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EGO DEFENSE MECHANISMS OF THE STRANGER IN

PAULO COELHO’S THE DEVIL AND MISS PRYM

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By

THERESIA AYU SANTIKA

Student Number: 114214042

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2017

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

ii

EGO DEFENSE MECHANISMS OF THE STRANGER IN

PAULO COELHO’S THE DEVIL AND MISS PRYM

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By

THERESIA AYU SANTIKA

Student Number: 114214042

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2017


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vii

You only live ONCE,

BUT if you do it RIGHT,

Once is ENOUGH.

-- Mae West --


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For My Beloved Parents, Sister, Brother,

And

My Beloved Best Friends

Who Become My Light in the Darkness.


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. F.X. Siswadi, M.A. and Drs.

Hirmawan Wijanarka M.Hum. for their thoughtful suggestion and invaluable

encouragement throughout this process which have helped me to improve and

complete my thesis. I appreciate the insight and correction from my co-advisor

Adventina Putranti, S.S., M.Hum. which have helped me to evaluate my thesis.

My gratitude also extends to my academic advisor and all lecturers in English

Letters Department for giving me knowledge and empowerment to be a better

person.

To my family and my best friends who have stayed with me to provide

support and inspiration, I am terribly blessed to have you. I am thankful that you

all have been there for me when I feel like giving up and provided me comfort to

make sure that I keep going on and finish my thesis.

Theresia Ayu Santika


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3. Being a Selfish Man ............................................................................. 38

a. Acting Righteous to Others ........................................................... 38

b. Being Disheartened to Others ....................................................... 40

B. The Types of Anxieties of the Stranger .................................................... 41

1. Realistic anxiety ................................................................................... 41

a. Saving His Wife and Two Daughters from the Terrorists ............ 42

b. Saving Chantal from a Rogue Wolf .............................................. 43

2. Neurotic anxiety ................................................................................... 44

3. Moral anxiety ........................................................................................ 46

C. Ego Defense Mechanisms of the Stranger ................................................ 48

1. Coming to Viscos and Conducting His Plan in There .......................... 49

2. Alluring Chantal with His Gold Bar ..................................................... 52

3. Accepting the Devil after Losing His Wife and Two Daughters ......... 53

4. Saving Chantal from a Rogue Wolf ..................................................... 54

CHAPTER V ....................................................................................................... 56

BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................... 59

APPENDIX .......................................................................................................... 61


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ABSTRACT

SANTIKA, THERESIA AYU. Ego Defense Mechanisms of the Stranger in

Paulo Coelho’s The Devil and Miss Prym. Yogyakarta: Department of English

Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2017.

This study is conducted to analyze the ego defense mechanisms of the

stranger after the deaths of his wife and two daughters in an abduction in The

Devil and Miss Prym. Ego defense mechanism is a mechanism of ego that

functions to relieve the pressure of excessive anxiety. It operates at the

unconscious level, therefore, is self-deceptive and it distorts individual‟s

perception of reality to make anxiety less threatening to the individual.

Applying psychoanalytical approach, this study has three objectives. The

first objective is finding out what the stranger‟s characteristics described in the

story. The second objective is finding out types of anxieties that the stranger has

in the story. The third objective is finding out the ego defense mechanisms used

by the stranger when he overcomes his anxieties in the story.

To achieve these objectives, the library research method is used to collect

the primary and secondary data from related literatures and websites. Conducting

the analysis, this study has four steps applied. The first step of this study is

reading the novel through close reading method to find the characteristics of the

stranger by using character disclosure in fiction theory and personality

organization theory. The second step of this study is finding out types of anxieties

that the stranger has by using types of anxiety theory. The third step of this study

is observing the ego defense mechanisms seen in the stranger to overcome his

anxieties by using ego defense mechanisms theory. The last step of this study is

composing conclusions consisted of summary in the analysis.

There are three findings from this study. First, the characteristics of the

stranger are strongly affected by his unconscious mind built from his past.

Second, the stranger‟s anxieties are strongly affected by events that happen after

his wife and two daughters abducted by a terrorist group. Third, the stranger‟s ego

defense mechanisms are seen through his decisions in the story as his ways to

cope up with the grief from losing his wife and two daughters in an abduction.


xiii

ABSTRAK

SANTIKA, THERESIA AYU. Ego Defense Mechanisms of the Stranger in

Paulo Coelho’s The Devil and Miss Prym. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Sastra

Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2017.

Studi ini bertujuan untuk menganalisa mekanisme pertahanan ego dari

karakter si orang asing setelah kehilangan istri dan dua anaknya dalam penculikan

di The Devil and Miss Prym. Mekanisme pertahanan ego adalah mekanisme dari

ego yang berfungsi untuk melindungi diri dari tekanan akibat kecemasan yang

berlebihan. Mekanisme ini bekerja di alam bawah sadar dengan cara menipu dan

menyamarkan persepsi individu dari realita sehingga, individu tidak merasa

terancam dengan kecemasan yang timbul dari realita tersebut.

Mengaplikasikan pendekatan psikoanalitik, studi ini memiliki tiga tujuan.

Tujuan pertama adalah menemukan karakteristik si orang asing dalam cerita.

Tujuan kedua adalah menemukan kecemasan si orang asing dalam cerita. Tujuan

ketiga adalah menemukan mekanisme pertahanan ego si orang asing saat

menghadapi tekanan akibat kecemasannya dalam cerita.

Untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut, metode penelitian pustaka digunakan

untuk mengumpulkan data primer dan sekunder dari literatur dan situs pendukung

yang berkaitan. Ada empat langkah yang ditempuh dalam pembahasan di studi

ini. Pertama, membaca novel secara mendalam untuk menemukan karakteristik si

orang asing dengan menggunakan teori penyingkapan karakter dalam fiksi dan

teori organisasi kepribadian. Kedua, menemukan tipe kecemasan si orang asing

dengan menggunakan teori tipe kecemasan. Ketiga, mengobservasi mekanisme

pertahanan ego si orang asing saat mengatasi tekanan akibat kecemasannya

menggunakan teori mekanisme pertahanan ego. Terakhir, menyusun kesimpulan

yang terdiri dari ringkasan analisa.

Ada tiga hasil yang ditemukan dalam studi ini. Pertama, bahwa

karakteristik si orang asing sangat dipengaruhi oleh alam bawah sadarnya yang

dibangun dari masa lalunya. Kedua, bahwa kecemasan yang dimiliki si orang

asing sangat dipengaruhi oleh masa lalunya yang dimulai ketika istri dan dua

putrinya diculik oleh sekelompok teroris. Ketiga, bahwa mekanisme pertahanan

ego si orang asing terlihat melalui keputusan-keputusan yang dibuatnya dalam

cerita sebagai caranya untuk mengatasi rasa kehilangan mendalam yang

dialaminya karena kematian istri dan dua putrinya dalam sebuah penculikan.


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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Literature refers to the revelation of events, experiences and feelings of

individuals during their life in form of language. The revelations in literature are

mostly affected by the society in which the creator of a literary work lives in. The

influences that the creator of a literary work gets are easily seen in the characters

and their characteristics in his or her literary work.

Based on the connection between the creator of a literary work and the

society in which the creator lives in, it cannot be denied that the behaviors of

characters in a literary work are closely related to the behaviors of the society.

Therefore, it is justifiable for literary works that deal with psychological matters

to be analyzed by using psychoanalytical approach since they both deal with

individuals and their reactions, perceptions of the world, miseries, wishes, desires,

fears, conflicts, and reconciliations. (Bressler, 1999: 4 – 5).

Using psychoanalytical approach, this study aims to investigate the

interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in mind, in the interpretation of

literature (Barry, 2002: 96). Therefore, this study will threat a literary character as

a living individual to reveal the character‟s characteristics, anxieties and ego

defense mechanisms seen through his decisions.


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Freud took the view that the writer is rather like a child at play. He creates

a world of fantasy which he himself takes very seriously. He disguises it

so that its self-centredness is not apparent, and hence enables the reader to

enjoy his own fantasy without guilt, reproach or shame … Freud further

suggested that the recurrent themes of great novels and drama are often the

expression of fundamental human conflict which is reflected

unconsciously in the author‟s mind (Cohen, 1958: 190).

Ego defense mechanism, as the main focus of this study, is a strategy of

individuals to help them avoid conscious recognition of unacceptable instinctual

impulses, or to protect them from overwhelming anxiety, so that they can perform

maximally in their daily lives (Kalish, 1973: 47). The unconscious mind of

individuals, the part of the mind beyond consciousness, has a strong influence

upon their actions. It links with the idea of repression, which is the „forgetting‟ or

„ignoring‟ of unresolved conflicts, un-admitted desires or traumatic past events, so

that they are forced out of conscious awareness and into the realm of the

unconscious. A similar process also happens in the sublimation, whereby the

represented material is „promoted‟ into something grander or is disguised as

something „noble‟ (Barry, 2002: 97).

In The Devil and Miss Prym, the character of the stranger plays an

important role in emphasizing Coelho‟s message to the readers about life.

Depending on how individuals live, life can seem either very long or very short

(Coelho, 2000: 205). It is all a matter of control and choice (Coelho, 2000: 201).

Coelho believes that individuals have been condemned to exist within

eternal division, always moving between good and evil in their lives. He believes

that life sets them a challenge (love, death and power) to test their courage and

willingness to change. The challenge does not wait and life does not look back,


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therefore they must be very careful in their decision making. They must be able to

control their desire, thus, in the future they do not regret anything if something

happens to them (Coelho, 2000: x).

This study focuses on the character of the stranger instead of Carlos. Since

Carlos is a fake name created by the stranger when he conducts his plan in Viscos.

The stranger plans to prove whether human is born good or evil because he needs

to know the nature of human beings.

The stranger‟s need to know the nature of human beings, is affected by the

death of his wife and two daughters. The death of his wife and two daughters has

built his unconscious mind and affected his conscious mind to do what he does to

himself and people around him.

The stranger‟s decision to give the people of Viscos gold bars if they break

one of Ten Commandments „Thou shalt not kill‟ in the story is deemed to be

unreasonable and unacceptable. This is proven with the rejection and

disagreement that are shown by other characters in the story. They reject and

disagree with the stranger‟s decision as they think that his decision is wrong

because it makes others suffer (Coelho, 2000: 79).

The death of his wife and two daughters is not a thing that he can control,

and the pain of losing them is not a thing that can be easily understood by others.

Thus, by analyzing the stranger‟s ego defense mechanisms, this study will prove

three things. Firstly, the characteristics of the stranger are strongly affected by his

unconscious mind built from his past. Secondly, the stranger‟s anxieties are

strongly affected by events that happen after his wife and two daughters abducted


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by a terrorist group. Thirdly, the stranger‟s ego defense mechanisms in the story

are his ways to cope up with the grief from losing his wife and two daughters in

an abduction.

Having understood this study, the readers are expected to see the

practicality of others‟ capability in dealing with problems. Therefore, they will not

over generalize and easily judge others‟ ways to deals with problems.

B. Problem Formulation

To be able to draw conclusions, this study provides three questions that

need to be answered.

1. What are the stranger‟s characteristics described in the story?

2. What are the types of anxieties that the stranger has in the story?

3. What are the ego defense mechanisms seen in the stranger when he

overcomes his anxieties in the story?

C. Objectives of the Study

There are three objectives in this study. To reveal that the character of the

stranger is a dynamic human being, the first objective is to find out what the

stranger‟s characteristics described in the story. To reveal the pressure and fear

that the stranger has, the second objective is to find out the types of anxieties that

the stranger has in the story. To reveal how he overcomes his anxieties in the

story, the third objective is to find out the ego defense mechanisms seen in the

stranger.


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D. Definition of Terms

There are two terms often used in this study. The first term is anxiety and

the second term is ego defense mechanism.

Anxiety is an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear

concerning the reality and nature of threat, and the capacity of an individual to

cope up with it. It is produced by the ego when it cannot cope up with the demand

coming from the incompatible but equally unrealistic id, the superego and the

external world (Hjelle and Ziegler, 1981: 46).

Meanwhile, ego defense mechanism is a strategy of individuals‟ ego to

help them avoid conscious recognition of unacceptable instinctual impulses, or to

protect them from overwhelming anxiety, so that they can perform maximally in

their daily life (Kalish, 1973: 47).


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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

This chapter consists of three parts that function as review of literature.

They are review of related studies, review of related theories and theoretical

framework. The first part is review of related studies that consists of the brief

reviews of the previous studies of The Devil and Miss Prym done by others. The

second part is review of related theories that consists of reviews of the theories

needed to answer the questions through the study. The last part is theoretical

framework consists of the explanation on how the related theories are used to

answer the questions in this study.

A. Review of Related Studies

To understand more about the previous studies done on The Devil and

Miss Prym and to avoid the plagiarism of studies‟ content, this study provides

reviews of two undergraduate theses and a journal article. The undergraduate

theses reviewed in this study are entitled “Understanding Carlos‟ Behavior as

Seen in The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho” by Adi Hermawan and “The

Main Character‟s Motivation in Saving Viscos as Seen in Paulo Coelho‟s The

Devil and Miss Prym” by Helen Monica. A journal article reviewed in this study

is entitled “Relocating the Soul in Paulo Coelho‟s Novel The Devil and Miss

Prym” by Sheme Mary P U.


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The first review is about the undergraduate thesis entitled “Understanding

Carlos‟ Behavior as Seen in The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho” by Adi

Hermawan. In his thesis, he analyzes about the characteristics of Carlos (the

stranger) and explains how Carlos‟ unusual behaviors are understood in the novel.

He explains that Carlos is a major character that is round and dynamic. He is

considered as an antagonist in the story. Hermawan uses characterization theory to

justify the „motives‟ and „behaviors‟ of Carlos.

According to the role of the characters serve in the story, Carlos is one of

the major characters. He is one of the most essential characters in the

story. He has the fullest attention because of the most conflicts of the story

are provided by him from the beginning up to the end of the story.

(Hermawan, 2013: 45)

In this study, it uses the same novel as Hermawan‟s to be analyzed which

is Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym. The research done in this study also

has relation with Hermawan‟s thesis in the part that Carlos comes to Viscos is

related to Carlos‟ past. The difference between this study and Hermawan‟s is on

how this study digs more about the characteristics, anxieties and ego defense

mechanisms of the stranger (Carlos) that are analyzed by using psychoanalytical

approach rather than the conscious mind of the stranger that is analyzed by using

psychological approach.

The second review is about the undergraduate thesis entitled “The Main

Character‟s Motivation in Saving Viscos as Seen in Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and

Miss Prym” by Helen Monica. In her thesis Monica says that Chantal (Prym) as

the major character in The Devil and Miss Prym has two motives when she makes

the decision to save Viscos. Firstly, she believes that Chantal has an internal


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motive to get the gold bar to pursue her dream to be out from Viscos and start a

new life. Secondly, she believes that Chantal has an external motive to prove that

human is good and not evil.

Chantal‟s goal is the same with most of people that is having a luxurious

life without have to work hard. This is what Chantal thought when she

heard about the stranger‟s offer. However, Chantal is motivated to reach

her goal in life but in this case Chantal still has conscience, so she can still

use her mind that what she will do right now is right or wrong (Monica,

2008: 52).

In this study, it uses the same novel as Monica‟s to be analyzed which is

Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym. The research done in this study also has

relation with Monica‟s thesis in the part when the character in the story wants to

decide something there must be reasons behind it, whether they are internal or

external motives, or whether they are unconscious or conscious motives. The

difference between this study and Monica‟s is the focus of the study. This study

analyzes the character of the stranger in the story and the ego defense mechanisms

of the stranger, not the character of Prym and her motives.

The third review is about the journal article entitled “Relocating the Soul

in Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym” by Sheme Mary P U. Mary states

that the purpose of the study is to identify Miss Prym in a new light where the

psychic transformations are observed and experienced by the society. The study

also emphasizes the importance of Miss Prym in the society in making the right

choice using the psychoanalysis theory by Freud.

The study identifies the woman who holds the titular role in the novel …

also emphasizes the importance of the partaking role of women in the

society in making the right choice (Mary P U, 2013: 44)


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In this study, it uses the same novel as Sheme Mary‟s journal which is

Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym. The research done in this study also has

the relation with her journal in the part of the approach that she uses, which is

psychoanalytical approach. The difference between Sheme Mary P U‟s journal

and this study is that the focus in her study is Chantal Prym rather than the

character of the stranger.

B. Review of Related Theories

There are four theories discussed in this part used to answer the questions

in problem formulation.

1. Character Disclosure in Fiction Theory

This study aims to explore the ego defense mechanisms of a character in a

literary work. Thus, this study needs to understand the character‟s qualities first

before exploring the ego defense mechanism of the character.

There are four different ways that the creator of a fiction, as one kind of

literary work, especially novel in this study, uses to disclose a character in his or

her work. The first way is what the characters themselves say and, or, think.

Related to this, speeches, considered together with the situation or total context of

a statement, are used to indicate the character of the speaker. The second way is

what the characters do. Related to this, actions should be interpreted as signs of

the character since “actions speak louder than words”. The third way is what other

characters say about them. Related to this, opinions from other characters must be

considered in terms of context and source before using them in analyzing a


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character. The last way is what the author or the creator of the literary work,

speaking as storyteller or observer, says about the character. Related to this, what

the author says about a character is usually to be accepted as truth and, or, fact,

but the interpretations or conclusions are still drawn by the readers (Roberts and

Jacobs, 1987: 123 – 124).

2. Personality Organization Theory

Understanding the character‟s qualities, this study then relates the qualities

to the character‟s mental life. According to Freudian theory, one of

psychoanalysis theories, mental life is divided into two levels. First is the

unconscious level and second is the conscious level. The unconscious level,

according to Freud, is divided into two levels which are the unconscious proper

and the preconscious (Kalish, 1973: 23 – 24).

The unconscious represents all of desires, instincts or urges that

individuals are not aware of. All of them are the ones that motivate most of

individuals‟ words, feelings, and actions (Feist and Feist, 2006: 33). The

unconscious images are then seen as relatively pleasant and non-threatening

experiences when they enter the conscious levels (Kalish, 1973: 25).

The preconscious contains all those elements, often called as “available

memories”, that are not conscious now but later, can become or be summoned

into the conscious readily or with some difficulties. The preconscious is the bridge

between the unconscious and the conscious (Feist and Feist, 2006: 32). Therefore,

the contents of the preconscious come from the unconscious and the conscious as

its sources.


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The conscious includes all the sensations and experiences that individuals

are aware at any given moment. According to Freud, the conscious only controls

and contains a small part of the individual‟s mental life. It represents a small part

of and limited aspects of individual‟s personality since his or her personality is

mostly affected and controlled by the unconscious (Feist and Feist, 2006: 32).

The organization of personality cannot be separated from the existence of

the structural model of mental life. It is three basic structures in the anatomy of

personality that consists of id, ego and superego. The interrelationship between

these personality structures and the levels of consciousness is shown on how the

id consists of the unconscious, how ego consists of the unconscious, preconscious,

and conscious and how superego consists of the unconscious and preconscious

(Kalish, 1973: 27).

The id is the core of personality and completely unconscious. It contains

everything inherited, present at birth, and fixed in the individual‟s constitution.

It is raw, animalistic, and unorganized, knows no laws, obeys no rules, and

remains basic to the individual throughout life. Operating on a primitive

basis, it is free from all inhibitions. (Feist and Feist, 2006: 33)

The id glorifies the primary principle of all individual‟s life called the pleasure

principle. The id obeys it and manifests itself in an impulsive, irrational, and

narcissistic manner, regardless of the impacts of its actions for others or its own

self-preservation (Kalish, 1973: 28 – 29).

The ego is that portion of the psychic apparatus that seeks to express and

gratify the desires of the id in accordance with the restrictions of both

outer reality and the superego. The ego acquires its structure and functions

from the id, having evolved from it, and proceeds to borrow some of the

id‟s energy for its own use in response to the demands of the environment.

(Feist and Feist, 2006: 35)


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Ego, assuring the safety and self-preservation of the individual, functions

as the decision-making or executive branch of personality. In its battle to survive

against both the external world and the instinctual demands of the id, ego must

continuously differentiate between things in the mind and things in the outer

world of reality (Feist and Feist, 2006: 35). It requires the individual to learn,

think, reason, perceive, decide, memorize, and so on in expressing his or her id to

show the instinctual needs in accordance with the norms and ethics of the social

world called the reality principle. At times, the ego can control the powerful,

pleasure-seeking id, but at other times it loses control (Kalish, 1973: 29).

When children experience rewards and punishments from their parents,

this is where the ego functions as the children have not developed a conscience

and ego-ideal called superego. The learning process of what to do and what to not

do for children with the assistance of their parents is the origin of the superego

(Kalish, 1973: 29). The superego then develops through the socialization of a

system of values, norms, ethics and attitudes which are compatible with the

society when they grow up (Feist and Feist, 2006: 35). The superego may be

considered as an individualized reflection of society‟s “collective conscience”

even if the child‟s perceptions of society‟s real values may be distorted. When

self-control that is not served by the reality principle replaces parental control, this

is, then, when superego is said to be fully developed. While trying to control id

impulses, the superego also tries to persuade the ego that perfectionistic goals are

better than realistic ones (Feist and Feist, 2006: 36).


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3. Types of Anxiety Theory

Since this study is dealing with psychoanalytical approach, it cannot be

separated from the use of anxiety theory. The anxiety theory, then, is used to

determine what kind of anxiety the character of the stranger in the story has that

influences his ego defense mechanisms.

Anxiety is an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear

concerning the reality and nature of threat, and the capacity of an individual to

cope up with it. It is produced by the ego when it cannot cope up with the demand

coming from the incompatible but equally unrealistic id, the superego and the

external world (Kalish, 1973: 33).

There are several types of anxieties; three of them are neurotic anxiety,

moral anxiety and realistic anxiety. The first type is realistic anxiety resulted from

the dependency of the ego on the outer world. This anxiety is closely related to

fear but also different. If fear involves a specific fearful object, this anxiety is

defined as an unpleasant, non-specific feeling involving a possible danger that

does not involve a specific fearful object; that helps to ensure self-preservation.

The second type is neurotic anxiety resulted from the dependency of the ego on

the id. This anxiety is defined as the fear toward instincts because previously

experiencing unconscious feelings of destruction against something (Kalish, 1973:

34). This fear is resulted from the ego that cannot control the id thus it breaks

loose and cause ones to do something for which ones will be punished (Nordby

and Hall, 1974: 48). Neurotic anxiety can be displayed in three forms. First is

apprehensiveness or nervousness, which is shown by always expecting something


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dreadful to happen. Second is phobia, which is shown through the out proportion

of intense or irrational fear to the actual danger of the object of which ones are

afraid. Third is panic or near-panic reaction, which is shown by the sudden

appearance and with no apparent provocation (Hall, 1999: 65 – 67). The last type

is the moral anxiety is a fear of conscience resulted from the dependency of the

ego on the superego. This anxiety may also be caused from the failure to behave

constantly with what is so called morally right. Therefore, it directs behavior into

activities that are acceptable to the individual‟s conscience (Kalish, 1973: 34).

4. Ego Defense Mechanism Theory

As anxiety serves as an ego-preserving mechanism signaling that some

dangers are at hand, it cannot be separated from the ego defense mechanism

theory. This theory is used to explore about the unconscious motives of the

character of the stranger in his decision-makings.

He (Freud) suggested that the ego reacts to the threatened breakthrough of

id impulses in either of two ways: (1) by blocking the impulse from

expression in conscious behavior, or (2) by distorting it to such a degree

that the original intensity is markedly reduced or deflected. (Feist and

Feist, 2006: 47)

Freud further explains that all ego defense mechanisms share two common

features. First, they operate at the unconscious level, therefore, are self-deceptive.

Second, they distort one‟s perception of reality to make anxiety less threatening to

the individual. The three types of anxiety are seldom clear-cut or easily separated

as they often exist in combination. Therefore, it is common for an individual to

use several ego defense mechanisms and their features.


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Several types of ego defense mechanisms used in this study are as stated

below:

a. Displacement

Displacement is an ego defense mechanism in which the ego redirects the

unacceptable urges onto a variety of people or objects so that the original impulse

is disguised or concealed. An instinctual impulse is usually redirected from a

more threatening individual or object to a less threatening one. Displacement is

also observed in an adult‟s hypersensitivity to minor annoyances. Nevertheless,

the less common form of displacement is running against the self, whereby hostile

impulses toward others are redirected to oneself, producing feelings of depression

and self-depreciation (Feist and Feist, 2006: 48 – 49). When the substitute object

of displacement is one that represents higher cultural goal, it is called as

sublimation (Hall, 1999: 82).

b. Repression

The repression is an ego defense mechanism in which the ego represses

undesirable id impulses and forces them into the unconscious. These impulses

may remain unchanged in the unconscious, they may also force their way out into

consciousness in an unaltered form, in which case they create more anxiety than

the individual can handle. Besides, the impulses may be expressed in displaced or

disguise forms that clever enough to deceive the ego (Kalish, 1973: 35).

c. Projection

Projection is an ego defense mechanism in which the ego attributes the

unwanted impulse to an external object, usually another individual, to reduce the


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anxiety provoked by an internal impulse (Kalish, 1973: 37). The ego tries to

transform neurotic or moral anxiety into objective anxiety when it employs

projection. The purpose is to change an internal danger from the id or the

superego which is difficult for the ego to handle into an external danger which is

easier for the ego to deal with. It also offers an individual an excuse for expressing

his or her real feelings without feeling guilty because, his or her aggression is

justified (Hall, 1999: 90).

d. Rationalization

Rationalization is an ego defense mechanism in which the ego finds a

justifiable excuse or alibi in the external world for doing something frowned upon

by the superego. It also refers to the substitution of a socially approved motive for

a socially disapproved one (Hall, 1999: 90). Rationalization also refers to

fallacious reasoning, meaning that it misinterprets irrational behaviors to make it

appeal rational thus, justifiable to oneself and others (Feist and Feist, 2006: 49).

e. Reaction Formation

Reaction formation is an ego defense mechanism in which the ego

disguises the repressed forbidden impulse by directly showing it to the

consciousness in a directly opposite form. It is especially evident in sociably

acceptable behavior that is compulsive, exaggerated and rigid (Feist and Feist,

2006: 49). It is only directed to a single limited object, for example, people with

reactive hatred shower insults only on the individual toward whom they feel

unconsciously loved (Kalish, 1973: 36).


17

f. Regression

Regression is an ego defense mechanism in which the ego reverses to an

earlier period of life that was more secure and pleasant. While it reduces anxiety,

regression often leaves unresolved the cause of the initial anxiety since it is only

temporary investing the initial anxiety into more primitive and familiar objects

(Kalish, 1973: 36 – 37).

They (ego defense mechanism) are universal in that everyone engages in

defensive behavior to some degree. Each defense mechanism combines

with repression, and each can be carried to the point of psychopathology

(Kalish, 1973: 38)

In every case psychological energy is expended to maintain the defense,

thereby limiting the flexibility and strength of the ego. Moreover, to the extent

ego defense mechanisms are working effectively, defenses create a distorted

picture of the individual‟s needs, fears and aspiration.

g. Sublimation

Sublimation is an ego defense mechanism that enables individuals to

adaptively divert impulses so that they can be expressed through socially

approved thoughts or actions (Feist and Feist, 2006: 47). Thus, it is said that this

ego defense mechanism is considered to be the only healthy constructive strategy

to fight against negative impulses since it allows the ego to change both the aim

and the object without inhibiting their expression into other socially acceptable

channels of expression.


18

C. Theoretical Framework

This study focuses on ego defense mechanisms of the stranger. Thus,

theories related to it must be used to accomplish the analysis.

Character disclosure in fiction theory is used to find out the qualities or

characteristics of the stranger in the story. Those characteristics, seen through

literature perspective, are then being related to psychoanalytical approach through

personality organization theory. Personality organization theory is used to find

out the characteristics that the stranger has that are affected by his unconscious

mind built from his past life. The characteristics of the stranger are then related to

the decisions that he makes to find out about the reason behind his decisions.

Hand in hand with the provinces of the mind theory, this study uses this theory to

analyze the id, ego, and superego of the stranger to see how it is affected by his

unconscious, preconscious and unconscious mind.

After finding out on how the stranger„s provinces of mind work, this study

then uses types of anxiety theory to characterize what kind of anxieties they are

that the stranger has thus affecting him in his decision makings. Hand in hand

with this theory also, this study uses ego defense mechanism theory to justify

what kind of defense mechanism that he uses unconsciously as seen through the

psychoanalytical approach.

Those are how the related theories are used to do analysis in this study.

Those theories are completing each other to answer the questions in problem

formulation.


19

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter consists of three parts that function as methodology. They

are object of the study, approach of the study and method of the study. The first

part is object of the study that consists of the explanation of the object focused in

this study. The second part is approach of the study that consists of reviews of the

approach used in this study. The last part is method of the study that consists of

the explanation on how the process of this study is done.

A. Object of the Study

The object of the study in this undergraduate thesis is the ego defense

mechanisms of the stranger in Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym. Paulo

Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym is an English version of E Demonio E. A

Senhorita Prym. This English version was released in 2000 by Harper Collins

Publisher. This 25-chaptered-and-205-page novel concludes a trilogy of And on

the Seventh Day. The first two books on this trilogy are By the River Piedra I Sat

Down and Wept (1994) and Veronica Decides to Die (1998). Each book in the

trilogy is concerned with the life of ordinary people in a week who are suddenly

confronted with love, death and power.


20

The Devil and Miss Prym focuses on the temptation in human‟s life. It tells

a story about a stranger, claiming his name is Carlos, who comes to a remote

village of Viscos. The stranger carries a backpack containing a notebook and

eleven gold bars. He comes to Viscos to seek an answer whether human is born

good or evil years after his wife and two daughters are dead, murdered by

terrorists. Seeking for an answer, he allures one of the people in Viscos, Chantal

Prym, to help him doing his plan.

Meeting with Chantal Prym, he offers her a gold bar for herself alone if

she wants to comply with his plan, that is for her to tell the people in Viscos that

the other ten gold bars are going to be given to the people of Viscos if they break

the „Thou shalt not kill‟ commandment. He goes on by saying that during a week

one of them must be murdered, be it a useless old man, or someone with an

incurable illness, or a mental defective who requires constant attention, it does not

matter.

The stranger keeps pressuring Chantal to do what he has said. He even

threatens her that he is going to make the people in Viscos hate her if she does not

comply.

Finally, after several days in despair, Chantal tells the people of Viscos

about the stranger‟s plan. There are debates within the people of Viscos about

what they should do. Having reached an agreement, the people of Viscos,

excluding Chantal and Berta, decide to „sacrifice‟ Berta for the sake of the

village‟s poverty since they think that she is lonely, old and still suffering from

her husband‟s death thus, it is justifiable for her to be sacrificed.


21

The story ends with Chantal succeeds in saving Berta by convincing the

people of Viscos that this plan is too risky for all of them to be done. She also

gives the stranger an answer that every human is born good and evil, it depends on

the control that human has, to decide whether he or she chooses to be good or evil.

B. Approach of the Study

In this study, it uses psychoanalytical approach. This approach uses some

of psychoanalysis techniques, which aims to investigate the reasons of the

individual‟s behaviors related to the interaction of conscious and unconscious

elements in the individual‟s mind (Barry, 2002: 96). Specifically, this theory

provides a way to think through the issues of choice and the individual

responsibility, to know the true feelings, unspoken desire and even the nature of

reality (Bressler, 1999: 147). It tends to portray the individual as a rational,

conscious actor who can understand the basis for his action (Sarup: 1989: 7).

Meanwhile, literature, the revelation of events witnessed by individuals

through their experiences, and feelings during their life in form of language, helps

individuals grow both personally and intellectually. It provides an objective base

for their knowledge and understanding that connects them to the cultural context

in which they are a part. It also provides them the comparative basis in which they

can see worthiness in the aims of others, and therefore help them see beauty

around them through exercises in emotions in form of interest, concern, tension,

excitement, hope, fear, regret, laughter, and sympathy. It can shape their


22

judgments through constant comparison of the good against the bad. It helps to

make them human.

Psychoanalytical approach, in accordance with literary work used in this

study, is applied to identify ego defense mechanisms of the stranger in Paulo

Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym. Ego defense mechanism deals with the threats

and dangers that beset an individual and trigger anxiety, by attempting to lessen

the anxiety through denying, falsifying, or distorting reality that hampers the

development of personality (Hall, 1999: 85).

Looking back at the story, the stranger‟s motives to prove that human is

born good or evil are affected by his past. He is intrigued to get an answer since

he wants to understand why certain things happen, like why the terrorists kill his

wife and two daughters, for example. There are certain things that make him

cannot let go of his death wife and two daughters easily and why he does what he

does. Those things are only justifiable to be analyzed using psychoanalytical

approach since the stranger himself is not aware of the reasons behind those

things.

C. Method of the Study

In this study, it used library research method to gather the data. The

sources used in this study were primary and secondary sources. The primary

source of this study was Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym novel. The

secondary sources of this study were books of literature, theses of literature and


23

journal articles of literature related to the primary sources that were used to

support this study.

There were several steps taken in this study. The first step of this study

was reading the novel through close reading method. It helped to understand the

background of the character of the stranger in the story. From this step, the

characteristics of the stranger were found by concluding the characteristics of the

stranger based on what he said and thought, what he did, what other characters

said and thought about him and what the author said about him. The second step

of this study was finding out the types of anxieties that the stranger had by

analyzing the id, ego, and superego of the stranger to see how his behaviors were

affected by his unconscious, preconscious and unconscious mind. The third step

of this study was observing the ego defense mechanism that the stranger showed

unconsciously to overcome his anxieties as seen through the psychoanalysis

theory. The last step of this study was composing conclusions. These conclusions

contained the review of previous discussion in which the main focus of this study

was analyzed.


24

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

This chapter consists of three parts that function as analysis. The first part

is the stranger‟s characteristics described in Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss

Prym. The second part is types of anxieties that the stranger has in Paulo Coelho‟s

The Devil and Miss Prym. The last part is ego defense mechanisms seen in the

stranger to overcome his anxieties in Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym.

A. The Characteristics of the Stranger

Using character disclosure in fiction theory and personality organization

theory, this study finds three characteristics of the stranger described in the story.

Every author wants us to understand his characters and their motivation

properly, but no author can tell us anything at once ... an experienced

reader learns to suspend his opinion of a character, to let each new clue

qualify his impression, and to avoid a final interpretation until he has seen

all the evidence (Stanton, 1965: 17).

The characteristics of the stranger are as stated below:

1. Being a Good Man

A good man in this study can be interpreted as someone who is seen as a

well-behaved man by other people. The stranger is categorized as a good man

because of three reasons. Firstly, not being discriminative to others. Secondly,

being obedient to the laws. Thirdly, acting fair to others.


25

a. Not Being Discriminative to Others

Financially, the stranger and people of Viscos are different in status. The

stranger is rich and well respected, but still, he treats the people of Viscos who are

economically lower than him, nicely.

On the following three nights, he paid – again in cash – for a round of

drinks for everyone ... and the man came to be viewed as friendly,

generous and open – minded, prepared to treat country folk as if they were

equals of men and women from the big cities (Coelho, 2000: 21).

The stranger likes to listen to the stories told by the people there and tell stories to

them too (Coelho, 2000: 19). They are frequently exchanging stories and

comfortable with each other. The stranger even goes as far as paying for rounds of

drinks and meals for everyone coming to the bar located in the hotel he stays in

when he eats, just like how it is done between close colleagues. These close

relationship and good impressions make the people of Viscos think that they are

going to miss the stranger when he leaves on the following Monday.

At the end of that year, I left my job. I traveled to the four corners of the

earth, alone with my grief, asking myself how human beings can be

capable of such evil. I lost the most precious thing a man can have: my

faith in my fellow man (Coelho, 2000: 68).

According to personality organization theory, the stranger is not

discriminative to others because his conscious mind is affected by his unconscious

mind. Unconsciously, he is longing for companionship since he has lost his wife

and two daughters. In the story, it is told that the stranger has been lonely for

years because of the death of his wife and two daughters. He has no one to share

his problems and grief. Thus, when he goes to Viscos, he unconsciously tries to


26

fight the loneliness he feels by consciously trying to blend in with the people of

Viscos.

The conscious mind of the stranger has been through several steps before

it decides not to be discriminative to others by trying to blend in with the people

of Viscos. The unconscious mind of the stranger tells that the stranger is lonely,

thus he is longing for companionship. The preconscious mind of the stranger,

then, tries to recall his memories, on how lonely he is for years and how happy he

is to have his wife and two daughters as his companion. The thought of blending

in with the people of Viscos comes up after recalling those memories. Thus, after

the unconscious mind of the stranger is seen as a non-threatening thing to do, the

conscious mind of the stranger allows him to be nice with the people of Viscos

and be comfortable to be with them.

b. Being Obedient to the Laws

The stranger is categorized as a man who obeys the laws because he

follows the rules in the company he works in and leaves crime matters to the

authorities.

I knew the value of every item I sold, so I personally checked all our

transactions; that way I uncovered several cases of corruptions and

dismissed those who involved and halted the sales (Coelho, 2000: 64).

As a director in a major arms industries company, he is obliged to be a good

example for his employees. He needs to follow the rules of the company and keep

the company away from bankruptcy. Therefore, to prevent the mishaps in the

company he personally checks and remembers the value of every item the

company sells. By doing so, he can uncover several cases of corruption and


27

dismiss those who involve and halt the sale of the weapon of the company he

works in. The things he has done are seen as examples for others to keep

upholding the justice and as deterrent effects so that such things do not happen

again (Coelho, 2000: 64).

As a law-abiding citizen, the stranger also believes the authorities to

handle crime matters. It is proven when his family is kidnapped by the terrorists.

Since I was a good citizen, brought up to respect the law and feel protected

by it, the first thing I did was to ring the police. A minute later, I was no

longer the master of my own decisions; I was transformed into someone

incapable of protecting his own family; my universe was suddenly filled

with anonymous voices and frantic phone calls (Coelho, 2000: 66).

One of the terrorists calls him to tell him that his wife and two daughters are

kidnapped and that he must keep quiet and give them a large quantity of weapons

that his companies produce if he wants his wife and two daughters to be safe.

Despite the threats from the terrorists and the stranger‟s capability and power to

handle this case by himself, the stranger still decides to call the police (Coelho,

2000: 64) since he still believes in the protection given by the authorities and their

capability to handle this case.

According to personality organization theory, the stranger obeys the laws

because his conscious mind is affected by his unconscious mind. Unconsciously,

he is afraid of the consequences of breaking the laws. It is told in the story that the

stranger is well respected, thus he is afraid if he breaks the laws he will lose the

respect he gets (Coelho, 2000: 64). As a highly paid director who has a lot of

responsibilities, his dignity depends on his behavior. Thus, when he happens to


28

deal with crimes, he unconsciously tries to save his dignity by consciously solving

them according to the laws and respecting the authorities.


it decides to obey the laws by following the rules in the company he works in and

leaving crime matters to the authorities. The unconscious mind of the stranger

tells that the stranger needs to protect his dignity, thus he is afraid to break the

laws. The preconscious mind of the stranger, then, tries to recall his memories, on

how shameful it is to be called as a criminal and how glorious it is to have his

beloved ones felt proud of him. The thought of following the rules in the company

he works in and leaving crime matters to the authorities come up after recalling

those memories. Thus, after the unconscious mind of the stranger is seen as a non-

threatening thing to do, the conscious mind of the stranger allows him to prevent

mishaps in the company he works in and to believe the authorities to handle the

case of his wife and two daughters‟ abduction.

c. Acting Fair to Others

The stranger is categorized as someone who acts fair because he gives

reward for those who deserve it. In the story, the stranger comes to Viscos to seek

an answer whether human is born good or evil. He wants to prove that by offering

a gold bar to Chantal for helping him to tell the people of Viscos about his plan

and ten gold bars to people in Viscos if they agree to kill a person.

I showed you a gold bar, which would give you the necessary financial

independence to get out of here … as for the other ten gold bars … when

you go back to the village, I want you to say that you saw them and that I

am willing to hand them over to the inhabitants of Viscos on conditions

that they do something they would never ever dream of doing (Coelho,

2000: 16).


29

Though in the end of the story, the stranger agrees to give all the gold bars to

Chantal (Coelho, 2000: 199).

By proposing such offers, the stranger wants to give Chantal and people in

Viscos the rewards – the eleven gold bars – which they deserve. It is a win-win

solution for all sides since the stranger is able to have an answer that he is looking

for while Chantal and people in Viscos are able to get the financial support that

they need to rebuild their lives to be better.

There‟s the village gold … it looks like I end up without the gold and

without an answer … you know I wasn‟t going to do what you said I

would do. And as for the contempt you feel for me, it‟s nothing more than

the contempt you feel for yourself. You should be grateful for all that‟s

happened, because by showing you the gold, I gave you more than the

possibility of simply becoming rich. I forced you to act, to stop

complaining about everything to take a stand (Coelho, 2000: 199).

In the end of the story the stranger agrees to give all the gold bars to

Chantal even after she convinces the people of Viscos that conducting the

stranger‟s plan is too risky and too ridiculous. The stranger agrees to do so

because she stops the stranger for making a big sin by indirectly killing a person

and gives the stranger the answer that human is born both good and evil, it is all

the matter of control and choice, thus she deserves the gold bars.

According to personality organization theory, the stranger acts fair because

his conscious mind is affected by his unconscious mind. Unconsciously, he is

afraid of the consequences of unfairness. In the story, it is told that the stranger

really upholds fairness and believes that people reap what they sow, thus, for

example, he uncovers corruptions and dismisses incompetent workers (Coelho,

2000: 64). As someone who believes in fairness, he knows that it is painful when


30

people are not rewarded as what they deserve. Thus, when he happens to unfairly

lose his wife and two daughters in an abduction even though they are innocent and

he does good deeds, he unconsciously tries to save himself from going through

unfairness again by consciously living his life in fairness.


it decides to give reward as he offers a gold bar to Chantal for helping him tell the

people of Viscos about his plan and ten gold bars to people in Viscos if they agree

to kill a person, and in the end gives all the gold bars to Chantal. The unconscious

mind of the stranger tells that the stranger needs live in fairness, thus he needs to

give reward as he offers a gold bar to Chantal for helping him tell the people of

Viscos about his plan and ten gold bars to people in Viscos if they agree to kill a

person, and in the end gives all the gold bars to Chantal. The preconscious mind

of the stranger, then, tries to recall his memories, on how painful it is to unfairly

lose his beloved wife and two daughters in an abduction and how incredible it is if

he were able to save his family and live in fairness. The thought of giving reward

as he offers a gold bar to Chantal for helping him tell the people of Viscos about

his plan and ten gold bars to people in Viscos if they agree to kill a person, and in

the end gives all the gold bar to Chantal, come up after recalling those memories.

Thus, after the unconscious mind of the stranger is seen as a non-threatening thing

to do, the conscious mind of the stranger allows him to prevent himself going

through unfairness again by consciously living his life in fairness.


31

2. Being an Intelligent Man

An intelligent man in this study can be interpreted as someone who has the

above average ability to learn or understand things or to deal with new or difficult

situations. The stranger is categorized as an intelligent man because of three

reasons. Firstly, being experienced or mature in life. Secondly, being logical in his

actions. Thirdly, being aware of his actions‟ consequences.

a. Being Experienced or Mature in Life

The stranger has many experiences in life because of the roles that he has

as a highly paid director in a huge arms firm, devoted husband of a beautiful wife,

and father of two beautiful daughters.

I married a woman who loved me, I had two beautiful daughters, I never

stole a penny from my company, and always succeeded in recovering any

money owed to me … I was a highly paid director of a huge firm … my

weapons were made to help defend order, which is the only way to ensure

progress and development in this world, or so I thought (Coelho, 2000: 63

– 64).

Based on his job, his intelligence is highlighted through his responsibility as a

director in a huge firm. Director is one of the highest positions in a company that

can be achieved if someone has high intelligence, dedication, and integrity thus

make him or her as someone who is reliable and trusted to run the company.

Becoming a director, the stranger also needs to be professional. He must

fire people who are not competent to work in the firm or even report corruptors in

the firm to the police. He must be strict and give no forgiveness when it is

necessary because every decision he makes will affect the firm he is running.


32

Having been through a lot of hardships to achieve his position, and dealt

with many kinds of people as a highly paid director make the stranger become an

expert in judging a person‟s ways of thinking and personalities, and more mature

too. It can be proven when meets Chantal in a forest.

He had worked for many years with all kinds of people and he knew –

almost for certain – what she must be thinking. She probably thought he

had shown her the gold in order to impress her with his wealth, just as now

he was trying to impress him with her youth and indifference (Coelho,

2000: 13).

His assumption is not entirely wrong because that is what exactly Chantal does.

She wants to find a possible new love and one-way ticket out of the valley where

she lives.

In his life, the stranger has already felt the grief of losing his family in an

abduction by terrorist group too. As a devoted husband and father, the stranger‟s

life is highly connected with his wife and children. He is dedicating his hard work

and purpose of life to his wife and children. Therefore, when his wife and two

daughters are killed by the terrorists, the grief, the lost and the emptiness he feels

cannot be compared to those who never lose their beloved one. Thus, as someone

who ever loses his beloved ones, he can understand more about the importance of

appreciation, memory and happiness and other good things that can be achieved

through living the fullest with his beloved ones.

Before they died, however, they had time to execute my wife and

daughters. If even God has hell, which is his love for mankind, then any

man has his hell within easy reach, and that‟s his love for his family …

despite all my efforts, my struggle to ensure that everything was carried

out according to the strictest regulations for their manufacture and sale, my

family had been killed by something which I, at some point, had sold –

perhaps over a meal at an expensive restaurant, while I chatted about the

weather or world politics (Coelho, 2000: 66-67).


33

According to personality organization theory, the stranger is experienced

in life or mature because his conscious mind is affected by his unconscious mind.

Unconsciously, he is afraid to make and repeat mistake. In the story, it is told that

the stranger loses his wife and two daughters in an abduction. As someone who

has many experiences in life or mature, it cannot be denied that he regrets and

feels ashamed for unsuccessfully saving his wife and two daughters. Therefore,

when he needs to make any decision, he unconsciously tries to save his self from

making or repeating mistakes by consciously trying to be wise and think carefully.


it decides to be matured with many experiences he has. The unconscious mind of

the stranger tells that the stranger needs to stop making or repeating mistake, thus

he needs to be wise and careful in decision makings. The preconscious mind of

the stranger, then, tries to recall his memories, on how regretful and ashamed he is

to make and repeat mistake, and how glorious it is to be wise and not make any

mistake. The thought of being mature (professional and wise) comes up after

recalling those memories. Thus, after the unconscious mind of the stranger is seen

as a non-threatening thing to do, the conscious mind of the stranger allows him to

be professional and careful in his decisions, and also to be wise by appreciating

the time he spends with his beloved family before they die.

b. Being Logical in His Actions

The stranger is categorized as a logical man because he does not easily

believe in something since everything must have reasons. As an intelligent man,

he always feels curious about things he does not know. He always wants to know


34

more and more. This can be proven in the story when the stranger comes to

Viscos because he needs to know the nature of human beings.

I need to know if we are good or evil. If we are good, God is just and will

forgive me for all I have done, for the harm I wished on those who tried to

destroy me, for the wrong decisions I took at key moments, for the

proposition I am putting to you now – for He was the one who drove me

towards the dark (Coelho, 2000: 18).

When his wife and two daughters are kidnapped, the police has surrounded

and outnumbered the terrorist group but they still fail to save his wife and two

daughters. Being surrounded and outnumbered by the police, the terrorist group

still tries to fight back and even kills the stranger‟s wife and two daughters. The

stranger cannot understand why the terrorist group kills his wife and two

daughters if they know that it can only worsen their punishments since logically

people do not want to be put in jail even just for a second. He needs to find the

answer thus, he conducts plans to find the answer in Viscos.

You may decide not to cooperate, in which case, I‟ll tell everyone that I

gave you the chance to help them, but you refused, and then I‟ll put my

proposition to them myself. If they do decide to kill someone, you will

probably be their chosen victim (Coelho, 2000: 18).

According to personality organization theory, the stranger is logical

because his conscious mind is affected by his unconscious mind. Unconsciously,

he is afraid of making mistake and being taken advantage of by others. In the

story, it is told that the stranger instead, is afraid of making mistake and taking

advantage of others by using their weaknesses. As someone who is logical, he

knows how regretful and ashamed it is to make mistake and be taken advantage of

by others. Thus, when he happens to not understand or lack in something, instead

of assuming things, making mistake and being taken advantage of by others who


35

are smarter than he is, he unconsciously tries to save his self from being taken

advantage of by consciously afraid of making mistake and taking advantage of

others and manipulating them who are less intelligent than he is.


it decides to be logical. The unconscious mind of the stranger tells that the

stranger needs to make no mistake and understand things by all means, thus he

needs to do all he can to achieve it. The preconscious mind of the stranger, then,

tries to recall his memories, on how terrifying it is to make mistake and be taken

advantage of by others and how satisfying it is to be able to perform perfectly and

understand things. The thought of being logical comes up after recalling those

memories. Thus, after the unconscious mind of the stranger is seen as a non-

threatening thing to do, the conscious mind of the stranger allows him to prevent

his self to make mistake and be taken advantage of by others and manipulate

others who are less intelligent than he is to achieve his purpose.

c. Being Aware of His Actions’ Consequences

The intelligence of the stranger can also be seen when he is aware of the

consequences of his actions. His awareness is a sign that he thinks ahead and

prepares for the possibilities that can happen, thus, he plans everything in details.

The first proof that the stranger plans everything in details is when he

fakes his identity to come to Viscos.

The stranger carefully read the form he was given to fill in at the hotel,

deciding what he was going to put. From his accent, they would know he

came from some South American country, and he decided it should be

Argentina, because he really liked their football team. In the space left for

his address, he wrote Colombia Street, knowing that South Americans are

in the habit of paying homage to each other by naming important places


36

after neighboring countries. As his name, he chose that of a famous

terrorist from the previous century (Coelho, 2000: 6).

Since he is aware that his plans can be categorized as a crime, he needs to protect

his identity if something bad happens in the future when he is conducting his plan,

therefore he goes to such extent.

The second proof that the stranger plans everything in details is when he

becomes discreet and cautious with everything.

Apart from anything else, he was extremely discreet, a quality everyone

had noticed because of one particular detail: most travelers, especially

those who arrived alone, were always very quick to try and strike up a

conversation with the barmaid, Chantal Prym, possibly in hopes of a

fleeting romance or whatever. This man, however, only spoke to her when

he ordered drinks and never once traded seductive or lecherous looks with

the young woman (Coelho, 2000: 21).

The stranger is discreet with everything he does. He chooses to pay everything in

cash when he needs to pay in Viscos instead of using credit cards since he can be

tracked down if he uses online transactions (Coelho, 2000: 20). It is too risky if he

uses the credit cards, therefore he chooses to pay in cash no matter how much it

costs.

The stranger is really cautious with everything chooses. He chooses

Viscos as a place to conduct his plans and Chantal Prym as a subordinate to help

him conducting his plans.

As for the other ten gold bars … they are worth enough to mean that none

of the inhabitants of this village would ever need to work again. I didn‟t

ask you to rebury the gold bars, because I‟m going to move them to a

place only I will know about … I am willing to hand them over to the

inhabitants of Viscos on condition that they do something they would

never ever dream of doing (Coelho, 2000: 16).


37

He knows very well the characteristics of Viscos and Chantal (predictable,

organized and reliable) are very advantageous for him (Coelho, 2000: 29). He can

help the people of Viscos and Chantal to have a better life by providing the gold

bars, knowing before hands that wealth is the only thing that can help them

instantly.

According to personality organization theory, the stranger is aware with

the consequences of his actions because his conscious mind is affected by his

unconscious mind. Unconsciously, he is afraid to make any mistakes because of

the traumatic experience of losing his wife and two daughters. He is also afraid to

make mistake because of the after-effects if he is put in jail when his identity is

discovered. In the story, it is told that the stranger is really careful and discreet

with everything he does (Coelho, 2000: 20). As someone who is aware of the

consequences of his actions, he knows that what he does to Chantal and the

people of Viscos can be categorized as a crime. Thus, when he happens to make

any decision makings to smoothly conduct his plan, he unconsciously tries to

prevent his self to be put in jail by consciously being careful and discreet with

everything he does.


it decides to become aware with the consequences of his action. The unconscious

mind of the stranger tells that the stranger can be put in jail if he is discovered by

the police when conducting his plan, thus he needs to be careful and discreet with

everything when conducting his plan. The preconscious mind of the stranger,

then, tries to recall his memories, on how terrifying it is to be put in jail and how


38

incredible it is to have his plans conducted smoothly. The thought of being careful

and discreet with everything come up after recalling those memories. Thus, after

the unconscious mind of the stranger is seen as a non-threatening thing to do, the

conscious mind of the stranger allows him to be careful and discreet with

everything he does.

3. Being a Selfish Man

A selfish man in this story can be interpreted as someone who has

concerns only for his self and not for the needs or feelings of others. The stranger

is categorized as a selfish man because of two reasons. Firstly, he always wants to

be right and secondly, he wants others to feel the despairs he feels.

a. Acting Righteous to Others

In the story, when the stranger is talking to Chantal, she accuses him of

being coward because he uses others to resolve his own conflicts when he is

incapable to do it himself but the stranger denies it. He does not want to be called

as a coward.

A German philosopher once said: „Even God has a hell: his love of

mankind.‟ No, I‟m not a coward … unlike you, who feel persecuted by

destiny, I was always a man of action, someone who struggled with the

many difficulties in my way, who lost some battles and won others, but

always understood that victories and defeats form part of everyone‟s life –

everyone, that is, except cowards, as you call them, because they never

lose or win (Coelho, 2000: 63).

Based on this dialogue, he tries to justify himself by denying himself as a

coward because he at least takes actions to solve his problems, unlike others who

never take actions. Even though he knows what Chantal means by using others, he


39

still denies it, because even if he does not solve it directly by himself, at least he

tries to solve it.

According to personality organization theory, the stranger always wants to

be right because his conscious mind is affected by his unconscious mind.

Unconsciously, he is afraid of the despair he feels if he is proven to be wrong. In

the story, it is told that he is conducting his plans in Viscos because he wants to

prove that things he believes are correct (Coelho, 2000: 17).

Both the police and the kidnappers used weapons made by my company.

No one knows how the terrorists came to be in possession of them, and

that‟s of no importance: they had them. Despite my efforts, my struggle to

ensure that everything was carried out according to the strictest regulations

for their manufacture and sale, my family had been killed by something

which I, at some point, had sold – perhaps over a meal at an expensive

restaurant, while I chatted about the weather or world politics (Coelho,

2000: 67).

As someone who always wants to be right, he knows how important it is to

make others believes him so. Thus, when he happens to find other people mock

him for his false beliefs, he unconsciously tries to save his self from despair of

being wrong by consciously forcing or making his beliefs to always be right.


it decides to always want to be right. The unconscious mind of the stranger tells

that the stranger will be in despair if he is wrong, thus he needs to do anything to

prove that he is right. The preconscious mind of the stranger, then, tries to recall

his memories, on how terrifying it is to be in despair when he is wrong and how

incredible it is when he is right. The thought of always being right comes up after



40


do anything to prove that he is always right, even by force.

b. Being Disheartened to Others

In the story, the stranger is categorized as a selfish person because he

thinks what he does is right. If human is born good, God is just and will forgive

him for all he has done, but if human is born evil, then, everything is permitted, he

never takes a wrong decision because human is condemned from the start.

I would continue to suffer, but knowing that everyone else is suffering too

would make the pain more bearable. But if only a few of us are

condemned to suffer tragedies, then there is something very wrong with

Creation (Coelho, 2000: 17 – 18).

Furthermore, his statements prove that the stranger is selfish because he

also wants others to feel the despairs he feels. If he suffers, he does not want to be

the only one to suffer. Others have to suffer too because he and others are the

same, they are human beings.

According to personality organization theory, the stranger always wants

others to feel the despair he feels because his conscious mind is affected by his

unconscious mind. Unconsciously, he wants to relieve the despair he feels by

having control in others. In the story, it is told that he does not really care whether

his plans will affect the people of Viscos or not, if they agree to conduct his plans.

As someone who wants others to feel the despair he feels, he knows how

important it is for the people of Viscos to agree to conduct his plans. Thus, when

he happens to find others refuse to do so, he unconsciously tries to relieve his self

from despair of being wrong by consciously forcing or making others agree to

conduct his plans.


41


it decides to want others to feel the despair he feels. The unconscious mind of the

stranger tells that the stranger needs to relieve the despair he feels by having

control in others, thus he needs to do anything to make others conduct his plans.

The preconscious mind of the stranger, then, tries to recall his memories, on how

terrifying it is to be in despair and how satisfying it is to always feel free from the

despair. The thought of wanting others to feel the despair he feels comes up after



do anything to relieve the despair he feels by making or forcing the people of

Viscos to conduct his plans.

B. The Types of Anxieties of the Stranger

Using types of anxiety theory, this study finds that the stranger has

realistic anxiety, neurotic anxiety and moral anxiety. Anxiety is a painful

emotional experience resulted from internal or external stimulation and governed

by the autonomic nervous system. It plays an important role in the development of

personality as well as in the dynamics of personality functioning (Hall, 1999: 61).

1. Realistic anxiety

Realistic anxiety is a painful emotional experience that occurs from a

perception of threat in the external world. This perception of threat may be

inherited since birth or it may be obtained during the lifetime, thus makes ones


42

become afraid in the presence of certain objects or environmental conditions

(Hall, 1999: 63).

This study finds two realistic anxieties that are experienced by the stranger

in the story. Those two realistic anxieties are experienced by the stranger when

first, he tries to save his wife and two daughters from the terrorists, and second,

when he tries to save Chantal from a rouge wolf.

a. Saving His Wife and Two Daughters from the Terrorists

In the story, it is told that the stranger is a highly paid director of a huge

arms trade firm. He is paid commission on every deal he makes, thus, he earns

more than enough to support his wife, his daughters, and even his grandchildren

and greatgrandchildren. On one evening, the stranger receives a phone call in his

office from a woman saying that her terrorist group has kidnapped his wife and

two daughters. She wants a large quantity of weapons produced by the firm he

works in and the stranger to keep quiet about it if he wants his wife and two

daughters to be safe (Coelho, 2000: 65). Since the stranger is a good citizen,

brought up to respect the laws and to feel protected by the laws, the first thing he

does is to ring the police. The hiding place where the terrorists keep his wife and

two daughters has been discovered before the day is out. Since the terrorists are

young and inexperienced, the police are able to handle them by shooting them to

death, but unfortunately before the terrorists die, they succeed to kill his wife and

two daughters by shooting them with their illegal weapons from the stranger‟s

firm (Coelho, 2000: 66 – 67).


43

At the end of the year, I left my job. I traveled to the four corners of the

earth, alone with my grief, asking myself how human beings can be

capable of such evil. I lost the most precious thing a man can have: my

faith in my fellow man … all my sense of compassion gradually vanished,

and now my heart has entirely shriveled up; I don‟t care whether I live or

die. But first, for the sake of my wife and daughters, I need to grasp what

happened in that hiding place (Coelho, 2000: 68).

The terrorists in this story is seen by the stranger‟s ego as a dangerous

threat from the external world as they are criminals therefore, the government

tries so hard to eradicate them. The terrorists can harm or even kill not only

himself but also his wife and two daughters. Therefore, since it is labeled as a

dangerous threat, the stranger then, reacts by calling the police as the authorized

party to handle these terrorists. Unfortunately for the stranger, his anxiety

becomes reality as his wife and two daughters die by the terrorists‟ gunshots.

b. Saving Chantal from a Rogue Wolf

In the story, it is told that the stranger has provoked Chantal, and been

taking advantages from the offers he gives to Chantal. It makes Chantal think that

she is not so much stealing a gold bar as she is just claiming her wages for her role

in the stranger‟s plan, thus, she deserves not only the gold bar but much, much

more for having endured what has happened in her life too. Having this thought,

Chantal then digs down into the soft earth and sees the gold bar. Before being able

to pick the gold bar, Chantal hears a voice and automatically begins to push the

earth back into the hole – ready to explain that she is looking for the treasure –

only to realize that the voice belongs to a rouge wolf that is able to terrify her so

much (Coelho, 2000: 113 – 114).


44

At the moment, a stone arced across the sky and landed near the wolf,

which turn with the phenomenal speed and hurled off in the direction of

this new threat … she ran in the direction of her only refugee, while the

man likewise clambered lithely up to other tree. By the time the rouge

wolf reached him, he was safe (Coelho, 2000: 116).

The rouge wolf in this story is seen by the stranger‟s ego as a dangerous

threat from the external world. Rouge wolf is described as a dangerous animal as

it is wild and carnivore by the ancestors. It can harm or even kill not only himself

but also Chantal. Therefore, since it is labeled as a dangerous threat, the stranger

then, reacts by clambered lithely up a tree to save himself from it. The anxiety

caused by the rouge wolf also makes the stranger to be in a kind of trance. It

makes Chantal must repeat her instruction three times until the stranger registers

what she says. The stranger also tries to drive away the rouge wolf by making fire

from the tree‟s branches, since it is believed that the rouge wolf is afraid of fire.

2. Neurotic anxiety

Neurotic anxiety is a fear toward unknown danger because previously

experiencing unconscious feelings of destruction against something (Hjelle and

Ziegler, 1981: 34). This fear is resulted from the ego that cannot control the id

thus it breaks loose and cause ones to do something for which ones will be

punished (Nordby and Hall, 1974: 48).

This study finds a neurotic anxiety of the stranger as he constantly shows

apprehensiveness or nervousness by always expecting something dreadful to

happen in the story. The stranger is experienced this anxiety when he plans

everything in details as he comes to Viscos to seek answers.


45

As mentioned above in the characteristic of the stranger, the stranger is

aware of the consequences of his actions as his plans can be categorized as a

crime, and he can be arrested for it. Therefore, he needs to prevent the possibility

of being arrested by planning everything in details to protect his identity prove his

innocence. The first proof that the stranger plans everything in details is when he

fakes his identity to come to Viscos.

The stranger carefully read the form he was given to fill in at the hotel,

deciding what he was going to put. From his accent, they would know he

came from some South American country, and he decided it should be

Argentina, because he really liked their football team. In the space left for

his address, he wrote Colombia Street, knowing that South Americans are

in the habit of paying homage to each other by naming important places

after neighboring countries. As his name, he chose that of a famous

terrorist from the previous century (Coelho, 2000: 6).

The second proof that the stranger plans everything in details is when he becomes

discreet and cautious with everything.

Apart from anything else, he was extremely discreet, a quality everyone

had noticed because of one particular detail: most travelers, especially

those who arrived alone, were always very quick to try and strike up a

conversation with the barmaid, Chantal Prym, possibly in hopes of a

fleeting romance or whatever. This man, however, only spoke to her when

he ordered drinks and never once traded seductive or lecherous looks with

the young woman (Coelho, 2000: 21).

The stranger is discreet with everything he does. He chooses to pay everything in

cash when he needs to pay in Viscos instead of using credit cards since he can be

tracked down if he uses online transactions. Too risky to use the credit cards, he

then chooses to pay in cash no matter how much it costs.

The stranger is also really cautious with everything chooses since he has

failed to save his wife and two daughters. Having been cautious, he then carefully

chooses Viscos as a place to conduct his plans and Chantal Prym as a subordinate


46

to help him conducting his plans. He knows very well the characteristics of Viscos

and Chantal (predictable, organized and reliable) are very advantageous for him

(Coelho, 2000: 29). He can help the people of Viscos and Chantal to have a better

life by providing the gold bars, knowing before hands that wealth is the only thing

that can help them instantly (Coelho, 2000: 16).

The possibility of his identity being revealed and his plans failed are seen

by the stranger‟s ego as fears toward instincts because previously experiencing

unconscious feelings of destruction against his failure in saving his wife and two

daughters from the terrorists. It fears that if the ego of the stranger cannot control

the id, then the stranger may do something reckless and everything will be a mess

as his identity is revealed and when his plans fail he will be arrested by the

authorities. Therefore, since it is labelled as fears toward instincts, the stranger

then, reacts by planning everything in details to prevent himself from it.

3. Moral anxiety

Moral anxiety is a fear of the conscience resulted from the dependency of

the ego on the superego. This anxiety can also be caused from the failure to

behave constantly with what is so called morally right. Therefore, it directs

behavior into activities that are acceptable to the individual‟s conscience (Hjelle

and Ziegler, 1981: 46).

This study finds a moral anxiety of the stranger as he does not want to feel

guilty of his selfish side by showing his good side at the same time. The stranger

is experienced this anxiety when he is seen as a good man as he does not value

others based on their social status and acts fairly. While at the same time, he


47

shows his selfish side as he uses innocent people‟s life to redeem himself for the

loss of his wife and two daughters.

Financially, the stranger and the people in Viscos are different in status.

The stranger is rich and well respected, but still, he treats the people of Viscos

who are economically lower than him, nicely. It is shown when the stranger are

frequently exchanging stories, comfortable with and paying for rounds of drinks

and meals for everyone coming to the bar located in the hotel he stays in when he

eats, just like how it is done between close colleagues (Coelho, 2000: 19 – 21).

In the story, the stranger is also categorized as someone who acts fairly

because he gives reward for those who deserve it. The stranger comes to Viscos to

seek an answer whether human is born good or evil. He wants to prove that by

offering a gold bar to Chantal for helping him tell the people of Viscos about his

plan and ten gold bars to people in Viscos if they agree to kill one of their people

(Coelho, 2000: 16). Though in the end of the story, the stranger agrees to give all

the gold bars to Chantal (Coelho, 2000: 199).

By proposing such offers, the stranger wants to give Chantal and people in

Viscos the rewards – the eleven gold bars – which they deserve. It is a win-win

solution for all sides because the stranger is able to have an answer that he is

looking for while Chantal and people in Viscos are able to get the financial

support that they need to rebuild their lives to be better.

In the end of the story the stranger agrees to give all the gold bars to

Chantal even after she convinces the people of Viscos that the stranger‟s plan is

too risky and too ridiculous to be conducted. The stranger agrees to do so because


48

she stops the stranger for making a big sin by indirectly killing a person and gives

the stranger the answer that human is born both good and evil, it is all the matter

of control and choice, thus she deserves the gold bars (Coelho, 2000: 199 – 201).

In the story, the stranger shows his good side as well as his selfish self

when he wants to prove whether human is born good or evil. The stranger uses

innocent people‟s life to redeem himself for the loss of his wife and two daughters

is seen by the ego as a fear of conscience resulted from his superego that he

develops as he is taught to respect the laws and feel protected by the laws

(Coelho, 2000: 66). Morally, killing a person intentionally is wrong moreover if

that person is innocent. Therefore, because it is seen as morally wrong, the ego

reacts by trying to direct it to make it acceptable for the stranger‟s conscience.

The ego tries to do so by making the stranger‟s plan be seen as a morally right

killing, thus, the stranger tries to conduct his plans by making it as if he is justified

to do so because he is the victim of God‟s unfairness and because he can help all

the people in Viscos who are in the brink of extinction and also Chantal who has

suffered all her life since childhood.

C. Ego Defense Mechanisms of the Stranger

Using ego defense mechanism theory, this study finds several ego defense

mechanisms of the stranger that are seen in the story.

One of the major tasks imposed upon the ego is that of dealing with the

threats and dangers that beset the person and arouse anxiety. The ego may

try to master danger by adopting realistic problem-solving methods, or it

may attempt to alleviate anxiety by using methods that deny, falsify or

distort reality and that impede the development of personality. The latter

methods are called defense mechanisms of the ego (Hall, 1999: 85).


49

According to Freud, individuals rarely rely upon an ego defense mechanism to

protect themselves from anxiety. Thus, it is more common for them to use several

ego defense mechanisms.

Since it rarely happens to rely on a single ego defense mechanism, this

study will analyze several ego defense mechanisms that can be seen on the

stranger based on his decision makings.

1. Coming to Viscos and Conducting His Plan in There

In the story, the stranger comes to Viscos to prove whether human is born

good or evil. He wants to test his theory about the nature of human beings that if

they are confronted by temptations, they will always fall and given the right

circumstances, they will be willing to commit crime.

So then I thought up my own game: I would go to some remote place,

where everyone looked on life with joy, peace and compassion, and I

would see if I could make the people there break a few of the Ten

Commandments (Coelho, 2000: 15)

According to the statement above, the stranger‟s decision to come to

Viscos and conduct his plan in there is called as projection. The stranger is

unconsciously attributing his own unacceptable impulses, attitudes and behaviors

in proving whether humans are born good or evil by breaking on of the Ten

Commandments in exchange of gold bars, to God.

His wife and two daughters are kidnapped by a group of terrorists who

demand weapons from the stranger. Despite the threat of a group of terrorists, the

stranger decides to call the police to ask help and save his wife and two daughters.

The police succeed in finding the terrorists and kills them, but the police fail to


50

save his wife and two daughters as they are killed by the terrorists first. The

deaths of his wife and two daughters make the stranger lose his faith in humans.

He laughs and weeps at God‟s irony, at the absurd way He has chosen to

demonstrate to him that he is the instrument of good and evil (Coelho, 2000: 65 –

67).

The stranger‟s decision to come to and conduct his plan in Viscos is also

called as displacement. The stranger‟s ego is unconsciously attributing his

unacceptable fate caused by God through the terrorists who has more power to the

people of Viscos who have less power. The stranger is displeased by the fact that

the people of Viscos who has the possibility to choose, thus, because he does not

have the possibility to choose he wants to see whether the people of Viscos may

have acted differently than the terrorists who kill his wife and two daughters.

The terrorists were already surrounded and defeated; nevertheless they

killed my family merely in order to carry out a useless, empty ritual. Your

village has what I did not have: it has the possibility to choose. They will

be tempted by the desire for money and perhaps believe they have a

mission to protect and save their village, but even so, they still retain the

ability to decide whether other not to execute the hostage. That‟s all. I

want to see whether other people might have acted differently than those

poor, bloodthirsty youngsters (Coelho, 2000: 69).

In the story, the stranger mostly blames God for the unfortunate fate that

he has as he has to lose his wife and his two daughters in an abduction by the

terrorists (Coelho, 2000: 67). Since he fears God, and he cannot directly confront

God who has more power than him, the stranger‟s ego thus redirects his impulses

to the people of Viscos who have less power because he, as an extremely rich and


51

a famous industrialist, feels that he has more power than the people of Viscos

(Coelho, 2000: 63 – 64).

The stranger‟s decision to come to Viscos and wants the people of Viscos

to break one of the Ten Commandments „Thou shalt not kill‟ are also called as

rationalization. The stranger‟s ego tries to distort the reality of the irrational plan

of the stranger to give gold bars in exchange of a murder and thus protect the self-

esteem of the stranger to conduct his plan.

Losing his wife and two daughters in an abduction makes the stranger lose

his willingness to live.

All my sense of compassion gradually vanished, and now my heart has

entirely shriveled up; I don‟t care whether I live or die. But first, for the

sake of my wife and daughters, I need to grasp what happened in that

hiding place (Coelho, 2000: 68).

Therefore, when he decides to go to Viscos and conducts his plan in breaking one

of the Ten Commandments, the stranger‟s ego makes his decisions seem rational

thus he keeps pursuing his plans. The stranger thinks that his decisions are rational

because he has nothing to lose. If he proves that humans are born good then God

is just and will forgive him for all he has done for He is the one who drives the

stranger towards the dark, but if he proves that humans are born evil then

everything is permitted, he never takes the wrong decision because humans are

condemned from the start for redemption lies beyond either humans thought or

deed (Coelho, 200: 18).

The stranger‟s plan to make the people of Viscos break one of the Ten

Commandments, makes the people of Viscos angry because killing an innocent

person is categorized as a criminal act. The people of Viscos then begin to think


52

differently. They are reminded with the conditions of their village which is in the

brink of extinction, the amount of money that they need to build their village and

to enhance their financial stability. They also start to believe that the sacrifice of

one individual saves all humanity (Coelho, 2000: 108).

2. Alluring Chantal with His Gold Bar

In the story, the stranger begins to allure Chantal by confessing that

everything he writes on the form at the hotel is false and wanting to show her

something that she‟s never seen before (Coelho, 2000: 8). After showing Chantal

the gold bars and being asked so many questions by her, the stranger is pleased

with Chantal‟s intelligence which is suitable to be the person who helps him

conducting his plans (Coelho, 2000: 15).

The stranger‟s decision to allure Chantal with his gold bar is called

displacement. Since the stranger cannot direct his impulse to God and the

terrorists already die, he then directs his impulse to Chantal who is less

threatening and easy to „read‟.

You may decide not to cooperate, in which case, I‟ll tell everyone that I

gave you the chance to help them, but you refused, and then I‟ll put my

proposition to them myself. If they do decide to kill someone, you will

probably be their chosen victim (Coelho, 2000: 18).

The stranger‟s threat to Chantal and the conditions that she is in make her have no

choice but to obey in helping him to conduct his plans.


53

3. Accepting the Devil after Losing His Wife and Two Daughters

In the story, the stranger recalls when he first hears the devil‟s voice after

Chantal tells the people of Viscos about his plans.

He had first heard the devil‟s voice on an island, where he had traveled

after resigning from his job; he was on the beach, in terrible emotional

pain, trying desperately to believe that his suffering must have an end,

when he saw the most beautiful sunset he had ever seen. It was then that

his despair came back in force, and plumbed the depths of the deepest

abyss in his soul precisely because such a sunset should also have been

seen by his wife and children. He broke into uncontrollable sobs and felt

that he would never climb up from the bottom of that pit (Coelho, 2000:

84).

The stranger‟s grief that comes back after seeing the beautiful sunset is called

repression. When losing his beloved wife and two daughters, the stranger‟s ego

tries to repress the grief caused by his losing into the unconscious but

unfortunately, that grief forces its way out into consciousness in an unaltered form

thus makes him break into uncontrollable sobs and feel that he will never be able

to recover from that grief.

In that moment of grief, the devil tries to reason with the stranger that he is

not alone and there is no such thing as good because life in this world is just a

little joke played on him by God. Life is full of terrors but the stranger is lucky

because he has been through the worst since his worse fear becomes reality as he

has lost his wife and two daughters (Coelho, 2000: 86). The stranger‟s decision to

accept the devil after the deaths of his wife and two daughters is called projection.

He is unconsciously attributing his own unacceptable impulses, attitudes and

behaviors to his personal experience of evil, thus now he wants to pass it on to

others.


54

Which is perhaps what is happening to me … God, I did not deserve what

happened to me, if you did that to me, I can do the same to others. That is

justice (Coelho, 2000: 89).

His decision is also called rationalization. The stranger tries to cope with

frustration and anxiety caused by the deaths of his wife and two daughters, by

distorting reality that he does what he does because he wants justice since he does

not deserve what has happened to him.

When the stranger‟s ego disguises the repressed forbidden impulse that he

deserves what has happened to him by directly showing it to the consciousness in

a directly opposite form, it is called as reaction formation.

In the forest, you told me that you wanted answer to certain question, but

from the way you have constructed your plan, only Evil will be rewarded;

if no one is murdered, Good will earn nothing but praise ... You‟re not

trying to find the answer to a question, you‟re simply trying to confirm

something you desperately want to believe: that everyone is evil (Coelho,

2000: 79 – 80).

The stranger unconsciously tries to prove that he deserves to lose his wife and two

daughters because he is evil. He is evil because he is planning to indirectly kill an

innocent person by using the people of Viscos. He takes advantage of the

weakness of Chantal and the people of Viscos.

4. Saving Chantal from a Rogue Wolf

In the story, when Chantal goes to the Y-shaped rock, thinking of what she

will do with the gold as soon as she has it, she meets with a rouge wolf. She is

defenseless and cannot move her body at all; her mind is blank to be able to think

on how she can save her life. Surprisingly, the stranger comes to her rescue. He

distracts the rogue wolf by throwing it rock so that he and Chantal can climb a

tree and avoid the rogue wolf. When Chantal asks the stranger to show her that he


55

is a man by lighting a few branches of the tree to attack it and chase it, the

stranger is so afraid.

He climbed down with the burning torch in his hands, ignoring the sparks

that occasionally singed his cheeks. When he saw the animal‟s foam-

flecked teeth close-up, his fear increased, but he had to do something–

something he should have done when his wife was abducted, his daughters

murdered (Coelho, 2000: 117).

The stranger‟s ability to attack and chase away the rogue wolf makes his

memory about his incapability to save his family that he has repressed by a

selective forgetting appears again (repression). Besides, his action to chase away

the rouge wolf is also called as regression. It is because he comes back to his

earlier life when he imagines that he was still happy with his family, how if he

were actually given the courage to change his destiny thus he were able to save

his family. The stranger is also said to have experienced sublimation when he

saves Chantal from a rouge wolf because remembering his grief unconsciously

makes him able to save Chantal, as he does not want to fail in saving life again.


56

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

The focus of this study is the ego defense mechanisms of the stranger in

Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym. The ego defense mechanism of the

stranger helps the stranger to protect him from overwhelming anxieties. The

anxieties that the stranger has are caused by the abduction of his wife and two

daughters by a group of terrorists, that then, leads to the death of his wife and two

daughters.

This study finds three conclusions based on the analysis. The first

conclusion is the characteristics of the stranger described in the story. The second

conclusion is the types of anxiety that the stranger has in the story. The third

conclusion is the ego defense mechanisms seen in the stranger when he

overcomes his anxieties.

First, using character disclosure in fiction theory and personality

organization theory, this study finds three characteristics of the stranger described

in the story. The first characteristic of the stranger is a good man. The stranger is

seen as a good man because of three reasons. Firstly, he is a man who does not

value others based on their social status because unconsciously, he is longing for

the companionship since he has lost his wife and two daughters. Secondly, he is a

man who obeys the laws because unconsciously, he is afraid of losing his dignity

if he breaks the laws. Thirdly, he is a man who acts fairly because unconsciously,

he is afraid of the consequences of unfairness. The second characteristic of the


57

stranger is an intelligent man. The stranger is seen as an intelligent man because

of three reasons. Firstly, he is experienced or mature in life because

unconsciously, he is afraid to be underestimated for his failure or mistake.

Secondly, he is logical because unconsciously, he is afraid of making mistakes

and being taken advantage of by others. Thirdly, he is aware of the consequences

of his actions because unconsciously, he is afraid to make any mistakes because of

his traumatic experience of losing his wife and two daughters. The third

characteristic of the stranger is a selfish man. The stranger is seen as a selfish man

because of two reasons. Firstly, he always wants to be right because

unconsciously, he is trying to save himself from the despair of being wrong

Secondly, he wants others to feel the despair he feels because unconsciously, he is

trying to relieve the despair he feels by having control in others.

Second, using the types of anxiety theory, this study finds three types of

anxiety that the stranger has in the story. The first type of anxiety is realistic

anxiety. There are two realistic anxieties experienced by the stranger. One, when

he tries to save his wife and two daughters from the terrorists who kidnap them.

Two, when he tries to save Chantal who tries to flee from Viscos with his gold bar

from a rouge wolf in the forest. The second type of anxiety is neurotic anxiety.

The stranger, even though not directly, is experienced this neurotic anxiety when

he plans everything in details as he comes to Viscos to seek answers. The third

type of anxiety is moral anxiety. The stranger is experienced this anxiety when he

is seen as a good man as he does not value others based on their social status and


58

acts fairly. While at the same time, he shows his selfish side as he uses innocent

people‟s life to redeem himself for the loss of his wife and two daughters.

Third, using ego defense mechanism theory, this study finds seven ego

defense mechanisms that can be seen on the stranger based on his four decisions

in the story. The first is the stranger‟s decision to come to and conduct his plan in

Viscos. The ego defense mechanisms that can be seen based on this decision are

projection, displacement, and rationalization. The second is the stranger‟s decision

to allure Chantal with his gold bar. The ego defense mechanism that can be seen

based on this decision is displacement. The third is the stranger‟s decision to

accept the devil after the deaths of his wife and two daughters. The ego defense

mechanisms that can be seen based on this decision are repression, projection,

rationalization and reaction formation. The fourth is the stranger‟s decision to

save Chantal from the rogue wolf. The ego defense mechanisms that can be seen

based on this decision are repression, regression and sublimation. The stranger‟s

decisions in the story are his ways to cope up with the grief he feels after he fails

to save his wife and two daughters.


59

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory

(second edition). Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2002.

Bressler, Charles. Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice.

New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1999.

Coelho, Paulo. The Devil and Miss Prym. New York: HarperCollins Publisher,

2000.

Cohen, John. Humanistic Psychology. London: George Allen & Unwind Ltd,

1958.

Feist, Jess and Gregory J. Feist. Theories of Personality (sixth edition). New

York: McGraw-Hill, 2006.

Hall, Calvin. S. A Premier of Freudian Psychology. New York: Penguin Book,

1999.

Hermawan, Adi. “Understanding Carlos‟ Behaviour as Seen in The Devil and

Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho.” Thesis, Yogyakarta: Sanata Dharma

University, 2013.

Hjelle, Larry A. and Daniel J. Ziegler. Personalities Theories (second edition).

New York: McGraw-Hill, 1981.

Kalish, Richard A. The Psychology of Human Behavior. California: Brooks/Cole

Publishing Company, 1973.

Monica, Helen. “The Main Character‟s Motivation in Saving Viscos as Seen in

Paulo Coelho‟s The Devil and Miss Prym.” Thesis, Yogyakarta: Sanata

Dharma University, 2008.


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Nordby, Vernon J. and Calvin S. Hall. A Guide to Psychologists and Their

Concepts. San Fransisco: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1974.

Roberts, Edgar V. and Henry E. Jacobs. Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and

Writing. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1987.

Sarup, Madan. An Introductory Guide to Post-structuralism and Postmodernism.

United States of America: The University of Georgia Press Athens, 1989.

Sheme Mary P U. “Relocating The Soul in Paulo Coelho‟s Novel The Devil and

Miss Prym” Research Journal of English Language and Literature

(RJELAL). Vol 1. Issue 2. (2013): p. 42. A Peer Reviewed International

Journal. (http://www.rjelal.com). October 10, 2016.

Stanton, Robert. An Introduction to Fiction. New York: Holt, Reinhart and

Winston, 1965.


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APPENDIX

Summary of Paulo Coelho’s The Devil and Miss Prym

The Devil and Miss Prym focuses on temptation in human‟s life. It tells a

story about a stranger who comes to a remote village of Viscos. The stranger is

carrying a backpack containing a notebook and eleven gold bars. Staying in a

hotel, the strange carefully reads the form given to fill in and decides what he is

going to put. From his accent, they will know he comes from some South

American country, and he decides it should be Argentina, because he really likes

their football team. In the space left for his address, he writes Colombia Street,

knowing that South Americans are in the habit of paying homage to each other by

naming important places after neighboring countries. As his name, he chooses a

famous terrorist name from the previous century, Carlos.

The next morning after he eats breakfast, he brings the gold bars in his

rucksack and sets off for the mountain to the east of the village. He plunges into

the forest, dugs a hole close to a rocky outcrop in the shape of a Y and hides one

of the gold bars there. Then, he digs another hole in a rocky outcrop in the shape

of an eagle and hides the remaining ten gold bars.

When he is on his way back to the hotel, he sees a woman and decides to

befriend her. The woman is named Chantal Prym, she works in the evenings at the

bar of the hotel he stays. The stranger confesses to that he is 52 years old, his

name is not Carlos and everything he writes on the form at the hotel is false when


62

she does not seem to be interested with the stranger‟s offer to follow him

because he wants to show her something she has never seen before, a gold bar.

Succeeding to persuade Prym, the stranger begins to explain his purpose to

come to Viscos. To Prym, he explains that he comes to Viscos to seek an answer

whether a human is born good or evil years after his wife and two daughters are

dead, murdered by terrorists. Thus, he offers a gold bar for Prym alone if she

wants to comply with his plan, that is for her to tell the people in Viscos that the

other ten gold bars are going to be given to the people of Viscos if they break the

„Thou shalt not kill‟ commandment. He goes on by saying that during a week one

of them must be murdered, be it a useless old man, or someone with an incurable

illness, or a mental defective who requires constant attention, it does not matter.

The stranger keeps pressuring Prym to do what he has said. He even threatens her

that he is going to make the pwoplw in Viscos hate her if she does not comply.

The stranger‟s threat to Prym make her life in despair. Prym is afraid of

what will happen if she agrees or does not agree to do what the stranger tells her

to because no matter what her choice is, it will always bring harms. Therefore, she

is always cautious when the stranger is around her and people of Viscos because

she is afraid that the stranger will tell people of Viscos about his plan himself.

After several nights, the stranger cannot be patient anymore to wait. He

finally decides to secretly slips Prym a note asking her to meet him alone, though

he does not refuse if she wants to meet him with people of Viscos present too, a

treat that Prym does not miss to understand.


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When Prym agrees to meet with him, she calls him a coward because he

uses other people to resolve his own conflicts but he is incapable of taking certain

decisions. The stranger does not want to be called as a coward because he is

always a man of action. He, then, starts to tell Prym his past life that he used to be

a married man with two daughters, a regular churchgoer and a highly paid director

of a huge firm specialized in arms trade.

His life begins to change when one evening a group of terrorists kidnap his

wife and two daughters, asking him to give them weapons from his firm if he

wants his wife and two daughters to be safe. Since he is a good citizen, brought up

to respect the laws and feel protected by the laws, the first thing he does is to call

the police despite the terrorists‟ threat to tell anybody. The police succeed in

executing the terrorists but they fail to save his wife and two daughters because

before they shoot the terrorists dead, the terrorists manage to kill his wife and two

daughters.

The stranger lives in a despair after his wife and two daughter die. He

starts to blame God for the misfortune that happens in his life. Therefore, to drive

away the devil and have hope in life again, he needs an answer why the

misfortune happens to him. He needs to know whether human is born good or evil

in order to understand why the terrorists kill his wife and two daughters that is

why he comes to Viscos.

Finally on Friday night, Prym tells the people of Viscos about the

stranger‟s plan. The people of Viscos are shocked. They are mad with the

stranger. They try to kick out the stranger from Viscos but the stranger threatens


64

them so they cannot make him leave. They are also mad with Prym because she

should never have allowed herself to become the stranger‟s mouthpiece and made

Viscos turn to hell by agreeing with the stranger‟s offer.

Even if there are debates within the people of Viscos about what they

should do. In the end, the people of Viscos, excluding Prym and Berta, decides to

„sacrifice‟ Berta for the sake of the village‟s poverty since they think that she is

lonely, old and still suffering from her husband‟s death thus, it is justifiable for her

to be sacrificed.

On the night when the stranger‟s plan is executed, Prym stops the people

of Viscos in shooting Bertha. She tries to reason with them that doing the

stranger‟s plan will bring them harms instead of good because the gold bars are

not as valuable as a human being‟s life. The people of Viscos finally realized that

it is too risky to kill Bertha for ten gold bars and leaves the execution place until

there are just the stranger, Prym and Bertha left. The stranger, then, gives all the

gold bars to Prym and demands the answer he has been searching from Prym. She

says that every human is born good and evil, it depends on the control that human

has to decide whether he or she chooses to be good or evil.


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