Defense Mechanisms of Jason Todd's Personalities in Batman: Under the Red Hood

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DEFENSE MECHANISMS OF JASON TODD’S PERSONALITIES IN BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra In English Letters

By MARIA SEKARTAJI Student Number: 154214001

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS UNIVERSITAS SANATA DHARMA YOGYAKARTA 2019

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DEFENSE MECHANISM OF JASON TODD’S PERSONALITY IN BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra In English Letters

By MARIA SEKARTAJI Student Number: 154214001

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS UNIVERSITAS SANATA DHARMA YOGYAKARTA 2019

ii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

I AM NOT AFRAID TO KEEP ON LIVING I AM NOT AFRAID TO WALK THIS WORLD ALONE

My Chemical Romance

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For my utterances of truth.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to state my gratitude towards my dad and sister who have been giving me a never-ending mental and financial support, without them this thesis would not be as meaningful as it is. I want to thank all my friends for the affection and massive support through playlists in Spotify and companionship

(you know who you are). I also want to thank the baristas in Jogja that I cannot mention each of their names, who made many cups of amazing coffee as my booster to work on this thesis and also Unveiled Jogja for existing.

I would like to thank Dr. A.B. Sri Mulyani as my thesis advisor for the guidance, knowledge, support and patience so that I could finally finish my thesis.

I would also thank Dr. Th. Enny Aggraini as my co-advisor, thank you for the helpful advice.

Maria Sekartaji

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE ………………………………………………………………...... ii APPROVAL PAGE …………………………………………………………… iii ACCEPTANCE PAGE ………………………………………………………... iv STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ……………………………………………v LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH...vi MOTTO PAGE…………………………………………………………………vii DEDICATION PAGE…………………………………………………………viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ……………………………………………………ix TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………………………………………………….x LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………..xi ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………….....xii ABSTRAK ……………………………………………………………………...xiii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION …………………………………………….. .1 A. Background of the Study ………………………………………………....1 B. Problem Formulation ……………………………………………………..3 C. Objectives of the Study …………………………………………………...3 D. Definitions of Terms …………………………………………………….. 3

CHAPTER II: REVIEW ON LITERATURE ………………………………... 4 A. Review of Related Studies ………………………………………………. 4 B. Review of Related Theories ……………………………………………....7 1. Theory of Characterization …………………………………………….7 2. Theory of Personality …………………………………………………..8 3. Film-making Technique ………………………………………………10 4. Theory of Defense Mechanism ……………………………………….12 C. Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………..14

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY……………………………………….….16 A. Object of the Study ………………………………………………….….16 B. Approach of the Study ……………………………………………….…17 C. Method of the Study …………………………………………………....18

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS…………………………………………………....20 A. Jason’s Personalities Portrayed in Batman: Under The Red Hood….....20 B. Jason’s Defense Mechanisms in Batman: Under The Red Hood……….37

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ………………………………………………..44 BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………....47

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LIST OF FIGURES

No. Figure Page

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

1. Fig 1. First revelation of Red Hood 22 2. Fig 2. Red Hood threatens the drug cartel bosses 22 3. Fig 3. Red Hood burns one of Black Mask’s henchmen 25 4. Fig 4. Jason’s sadistic act after dipped into Lazarus Pit 25 5. Fig 5. Helicopter falls from the roof 29 6. Fig 6. Jason’s revelation to Batman 29 7. Fig 7. Red Hood’s skill during a chase 34 8. Fig 8. Red Hood exposing plan 34 9. Fig 9. Jason’s helplessness before he died 38 10. Fig 10. The heads of the drug cartel’s lieutenants 38

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ABSTRACT

SEKARTAJI, MARIA. (2019). DEFENSE MECHANISMS OF JASON TODD’S PERSONALITIES IN BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Batman: Under The Red Hood has alluring characters, plot, and many action sequences that are entertaining which satisfies the audience. It is written by Judd Winick and directed by Brandon Vietti. This animated film focuses on the main character named Jason Todd an anti-hero that shows up in Gotham and gaining control of the city with violence methods. This research is mainly focused on analyzing Jason Todd’s personalities and also discovering his defense mechanisms through it.

This research has two objectives. The first step is analyzing Jason Todd’s character through his characterization in the film. The second objective is to discover the defense mechanisms in Jason Todd’s personalities.

To analyze the problem formulations, this research uses psychoanalytic approach and also some steps have been conducted. First, a close reading to the primary source a film entitled Batman Under The Red Hood. Followed by analyzing the personalities of Jason Todd, finding the defense mechanism in Jason’s personalities, then applying Jason’s personalities with Freud’s defense mechanism.

The descriptions that point out of how Jason Todd is an authoritarian, sadistic, egocentric and smart character are able to be found through the conversation that some characters have in the film. It can also be seen through the film’s camera angle and point of view. The displacement and reaction-formation that Jason has in the film can also be seen with the defense mechanism theory, that can be seen through his actions toward Black Mask’s henchmen. Psychoanalytic analysis on literary works can broaden the readers’ perspective about human’s psychology and readers will find it interesting for the application in literary works such as film.

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ABSTRAK

SEKARTAJI, MARIA. (2019). DEFENSE MECHANISMS OF JASON TODD’S PERSONALITIES IN BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Batman: Under The Red Hood mempunyai banyak karakter, plot yang menarik, dan juga adegan aksi yang menghibur yang memuaskan penonton. Film animasi ini ditulis oleh Judd Winick dan disutradarai oleh Brandon Vietti. Fokus pada film animasi ini adalah karakter utama yang bernama Jason Todd, seorang anti-hero yang muncul di kota Gotham dan menguasai kota dengan metode yang keji. Penelitian ini berfokus pada menganalisa kepribadian Jason Todd dan kemudian menggali mekanisme pertahanannya melalui kepribadian tersebut. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah menganalisis kepribadian Jason Todd dalam film dan menemukan mekanisme pertahanan yang ada pada Jason Todd melalui kepribadian Jason Todd.

Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan psikoanalisis dan beberapa langkah yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini. Pertama, penulis telah membaca dengan teliti sumber utama dalam penelitian ini, yaitu film Batman: Under The Red Hood. Langkah selanjutnya adalah menganalisa kepribadian Jason Todd, kemudian menemukan mekanisme pertahanan dalam kepribadian Jason dan kemudian menerapkan kepribadian Jason dengan teori mekanisme pertahanan Freud.

Gambaran-gambaran yang menunjukan bahwa Jason Todd adalah seorang karakter yang otoritarian, sadis, egosentris dan pintar bisa dilihat pada percakapan antar tokoh di film ini. Bisa juga dilihat melalui angle dan sudut pandang kamera. Pengelakan dan pembentukan reaksi dalam diri Jason juga dapat dilihat melalui teori mekanisme pertahanan yang dapat dilihat dari tindakan Jason terhadap anak buah Black Mask. Pendekatan psikoanalisis pada literatur akan memperluas pandangan pembaca mengenai psikologis manusia dan akan menarik untuk pembaca karena pendekatan tersebut bisa diaplikasikan pada karya literatur seperti film.

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Film is one of the most powerful forms of literature that can be enjoyed by a lot of people. Film expresses humans’ ideas that communicate through imagery, metaphor and symbol. It communicates through metaphor and symbol. Other than that, it also communicates visually which, is through action, gesture and verbally through dialogue (Boggs & Petrie, 2013, p. 3). Film also uses characters, conflicts and other elements to present a dramatic storyline that is equal to written literary works.

A character is the most influential element in a film because its development helps us to understand deeper about the plot. It is also the one that makes us drawn into a film, live action or animation, a character is the one that mostly represents human beings’ daily life and its personalities that are similar in real life. A character is also the one who draws connection with the audience, so a character is a dynamic element that allures the audience to be captivated by the film.

Personality in a character is something crucial, it makes the audience feel a lot more relatable to the character in daily life. It makes a character lively and adds interesting development to a storyline in a film. Personalities of a character that portrays in a film might not always be the good ones, but also the bad ones, which make a character in a film very similar to real beings in life. Personalities

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that a character has the ability to move the audiences’ heart especially when a character faces a lot of problems and slowly the audience can see how a character is developing through his or her method of dealing with the problem and the conflict within the character.

The creator of a film usually creates a character similar to human beings, which means when a film character is facing some anxiety, it may have a defense mechanism that the audience is able to see. Defense mechanism is an unconscious act of protections in human beings from unpleasant or painful feelings. Sigmund

Freud first introduced the theory and then her daughter Anna Freud refined it.

There are several kinds of defense mechanism, which are projection, displacement, reaction formation and many others. Nick Midgley mentions in his book Reading Anna Freud that it is in the nature of human existence that we try to turn away or escape from that which causes us pain or discomfort; in psychological terms, the term ‘defence’ described the means by which we try to do so (Midgley, 2013, p. 58). The fact that defense mechanism happens in real beings, it is very possible that a fictional character experiences the same.

This research focuses in analyzing Jason Todd, the main character in the film Batman: Under The Red Hood. He was killed but then resurrected by Ra’s Al

Ghul, after five years he returns to rule Gotham City, yet with violent methods.

Jason’s actions and personalities can somehow be seen that they are forms of defense mechanism. Therefore the aim of this research is to discover and to prove

Jason Todd’s defense mechanism through his personalities.

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B. Problem Formulation

Based on the background, the thesis aims to address the following problems:

1. How are Jason Todd’s personalities portrayed in Batman: Under The

Red Hood?

2. How does the self-defense mechanism on Jason Todd is revealed in his

personality in Batman: Under The Red Hood?

C. Objectives of the Study

The purpose of this study is to indicate the problems shown in the problem formulations. This study has two main objectives. The first one is by analyzing

Jason Todd’s characteristics portrayed in the film. The second one is to reveal the defense mechanism that Jason Todd develops throughout the film.

D. Definitions of Terms

In order to avoid misunderstanding, it is important for the writer to provide some definitions of important terms that are written in this study’s title. The first one is defense mechanism. According to Jess Feist and Gregory J. Feist Theories of Personality, it is explained through Freud’s theory that defense mechanism is an initiated mental procress that occurs to avoid anxiety nor conscious conflict

(Feist & Feist, 2008, pp. 35).

The second one is personality, which means apattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior (Feist & Feist, 2008, pp. 8).

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CHAPTER II

REVIEW ON LITERATURE

A. Review of Related Studies

Before the film, Batman: Under The Red Hood was a comic book published in 2004, written by Judd Winick and mainly illustrated by Doug

Mahnke. The series span from November 2004 to March 2006. The comic book gained a positive feedback from readers. Afterwards the animated film is created in 2010 with the same writer, Judd Winick, and it earns widespread acclaimed from the audience and critics, even until now the film still hold one of the highest ratings among the other DC Animated movies. There are no studies being conducted about Jason Todd yet, therefore the writer uses three studies that have similar topics to the writer’s study.

The first one is Rityasiwi Gitarasika’s thesis titled Defense Mechanism on

Will’s Attachment Style in Good Will Hunting. The study explains how the main character, Will, copes with attachment style. It is described as patterns of expectation, needs, emotions and social behavior that result from a particular history of attachment experiences, usually beginning relationships with parents. It is also explained that a person’s attachment style reflects their typical functioning of their attachment system in a specific relationship, such as romantic relationships or across relationships (friendships).

There are three kinds of attachment styles that are shown in Gitarasika’s study through the theory of attachment by Ainsworth, which are secure, avoidant

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and anxious, yet the one that Will possesses is avoidant. To support the evidence of Will’s attachment style, Gitarasika also uses the theory defense mechanism by

Sigmund Freud. Gitarasika reveals three defense mechanisms in Will, which are avoidance, denial, and projection. Gitarasika also uses film-making theory and characterizations in a film to add evidence of the scenes from the movie that shows Will’s attachment style and defense mechanism.

Gitarasika draws the conclusion of her thesis that Will’s core issue is fear of abandonment. She also mentions that it is common in human beings to have a defense mechanism and also attachment style just like Will.

The second one is an article written by a psychologist named Dr. Nando

Pelusi in analyzing Dr. House, a fictional character from FOX series titled House.

Dr. House is a classic character, he is existentially troubled, physically challenged yet he is a principled loner that only takes difficult cases and he played by his own rules. Behind all that, he also struggles with himself. He has an unhealthy relationship with his father and also dealing with his own pain of unrequited love affair with a woman. House also sees himself as a constantly wavering between noble and rotten. He is either a really great doctor, which he successfully cures a patient or a very worthless doctor, which he flubs a diagnosis. He has a cynicism point of view in his life as his way of pushing himself to be great.

According to Pelusi, House embodies two psychological universals, the first one is chronic pain, that ruins your happiness even more painful than having your leg broken, the second one is chronic frustration and pain, which have the tendency to spread the pain around or take it out on others. Pelusi also analyzes

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him as a person that has a narcissistic personality disorders. It can be seen from the evidences that House really admires himself yet at the same time he also hates himself. Self-loathing paired with self-regard is often seen as one of the supporting factors of narcissistic personality disorders.

The third is a journal article written by Rasynal Tenrisanna entitled

Defense Mechanism in E. A. Poe’s Selected Short Stories the Black Cat & the Tell

Tale Heart. Tenrisanna’s aim of study is to describe the types of defense mechanism in Tell Tale Heart and to reveal the implementation of characters’ mechanism in solving the conflicts. In Tenrisanna’s study she uses Freud’s psychoanalysis to point out personality structure, anxiety and defense mechanism.

Tenrisanna first explains the personality structure of characters in The

Black Cat and Tell Tale Heart. Through the evidence of both narrators, internal conflict Tenrisianna reveals that both of them have the same personality structures in every action that both characters conduct, which are id, ego, and superego.

Tenrisianna also reveals both characters’ similar defense mechanisms. Both of the characters use defense mechanisms to protect themselves against anxiety and suspense. The Tell Tale Heart’s narrator develops four kinds of defense mechanisms, which are repression, reaction formation, rationalization, and displacement. On the other hand, The Black Cat narrator’s defense mechanisms are similar to The Tell Tale Heart’s narrator yet the only difference is that The

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This study has a different focus from the related studies mention before.

None of the studies reveal the defense mechanisms through a character’s personalities

B. Review of Related Theories

1. Theory of Characterization

Character is the most influential element in a film, it can make audience feel connected to the film. According to Petrie and Boggs in Art of Watching Films, a character has to be something that the audience has to be someone that the audience invested in (2008, p. 60). Boggs and Petrie write eight ways to understand character’s characterization.

The first way is through appearance. A fundamental aspect of a film is revealed visually through casting. The first minute a character is appearing, the audience will instantly judge the character based on their facial features, dress, physical build, their movement and mannerism. Although it can be changed as the story goes by, still the first impression of a character sticks in the audience’s minds (p. 60).

The second way is through dialogue. Fictional characters often revealed their true selves through dialogue. Their background can be seen through the dictions that they choose, stress, pitch and some particular dialects (pp. 61-62).

The third way is through external action. Appearance can mislead a character, so the best reflection of a character is through action. The action of a character PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

should grow naturally out of the character’s personality. Most decision from a character usually divine a true characterization (p. 62).

The fourth way is through internal action. Inner actions in a character consist of secret, unspoken thoughts, daydreams, aspirations, memories, fears and fantasies. Those elements are the ones that also reveal a character, so that the audience also has the experience of diving into a character’s mind and knowing what are the character’s insecurities, desires and many other feelings (pp. 62-63).

The fifth way is through reactions of other characters. Through other character’s conversation, a character’s nature can be revealed (p. 64).

The sixth way is through contrast: dramatic foils. Considered one of the most effective ways to know a characterization, that a character is the exact opposite of the main character (pp. 64-65).

The seventh way is through caricature and leitmotif. Caricature is a way that an actor often exaggerates one or more outstanding features and personality

Leitmotif is a repetition of a single phrase, line, idea that becomes the trademark of that character and even a theme song for that character (p. 66).

The eighth or last way is through choice of name. Names might possess a quality of sounds, meaning or connotation (p. 66).

2. Theory of Personality

Personality has always been the life of the character. Without it, a character is not eye catching to the audience. The writer must learn the story that undergo in the film. In order to understand Jason Todd’s personality, Feist explains that PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior. In each individual, some traits might be unique, common to group and shared by the entire species, but their pattern is different for each individuals (Feist & Feist,

2008, p. 10). Feist also explains that there are dimensions for humanity concept.

These six dimensions help personality theory to differ on basic issues concerning the nature of humanity.

The first dimension is determinism versus free choice. Determinism means that people’s behaviors is determined by a force that they cannot control and free choice means that people have their rights to choose what they wish to be (pp. 11-

12). The second dimension is pessimism versus optimism. Feist explains that in pessimism people are doomed to live miserable, conflicted, troubled and usually people in pessimism believe in determinism. While optimism means that people can psychologically grow happy, healthy and fully functioning as human beings they also believe in free choice (p. 12).

Third dimension is causality versus teleology. Causality means that human behavior is determined by the past experiences, while teleology means that the terms of human behavior is determined by purposes or future goals (p. 12).

The fourth is conscious versus unconscious. Conscious explains that people are aware what they are doing, unconscious means that people are not aware of their action (p. 12).

The fifth dimension is biological versus social influences. Biological means that people are biological creature, which means they are also shaped with PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

hereditary, while social influences explain that people are shaped by social relationship with others and determined by their environment (p. 12).

The last dimension is uniqueness versus similarities. Feist and Feist explain that uniqueness is a salient feature of each individuals and traits that makes them different from others, while similarities means that a group of people do share common traits (p. 12).

To determine someone’s personality, Feist and Feist also explain that not all data flow from experimental research. Much of it comes from observations that each of us makes every day. In this research, the writer uses a construct validity, which is an instrument to measure hypothetical constructs such as extraversion, aggressiveness, intelligence, and emotional stability that have no physical existence. These are the hypothetical constructs that relates to observable behavior

(p. 19).

3. Film-making Technique

Film has always been entertaining and a pleasure for people. It is also an escape for some from the mundane life routine. Film has a cinematic language that could make people indulge in the world that the moviemaker creates so that it could also change or open people’s perspectives on how they see the world.

Barsham and Monahan (2013) mention in the book Looking at Movies that cinematic language is not only focused on the myriad of words, yet it also contains various techniques and effects to interpret different meanings.

Analyzing a movie is more than just breaking down the plot or the storyline yet it also needs to analyze the special effects, tools and techniques that PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

make the movie striking. Every movie is a result of those important combinations of elements such as point of view, angles and colors. This study highlights the supporting visual elements, as those elements are very obvious and contributes a lot in the film.

Angle is how the level and height of the camera in relation to the subject being photograph. The technique delivers the perspectives and creativity of filmmakers through the screen. Eye-level shot is made from the observer’s eyes and usually implies that the camera’s attitude toward the subject being photographed is neutral (Barsham & Monahan, 2013. pp. 258-259). High-angle shot is made with the camera above the action and typically implies the observer’s sense of superiority to the subject being photographed (Barsham & Monahan,

2013, p. 260). Low-angle shot is made with the camera below the action and typically places the observer in the position of feeling helpless in the presence of an obviously superior force (Barsham & Monahan, 2013, p. 260). Dutch-angle shot is when the camera is tilted from its normal horizontal and vertical position so that it is no longer straight, giving the viewer the impression that the world in the frame is out of balance. Aerial-view-shot is an extreme type of point-of-view shot, is taken from an aircraft or very high crane and implies the observer’s omniscience (Barsham & Monahan, 2013, p. 264).

Cinematic point of view is a camera technique that emphasizes a character’s point of view (POV). According to Boggs and Petrie there are four points of view (POV), which are objective POV, subjective POV, indirect- subjective POV and director’s interpretive (Boggs & Petrie, 2008. pp. 126-127). PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

John Ford mentions that objective point of view is considered the camera to be the window and the audience is being located behind the window. This POV gives the audience feel of being in the scene as if they are part of the action yet without interfering the character’s action and for the most part, the director uses natural, normal, straightforward types of camera positioning and camera angles (p. 127).

Subjective point of view is the opposite of the objective point of view.

According to Alfred Hitchcock subjective point of view means that the audience is experiencing what the character sees, feels and also the audience’s experience becomes more intense because the audience shares the same POV as the character, this viewpoint is also maintained by a moving camera (p. 129). The indirect-subjective POV gives the audience of the feeling as if they are participating the character’s action yet without showing it through the character’s eyes. The indirect-subjective POV uses a close-up of a face, which gives the audience’s intense experience (pp. 130-131). The director’s-interpretive POV is where the audience is forced and consciously aware how a director wants to show a scene through his or her perspective by photographing a scene from special angles or with special lenses, or in slow or fast motion, and so on, he or she imposes on the image of a certain tone, emotional attitude, or style (p. 132).

4. Theory of Defense Mechanism

Defense mechanism appears automatically and unconsciously, it is to protect one’s anxiety from a certain condition. In which the mind protects itself from all kinds of painful or unpleasant feelings and not just conflicts (Midgley, PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

2013, p. 59). Defense mechanism is the first elaborated theory between Sigmund

Freud and his daughter, Anna Freud, later then Anna Freud refined and organized the concept. Defense mechanism may occur in every condition. It is an action of defense that someone possesses to protect him or her from anxiety.

The first example of defense mechanism is projection. When an internal impulse provokes too much anxiety, the ego may reduce that anxiety by attributing the unwanted impulse to an external object, usually another person

(Feist & Feist, 2008, p. 37). An example written in A Primer of Freudian

Psychology is when a person is saying “I hate him,” he or she can say, “He hates me.” So instead of seeing his or her own emotion, the person projects it into another person. (Hall, 1954, p. 89).

Displacement is the second example of defense mechanism. Displacement occurs when the energy is rechanneled from one object to another. If one object is not available, the cathexis can shift from it to another that is available (Hall, 1954, p. 79). An example of displacement written in Theories of Personalities is when a person is angry with his or her roommate but then chooses to displace her anger to other employees or stuffed animals (Feist & Feist, 2008, p. 36).

Another example of defense mechanism is reaction formation. It occurs when one of the instincts produces anxiety by exerting pressure upon the ego either directly or by way of the superego, the ego may try to sidetrack the offensive impulsive by concentrating upon its opposite (Hall, 1954, pp. 91-92).

An example given by Feist is when a woman hates her mother, instead of showing her hatred towards the mother she shows affection instead because society PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

demands love towards a parent. But the conscious hatred towards her mother might cause too much anxiety that might harm her, so she concentrates the opposite impulse, which is love (Feist & Feist, 2008, p. 35).

C. Theoretical Framework

Film takes a role as one of the forms of literature to represent a human’s life such as social, culture and also psychology. Watching and analyzing a film can help people increasing their knowledge of people’s perspectives, also raise their awareness about themselves.

This study focuses on Jason Todd as the main character in Batman: Under

The Red Hood and his defense mechanism that affects his personality. It is important to analyze Jason through the theory of film characterization and also the theory of personality in order to have a deeper understanding of Jason’s personality that can reveal his defense mechanism.

It is very noteworthy to see Jason’s personality in the film. Therefore, the theory of defense mechanism and film-making technique are important in this study in order to know the kinds of defense mechanisms that Jason has that shows through his acts in the film.

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CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter consists of three parts that are object of the study, approach of the study and method of the study. These three functioned as methodology. The first part is the object of the study. It explains the object as the focus of this study.

Second is the approach of the study that consists of review of the approach that is being used in this study. Third is the method of the study, which explains how the process of the study is done.

A. Object of the Study

Batman: Under The Red Hood is an animated film released in 2010 and written by Judd Wick and directed by Brandon Vietti. It is an animated, thriller, action film and one of the most best-selling DC Comics’ animated film that has ever been made. The main characters are Batman, which is voiced by Bruce

Greenwood, Jason Todd (Red Hood) is voiced by Jensen Ackles and Ra’s al Ghul voiced by Jason Isaacs.

Jason Todd is the second Robin that Batman takes under his wings in order to become his new partner, since Dick Grayson, the first Robin, has grown up and decided to have his own career under the name of Nightwing. Bruce Wayne, the

Batman, adopted Jason when he was mesmerized by Jason’s potential when he caught Jason trying to disengage the batmobile tires, even though Jason had criminal records and already went to the juvenile hall in such a young age, Bruce

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still took him under his wings. Unlike Dick Grayson, Jason was more harsh and brutal in combat. There was a moment during their fights that Jason scattered a criminal’s collarbone and it made Bruce angry and Jason apologize yet he defended himself by saying that the criminal deserved it.

Five years later after Ra’s Al Ghul resurrects Jason from his death, he comes back to Gotham City and takeover the city’s drug trade by assembling a meeting of the city’s thug and dealers. He threatens them with a machine gun and also give forty percent of the profit to him in exchange that they will get full protection from Batman and Black Mask, then he throws a bag of full of the traders’ lieutenant, also threatens them if they dare to violate his rules he would kill them.

B. Approach of the Study

This study uses Freudian psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is a form of psychoanalytic criticism that uses some of the techniques of psychoanalysis in the interpretation of literature (Barry, 2009, p. 92). Barry mentions that Freud’s work depends heavily upon the notion of unconscious, which is part of the mind beyond consciousness that has a strong influence on our actions. According to Barry, the method of this criticism is to make the subject talk freely, and then the repressed fears and conflicts that are in the unconscious can be brought into the conscious

(2009, p. 92).

Psychoanalysis was believed as clinical theories, yet now it can be used for fields such as industry, law, education and literature. Film is also considered to be one of the forms of literature because the source of a film is a textual script.

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Film mirrors human beings daily activities and often the focus is the character’s issue, which is possible to be analyzed through the perspective of psychoanalytic.

In other words film reveals a character’s issue through a visual form and it provides a deeper insight into a character. Hence, Freudian psychoanalysis is considered to be a suitable approach for this study because the approach helps to identify Jason’s actions in the film that are influenced by his unconscious’ notion.

It also reveals Jason’s defense mechanism that can be seen through his personality.

C. Method of the Study

This study uses research library method to gather all the data. Sources are being divided into primary sources and secondary. The primary source of this study is the movie, Batman: Under The Red Hood. The secondary source of this study is the literature books and journals that are related to psychoanalysis’ defense mechanism, character and characterizations. The sources that the writer uses are The Art of Watching Film by Joseph M. Boggs and Dennis Petrie,

Theories of Personality by Jess Feist and Gregory J. Feist.

In conducting this study, the writer has watched Batman: Under The Red

Hood to understand and analyze Jason Todd’s personality and defense mechanism in his personality. The movie script, which is written by Judd Winick also supports this study. Jason’s personalities are analyzed with the theory of

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personality taken from Feist & Feist’s Theory of Personality and supported by film characterization theory from Boggs and Petrie’s The Art of Watching Film.

The next step is to analyze the defense mechanism in Jason’s personality by using Anna Freud’s theory of defense mechanism in Jess Feist and Gregory J.

Feist’s Theories of Personality. By using the defense mechanism theory it is proven whether Jason is using defense mechanism to cope with his personality or not.

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CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

This chapter analyzes Jason Todd’s personality that has a purpose to identify his defense mechanism. This chapter is divided into two subchapters according to the problem formulation. The first subchapter analyzes Jason Todd’s personalities that are portrayed in the film. This subchapter is supported by the theory of characterization from Art of Watching Films by Joseph M. Boggs and

Dennis W. Petrie, also from Theory of Personality by Jess Feist and Gregory J.

Feist with its four dimensions that can be seen in Jason Todd which are, determinism versus free choice, pessimism versus optimism, causality versus teleology, conscious versus unconscious. The second subchapter analyzes the defense mechanism that is shown in Jason Todd’s development in his personality change, which are displacement and reaction formation. The defense mechanisms that Jason Todd possesses are being identified by the theory of defense mechanism by Anna Freud. Both subchapters are also supported with filmmaking theory taken from Art of Watching Films by Joseph M. Boggs and Dennis W.

Petrie.

A. Jason’s Personalities Portrayed in Batman: Under The Red Hood

Jason personalities are divided into four kinds, which are authoritarian, sadistic, egocentric and smart. In analyzing those four personalities, the writer uses four ways in analyzing Jason. The first one is through appearance. The first

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minute a character is appearing, the audience may instantly judge the character based on their facial features, dress, physical build, movement and mannerism

(Boggs and Petrie, 2008, p. 60). Jason’s appearance is worth to be judged by the audience, because his first appearance gives confusion to the audience whether he is a bad or good character.

The second way is through the dialogue. Fictional characters often revealed their true selves through dialogue. Their background can be seen through the dictions that they choose, stress, pitch and some particular dialects (pp. 61-

62). There some dialogues that are worth considering as supporting evidences in revealing Jason’s personality.

The third way is through external actions. Appearance may mislead a character, so the best reflection of a character is through external action. The growth of external action of a character reveals its true personality (p. 62). The audience may judge Jason through their first glance, yet throughout the film there are some decisions that Jason made that truly divine his personality.

The fourth and final way is through reaction of other characters. Through other character’s conversation, a character’s nature can be revealed (p. 64). In some supporting characters’ dialogue, the audience is going to understand deeper about Jason’s personality.

1. Authoritarian

The first personality that Jason possesses is authoritarian. It can be seen in the beginning of the film where he reveals himself to be the one that arrange the

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eight prosperous Gotham’s drug cartels. All of them are panicking and are about to shoot him, but then turns out Jason already has a machine gun and shoots them as an act of threatening and command all of them to sit.

Authoritarian means that a person has a tendency to force strict obedience to other people. Jason then proceeds to force his demand by throwing a bag of the drug cartels lieutenant’s heads to the table where they are sitting and then state that he is not asking, but ordering them to do as he says.

Figure 1 Figure 2 First revelation of Red Hood Red Hood threatens the drug cartel bosses

Figure 1 shows the scene of Jason’s authoritarian personality and also his first look in the movie. Jason is wearing a red helmet with high technology, to protect himself from gun shots or punches, brown leather jacket which he uses it to store his gadgets, gloves, armored body suit for his protection from gun shots.

He also has a knife pocket to store his knife that he often uses in combats and also boots.

Jason’s authoritarian personality is very obvious when he makes proposal to the drug cartel bosses. Barsham and Monahan mention in Looking at Movies that a high-angle shot is made with the camera above the action and typically

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implies the observer’s sense of superiority to the subject being photographed

(Barsham & Monahan, 2013, p. 260). It can be seen through the angle of the camera. In this scene that Jason is showing his superiority toward the drug cartel bosses. Through Figure 1, we can also see Jason’s first appearance

Figure 2 shows that Jason is telling his final statement to not make a mistake on his order and at the same time threatening the bosses of drug cartels by shooting the AK-47. Figure 2 shows a low-angle shot, which means that a shot is made with the camera below the action and typically places the observer in the position of feeling helpless in the presence of a superior force (p. 260). In figure 2 it can be seen that the audience takes place as the bosses of Gotham’s drug cartels angle, so that it can be seen that Jason is obviously the superior force and the bosses are feeling helpless in the presence of Jason.

Jason’s authoritarian personality can also be seen through the cinematic point of view, which means that a camera technique emphasizes a character’s point of view. Both figures’ POV are objective, meaning that the camera to be the window and the audience is being located behind the window, which gives the audience’s experience of being in the scene yet without interfering wtih the character’s action (p. 127). Both scenes take the audience to be involved and experience Jason’s authoritarian personality without interfering with Jason’s action.

Another evidence that is worth considering is when Tyler Bramford, one of the drug cartels are being caught by Black Mask’s henchmen. In the scene

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Tyler Bramford is stating his position as one of the strongest drug cartels in

Gotham and he also state implicitly that he is under Jason’s rules.

TYLER BRAMFORD. I am the East Quarter drug trade, you stupid bags of— MAN 4. Manners, fatty. I don't care who takes care of you. You watch your mouth. TYLER BRAMFORD. Then you know who's got my back. You know who I answer to. (Winick, 2010, p. 15)

Through figure 2 it shows Tyler Bramford’s statement that Jason is the one who rules over him and all of the East Quarter of Gotham, he is afraid and respects Jason at the same time. Jason’s authoritarian personality can also be seen from Batman’s statement towards him after both of them engage a battle with the

Fearsome Hand of Four. Batman even says that he is stealing territory from Black

Mask.

Personalities have several dimensions and those dimensions are possible to determine actions. Jason’s authoritarian personality can be identified into the first dimension, which is free choice. It is written in the first dimension that there is determinism vs free choice. Determinism means that people’s behavior have the tendency to be determined by the force that they cannot control, while free choice means that people have the tendency of choosing what they want to be (Feist &

Feist, 2008, pp. 11-12). Through both of the dialogue it can be seen that Jason is an antagonist/protagonist character.

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2. Sadistic

The second personality that Jason possesses is sadistic. It can definitely be seen almost throughout the film and through the dialogue of the characters. Even in the film’s opening he can already be seen as a sadistic person through the dialogue written below.

RED HOOD. [Throws a bag to the table] [Chi Chi vomits] TYLER BRAMFORD. Damn. RED HOOD. Those are the heads of all of your lieutenants. That took me two hours. You wanna see what I can get done in a whole evening? Make no mistake. I'm not asking you to kick in with me. I'm telling you. [Proceed to shoot at the drug dealers] (Winick, 2010, pp. 4-5)

Figure 3 Figure 4 Red Hood burns one of Black Mask’s Jason’s sadistic act after dipped into henchmen Lazarus Pit

Another scene that shows Jason is a sadistic person can be seen when

Black Mask’s henchmen are assaulting one of the clubs that pay up to Jason Todd and then one of the henchmen threatens the bartender and afterward Black Mask’s henchmen immediately shoots the bartender, Jason sees the assault and choose to do nothing and when the bartender is shot, he only says cute, not showing a slight mercy. Then it proceeds to the scene where Tyler Bramford is being dragged to an

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empty lot and is about to be killed by Black Mask’s henchmen. Black Mask’s henchmen are about to kill Tyler Bramford with a bottle filled with gasoline and burn him alive, when suddenly Jason Todd shoots the bottle and then it burns one of Black Mask’s henchmen alive (Figure 3) and Jason does not seem to show any mercy when it happens then he proceeds to threaten the other henchmen.

Figure 3 shows the scene where Jason shoots one of Black Mask’s henchmen bottle that contains gasoline then it burns the henchman’s alive. It shows a low-angle shot, which means that a shot is made with the camera below the action and typically places the observer in the position of feeling helpless in the presence of a superior force (p. 260). In Figure 3, where Jason burns the henchmen, it can be seen that the audience takes place as Tyler Bramford and the other henchmen, which are the helpless and frightened force in front of the burning henchman. The POV in Figure 3 shows that it is an objective POV. John

Ford explains that objective POV is considered the camera to be the window and the audience is behind the window (p. 127). This POV gives the audience a feel of being in the scene as if they are a part of the action yet without interfering with the character’s action. In Figure 3 the audience is being invited as a part of the action, so the audience might feel frightened and shocked witnessing Jason’s sadistic personality.

Another proof that Jason possesses a sadistic personality is shown when

Batman goes to Nanda Parbat, the home of Ra’s Al Ghul to confront him for the resurrection of Jason. Ra’s A; Ghul admits that he regrets hiring the Joker in the past in order to distract Batman, who was the main cause of Jason’s death. He

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feels guilty so he steals Jason’s real corpse then replacing it with a duplicate and then bringing Jason’s real corpse to Nanda Parbat to resurrect him by dipping

Jason’s corpse into Lazarus Pit. The result is as expected, but Jason has changed

(Figure 4). After being dipped into Lazarus Pit, Jason goes berserk and starting to attack Ra’s Al Ghul guards viciously by breaking their jaws, gouging their eyes out and crushing their lungs, then he jumps from a cliff and disappears into the darkness with a scream.

Figure 4 shows Jason’s sadistic personality through a high-angle shot.

High-angle shot is made with the camera above the action and typically implies the observer’s sense of superiority to the subject being photographed (p. 260).

Through Figure 4, the audience is seeing the superiority of Jason comparing to

Ra’s Al Ghul guard and it can be seen that Jason is very sadistic from the way he harms him.

The POV in Figure 4 shows Jason’s sadistic personality, this POV is called subjective POV. The subjective point of view is the opposite of the objective point of view. According to Alfred Hitchcock, subjective point of view means that the audience is experiencing what the character sees, feels and also the audience’s experience becomes more intense because the audience shares the same POV as the character, this viewpoint is also maintained by a moving camera

(p. 129). In Figure 4 the audience is being shown and involved in Jason’s sadistic action so that the audience can experience and understands the sensation of

Jason’s sadistic personality through Jason’s point of view. Figure 4 reveals the beginning of Jason’s change into possessing a sadistic personality. During the

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scene he does not care whether the guards are hurt because of his actions, he only knows that he needs to escape and at the same time he is starting to enjoy the pain that he does to other people.

Sadistic means that a person has a tendency in deriving pleasure from inflicting pain or suffering to himself or other people. It shows on the dialogue above that Jason seems has a sadistic personality because in the beginning he is only recruiting Black Mask’s men, but then it seems that their work does not satisfy Jason so he decides to start killing them all and it can be seen that Jason does not seem to feel guilty and it is not a taboo.

Jason’s sadistic personality can be considered in Feist & Feist third dimension, which is causality. Feist & Feist writes that the third dimension of personality is causality versus teleology (Feist & Feist, 2008, p. 12). Causality means that a person’s current behavior is based on his past experience, while teleology means that a person’s current behavior is based on his purpose or future goals. The cause of Jason’s sadistic personality is from his past experience before he died, when he was working with Batman as Robin. Batman has a moral code that he cannot kill a criminal no matter how bad the criminal is and Jason is also instructed to do so. Then on a wild goose chase with Joker, he got captured by

Joker and then being tortured before Joker ending his life by bombing the warehouse in Sarajevo. From the prohibition that is being given by Batman to

Jason and also from the way that Joker torture Jason, it can be seen that Jason’s sadistic personality growth from it.

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3. Egocentric

The third personality that Jason possesses is egocentric. As mention by

Joseph M. Boggs and Dennis Petrie, through external action a character can be seen its development as the film goes by. It is shown in the movie where he hijacks Black Mask’s army on the rooftop and then drives the helicopter to the ground where there are many people walking on the pavement (Figure 5). Luckily

Batman and Nightwing are in time to prevent the helicopter from falling. Jason does that in order to make time for himself to run away from Batman and

Nightwing. He does not care about the lives of the people on the pavements, what matters is his own.

Figure 5 Figure 6 Helicopter falls from the roof Jason’s revelation to Batman

Figure 5 shows the consequence of Jason’s egocentric personality through low-angle shot, which means that a shot is made with camera below the action and typically places the observer in the position of feeling helpless in the presence of an obviously superior force (p. 260). In the scene the audience is being put as the people that are waling on the pavement that are obviously helpless, while the

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falling helicopter as the superior force that is about to kill the people on the pavement.

The POV in Figure 5 also shows Jason egocentric through objective POV.

John Ford explains that objective POV is considered the camera to be the window and the audience is behind the window (p.127). This POV gives the audience feel of being in the scene as if they are a part of the action yet without interfering the character’s action. Through figure 5 the audience experiences the action of being in a tense situation where the helicopter is about to fall on the people without interfering the scene.

Jason’s egocentric personality can also be seen in the scene where he is fighting with Batman, after he reveals himself that he is the Red Hood by opening his mask to Batman (figure 6). In the scene Batman is trying to talk some sense into Jason that he is ruling Gotham through intimidation and murder, but Jason talks back by saying that he is what the city needs. Through the scene it can be seen that Jason thinks that he is the perfect hero for Gotham and that that his way is the only sensible method to rule the city.

Figure 6 shows Jason’s egocentric personality through the eye-level shot, which is made from the observer’s eyes and usually implies that the camera’s attitude toward the subject being photographed is neutral (pp. 258-259). Through figure 6, because the camera’s attitude is on the neutral position, the audience has the experience of seeing Jason’s egocentric personality through Jason’s facial expression clearly even though he is in the middle of a fight with Batman. Jason’s egocentric personality can also be seen through the subjective POV. It means that

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the audience is experiencing what the character sees, feels and also the audience’s experience becomes more intense because the audience shares the same POV as the character, this viewpoint is also maintained by a moving camera (p. 129).

Through subjective POV, the audience is experiencing Batman’s sight, where the audience can see and feel the tension in Jason’s egocentric personality, also understands how Batman struggles in fighting Jason.

Jason’s egocentric is very clear in the last scene where he is arguing with

Batman and at the same time holding Joker as Jason’s hostage. In the conversation, Jason is persuading Batman to kill Joker. Jason explains the worst actions that Joker done and he asks that Batman does not need to kill other big criminals, but just Joker, because one of the biggest reason is that Joker took

Jason’s life from Batman. Then Batman still resists in killing Joker and Jason is outrage with Batman’s decision and said,

JASON TODD. This is what it's all been about! This. You, and me and him. Now is the time you decide. If you won't kill this psychotic piece of filth, I will! if you wanna stop me, you're gonna have to kill me! BATMAN. You know I won't— JASON TODD. I'm gonna blow his deranged brains out. And if you wanna stop it, you are gonna have to shoot me. Right in my face. JOKER. This is turning out even better than I'd hoped. JASON TODD. It's him or me, you have to decide. Decide now! Do it! Him or me? Decide! (Winick, 2010, p.28)

Jason’s desire of wanting Batman to kill Joker is also an expression of his disappointment to Batman. Jason thinks that by Batman killing Joker, that it is also an act of Batman’s redemption of Jason’s death. Deep down, Jason is actually disappointed with Batman of failing to safe him in Sarajevo.

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Jason’s egocentric personality can be considered in Feist & Feist’s second dimension of personality, which is optimism. The second dimension in Feist &

Feist theories of personality is pessimism versus optimism. Pessimism means that a person’s tendency to think that they are doomed to live a miserable, conflicted, and troubled life, while optimism means that a person’s tendency to believe that they can change and grow into a psychologically healthy, happy, fully functioning human being, usually those who believe in free choice are optimistic.

From the evidences below, Jason’s egocentric personality can be included in the optimism dimension. All of his actions prove that he is actually changing into a completely different person than when he was still under the guise of

Robin. When he was Robin, he was being taken care under Batman’s wings and

Batman was supervising everything that he did. Batman taught him the moral code that he upholds, which is a prohibition to not kill criminals. During Jason’s time as Robin, it can be seen that he was not reaching his full potential. A case example was that when he and Batman broke into a drug dealers association in an apartment and when Batman was about to caught one of the men, Jason took the man down by shattering the man’s collar bone and put him into shock. When

Batman confronted Jason for his actions, Jason apologized but he did not regret of doing that. Through that scene it can be seen that Jason thinks that his method of taking out criminals is the most effective way. Then after the Lazarus Pit is resurrecting him, he changed into a different person. Jason also realizes that he is becoming a lot stronger physically, he also thinks that he now has a free choice since he is no longer Batman’s sidekick and he is free to not obey Batman’s moral

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code, he is also coming back with a fresh motivation to rule Gotham City. Even though his method of ruling Gotham City is through a vicious way, but Jason firmly believe that it is the right way in order to control Gotham City.

4. Smart

The fourth and last personality that Jason possesses is smart which can be seen since the beginning of the film. When the meeting of the eight prosperous

Gotham drug cartels that is held in the warehouse. All of them are confused and starting accuse each other for thinking one of them arrange the meeting, when turns out that it is being arranged by Jason, which later reveals himself and admit it to all of them. Jason somehow manage to communicate all of them anonymously so that they thought that one of them is the one who arranges the meeting, through this scene it can be seen that Jason’s smart personality has the ability to outsmart all of them.

Other prove that shows Jason has a smart personality is on a scene where

Nightwing and Batman are interrogating three men that are in charge of Amazo’s delivery on the dock,

MAN. [SCREAMS] I'll talk, I'll talk. Just stop. Just stop! The Red Hood. We're working for the Red Hood. We don't have any choice, he's got— [Bullets whizzing and shoots the man and his two partners] NIGHTWING. The shots came from the rooftop. A sniper. BATMAN. A good one. (Winick, 2010, p.9)

The fact that Jason shoots all three of them on their vital points from a really far distance proves that he possesses smart personality. In order to become a good sniper, a person needs to train really hard so that he is able to shoot right on

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the target. In the film, there are no scene that shows Jason is undergone a serious training, but it can be seen through his skill in sniping he might have undergone an intensive training during his disappearance for five years, so that when he comes back to Gotham, he is getting smarter and skilled.

Jason’s smart personality is also proven in a scene where Black Mask are having a conversation with one of his henchmen about weapons delivery and when Leon is explaining the details of the delivery. Turns out Jason put a radio transmitter under Black Mask’s table and so he could hear every single details of the delivery. If Jason were not smart, he would not be able to sneak the transmitter under Black Masks table. Then the film proceeds to the delivery scene, where the helicopter is being hijacked by Jason Todd by disguising as one of Black Mask’s henchmen and then when Jason Todd is already inside the helicopter, he reveals himself to be the Red Hood and kick both of the pilots out from the helicopter and as he flew the helicopter it is also being shown in the scene that all the henchmen of Black Masks who are at the rooftop are being tied by ropes that are Jason’s doing.

Figure 7 Figure 8 Red Hood’s skill during a chase Red Hood exposing plan T

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Then the scene proceeds to when they are having a chase where Batman almost taut him with a rope yet Jason manages to cut it before it got him (figure

7). In order to master that ability, one has to practice a lot of times and it is very difficult to be obtained. Jason’s smart personality can be seen through a low-angle shot in figure 7, which is made by the camera below the action and typically places the observer in the position of feeling helpless in the presence of an obviously superior force (p. 260). Figure 7 shows Jason’s superiority comparing to Batman and Nightwing, which makes them as the “helpless” observer. Figure 7 also shows Jason’s smart personality through the objective POV, meaning that is considered the camera to be the window and the audience is being located behind the window. This POV gives the audience feel of being in the scene as if they are part of the action yet without interfering the character’s action. In this scene, the audience is experiencing the adrenaline rush through the chase and action that happens in the scene without interfering the characters in the scene.

The conversation in this scene happens when Nightwing and Batman are back in the Batcave and they are observing Jason’s movement through Batman’s record footage on chasing him. This also proves that Jason is getting a lot smarter than five years ago and must have undergone an intensive training to have such capability. One of the eight ways that Boggs and Petrie mention to understand a character’s characterization is through other characters’ reaction (p. 64).

Next scene is another solid proof that Jason has a smart personality. When

Jason finally reveals himself on the Gotham Bridge (figure 8). Joker is about to set all Gotham’s drug cartels on fire in a truck, then Jason shows up and when

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being questioned by Joker, Jason explains that all of the schemes that he is doing is only to make Black Mask frustrated so that he asks Joker’s help in order to kill him because Black Mask is the only one that has connection in Arkham Asylum that could break Joker out from it. The plan is actually simple, Jason wants Joker to be out from Arkham so that he could have his revenge on Joker, yet Jason knows that executing it is not easy so that he plans it very carefully and detailed.

Not to mention he is also getting some profits from it. If Jason were not smart, he would not be able to plan all those. When Jason reveals himself on the Gotham

Bridge, which shows his smart personality that can be seen through high-angle shot. High-angle shot is made with the camera above the action and typically implies the observer’s sense of superiority to the subject being photographed

(p.260). In Figure 8, it clearly shows that Jason is the superior presence, while

Joker is the weak subject that is being photographed.

Through objective POV Jason’s personality is also being captured perfectly. Objective POV means that the audience is included in the action of a scene, yet they are not interfering the character’s action, as if they are being put behind a window (p. 127). In figure 8, the audience is experiencing the feeling of amazed and surprised at the same time because Jason’s smart personality, he is able to put all of his plans together just for one purpose, which 2 lot of efforts in order to earn a status. Based on Feist & Feist theory of personalities, smart can be considered to be in the fourth dimension, which is conscious. In the fourth dimension, Feist & Feist mentions that there is conscious vs unconscious.

Conscious means that a person is aware of his actions and why they are doing it,

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while unconscious means that a person’s actions are being driven by unconscious forces that impinge on them that cause them to do actions that they are not aware of (Feist & Feist, 2008, p. 12).

Jason’s smart personality is identified as a conscious act, because it is shown that he is planning all the schemes that he is causing, which means in order to make such grand plans, one have to learn, observe and execute it passionately and carefully and that is exactly what Jason is doing.

B. Jason’s Defense Mechanisms in Batman: Under The Red Hood

As what the writer has written above, Jason possesses four personalities, which are authoritarian, sadistic, egocentric and smart. Through Jason’s personalities, it reveals his defense mechanisms, which are displacement and reaction formation. Defense mechanism occurs when the person is dealing with threats and danger that arouse anxiety then the ego protects the person by adopting realistic problem-solving methods or distorting reality (Hall, 1954, p.

85).

In the second subchapter, the writer divides the personalities into two defense mechanisms that are clearly shown in Jason Todd’s personalities, which are displacement and reaction formation. Authoritarian and sadistic are included in displacement, while egocentric and smart are included in reaction formation.

Displacement occurs when the energy is rechanneled from one object to another.

If one object is not available, the cathexis can shift from it to another that is available (Hall, p. 79). Reaction formation occurs when one of the instincts produces anxiety by exerting pressure upon the ego either directly or by way of

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the superego, the ego may try to sidetrack the offensive impulsive by concentrating upon its opposite (Hall, pp. 91-92).

1. Jason’s Displacement: Authoritarian and Sadistic

The first personality that Jason possesses is authoritarian which also included in displacement defense mechanism. Displacement occurs when the energy is rechanneled from one object to another (Hall, 1954, p. 79). The anxiety that Jason is experiencing in his authoritarian personality can be seen in the first scene of the film where in the first scene, Jason was still in the guise of Robin and

Joker was torturing him in a warehouse at Sarajevo.

Figure 9 Figure 10 Jason’s helplessness before he died The heads of the drug cartel’s lieutenants

At that time he could not do anything about it because he was being tied and tortured badly by Joker that he did not have the strength to fight back, which shows in Figure 9. Figure 9 shows an indirect-subjective, which gives the audience’s intense experience (Barsham & Monahan, 2013, pp. 130-131). It can be seen through Figure 9 Jason’s helplessness and his intense experience when being tortured by Joker.

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The final blow was that Joker killed Jason by blowing up the warehouse.

After Jason is revived from the Lazarus Pit, it clearly shows that he changed that

Ra’s Al Ghul even mention. One of his changes is that he reveals himself that he has a desire to have authority because when he was under the guise of Robin, he never had that chance. He always wanted to force his authority on Batman but he could not, therefore he uses his authority by threatening the drug cartel bosses and start ruling Gotham in his own way. He also has a desire to force his authority on

Joker, because before he died (still under the guise of Robin), Joker was torturing him and he has no authority to fight it. When Jason comes back to Gotham, he still could not force his authority on Joker, therefore he keeps forcing his authority to either the drug cartel bosses or Black Mask and his henchmen. Through this scene it can be seen that Jason’s authoritarian is a form of displacement because he fears that the same thing can happen to him again, where he was helpless and eventually get killed by Joker because he has no power of controlling of the situation. He also fears that he might not have any rights or power just like when he was still under the guise of Robin. Therefore he is being authoritarian to the powerful figures of Gotham’s underground business, which are the bosses of the drug cartel first, threatening them before they can do anything that can harm

Jason.

The second personality that Jason possesses which include in displacement defense mechanism is sadistic. Jason’s displacement in his sadistic personality can also be seen through the same opening scene, which grew since Joker was torturing him before then delivering the final blow by bombing the warehouse.

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Jaosn of course has the fear of death because of that event. Then through the event, he actually has a desire to kill Joker, but he cannot. So because the one object (Joker) is not available, so he rechanneled his energy to the people that are criminals, which are available to be killed. Jason’s fear of death also constructs him into a merciless man, that he enjoys people’s suffering because of his actions, which can be seen in Figure 10.

Figure 10 shows the scene where Jason is throwing a bag filled with the drug cartel bosses’ lieutenants head that he dismembered. Figure 10 also shows an objective POV where the audience feels of being in the scene as if they are part of the action yet without interfering the character’s action (p. 127). Here it can be seen that the audience experiences the eerie of Jason’s doing to the lieutenants along side with the drug cartel bosses.

Another scene that that shows Jason’s displacement is when Black Mask’s henchmen are assaulting one of the clubs that share its profit to Jason and he did not do anything only stands from afar and commented cute. Joker was merciless when he tortured Jason and so the displacement can be seen that Jason desire is to be cruel to Joker but then again he cannot and so he mostly channeled his desire to Black Mask’s underlings.

Flashback to when Jason just got resurrected by the Lazarus Pit by Ra’s Al

Ghul, Jason changed ever since because the aftermath of the Lazarus Pit revealed his true desire and also his fears. He started to become sadistic because he feared that he might get killed and suffer the same thing all over again. Jason’s true

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desire is to kill Joker but then at that time he could not because Joker was not there and so he lashed it out to Ra’s Al Ghul guards.

2. Jason’s Reaction Formation: Egocentric and Smart

The third personality that Jason possesses which included in reaction formation is egocentric. Reaction formation occurs when one of the instincts produces anxiety by exerting pressure upon the ego either directly or by way of the superego, the ego may try to sidetrack the offensive impulsive by concentrating upon its opposite (Hall, 1954, pp. 91-92).

Through the evidences that are shown in the previous subchapter, it can be seen that Jason fears death. The scene where he let the helicopter fall he it clearly shows that he cares a lot about his own life instead of the people on the pavements. Another shows that he is afraid of death are during the fight scene with Batman on the rooftop where he declares that he is the perfect hero for the city.

BATMAN. You're ruling through intimidation and murder. Just another criminal. JASON TODD. I'm what this city needs. (Winick, 2010, p. 28)

Jason knows that Gotham can be ruled by his method and it is shown in one of the scenes in the beginning of the film that Batman mentions the crime percentage in Gotham drops ever since Jason is in the city. Through Jason’s method of ruling Gotham, it can be seen that he is frightened of death, because he knows that a lot of people are going to die if Gotham is not being ruled by his method. Through Jason’s method too, he understands that he can gain a lot of

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profits from it. This shows Jason’s strong desire of living, he acknowledges that his life is precious and his method is implicitly stating the fact that he does not other people to die in a cruel way like he did.

Another scene that shows Jason’s reaction formation is when he is having a dialogue to pressure Batman in shooting Joker, that goes:

BATMAN. You know I won't— JASON TODD. I'm gonna blow his deranged brains out. And if you wanna stop it, you are gonna have to shoot me. Right in my face! JOKER. This is turning out even better than I'd hoped.

JASON TODD. It's him or me, you have to decide. Decide now! Do it! Him or me? Decide! (Winick, 2010, p. 28)

In the scene, it clearly shows that Jason is panicking and afraid. He wants

Batman to kill Joker badly because he knows that Joker is definitely killing him if

Batman does not. One of Jason’s desires is that Batman kills Joker, so that if

Batman does that, it is an act of redemption for failing to save Jason at Sarajevo.

From all prove that are written on subchapter one, analyzing Jason’s anxiety and desire, it can be seen that Jason truly possesses reaction formation. Jason’s actions that seem to be brave and bold are the actions that makes him even closer to death, despite his reasons for doing all of those is to prevent him from death.

Jason’s last personality that is included in reaction formation is smart.

From the beginning of the movie where he plans so that the bosses of the drug cartels are somehow inside one warehouse, then some of his combat skills and

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also some chasing that he do with Batman, it can be seen that he is getting skilled and definitely prepared in ruling Gotham. Then on the climax where he reveals himself on the Gotham Bridge when he told Joker that all the necessities that includes Black Mask is actually only a way so that Joker can get out from Arkham and so he can get his revenge. Even though most of Jason’s actions’ has only one purpose, which is to get his revenge on Joker, he still must have undergone some studies and training so that all of it can be executed smoothly.

Jason’s smartness is actually a form of his anxiety. Learning from what happens in the past, Jason is terrified of death. He also has a very strong desire to live, that is why when he comes back to Gotham, he is very prepared so that he do not get killed again. Jason really is a unique-paradoxical character, with all of his desire of living evidences written above, all of his actions may actually leading him to death. This is where his reaction formation can be seen. Jason’s ego sidetracks his offensive impulsive by concentrating its opposite, which leading

Jason to be closer to death that can be seen throughout his actions in his smart personality.

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CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

In the last chapter, the writer has come up to the conclusion of analyzing

Jason Todd’s defense mechanism through his personalities. The writer has two subchapters that answer the problem formulation.

The first subchapter is discovering Jason’s personalities portrayed in the movie using the theory of personalities by Jess Feist and Gregory J. Feist and theory of characterization by Joseph M. Boggs and Dennis W. Petrie. The writer has identified that Jason Todd’s personalities are authoritarian, sadistic, egocentric and smart. Since the beginning of the movie, it can be seen from how Jason is commanding the bosses of the drug cartels, which are considered to be the powerful people that controls Gotham City. Jason’s ability to control all of them is a strong proof that he possesses authoritarian personality. Jason is also considered as a sadistic person. His way of controlling Gotham is simple, if people break his rules he kills them. It can be seen through the pov and angle of camera, when he is burning one of Black Mask’s henchmen through a low angle shot. Jason’s egocentric personality is also clearly shown in his dialogue with

Batman during the last scene where he pressures Batman to kill Joker because

Joker took him away from Batman. This dialogue proves that Jason thinks that he is the most important person in Batman’s life, which clearly shows his egocentric personality. Jason’s smart personality is shown when he reveals his entire detailed

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plan at the Gotham Bridge, this proves that he did a lot of preparation and thinking before ruling Gotham and take his revenge on Joker.

The writer discovers that Jason’s personalities are being divided into two kinds of defense mechanisms through Anna Freud’s theory, which are displacement and reaction formation. Jason’s authoritarian and sadistic personalities are included in displacement defense mechanism, while his egocentric and smart personalities are included in reaction formation defense mechanism. Jason’s authoritarian and sadistic personalities that is included in displacement defense mechanism is very obvious. Learning from his past experience when he was still under the guise of Robin, Jason knows that when he comes back to Gotham he believes that he is a lot stronger than before and that his desire is definitely to kill Joker, because Joker was the one who took his authority before he died. But Jason cannot kill nor have the authority upon Joker, so he forces his authority to the people that have power in Gotham and killing people that are not significant to him. The second defense mechanism that can be seen from Jason’s egocentric and smart personality is reaction formation. The difference between the two defense mechanisms in Jason is the desire. In reaction formation defense mechanism, Jason has a strong desire to live. In the past, he got killed because his skill was not good enough to save his own life. After he got resurrected, he must have learned and trained a lot to prepare him to rule Gotham

City so that he does not die again. Yet all of Jason’s form of reaction formation leads him to do the opposite. By causing troubles in Black Mask’s territory and

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planning to free Joker from Arkham, all those actions endanger his life. So instead of getting out of trouble, he is the trouble.

Film has always been an entertaining escape from the mundane routine that we human live, film can always teach us about new things and mostly taught us about human beings too. Whether it’s animated or non animated, a character still shows its personalities as a human being and we can still relate to it, especially when a character has the same issues as humans, it can raise our consciousness to ourselves. In the end, Jason Todd can make us realize that even though he is a fictional character, we are not really that different from him.

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REFERENCES

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Barry, Peter. (2009). Beginning Theory. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Barsam, Richard & Monahan, Dave. (2013). Looking At Movies: An Introduction to Film. New York: W. W. Norton & Company

Cramer, Phebe. (1991). The Development of Defense Mechanisms Theory, Research, and Assessment. New York: Springer Verlag New York Inc.

Feist, Jess & Feist, Gregory J. (2008). Theories of Personalities. New York: McGraw-Hill

Gitarasika, Rityasiwi. (2018). Defense Mechanism on Will’s Attachment Style in Good Will Hunting (Undergraduate Thesis). Universitas Sanata Dharma, Yogyakarta.

Hall, Calvin S. (1954). A Primer of Freudian Psychology New York: The World Publishing Company

McLeod, S. A. (2017, May 05). Defense Mechanisms. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/defense-mechanisms.html

Midgley, Nick. (2013). Reading Anna Freud. New York: Routledge

Pelusi, Nando. (2009, January 29) Psychologist Pelusi Analyzes House. Retrieved from https://variety.com. https://variety.com/2009/scene/features/psychologist-pelusi-analyzes- house-1117999273/

Timm, Bruce (Producer), & Vietti, Brandon. (Director). (2010) Batman:Under The Red Hood [Motion Picture]. United States: Warner Home Video

Tenresianna, R. (2018) Defense Mechanisms in E. A. Poe’s Selected Short Stories the Black Cat & the Tell-Tale Heart. ELS-Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, 1 (2), 176-183.

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