BAHTERA: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume 19 Nomor 2 Juli 2020 http://journal.unj.ac.id/unj/index.php/bahtera/ P-ISSN : 0853-2710 E-ISSN : 2540-8968 DEFENSE MECHANISM OF THE MAIN CHARACTER IN LAURIE HALSE ANDERSON’S SPEAK NOVEL
Ritsnaini Zulfaisya Universitas Negeri Jakarta [email protected]
Hasnini Hasra Universitas Negeri Jakarta [email protected]
Accepted: 2020-06-07 , Approved: 2020-07-07 , Published: 2020-07-20
ABSTRACT
This study is a descriptive qualitative study which aims at revealing how defense mechanisms are experienced by Melinda Sordino as the main character of Speak novel in overcoming her anxiety after being bullied physically and verbally at school. This study relies on Sigmund Freud’s defense mechanism theory. The data is the narration and dialogue in the narrative implying defense mechanism strategies used by the main character. The finding shows that the main character has repression, rationalization, regression, and reaction-formation as dominant strategies to to overcome the conflicts. Besides, she also applies projection, replacement, isolation, identification, sublimation as defense mechanisms strategies to solve her anxiety and psychological problems. Psychological approach is applied because the main character, like human’s psyche, needs to negotiate and survive psychologically from realitites which can not suit her ideal expectation.
Keywords: main character; defense mechanisms; phsychoanalysis.
developed in England and America. The
INTRODUCTION novel was originally developed in the
As a literary text, novel is a story region from other forms of narrative
with the prose form in long shape, this nonfiction, such as letters, biographies,
long shape means the story including and history, but with a shift in society
the complex plot, many character and and time development, the novel is not
various setting. The word comes from only based on nonfiction data, author of
the Italian, novella, which means the novel can change the topic according to
new staff that is small. The novel was the desired imagination. Wellek &
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literary work formed in a narrative purpose. Therefore, defense
story. The story is supposed to entertain mechanisms serve the function of
the reader. However the experiences protecting individuals from anxiety.
and life problems are usually the Likewise, we feel anxiety when ego
important points in the story, fictions defense mechanisms fail to work
must remain as an interesting story, properly. Anxiety is of crucial
remains as a coherent structure importance since it represents our core
building, and still has an aesthetic issues like fear of intimacy, fear of
purpose. abandonment, fear of betrayal and low
Issues in literary texts like novel are self-esteem (Tyson in Sarijaloo, 2016).
various and it most of the time Sigmund Freud (in Gokdag,
represents human experience. In terms 2015) described the typical attitudes are
of human conflicts, literary texts could demonstrated by individuals to decrease
portray human conflicts, like or avoid anxiety. He called them
psychological problems, as reflected in defense mechanisms. Defense
the characters’s internal conflicts. mechanism is one of important parts in
These conflicts can also be interpreted psychoanalytic study. Psychoanalysis is
as the writer’s stream of consciousness a branch of psychological study, which
or phsychological conflicts, like has basic assumption that human’s
anxiety, which can be viewed from mental elements are divided into two
phsychonalysis perspective. levels, the unconscious and the
Human tends to decrease tension conscious. Defense mechanism is
for the purpose of decreasing anxiety activated when the individual deals with
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Defense mechanism is the mental unpleasure memory to be unaccessible
strategy used by the ego to continue in her conscious mind (Freud, 2010, p.
blocking the harmful behavior while at 102). Repression can be experienced in
the same time reducing anxiety sequence of steps. Firstly, danger as a
(Gokdag, 2015, p. 348). There are result of socially banned desire is
some types of the defense mechanism anticipated by the ego. Secondly, fear of
proposed by Freud; a) Repression. This the danger stimulates repression. Lastly,
is a method of defense mechanism the repression is achieved through
when a person remove miserable internalising of the external fear or the
thoughts from her mind in order to not superego. b) Reaction-formation. This
to remember them anymore. This is a method of defense mechanism
defense mechanism works when a when a person transforms an
person experiences trauma as a painful unacceptable feeling or trait into
and fearful event then she places the something more socially acceptable. It
traumatic memory to her unconscious means that the person actually has the
mind to prevent the memory from feeling or trait considered socially
reaching her conscious mind. The negative or disturbing. While the
person prevents the painful and fearful negative feeling or trait is repressed, the
memory from reaching her conscious person forms a reaction tactic that she
mind because she considers it as may feel the tactic fits in with social
unpleasure memory. So, she turns the norms by adopting polar opposite stance
memory away and keeps it at a distance on the repressed feeling or trait. The
from her conscious mind. In other person uses reaction formation as her
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to avoid some sort of social punishment traits, the other person whom the traits
or fear of social criticism for her are projected is not targetted randomly
different thoughts that she considers as because the traits may have existed
socially negative feeling or trait (Freud, even on a small scale in that person. So,
2010, p. 2194). Reaction formation the person who project the traits later
works by converting a socially takes and exaggerate the traits in
unacceptable feeling or trait into its projecting them to someone else. By
opposite to cover up the person’s real projecting the threatening traits to
feeling or trait. c) Projection. It is when others, it helps the person to avoid
a person projects her own traits to recognizing it in herself. d) Regression.
someone else. She projects the traits to Regression is method of defense
someone else because they can not be mechanism when a person experiences
denied or repressed completely. Human the temporary or long-term reversion of
mind has a very positive self image to the ego to the earlier stage of
feed the ego with praise in recognition development. It happens when she can
from others. When this image is not handle an unacceptable impulse or
threatened by negative traits, she will event in a more adult manner. The
have tendency to discard the negative unacceptable impulses cause stress and
traits by projecting them to someone unpleasure feeling to the person, so she
else (Freud, 2010, p. 2432). In other returns to the previous stage of
words, this situation can be called as development as if she were a child.
reflection, in which individual passes Children usually manifest regressive
her repressed motives, thoughts and behaviour to communicate their
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little sibling for the first time, their said as the real object, but they have to
parents pay more attention to the little be repressed then lose in unconscious
sibling and it makes them to be jealous. mind. The acceptable forms releasing
So, the children will act like their little by the person can be said as the new
sibling to get back their parents’ object restoring the real object that she
attention (Freud, 2010, p. 2435). brings to her conscious mind.
Regression can be caused by insecurity, Sublimation raises the unacceptable
fear, and danger of any unpleasure desires as the real object by
impulse or event. e) Sublimation. transforming them into acceptable and
Sublimation is method of defense socially valuable forms to make the
mechanism when a person transform person still can release the repressed
her repressed motives or emotions into desires. f) Denial. Denial is method of
more acceptable forms in social terms. defense mechanism when a repressed
The transformation happens because the memory finds its way into conscious
repressed motives that she has are mind. If repression turns the memory
considered as negative trait and they away and keeps it at a distance to be
become unacceptable desires for her to unaccessible in the conscious mind,
release in conscious mind. But in other then denial lets the repressed memory
side, the person does not want to repress finds its way to consciousness in
the desires, so she releases them by revealing a piece of information about
providing acceptable forms and by something that is repressed. The way to
having social value (Freud, 2010, p. reveal the repressed memory is by
2827). negating the information of the
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as her defense mechanism denies the to cover up the underlying emotions and
correctness of the repressed memory motives (Freud, 2010, p. 2333).
(Freud, 2010, p. 796). By rationalizing the behaviour, a
Denial can be experienced in person may maintain self-respect or
sequence of steps. Firstly, a person avoid guilt over something they actually
represses the memory into her have done wrong. Rationalization
unconscious mind. There is content of a protects the person from unsafe emotion
repressed image or idea which is not in behaving of what they considers as
reaching conscious mind. Secondly, the right and logical. So, she can keep
conscious mind of the person is now behaving in the way she considers as
aware of a memory that it was not right without concerning any danger of
aware of before. Then the awareness her behavior. h) Identification.
lifts and finds its way to reach the Identification is method of defense
conscious mind by negating the mechanism when a person adopts
information of the repressed image or attidute or qualification of another
idea. g) Rationalization. person she admires. In this case, the
Rationalization is method of defense person actually represses the
mechanism when a person makes qualification she wishes to achieve then
logical excuses to justify generally she takes another person whose
unacceptable behaviour. It is used in qualification admired by her. This
unconscious mind to avoid addressing defense mechanism involves a change
the actual reasons for the behaviour. in one’s self to become more like the
Rationalization can seem like logical admired person (Freud, 2010, p. 2619).
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certain quality, the person who uses this Nevertheless, the person is unable to
defense mechanism provides a sense of free herself due to the fixation. She is
security and self-esteem because she isolated in that certain stage of
finds the quality requirement in another development and is separated both from
person’s self. Identification takes the the present and the future. The
place of the Oedipus complex. It was unpleasure and stress which become
first applied to the explanation of one trauma show clear indications that the
kind of homosexuality, in which a boy person is grounded in a fixation upon
changes his love for his mother by the moment of the traumatic disaster.
identifying himself with her as the Then, she keeps attaching herself to a
admired person. i) Fixation. This is period of safety and security before her
method of defense mechanism when a entire journey of life is fully
person is stuck in a certain aspect of accomplished (Freud, 2010, p. 2435). j)
developmental age. It is stated that Turning against the self. Turning
human development is like a journey. against the self is method of defense
When a person migrates into new mechanism when a person makes
unexplored territory, there is a condition herself as the target of hatred, anger,
of she might stop along the way at a and aggression. In this way, the ego
place because of experiencing defends itself against the fear of the
unpleasure and stress in the new aggression. The person turns the
unexplored territory. So, the person is aggression away from other objects as
stuck in the specific stage of the target but toward herself (Freud,
development at which the journey stops 2010, p. 3851). This defense
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realizes that the real object of the emotion to make her feel relieved, so
hatred, anger, and aggression can not be she replaces the actual object to another
targetted. So, she decides to make her as object that is less threatening as her
the substitution target. It can be said as target (Freud, 2010, p. 3266). i)
self punishment because she puts the Isolation. It is when a person creates a
fault to herself and punishes her for it. mental gap as her barrier between
This mechanism can reveal guilt and situation and condition that makes her
depression due to the repressed anger . threatened. It is related to repression
k) Displacement. Displacement is experiencing by the person, then she
method of defense mechanism when a separates herself from the unpleasant or
person takes one emotion (usually a threatening situation and condition,
hostile or angry emotion) which is together with other thoughts and
threatening or dangerous impulse from feelings (Freud, 2010, p. 198).
one situation into another. Tyson (in Sarijaloo, 2016)
She shifts the displeasure or the describes that psychoanalytic concepts
thing that cause the stress away from have long been an integral part of
herself to a less threatening target. The human’s lives. We appreciate the
displacement happens when the person significance of these concepts since our
assumes that someone causing the stress lives are strongly influenced by
which is the actual object of harming psychplogical aspects, and we are able
has higher authority or power, so she to comprehend that human conduct
can not take the emotion of angry which arouses a feeling of puzzlement
directly to the actual object. within us by understanding,
320 BAHTERA : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume Juli 2020
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concepts. Thus, we can deeply grasp the representation and identity construction
implications of those literary texts that in the HBO series ‘Girls’” by Tiina
are associated with human behavior Mustonen (2015). This paper aims to
through application of psychoanalytic examine how gender is represented in
concepts .This study aims to reveal the the media through linguistic and
defense mechanisms experienced by multimodal means. More specifically, it
Melinda Sordino, the main character of focuses on the representation and
Speak novel (1999) in dealing with her identity construction of women in the
anxiety and psychological conflicts she television series ‘Girls’, which has
has. The harrashment accident she received a great deal of attention for its
experienced reflects her defense realistic portrayal of women. The result
mechanism as her efforts to survive shows that lexical items play an
with from both internal and external important role in constructing the
oppression. characters’ identities. For example,
There have been some previous many of the nouns used to describe the
studies conducted about the related female characters are often derogatory
topics and data. Firstly, it is entitled and negative. However, keeping in
“Why Won’t Melinda Just Talk About mind the series’ ironic tone it could be
What Happened? Speak and The argued that the series aims to empower
Confessional Voice,”by Chris McGee its characters by showing how the
(2009). She believes that Melinda female characters are not negatively
would not confess what really happens affected by the use of lexical items.
without an adult figure.
321 BAHTERA : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume Juli 2020
BAHTERA: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume 19 Nomor 2 Juli 2020 http://journal.unj.ac.id/unj/index.php/bahtera/ P-ISSN : 0853-2710 E-ISSN : 2540-8968 In 2017, Kamonwan Chummee behavior. The character of Melinda
and Supaporn Yimwilai conducted a Sordino gets maturity in her personality
research with the title “The Presentation that is shaped from her effort to cope
of Rape in Laurie Halse Anderson’s her problems in gaining her life goals.
Speak” aiming to discuss the There is not any research
presentation of rape in Laurie Halse conducted previously that discussed
Anderson's Speak. It also discusses the defense mechanisms analysis of the
effects of rape culture on a rape victim. main character in the novel, so this
The result shows that Melinda is a good study aims to reveal how defense
example of a person who does not mechanism of the main character by
understand the realities of sexual referring to psychological approach to
violence. reveal the psyche of the main
The next study is entitled characters.
“Coping Behavior Of Melinda In Speak Speak is Laurie Halse Anderson's
Novel By Laurie Halse Anderson first young adult novel. It was published
(1999); An Individual Psychological in 1999 by Penguin Group and re-
Approach” by Kristiana (2012). This released in 2006 as a platinum edition
paper aims to analyze the character of containing an interview with the author.
Melinda Sordino based on individual The novel consists of 198 pages, and
psychological analysis developed by four chapters. It is written in the first
Alfred Adler. The result shows that person and features a diary-like format
Laurie Halse Anderson creates the main with loosely connected, short chapters.
character , Melinda, as a way to convey The novel was a New York Times Best-
her idea about adolescence’s coping Seller the year it was released and it
322 BAHTERA : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume Juli 2020
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well as the winner of the 2000 ALA the psychological conflicts.
Best Book for Young Adults award. It
was also adapted into a movie in 2004 METHOD
starring Kristen Stewart as Melinda This study uses descriptive qualitative
Sordino as cited from method. The descriptive qualitative is a
www.bookreports.info/speak-summary. research method that describes data,
Speak tells the story of Melinda where data is inductively analyzed and
Sordino, a Syracuse ninth grader who interpreted qualitatively (Creswell,
must overcome her depression and 2009).
silence after being raped in a summer The source of the data is the
party causing she calls the police and novel entitled Speak written by Laurie
breaks up the party. Starting the high Halse Anderson. The main data are the
school, Melinda claims herself as an narrations and the dialogues in the
outcast because everybody who knows narrative which reflect the defense
her ruining the party avoids her, mechanism of the main character. The
including her friends. Since she got a researcher read closely the novel to
sexual harrashment from a senior at understand the implied meaning content
school, Melinda stops speaking. She is of the novel, then identified and
always mute and she only speaks in classified the narrations and dialogues
very rare situation. Melinda deals with in the narrative which indicate the
the trauma and struggles to tell someone defense mechanism types of the main
about what happens to her. She also character. The classified data was
experiences some defence mechanism analysed by referring to Sigmund
323 BAHTERA : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume Juli 2020
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interpretating it and drawing the help reveal the underlying reasons for
conclusion. Melinda’s behaviour.
a) Repression
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Melinda, a new student at high
This study reveals that the main school, faced oppression and injustice
character used many kinds of strategies at school after the summer party
in overcoming her anxiety and accident where she was blamed by
phsychological conflicts as a victim of everyone at the party for calling the
verbal, physical and phsychological police. Whereas, she actually called the
bullying she got at school. She had police because a senior harrashed her,
repression, reaction-formation, but no one knew it. It was surely a
projection, regression, replacement, painful event for her, because she was
sublimation, rationalization, sexually harrashed and victimized.
identification, turning against the self, Furthermore, Melinda experienced
and isolation as self defense bullying from the people at school,
mechanism. including the rapist who goes to the
Unconscious mind is a place same school with her and also her ex-
where unacceptable memories, friends. Those are the external
fantasies, wishes, thoughts, ideas, and oppression that she must experience. In
even painful events are pushed through addition, Melinda also experiences
repression together with the associated internal oppression where she must
emotions (Freud in Chalkiadaki, 2014: repress the truth about the accident and
3). Therefore, understanding how never speak up of it to anybody.
324 BAHTERA : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume Juli 2020
BAHTERA: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume 19 Nomor 2 Juli 2020 http://journal.unj.ac.id/unj/index.php/bahtera/ P-ISSN : 0853-2710 E-ISSN : 2540-8968 In order to cope with the the high school just few months after
oppression, Melinda’s defense the accident, Melinda as the new
mechanisms are triggered. As what student starts to experience bullying
Freud (cited in Chalkiadaki, 2014: 16) from the people who know her at the
says that defensive action is done to middle school (who obviously know
protect the ego and to rescue it from about her ruining the summer party) .
unpleasure experience or oppression. Moreover, the people spread the story
Therefore, the defense mechanisms of Melinda ruining the party and it
used by Melinda who experiences makes more people bully her. On this
oppression is one of her efforts to context, Melinda experiences bullying
survive from both internal and external from her classmates in classroom.
oppression. Moreover, her ex-best friend Rachel
After being harrashed in also gives Melinda verbal threat by
summer party by a senior, Melinda is saying “I hate you” to her and takes part
avoided by all the people who know of bullying with other classmates. Here,
her, including her gang, The Plain Melinda is oppressed by this situation
Janes, and her best friend Rachel. It is of the bullying. She handles it by trying
because they blamed her ruining the not to think about the bullying because
party for calling the cops. Whereas, it is a painful event. So, she tries to
Melinda did it as a result of her fear place the painful memory of the
after being sexually harrashed. No one bullying event to her unconscious mind
knew it because she did not tell anyone to prevent the memory from reaching
about the accident, she also stopped her conscious mind by using repression
talking to anyone since then. Starting as her defense mechanism. It is shown
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about it. It was ugly, but it’s over, and (Anderson, 1999, p.165).’
I’m not going to to think about it Melinda was ignored by many
(Anderson, 1999, p.5)’. students, except by a new student at
Melinda imagines that she was in a school. She comes from another town
TV show and she was interviewed by of Ohio, named Heather, who wants to
Oprah, Sally Jessy, and Jerry about the talk to Melinda. As a new student from
accident. But, her imagination later another town, Heather does not know
triggers her to recall all the bad and that Melinda has caused police stopped
threatening memory of the harrashment the summer party. She only knows that
accident. Here, Melinda is oppressed by Melinda is a taciturn girl who is not
this situation. She handles it by trying passionate on anything. Heather can be
not to remove the miserable thoughts friends with Melinda because Heather
from her mind. She tries to place the thinks that Melinda has been so sweet
painful memory of the event to her of being a good listener for Heather.
unconscious mind to prevent the b) Rationalization
memory from reaching her conscious As she decided to stop talking to
mind by using repression as her defense anyone, she also needs to overcome her
mechanism,’My head is killing me, my own anxiety by doing some
throat is killing me, my stomach bubbles rationalization strategies. At this point,
with toxic waste. I just want to sleep. A she tries to make logical excuse to
coma would be nice. Or amnesia. justify generally unacceptable
Anything, just to get rid of this, these behaviour, which is, the action of not
saying anything to anyone about her
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narration,’My family has a good system. stops talking since the accident realizes
We communicate with notes on the that her behaviour is not acceptable
kitchen counter. I write when I need because other normal people can talk
school supplies or a ride to the mall. whatever they want to talk. So, she
They write what time they’ll be home makes logical excuses to justify
from work and if I should thaw anything unacceptable behaviour in
(Anderson, 1999, p.14). Her family rationalization. On this context,
system, which is to talk about things Melinda states that her family barely
indirectly through notes, forced her to talk directly because they communicate
logically accept the condition at the with notes that means talking indirectly.
beginning and not consider it as the So, her unacceptale behaviour of not
accident which had victimized her. She talking seems like to have logical and
even decided not to talk to her family clear excuse and she can keep behaving
about it. in the way she considers as logical,
Melinda has an inharmonious eventhough she is pshychologically
family. The parents often argue even on depressed. On the other side, she keep
trivial matters and they seem to hate behaving in the way she considers as
each other. Her family communicate logical act, as shown in the following
with notes on the kitchen counter. They dialogue, when she skipped the Spanish
write whatever they want to say on the class;
notes. So, Melinda does not feel ‘I cut class, you cut class, he,
comfortable to tell the parents about she, it cuts class. We cut class, they cut
whatever she feels, including the class. We
327 BAHTERA : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume Juli 2020
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Spanish because I didn’t go to Spanish animal noise and some of that night’
today (Anderson, 1999, p.28).
(Anderson, 1999, p.107).’ Melinda takes her emotion by
She considered escaping from Spanish screaming to the crowd. She still wants
class as logically acceptable action as to react the emotion to make her feel
she does not go to Spain that day, and relieved although nobody can hear her
she does that to ignore many people scream because the crowd are all quite
bullying her, and to deal with her spirited and the scream is still too soft.
anxiety. She makes the crowd as the target
c) Displacement because it is less threatening than the
On one occasion, Melinda and noise that come from the repressed bad
Heather go to a pep rally. It is full of memory. So, this event shows where
student there because they want to Melinda uses displacement as her
watch football game. Melinda feels defense mechanism to handle the
uncomfortable of being in such crowd oppression, ‘When I close the closet
because there are many people who door behind me,I bury my face into the
know her in the former school. It clothes on the left side of the rack,
becomes a problem for her and caused clothes that haven’t fit for years. I stuff
her in a deep anxiety, because they my mouth with old fabric and scream
remind her of the harrashment accident until there are no sounds left under my
in the summer party. It can be seen from skin (Anderson, 1999, p.162)’.
the quotation,’The crowd stomps the
bleachers and roars back. I put my head
328 BAHTERA : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume Juli 2020
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There are many gangs at the crying,
school, one of them is The Martha. Being blamed for ruining the summer
Heather who is obsessed to The Martha party by calling the cops, Melinda is
finally joins the gang. As the new also bullied by her ex-best friend
member of The Martha, Heather has to Rachel. Rachel ignores Melinda, and
decorate a room for her first Martha once even blows a candy cigarette at
project but she can not do it by herself. Melinda’s face. At this point, Melinda
So, she asks Melinda to help her is oppressed by Rachel’s attitude. She
decorating. After decorating the room, can not handle the unacceptable impulse
The Martha comes in. The Martha that causes unpleasure feeling to her.
recognizes Melinda’s existence and So, she uses regression where she
looks at her. Then, the gang insults returns to the previous stage of
Melinda’s appearance. It is because development as if she were a child by
they always dress nicely and crying,’ I hide in the bathroom until I
beautifully, meanwhile Melinda looks know Heather’s bus has left. The salt in
creepy. my tears feels so good when it stings my
At this point, Melinda is lips (Anderson, 1999, p.45)’.
oppressed by The Martha’s attitude. She Melinda actually has huge desire
can not handle the unacceptable impulse to speak up to her parents about
that causes unpleasure feeling to her. everything she has experienced,
So, she uses regression where she specifically about the harrashement
returns to the previous stage of accident. But, she tries to repress her
desire because she is still not brave to
329 BAHTERA : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume Juli 2020
BAHTERA: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume 19 Nomor 2 Juli 2020 http://journal.unj.ac.id/unj/index.php/bahtera/ P-ISSN : 0853-2710 E-ISSN : 2540-8968 say anything to any people. So, she In Social Studies class, Melinda
handles the reppression by using sees how her lab partner, David
regression as her defense mechanism Petrakis, is brave to deliver his protest
where she returns to the previous stage to Mr. Neck as the teacher, who leads a
of development as if she were a child by debate in the lesson as racist and
crying, ‘I almost tell them right then intolerant although he collides with Mr.
and there. Tears flood my eyes Neck. David’s bravery of speaking up
(Anderson, 1999, p.72).’ the truth as his qualification makes
e) Sublimation Melinda admires him because she
Melinda also transformed her herself has stopped talking to anyone,’
repressed emotions of the oppression He says a million things without saying
into more acceptable forms by a word. I make a note to study David
drawing,’For a solid week, ever since Petrakis (Anderson, 1999, p.57). At this
the pep rally, I’ve been painting point, Melinda uses identification as her
watercolors of trees that have been hit defense mechanism. By stating that she
by lightning. I try to paint them so they makes a note to study David Petrakis, it
are nearly dead,but not totally means that she wishes to achieve
(Anderson, 1999, p.30)’. David’s qualification which she
She uses sublimation as her admired.
defense mechanism to handle her g) Turning again the self
oppression where she releases the Melinda goes to her mother’s
repressed emotion through her drawing. store to talk about her problems. When
f) Identification she stops at a traffic light, she sees that
her mother skin and shirt looks bad. It
330 BAHTERA : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume Juli 2020
BAHTERA: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume 19 Nomor 2 Juli 2020 http://journal.unj.ac.id/unj/index.php/bahtera/ P-ISSN : 0853-2710 E-ISSN : 2540-8968 is possibly because the mother is so about why she has that bad behaviour at
busy in her work and she does not have school. Nevertheless, Melinda does not
time to pay attention at her appearance. want to be blamed of her bad behaviour.
Nevertheless, Melinda does not blame So, she uses projection as her defense
her mother for the bad-looking mechanism by projecting the bad
appearance. Melinda uses turning behaviour to someone else, that is the
against the self where she turns the parents where she states that the parents
anger away from the mother as the real never want to hear anything from her,
object as the target but toward herself ‘They don’t want to hear anything I
by blaming herself who does not fold have to say. They ground me until the
more shirts for her mother.’I feel bad Second Coming (Anderson, 1999,
that I didn’t fold more shirts for her p.87).’ By saying so, she blames her
(Anderson, 1999, p.73).’ parents.
h) Projection i) Reaction-formation
Melinda is often oppressed Because she was reminded by
because of the bullying. Therefore, she the counsellor of her bad scores and
sometimes skips school to avoid all the skipped school many times, Melinda
things that she considers as threat for transforms the unacceptable behaviour
example people who always bully her. into something more socially
This time, guidance counselor calls acceptable, that is to be a good student.
Melinda’s parents to school because Here, Melinda uses reaction-formation
Melinda’s grades have been bad and she to handle her oppression wants to avoid
skips school for some times. At home, another social punishment or criticism
the parents scold her and keep asking from the parents for her bad behaviour.
331 BAHTERA : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume Juli 2020
BAHTERA: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume 19 Nomor 2 Juli 2020 http://journal.unj.ac.id/unj/index.php/bahtera/ P-ISSN : 0853-2710 E-ISSN : 2540-8968 It can be seen form the following in the snow. Getaway getaway
narration; I do my homework and show getaway’(Anderson, 1999, p.97).
it like a good little girl’, (Anderson, Melinda chose to ignore the person
1999, p.87). She covers her conflicts by caused her trauma by getting away from
doing something good, so nobody knew him.
how she feels. Melinda is oppressed again of
j) Isolation Heather’s behaviour who returns the
At some point, she separates friendship necklace to her. So, she
herself from the unpleasant or decides to skip school again to separate
threatening person and condition, which herself from the oppression. At this
is Andy Evans, the one harrashed her, to point, she separates herself from the
minimize the impact of the threatening unpleasant or threatening situation and
situation and condition for her. It is condition, which is the school, to
because Andy Evans makes her minimize the impact of the threatening
repressed where she reminds of the situation and condition for her. It is
accident by seeing him flirting with The because there is Heather who has
Martha gang. So, she uses isolation as oppressed her by returning the
her defense mechanism by creating a friendship neckalce at school. So, she
gap as her barrier between situation and uses isolation as her defense mechanism
condition that makes her threatened, by creating a gap as her barrier between
where she runs for the bathroom,’He situation and condition that makes her
steps toward me, holding out the threatened where she skips school, as
doughnut. “Want a bite?” he asks. seen in the narration,’I am Bunny
Bunny Rabbit bolts, leaving fast tracks Rabbit again, hiding in the open
332 BAHTERA : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume Juli 2020
BAHTERA: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume 19 Nomor 2 Juli 2020 http://journal.unj.ac.id/unj/index.php/bahtera/ P-ISSN : 0853-2710 E-ISSN : 2540-8968 ‘(Anderson, 1999, p.117), and in the both internal and external oppression is
narration,’The best place to figure this by experiencing defense mechanisms to
out is my closet, my throne room, my defend herself so that she does not n
foster home. I want a blow up of the face of fear, guilt,
shower’(Anderson, 1999, p.150). She anxious, and anger because of the rape
hid from her friend who also caused an incident and the bullying from people.
uncomfortable psychological condition The researcher found eleven
as a defense mechanism. kinds of defense mechanisms, they are
repression, reaction-formation,
CONCLUSION projection, regression, sublimation,
Melinda as a teenager has to rationalization, identification, turning
deal with her trauma after being against the self, and isolation used by
harrashed by her senior in a summer the main character in coping up with
party. Unfortunately, people in that internal and external conflicts she had.
party do not help her at all because no These mechanism are experienced by
one knows the accident. Besides, she is Melinda as the result psychological
blamed by everyone in that party for condition change after being sexually
calling the cops who ruined the party. harrashed by her senior and being
From that on, Melinda deals with her avoided by the people at school
both internal oppression from the including her gang and her best friend.
accident and external oppression from Finally, the defense mechanisms can
the people who blame her including her actually save her from blowing up
gang and her best friend. Nevertheless, because at the end of the novel she can
Melinda’s efforts to survive with from be brave to speak up to tell the the truth
333 BAHTERA : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume Juli 2020
BAHTERA: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume 19 Nomor 2 Juli 2020 http://journal.unj.ac.id/unj/index.php/bahtera/ P-ISSN : 0853-2710 E-ISSN : 2540-8968 about what she experienced to her best Freeman.
friend Rachel and her art teacher, Mr.
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