Anxiety suffered by Elizabeth Holland in Anna Godbersen’s Splendor

ENGLISH:

Basically, anxiety is a condition which possibly happens but it will become something hazardous if it does not get the right handling. It is followed by an uncomfortable feelings characterized as worry, fear, unhappy moods that we can feel through numerous level. In order to decrease the pressure thus we can avoid the critical anxiety, it requires self-defense mechanisms. It is the nature of Ego-defense to protect ourselves from painful feelings triggered by the anxiety. That statement can be the base of this research which only focuses on Elizabeth Holland’s psychological condition in Anna Godebersen’s Splendor. The researcher divides the research problem into three parts; 1. What are the kinds of anxiety which is felt by Elizabeth Holland described in Splendor novel 2. What are the causes of her anxiety? 3. What are the defense mechanisms that she did in reducing her anxiety?

This research is classified as a critical literature research since the characters in the novel describes their own life which full of psychological condition. This research only concentrates on the symptoms; the anxiety causes and self-defense mechanisms which are done by Elizabeth Holland against her anxious problems.
Next, Freud’s theory of anxiety and self-defense mechanisms will use as an analysis material to describe the characters’ psychological condition. Elizabeth Holland or Lizzy experiences internal conflict which happens between her Ego and Superego namely moral, objective (realism) and neurotic anxiety. Elizabeth, usually called Lizzy, always feels panic and fright. Her anxiety is generally caused by the threats from her second husband and her environment as well. To decrease those anxious feelings, Lizzy shows her self-defense mechanisms; repression, sublimation, displacement, rationalization, reaction formation, projection, aggression, fantasy, denial and asceticism.

Since we know the importance to do a research about self-defense mechanisms in literary works, we expect that the next researchers will examine self- defense mechanisms from the characters in other literary works. They are also expected to analyze other phenomenon which exists in Splendor just like in the feminism aspects and moral values. Besides, the researcher expects they apply many psychological theories to dissect the characters’ psychological condition like Anna Freud, Adler, Melanie Kelin and Sullivan. The researcher hopes that it will give a wide understanding about self-defense mechanisms in real life. Also, the researcher expects they have a capability to examine the other characters in Splendor.

INDONESIA:

Berbagai konflik dan bentuk frustrasi yang menghambat kemajuan individu untuk mencapai tujuan adalah salah satu sumber kecemasan. Ancaman yang dimaksud dapat berupa ancaman fisik, psikis dan berbagai tekanan yang mengakibatkan timbulnya kecemasan. Kondisi ini diikuti oleh perasaan tidak nyaman yang dicirikan dengan istilah khawatir, takut, tidak bahagia yang kita rasakan melalui berbagai level. Untuk mengurangi ketegangan sehingga dapat terhindar dari kecemasan akut.maka diperlukan adanya mekanisme pertahanan diri. Mekanisme pertahanan diri adalah sebagai bentuk pertahanan Ego dalam melindungi diri dari rasa sakit akibat kecemasan. Penelitian ini memusatkan perhatian pada kondisi kejiwaan tokoh Elizabeth Holland yang ada dalam novel Splendor karya Anna Godbersen. Dalam penelitian ini, peneliti membagi rumusan masalah menjadi tiga bagian, yakni: 1. what are the kinds of anxiety felt by Elizabeth Holland described in splendor novel. 2. What are the causes of her anxiety? 3. What are the defenses mechanisms that she did in reducing her anxiety?

Penelitian ini diklasifikasikan sebagai penelitian kritik sastra mengingat bahwa para tokoh di dalam novel melukiskan kehidupan mereka yang sarat akan kondisi kejiwaan.
Penelitian ini hanya memusatkan perhatian pada bentuk gejala beserta penyebab kecemasan dan bentuk mekanisme pertahanan diri yang dilakukan oleh tokoh Elizabeth Holland dalam memerangi gangguan kecemasan dia. Selanjutnya, teori kecemasan dan mekanisme pertahanan diri Freud akan dijadikan sebagai pisau analisis dalam meneliti dan mendeskripsikan kondisi kejiwaan para tokoh. Tokoh cerita dalam novel itu adalah seorang gadis remaja yang beranjak dewasa Elizabeth Holland, dia mengalami konflik batin yang terjadi antara Ego dan Superegonya yang dikenal dengan nama kecemasan moral, kecemasan objektif (realitas) dan kecemasan neurotik. Elizabeth yang biasa dipanggil Lizzy selalu merasa panik dan ketakutan. Kecemasan Lizzy secara umum disebabkan oleh adanya ancaman dari suami keduanya dan keadaan lingkungan. Kecemasan yang dideritanya menjadikan dia selalu merasa takut, kawatir dan berfikir tidak rasional. Guna mengurangi kecemasan – kecemasanya itu, Lizzy memunculkan mekanisme pertahanan diri yang disebut represi, sublimasi, pemindahan, rasionalisasi, reaksi formasi, projeksi, agressi, fantasi, denial, dan asketisisme.