ANXIETY AND DEFENSE MECHANISM OF THE MAIN CHARACTER IN JOHN GREEN’S TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN

Abstract

In this paper, the writer analyzes anxiety and defense mechanism of the main character as represented in Turtles All The Way Down. This novel illustrates the condition of the main character who has obsessive compulsive disorder, where this disease experienced by many people and cannot be avoided. The author tells how anxieties disorder can attack the main character and how she protects herself against anxieties. Based on this problem the aim of this study is to describe how the main character protects herself from anxiety. Boeree states that anxiety is the anticipation of fear involving the activation of the symphatetic nervous system in response to a dangerous situation [1]. Spielberger categorizes anxiety into two types, namely: (1) State anxiety refers to a temporary condition in response to some perceived threat when confronted with specific situation or object, (2) trait anxiety describes personality characteristics rather than temporary feeling, which is relatively stable compared to state anxiety [2]. The main character’s response toward the anxiety are divided into five classification which are displacement, denial, repression, fantasy and turning against [3]. Anxiety is an unpleasant feeling which often experienced by human. Therefore, the writer considers the anxieties and defense mechanism of the main character important to be studied.