Name : Eni Purwaningsih

NIM : 11150260000026

Class : 7C

Date : Thursday, 20th Desember 2018

Personality Structure and Defense Mechanism on the Main Character of the Shutter
Island Film

Abstract – This article discusses about the personality structure and defense mechanism of the main
character which runs out of balance throughout the story. The primary objectives of this article are to
explore the imbalance of the personality structure and defense mechanism that occurred in the main
character then made him encounter a personality disorder. This article uses qualitative research with
psychoanalysis approach using the technique of library research that focusing to the concept of
personality structure and defense mechanism by Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis theory. The results
shows that the imbalance and conflict that occurs in personality structure of Teddy Daniels create a
defense mechanism on him as a diversion of discomfort he felt in the real world. His id in full power
over him and defense mechanisms help him turn the reality that his wife killed his children and he killed
his wife whom he loved so much. The purpose of this study is to explore Teddy Daniel’s personality
disorder that occur cause of his imbalance and conflict of personality structure which then create a
defense mechanism on him.

I. Introduction

The issues between personality structure and defense mechanisms are very closely
related. Factors that influence personality structure include historical, past, and present factors,
which are likened to innate factors and environmental factors in the formation of individual
personality structures. Id applies like an absolute ruler, must be respected, spoiled, arbitrary,
selfish and what they wants must be done immediately. Ego as the prime minister who is
likened of having a task to complete all the work that is connected with reality and responsive
to the wishes of the community. And superego is like a pastor who is always full of good and
bad values, and must remind the greedy id about the importance of wise behavior. A different
idea, the defense mechanism occurs because of an urge or feeling of switching to find a
substitute object. Freud used the term defense mechanism to refer to the subconscious process
of someone who maintains an anxiety, this mechanism protected it from external threats arising
from internal anxieties by distorting reality in various ways. In personality theory, the defense
mechanism is a characteristic that tends to be strong in every person. The first defense
mechanism identified by Freud is 1) repression which is an attempt to avoid the feeling of
anxiety, 2) the formation of reactions as a form of disguise that directly contradicts its original
form in one object, 3) transfer in this case explained that a person can divert his impulses
unacceptable to various objects 4) sublimation which is a form of transfer of uncomfortable
feelings with more beneficial actions, 5) fixation occurs starting from the understanding that
usually psychological growth runs continuously through various stages of development, if the
hope of taking the next step raises many anxieties then the fixation defense works to remain at
the present stage which is psychologically pleasing, 6) regression is said by Freud that
immediately after libido passes a stage of development when experiencing stress and anxiety
may return to the previous stage of development, 7) the short projection is to place unwanted
impulses on external objects, and 8) introjection is a defense mechanism that people use to
incorporate positive qualities from others into the ego themselves.

The beginning of this story begins by directly highlighting a US marshal named Teddy
Daniels who has the real name Andrew Laeddis. Andrew made a new story in his life by
confessing that he was Teddy Daniels, a US marshal who was tasked to finding one of Shutter
Island resident. In addition, Teddy's hidden mission to come to the island is to find Andrew
Laeddis, the person in his imagination is someone who killed his wife and his children by
burning his apartment. It should be remembered once again that Teddy Daniels is Andrew
Laeddis. Teddy was playing on his fantasy due to a traumatic incident that his wife Dolores is
a psychopath who killed her children and then drowned them on the lake behind their house.
After returning from his duties as US marshal, Teddy feels very depressed and could not accept
this, suddenly became hysterical and killed his wife Dolores by shooting her. He continues to
fantasize to eliminate the anxiety that occurs so that he raises some new characters who actually
did not exist. Teddy accompanied by his main doctor, Dr. Sheehan, who was acting as a partner
of him with his fake name Chuck, was tasked to finding Rachel Solondo, a very dangerous
patient on Ashecliffe that once again became a new character from Teddy’s fantasy. Dr. Cawley
who is the owner of Ashecliffe is trying to resuscitate Teddy when it is nearing the end of this
story. Dr. Cawley said that Teddy made a story where he was not a murderer and his fantasy
story had been going on for 2 years, so he knew the details. Besides that Dr. Cawley also said
that Teddy was the most dangerous patient on Ashecliffe. After all of the explanation, Teddy
still doesn't believe, so that makes Dr. Cawley once again made it clear that he was Andrew
Laeddis by showing him a blackboard, written there, name of Teddy Daniels which is the
opposite of 13 words from Andrew Laeddis and also the name of Rachel Solondo which is the
opposite too of the name Dolores Chanal. These names are anagrams or word play. After all
these explanations, Teddy finally recalled everything and admitted that he was Andrew Laeddis
who had killed his wife Dolores. He also explained that he was fantasizing because he could
not bear to know that Dolores, the wife he loved so much, killed his children. The new
characters and fantasy they had made function as an escape to avoid feeling anxious and avoid
any sense of discomfort that exists.

The issue of personality structure and defense mechanism will later be useful to
understand more about how the personality structure and defense mechanism works by yourself
and others. Especially in this Shutter Island film which presents a main character named Teddy
Daniels who has real name Andrew Laeddis with a condition of imbalance in his personality
structure thus creating a certain defense mechanism on him. In analyzing existing data, this
study uses qualitative methods using content analysis such as monologues, dialogues, and
stories which exist in the Shutter Island film as a unit of analysis. The objectives of this study
will be identified through the 2 thesis statements below:

1) How is the character of Teddy Daniels described in this film?

2) How does the psychological condition of Teddy Daniels’s personality structure and
defense mechanism according to the Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis theory?

II. Finding and Discussion

The imbalances and conflicts that occur in Teddy Daniels's personality structure give
rise to a defense mechanism in him. Teddy diverts the real world and makes a new story to
avoid an inconvenience that occurs to his family, makes the id in him move widely and master
him.

Freud menyebutkan bahwa Id sebagai “kenyataan psikis yang sebenarnya” karena Id

merepresentasikan dunia batin dari pengalaman subjektif dan tidak mengenal kenyataan
objektif. Hal ini sangat sesuai dengan kejadian yang dialami oleh Teddy, karena Id yang
menguasai dirinya ini, membuat ia memperlihatkan dengan begitu jelas dunia batinnya yang
sedang sangat kacau yang terjadi berdasarkan pengalaman subjektifnya atas terbunuhnya
ketiga anaknya secara tragis oleh istrinya sendiri, yang membuat ia spontan membunuh
istrinya. Hal ini juga membuat Teddy melupakan kenyataan objektif bahwa ketiga anaknya
dibunuh oleh istrinya dan ia yang membunuh istrinya. Ia tanpa sadar kemudian membuat cerita
khayalan bahwa seluruh keluarganya terbunuh akibat asap dari kebakaran rumahnya yang
dibakar oleh Andrew Laeddies.