder, namely antisocial. In the end 1960s
psychiatrist proposed to differentiate sociopath with mental illness and classified
sociopath and psychopath as part of antisocial personality disorder (APD).
So, murder is one of antisocial behavior that is an attitude that leads
contradictory or opposed the rules or norms prevailing in society. People who have
antisocial behavior, shows the pattern of impulsive behavior, irresponsible, not
thought out, and sometimes criminal. But they are intelligent and articulate, with the
ability to mesmerize and manipulate others.
Murder is one act of antisocial behavior, can found in a literary form of the
novel as a novel Blind Eye: The Terrifying Story of a Doctor Who Got Away with
Murder by James B Stewart. This book talk about a doctor psychopath becomes a
serial killer. The name of the doctor is Michael Swango. He is obsessed with violent
death. Thirty-five patients die poisoned. Several paramedics also become victims.
3
Universitas Sumatera Utara
FBI said Michael Swango murdered more than sixty of his patients and tried to
poison his friends in hospital and his girl friend. He dubs the Incredibly Deadly
Doctors. But Michael Swango, who a handsome man makes many people like him,
makes hard for someone to believe that Swango is the murderer. In this novel tells
that Michael Swango have personality disorder. There are many behavior of Swango
that show his antisocial personality disorder.
James B. Stewart, is a lawyer, journalist, and author of books such as Den of
Thieves, Blood Sport, and Follow the Story: How to Write Successful Nonfiction. In
addition to teaching at Columbia University, a graduate of Harvard Law School and
DePauw University is also known as the author of Common Sense, a column in
SmartMoney and SmartMoney.com who also appeared in the Wall Street Journal. He
received the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for his article in the Wall Street Journal
happenings stock market crash and insider trading scandal in 1987. In 1999, James B
Stewart wrote the novel Blind Eye: The Terrifying Story of a Doctor Who Got Away
with Murder. He won the 2000 Edgar Award in the best fact crime category. The
novel is a literary work of a true story of a criminal of the leading character who
works as a doctor.
1.2 Problem of the Study
The main research question of this paper is what and how Dr. Michael
Swango‘s disorder is. In order to narrow the aspects of Swango‘s disorder that are
investigated, two partial questions are formulated:
1. How is Dr. Michael Swango’s antisocial personality disorder portrayed in the
novel?
4
Universitas Sumatera Utara
2. What are the causes of Dr. Michael Swango’s antisocial personality disorder?
1.3 Objective of the Study
In this research, the writer concluded that there are objectives based on the
problem that has been decided:
1. To find out how Dr. Michael Swango’s antisocial personality disorder is
portrayed in the novel.
2. To know the causes of Dr. Michael Swango’s antisocial personality disorder.
1.4 Scope of the Study
Since this paper examines the psychological aspects of the character Swango
in Blind Eye: the Terrifying Story of a Doctor Who Got Away with Murder by James
B Stewart, the scope of the study that writer analyzes character of Swango from the
author‘s and other character’s description. The writer also investigates Swango‘s
environment (e.g. his house and the hospital where he work) and attire; for both
aspects are influenced by his personality that he has personality disorder.
In this thesis also writer explain the causes of personality disorder. The writer
also uses quotes’s Elly M Setiadi and Usman Kolip about antisocial and Diagnostic
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM IV), a manual that is referred by
mental health professionals when diagnosing mental illnesses to know general
criteria of antisocial personality disorder that can support analysis.
1.5 Significance of the Study
The writer hopes that this research can help reader understand about analysis
character to found the antisocial personality disorder that found in the novel with
5
Universitas Sumatera Utara
looked in character of actor as the action, speech, behaviors, etc that uses method
characterization and to know the causes of the antisocial personality disorder. The
writer also hopes that it will help the reader to understand about using Diagnostic
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM IV), a manual that is referred by
mental health professionals when diagnosing mental illnesses to find out that there
are suitability between general criteria antisocial personality disorder with data in
novel. The data is characters of leading character in novel and added with source to
support the thesis.
6
Universitas Sumatera Utara