PSYCHOANALYTIC

APPROACH
THE GREAT
GATSBY

INTRODUCTION

Psychoanalytic concepts have become part of our

everyday lives.
Psychoanalytic concepts such as sibling rivalry,
inferiority complexes, and defense mechanisms
are in such common use that most of us feel we
know what they mean without ever having heard
them defined.
Psychoanalysis sees the world psychoanalytically.
Psychoanalysis is a useful way of understanding
human behavior. Psychoanalysis shows how the
view of human behavior is relevant to our
experience of literature.

INTRODUCTION

Menurut Endraswara (2003:97) psikologi sastra merupakan kajian yang memandang karya
sastra sebagai aktivitas kejiwaan. Dalam arti luas bahwa karya sastra tidak lepas dari kehidupan
sehari-hari yang menggambarkan berbagai rangkaian kepribadian manusia.
Ratna (dalam Albertine, 2010:54) berpendapat psikologi analitik diharapkan mampu menemukan
aspek-aspek ketaksadaran yang diduga merupakan sumber-sumber penyimpangan psikologis
sekaligus dengan terapinya.
Psikologi sastra tidak bermaksud memecahkan masalah psikologis. Namun secara definitif,
tujuan psikologi sastra ialah memahami aspek-aspek kejiwaan yang terkandung dalam suatu
karya. Psikologi lahir untuk mempelajari kejiwaan manusia, yakni manusia yang ada di bumi
inilah yang menjadi objek penelitian psikologi, sastra lahir dari masyarakat, pengarang hidup
dalam tengah-tengah masyarakat dan pengarang juga menciptakan karya sastranya termasuk
tokoh yang ada didalamnya. Tokoh yang diciptakan secara tidak sadar oleh pengarang memiliki
muatan kejiwaan yang timbul dari proyeksi pelaku yang ada dalam masyarakat, karya sastra
berupa novel lebih panjang dan terperinci dalam penggambaran tokohnya, oleh karena itu
kejiwaan yang ada dalam novel lebih kental pula.
Pendapat yang sama mengenai kejiwaan tokoh dalam karya sastra, dikemukakan oleh Ratna
(dalam Albertine 2010:54) ialah berpendapat bahwa pada dasarnya psikologi sastra memberikan
perhatian pada masalah unsur kejiwaan tokoh-tokoh fiksional yang terkandung dalam karya
sastra.
Psikoanalisis adalah sebuah metode perawatan medis bagi orang-orang yang menderita
gangguan syaraf. Psikoanalisis merupakan suatu jenis terapi yang bertujuan untuk mengobati
seseorang yang mengalami penyimpangan mental dan syaraf.
Dalam struktur kepribadian Freud, ada tiga unsur sistem penting, yakni id, ego, dan superego.
Menurut Bertens (2006:32) istilah lain dari tiga faktor tersebut dalam psikoanalisis dikenal
sebagai tiga instansi yang menandai hidup psikis. Dari ketiga sistem atau ketiga instansi ini
satu sama lain saling berkaitan sehingga membentuk suatu kekuatan atau totalitas

If psychoanalysis can help us better

understand human behavior, then it must
certainly be able to help us understand
literary texts, which are about human
behavior.
The concepts well discuss below are
based on the psychoanalytic principles
established by Sigmund Freud (1856
1939).

The origins of the unconscious

When we look at the world through a psychoanalytic lens, we

see that it is comprised of individual human beings, each with a
psychological history that begins in childhood experiences in the
family and each with patterns of adolescent and adult behavior
that are the direct result of that early experience.
Because the goal of psychoanalysis is to help us resolve our
psychological problems, often called disorders or dysfunctions
(and none of us is completely free of psychological problems),
the focus is on patterns of behavior that are destructive in some
way. Tyson (2006) says, patterns of behavior because our
repetition of destructive behavior reveals the existence of some
significant psychological difficulty that has probably been
influencing us for some time without our knowing it. (The
existence of the unconscious)
The unconscious is important in determining behavior. A lot of
desires, motivations & conflicts are below the level of
consciousness. People are driven by: animalistic, instinctual
urges, especially lust and aggression

You Cant Always Get What You Want

The idea expressed is You cant always get

what you want, but you get what you need.
You cant always get what you consciously
want, but you get what you unconsciously need.
The notion that human beings are motivated,
even driven, by desires, fears, needs, and
conflicts of which they are unawarethat is,
unconscious.
The unconscious is the storehouse of those
painful experiences and emotions, those
wounds, fears, guilty desires, and unresolved
conflicts we do not want to know about because
we feel we will be overwhelmed by them.

The family is very important in

psychoanalytic theory because we are
each a product of the role we are given in
the familycomplex.
Im the failure; Im the perfect child; I
must always come in second to my
brother; Im unlovable; or Im
responsible for my parents problems.

Psychoanalytic Approach

Psychoanalytic concepts exist in daily life.

Psychoanalysis = understanding human

behavior.

Childhood events
Conflicts
Anxiety
The conscious, preconscious, unconscious:
Id, ego, superego
Defense mechanisms

You cant always get what you consciously want,

but you get what you unconsciously need.

UNCONSCI
OUS

The Structure of Human Mind

The conscious mind
The preconscious mind
The unconscious mind

The conscious mind

The conscious mind is you awareness at
the present moment. You are aware of
something on the outside as well as some
specific mental functions happening on
the inside.
For example, you are ware of your
environment, your breathing, or the chair
that you are sitting on.

The preconscious
(subconscious) mind

The preconscious (subconscious) mind

consists of accessible information. You can
become aware of this information once your
direct your attention to it. Think of this as memory
recall.
You walk down the street to your house without
consciously needing to be alert to your
surroundings. You can talk on the cell phone and
still arrive home safely. You can easily bring to
consciousness the subconscious information
about the path to your home.

The unconscious mind

Based on this work, Freud asserted that
people's behavior is affected by their
unconscious: "...the notion that human
beings are motivated, even driven, by
desires, fears, needs, and conflicts of
which they are unaware..." (Tyson 14-15).
Freud believed that our unconscious was
influenced by childhood events.

The Structure of Personality

ID. The id is the psychological reservoir of our instincts, and

our libido, or sexual energy. The id is devoted solely to the

gratification of prohibited desires of all kindsdesire for power,
for sex, for amusement, for foodwithout an eye to
consequences. In other words, the id consists largely of those
desires regulated or forbidden by social convention.
Ego. The ego, or the conscious self that experiences the
external world through the senses, plays as a referee between
the id and superego, and all three are defined by their
relationships: none acts independently of the others and a
change in one always involves changes in the other two. In
this way, the ego is, to a large degree, the product of conflicts
between what society says we cant have and what we
(therefore) want.
Superego. The superego is in direct opposition to the id.
The superegoor cultural taboosdetermines which desires
the id will contain.

Id, Ego, and Superego

Freud: our desires and our unconscious conflicts give

rise to three areas of the mind that wrestle for
dominance as we grow from infancy, to childhood, to
adulthood:
ID

(irrational and emotional part of the mind)

the location of the drives, impulses, and
libido
EGO (rational part) - one of the major
defenses against the power of the drives
and home of the defenses
SEPEREGO (moral part) - the area of the
unconscious that houses judgment of self
and others

The Structure of Personality

CONFLICTS

Neurotic anxiety
Conflict

between EGO & ID

Reality anxiety
Conflict

between EGO &

REALITY

Moral anxiety
Conflict

MORAL

between EGO &

The Benefit of ANXIETY

Anxiety can be an important experience
because it can reveal our psychological
core issues.
Sometimes our defenses momentarily
break down, and this is when we
experience anxiety.

Psychological core issues

Low self-esteem
Fear of intimacy
Fear of abandonment
Fear of betrayal
Insecurity
Fear of death
Oedipal fixation (complex)

Psychological Core Issues

Fear of intimacythe chronic and overpowering

feeling that emotional closeness will seriously
hurt or destroy us and that we can remain
emotionally safe only by remaining at an
emotional distance from others at all times. As
we saw above, fear of intimacy can also function
as a defense. If this particular defense occurs
frequently or continually, then fear of intimacy is
probably a core issue.
Fear of abandonmentthe unshakable belief
that our friends and loved ones are going to
desert us (physical abandonment) or dont really
care about us (emotional abandonment).

Psychological Core Issues

Fear of death relates to fear of abandonment

which also plays a role when we fear the death
of others. When children lose a parent, when
adults lose a spouse, the overwhelming feeling
of loss is often a feeling of abandonment.
Fear of betrayalthe nagging feeling that our
friends and loved ones cant be trusted, for
example, cant be trusted not to lie to us, not to
laugh at us behind our backs, or in the case of
romantic partners, not to cheat on us by dating
others.

Psychological Core Issues

Low self-esteemthe belief that we are less worthy than

other people and, therefore, dont deserve attention,
love, or any other of lifes rewards. Indeed, we often
believe that we deserve to be punished by life in some
way.
Insecure or unstable sense of selfthe inability to
sustain a feeling of personal identity, to sustain a sense
of knowing ourselves. This core issue makes us very
vulnerable to the influence of other people, and we may
find ourselves continually changing the way we look or
behave as we become involved with different individuals
or groups.
Oedipal fixation (or oedipal complex)a dysfunctional
bond with a parent of the opposite sex that we dont
outgrow in adulthood and that doesnt allow us to
develop mature relationships with our peers.

DEFENSE MECHANISMS
Technique used by the ego to cope with
anxiety.
To keep all of this conflict buried in our
unconscious, Freud argued that we
develop defenses: selective perception,
selective memory, denial, displacement,
projection, regression, fear of intimacy, and
fear of death, among others.
Defenses are the processes by which the
contents of our unconscious are kept in the
unconscious.

DENIAL

Rationalization

A psychoanalysis of
The Great Gatsby

DISCUSSION (Ch. 1 - 5)
What

are the psychological core issues

experienced by the characters found in The
Great Gatsby
Find the anxiety experienced by the
characters.
What are defense mechanisms used by the
characters to cope with the anxiety? Please,
find the evidences from the novel?

END OF
PRESENTATION

CLASS DISCUSSION:
The Great Gatsby
Find the existence of id, ego, and
superego in the main characters.
Identify the existence of fears in the main
characters.
Find the defense mechanisms in the main
characters.

THE GREAT GATSBY

A drama of dysfunctional love

One area of human behavior explored in F. Scott
Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby (1925) that has
important implications for psychoanalytic
criticism is found in the romantic relationships
portrayed in the novel.
The force and endurance of Gatsbys love for
Daisy
The relationship between Tom and Daisy, Tom
and Myrtle, Myrtle and George, and Nick and
Jordan

Some questions you can ask while

reading your novels:

What unconscious motives are operating in the (main) characters?

What core issues are being illustrated and where did they stem from for the
characters? (Remember unconscious consists of repressed wounds, fears,
unresolved conflicts, and guilty desires.)
Are there any Oedipal dynamics, or any other dynamics at work? Is it
possible to relate one characters behavior to early experiences with family
in the story?
How can the characters behaviors be explained in terms of psychoanalytic
concepts (regression, crisis, projection, fear or fascination with death,
sexuality)?
How might recurrent, or striking dream symbols reveal the way in which the
character is projecting his or her unconscious desires, fears, wounds,
unresolved conflicts onto other characters, onto the setting, or onto events?
Are there any relevant symbols to death, sexuality, or the unconscious?
An example of a paper written using this theory of criticism is an essay on
the fear of intimacy in the novel The Great Gatsby. The person would
analyze characters explaining their fear of intimacy and why and how it
impacted on other characters in the story, and the story itself.

QUESTIONS
1.

2.

3.

How do the operations of repression structure or inform the

work? That is, what unconscious motives are operating in the
main characters; What core issues are thereby illustrated; and
how do these core issue is structure or inform the piece?
(Remember, the unconscious consists of repressed wounds,
fears, unresolved conflicts, and desires.)
Are there any oedipal dynamics - or any other family dynamics
- at work here? That is, is it possible to relate a characters
patterns of adult behavior to early experiences in the family as
represented in the story? How do these patterns of behavior
and family dynamics operate and What do they reveal?
How can characters behavior, narrative events, and or images
be explained in terms of psychoanalytic concepts of any kind
(for example, regression, crisis, projection, fear of or
fascination with death, sexuality - which includes love and
romance as well as sexual behaviors - as a primary indicator of
psychological identity or the operations of ego-id-superego)?

Low Self-Esteem = Tom

Tom was born with richness. The wealth might not come
from his own efforts.
For Tom, fear of intimacy is related to low self-esteem. If
Tom were as emotionally secure as his wealth and size
make him appear, he wouldnt work as hard as he does
to impress others with his money and power, as he does.
For examples:
when he brags about his house and stables to Nick,
when he aunts Myrtle before Nick and others,
when he degrades those who dont belong to the
dominant race (17; ch.1),
when he toys with George Wilson concerning whether or
not he will sell George a car that the poor mechanic
might be able to resell at a prot.
Even Toms choice of mistressesall from the lower
class

Low Self-Esteem = Daisy

Daisys low self-esteem, like her fear of intimacy,

is indicated in large part by her relationship with
Tom.
Falling so much in love with a man who was
openly unfaithful to her suggests an
unconscious belief that she doesnt deserve
better.
Daisy looks down on herself when saying her
hope about her child, Pammy. She is desperate
about womens social status among men.
I said, Im glad its a girl. And I hope shell be a
foolthats the best thing a girl can be in this
world, a beautiful little fool. (20; ch. 1).

Insecurity = Daisy

Daisys insecurity, like Toms, frequently

requires the ego reinforcement obtained
by impressing others.
Daisy

tells Nick about her membership in a

rather distinguished secret society to which
she and Tom belong (22; ch. 1).

FEAR OF INTIMACY
The unconscious conviction that emotional ties to
another human being will result in ones being
emotionally devastated.
Fear of intimacy in the novel lies in Tom
Buchanans chronic extramarital affairs, of which
Jordan became aware three months after the
couples wedding. Jordan tells Nick:
I saw them [Tom and Daisy] in Santa Barbara
when they came back [from their honeymoon]
A week after I left . . . Tom ran into a wagon on
the Ventura road one night and ripped a front
wheel off his car. The girl who was with him got
into the papers too because her arm was broken
- she was one of the chambermaids in the Santa
Barbara Hotel. (81-82; Ch 4)

Fear of Intimacy = Tom

Toms relationships with women, including his wife,

reveal his desire for ego gratification rather than for
emotional intimacy.
For Tom, Daisy represents social superiority. She is not
the kind of woman who can be acquired by Gatsby whom
he calls Mr. Nobody from nowhere.
I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr.
Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife. (138; ch.
7).
Toms possession of Myrtle represents his sense of his
own masculine power.
He brings her to fashionable restaurants where they
are seen by male acquaintances.
He introduces her to Nick so soon after their reunion.

Fear of Intimacy = Daisy

In fact, Toms interest in other women is so routine

that Daisy has come to expect it. Toms infidelity
occurs repeatedly.
Go ahead, answered Daisy genially, And if you
want to take down any addresses heres my little
gold pencil. (113; ch. 6).
Daisys fear of intimacy also appears after their
honeymoon, She wants emotional intimacy with her
husband as Jordan tells Nick.
I saw them in Santa Barbara when they came back
and I thought Id never seen a girl so mad about her
husband. If he left the room for a minute shed look
around uneasily and say Wheres Tom gone? and
wear the most abstracted expression until she saw
him coming in the door. (83; ch.4).

Reaction Formation
(Acting in the opposite way to one unacceptable
behavior)

Daisy doesnt love Tom when she marries

him. But, after 3 months (back after the
honeymoon), her feeling of love for Tom
changes. He seems or pretend to be so in
love with him.
I saw them in Santa Barbara when they came back and I
thought Id never seen a girl so mad about her husband.
If he left the room for a minute shed look around
uneasily and say Wheres Tom gone? and wear the
most abstracted expression until she saw him coming in
the door. (83; ch.4).

Fear of Intimacy = Tom & Myrtle

It is no surprise, therefore, that Toms relationship with

Myrtle lacks intimacy. He has no desire to be close to his
mistress; she is merely the means by which he avoids
being close to his wife. And his treatment of Myrtle
certainly suggests - no deep emotional investment. He
calls for her when it suits him, lies to about Daisys
religious opposition to divorce in order to keep her from
becoming inconveniently demanding, and casually breaks
her nose with a short deft movement (41; ch. 2).
For Myrtle, Tom Buchanan represents a ticket out of
George Wilsons garage. Through Tom, Myrtle hopes to
acquire permanent membership in a world where she can
display the impressive hauteur we see her enjoy at the
party in the couples apartment, during which her
laughter, her gestures, her assertions became more
violently affected moment by moment (35; ch. 2). While
economic; desperation, rather than fear of intimacy, is the
only motive given in the novel for Myrtles pursuit of Tom.

Displacement
(Redirecting unacceptable feelings from the
original source to a safer substitute target)

To cope with anxiety resulted from the insecurity

of his marriage when Myrtle becomes
demanding, Tom slaps Myrtle for saying his
wifes name, Daisy.
Daisy! Daisy! Daisy! shouted Mrs. Wilson.
Ill say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai
Making a short deft movement Tom Buchanan
broke her nose with his open hand.(41; ch. 2).

Fear of Intimacy = Myrtle & George

Myrtles relationship with her husband, George,

suggest that she wants to avoid emotional
closeness. She was apparently induced to marry
George Wilson not by any personal feeling for
him but by her mistaken impression that he was
from a higher class than the one to which he
belongs: she thought he was a gentleman who
knew something about breeding, and when she
learned that the good suit in which he was
married was borrowed, she cried to beat the
band all afternoon (40; ch. 2).
On the other hand, George is completely and
emotionally dependent on Myrtle.

Fear of Intimacy = Nick & Jordan

Once the household Jordan shares with the Buchanans

becomes too emotionally untidy, Nick beats a hasty
retreat. He doesnt want to get closer anymore.
After returning with her from the scene of Myrtle Wilsons
death, Nick declines Jordans invitation-to keep her
company in the Buchanan home:
Id be damned if Id go in; Id had enough of them for one
day and suddenly that included Jordan too. She must
have seen something of this in my expression for she
turned abruptly away and ran up the porch steps into the
house (150; ch. 7).
That Nicks fear of intimacy is not limited to his
relationship with Jordan is suggested by his two previous
romances. Although he claims that he wasnt even
vaguely engaged to an old friend (24; ch. 1) back
home in Minnesota, he admits that he came East, in part,
to escape local rumors to that effect.

Fear of Abandonment = Gatsby

Gatsby doesnt want to lose Daisy

anymore.
He

buys a house in West Egg to get closer to

her.
He asks Nick to arrange the meeting with
Daisy.
He tries to impress Daisy with the wealth he
has, such as luxurious mansion, the fancy
party, etc.

Fear of Abandonment = Daisy

Daisy is so afraid that Tom will leave her.

It is obvious that she didnt love Tom when she
married him. But, after the honeymoon, she
express her love so much to Tom. How can this
feeling change so fast?
In psychoanalytic terms, a woman who falls in
love with a man with infidelity suffering from
severe fear of intimacy. If she fears intimacy,
nothing can make her feel safer than a man who
has no desire for it. Upon learning that Toms
interest do not focus exclusively on her, such a
woman will become very capable of loving him
intensely because he will not break the
relationship even if he can. This why Daisy
changes her attitude toward Tom,

Denial
(Avoid of becoming aware of painful reality)

He denies:
That

he comes from lower class family

That he has unhappy childhood
That he is uneducated
That Daisy has left him.

What does he do then?

He

works hard to be rich

He tries to make himself happy by making parties and
inviting people
He lies that his parents are dead and he inherit the wealth
He lies that he graduates from Oxford

Denial

Cant repeat the past? . . . Why of course you

can! (116; ch. 6).
Gatsbys lonely pursuit of Daisy replays the
loneliness of his youth, and he seems to feel as
much an outsider in the mansion he bought to
receive herthe only room he uses or marks
with a personal possession is his bedroomas
he must have felt in the home of his parents.
Surely, Gatsby could not have been wounded
more severely by his parents than he is by
Daisys abandonment of him, both when she
married Tom and when he loses her again to his
rival the night of Myrtle Wilsons death.

Denial
Daisy tells Tom that she loves Gatsby, but
Tom acts like she didnt say anything
important.
George Wilson foolishly refuses to believe
that his wife is having an affair.

Sublimation
Replacing socially unacceptable impulses with
socially acceptable behavior)

Born in poorness, Gatsby did anything to

make money and became a wealthy man.

Repression
(Repressing the unwanted unacceptable
impulses under the unconscious)

Gatsby represses his desperate past and finally changes his

name.
I didnt want you to think I was just some nobody. You see, I
usually find myself among strangers because I drift here and
there trying to forget the sad thing that happened to me.
(73; ch. 4)
Nick seems to forget the relationship with Jordan After the
quarrel happening at the night of Myrtles death. He
represses the memory of breaking up with her on the
telephone the day after Myrtles death.
We talked like that for a while and then abruptly we werent
talking any longer. I dont know which of us hung up with a
sharp click but I know I didnt care. (166; ch. 8)

QUOTATIONS

ANALYSIS OF
DEFENSE MECHANISMS - CH.1
1.
2.
3.

4.

5.
6.
7.

Im p-paralyzed with happiness. (Daisy-p.11)

(Ive heard it said that Daisys murmur was only to make people lean toward
her; (Daisy-p.11)
Do they miss me? she cried ecstatically.
The whole town is desolate. (Daisy-p.12)
Look! she complained. I hurt it.
We all lookedthe knuckle was black and blue.
You did it, Tom, she said accusingly. I know you didnt mean to but you
DID do it. Thats what I get for marrying a brute of a man, a great big
hulking physical specimen of a
I hate that word hulking, objected Tom crossly, even in kidding. (Daisyp.15)
her voice sang Its romantic, isnt it, Tom?
Very romantic, he said, (Daisy-p.19)
Well, Ive had a very bad time, Nick, and Im pretty cynical about
everything. (Daisy-p.20)
I said, Im glad its a girl. And I hope shell be a foolthats the best thing a
girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool. (Daisy-p.20)

ANALYSIS OF
DEFENSE MECHANISMS - CH.1
8. They oughtnt to let her run around the country
this way.
Who oughtnt to? inquired Daisy coldly.
Her family. (Jordan-p.22)
9. The fact that gossip had published the banns
was one of the reasons I had come east. (Nickp.23)
10. , I was confused and a little disgusted as I
drove away. It seemed to me that the thing for
Daisy to do was to rush out of the house, child in
armsbut apparently there were no such
intentions in her head. (Daisy-p.23)

ANALYSIS OF
DEFENSE MECHANISMS - CH.2
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Were getting off! he insisted. I want you to meet my girl. (Tom-p.27)

When are you going to sell me that car?
Next week; Ive got my man working on it now.
Works pretty slow, dont he?
No, he doesnt, said Tom coldly. And if you feel that way
about it, maybe Id better sell it somewhere else after all.
I dont mean that, explained Wilson quickly. I just
meant(Tom-p.28)
Hes so dumb he doesnt know hes alive. (Tom-p.30)
Hold on, I said, I have to leave you here.
No, you dont, interposed Tom quickly. Myrtlell be hurt if you dont come up
to the apartment. Wont you, Myrtle? (Tom-p.30)
The only CRAZY I was when I married him. I knew right away I made a mistake. He
borrowed somebodys best suit to get married in and never even told me about it,
(Myrtle-p.39)
And Toms the first sweetie she ever had. (Myrtle-p.39)
Daisy! Daisy! Daisy! shouted Mrs. Wilson. Ill say it whenever I want to! Daisy!
Dai
Making a short deft movement Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.
(Tom-p.41)

ANALYSIS OF
DEFENSE MECHANISMS - CH.3
1. Well,he told me once he was an
Oxford man. (Gatsby-p.54)

END
OF PRESENTATION

ID

Menurut Bertens (2006:32-33), ID merupakan lapisan psikis yang paling mendasar

sekaligus id menjadi bahan dasar bagi pembentukan hidup psikis lebih lanjut. Artinya id
merupakan sisitem kepribadian asli paling dasar yakni yang dibawa sejak lahir. Dari id ini
kemudian akan muncul ego dan superego. Saat dilahirkan, id berisi semua aspek
psikologik yang diturunkan, seperti insting, impuls, dan drives. Id berada dan beroperasi
dalam daerah unconscious, mewakili subyektivitas yang tidak pernah disadari sepanjang
usia. Id berhubungan erat dengan proses fisik untuk mendapatkan energi psikis yang
digunakan untuk mengoperasikan sistem dari struktur kepribadian lainnya.
Energi psikis dalam id itu dapat meningkat oleh karena perangsang, dan apabila energi itu
meningkat maka menimbulkan tegangan dan ini menimbulkan pengalaman tidak enak
(tidak menyenangkan). Dari situlah id harus mereduksikan energi untuk menghilangkan
rasa tidak enak dan mengejar keenakan. Id beroperasi berdasarkan prinsip kenikmatan
(pleasure principle), yaitu berusaha memperoleh kenikmatan dan menghindari rasa sakit.
Bagi Id, kenikmatan adalah keadaan yang relative inaktif atau tingkat enerji yang rendah,
dan rasa sakit adalah tegangan atau peningkatan enerji yang mendambakan kepuasan.
Jadi ketika ada stimulasi yang memicu enerji untuk bekerja-timbul tegangan energi-id
beroperasi dengan prinsip kenikmatan; berusaha mengurangi atau menghilangkan
tegangan itu; mengembalikan diri ke tingkat energi rendah.
Penerjemahan dari kebutuhan menjadi keinginan ini disebut dengan proses primer. Proses
primer ialah reaksi membayangkan atau mengkhayal sesuatu yang dapat mengurangi
atau menghilangkan tegangan-dipakai untuk menangani stimulus kompleks, seperti bayi
yang lapar membayangkan makanan atau putting ibunya.
Id hanya mampu membayangkan sesuatu, tanpa mampu membedakan khayalan itu
dengan kenyataan yang benar-benar memuaskan kebutuhan. Id tidak mampu menilai atau
membedakan benar-salah , tidak tahu moral. Jadi harus dikembangkan jalan memperoleh
khayalan itu secara nyata, yang member kepuasan tanpa menimbulkan ketegangan baru
khususnya masalah moral. Alasan inilah yang kemudian membuat id memunculkan ego.

EGO

Ego adalah aspek psikologis daripada kepribadian dan timbul karena kebutuhan
organisme untuk berhubungan secara baik dengan dunia kenyataan atau realita (Freud
dalam Suryabrata 2010:126). Ego berbeda dengan id. Menurut Koeswara (1991:33-34),
ego adalah sistem kepribadian yang bertindak sebagai pengaruh individu kepada objek
dari kenyataan, dan menjalankan fungsinya berdasarkan prinsip kenyataan.
Menurut (Freud dalam Bertens 2006:33), ego terbentuk dengan diferensiasi dari id karena
kontaknya dengan dunia luar, khususnya orang di sekitar bayi kecil seperti orang tua,
pengasuh, dan kakak adik.
Ego timbul karena adanya kebutuhan-kebutuhan organisme memerlukan transaksitransaksi yang sesuai dengan dunia realita atau kenyataan.
Ego adalah eksekutif (pelaksana) dari kepribadian, yang memiliki dua tugas utama;
pertama, memilih stimuli mana yang hendak direspon dan atau insting mana yang akan
dipuaskan sesuai dengan prioritas kebutuhan. Kedua, menentukan kapan dan bagaimana
kebutuhan itu dipuaskan sesuai dengan tersedianya peluang yang resikonya minimal.
Menurut Bertens (2006:33), tugas ego adalah untuk mempertahankan kepribadiannya
sendiri dan menjamin penyesuaian dengan lingkungan sekitar, lagi untuk memecahkan
konflik-konflik dengan realitas dan konflik-konflik antara keinginan-keinginan yang tidak
cocok satu sama lain.
Dengan kata lain, ego sebagai eksekutif kepribadian berusaha memenuhi kebutuhan id
sekaligus juga memenuhi kebutuhan moral dan kebutuhan berkembang-mencapaikesempurnaan dari superego. Ego sesungguhnya bekerja untuk memuaskan id, karena itu
ego yang tidak memiliki energi sendiri akan memperoleh energi dari id.
Untuk itu sekali lagi memahami apa yang dimaksudkan dengan proses sekunder, perlu
untuk melihat sampai dimana proses primer membawa seorang individu dalam pemuasan
keinginan sehingga dapat diwujudkan dalam sebuah kenyataan. Proses sekunder terdiri
dari usaha menemukan atau menghasilkan kenyataan dengan jalan suatu rencana
tindakan yang telah dikembangkan melalui pikiran dan oral (pengenalan).

SUPEREGO

Menurut Bertens (2006:33-34), superego dibentuk melalui internalisasi (internalization), artinya

larangan-larangan atau perintah-perintah yang berasal dari luar (para pengasuh, khususnya
orang tua) diolah sedemikian rupa sehingga akhirnya terpancar dari dalam. Dengan kata lain,
superego adalah buah hasil proses internalisasi, sejauh larangan-larangan dan perintah-perintah
yang tadinya merupakan sesuatu yang asing bagi si subyek, akhirnya dianggap sebagai
sesuatu yang berasal dari subyek sendiri, seperti Engkau tidak bolehatau engkau harus
menjadi Aku tidak bolehatau aku harus
Menurut Freud (dalam Suryabrata, 2010:127) Super Ego adalah aspek sosiologi kepribadian,
merupakan wakil dari nilai-nilai tradisional serta cita-cita masyarakat sebagaimana ditafsirkan
orang tua kepada anak-anaknya yang dimasukkan dengan berbagai perintah dan larangan.
Super Ego lebih merupakan kesempurnaan daripada kesenangan. Oleh karena itu, Super Ego
dapat pula dianggap sebagai aspek moral kepribadian. Fungsinya yang pokok ialah menentukan
apakah sesuatu benar atau salah, pantas atau tidak, susila atau tidak, dan dengan demikian
pribadi dapat bertindak sesuai dengan moral masyarakat.
Superego adalah kekuatan moral dan etik dari kepribadian, yang beroperasi memakai prinsip
idealistic sebagai lawan dari prinsip kepuasan id dan prinsip realitik dari ego (alwisol,2004:21).
Superego bersifat nonrasional dalam menuntut kesempurnaan, menghukum dengan keras
kesalahan ego, baik yang telah dilakukan maupun baru dalam fikiran. Superego dalam hal
mengontrol id, bukan hanya menunda pemuasan tapi merintangi pemenuhannya.
Fungsi utama dari superego yang dihadirkan antara lain adalah:
1. Sebagai pengendali dorongan atau impuls-impuls naluri id agar impuls-impuls tersebut
disalurkan dengan cara atau bentuk yang dapat diterima oleh masyarakat.
2. Untuk mengarahkan ego pada tujuan-yang sesuai dengan moral ketimbang dengan
kenyataan.
3. Mendorong individu kepada kesempurnaan. Superego senantiasa memaksa ego untuk
menekan hasrat-hasrat yang berbeda kealam sadar. Superego bersama dengan id, berada
dialam bawah sadar (Hall dan Lindzey, 1993:67-68).
Jadi superego cenderung untuk menentang, baik ego maupun id, dan membuat dunia menurut
konsepsi yang ideal. Ketiga aspek tersebut meski memiliki karakteristik sendiri-sendiri dalam
prakteknya, namun ketiganya selalu berinteraksi secara dinamis.