A Psychoanalysis of Trauma-Driven Psychological Oppression Done by Theo Faber from The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Qinthara Nazhifa Hermawan, Achmad Munjid, M.A, Ph.D.

2026 | Skripsi | SASTRA INGGRIS

Para perempuan di bidang kesehatan sering kali menghadapi konsekuensi dari budaya patriarki, di mana mereka diperlakukan secara tidak layak dan sering kali tanpa persetujuan mereka. The Silent Patient menyajikan narasi melalui sudut pandang orang pertama dari seorang terapis bernama Theo Faber, yang menangani Alicia Berenson, seorang pasien nonverbal di sebuah rumah sakit jiwa, membuka kembali kasus lama yang dipenuhi penemuan mengejutkan. Penelitian ini menganalisis penindasan secara psikologis yang dilakukan oleh Theo terhadap Alicia, dan menelaah motivasi-motivasi di balik tindakan-tindakannya yang membahayakan. Selain itu, penelitian ini menggunakan dialog dan narasi dari novel thriller psikologis tersebut, serta mengaplikasikan teori bell hooks dan konsep-konsep relevan mengenai gaslighting, misogini, saviour complex, dinamika kekuasaan, dan metode DARVO. Melalui analisis teks kualitatif, hasil menunjukkan bahwa Theo melakukan penindasan psikologis terhadap Alicia akibat trauma dari masa kecilnya, pernikahan yang gagal, ketidakseimbangan kekuasaan di antara mereka, serta misogini mendalam yang berasal dari budaya patriarki yang ditanamkan oleh ayah Theo Faber.

Women in the medical field often face the consequences of a patriarchal culture, where they are treated dismissively and against their will. The Silent Patient presents a first-person narrative from a male therapist, Theo Faber, who is handling Alicia Berenson, a nonverbal patient in an asylum, solving a cold case full of staggering revelations. This thesis dissects the psychological oppression done by Theo Faber towards Alicia, exploring the underlying motivations for his unsettling actions. Moreover, this thesis utilises dialogues and narrations from the psychological thriller novel, alongside theoretical frameworks from bell hooks and other relevant concepts of gaslighting, misogyny, the saviour complex, power dynamics, and the DARVO method. Through a qualitative textual analysis, the findings reveal that Theo Faber psychologically oppressed Alicia due to his traumatic childhood, a failing marriage, a significant power imbalance between them, along with his deep-rooted misogyny derived from the patriarchal culture instilled by his father.

Kata Kunci : Psychological Oppression, The Silent Patient, Patriarchy, Misogyny, Power Relation