Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
1
Neurosis on the Main Character of theNumber 23 Film Based on Sigmund Freud’s
Psychoanalysis Theory
A Thesis
Submitted to Letters and Humanities FacultyIn Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
the Strata One Degree (S1)
Achwan Sapar104026000944
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENTFACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITYJAKARTA
2009
2
ABSTRACT
Achwan Sapar, Neurosis on the Main Character of the Number 23 FilmBased on Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis Theory. Thesis. Jakarta: Adaband Humanities Faculty, English Letters Department, Syarif HidayatullahState Islamic University. Strata One Degree, 2008.
In this research, the writer analyzes the scenes that reveal Sparrow’sNeurosis as the main character of the Number 23film. Here, the writerstudied the Number 23 film as the unit of analysis. Neurosis of abnormalpsychology viewed from Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis concept is usedas the theoretical framework of the research. The method of the research isdescriptive qualitative, which tries to explain about the intrinsic andextrinsic element of the film. At first, the researcher focus on the intrinsic ofthe film; such as the dialogues and the scenes of the film, then followed byanalyzing them through Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis as the extrinsicelement of the film.
Through observations of the scenes and the dialogues those filmmaker givesSparrow’s characterization as the main character of the Number 23, thewriter reveals specific phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, andposttraumatic disorder as Sparrow’s neurosis.
3
APPROVEMENT
NEUROSIS ON THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THE NUMBER 23
FILM BASED ON SIGMUND FREUD’S PSYCHOANALYSIS
THEORY.
A ThesisSubmitted to Adab and Humanities FacultyIn Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for
Strata One Degree
ACHWAN SAPARNIM. 104026000944
Approved byAdvisor:
Inayatul Chusna, M.HumNIP. 150331233
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH
JAKARTA
2009
4
LEGALIZATION
The thesis entitled “Neurosis on the Main Character of the Number 23Film Based on Sigmund Freud Theory” has been defended before the Letters andHumanities Faculty’s Examination Committee on May 28, 2009. The thesis hasalready been accepted as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree ofstrata (S1).
Jakarta, May 28, 2009
Examination Committee
Chair Person, Secretary,
Dr. M. Farkhan. M.Pd Drs. Asep Saefuddin, M.PdNIP. 150 299 480 NIP. 150 261 902
Members
Dr. Frans Sayogie, M.Pd Elve Oktafiyani, M.HumNIP. 150 299 481 NIP. 150 317 725
DECLARATION
5
I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of myknowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written byanother person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for theaward of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higherlearning, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text.
Jakarta, May 28, 2009
Achwan Sapar
6
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the
Lord of the universe, who has created human as the intelligent creation in this
world so that they can be observer and thinker, and peace and blessings of Allah
be upon the noblest of the Prophets and Messengers, Muhammad, his family, and
those who follow him in the goodness till the day after.
In addition, it is a very great pleasure for the writer to express the gratitude
to the writer’s lovely family for his inspiration to finish the study in this
University, they are; his parents—H. Sapariun and Hj. Husna—thanks so much to
their support, love, and pray, may Allah always bless them. The writer also wants
to sincerely deliver his great gratitude to his uncle (M. Yunus) who has been
supporting him morally and financially for these recent semesters.
The writer needs to express a great gratitude to his advisor Inayatul
Chusna for her great help, patient, and contribution in finishing this thesis. The
writer thanks for her advises, May Allah bless and gives happiness for her and her
family.
The writer also wishes to offer his expression of gratitude to the following
persons:
1. Dr. H. Abd. Chair, MA, the Dean of Faculty of Adab and Humanities,
Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University.
2. Dr. M. Farkhan, M.Pd, the head of English Letters Department.
3. Drs. Asep Saefuddin, M.pd, the Secretary of English Letters Department.
7
4. All lecturers of English Letters Department for teaching the writer during
the time she studies at this State Islamic University.
5. All the writer’s beloved friends, especially for his classmates in English
Letters Department. The writer is so thankful for their friendship and
motivation they have given to him. They are like a big family for the
writer.
6. All people who call their group as KCCI, the writer’s friends, and the
room-mates who always encourage him to finish this thesis through
discussion, phone-call, e-mail and SMS. They are great friends who
indirectly teach the writer how to socialize and to be a good friend.
May Allah bless the writer and everyone who has great contribution in
helping his completes this thesis. Last but not least, the writer realizes that this is
not perfect, so the writer accepts any suggestion and criticism from this thesis.
Achwan Sapar
Writer
8
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................... iAPPROVEMENT ................................................................................................. iiLEGALIZATION ................................................................................................. iiiDECLARATION .................................................................................................. ivACKNOWLEGDEMENT .................................................................................... vTABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................... vii
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... 1A. Background of the study ............................................................................. 1B. Focus of the Study ...................................................................................... 3C. Research Questions ..................................................................................... 3D. The Significance of the Research ................................................................ 4E. The Objectives of the Research .................................................................. 4F. Methodology of the Research ...................................................................... 4
1. Method .................................................................................................. 42. Data Analysis ........................................................................................ 43. Instrument of the Research .................................................................... 54. The Unit of Analysis ............................................................................. 5
CHAPTER II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS .......................................... 6A. Psychoanalysis ........................................................................................... 6
1. Psychical Apparatus .............................................................................. 6a. Id ..................................................................................................... 6b. Ego................................................................................................... 7c. Super-ego ........................................................................................ 8
B. Neurosis ..................................................................................................... 81. Phobia ................................................................................................... 112. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder ............................................................ 113. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ................................................................ 12
C. Trauma ....................................................................................................... 13D. Character and Characterization in Film........................................................ 14
CHAPTER III. RESEARCH FINDINGS .......................................................... 16A. Data Description/Corpuses ......................................................................... 16B. Character Analysis ...................................................................................... 18C. Neurosis ..................................................................................................... 20
1. Phobia ................................................................................................... 212. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ............................................................ 243. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Sparrow .............................................. 28
CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS ................................... 33A. Conclusion ................................................................................................. 33B. Suggestion .................................................................................................. 34
9
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................... 35
APPENDICES ..................................................................................................... 36
10
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the study
In this modern era, film has been growing to be an interesting industry for
the people who want to express their creative thought and skill. Most of cineaste
consider film as a media to share their ideas and opinions about some phenomena
in the real life; and sees it as a promising business as well since most people like
to spend their spare time by watching film.
It is not a shocking fact if most people in this world love to watch film,
because it is a unique thing like what Josseph M. Boggs and Dennis W. Petrie say
on their book the Art of Watching Films. According to them, film is a unique art
production and has a strong influence toward its viewer because it combines paint,
technology, music, literature and drama become interesting to be watched. 1 On
the other hand, film also reflects political and social pressures and issue indirectly
in many complex and contradictory ways. 2 So these are two out of many reasons
why people like film and it makes the cineastes compete to make and produce
film.
Both producer and viewer of the film pay their high attention to it. When
the cineastes make film and present it to the viewer, literature and film critics,
who act as advance viewer, give their attention to analyze and to criticize the film
that has been launched to the viewer. And there are so many aspects that can be
1 Boggs Josseph M. and Petrie Dennis W. The Art of Watching Films. 1999. p.22 Lausen, John Howard. Film the creative process. 1964. P.108
11
analyzed in film, such as cinematography, the creative process, and the moral
messages that the cineastes give in their film. One criticism that many advanced
viewers use to analyze film is Psychoanalysis. It has been long understood that
both film and cinematography cannot be separated and had a special relationship
since the first time the theory and industry were found.3 According to Apsanti
Djokosujanto in her essay, in Psikoanalisis dan sastra (page 59), there are two
approaches in analyzing film by psychoanalysis, they are biopsychanalyses and
lectures psychoanalytiques. Biopsichoanalysis is an approach in assuming film as
a work of a film maker who suffers neurosis or has psychical problem—the object
are the film makers such as script writer, director, or producer. Another approach
is lectures psychanalytiques that deals with the characters in film that is suspected
has psychological problem or pathology.4
Based on the passage above, then the writer is interested to use the second
category which discusses a character in a film that is suspected has a
psychological problem. In this thesis, therefore, the writer would like to point the
main character of the Number 23 as the object of the research. The main character
of the Number 23 suffers neurotic because of his memory that was repressed in
the past tries to come out of his unconscious mind and this is the main problem
that causes his personality disturbance (his personality becomes unstable). The
main character is a man who has a good personality in the beginning of the film.
However, his personality gradually changes and becomes unstable after he
receives a novel from his wife as a present in his 36th anniversary. The novel is the
3 Anggadewi Moesono, Psikoanalisis dan Sastra. 2003. P.594 Ibid.
12
presentation of his past that he had been repressed, and there are some significant
changes happen in him since he reads that novel—he has phobia in number 23 by
assuming that it is related to all unfortunate event in this world; and this numeric
phobia is connected to his past that had been repressed.
The psychological problem that has buried under unconsciousness of the
main character and his strong domination in the whole story interpreting number
23 in this film makes the writer interested to discuss it and make it as the object of
the research in this thesis.
By using the theory of Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis, it can be revealed
how the main character deals with his neurotic problems.
B. Focus of the Study
To make the research more focus, so the writer limits the scope of the
research in the neurotic problem of the main character in the Number 23 in facing
his life and obsession on the number 23.
C. Research Questions
Here are the questions of the research:
1.What are the neurotic problems that the main character in the Number 23 has
in living his present life?
2.How are the main character’s neurotic problems being described in the film?
13
D. The Significance of the Research
The writer hopes that this research can help reader in understanding
Freud’s psychoanalysis and how to apply it to understand someone’s attitude. The
writer also hopes that it helps the reader understand the messages of the film.
E. The Objectives of the Research
The objectives of the research are:
1. To know how the neurotic problems that the main character has.
2. To know how the main character’s neurosis problems are described on
the film.
F. Methodology of the Research
1. Method
Looking at the questions and the purposes of the research, then the writer
decides to use qualitative method in conducting this research. Qualitative, which
is one of the method that is used in research, is a research using verbal data and
others nonnumeric data as the basic analysis and in solving the problems those are
studied. 5
2. Data Analysis
In this research, the writer uses descriptive analysis technique. Writer
collects some data from available resources such as books and websites those
5 Farkhan, Muhammad. Proposal Penelitian Bahasa & Sastra. Cella: Jakarta. 2007. P. 2
14
related to his research. Writer analyzes the main character's psychological
problems in the Number 23 using Freud's psychoanalysis theory.
3. Instrument of the Research
This qualitative research sets the writer as the main instrument in
collecting data by watching the Number 23 carefully so that he can understand the
scenes or the parts those describe the psychological problem of the main
character. And the writer also collects some related data by writing down some
dialogues of in the film and making some snap-shots of the scenes those support
the research.
4. The Unit of Analysis
The unit of analysis in this research is the film the Number 23 which is
staring Jim Carry. This film was produced by Warner Bros and released on 2007.
It was directed by Joel Schumacher.
15
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS
A. Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud, the funder and the father of Psychoanalysis, said that
human psyche has a central rule in human’s life. he also describe that human’s
personality is like an iceberg which its peak that we can see above the ocean—
represented as human conscious mind—is too small if we compare it with the part
that is invisible under the ocean—represented as human unconscious mind.6
1. Psychical Apparatus
When he discussed about human’s personalities, he said that human is
basically a biologic creature, so that human performs as his biologic instincts; to
get pleasures and avoid displeasure which is known as pleasure principle in
psychoanalysis discussion. Freud also said that human has three kinds of
Psychical apparatus. Each of the psychical apparatus has their own functions and
principles, but they cannot be separated so that they can make a totality in
human’s behavior. They are id, ego, and super ego. And every human’s deed is
the interaction result among them.7
a. Id
Id is a very basic of a personality system and it contains everything
that is inherited, that is present at birth, and that is laid down in the human
constitution.8 It is also the oldest among these psychical apparatus.
Id has a function as the energy supplier that is need by the other
psychical apparatus in doing their activities. And under the influence of the
6 Kuswara, E. Teori-teori Kepribadian. Bandung: PT. Eresco. 1991. Hal. 327 Ibid.8 Storr, Anthony. Freud; peletakan dasar psikoanalisis. Pustaka Utama Grafiti: Jakarta. 1991.
Hal.70
16
real external world, id reacts to receive stimuli with arrangements of acting as
a protective shield against stimuli.
Id has two process steps in getting to its goal. The first process is
called as a reflection act, it is kind of act that is done by individual
immediately when id receives stimuli form the external world. For example,
reflect in sneezing, coughing, inhaling, etc. And the next step is called as a
primer process which involves complicated psychological reactions. In this
process, id tries to decrease the tension which is cause by the external world
by imagining the object that can help the id decrease the tension it faces. In
fact, that action is not enough because the tension still exists. So, id needs
another psychical apparatus that can help it as intermediary with the real
external world, that is called as ego.
b. Ego
Ego has a central rule in making interactions between individual
internal world and external world; it performs its functions based on reality
principle.
And Ego has three steps in performing its functions. First, it acts as
reality tester; it means that ego tries to react upon the reality so that it can
adapt it and keeps a good relationship between id or internal world and
external world. The second steps is identity, identity is the foundation of
individual personality, the stronger of identity in an individual, so the stronger
personality he/she has. Then ego builds this identity from the environment
where an individual live (especially individual’s parents and family). And the
last step is defense mechanism; defense mechanism is a psyche mechanism
that is done by ego in defending individual from any external world pressure.
17
c. Super-ego
Super-ego is the last psychical apparatus that contains of norm values
and rules which related to bad and good things. 9 It also constitutes a third
power that that ego must take into account. And if ego does something against
super-ego, so individual will feel guilty and anxious.10
And the functions of super-ego are: (a) to control impulses which is
has so that the impulses can be adapted in the common way that is acceptable
in the environment where the individual live; (b) to direct ego to the action
that prescribe by the norms or rules; (c) to direct an individual to live in
perfection. 11
B. Neurosis
When individuals interact with the real external world, they always move
from equilibrium condition toward disequilibrium and move again to equilibrium
condition. Process that is need to move from disequilibrium toward equilibrium,
however, is not always going well because sometimes individuals will face some
conflicts that impede individuals’ psyche turns back to equilibrium condition,
moreover, the conflicts cause individuals feel anxious about when the
disequilibrium will be solved so that they can reach the equilibrium condition
again; and this conditions is called as damming-up. In addition, the individuals
will try to decrease the anxious feelings because of damming-up condition by
conducting catharsis or defense mechanisms.12
9 Ibid.10 Freud, Sigmund. An Outline of Psycho-Analysis. W.W. Norton & Company. Inc: New York.
1969. Hal. 311 Ibid. Hal. 3512 Imam S. Arif. Dinamika Keperibadian: gangguan dan terapinya. Bandung: Reflika Aditama.2006. P.28
18
The choosing of defense mechanism can reflect individuals’ personalities.
The individuals who have strong personalities will face the impulses or conflicts
those cause disequilibrium wisely, and their ego usually choose a mature defense
mechanism so that they can get equilibrium condition. in the other hand, the
individuals who have weak personalities will find difficulties in facing the
impulses or conflict that cause disequilibrium condition, and their ego usually use
an immature defense mechanism so that it will be hard to get equilibrium and
potentially cause psychopathology. And the diagram below may show the
symptom formation:13
Moreover, Psychopathology that is suffered by individuals can be divided
into four groups depend on internal damage level, they are: personality
13 Ibid. P.29
ConflictDamming-up
(anxiety)
Conductingcatharsisand defensemechanism
Psychopathsymptoms
appear
Thepersonality
is stable
19
disturbance, neurosis, personality disorder, and psychosis. And in this paper, the
writer discusses neurosis.
The disorders of function14 known as neurosis and psychosis represent
relatively inefficient and unrealistic attempts on the part of the individual establish
intrapersonal and interpersonal integration under difficult circumstances.15
Neurosis is usually caused by a trauma that makes long term conflict in individual
and obstructs an individual’s personality development because his/her ego is weak
and disintegrated which cannot accomplish its functions well.16
Individuals who suffer neurosis cannot face their real external-world
properly because of their long-term internal conflicts. In addition, they have poor
vitality and braveness in facing reality; they prefer to run away form the reality
because of fear. They prefer to use defense mechanism that potentially distorts
reality and irritates their psyche than coping that could help them face the reality
effectively. Furthermore, their reluctance in facing reality makes them cannot
resolve the conflicts.17 It makes the damming up (anxiety condition) keeps
happens in long term which is could caused anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorder which is also known as neurosis can be divided into
groups depends its specific type, such as phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder,
post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder etc.
however in this paper, the writer discusses only phobia, obsessive compulsive
14 disorder of ego’s function in individual.15 Beulah C. Bosselman. Neurosis and Psychosis. Springfield. Illinois. U.S.A: Charles C ThomasPublisher. 1950. P.316 Imam S. Arif. Dinamika Keperibadian: gangguan dan terapinya. Bandung: Reflika Aditama.2006. P.72.17 Ibid. P.73
20
disorder, and post traumatic disorder that main character in film the number 23
suffers.
1. Phobia
The word of phobia is taken from Greek ‘phobos’ means ‘fear.’ The
concept of fear and anxiety are related to each other; fears is an anxious feeling
and agitation as the responses toward a threat. And phobia disorder is a
persistence fear toward object or situation and the fear is not proportional with its
threat.18 The individuals who suffer phobia doesn’t lose contact with reality
(external world); most of them know that their fear is too much and uncommon.
And the unique thing about phobia is not about fear toward extraordinary things
but is about common things in daily life. Individuals who suffer phobia fear
something that people think it doesn’t have to be worried.19 There are three kinds
of phobia; they are specific phobia, social phobia, and agoraphobia.
2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsession is an intrusive thought, idea, or impulse that is happened
repeatedly and makes individual cannot control it, obsession could be strong and
persistence so that disturbs individual’s life and creates a significant distress and
anxiety. It also contains of hesitations, impulses, and mental description. In the
other hand, compulsion is a repetitive act that individual feels need to do. 20
Compulsion is appear as the effect of obsessive thought and it could harm
18 Jeffry S. Nevid and friends. Psikologi Abnormal. Jakarta: Penerbit Erlangga. 2005. P. 168.19 Ibid.20 Ibid. P. 172
21
individual’s life and also create a significant distress and anxiety. Individuals
with OCD cannot deny their obsession thought so that they keep doing
compulsion until their compulsion turn into something like ritual which makes
them feel sorry if they don’t do it.21
3. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a maladaptive reaction toward
traumatic experience. PTSD usually happens few months or years after traumatic
event had happened.22 Most of the traumatic experience is about someone’s death,
something’s very threatening, or a serious physical injury. There are some
characteristic of PTSD, they are re-experience of the traumatic experience,
avoiding any indication or stimulus associated with traumatic experience,
insensible response generally or emotionally, stimulated easily, and emotional
distress.23
On Psikologi Abnormal that was written by Jeffery S. Nevid and friends,
page 176, it is written that in acute stress disorder or PTSD, individuals feel the
effect of traumatic experience in many ways; it could be like intrusive memories,
repeated nightmare, or a feeling that makes individuals think that it was happening
again (such as “flash-back” of that experience). An event that could arouse
traumatic experience may cause intense psychological distress. Individuals with
PTSD prefer to stay away from stimuli that arouse their traumatic experience.
21 Ibid.22 Ibid. P. 17423 Ibid. P. 175.
22
C. Trauma
Anthony Storr quotes Freud’s sentences in his book, he writes that most of
individuals suffer hysteria because they had trauma in their past. And the trauma
that happened in the past would influence their mental or psychic in their present
life if something that related to his trauma in the past happens in the present life so
that would stir the memory about what has happened in the past.
There are some criteria of the traumatic events or memories that happened
in the past: first, those events or memory cannot be remembered easily; the
sufferer could remember those events or memories back only if the psychoanalyst
hypnotizes him/her so that he/she could remember those memories back, or the
sufferer is convinced that those memories that cause his/her trauma existed and
happened in his/her past, then those memories could be remembered if he/she
strive to remember them. The second criterion is that memories were scary,
painful or shameful for the sufferer; and there is a big possibility that the sufferer
had repressed those unpleasant memories into his/her unconsciousness so that
makes him/her cannot remember them easily;24 the repression25 that the sufferer’s
ego had done in the past causes his/her trauma and influences his/her current life.
24 Storr, Anthony. Freud; peletakan dasar psikoanalisis. Pustaka Utama Grafiti: Jakarta. 1991.P.18 and 2125 Repression is an immature defense mechanism. Freud saw repression as the basic defensemechanism that is used by ego and straight related to anxious. Ego does repression to muffleanxious or libidinal impulse that potentially causes conflict with external world, it muffles theanxious or libidinal impulse without consideration or trying to solve it in conscious mind, but itrepresses it into unconscious mind directly. This repression is high risk because every repressedimpulse still exists in unconscious mind and it needs huge psyche energy to avoid the impulsecome to conscious mind. And it will make psyche energy be depleted and also will make egobecome ineffective in keeping or guiding an individual’s behaviors; the individual’s mental will beunstable (Kuswara, E. Teori-teori Kepribadian. Bandung: PT. Eresco. 1991. P.46)
23
Because of the trauma that an individual has since her/his ego had
repressed libidinal impulses, anxieties or unpleasant into his/her unconsciousness
by defense mechanism in his past, so the individual potentially obtains pathology
behaviors symptoms which could harm his/her personalities (harms the harmony
of internal and external world of the individual).
D. Character and Characterization in Film
In every story—whether it’s in a literary, fairy tale or movie—there’s a
representation oh human being as the agent who plays in the story, it’s called as a
character. A character usually refers to human, animal or thing that has function to
play its rule in a story. And every character has variety values to make a story
seems real, understandable, and worth caring about; the values could be moral,
emotional, intellectual, or appearance value.26 To give impressive values toward
character is called as characterization. Characterization in film is different with
characterization in literary works because film is a visual story telling so that the
characterization of a character in film more complicated and more detailed than in
literary.
Characterization of a character in a film can be given in some ways; such
as characterization through appearance, dialogue, through external and internal
action, and through reaction of other characters. And even setting has contribution
26 Rosenhaim, JR, Edward W. what Happens in Literature. Chicago: The University of ChicagoPress. 1960. P.79
24
as the characterization of a character in a film; it can be a determiner of character
and reflection of character.27
Characterization in film has a great deal to do with casting since the
minute viewers usually see most actor on the screen, they make certain
assumptions about tem because of their facial features, dress, physical build, and
mannerisms and they way they move; it’s called as characterization through
appearance. And the next characterization in film is through dialogue; characters
in film naturally reveal a great deal about themselves by what they say and they
say it, in other words, the values of character could be interpreted through their
word choice when they talk to others characters. Even appearance is an important
measure of a character’s personality, but the reflections of appearance are often
misleading. So, another aspect that could be considered is their action in facing
some situations; it’s kind of characterization through external action. The
reactions of other characters are also influence viewers in interpreting the
characterization of certain character.
27 Joseph M. Boggs and Dennis W. Petrie. The art of watching film. California: MayfieldPublishing Company. 1999. P.50
25
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH FINDING
A. Data Description/Corpuses
The writer would like to give a table of data description below that will
simplify the explanation of the writer’s research finding in this chapter.
No Issue Detail Corpus Time-line
1 Phobia Sparrow over-reacts when hesees number 23that iscoincidentlyformed by twoyoung-men whojog in a park.
00:30:17
Sparrow feels thatnumber 23terrorized his life.
Sparrow: “The number hadgone after fingerling.And now it was comingafter me.”
00:53:48
2 ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder
Sparrowcalculates thenumber ofeverything thatrelated to his life.
Agatha: “Walter, what areyou doing?”
Sparrow: “Check this out.Walter Sparrow doesn'twork. But if I use mymiddle name; Walter=5-1-1-9-7. isn't thatamazing?”
Agatha: “What?”Sparrow: “It's all 23. My
birthday-- 2/3, driver'slicense, social securitynumber. Everything. Iwas born at 11:12 p.m.11 plus 12.”
00:31:07
Sparrow believesthat Kyle isinnocent justbecause of hisname doesn’t add
Sparrow: “He was realconvincing about hisinnocence.”
Agatha : “well, killersusually are. his
01:00:57
26
up to 23 fingerprints were onthe knife. her blood wason his hands when hedialed 911.”
Sparrow: “no, he'sinnocent.”(Sparrow shows Kyle’sname calculation thathe has count to Agatha)
Agatha: “all because hisname doesn't add up to23?”
Sparrow suspectshis wife is the onewho has wrotethe number 23novel because hermiddle name is“Pink” which isrelated to number23 according toSparrow’sassumption.
Sparrow: “It was you. youmoved the skeleton.”
Agatha: “Please don't dothis, walter.”
Sparrow: “Then how didyou know, unless...your maiden name ispink.”
…………………………………………
Sparrow: “You wrote it.”
01:14:30
3 PosttraumaticStressDisorder
Sparrow walksout from a roomwhere somethings thosestimulates histrauma are saved.
Sparrow: “No! Get out ofhere!”
01:16:10
Sparrow tries toavoid thestimulus that canremind him abouthis trauma;however histraumaticmemoriesbecome moreintrusive.
01:16:25
In this chapter, the writer applies Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis theory
to analyze the scenes and the dialogues those describe the main character’s
27
neurotic problem. And before the writer is going to analyze the main character’s
neurosis, he would like to discuss how the main character is described in the film.
B. Character Analysis
The main character in this film is named Walter Sparrow. He lives with his
wife and son. Before he suffers neurosis, he has good personalities in the
beginning of the film. His good personalities reflect his stable psychic. And the
good personalities as the reflection of integrated psyche can be seen in some
characterization in this film.
Sparrow is a humorist person. His humor can be seen in the beginning of
the film when he feels bored because there’s nothing to do while he is working as
an animals’ controller. He tries to ease his boredom by making humor. There was
the scene when Sparrow looks bored and tries to solve his boring time. He jokes
when he sees a woman with her dog walk, then he imitates a cat sound so that
makes the woman’s dog barking. Although the woman and her dog are disturbed,
Sparrow doesn’t mean to disturb them and just tries to make a joke. It can bee
seen when they look up set, Sparrow apologize to that woman:
Sparrow: “I am sorry, I am just bored.”
Sparrow is also a good father. It can be seen by how he is closed to his son
and has good relationship with him. The judgment of other characters is also a
characterization in film, and in this case, his son is another character in the film
that recognizes him as a good father. There are some scenes that show how their
28
close relationship, and there is also a scene which his son gives Sparrow a present
in his birthday, it is a mug with a “father of the year” mark on it.
Sparrow is not only a good father, but also is a discipline and responsible
person when he works at animal control department. It is can be seen in minutes
00:05:21 when he is waiting for his work time will be over in a few minutes left,
he gets a call from his partner and commands him to catch a dog near a Chinese
restaurant, he argues with his co-worker that his time will end in one minute left
so that means he will not have enough time to go to the location.
Sybil: “Sparrow, I repeat we have an unidentified scavenger sighting."Sparrow: “It's one minute to 5:00, Sybil.”Sybil: “Then we're agreed you're still on duty.”
And he went to that place because it was still his work-time when he got
the call, and he did his job even he was in out of work-time. The characteristic of
Sparrow’s responsibility and discipline on the film was through external action
which is showed by the scenes that sparrow goes to the place where he should
catch the dog that Sybil called as the unidentified scavenger.
The condition of Sparrow’s life present is very deferent condition with the
condition of his life in the past which is revealed in the resolution of the film.
Sparrow had a bad childhood and life in the past which has a big role in his
neurotic problem in the present. When he was eight years old, his father
committed suicide soon after his mother death and he didn’t leave anything that
could reveal his reason to suicide except a note that contains of number 23.
Sparrow: “After my mother's death my father couldn't cope. He didn'tleave a note. Just a number. That number followed me from
29
foster home to foster home, till college when I met her, LauraTollins.” (01:17:43)
And when he was 23 he killed his girl friend because of she didn’t love
him and considered him as a pathetic and insane who obsessed on number 23.
And after he killed his girlfriend, he decided to commit suicide because of feeling
guilty, however, before his suicide, he wrote a novel to confess about his life, the
number 23 that makes him obsessed and about the murder.
Sparrow: "What began as a suicide note turned into somethingmore....much, much more." (01:23:00) (What Sparrow meanswith some thing more is the novel that he wrote).
C. Neurosis Analysis
Sparrow’s neurosis symptoms first appear soon after he read the novel that
is given by his wife. And the novel has a big role in causing Sparrow’s neurosis
symptoms since the novel is contained of his confession about his past.
Before the writer continues his discussion, the writer would like to give
the symptom formation how Sparrows psyche apparatus works after he read the
novel so that makes the psychopath (neurosis) symptoms appear.
ConflictDamming-up
(anxiety)
Conductingcatharsis and
defensemechanism(immature)
Psychopathsymptoms
appear
30
The diagram above show how Sparrow’s psyche gets impulse after he read
the novel. The novel causes the disequilibrium because something that he had
repressed under his unconscious mind is trying to come to his consciousness
which is creates a conflict. And he cannot solve it because he cannot find the right
answer for his anxiety—it is because the answer placed under his unconsciousness
mind—and his ego use immature defense mechanism but it doesn’t work and
makes the damming-up condition still happened that cause psychopath symptoms
appear in Sparrows life. And as the writer has explained in chapter 2, the
damming-up condition is a risk condition that could create psychopath symptoms
if it cannot be solved. And for Sparrow’s case, his psychopath symptom is
neurosis because of his trauma and past that had been repressed.
Neurosis in individual is not just appeared in one kind exclusively, so
that’s why individuals could suffer more than one diagnostic of anxiety disorder.28
It is also happened in Sparrow who suffers three kinds of neurosis, they are
phobia, obsessive compulsive and Posttraumatic stress disorder.
1. Phobia
Phobia that is suffered by Sparrow is a specific phobia which is related to
number 23. Specific phobia means a fear toward some specific object or situation
which makes the sufferer irrationally fear and has over reaction if he/she finds the
object/situation of the phobia then he/she tries to avoid the situation or the
28 Jeffery S. Nevid and friends. Opcit.P. 165
31
stimulus.29 And in Sparrow case, number 23 is the object of his phobia. He hates
the number irrationally and always show an over reaction when he finds anything
that related to that number.
It is showed in some scene how Sparrow over-reacts for his anxiety when
he sees everything that related to number 23. For example is the scene in minute
00:30:17 which is the scene when Sparrow just closes novel number 23 and looks
at two young-men who are jogging in a park. The first boy wears shirt number 2
and the second boy wears shirt number 43, however when the first boy runs and
his position cover a half sight of another boy’s position, he cover number 4 so that
Sparrows looks number 23 and his expression is suddenly changed, his expression
shows that he is uncomfortable with what he sees (see the pictures below).
29 Ibid..P. 169
32
His phobia toward number 23 is also making him feel as if the number is
terrorizing his life. It is can bee seen in time-line 00:43:30 when Sparrow walks
down street after reading the novel, he sees number 23 everywhere along the
street, he sees it in Stores’ numbers, address, streets, etc. he feels as if his life is
terrorized by number 23. Even number 2153 that is painted in a wall he sees as
number 23 when a pole covers his point of view and cover up its two middle
numbers (15).
The snap-shots above are parts of scene that show Sparrow feels terrorized
by number 23 which is film maker shows the scene as the characterization through
internal action. Film maker show it by giving a fast moving camera to those
numbers (Stores’ numbers, address, streets, etc.) with a voices that describe about
the enigma of number 23.
There is also a dialogue in time-line 00:53:48 that describes Sparrow’s
specific phobia.
Sparrow: “The number had gone after fingerling. And now it was comingafter me.” (00:53:48)
Sparrow’s statement “and now it was coming after me” shows that he feels
that his life was in danger because of the number 23 and he become the target of
33
number 23, that is why his phobia to number 23 influences his reliance to
someone who relates to number 23. For example, he doubts a professor’s
personality because that professor wears red tie—Sparrows assumes that red
relates to number 23. And he also impeaches his wife could have affair with that
professor since her middle name is Pink, and pink also has relations with 23. His
suspicions to his wife and that professor can be seen in 00:43:50 when sparrow
sees them talk in his wife’s store when the store is being closed. Even though they
don’t have affair, Sparrow is worry because their relationship to number 23. This
scene shows how number 23 has significant influence toward Sparrow’s life.
Those scenes that show sparrow’s phobia is a characterizations through
internal actions that filmmaker reveals Sparrow’s fears and suspicion toward
number 23 visually. Most of those scenes are showed by tight close-ups on
numbers which Sparrows sees as number 23 relations, and also tight close-ups on
Sparrow’s expressive face.
2. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
For his phobia toward number 23, Sparrow tries to figure everything out
how they connected to number 23 by calculating of the number that is contained
in it. It is kind of obsessive compulsive disorder. Obsession is an intrusive
thought, idea, or impulse that is happened repeatedly and makes individual cannot
control it, obsession could be strong and persistence so that disturbs individual’s
life and creates a significant distress and anxiety. In the other hand, compulsion is
a repetitive act that individual feels need to do. Compulsion is appear as the effect
34
of obsessive thought and it could harm individual’s life and also create a
significant distress and anxiety.30
The obsession of Sparrow in number 23 is showed by his thought that
couldn’t stop to think about the relation of number 23 with everything he finds in
his life. He believes that number 23 is a cursed number and everything that related
to it must have bad influence. And his action in counting everything’s number
substance is a compulsion.
Here are some scenes that describe about his obsessive compulsive:
Agatha: “Walter, what are you doing?”Sparrow: “Check this out. Walter Sparrow doesn't work. But if I use my
middle name; Walter= 5-1-1-9-7. isn't that amazing?”Agatha: “What?”Sparrow: “It's all 23. My birthday-- 2/3, driver's license, social security
number. Everything. I was born at 11:12 p.m. 11 plus 12.”
The picture and dialogues above are captured on minute 31:07—here the
film maker reveals Sparrow’s OCD by characterizations through his external
action and also through dialogue—Sparrow tries to calculate the number that
contains in his name and he is shock knowing that the calculation result in his
30 Jeffery S. Nevid and friends. Opcit.P. 172
35
name is 23. It is the first time He shows his obsession on number 23 and his
obsessive-compulsive disorder becomes worse gradually so that he tries to
calculate anything that related to him such as his address, driving license number,
etc. to ensure whether they are related to number 23 or not.
After calculating some things related to his personal life and find there are
so many of them related to number 23, Sparrow thinks that the writer of the novel
must know about his past life that he cannot remember. Then he decided to find
who the writer is. And in his searching process, he finds a fact that there was a
murdering case that happened around the time when the novel was made. In
addition, he looks for information about that case and finds that the murderer
name is Kyle Flinch and he is jailed. He goes to the jail where the suspect is
sentenced and asking about what number 23 means to Kyle. Sparrow is sure that
Kyle was the one who killed the girl and wrote the novel as his warped literary
confession; however, Kyle said that he is jailed for a mistake he had never done
because he had never killed anyone and he also said that he is not the author of
that novel. Sparrow is mad finding the fact that Kyle is not the writer of the novel
and he doesn’t believe it, he even says Kyle is lying. However, he believes what
Kyle said after he calculates the number of that man’s name; Sparrow finds that
the calculation number of Kyle is not 23, and he sure that Kyle is not a killer.
Sparrow’s judgment on Kyle can be seen in time-line 01:00:57
Sparrow: “He was real convincing about his innocence.”Agatha : “well, killers usually are. his fingerprints were on the knife. her
blood was on his hands when he dialed 911.”Sparrow: “no, he's innocent.”
(Sparrow shows Kyle’s name calculation that he has count toAgatha)
36
Agatha: “all because his name doesn't add up to 23?” (01:00:57)
Sparrow believes in what Kyle has said just because of his obsessive
thought that consider as a cursed number is add up to Kyle’s name.
Another scene that shows Sparrow’s OCD is can be seen in time-line
01:14:30 when he is still curious about who is the writer of the novel and the one
who killed Laura Tollins.
Sparrow: “It was you. you moved the skeleton.”Agatha: “Please don't do this, walter.”Sparrow: “Then how did you know, unless... your maiden name is pink.”…………………………………………Sparrow: “You wrote it.” (01:14:20)
His judgment toward everything always depends on number 23 calculation
until he suspects his wife and says that his wife possibly be the writer since her
maiden name is pink which its numbers is add up to 23, according to Sparrow.
Sparrow’s OCD toward number 23 looks clearer now, he finds number 23
in his wife by calculating her maiden name only and immediately suspects his
wife as a murderer, in fact, he calculate his own full-name to finds number 23 in
his name after his first and last name don’t add up to number 23. Here we see how
his compulsion in calculating number 23 is based on his Obsession thought about
it; so that he counts the numbers with inconsistence way of calculation whereas he
sometimes adds the numbers, but in other times he subtracts them and sometimes
he multiplies or divides them so that he could find number 23; in other word he
has no regular and exact way to calculate it.
37
3. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Sparrow
The last pathology that Sparrow has is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. It is
a reaction toward traumatic experience. PTSD possibly happens few months or
years after traumatic event had happened.31 And in Sparrow’s case, he suffers
PTSD after 13 years of his traumatic experience. His PTSD is caused by the
traumatic experience when he killed his girlfriend. And Sparrow’s traumatic
reaction occur in some variant ways when he gets impulses that raise his PTSD,
avoiding the indication or stimulus associated with his traumatic experience,
emotional distress, and intrusive memory of his trauma in his mind.
We can see his PTSD is described in some scenes, and the writer will
discuss it one by one. The first scene that describes Sparrow’s PTSD is in minute
1:14:20. In this scene, Agatha leads Sparrows to an old-building where Sparrow
has been nursed soon after his suicide-effort was failed. There are files belong to
Sparrow and the master copy of the number 23 then Agatha shows them as the
proof that the one who has written the novel is Sparrow. However, Sparrow keeps
stand off and does not want to hear her explanation. Then Agatha gives him a
trumpet that Sparrow used to play when he was with his girl friend in his past, and
when Sparrow touches it a flash back of his memory is happening and he throws it
away immediately as his reaction in avoiding stimulus associated with his
traumatic experience. Then when he holds a bracelet, a flashback of his repressed
memory happens again and Sparrow shows the same response to it (see the
31 31 Ibid..P. 174
38
pictures below which are taken from the scene when Sparrow gets stimulus from
the bracelet.
Sparrow: “No! Get out of here!” (01:16:10)
And after he throw the bracelet, his PTSD causes emotional distress,
Sparrows looks shocked and worried then gets out of the room suddenly. He runs
away to leave the place where his goods those are associated to his repressed
memory are saved. And when he is running, some flashbacks of intrusive
memories are still happening. The flashbacks are the scenes that the filmmaker
gives the characterization of Sparrow through his internal actions by giving
unusually sensitive reactions toward the memories that he repressed.
39
The pictures above are the snapshots of the scene when Sparrow is trying
to run away from the building to avoid the stimulus that related to his ex-girl
friend death (01:16:25), even though he gets out of the building, his intrusive
memories are increase. There second picture on the right side above is one of the
intrusive memories that shows when he run. Sparrow’s effort to avoid the
stimulus that can remind him about his past is unsuccessful because individuals
who suffer PTSD usually will have more intrusive memories when they avoid the
stimulus.32
Then he decided to go to Edward Hotel to calm himself down like he used
to do, he come in to room number 23, and in that hotel he finds chapter 23 that is
missing from the novel, chapter 23 was written down in the wall. And after he
reads that chapter, he can remember every detail of his repressed pas. That room
was the same place where he tried to isolate himself soon after he killed his
girlfriend and wrote an obsession novel about number 23 that contains about his
life that was haunted by number 23, and after the novel was done, he tried to
commit suicide.
32 Lauren B. Alloy and friends. Abnormal Psychology: Current Perspective. New York: TheMcGraw Hill Companies. 2004. P.157.
40
Sparrow: “Chapter 23: you can call me fingerling, but my real name isWalter, Walter Paul Sparrow. What you have read so far is notthe whole truth. Much has been changed to protect the innocentand the guilty. I once read that the only philosophical questionthat matters is whether or not to commit suicide. I guess thatmakes me a philosopher. You could say it was my inheritance.After my mother's death my father couldn't cope. He didn't leavea note, just a number. That number followed me from foster hometo foster home, till college when I met her, Laura Tollins.”(01:17:40)
After reading the chapter 23 that he finds in the wall, Sparrow remembers
all the memories he has forgotten. He remembers that his father suicide soon after
his mother death, and that was happened when he was a little boy. His father left
nothing but some notes about 23. He was too young to have that accident and his
psyche apparatus is not capable to solve the situation so that he tried to repress the
problem, as an individual personality development from the post-birth to genital
phase is influence how strong or weak psyche they will have to face problems in
the future.33 So, the number 23 is associated to his father suicide soon after his
mother death, and that tragic incident become his childhood trauma that he had
tried to repress into his under-unconscious mind will be triggered when he finds
some thing that related to that number in his present life. And as the writer has
discussed before, Sparrow tries to figure everything out how they are connected to
number 23 by calculating of the numbers that are contained in them as the
anticipation of his phobia toward number 23, that Sparrow says: “He didn’t leave
a note, just a number. That number followed me from foster home to foster home,
till college.” It means his Phobia and OCD that he suffers after his father suicide.
33 Imam S. Arif. Opcit. 80
41
Therefore, his phobia in the present toward number 23 may influences his
unconsciousness that related to his father death, while his PTSD is influenced by
his girlfriend death. He had repressed those two experiences because he couldn’t
achieve the truth/reality as the way it was and that makes he cannot face the
conflicts that happen in his internal world and external world in the present
because repression spends a lot of psyche energy so that it could weaken his
personality.34 And the novel—which is the representation of his past since it was
written by Sparrow before he committed suicide and he wrote about his real
experience in it— has a big role in triggering something that has been repressed
by Sparrow, so that is why his personality is disturbed soon after he reads it
because his repressed past that has been buried in his unconscious tries to pass
through his consciousness. As the result, Neurosis impulses appear in Sparrow.
34 Imam S. Arif. Ibid. P. 33.
42
CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS
A. Conclusion
The writer analyzes the main character of the film the number 23 to
understand what the neurosis he suffered is and how they are described on the
film. And after analyzing the film the writer gets the conclusion that Sparrow as
the main character of the number 23 suffers neurosis is caused by his trauma in
his past that had been repressed and placed in his under-consciousness is trying to
penetrate his consciousness after he reads the novel which is a representation of
his past. As the impacts of his neurosis, sparrow suffers specific phobia,
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD). Sparrow’s specific phobia and OCD are related to number 23, while his
PTSD is influenced by his girlfriend’s death who was murdered by Sparrow
himself.
Those Sparrow’s neurotic impulses are describe by characterizations
through dialogue, external world, and internal world. In describing Sparrow’s
neurotic by characterizations through dialogues and through external actions, the
writers reveals how Sparrow talks about number 23 and counts the relationship of
everything with number 23 and show how he obsesses on number 23 (OCD). In
addition, by analyzing the characterizations through internal actions, the writer
reveals Sparrow’s irrationally fears of 23, and the writer tries to understand how
the filmmaker describes Sparrow’s internal world through scenes in the film so
43
that the writer can reveals his specific phobia. For Sparrow’s PTSD, moreover, the
writer reveals it by paying attentions to characterizations through internal and
external actions.
B. Suggestion
In analyzing film, the researcher should use the appropriate theory or
approach in order to have the maximal comprehension of the film it self. In this
thesis, the writer uses theory of Abnormal Psychology viewed from Sigmund
Freud’s Psychoanalysis concept to reveal the main character’s Neurosis in the
Number 23film. However, it is possible for the other researchers who want to
analyze this film by using another approach or theory in analyzing it, and they can
focus on the some aspects in the film that the writer doesn’t analyze yet to get
broader comprehension of the film.
44
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alloy, Lauren B. and friends. Abnormal Psychology: Current Perspective. NewYork: The McGraw Hill Companies. 2004.
Anggadewi Moesono, Psikoanalisis dan Sastra. Depok: Pusat PenelitianKemasyarakstan dan Budaya Penelitian Universitas Indonesia. 2003.
Beulah C. Bosselman. Neurosis and Psychosis. Springfield. Illinois. U.S.A:Charles C Thomas Publisher. 1950.
Boggs, Josseph M. and Petrie Dennis W. The Art of Watching Films. 1999.
Farkhan, Muhammad. Proposal Penelitian Bahasa & Sastra. Cella: Jakarta. 2007.
Freud, Sigmund. An Outline of Psycho-Analysis. New York: W.W. Norton &Company.Inc. 1969
Imam S. Arif. Dinamika Keperibadian: gangguan dan terapinya. Bandung:Reflika Aditama. 2006.
Kuswara, E. Teori-teori Kepribadian. Bandung: PT. Eresco. 1991.
Lausen, John Howard. Film the creative process. 1964.
Nevid, Jeffry S. and friends. Psikologi Abnormal. Jakarta: Penerbit Erlangga.2005.
Rosenhaim, JR, Edward W. what Happens in Literature. Chicago: The Universityof Chicago Press. 1960.
Storr, Anthony. Freud; peletakan dasar psikoanalisis. Pustaka Utama Grafiti:Jakarta. 1991.
Schumacher, Joel. The Number 23. Warner Bros: Hollywood. 2007.
45
APPENDICES
DVD Cover
46
Synopsis of the Number 23
Walter Sparrow (Jim Carrey ) is an animal control officer married to cake
shop owner, Agatha (Virginia Madsen ); they have a son, Robin (Logan Lerman ).
Walter is late meeting his wife and while she is waiting, she enters a bookstore
where she looks through a book titled The Number 23 written by Topsy Kretts.
When Walter finally arrives, Agatha announces that she is going to buy the book
for him as a birthday present. Once home, Walter starts reading the book, noticing
what he takes to be odd similarities between himself and the main character. And
it details Fingerling's meeting with the "Suicide Blonde" whose bizarre obsession
with the number 23 drives her to murder her boyfriend and commit suicide. In the
novel, her explanations and calculations of almost everything including names,
birth dates, and colors all add up to 23 (or variations such as 2 and 3 or 32),
driving her insane.
47
Scenes Snapshot
48
49
50
51
