Defense Mechanisms and Motivations as Depicted in Nick Joaquin's Novel “The Woman Who Had Two Navels”

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Defense mechanism in humanity has been playing a vital role in keeping homeostasis in human's holistic development,mind and body. Thus, it becomes more and normal practice, giving justification to its example, projection. Years after years, this has become a similar subject and topic of literary writings, depicting the normal scenarios in real life, maybe just adding a little bit of exaggeration. In this study, these defense mechanisms were investigated in a controversial tropical gothic novel "The Woman Who Had Two Navels" written by Nick Joaquin. Several defense mechanisms were delineated from the story, their motivating forces were investigated, and effects to other characters were discovered.

METHODS

This study made use of the descriptive method of research in describing the phenomena that exist in different forms in the novel. The method consists of content analysis that involves assumed psychological investigation of the material. Moreover, coded texts were analyzed to come up with a thematic analysis of the novel. These were further used to support the claims of the paper. The material was analyzed using the psychological approach. in this approach, the motivation of characters and/or symbolic meaning of events are analyzed. In dealing with the material, defense mechanisms of the characters were initially identified. Coded texts were pulled as supports for the claims. After these were identified, the motivations of the characters in deploying these defense mechanisms were identified. Lastly, their effects on the other characters were investigated.

RESULTS

It was found out that the novel depicted several defense mechanisms portrayed by the different characters in the story: denial, rationalization, intellectualization, projection, displacement, reaction formation, sublimation, undoing, isolation, conversion, identification, regression. Motivating factors of the characters include family, problems, and poverty.

DISCUSSIONS

These defense mechanisms deployed about by the characters and their motivations display an array of human nature. in the novel, these defense mechanisms were all done in the context of family matters, including problems and skeletons in the closet.