1.1 Background
Basically, the observers of literary works have the aims to enjoy the literary forms, or to evaluate the literary works in form of novels, plays, poems or short stories. Some of them try to figure out the character by finding the curiosity, and this fictional character has a character and its associated with the psychological conflicts through the experienced by human in real life. The observers try to figure out by finding the elements based on novels, short stories, poetries, or screenplays as the primary data. In a short story or novel, we find some elements in the story. They are plot, setting, themes, and characters. These are very important to embody the story.
M.H Abrams stated that the character is the person presented the dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the readers as being endowed with moral, dispositional and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say─dialogue─and by what they do─the action (Glossary Literary Terms, 7th edition, 1999:32).
Generally, the authors depict the characters based on the human behaviours or follow the examples of human life and yet the authors have an aim to present the characters including the attitude, they way they speaks, and all the attributes that give the clue to guess the characters of them. These are the data to recognize the examples of human behaviour and the characterization of human being.
Characters in a short story or novel can change according to plot; sometimes they become wise, grumpy, greedy, wicked or back to be wise and kind. The characters are the images of human being, in real life human can change because of life event.
In a novel Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult, we find some characters, there are; Zoe (as the major character), Max, and Vanessa. This story tells about a woman who wants a baby, Max and Zoe were a couple as a husband and wife. They joined some methods to have a baby, apparently, the fortune did not hang on them, Zoe got pregnant tree times but the baby died after twenty weeks. The Doctor said that Zoe has anomaly blood problem that is why she cannot have a baby. Zoe was in the deep sorrow and frustrated, Max as her husband gave her the encouragement, but she was still in her mourning. Finally, Max felt tired with Zoe’s behaviour. Max thought that Zoe’s wishes were too excessive. Besides, Max would rather to wait naturally. One day, he asked Zoe to divorce and it was her second disaster after losing her babies. After some time she met Vanessa, she felt that her days were changing. Astonishingly, they became lesbian and had intention to make a family and finally they got married. After married to Vanessa, Zoe remembered that she had tree embryos and kept them in Clinic fertility. The dispute happened because Zoe fought to have that embryos, she had intention to raise the baby with Vanessa. Max did not agree with the idea and secretly he wanted to give the baby to his brother. Time after time, Zoe faced many conflict to her life. These are the unexpected things happen through her life, and it makes people change through the behaviour such as normal become lesbian, wise become stubborn, desire to have a baby, or ego binds between. These are human characters, and all of these can be depicted into a story. We can also learn about human behaviour through the psychoanalysis through the fiction characters in novel, or short story.
Back to the elements of story, we can detect one of them and the writer would like to emphasize about the character in novel “Sing You Home”, especially the major character in this novel. Zoe as the major character and she is categorized as around character.
“Around character is complex in temperament and motivation and is represented particularity; such a character therefore is difficult to describe with any adequacy as persons, is capable of surprising us” (M. H Abrams, Glossary of Literary term, 7th edition, 1999; 33).
Zoe becomes round character because of life event and her passion to have a baby. She wants to personify her passion to have a baby in all the way, time pass by, after her meeting with Vanessa then she becomes lesbian. However, she does not care about people’s perspective; her purpose is just to have a baby and having a happy life with Vanessa.
1.2 Statement of Problem
The problem that analyzed is:
1. Why Zoe has a huge desire to have a baby?
1.3 Theoretical Approach
As we know that human’s character can change due to life experienced and why people have such a great desire to have something, and it makes the writer would like to find out the answer why Zoe has a big desire to have a baby. In this writing paper, the writer would like to use Sigmund Frued Psychoanalysis to answer the statement problem. Why does the writer choose this theory to answer the statement problem? Because the psychoanalysis related to people’s character, conscious or unconsciousness behaviour reflected human behaviour. Sigmund Frued is a father of psychoanalysis; he was an Australian neurologist (born Sigismund Schlomo Frued; 6 May 1856-23 September 1939) launched the theory about structural elements in human personality; there are Id, Ego, and Superego. (Structural Model Personality; http://allpsych.com/psychology101/ego.htm)
2. Discussion
According to Frued theory “Structural Model Personality”, every human has an Id, and it relates to human needs, such as; we need to eat, drink, and shelter. After the Id has fulfilled then it will move become ego. Ego is based on reality principle and it takes into reality consideration. Ego can be positive and can be negative and these are derived by a huge desire and sometimes become a selfish person or it is impulse to the heart says. When a person’s thought become mature then they will have superego. Superego is the stages of development into a maturity way. It contains moral, ethical, values, and knowing right or wrong. These stages can be used as the balance of mind, heart and reality. Frued explained that in healthy people, they can fill each stage equally. (http://allpsych.com/psychology101/ego.html)
In the story of Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult, Zoe Baxter as the major character has a huge desire to have a baby. Besides, she becomes a lesbian, and she has a small chance to have a baby but she keeps fighting to have a right to raise the baby and would like to live in harmony with Vanessa. In this case, the writer would like to analyze Zoe’s character based on Sigmund Frued theory, and these are the analysing:
1. Based on Sigmund Frued theory, the first element of human personality is influenced by Id. Id is an important part of our personality because as newborns it allows us to get our basic needs (http://allpsych.com/psychology101/ego.html). Basic human needs are the elements required for survival and normal mental and physical health, such as food, water, protection from environmental threats, and love.
“According to Abraham, he conceptualizes about the basic needs are the following five levels of needs, arranged in a ladder starting with lower need and moving on to higher needs: 1. Physiological needs, for example, hunger, thirst; 2. Safety needs, for example security, stability; 3. Belongingness and love needs, for example, affection, identification; 4. Esteem needs for example prestige, self respect; 5. Need for self-actualization” (Krech,et al; 1974: 462). Maslow criticizes the Frued’s theory and defines about the basic needs clearly.
Zoe Baxter, as the major character in novel Sing You Home was trying to find the social needs (belongingness and love) after her divorced. She found Vanessa and they become a lesbian couple. One day, they declared as husband and wife. In this stage, Zoe has already gotten Id and it is for her first fulfilment.
“In the literal sense, anyway I’m fulfilled by her, which is way better. The real difference between my marriage to Max and my relationship with Vanessa has nothing to do with sex only, actually. It’s about balance. When Max would come home, I’d wonder if he was in a good mood, or if he had a good day- and I’d become a person he needed me accordingly. With Vanessa, I get to come home just to be me, with Vanessa I wake up and think: This is my best friend, this is the most brilliant person in my life...” (Sing You Home: 204)
2. After the first element, people try to find others need to reach their goals. Frued called this part as the Ego. “Ego is based on reality principle. In this stage, the ego understands that ego will come after the first element has fulfilled. In this phase, people need desire or sometimes being impulsive or selfish” (http://allpsych.com/psychology101/ego.html
Zoe Bexter wants to have a baby. If we take look at our minds, this is kind of illogical sense that a couple of lesbian could have a baby, instead of a normal spouse needs a man and woman to have a baby. In this case, Zoe does not think about it. Her ego rises, because she remembers that she has frozen embryos with her X-husband. At that time, Zoe and Max joined some methods to have a baby. They did not succeed in joining methods; three times pregnancy fell before the date of birth. Zoe thought that she has to fight to have that embryos and she has planned to get them. We can catch that Zoe’s ego is huge and it is just because her passion. Zoe wants to have a normal life like other people, have a baby and husband. In here, Max has been replaced by Vanessa. Zoe fought to get the embryos, and Max does not give his permit to raise the baby. The other sides, Zoe does not realize her big ambition to have baby makes her character looking unreasonable.
“I understand better than anyone, but I also understand that this is my last chance to have a biological child, Mother replied, ‘You live with Vanessa in her home, is that correct?’ Vanessa argued, ‘Yes, We are married!’’.... (Sing You Home; 411).
The only thing she wanted is just to have a baby and she forgets about the gratitude and God.
Counsellor, “You don’t think much of people who go to church, do you?’, Zoe answered; ”I think everyone should be entitled to believe what they want which includes not believing at all....” Counsellor; “So you wouldn’t plan to raise these pre- born children with any religion?’ Zoe replied again, “I don’t know.... I am going to raise a child to be loved and to show love; to be self-respecting, open-minded, and tolerant of everyone. If I can find the right religious group to support that, then maybe we will join it.” (Sing You Home; 413).
Zoe also takes a court and contact the human right foundation to grab the embryos. Pro and contra combine to those who know Zoe’s problems, but she does not care and never gives up having the embryos. We can trace through Zoe’s behaviour, it is about ego and the ego that binds her. She thought that being a mother and having a baby are her completely happiness. That is why and no matter how she fights to get them. Sometimes, ego drives people into a selfish space.
3. Based on Frued theory, after ego in structural models is Superego. Superego is a great management to conduct Id and Ego. Superego is the moral part of us and develops due to the moral and ethical restraints placed on us by our caregivers (http://allpsych.com/psychology101/ego.html). It is the stage of development into maturity way. Zoe becomes a little bit calm after hearing the advice from Vanessa and her words makes her rationalization appear.
Vanessa said, “Safety is relative; you can be so close to the shore that you can practically feel it under your feet, when you suddenly find yourself breaking apart on the rocks. And that’s life...” (Sing You Home; 451).
Rationalization have two purposes, first is to decrease the disappointment when we failed to reach the goal and the second is to give a motive that can received to the behaviour (Hilgard, et al., 1975; 443-444). After some time, Zoe had intention to meet her X-husband. She needed to talk about their frozen embryos. She explained her feeling to Max without any vexations. Apparently, Zoe started to open her heart and no longer using her ego. In this stage, superego appears to conduct the ego. When Zoe met Max, she talks defencelessness, she said to Max;
“First I lost my son. Then I lost you. Now I stand here to lose the embryos... and there will not be anything left. Yes take them, and yes take the embryos...” (Sing You Home; 453). This time, Zoe’s sincerity began conducting her.
At the court, Zoe sat between her mother and Vanessa. After hearing the Zoe’s words last night, suddenly Max change his mind, Max walked toward his X-wife and said, “Zoe... I am sorry... you had to go through all this.... –Zoe was crying, and said,’ they will have a good life..’I promise, and I hand her the legal document Wade Preston, which why I am giving them to you...” (Sing You Home; 460).
Finally, after struggling in such long way, Max approves Zoe’s wishes to raise the embryos, she wins the court, and she can raise the baby with Vanessa.
Frued believed that human character is strongly influenced by three elements and people will change because of one element cannot be fulfilled by certain conditions. Zoe has a huge desire to have a baby because her ego dominates her.
3. Conclusion
After the discussion above, the writer wraps up the summary that the behaviour is the result of the conflict and it is a reconciliation of the three systems of personality (Id, Ego, and Superego). The factors that influenced the personality are from the past and contemporary events, these are the factors that forming the individual. The unconsciousness and consciousness thoughts reflect to the human behaviour also. The things that follow the human needs are satisfaction, that is why people try to pursue the aim of life and it based on their goal. Zoe as the major character in novel Sing You Home has dissatisfaction life, it forced her to posses her wishes, and this is the cause that her ego operates her personality. Zoe wants to have a baby because her ego dominates her personality. Psychology conflicts drives someone’s behaviour change (normal become abnormalities behaviour such as; gay or lesbian)
4. Bibliography
allpsych.com/psychology101/ego.html,htpp://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html. Glossary of literary terms, 7th edition, 1999, Novel Sing You Home, by Jodi Picoult, 2011, Literary Criticism, Introduction to Theory and Practice, 2nd edition, 1999-1994, Psikology Sastra, Albertine Minderop, 2010.
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