THE CONTRIBUTION OF PARTICULAR CHARACTERISTICS AND CHILDHOOD MEMORY TOWARD THE CREATION OF SELF- HATRED AS SEEN THROUGH DAMIEN KARRAS IN WILLIAM P. BLATTY’S THE EXORCIST
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
NILA SUKMANING RAHAYU
Student Number: 054214113
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2009 THE CONTRIBUTION OF PARTICULAR CHARACTERISTICS AND CHILDHOOD MEMORY TOWARD THE CREATION OF SELF- HATRED AS SEEN THROUGH DAMIEN KARRAS IN WILLIAM P. BLATTY’S THE EXORCIST
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
NILA SUKMANING RAHAYU
Student Number: 054214113
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2009
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iii to die is easy, to live is harder.
(Stephanie Meyer)
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,, A Dedication
to my beloved father,,
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Above all, my deepest gratitude goes to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the unlimited blessings, companion, and guidance He has given me. My deepest gratitude also goes to Mother Mary for her love and prayers for me.
I would like to express my gratitude to Dra. Th. Enny Anggraini, M.A. who has given me the time, advice, suggestions, assistance, and criticisms during the completion of my thesis. I would like to express sincere thank to Ni Luh Putu
Rosiandani, S.S., M.Hum. for the advice, corrections, and suggestions. I appreciate the time they have spent to make my thesis as perfect as possible.
I would like also to express my gratitude to all of the lecturers of English
Letters Department for their guidance in all these years of my study and all the staffs of Sanata Dharma library for all the help.
My deepest thank goes to my mother, the most wonderful “wonder woman” I have ever known, for her love, prayers, and support. She will always be my reason to make her smile.
My sincere thanks also goes to my family, especially Pak Sutrisno, Mami
Cayank, Bu Endank, Papie Robert, mbak Nike, mas Ibenk, and mbak Ayu, for their love, kindness, and support.
I would like to thank my very best friend, Gerda Cay Cay, for her supports, for each time we have spent together, and for the wonderful friendship.
For me, friends are shoulders. They mean everything to me so that I’d like to thank them, my best friends: Maria Agatha Rina, Norie Paramita, Desy
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Paramusiwi and Septi Rihartiningsih. I thank them for the laughs and cries we share together.
For Laskar Kost Pelangi: Weni, Tita, Ningsih, Riyuth, Popon, and Dora, I thank them for the supports. Remember how each morning we get starving and buy meal at “Bu Galak”. I miss that moment anyway.
Many thanks also to Sigit Budi Sulistyo for always being there when the time is right.
I also thank to people of Wisma Bahasa, for the cheerfulness they all bring.
My special thanks go to Aditya “Bumz Bumz”, my sweet strawberry shortcake, for the compassion, advice, and supports.
Overall, I will not be able to make it through without them.
Nila Sukmaning Rahayu
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ………………………………………………………….. i APPROVAL PAGE……………………………………………………. ii ACCEPTANCE PAGE ………………………………………………… iii MOTTO PAGE ………………………………………………………… iv DEDICATION PAGE …………………………………………………. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………… vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………………………………………… viii ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………… x ABSTRAK ……………………………………………………………… xi
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ……………………………………… 1 A. Background of the Study …………………………… 1 B. Problem Formulation ………………………………. 3 C. Objective of the Study ……………………………… 4 D. Definition of Terms ………………………………… 4
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW ……………………………. 5 A. Review of Related Studies …………………………. 5 B. Review of Related Theories ………………………… 7 1. Character …………………………………………. 7 2. Characterization ………………………………….. 8 a. Definitions of Characterization ………………. 8 b. Methods of Characterization …………………. 9 3. Theory of Dreams ………………………………… 10 4. Theory of Fears …………………………………… 11 5. Theory of Grief …………………………………… 13 6. Theory of Guilt …………………………………… 15 7. Theory of Frustration and its Development ……… 16 C. Theoretical Framework ………………………………. 17
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY ……………………………………… 19 A. Object of the Study ………………………………….. 19 B. Approach of the Study ………………………………. 20 C. Method of the Study …………………………………. 21
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS ……………………………………………… 24 A. The characteristics of Damien Karras as seen in William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist ………………………………… 24 B. The Description of Damien Karras’ childhood memory………………………………………………. 36 C. The contribution of particular characteristics and childhood memory in creating the feeling of self-hatred as seen in the character of Damien Karras ………………………..... 40
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CHAPTER V CONCLUSION …………………………………………. 50
BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………………………………………………….. 53
APPENDIX ……………………………………………………………… 56
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ABSTRACT
Rahayu, Nila Sukmaning. 2009. The Contribution of Particular Characteristics and Childhood Memory toward the Creation of Self- Hatred as Seen through Damien Karras in William P. Blatty’s The Exorcist. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
Every human being grown up could not be separated from their childhood. Childhood experiences surely give an important contribution in the process of maturity. In this stage, human may store painful memories or even the beautiful ones. Working under consciousness, particular characteristics and childhood memories can create new characteristics within one’s life. The study aims to answer three questions. They are figuring out the characteristics of Damien Karras as seen in The Exorcist, a novel by William Peter Blatty, viewing the description of his childhood memory, and revealing thoroughly the contribution of his characteristics and childhood memory in creating the feeling of self hatred as a new characteristic appeared. Library research was taken in conducting the study. Some important sources were collected. The primary source is a novel titled The Exorcist written by William Peter Blatty, the second are books contained of the theories needed and also internet sources for better understanding. In analyzing the study, psychological approach was used to relate the literature and psychology. It was described that Damien Karras was a middle aged priest and also psychiatrist. He was a well educated person, defensive, trustworthy, sentimental, warm, and thoughtful. He would be feeling inferior and guilty when his desire was unfulfilled. He grieved so easily. Something interesting about this priest was he had a crisis of faith. The effect of his fragile characteristics brought emotional responses in facing his life. Moreover, his helpless childhood experiences like fear, guilt, and grief strengthened by the feeling of frustrated because of having his blocked desire and goals revealed them selves in the form of self hatred.
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ABSTRAK
Rahayu, Nila Sukmaning. 2009. The Contribution of Particular Characteristics and Childhood Memory toward the Creation of Self- Hatred as Seen through Damien Karras in William P. Blatty’s The Exorcist. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Tiap manusia berkembang tak dapat dipisahkan dari masa kecil. Pengalaman masa kecil sungguh memberikan peranan dalam proses pendewasaan. Dalam tahap ini, manusia mampu menyimpan pengalaman yang menyakitkan dan indah sekalipun. Dengan bekerja di bawah alam sadar, beberapa karakteristik tertentu dan pengalaman masa kecil dapat mencipta sebuah karakteristik baru dalam kehidupan manusia. Studi ini bertujuan menjawab tiga pertanyaan, yaitu: mencari karakteristik tokoh Damien Karras, seperti terlihat dalam novel The Exorcist karya William Peter Blatty, melihat bagaimana masa kecilnya digambarkan, dan mengungkap secara keseluruhan peranan karakteristik dan masa kecil tersebut dalam munculnya rasa benci pada diri sendiri sebagai karakteristik baru. Beberapa sumber penting hasil dari penelitian pustaka dikumpulkan. Sumber utama berupa novel itu sendiri, sumber kedua berupa buku-buku kumpulan teori terkait dan sumber internet guna pemahaman yang lebih baik. Pendekatan psikologi digunakan untuk menghubungkan sastra dan psikologi. Damien Karras adalah seorang pastur separuh baya sekaligus psikiater. berpendidikan tinggi, defensif, dapat dipercaya, hangat, baik hati namun agak sentimen. Ia mudah merasa minder dan bersalah saat keinginannya tak terwujud. Ia pun mudah berduka. Suatu hal menarik terjadi dalam dirinya yaitu adanya krisis keyakinan akan Tuhan. Efek dari karakteristiknya yang rapuh menimbulkan rasa gelisah yang berakar dari respon emosional dalam menghadapi hidupnya. Lebih jauh lagi, pengalaman masa kecil seperti rasa takut, perasaan bersalah, dan berduka yang teramat sangat diperkuat oleh rasa frustrasi karena tujuan dan keinginan hidupnya yang tak terwujud akhirnya terkuak dalam wujud rasa benci pada diri sendiri.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the study
Novel is one of literary genre which is interesting for most people to read.
Through reading a novel, people enjoy the world created by the author’s imagination. A novel might deliver a critic because unintentionally when people read a novel at the same time it sharpens their awareness. Moreover novel is not merely functioned as entertainment but also as an object that can be observed and analyzed.
In his or her novel, an author may share feelings, ideas, and emotions. Van de Laar and Schoonderwoerd in An Approach to English Literature state that a novel is a work of art in so far as it introduces one into a living world: in some respects resembling the world one lives in (1963:163). Therefore there is a world inside created by the author in his or her form of writing as the result of the portrayal of real world or reality. Specifically, a novel can portray human life experiences and one of those experiences is childhood memory.
Since novels talk about human beings and their life experiences, they involve psychological aspect. It can be found through the behavior performed by the characters in the novels. The author’s insight into human nature is the reason of the involvement of the psychological aspects in the behavior of the characters depends mostly on. An author usually tends to create characters with behavior 1
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close to the characteristics of certain kinds of individuals that act in certain circumstances.
In The Exorcist, there are many characters. As quoted from Los Angeles
Magazine that:
“Populated with unforgettable characters, a book that overflows with intelligence and insight…you will read it, if you’re wise; with every light on in your brain…The Exorcist is a book that, among our living authors, I would have guessed only Graham Greene, or possibly Brian Moore, capable of writing.” -Los Angeles Magazine
Moreover, Abrams talks about characters in his A Glossary of Literary
Terms 4th Edition that:
Characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say- the dialogue- and what they do- the action. (1941:20)
As Abrams said that characters are persons, at the same time, they also have psychological aspects just like real human beings. In The Exorcist, it is described that the main character named Damien Karras has bitter childhood memories that finally becomes one important element in creating the feeling of self hatred within him. Based on the theory of Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams as cited from
Bressler in Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice that when the unconscious itself is filled with repressed sexual desires, anger, rage, and guilt and those elements cannot be suppressed anymore they will reveal themselves through a form that is called self hatred or rage (1998:153). However, the feeling
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of self hatred might also be produced by the contribution of past life experience and one of them is childhood memory.
In this novel the characteristics and the psychology of Damien Karras become a very interesting topic to be analyzed. This character has a feeling of hatred toward him or in other terms it is called self-hatred. It comes up as a new characteristics brought by some particular former characteristics and childhood memories that share some similarities. It is all stored within his mind. To lead into the deeper analysis on the past life and how it finally creates the feeling of self hatred within the character, no doubt, the study of characteristics is needed first.
Nevertheless, the study of past life experience takes a big part because it gives important contribution toward the creation of self hatred.
B. Problem Formulation
Here are three problems that will be discussed in this paper:
1. How is Damien Karras characterized as seen in The Exorcist?
2. How is Damien Karras’ childhood memory described?
3. What is the contribution of characteristics and childhood memory in creating
the feeling of self-hatred as seen in the character of Damien Karras?
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C. Objectives of the study
Plainly speaking, the objectives of the study are firstly to find out the characteristics of Damien Karras, secondly to see how his childhood memory is described, and the last is to reveal thoroughly the contribution of the characteristics and childhood memory of the character in creating the feeling of self hatred within this character as seen in the novel titled The Exorcist.
D. Definition of terms
In order to avoid misunderstanding and misinterpretation, it is better to know several terms used in this discussion.
1. Self Hatred
According to Phil Nuernberger in his The Quest for Personal Power in
Life Positive as cited from www.lifepositive.com/mind/psychology/phobia/mind- miseries.asp accessed on November 1, 2008 self-hatred is a habit of the mind, a way of looking at life and at oneself that leads only to further mistakes, poor performance, and unhappiness.
2. Character
In A Glosssary of Literary Terms, Abrams defined “character as the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, which are interpreted by the readers as being endowed with moral and disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say (the dialogue) and what they do (the action)” (1981:20).
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
This part presents the studies done by other researchers on the same topic and the same work with this paper. This paper is going to discuss about the characteristics of Damien Karras, the character in the novel entitled The Exorcist, his childhood experiences, and its contribution in creating self hatred. Therefore, it is important to see other works so that it can be compared to one another.
Referring to the same topic that is analyzing the character, Hana Surya
Dewi, in her dissertation entitled A Feminist Study of the Major Character in
Margareth Landon’s : “Anna and the King of Siam” : Anna’s protest against gender injustices in patriarchal society, related the characteristics of a particular character with the social issues raised. She revealed that the issues inside the major character could affect the character’s personality (2005:4). Whereas this paper studies on how the characteristics of a certain character can be built by the emotional responses within the character toward certain events. This paper talks more on the psychology of the character rather than the character’s social life.
Another study, Daniel Jolley wrote in www.customer review.com/The
Exorcist.htm that he was interested in Damien Karras than other characters in that novel.
I was actually more affected by the inner turmoil of Father Karras than anything else. His doubts over his own faith, the horrible guilt he feels for having left his aged mother alone when he became a Jesuit priest, and some of his scattered sad childhood memories make of him a
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philosophical, sentimental character who serves as the main liaison between the reader and the events of the novel. What we see through Father Karras' eyes is a complex, troubling vision of life and death, a conduit of our own philosophical and religious struggles. (Taken from Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA), 2008, in www.customer review.com/The Exorcist.htm)
On that article, Daniel Jolley stated that Damien Karras has crisis of faith and also guilt haunted by the death of his mother but this paper analyzes further and tries to find more characteristics on this character.
While Ika in her dissertation entitled A Study of the Influence of Taylor
McAden’s Guilty Feeling Upon His Relation with Others As Seen in Nicholas
Sparks’ The Rescue talks about character and the feeling of guilt that makes the character suffered (2005:3), this paper discusses about characteristics of the character and childhood memory taking control over the creation of new characteristics within the character. Ika also states that the main character discussed in her dissertation is having guilty feeling because of the death of someone he loves (2005:2).
Hence the topic is almost the same, but the works used are different.
Although, in analyzing the feeling of self hatred, Ika’s thesis and this paper might use the same theory about guilt, this paper only discusses guilty feeling as a part of the elements affecting the state of consciousness. Moreover, this paper is made to develop other studies. Thus, this paper is certainly different because it focuses on how the feeling of self hatred is formed inside one’s personality caused by the suppression of guilt found in childhood memory. This paper tries to reveal that
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fragile characteristics together with the childhood memories have a big contribution in shaping a new characteristic.
B. Review of Related Theories
This part presents the theories of character, characterization, and some theories of psychology such as psychoanalytic theory of dream, theory of fear, theory of grief, theory of guilt, and the theory of frustration.
Because this study analyzes a certain character in particular novel and self hatred revealed in his characteristics, it is important to understand those theories.
1. Character
The first problem formulation deals with the main character, therefore it is needed to know what defines a character since characters are vital in the novel.
Through the characters the readers can experience the world created by the author and live in its story and every story essentially displays actions. To describe actions in a story, of course, people who do those actions are needed. In a story, they are called characters. It is through the knowledge of fictional characters readers can understand their actions and vice versa like what Stanton has said in
An Introduction to Fiction (1965: 17).
Further, Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms defines characters as
“persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work who possess moral and dispositional qualities that are expresses in what they say-the dialogue, and what they do-the action-.” He also argues that fictional characters have the same
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characteristics as real human beings because they have temperaments and morals that will become the motivation of their speeches and actions (1981:21).
Furthermore, Baldick in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literature interprets characters as “the personage in a dramatic or narrative work” (1991:33).
2. Characterization a. Definitions of Characterization
Characters are important in a literary work. It is also known that an author might take part in his or her story by hiding in one of his characters. In order to be real-like characters, the author should make the characters as realistic as possible. Therefore, an author makes the characters appear alive and real. The creation of the imaginary person presented to the readers as lifelike is called characterization as explained by Holman and Harmon in A Handbook to
Literature (1986:81). Furthermore, Beaty and Hunter in New Worlds of Literature state that particular characteristics of a person suggest that a person is distinctive.
An individual portrayed in literature is often referred to as character. The way in which the author describes him and the process of defining is usually called characterization (1989: 231).
In addition, Rohrberger and Woods Jr. in Reading and Writing about
Literature state that “character must be credible; that is, reader must accept them as believable people”. Hence, the reader can imagine the character not only through physical appearances but also through their behaviors and thoughts. Thus, the author must have his character well described (1971: 20).
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b. Methods of Characterization
There are several ways in building a character. Three ways are presented here. First, the famous one namely Abrams states two ways in characterization.
They are showing and telling. Showing is also sometimes called as a dramatic method. It means that the author describes the character by highlighting what the character says, and does in the novel. Therefore, readers have to infer the character by themselves. In telling method, the author himself intervenes in order to describe and evaluate the motivations and dispositional qualities of the characters (1981: 21).
Rohrberger and Woods Jr. point out that characterization can be done by direct means and dramatic means. Direct means is done when the author describes the character’s physical appearance, intellectual and moral attributes, or the degree of the character’s sensitivity and dramatic means is done when the author places the character in situations to show how the character behaves or speaks
(1972: 29).
On the other hand, an expert named M.J. Murphy gives detail explanation on how characters are described by an author. In his book Understanding Unseen, he mentions nine ways of how the author reveals the character’s personalities and traits to the readers (1972: 161-173. However, to answer the problem formulations, this study only uses five of them, as follows:
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i. Personal Description
The author explains directly to the readers the physical appearance of the characters. ii. Character as Seen by Another
The author mentions his or her characters through the eyes of other characters in the story so that the readers can catch a reflected image of them through the other characters’ eyes. iii. Reactions
The author mentions indirectly a character’s personality by letting the readers know how the character reacts to various events or situations. iv. Thoughts
The author gives the readers direct knowledge of what a character is thinking about. So that they can get knowledge of the personality of the character when they read the description of what he or she is thinking about. v. Mannerisms
The author describes a character’s mannerisms, habits, or idiosyncrasies which may tell the readers something about the character.
3. Theory of Dreams
“Dreams are mental products that can be understood and interpreted” is stated by Atkinsons in Introduction to Psychology. It is based on one of Freud’s theories that present his concern toward dream. Freud said that dream is a disguised attempt at wish fulfillment. It means that dream works on wishes or
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needs that one finds it is repressed from consciousness. However, sometimes the
“dream work”, as Freud called it fails, and anxiety wakens the dreamer
(1981:173).
To discuss further about the psychology of the character, Freud’s theory of dream is used. According to Freud in Bressler’s Literary Criticism: An
Introduction to Theory and Practice, a child stores all the memories in his/her life even the painful one. Such a repressed sexual desire, anger, rage, and guilt are all suppressed in his/her unconsciousness. All those wishes affect the conscious state in the form of inferiority feelings, guilt, irrational thoughts, and nightmares and when such wishes are too hard to be handled by the conscious psyche it may produces feelings of self hatred (1998:153). Moreover, in The Unconscious,
Easthope states that according to Freud the interpretation of dreams is the royal road to understanding the unconscious (1999:9).
In addition, dream can be used to understand the unconscious. Dream helps to reveal elements such as repressed sexual desires, anger, rage, and guilt within one’s unconsciousness because dream reflects to one’s life. Furthermore, when those elements cannot be suppressed anymore they will reveal themselves through a form that is called self-hatred.
4. Theory of Fears
Human beings produce several emotional responses when they react in a particular traumatic event. One of them is called fear. Edward H. Robinson ed in
Fears, Stress, and Trauma: Helping Children Cope state that fear can be defined
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as an affective (feeling), cognitive (thinking), motoric (behaving) and physiological (bodily changing) response to a perceived threat. For example, it is a response to a specific object or concept, such as snake or being left alone
(2004:21). Whereas Robinson, Robinson, and Whetsell’s in Journal of
Humanistic Education and Development write there are fifteen sources of fear in children, they are: change of school, failure at school, being alone, family strife, punishment, death, darkness, homework, strangers, monsters, ghosts, loss, not being accepted, nuclear war, and thieves (1988: 84-95).
Fear is normal in children, especially for their growth and development process and can be an important tool for self-preservation. For example, when faced with a frightening object, such as oncoming truck, a child produce fear response such as distress, recognition of real danger, increased heart rate and adrenaline, and fleeing (2004:21). In addition, fear in human itself is an emotional response to a particular traumatic event. Other responses include sadness, feelings of guilt, anger, fear, grief, and depression (2004:138).
According to Jeffrey Gray in The Psychology of Fear and Stress, the symptoms of fear can be seen from facial expression, but sometimes, facial gestures are not enough to trace them. Such primitive activities can be used to interpret fear are drawing back the lips for biting, withdrawal of the lips from the teeth, and the erection of the hair on the back (1972: 30-31).
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5. Theory of Grief
An expert named Hurlock in Child Growth and Development states that grief is the result of losing somebody we love. It causes a physical trauma sometimes. It is often called as sorrow or sadness. Grief is the most unpleasant emotion regardless of its intensity and the age when it occurs (1972:202). Hurlock also explains the effects of grief on personal and social adjustment as follows: a. Grief may lead to feelings as martyrdom if the child interprets his loss as a punishment. b. The grief-stricken child may become resentful if he feels his parents or others could have prevented the loss. c. Grief may lead to feeling of guilt if the child believes that he/ she could have prevented the lost him/herself. d. The grief-stricken child may withdraw and become self-bound, thus eliminating opportunities for socialization. e. Grief may encourage the child to escape from reality by daydreaming or by contemplating suicide. f. Grief will militate against achievement if the child is too preoccupied with his loss to concentrate on what he is doing. g. Grief may be intensified by anxiety, with all its damaging effects.
Similar with what Hurlock has said about grief, Diane E. Papalia ed state that grief is the emotional response experienced in the early phase of losing someone to whom a person feels close (2004: 690). Wortman and Silver also find there are three main patterns of grieving. First, the mourner goes from high to low
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distress. Second, the mourner does not experience intense distress immediately or later. Third, the mourner remains distressed for a long time (2004: 691).
Moreover, Kubler-Ross explains there are three processes of grief work although grieving does not necessarily follow its straight line. The first are shock and disbelief. They follow a death. The survivors often feel lost and confused afterwards. They get overwhelming feelings of sadness and frequent crying. It lasts several weeks, especially after a sudden or unexpected death. The second process is the preoccupation with the memory of the dead person. It may last six month or longer. The survivor tries to come to terms with the death but cannot yet accept it. For instance, a widow may be seized by a feeling that her husband is still present. The last process involved is resolution. It is when the survivors renew interest in everyday activities. Memories of the dead person bring fond feeling mingled with sadness, rather than sharp pain and longing (2004: 690).
In addition, Pat McHenry Sullivan and Gina Kemp wrote in their article entitled Grieving the Loss of a Pet that the loss of a pet also can be very painful.
The loss of a beloved pet can trigger overwhelming feelings of grief and sadness.
They also wrote that physically the survivors might have trouble sleeping, lose weight, feel tired all the time or have difficulties in focusing (2008, www.helpguide.org/mental/phobia_symptoms_types_treatment.htm).
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6. Theory of Guilt
According to Jenkins in Feelings and Emotions: Guilt Feelings-Their
Function and Dysfunction, guilty feeling may be described as a painful emotion, such as a sense of unworthiness. Someone may feel guilty because there is an over wide discrepancy between one’s own conduct and the moral or ethical standards one has set for oneself (1950: 353). However, guilt feelings are personal since they result from a self-judgment by internalized standard.
The feeling of guilt, which may damage one self’s concept, is frequent to live up to one’s standard. It can make the person lose his confidence in his ability to achieve what he wants to do though it is only himself who knows his failure.
Therefore, human beings need to find the way to release themselves from guilty feelings that they develop. When a sense of guilt develops in a child, moral sanctions evoke from within. A child may begin to have a sense of guilt before the age five or six years old. He can be frightened when he is caught in the wrong act.
The feeling in older children of guilt might make him feel ashamed when caught in the act, which they know is wrong. It makes them ashamed and they become more realistic about the standards that they say for their behavior (Hurlock,
1972:197).
People try to relieve their guilty feeling by becoming more tolerant toward their standard. For example, when an individual decides not to cheat when tempted to do so, he usually becomes more rigid in his attitude that cheating is wrong. However, then, when he decides to cheat, he is likely to become more
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tolerant toward cheating. He uses this method unconsciously to reduce his guilty feeling, as stated by Hurlock (1972:197).
Hence, feeling of guilt can be used as a motivator to change. Jenkins believes that we can use guilty feeling and the discomfort it brings as a barometer of the need to change things in our life and it may help us to get rid of guilt. In other words, feeling guilty about what we have done often leads us to do better so this is the reason why people who were once in guilt might want to change their life and are tempted to avoid the same mistake they had done (1950: 353).
7. Theory of Frustration and its Development
Frustration occurs when progress toward a desired goal is blocked or delayed. A wide range of obstacles, both external and internal, can interfere with an individual’s efforts to reach a goal, as Atkinsons and Hilgard said (1981: 421).
According to them, there are two barriers to goal satisfaction. They are physical environment and one’s own limitations. For instances, noise prevents our concentration and physical handicaps, and other specific abilities can prevent an individual from achieving a desired goal. If an individual sets goals beyond his or her ability, frustration is apt to result.
The feeling of frustration can be found in people who cannot reach their purpose or goal. People with desire blocked have tendency to be caught in this feeling. Frustration can lead someone into depression as stated by Joanna Saisan ed. in Understanding Depression: Signs, Symptoms, Causes, and Help that depression is about the feeling of unhappy, sad, disappointment, loss, and
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frustration (2008, www.helpguide.org/mental/phobia_symptoms_types_treatment.htm).
Depression may also arise from early childhood trauma since emotional trauma has a strong effect on the psyche.
Depression Signs & Further Explanation Symptoms
Feelings of helplessness A bleak outlook—nothing will ever get better and and hopelessness there’s nothing to do to improve the situation. Loss of interest in dailly No interest in or ability to enjoy former hobbies, activities pastimes, social activities, or sex. Appetite or weight Significant weight loss or weight gain—a change of changes more than 5% of body weight in a month. Sleep changes Either insomnia, especially waking in the early hours of the morning, or oversleeping (also known as hypersomnia). Psychomotor agitation or Either feeling “keyed up” and restless or sluggish retardation and physically slowed down. Loss of energy Feeling fatigued and physically drained. Even small tasks are exhausting or take longer. Self-loathing Strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt. Harsh criticism of perceived faults and mistakes. Concentration problems Trouble focusing, making decisions, or remembering things.
The table is taken from the same site. It shows the depression signs and symptoms though they might be varied to several people.
C. Theoretical Framework
Firstly, theory of character by Abrams and theory of characterization by
Holman and Harmon, Beaty and Hunter, and Rohrberger and Woods Jr. are used to describe the meaning of characterization. To know how the author characterizes his character, the theories on method of characterization are used. They are
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Abrams’, Rohrberger and Woods Jr.’s, and M.J. Murphy’s. Those theories are used to answer the first question in the problem formulation.
The next theories are the theories of fear by Edward H. Robinson ed,
Robinsons, Whetsell, and Jeffrey Gray, and other theories, psychoanalytic theory of dream by Freud, Bressler, Easthope, Atkinsons, and Hilgard. They are needed to answer the second problem formulation.
While the theories of grief by Hurlock, Diane E. Papalia ed, Wortman,
Silver, Kubler Ross, and Pat McHenry Sullivan ed and theory of guilt by Jenkins and Hurlock will be used to answer the third problem formulation. To complete them all, the theories of frustration by Atkinsons, Hilgard, and Joanna Saisan ed are added.
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The work under the study here is a novel titled The Exorcist. This novel is written by William Peter Blatty and published by Bantam Books Inc in the United
States in 1971. The novel has more than one edition; however Bantam edition is chosen to become the object or data of this study. Though many people know the story of the novel from the movie which is also inspired by the same novel, but still, the novel interests many people to read it. As what these opinions say:
“A fantastic and deeply religious novel that will touch the reader to his very soul as it touches on things in this world that cannot be explained away rationally.” -Abilene (Texas) Reporter-News
“The Exorcist is a tremendous novel…It is fast, powerful and completely gripping, a hypnotic combination of morality tale and supernatural detective story. The Exorcist becomes more than merely an accomplished horror story. The battle between the priest and the demon…makes powerful, compulsive reading. The priest is not particularly saintly priest. His struggle is partly himself. He wonders whether he still believes in God. But God or not, he swiftly comes to believe in the Devil. He is here, in this icy little room in a house in Washington, D.C…Despite its dredging of the depths (Blatty’s) book is deeply religious without being pi- or po- faced, a parable for our times. “It is a stunning achievement.” -The Sunday Express (London)
According to Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exorcist.htm accessed on January 31 2008, the novel was made into a successful Academy
Award-winning horror film in 1973, with the screenplay written by Blatty. This
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novel is unique because the author wrote it from his friend’s real experience into his own version, as also quoted from Wikipedia that:
The Exorcist is a horror novel written by William Peter Blatty. It is based on a 1949 exorcism Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University, a Jesuit and Catholic school. The exorcism was partially performed in both Cottage City, Maryland [1] and Bel-Nor, Missouri. [2] Several area newspapers reported on a speech a priest gave to an amateur parapsychology society, in which he claimed to have exorcised a demon from a thirteen-year-old boy named Robbie, and that the ordeal lasted a little more than six weeks, ending on April 19, 1949.
This novel simply talks about a priest named Damien Karras. He had guilt over the death of his beloved mother. Every single bitter moment in Damien’s life gave certain wound to him for he thought that God never answered his prayer whenever he had difficult times. Started from this, he doubted his faith toward
God until he met Regan MacNeil, an eleven years old daughter of Chris MacNeil, a famous actress in Washington D.C at that time.
Damien never knew that his meeting with this child would change his characteristics after all. Regan MacNeil was sick but after several medical treatments were taken, the child was assumed to be possessed by devil and
Damien Karras finally saved her by giving his own life after his faith of God was attempted by the Demon.
B. Approach of the Study
There are many approaches that can be applied to literary works. All of their purposes are the same. Each of them tries to give better understanding toward the literary works. One of these approaches is called psychological
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approaches. This is an approach where theories of psychology are applied to analyze literary works. As quoted from Guerin’s A Handbook of Critical
Approaches to Literature that yet, for all the difficulties involved in its proper application to interpretive analysis, the psychological can be fascinating and rewarding. (1999:125)
Besides it is clear that an author creates characters in his or her novel as human like so that their characteristics and psychology which is related to the character or personal development can be analyzed or in other word observable. In this case, knowledge of psychology plays its role. As stated by Martin in his
Doing Psychology Experiments that for an understanding of human behavior, psychologists attempt to establish relationships between circumstances and behaviors (1996:2-3).
Moreover Hjelle and Ziegler state in Personality Theories that this approach emphasized the analysis of conscious processes into their fundamental elements, together with the discovery of the laws that govern connections among these elements (1981:29). Hence, the approach used in analyzing the work is psychological approach because this work discusses about character, characteristics, and the feeling of self hatred that is finally revealed which requires knowledge of psychology.
C. Method of the Study
There are three procedures taken in analyzing the work of the study. First, the works needed to analyze the topic of the study here are obtained from library
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research. Most of the works are written texts such as the novel being analyzed, and the theories which are taken from books, articles, and internet sources.
Second, the primary source is a novel titled The Exorcist written by William Peter
Blatty.
Then some important sources used in this study are theory of character by
Abrams, theory of characterization by Holman and Harmon, Beaty and Hunter, and Rohrberger and Woods Jr., and the theories on method of characterization by
Abrams, Rohrberger and Woods Jr., and M.J. Murphy.
Others are theories of psychology such as psychoanalytic theory of dream by Freud, Bressler, Easthope, Atkinsons, and Hilgard. Next are theory of fear by
Robinsons, Whetsell, and Jeffrey Gray, theory of grief by Hurlock, Diane E.
Papalia ed, Wortman, Silver, Kubler Ross, and Pat McHenry Sullivan ed., theory of guilt by Jenkins and Hurlock, and the last is the theory of frustration by
Atkinsons, Hilgard, and Joanna Saisan ed.
The last procedure is the steps done in analyzing the work of the study.
First of all, the character which was going to be analyzed was chosen by using the theory of character by Abrams. After the character was picked up, the next step was finding out the characteristics of the character by using the theory of characterization by Holman and Harmon, Beaty and Hunter, and Rohrberger and
Woods Jr., and the theories on method of characterization by Abrams, Rohrberger and Woods Jr., and M.J. Murphy. In the method of characterization by M.J.
Murphy’s, elements on the character such as personal description, seen by
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another, reactions, thoughts, and mannerism became the focus in analyzing the character.
The next step taken in conducting the study was applying the theory of fear by Robinsons, Whetsell, and Jeffrey Gray to describe how Damien viewed his childhood by figuring out the emotional response to certain traumatic event on character’s past life. This theory would show how children experienced fear and its symptoms.
While psychoanalytic theory of dream by Freud, Bressler, Easthope,
Atkinsons, and Hilgard would explain what is behind the dream once the character had and how he feels afterwards. Moreover it revealed Damien’s past life through his dream by figuring out the repressed desire that the character had and how he stored his memories in his unconscious mind. On the other hand, the theory of grief by Hurlock, Diane E. Papalia ed, Wortman, Silver, Kubler Ross, and Pat
McHenry Sullivan ed. and theory of guilt by Jenkins and Hurlock were very needed to analyze Damien’s feelings toward the death of his mother. Theory of grief tried to find out what made someone grief and how the processes occurred.
While the theory of guilt explained more on how it could be occurred to one’s feeling. Those theories are the stepping stones to analyze deeper what the characters feels actually toward his past experiences.
Last was the theory of frustration by Atkinsons, Hilgard, and Joanna
Saisan ed. to analyze the effect of what the character had felt one step further.
This theory worked by listing the symptoms of depression which did come up after one was frustrated.
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
A. The characterization of Damien Karras as seen in William Peter Blatty’s
The Exorcist.
Damien Karras is one of the characters in this novel. His characteristics are going to be analyzed in this study. He has interesting life experiences to be discussed than do other characters in the story. The performances of Damien
Karras in solving every problem in his life show the complexity of his characteristics later on.
Characters must be real like. As stated by Holman and Harmon in A
Handbook to Literature, an author should make his character appears alive and real. That is why the author puts some of human’s characteristics into him
(1986:81).
Thus, these are the characteristics found in the character of Damien Karras as described by the author:
1. Good appearance
Regarding to the method of characterization by Rohrberger and Woods Jr., the author creates Damien Karras in two ways. They are direct and dramatic means (1972:29). In direct means, Blatty described Damien Karras’s physical appearance through other characters’ eyes. It was stated that he looked like
Marlon Brando. At that time, Marlon Brando was a famous artist. He had a
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handsome face although he was already in his middle age. That meant Damien
Karras had a good appearance. The author also wrote that Damien Karras loved to exercise that his muscles were well shaped and strong. He always went jogging for several laps in Georgetown campus’ yard every morning before starting his daily activities (p.176).
How Blatty described the physical appearance of Damien Karras could also be seen through the eyes of another character named Kinderman. One day, the detective visited the campus to meet Damien Karras. He wanted to ask about some possible causes of homicide in related with Black Mass. Kinderman was sure that Damien Karras was the expert on it because he worked as a psychiatrist.
Before the further conversation was started, Kinderman tried to have a small talk with the priest. He commented on his unusual appearance in his not young anymore age. For example, he illustrated a scar near Damien’s eye. He said that the scar looked the same with Marlon Brando’s. He had the same scar when acting in one of his movies. From the eyes of another character, Kinderman, when he met Damien Karras for the first time, the impression he got was that Damien
Karras was just really a boxer look like (p.177).
2. Well educated
Blatty wrote how Damien Karras was controlled by his power of reason. It pointed out that he was a portrait of a person with good education. In this case, the author used direct means to show the character’s intellectual attributes. Whereas the dramatic means described the way he answered the questions. The 26
conversation with Chris MacNeil described how Damien Karras reacted when asked about exorcism. It could be seen when another character named Chris
MacNeil asked for his opinion toward devil possession. But he was convinced that he no longer believed in such thing. That was why he did not answer the question seriously at first. He mocked people with old belief toward exorcism that they should go back to the sixteenth century. He said that exorcism did not happen anymore. He would rather believe in mental illness to name the illness that Chris
MacNeil’s daughter had (p.236).
Damien Karras’ reactions were showing what kind of person he was.
Everything in his mind was organized based on ratio. It could be seen when a detective named Kinderman asked him about Black Mass, Damien Karras answered in a very reasonable way rather than just accepted it as superstitious. He argued that anyone doing Black Mass or Satanism attitudes were very disturbed human beings (p.186).
After all, Damien Karras tried to answer the question about devil possession but he did it in different way. He just explained it scientifically. All of his answers were based on his logical thinking. Moreover, since he had learnt a lot about mental illness, he also used several psychological terms. Never did in his explanation, he not mention such terms. In the conversation with Kinderman, it seemed that he was getting usual with them. He explained that a psychiatrist saw the phenomenon of devil possession as a compulsive behavior produced by guilt and might be put together with split personality (p.250-251). 27
Through the eyes of other characters, Chris MacNeil and Kinderman,
Damien Karras was a person with good knowledge on psychology. He would prefer believe and accept the fact that the sickness was caused of compulsive behavior instead of demon’s performances.
To emphasize that Damien Karras was a well educated person, the author gave his personal description. In the beginning, it was written that Damien Karras attended a meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. He was going to deliver a paper entitled “Psychological Aspects of Spiritual Development” (p.53).
Damien Karras worked as a psychiatrist after being a counselor several days before. He was just relieved of his duties as a counselor and assigned to
Georgetown University as a lecturer in psychiatry. It was the first characteristic the readers would get by reading the novel.
The word “Father” was used over and over again by the author in front of the name Karras. It particularly showed the reader that Damien Karras was a priest (p.108). It was common to call a priest by a term “Father”. The author himself gave the personal description toward his character and used direct means to show that Damien Karras was both a priest and a psychiatrist.
3. Middle age
Another personal description given and the direct means used by the author was that he wrote how old Damien Karras was exactly in the novel. He was forty six (1971:269). In brief, Damien Karras was a middle aged man.
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4. Defensive
Damien Karras was a character that always made his head full of something reasonable and logic. For him, everything must be on reasons. He would like to deny any statement that was not based on logical thinking. It showed that he was a defensive guy.
In his first meeting with Chris MacNeil, he denied her wish to perform an exorcism in her house. Chris MacNeil was crying and begging on him because she believed that her daughter was possessed while Damien Karras was still on his argument. For him, it seemed unreal. They were live in a big town, across the river, and the traffic. He also did not believe that the woman crying in front of him was Chris MacNeil, a movie star. Then, he asked her to forget about exorcism
(p.237).
Chris MacNeil did not give up. She kept convincing him. She already got his sympathy but what she needed was the priest’s will to perform exorcism for her daughter. She said that her daughter’s head turned around but the priest defended her explanation. He tried to calm her by saying that she had hit her head pretty hard against the wall by the time she saw her daughter. Damien Karras wanted her to believe that it did not mean a thing because she was in shock. Chris
MacNeil was really upset to the priest afterwards (p.304).
Even another character named Kinderman, a detective, called Damien
Karras with the name “Father Defensive” after he failed in convincing Damien
Karras that Black Mass was real performed in parts of Europe. The priest only 29
said that from the pathology point of view those people were very disturbed human beings and needed to be hospitalized (p.186).
It was difficult to other characters forcing Damien Karras to simply believe that the cause of the sickness was devil possession. It was because he always used his logical thinking about human psyche to explain the illness in his own way. It was strengthened by the debate between Chris MacNeil and Damien
Karras in concluding what made Regan could act in a strange way (p.251-253).
Damien Karras never wanted to accept the analysis if it was based on superstitious. He always tried to look at the other sides. He used theories rather than paranormal belief besides many competent observers such as doctors and psychiatrists had reported the same phenomenon as mental illness (p.266-267).
Hence, the author used dramatic means because he described the behavior of Damien Karras when he dealt with superstitious things. Moreover, it was strengthened by the eyes of other characters in the story that Damien Karras was a defensive person.
5. Doubtful over his own faith
Moreover the author also gave a brief description about the doubtfulness experienced by his character at that time. Damien Karras had doubted the existence of God. He had a crisis of faith. He could not concentrate when he was praying. The thought of his mother made him difficult to believe that God still heard his prayers (p.103). When he prayed, he pretended there was God listened 30
to his prayers though he did not sure if He was really there. Moreover, he was not certain that God had answered his prayers (p.378).
His crisis of faith also could be seen on page 272. It was described that
Damien Karras held a Mass every morning before leaving his room. When he lifted the Host in consecration, he felt it trembled in his fingers. His mind kept him thinking the Host was only bread but he still continued the Mass by swallowing the bread. He kept convinced him self that the Host was Christ’s body. Hence, it was found in his mind a kind of inner conflict concerning his faith. Thus, from what he was thinking about when praying shown the reader that he had a crisis of faith.
6. Trustworthy
When Damien Karras and a detective named Kinderman, another character in the novel, was in further conversation, Kinderman saw him as a person who was trustworthy so that he was sure to tell him about a homicide that was just happened. He felt free when he talked to him and he also made sure that Damien
Karras would like to keep it between them. Kinderman tried to emphasize about what they were going to talk about and he wanted the priest to keep that as simple as a matter of confession (p. 179) .
Besides, the author himself gave his description toward Damien Karras.
He wrote that the priest was also trying to be a good listener everybody could trust. The priest promised to the detective he would not tell the story (p.183). 31
Another character named Chris MacNeil, the mother of the sick daughter, viewed Damien Karras as a trustworthy person probably because simply he was a priest. But whatever it was, Chris MacNeil believed Damien Karras would be the right person to share with. She was sure to ask for a help from him to cure he daughter. Although she was not certain, she believed that priests could keep a secret (p.235).
Through the eyes of other characters, such as Kinderman and Chris
MacNeil, and the direct personal description by the author, it was then reflected that Damien Karras was trustworthy.
7. Sentimental
Sometimes for unknown reasons, Damien Karras could not hide a feeling of sentimental toward them when he met new people. This conversation below figured how he behaved when a person was unexpected by him came to his room.
The priest felt discomfort when suddenly there was another youngish priest came to his room. He had just awakened by a nightmare and he found another priest came to him to talk about how he was feeling so alone. Damien Karras’ thought figured out that he hated the present of the priest in his room for a moment
(p.103).
This sentimental feeling was also seen from the eyes of another character named Kinderman, the detective, when he shared his problem about his aunt. He just stated that her aunt was really weird. She had a habit that every time she was angry then she would like to talk to herself inside her closet. Kinderman asked 32
about Damien Karras’ opinion but his answer and reaction were unfriendly.
Damien Karras said directly to the detective whether he treated him as a closet.
The detective was quite upset and he convinced the priest that he needed him to give solution to his poor aunt since he considered that her attitude was abnormal
(p.382).
From the direct means, it was known that the author tried to describe the degree of the character’s sensitivity. The author made this character nearly sensitive. While through Damien Karras’ thoughts and reaction, it was revealed that he was sometimes sentimental toward particular people he just met.
8. Warm
Other characters knew him as a priest. Although he was a little bit sentimental, he was still a nice person to share with. It was experienced by a character named Chris MacNeil. She had a serious problem regarding to her sick daughter but from the first sight she met Damien Karras, something inside him made her relief. She felt comfort to talk about her problem and ask for solutions afterwards (p.232).
She loved how the priest greeted her. He had a warm greeting. It was also seen when he met his patient named Regan MacNeil, the possessed child. He spoke to her in a warm and friendly tone (p.241).
Through personal description by the author and character seen from another character’s eyes, the readers could see that Damien Karras was a nice person. 33
9. Thoughtful
Damien Karras was such a nice person. He was kind. He knew what other character need. It could be seen when he gave some affections to them, such as asking them to get some sleep when he knew they were tired, and being their good listener to share with. Those simple attentions made him a thoughtful guy (p.250).
Damien Karras knew that what happened to Regan had made her mother,
Chris MacNeil, hurts. Although he could not explain to her about the causes, whether it was a demon or mental disorder, he never stopped to calm her (p.258).
Through the dramatic means, how Damien spoke to other characters in the story, and the description by the author, it was revealed that he was a thoughtful person.
10. Feeling inferior
Damien Karras felt inferior in his job that he wanted to quit. He thought that he could not continue because he could not help others anymore. He gave up on how he should deal with the psychiatry everyday. Moreover, it was also related with the faith of his patients. He excused he had a problem of his own that it would be better for him to quit (p.55). He was retired from his job afterwards.
In the meantime, he considered his faith was no greater than others and he felt weak. That was why he refused the order to be an exorcist since he knew it required a very strong faith to be. He did realize that he was in crisis. Damien 34
Karras thought that he was nothing than the exorcist. It was seen when he compared his faith to Father Lankester Merrin’s, the exorcist. But what made him despair most was when he found out that the priest was death because of the exorcism. He was really shocked. He could not believe that people surround him die but he could do nothing to help them (p.388).
From the author’s personal description, it was found that Damien Karras felt he was unworthy, and bad in protecting something and someone he loved.
Moreover, his thoughts figured out how he felt toward his lack of faith and his failure in protecting and helping people surround him. The direct description by the author, the character’s thoughts of his own capabilities, and the dramatic means proved that Damien Karras’ way in taking decision in his life was greatly influenced by his inferiority feelings.
11. Easy to grieve and feel guilt
When Damien Karras felt that he had failed to make other people feeling better, he would like to remember his sad childhood. This feeling came up after he talked to Chris MacNeil. He thought perhaps her daughter was no longer could be saved. She was close to death just like the story of other possessed people he had ever heard. He thought about that over and over again and his memory of childhood often shimmered up sadly. The memory was about his dog, Ginger. His dog was sick but it did not lessen his care and attention to it. He made a doghouse from a box and placed it in his apartment. Until one day his neighbor came and said to him that his dog needed to be shot because the dog was sick and it 35
disturbed him. Little Damien Karras refused it. He decided to take care of the dog by himself. The next day he found the dog died. He was so sad yet he felt he had failed to protect the dog and kept it alive (p.343).
The grieving of losing a pet made him suffered until he grown up. This suffering feeling was named guilty. It could be drawn from the dialogues that little
Damien Karras felt some kind of failure in taking care of the dog. Yet he had felt somewhat feeling of grief over the death of his dog, the feeling of losing something he really loved. It could probably happen that he stored this guilt over the years. As the result of experiencing failure in reaching his purposes, the guilt never stopped haunting him. He became so fragile.
The dramatic means, the character’s thoughts, and the direct personal description by the author strengthened the idea that Damien Karras was a person that was easily trapped in the feeling of guilt and grief if he failed in making other characters feeling comfort.
Overall, Damien Karras was a middle aged priest. He was both a psychiatrist and a lecturer in psychiatry. It proved that he was well educated. He had a good appearance. It was revealed that he was defensive, trustworthy, sentimental, warm, and thoughtful. He would be growing impatient and frustrated when his desire was unfulfilled. Something interesting about him was that he had a crisis of faith. He also smoked a lot. Furthermore, he had a feeling of inferior.
He also could feel guilt and grieve easily when he thought he was no success in helping other characters in the story.
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B. The Description of Damien Karras’ childhood memory.
Childhood is one moment people had when they grow up. It certainly happens in the past. Thus, to reveal one’s childhood memories, it is important to trace back his past life. According to Freud, a child stores all the memories in his life even the painful one. Such a repressed sexual desire, anger, rage, and guilt are all suppressed in his unconsciousness (1998:153). In other words, the study of unconsciousness is needed. Hence, dream becomes the focus to analyze childhood experiences as the human being unconsciously stores it in their mind, as stated by
Easthope in that according to Freud the interpretation of dreams is the royal road to understanding the unconscious (1999:9).
According to Atkinsons, dreams are mental products that can be understood and interpreted. Whereas Freud said that dream is a disguised attempt at wish fulfillment. It means that dream works on wishes or needs that one finds it is repressed from consciousness. However, sometimes the “dream work” fails, and anxiety wakens the dreamer (1981:173).
In the novel, Damien Karras once dreamed about his mother several hours after the burial ceremony. Theoretically speaking, a dream is the reflection of life as resulted from unfulfilled needs or wishes. In parallel with that statement,
Damien Karras’s dream was the illustration of what he had experienced in his childhood and lately what he felt toward her mother’s death. The death of his beloved mother made him grieving so much and it was coming out in his dream.
In the middle of the night, Karras awakened in tears. He had dreamed of his mother. Standing at a window high in Manhattan, he’d seen her 37
emerging from a subway kiosk across the street. She stood at the curb with a brown paper shopping bag, searching for him. He waved. She didn’t see him. She wandered the street. Buses. Trucks. Unfriendly crowds. She was growing frightened. She returned to the subway and began to descend. Karras grew frantic, ran to the street and began to weep as he called her name; as he could not find her; as he pictured her helpless and bewildered in the maze of tunnels beneath the ground. He waited for his sobbing to subside, and then fumbled for the Scotch. He sat on the cot and drank in darkness. Wet came the tears. They would not cease. This was like childhood, this grief. (p.100-101)
His dream illustrated about what he actually felt toward the death of his mother. The author himself wrote in Damien Karras’ dialogue shown that his dream represented his childhood. It followed the theory and strengthened the analysis that Damien Karras’ nightmare was truly a reflection of his childhood experience. It was when his life was so hard. He just lived with his mother who worked as a beggar in central park. From his childhood’s memory it was found out that Damien Karras once lived poor. He was always being haunted by the struggle of his mother to earn their living.
passing by the Home Relief Station where on Saturday mornings in the dead of winter she would pick up the milk and the sacks of potatoes while he lay in his bed; the Central Park Zoo, where she left him in summer while she begged by the fountain in front of the Plaza. Passing the hotel, Karras burst into sobs, and then choked back the memories, wiped at the wetness of stinging regrets. (p.98)
The statements above described Damien Karras’ feeling when he remembered his childhood memories. The regret he felt was a kind of feeling he could not endure. He was really sad with what he had when he was a young child.
It was also strengthened by the anxiety he felt after he woke up. The dream proved that Damien Karras carried the burden until the present. 38
According to Robinsons and Whetsells, one of sources of fear in children is being left alone (1988:84-95). It was certain that young Damien Karras was also once feeling this kind of emotional response. Being left alone could be the cause of traumatic to young children. The dialogues pointed out that when his mother worked, she left him alone. She did not take him with her. The dialogue did not show that Damien Karras was being accompanied by other characters in the story so it may be concluded that he was alone at that time.
On the other hand, Jeffrey Gray said that the symptoms of fear can be seen from facial expression and some primitive activities, such as drawing back the lips for biting, withdrawal of the lips from the teeth, and the erection of the hair on the back (1972: 30-31). Unfortunately, in the novel Blatty did not describe thoroughly
Damien’s facial expression or other gestures when his mother left him alone. But still, little Damien produced emotional response when he reacted to this condition.
In this case, the fear experienced by Damien Karras was defined as an affective or a feeling. According to Robinsons when studying sources of children’s fear, being left alone is a specific object experienced by children (2004:21). Fear in human itself is an emotional response to a particular traumatic event. No doubt, the fear might cause trauma to children, and in this novel it referred to Damien Karras. It can be said, for little Damien being left alone was his personal traumatic event.
In the story it was written that little Damien Karras had experienced a feeling of grieve and guilt. It happened when he lost his dog named Ginger. His dog was very sick. It grew skeletal and he put it in a box in his apartment. The dog was in fever and vomited a lot but little Damien took care of it patiently. He never 39
forgot to drink it warm milk. Then one day, his neighbor complained about the dog and treated him to kill the dog. He realized that his neighbor was serious but he definitely could not do that. He really loved Ginger. Until one day, he went home and found her mother telling him that Ginger died. It made him so regret.
He felt that he had failed in protecting his dog (p.343).
An expert named Pat McHenry Sullivan, M.A., and Gina Kemp, M.A. stated in an article entitled Grieving the Loss of a Pet that many American people often grief over the death of their pet. A pet is considered as a member of their family so that they treat it like human. In the story, it was known that little
Damien Karras once had a dog named Ginger. He treated the dog so well.
Probably, he did it because he felt alone. As written before her mother often left him. He might need a friend and Mongrel was the only one for him. Since it was not described that little Damien had friends to play with.
This suffering feeling was named as guilty because it could be drawn from the dialogues that Damien Karras felt some kind of failure in taking care of the dog. It could also probably happen that he stored this guilt feeling over the years.
The grieving of losing a pet made him suffered. It characterized him afterwards.
It was described in the story that Damien Karras’s childhood was bitter and fearful. It was also proved that Damien had a trauma toward his past life. This was because he often saw his mother begging while he was left alone. It could be concluded that his unfulfilled wish or need was making his mother happy and accompanying her in the rest of her life. Moreover, he had felt somewhat feeling of grief over the death of his dog, the feeling of losing something that he really 40
loved. In addition, the guilt haunted him. As the result of experiencing failure in reaching his purposes, Damien Karras already got used with the feeling of the guilt.
C. The contribution of particular characteristics and childhood memory in creating the feeling of self-hatred as seen in the character of Damien Karras.
According to Freud’s theory about dream, the feeling of self hatred could be proved if only someone with deep emotional responses stored in his childhood and within his characteristics could no longer endure them. It was then stated that childhood memories keep all the memories in his/her life even the painful one.
Such a repressed sexual desire, anger, rage, and guilt are all suppressed in his unconsciousness. All those wishes affect the conscious state in the form of inferiority, guilt, irrational thoughts, and nightmares and when such wishes are too hard to be handled by the conscious psyche they may produce feelings of self hatred (1998:153).
The first form of wish was inferiority. As being analyzed before, Damien
Karras had a characteristic stating that he was inferior. Damien Karras felt inferior in his job that he wanted to quit. He thought that he could not continue because he could not help others anymore. He gave up on how he should deal with the psychiatry everyday. Moreover, it was also related with the faith of his patients.
He excused he had a problem of his own that it would be better for him to quit
(p.55). It was when he retired from his job afterwards. 41
In the meantime, he considered his faith was no greater than others and he felt weak. Damien Karras thought that he was nothing than the exorcist. It was seen when he compared his faith to Father Lankester Merrin’s, the exorcist. But what made him despair most was when he found out that the priest was death because of the exorcism. He was really shocked. He could not believe that people surround him die but he could do nothing to help them (p.388).
Next, the second wish was guilt. Guilt was closely related with the feeling of grief. That was why guilt and grieve was discussed as one package in this last problem formulation. Grieve came up first. Thus the explanation of how someone might grieve became the first point to be analyzed before stepping the second point, which was guilt.
An expert named Hurlock states that grief is the result of losing somebody we love (1972:201). It is often called as sorrow or sadness. In the story, it was written that Damien Karras lost his mother. His thoughts about his mother figured out that he grieved so much. Even when he held a Mass, he could not focus on the prayers. He could not bear the thoughts of his mother. It was true because physically people with guilt might have some difficulties such as: sleeping trouble, losing weight, feeling tired all the time, and having difficulties in focusing. Hence, the problem found in Damien Karras was difficulties in focusing
(p.97-100).
He over cried several days after the burial of his mother. Normally, he felt anxiety. Hence, this kind of response was placed at the second stage of Kubler- 42
Ross. It was called shock and disbelief. A person might experience this emotional response in the early phase of losing someone to whom he or she felt close.
Based on Kubler-Ross’ theory of grief, shock and disbelief was when the survivors often feel lost and confused. They got overwhelming feelings of sadness and frequent crying. It lasted after a sudden or unexpected death. Weeping, crying, and having nightmares about someone’s death normally occurred on this second stage. These reactions showed that a particular character or person was grieving and feeling guilty (2004:690).
Hurlock explained the effects of grief on personal that grief may lead to feelings as martyrdom if the child interprets his loss as a punishment, grief may lead to feeling of guilt if the child believes that he/ she could have prevented the lost him/herself, grief may be intensified by anxiety, with all its damaging effects, and the worse was grief may encourage the child to escape from reality by daydreaming or by contemplating suicide (1972:202).
As also happened to Damien Karras, he received the feeling of loss as a punishment for him. It was since he decided to be a priest and therefore he should left his sick mother alone in her apartment. His grief leaded him to feel guilt because he thought that he was the one who was responsible for the death of his mother (p.98). He thought that because of his lack of attention and few visits, his mother felt she was alone (p.101-102).
According to the theory of grief by Wortman and Silver, there are three main patterns of grieving. First, the mourner goes from high to low distress.
Second, the mourner does not experience intense distress immediately or later. 43
Third, the mourner remains distressed for a long time (2004: 691). Here, Damien
Karras as the mourner remained distress for a period of time. It also included the anxiety he felt after awakened from the dream. Could it be said, he experienced a series of distress symptoms.
In his life experiences, the guilt that he felt was not only because of the feeling of losing his mother. Yet it was revealed that the guilt was often worsened when the slide of his childhood memories came up to his mind. It was about when he was a little boy; his mother supported their live by working as a beggar (p.98).
Another feeling of guilt found in Damien Karras’ childhood memories was when he lost his dog (p.343). Based on an article entitled Grieving the Loss of a
Pet (2008, www.helpguide.org/mental/phobia_symptoms_types_treatment.htm) that the loss of a pet also can be very painful, the loss of a beloved pet can trigger overwhelming feelings of grief and sadness.
Theory of guilt by Hurlock argued that by the age of five or six, a child may start to feel guilt for feeling ashamed or frightened when caught in the wrong act by himself or other people (1972:197). In brief, what little Damien Karras had experienced toward the death of his dog could be named as guilt.
Jenkins stated that guilt was a painful emotion. It may caused someone to feel unworthy because someone may feel guilty since there was an over wide discrepancy between one’s own conduct and the moral or ethical standards one has set for oneself. Moreover, it could make the person lose his confidence in his ability to achieve what he wanted to do though it was only himself who knew his failure (1950:353). 44
In the story, it was described that when Damien Karras felt exhausted, the guilt started to come up to his mind. He almost gave up facing his patient, Regan
MacNeil, the possessed girl. He knew he had failed in helping her. As the result, he felt guilty to her mother, Chris MacNeil who was very worried about the condition of her daughter. The failure made him more difficult to reduce the guilt
(p.378, 387).
But Damien Karras used his guilt to motivate him to do the best in curing his patient. He wanted to bring back the joy in Chris MacNeil’s life. Guilt was not always considered as a bad or negative feeling since it could be used as a motivator to change. Jenkins believed that people could use guilty feeling and the discomfort it brings as a barometer of the need to change things in our life and it may help us to get rid of guilt. In other words, feeling guilty about what we have done often leads us to do better so this is the reason why people who were once in guilt might want to change their life and are tempted to avoid the same mistake they had done (1950: 353).
The third wish was irrational thoughts and feelings. They were involved as the elements stored by human that could strengthen the feeling of self hatred to oneself. In the story, Damien Karras said that he did not believe in devil possession because he was sure that he could prove it as a mental illness. He considered that devil possession was a sort of old fashion name to call the illness
(p.236). He tried to explain to Chris MacNeil that what happened to his daughter was caused by mental disorder. Though he still doubted it, he tried to convince her that it was not caused by the demons (p.250). 45
But what happened when finally he met the sick child, Regan, was that suddenly irrational thoughts and feelings came to him and disturbed him. When he spoke to Regan, he often felt somewhat glacial hands touching the back of his neck. It touched him firmly. He then tried to convince himself that he felt so because he was in fear. He concluded that his own fear had made such irrational thoughts existed (p.246, 278).
Damien Karras was in a conflict to prove whether Regan had devil possession or mental illness. He had collected facts showing that what happened to Regan was mental illness. But finally he was trapped into irrational thoughts and he forced himself to believe that Regan was really being possessed (p. 271,
283).
Those three wishes were enough to prove that Damien Karras stored deep emotional responses in his childhood memory, and some of his characteristics took an important role in creating a new characteristic within him. As also being analyzed, Damien Karras could not cope with his own emotional responses, such as: fear, deep sadness or grief, guilt, and the feeling of inferior.
Yet to strengthen the idea that a new characteristic might appear on a particular person with requirements stated above, the theory about frustration was needed to prove that Damien Karras was really frustrated since he could not reach his goals. It was said so because he had repressed wishes.
Frustration occurs when progress toward a desired goal is blocked or delayed. According to Atkinsons, there are two barriers to goal satisfaction. They are physical environment and one’s own limitations. For instances, noise prevents 46
our concentration and physical handicaps, and other specific abilities can prevent an individual from achieving a desired goal. If an individual sets goals beyond his or her ability, frustration is apt to result (1981: 421).
The feeling of frustration can be found in people who cannot reach their purpose or goal. People with desire blocked have tendency to be caught in this feeling. Frustration can lead someone into depression, moreover it may also arise from early childhood trauma since emotional trauma has a strong effect on the psyche, as stated by Joanna Saisan in Understanding Depression: Signs,
Symptoms, Causes, and Help (2008, www.helpguide.org/mental/phobia_symptoms_types_treatment.htm).
In the character of Damien Karras, the frustration occurred because he could not get his purposes. He set his goal which was to cure his patient named
Regan MacNeil. He worked so hard to do that (p. 103). Damien Karras was in distress. He felt anxiety for some duty that he thought it was unfulfilled (p. 317).
Those experts provide more information on the depression signs and symptoms which can be seen normally from depressed people. The signs are feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, loss of interest in daily activities, appetite or weight changes, sleep changes, psychomotor agitation or retardation, loss of energy, self-loathing, and concentration problems (2008, www.helpguide.org/mental/phobia_symptoms_types_treatment.htm).
To compare with the theories, could it be described Damien Karras was depressed. How it did happen was started with his early childhood trauma.
Emotional trauma has a strong effect on the psyche. The depression signs and 47
symptoms might be varied to several people. Yet in Damien Karras, the signs and symptoms appeared as feeling of helplessness and hopelessness (a bleak outlook—nothing will ever get better and there’s nothing to do to improve the situation), appetite changes, weight changes, and concentration problems (trouble focusing, making decisions, or remembering things) (p.98, 103).
From another character’s conversation, it described that he was tired
(p.320), moreover Damien Karras himself stated that he was tired (p.371). He could not control the feeling of being helpless (p.103).
Rooted from life history or childhood experiences, a child stores all the memories in his life even the painful one, such as anger, rage, and guilt. All those wishes affect his conscious state in the form of inferiority feelings, guilt, irrational thoughts, and nightmares and when such wishes are too hard to be handled by the conscious psyche it may produces feelings of self hatred. In other words, the feeling of self hatred could be proved if only someone with deep emotional conflicts and was frustrated could no longer endure them.
It was revealed then that Damien Karras stored those feelings since he was a young child. The effect of his fearful and helpless childhood experiences brought some emotional responses in facing his life. They were deep sadness or grief, guilt, irrational thought and feeling, inferiority feelings, and depression.
Those emotional responses surely built new characteristics within him.
From Damien’s characteristics and childhood memories, it was found he kept inferiority feelings. His being inconfidence and his childhood memories described how he felt inferior as the effect he could not take care his dog well. It 48
was strengthened also by the guilt. There were two guilty feelings found in the character of Damien Karras. The first guilt was shown in his characteristic. He was a person who could get grieving and feeling guilty easily. The second guilt came from the analysis of his nightmares. Moreover, the feeling of frustrated because of not reaching his goals. He could not cope with his problem that was proving whether what happened to Regan MacNeil was devil possession or merely a mental illness. The failure in Regan’s illness made him unworthy. All those emotional responses and wishes were too hard for him to control. Certainly, they created the feeling of self hatred within him. This strong feeling of self dislike became a new characteristic which was resulted from his childhood memories and his emotional responses followed.
The fragile characteristics, being inferior, having overwhelming guilt and grief, and the effect of stressful childhood had unconsciously brought a new characteristic within Damien Karras. As stated by Freud above that feeling of self hatred could be proved if only someone with deep emotional responses stored in his childhood and within his characteristics could no longer endure them
(1998:153). It was completed that Damien’s childhood keeping all the memories in his unconsciousness. Such a repressed desire, making her mother happy and accompanying her in her rest of her lifetime, and guilt were all suppressed in his unconsciousness. All those wishes affected his conscious state in the form of inferiority feelings, guilt, irrational thoughts, and nightmares and those wishes were too hard for him to handle. Then it produced feelings of self hatred within him. This study proved that the new characteristic found in the character of 49
Damien Karras was a strong dislike of him self or in other terms it was named as self hatred. CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
This study chose a character named Damien Karras taken from the novel
The Exorcist written by William Peter Blatty to be analyzed. There were many topics could be taken but it only focused on how the characteristics of Damien
Karras were described by the author as seen in this novel and how the feeling of self hatred which was finally revealed through this character.
As a middle aged psychiatrist and also a priest, Damien Karras tried to be professional. He really concerned toward his patient named Regan MacNeil. He knew what would happen to the child if he failed to help her so he decided to save her life by giving his own life. The author created Damien Karras in two ways.
They were direct and dramatic means. In direct means, Blatty described Damien’s physical appearance that he looked like a famous handsome middle-aged artist named Marlon Brando. He also described that Damien had a well shaped muscles as the effect of his regular exercise. He wrote how Damien was controlled by his power of reason which was concluded that he was a portrait of such an intelligent person. Next, in dramatic means Blatty described how Damien reacted when he met new people. He was a little bit sentimental but sometimes the readers would find that he was a nice person and a good listener.
Using another method of characterization, as seen by five elements
(personal description, character as seen by another, reactions, thoughts, and mannerisms), it was revealed that Blatty as the author created his character as a
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reasonable man and will defend his argument anyhow. He was a defensive guy, yet he was trustworthy.
Overall, Damien Karras was a middle aged priest. He was also psychiatrist and a lecturer in psychiatry. It pointed out that he was a well educated person. He had good appearance. It was revealed that he was defensive, trustworthy, sentimental, warm, and thoughtful. Something interesting about him was that he had a crisis of faith. Furthermore, he had a feeling of inferior. He could feel guilt and grieve easily when he thought he was in a position of making mistake or failure in helping other characters in the story.
Damien’s childhood tasted bitter for him, especially for children in his age.
It was full of fear. In his young and fragile age, he was forced to see his mother earned their living by begging on the street. It was also described in the story that his mother left him alone only to rummage garbage can. He might feel afraid at that time. It was so painful for him to see such things. Such pains came over again when he grieved for his lovely dog, Mongrel. Certainly, little Damien felt it was his mistake to let the dog unwell protected. It brought certain traumatic feelings, such as grief and guilt. It kept haunting him for the rest of his life.
One of the causes someone could produce a feeling of self hatred was because he could no longer stand with his overwhelming guilt. Guilt could come up as the result of what was experienced by a person in his past life events. Being grown up, he was blown up by the second traumatic event when his beloved mother was death. Tragically, she died alone in her apartment. He was so guilty because in the past he should left her to perform his services as a priest. He had to 52
leave her, the only one he had. His mother used to be a beggar so that they could eat every day. They lived in a shelter-like apartment and seemed to have a hard life. His guilt toward the death of his mother was visualized in his dream. The dream was a reflection to his past life, when he often saw his mother stood on the corner of the road. The dream revealed to what he had felt after the burial ceremony that was guilt and grief.
The effect of his stressful and helpless childhood experiences brought some emotional responses in facing his life. They were deep sadness or grief, guilt, irrational thought and feelings, inferiority, and depression. The depression itself was the development of being frustrated. In the story, the feeling of frustration in Damien Karras was the result of his failure when trying to save his patient named Regan Macneil.
As being noticed, some particular former characteristics and childhood memories shared some similarities, for example the guilt and grief resulted from blocked desires. Those similarities turned out to be a new characteristic.
Finally, one’s emotional responses rooted from his childhood, such as the fear, the overwhelming guilt and grief then being worsened by the feeling of frustration merged into one unity. They revealed themselves in the form of self hatred. This was what happened to Damien Karras. He unconsciously kept a very strong feeling of dislike toward his own personalities. BIBLIOGRAPHY
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APPENDIX
Simply, this is a story about both a priest and a psychiatrist named Father
Karras and his patient named Regan Macneil. In the first part, we are introduced to the life of Chris MacNeil, a movie star. She lives with her eleventh-year-old daughter named Regan. Still in the same part, we are also introduced to another character, Father Damien Karras, who feels forever guilty since the death of his mother. Everything is going to be messy when Regan’s behavior is changed from the shy good girl into a temperament one.
Day by day, Regan’s condition is getting worse. Feeling hopeless and helpless, her mother meets Father Karras and asks him for help. Father Karras finds difficulties in analyzing Regan. He resists the assumption that it is a demonic possession since he can explain it logically. But after several meetings with Regan, finally he agrees to perform an exorcism together with another priest named Father Merrin. He is also well known as the exorcist.
The exorcism takes a lot of energy both physically and spiritually. Father
Merrin tells to Father Karras not to hear what the demon says because their purpose is to test his faith. Because of the exorcism, Father Merrin dies. Fulfilling with anger, Father Karras fights against the demon alone. He finally saves Regan by giving his own life.
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