Anxiety and Defense Mechanism in Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín: A Psychoanalytic Study

Dintha Meilany, Drs. Muh. Arif Rokhman, M.Hum., Ph.D.

2024 | Skripsi | SASTRA INGGRIS

Studi ini menganalisa kegelisahan dan mekanisme pertahanan dalam novel Brooklyn karya Colm Toibin, dengan fokus pada tokoh utama, Eilis Lacey. Latar belakang sejarah novel ini adalah tahun 1950-an, ketika terjadi emigrasi massal warga Irlandia ke Amerika Serikat. Karena tidak ada lowongan pekerjaan yang tersedia di Irlandia, banyak orang terpaksa pergi untuk mencari nafkah di negara lain, termasuk Eilis Lacey. Novel ini mengikuti perjalanannya menyeberangi Samudra Atlantik dari Enniscorthy ke Brooklyn. Melalui berbagai tantangan dan rintangan yang dihadapinya, penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis sumber kegelisahan Eilis serta mekanisme pertahanan yang ia gunakan untuk mengatasinya. Penelitian ini dilakukan melalui penelitian kepustakaan dengan melakukan pembacaan terhadap novel dan peninjauan pustaka yang relevan, termasuk buku, jurnal, dan artikel ilmiah. Hasil penelitian menemukan sepuluh jenis mekanisme pertahanan yang dialami Eilis, yaitu penghindaran, antisipasi, pemindahan, intelektualisasi, rasionalisasi, sublimasi, penekanan, fantasi, pembentukan reaksi, dan proyeksi. Mekanisme pertahanan ini digunakan untuk mengatasi ketiga jenis kegelisahan, yaitu kegelisahan realitas, kegelisahan neurotik, dan kegelisahan moral.

This paper explores the anxieties and defense mechanisms in Colm Toibin’s Brooklyn, with a particular focus on the main character, Eilis Lacey. The historical background of the subject is the 1950s when the mass emigration of Irish people to the United States happened. There were no vacancies available in Ireland thus people needed to emigrate to make a living, Eilis Lacey is one of them. This novel explores her journey across the Atlantic Ocean from Enniscorthy to Brooklyn. Throughout her challenges and obstacles, this study aims to analyze the source of Eilis’ anxieties as well as the defense mechanisms pairing it to counter the said anxieties. Through library research which is conducted with close reading of the subject and a review of relevant literature and written sources, including books, journals, and scholarly articles, the research paper, this study is conducted. The result of this study is there were found ten types of anxieties experienced by the character namely avoidance, anticipation, displacement, intellectualization, rationalization, sublimation, suppression, fantasy, reaction formation, and projection. Those defense mechanisms are utilized to deal with all three types of anxiety which are reality anxiety, neurotic anxiety, and moral anxiety.

Kata Kunci : anxiety, defense mechanism, psychoanalysis, kegelisahan, mekanisme pertahanan, psikoanalisis, Brooklyn