Khusnul Khotimah, 2211416064 (2021) DEFENSE MECHANISMS OF BROKEN HOMES CHILDREN TO MAINTAIN THEIR WELL-BEING IN MUSSER’S NOVEL SEARCHING FOR ETERNITY. Under Graduates thesis, Universitas Negeri Semarang.

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Abstract

Parental divorce will have great impacts on children, mainly on their mental condition, which later can cause anxiety and other psychological problems as depicted in Searching for Eternity novel by Elizabeth Musser. This study is aimed to describe the main characters’ conflicts and psychological problems as the consequence of their parents’ divorces, to analyze the use of the main characters’ defense mechanisms to deal with their problems, and also to analyze the advantages of defense mechanism in a general sense. This qualitative research has two objects. Firstly, a novel entitled Searching for Eternity written by Elizabeth Musser is the material object. Secondly, the idea of defense mechanism adopted by broken homes children, in this case, is the main characters in the novel, is the formal object. In this research, the researcher applied Sigmund Freud’s theories of defense mechanism and his tripartite model, and the theory of allegory. The findings of this research demonstrated that there are three kinds of conflicts and seven psychological problems the main characters should deal with. The conflicts are man versus self, man versus man, and man versus society. Furthermore, the psychological problems consist of the inability to acknowledge the reality, father hunger, and aggression and low self-control which are faced by Emile as the male character. Other psychological problems are early maturity, distrust in men, and loneliness which are faced by Eternity as the female character, and also feeling abandoned and hopeless encountered by both characters. Moreover, there are eight defense mechanisms they apply to handle their problems, namely repression, rationalization, denial, sublimation, displacement, fantasy, projection, and reaction formation. All in all, in the literal sense, the above defense mechanisms help the characters to maintain their well-being and establish a good relationship with people around them. Meanwhile, in the figurative sense, since the story is an allegory of mankind’s struggle to get closer to God and chase the eternal life in heaven, it can be implied that defense mechanism is also essential for these people to help them stay on the right track and accomplish their eternal goal.

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