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10211144 ERATURE OF LANGU ARTA STA 2016 the Hindra in Stephen er, A Psych
sis Requirement sh Languag by: Arista 4024
E STUDY PR UAGES AND
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ance of Cha Chbosky’s osocial Ana
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DEDICATION
This thesis is dedicated to my greatest family, my SUPER
parents, my sister and brother, who always give their
never-ending love.
MOTTOS
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” Jallaludin Rumi
“When is the help of Allah?” Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.
(Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 214)
“Indeed, with hardship will be ease.” (Surah Ash-Sharh, Verse
6)
TABLE OF CONTENT
TITLE ... i
APPROVAL SHEET ... ii
RATIFICATION SHEET ... iii
PERNYATAAN ... iv
DEDICATION ... v
MOTTOS ... vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... viii
LIST OF FIGURES ... xii
ABSTRACT ... xiii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ... 1
A.Background of the Problem ... 1
B.Research Focus ... 5
C.Research Question ... 6
D.Significance of the Research ... 6
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW ... 8
A.Literature and Psychology ... 8
B.Erikson’s Psychosocial Development ... 11
1. The Stages of Psychosocial Development ... 17
a. Trust vs. Mistrust ... 17
c. Initiative vs. Guilt ... 18
d. Industry vs. Inferiority ... 19
e. Identity vs. Identity Confusion ... 20
f. Intimacy vs. Isolation ... 20
g. Generativity vs. Stagnation ... 21
h. Integrity vs. Despair ... 21
2. Identity Crisis in Adolescence: Identity vs. Identity Confusion ... 23
a. Identity Diffusion ... 25
b. Identity Foreclosure ... 25
c. Negative Identity ... 26
C.Background of The Novel ... 26
1. The Author ... 26
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower ... 28
D.Previous Research Findings ... 29
E. Conceptual Framework ... 31
CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHOD ... 33
A.Research Design ... 33
B.The Data and Sources of the Data ... 33
C.Research Instruments ... 34
D.The Technique of Data Collection ... 35
E. The Data Analysis ... 37
F. Trustworthiness ... 38
CHAPTER IV FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ... 41
A.Charlie’s Failure in the Fifth Stage ... 41
1. Identity Diffusion ... 43
a. Acute upset ... 44
b. Inability to concentrate ... 45
c. Excessive Self-Awareness ... 48
d. Inability to make decision ... 48
2. Identity Foreclosure ... 52
a. The excessive involvement of parents ... 53
b. Interruption of self-potential ... 55
c. The premature establishment of sense of self ... 56
3. Negative Identity ... 56
a. Performance of undesirable choice of an action to gain an acceptable identity ... 57
b. A denial action toward the rule in family. ... 59
B.Charlie’s Failure toward Charlie’s Personality in the Sixth Stage ... 61
1. Intimacy ... 62
a. Participation in groups ... 63
b. Encouragement in a worthless relationship ... 64
2. Isolation ... 68
a. The feeling of loneliness ... 69
b. Alienation ... 70
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 : The Psychosocial Development Stages…... 17
Figure 2 : Conceptual Framework ... 22
THE TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES AS THE HINDRANCE OF CHARLIE’S PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT IN STEPHEN
CHBOSKY’S THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, A PSYCHOSOCIAL ANALYSIS
By Tria Nur Arista 10211144024
ABSTRACT
This research aims to identify how traumatic experiences become the hindrance for the main character of The Perks of Being a Wallflower to handle the fifth stage of psychosocial development, and to explain the impact of this failure to his personality in the sixth stage. To answer the objectives, this research employs the psychosocial theory by Erikson.
This research used a qualitative research with content analysis method. The main source of this research was a novel entitled The Perks of being a Wallflower. The data were in the form of expressions used to convey the psychosocial development of the main character in the fifth and sixth stage proposed in Erikson’s theory. The researcher became the primary instrument of this research, while the secondary instruments were the data sheets. The research analysis was conducted through five steps: reading and re-reading, classifying and categorizing, interpreting and scrutinizing the meaning of the data, checking the measure of worthiness by triangulation, and making conclusions based on the results of the analysis.
The results show two important points. Firstly, a psychosocial crisis occurs in the main character’s life based on Erikson’s psychosocial development theory i.e. Identity vs. Role Confusion. In this stage, the result shows that the main character experiences traumatic experiences, which make him suffer from three major problems of identity confusion in his adolescence period: identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, and negative identity. The failure brings impact on his personality in the later stage: intimacy crisis and isolation. It can be seen through his inability to make an intimate relationship with others, which makes him feel lonely and suffer from depression.
A. Background of the Study
Every human being does not possess innately their personality when they were born. Freist (2008: 8) says that, “personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and
individuality to a person’s behavior.” It means that personality is about the way individuals behave and it can be the sign to determine what kind of people they
are. According to Santrock (2002: 16), there are classifications of developmental periods, infants, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood development. Each stage has its own roles and has significant influences for the next stage in shaping
human personality.
The consistency of human personality will grow to be an identity. Every
human being must achieve their self-identity in life, no matter a good one or a bad one. Based on James (in Erikson, 1968: 19), self-identity is when individuals intensely feel their life and know who they really are and how they fit in the
society. The process of gaining self-identity occurs through the lifespan, so that the experience in the childhood will significantly contribute to the personality in
adulthood stage. In addition, individuals’ response to the social phenomenon around them can determine the identity they will gain.
The environment around individuals has a big role in guiding them to achieve
situation will gain unhealthy personality. In fact, traumatic experience can be
considered as a conflicting situation since it strongly influences human psychological development. Individuals with traumatic experience have pressure
in their life because the traumatic events that ever happened to them are really hurting. Bloom (2003: 2) states that,
a traumatic experience impacts the entire person. The way we think, the way we learn, the way we remember things, the way we feel about ourselves, the way we feel about other people, and the way we make sense of the world are all profoundly altered by traumatic experience.
The above statement means that traumatic experience can disturb the whole
person’s personality and characterization, and it will happen for a long-term. Traumatic experience is an event that can make anyone feel insecure caused by physically or emotionally harmful treatment they receive in their life. A traumatic
event usually leads the victim to feel a long-term anxiety and it will disturb individuals’ emotional stability. The examples of such events that commonly
happen in the reality are accidents, sexual assault, and the sudden death of a loved one. Actually, the main point about trauma is whether individuals can overwhelm their hurting experience or not. It is about individuals’ ability in dealing with their
bad experience related to their psychological condition. As stated by Giller (1999: 1), trauma in everyday language is a highly stressful event, but it is actually
referring to extreme stress that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope. Therefore, the word trauma here is not about the worst experience, whether physical or emotional harm that they have received, but about how individuals have the
The human personality development that is influenced by the environment
around individuals is in accordance with Erikson’s psychosocial theory. Erikson believes that human personality development is highly influenced by the social
and historical factor. Therefore, the social condition around individuals and the experience in the past they once witness is very influential for their personality development. Erikson’s theory intends to say that individuals have to pass eight
stages of personality development which occurs throughout the life span. Each stage has different crisis, and the way individuals deal with the problem in the
early stage will influence the result of their personality condition in the following stage.
From all crises of Erikson’s psychosocial theory, he emphasizes that the most
crucial period is the fifth stage, which happens in adolescence. Erikson (1980: 94) mentions that this period is the time when the childhood ends and the youth begins. This is the time for individuals to enlarge their social interaction and
connect with more people, who come from various background cultures. Individuals who succeed to solve the crisis at this stage will achieve the sense of
identity. The achievement of individuals in earlier stage will highly contribute to them in handling the crisis in this period. The result whether individuals’ personality grows healthy or not depends on how they handle each crisis of
psychosocial development.
In The Perks of Being a Wallflower written by Stephen Chbosky, there is a
an environment that does not help him to deal with his traumatic experiences and
does not support his psychosocial development. In addition, the fact shows that Charlie is sexually assaulted by his beloved Aunt when he was a child. Then, he
also has to face the sudden death of his Aunt and his best friend after experiencing many conflicts in his mind. These conditions lead him to have a difficulty to interact with the society, and even he is called as “a wallflower” by his friends.
Charlie’s traumatic experiences that occur in his childhood have great influence to his psychological condition. He is really hurt by what his Aunt has
done to him. His memory in the past always haunts him and disturbs his emotional stability. As the consequence, he has low self-esteem and difficulties to express his feeling like what the common teenagers do. This issue often happens
in the real society, where the case of sexual assault as a traumatic experience toward children is increasing and it influences their later ability in dealing with issues or problems in the real society. Therefore, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
reflects the facts that really happen in society.
From the description above, it is desirable to discuss the effects of the
traumatic experience toward individuals’ psychosocial development. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a novel that brings the issue about the traumatic experience and the effects toward the psychosocial development of the character. Charlie is
the main character in the novel, and it is indicated that he fails to pass the crisis in the fifth stage of Erikson’s psychosocial development. The traumatic experience
of Identity vs. Role confusion. As the consequence, he also fails to deal with the
crisis in the following stage.
B. The Focus of the Research
Based on the previous explanation, the researcher wants to reveal the psychosocial development of the main character in the novel The Perks of Being a
Wallflower. The novel portrays the life of a teenage boy named Charlie who has some traumatic experiences, and the worst one is that he is sexually assaulted by
his Aunt when he was a child. It becomes so hard for Charlie since his Aunt is the one whom he cares and loves. Moreover, he has two more traumatic experiences that influence his psychosocial development; those are the sudden death of his
Aunt and his best friend. His traumatic experiences make him fail to solve the problem in the fifth stage of Erikson’s psychosocial development. As the consequence, he grows to be a really quiet, shy, and pervert boy. In addition, he
has difficulties in communicating with others and giving responds toward the social phenomenon around him. His failure in the identity vs. role confusion stage
gives impacts toward the way he deals with the crisis in the following stage. As a result, he also fails to achieve the balance outcome in the intimacy vs. isolation stage.
The researcher employs psychosocial theory by Erikson to conduct the research focusing on how the traumatic experiences make Charlie fail to pass
development, and in the novel the stages are experienced by Charlie. Therefore,
Erikson’s theory is applied to analyze Charlie’s psychosocial development.
C. The Formulation of the Problems
The problems of the research are formulated as follows.
1. How do Charlie’s traumatic experiences make him fail to accomplish the
basic strength in the fifth stage of Erikson’s psychosocial development? 2. How does the failure affect his personality in the sixth stage?
D. The Significance of the Research
1. Academically, this research reveals some points about the traumatic
experience and the effects of it upon the personality development of individuals. Significantly, it is important to know about the traumatic experience since there are many people who are not aware of the effects of it
toward a person’s personality development. Thus, this research will give comprehension to people about how traumatic experience influences a
person’s personality development.
2. Practically, this research will be an encouragement to others about the effects of traumatic experience that can be the hindrance for individuals’ to pass the
personality development runs successfully. The understanding about the personality development that is influenced by social and historical factors will
condition around them. Thus, this research will give insight for people about
the factors that influence someone’s improper personality development, which results in their deviant behavior. This research will also be a warning
The relationship between literature and psychology is not directly seen by
common people, but those two terms have a great influence for each other. In
understanding the relationship between literature and psychology, it is needed to
explain the definition about literature and psychology itself. Literature has many
definitions since many professionals have different opinions in defining the meaning
of literature. According to Eagleton (1996: 2), literature is not only about fiction or
non-fiction, but also about how people deliver their thought and their imagination
through peculiar ways of communicating into literary works or writings. However,
most of the literary works depict human condition in real life or represent the life
experience of the author. Whereas literature is the representation of human behavior
in literary works or writings, psychology is the scientific study of human behavior,
which includes attitudes, thoughts, and physical changes, as well as emotional
changes in real life (McMahon, 1990: 5).
Nowadays, psychology can be applied to analyze literature because the
characters in literature can be studied like real people. Therefore, there is an indirect
relationship between literature and psychology because both of them are studying
about human condition. The difference is that psychology studies human in reality,
while literature learns human activity that is created by the author to represent the real
understand what the author intends to say about human psyche phenomenon through
their works that might possibly happen in real life. According to Wellek (1942: 81),
psychology of literature is psychological study of the writer, as type and as individual, or the study of the creative process, or the study of the psychological types and laws presents within works of literature, or, finally, the effects of literature upon its readers (audience psychology).
Wellek’s statement above strengthens the fact that psychology and literature have
an indirect relationship. First, it can be said that literature is the product of human
mind formed by the psychological process of an individual. Then, Wellek believes
that the role of psychology in literature is to analyze the effects of literature or literary
works upon its readers or it can be called as audience psychology. The effect itself is
how literary works can give the reader enlightenment or acknowledgement about the
life experiences happening to many other people without directly experiencing it.
Also, a good literary work will take the reader to follow the imagination that has been
created by the author. That is how the psychology of the audience is formed while
they are enjoying literary works.
Psychoanalysis is a theory that is firstly introduced by Sigmund Freud in order to
analyze literary works from the psychological view. Therefore, Freud is known as the
founding father of psychoanalysis theory. Freud mentions that the human mind is
constructed of three elements; those are the id, ego, and superego. Freud’s
psychoanalysis is also famous with his exploration of the unconsciousness and theory
that human being is driven by something that they have little or no awareness (Jess
highly influenced by sexual activity in their childhood. According to Terry Eagleton
(1996: 133), “Sexuality for Freud is itself a 'perversion' – a 'swerving away 'of a
natural self-preservative instinct towards another goal.” This is knowingly called as
psychosexual developments, in which there are five stages of sexual activities in
childhood that should be passed by human beings through their development.
Freud’s theory becomes the most famous and influential theory for many
professionals who develop new psychological theories based on his basic beliefs
about human development. Erik Homberger Erikson (1902-1994) becomes the one
who agrees the basic theory of Freud. Although Erikson agrees Freud’s basic theory
of human development, he has a different opinion on some parts. Freud delivers his
theory about psychosexual as the stage of shaping human personality or behavior that
only happens in childhood. On the other hand, Erikson believes that human
personality development is influenced by social and historical around the people
itself. In addition, Erikson intends to say that the stage of human personality
development is faced in life-cycle; those are the childhood, adolescence, and
adulthood. This is as stated by Jeisst Freist (2008: 249) that:
Erikson regarded his post-Freudian theory as an extension of psychoanalysis, something Freud might have done in time. Although he used Freudian theory as the foundation for his life-cycle approach to personality, Erikson differed from Freud in several respects. In addition to elaborating on psychosexual stages beyond child-hood, Erikson placed more emphasis on both social and historical influences.
One most important thing that differentiates Erikson’s theory of human
ego as a dependent part of human mind, which only has a function to balance the
human’s id and human’s superego. It is because the focus in his theory is on human
desire or the Id. On the other hand, Erikson puts the ego as an independent part of the
human mind and plays the most important role in every stage of human
socio-emotional development. According to Erikson (1968: 46), “the ego, the individual
center of organized experience and reasonable planning, stood endangered by both
the anarchy of the primeval instincts and the lawlessness of the group spirit”.
Erikson’s statement convinces that the focus of his theory is about how the ego
organizes the life experience of human being and how the ego and the social
experiences work to build the human personality. Then, he expands his theory named
psychosocial theory, which is accepted as Post-Freudian theory or psychosocial
development theory with his eight stages of man’s concepts.
B. Erikson’s Psychosocial Development
Psychosocial is a branch of psychology that is concerned with social and
historical factors as the elements in forming individuals’ personality. Erikson is the
major figure who concerns on psychosocial development which believes that human
being should pass eight stages of human development throughout their life-cycle.
Each stage of the development will determine the people’s personality that might be
performed. Erikson believes that human personality is not only influenced by
brings up the individuals to develop their personalities in all stages of Erikson’s
theory based on the innate factors and social factors.
It is as true to say that babies control and bring up their families as it is to say the converse. A family can bring up a baby only by being brought up by him. His growth consists of a series of challenges to them to serve his newly developing potentialities for social in-teraction (Erikson, 1980: 57).
As said by Erikson above, family is the first place of individuals to be brought up
as their first time to try to interact with and learn to know the value of life. On the
other hand, the family also learns new things from the presence of the baby. The baby
always makes signs to the environment around, including the family, so it is required
sensitiveness in responding the existence of a baby. The family has a big
responsibility to guide the baby to grow up well. The result, whether the baby grows
up well or not, indirectly shows the quality of their family in guiding their baby
through interaction and communication. Therefore, in the process of development, the
role of family is the most important factor required in guiding the individuals during
their growth in order to prevent the failure that might happen to their personality. It is
because Erikson believes that social interaction is the key in determining the human
personality development, and it can be seen at first in the individuals’ relationship
with their family as the background.
Then, Erikson also mentions that human growth consists of a series of
challenges, which can be referred to the eight stages of psychosocial development. In
addition, it also means that human’s personality is not achieved instantly, but still
1). Epigenesis Principle is an idea developed by Erik Erikson that states that every organism is born with a certain purpose, and continues to develop how it was intended to in interrelation with its environment..
in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Erikson believes that each stage of human
development gives significant influences to the later stage. Thus, human development
is occurring throughout the lifespan and influenced by social factor, and the outcome
of each stage is not permanent but can be changed by later experience.
Erikson’s stages of personality development also refer to epigenesis principle1),
which mentions that one component arises out of another. It has its own time of
ascendancy, but it does not change the earlier component.
Somewhat generalized, this principle states that anything that grows has a ground plan, and that out of this ground plan the parts arise, each part having its time of special ascendancy, until all parts have arisen to form a functioning whole (Erikson, 1980: 53).
Each stage of development has its own crisis, and the task of the individual is to
find the solution at the last. Erikson (1968: 93) thought that “a mature organism is not
about developing a new organ but dispensing locomotor2), sensory3), and social
capacities4) that are described in the child development”. It means that Erikson
intends to say that human development is not only about the physical changes of
human beings, but also about the development of human’s skills in recognizing and
responding the phenomenon around them. For Erikson, psychoanalysis has a big role
to give understanding about how individuals achieve personality which is formed by
the experiences of inner conflicts and the manners toward the conflict that showed by
individuals. The experiences of the healthy individuals will lead them to achieve a
success in interacting with the environment around them. Meanwhile, there are many
personalities following to the culture where they belong to be. The proper guidance in
each stages or all epigenesis is important to guide them to have the proper
personalities. Therefore, personality will develop based on the steps that are
determined to the individuals’ readiness to be aware of and to interact with the larger
institution.
According to Jess Freist (2008: 255), each stage of Erikson’s psychosocial
development consists of two opposite interactions: a conflict between a syntonic
(harmonious) element and a dystonic (disruptive). This opposition is usually called as
contrary disposition. The word ‘syntonic’ refers to the positive disposition, and the
‘dystonic’ refers to the negative disposition. For example, the very first stage of
psychosocial development, trust (positive) is opposed to mistrust (negative). Erikson
uses the word ‘versus’or ‘vs’ in every crisis stage that consists of two opposing
conflicts.
The outcome of the contrary disposition is called as basic strength. The basic
strength is produced by the ego quality. Then, the outcome of the basic strength will
indicate whether human development is growing healthily or not. When human fails
to reach the balance opposition on each crisis stage or tend to be in one of the
dispositions, it will lead them to have mental problems. Erikson calls an extreme
tendency to the ‘syntonic’ as a ‘maladaption’, while the extreme tendency to the
‘dystonic’ is called as ‘malignancy’.
Erikson’s concept of the ego becomes one of the indicators that differentiate his
the concept of the id and the superego, but he has a different way in seeing the ego.
Here are the concept of the id, the ego, and the superego from Erikson’s theory:
1. The Id
According to Freud, the id is derived from the unconsciousness of the human
mind; it does not have contact with reality. The Id is famously known as the
pleasure principle since its function is to satisfy human desire and pleasure. In
addition, people are never aware of what the id wants or what the id says (Jess
Freist, 2008: 27). In this case, Erikson accepts Freud’s concept of the id.
2. The Ego
The ego’s concept of Erikson is different from Freud’s. Erikson puts the ego of
human being as the most important thing that plays roles in all stages of
psychosocial development. Erikson emphasizes that psychoanalysis today is
implementing the study of the ego, a concept denoting man's capacity to unify
his experience and his action in an adaptive manner (Erikson, 1950: 13).
Human’s ego is the inner factor that constitutes to the manner and then forms
the later personality of the individual. Erikson mentions that the ego is endowed
with some qualities, which emerge from critical periods of development. The
qualities are such as trust and hope, autonomy and will, industry and
competence, identity and role confusion, intimacy and love, generativity and
care, integrity and wisdom (Erikson 1950: 221). Different from Freud, Erikson
believes that the ego is influenced by historical and social factors. However,
balances the id and the superego and keeps it tuned to the reality. It is like what
he reveals in his book,
Between the id and the super-ego, then, the ego dwells. Consistently balancing and warding off the extreme ways of the other two, the ego keeps tuned to the reality of the historical day, testing perceptions, selecting memories, governing action, and otherwise integrating the individual's capacities of orientation and planning. (Erikson, 1963: 175)
Erikson says that besides balancing the id and the superego, the ego plays the
most important role in human mind. The ego take a biggest part of human mind
in governing almost all of the main concepts of human actions in life, such as:
making perception, selecting memories, integrating individuals’ ability of
orientation and planning.
3. The Superego
The superego represents the moral and ideal aspects of personality and is
guided by the moralistic and idealistic principles as opposed to the pleasure
principle of the id and the realistic principle of the ego (Freist, 2008: 30).
From the description above, it can be seen that the human ego is the most
important element in shaping human personality development. Therefore, Erikson’s
theory focuses on the development of human’s ego, which grows stronger through the
lifespan and form the identity of an individual. In addition, Erikson proposes eight
stages of psychosocial that individuals must pass in order gain what kind of identity
1. The Stages of Psychosocial Development
In describing human personality development, psychosocial development is the
most important element. Erikson believes that individuals should pass eight stages of
psychosocial development in order to gain their personality and a sense of identity.
a. Trust vs. Mistrust
Trust vs. Mistrust is the very first stage of psychosocial development that occurs
in infants, which is derived from the experiences in the first year of life (Erikson,
1980: 57). This first stage is the time for a person to interact with others and the most
significant relation to interact with the caregiver or the mother of the individual. In
addition, it is the first time for the infants to begin to trust others around them and
achieve social interaction. The infants learn basic trust when they realize that their
mother will feed them, and they give permits or respond to their mother comfortably
without any anxiety. It is the first time when the infants achieve social interaction.
Shortly, when the infants feel that they are cared by their mother or their family
consistently, they have some reasons to trust and they have learned basic trust. Then,
they will feel secure in their environment and it will lead them to have a widening
interaction.
Basic mistrust is when the infants do not have confidence on the care or
treatment that they receive from their caregiver, mother, or family members. The
consequence of it lies in their wider interaction, in which the infants feel insecurities,
anxiety, and fear to interact. However, the infants must develop both trust and
Freist (2008: 258), too much trust makes them gullible and vulnerable to the
unpredictable world, whereas too little trust leads to frustration, anger, hostility,
cynicism, or depression.
b. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
This stage is the time when individuals begin to be more independent and explore
their abilities in handling their own problems. In addition, the individuals begin to
discover their skills and make their own choices. According to Erikson (1968: 70),
this stage becomes the time when individuals get ready to stand on his feet more
firmly and describe their world as “I” and “You”, “me” and “mine”. It is also the time
when they have ability to make decision about what they want to do and what they
are supposed to do. The parents should support them to handle their problems, but
still need to control their children in order to avoid failures, and then the individual
will succeed in adopting their autonomy. The self-confidence is one of the outcomes
of the positive disposition of this stage. On the other hand, if the parents do not allow
their children to explore their skill and encourage them with the environment that
they just begin, this makes them depend on others too much. As the consequence,
they will suffer from shame and doubt and lack of self-esteem.
c. Initiative vs. Guilt
This stage occurs in the age of pre-school, when the individuals begin to explore
more experience and build relationship with their school friends. Erikson (1968: 78)
says that in this stage, individuals begin to learn to move around more freely, improve
imagination. The individuals begin to require a sense of curiosity about many things
existing around them. During this stage, individual begin to plan activities and initiate
activities with others. If given this opportunity, individuals develop a sense of
initiative, and feel secure in their ability to lead others and make decisions.
If parents do not support their children’s curiosity or treat their question as if it is
such a nuisance or embarrassment, it will lead the individual to feel guilty. Too much
guilt in individuals will be the hindrance for them to cope with the society. In
addition, their ability to initiate is disturbed by the feeling of guilt. However, some of
guilt is necessary for the individuals in order to be self-controlled in doing their
activities in this period. There must be a balanced outcome between initiative and
guilt in order to lead them achieves the sense of purpose.
d. Industry vs. Inferiority
Industry is the period for individual to develop their competence and skills.
Erikson (1968: 87) describes the stage as a sort of the entrance of life. The child
wants to be shown how to get busy with something and to be busy with others. The
individuals begin to go to school and have interaction with their teachers. Successful
resolution of crisis at this stage is depending from the result at earlier stages.
Therefore, teachers have an important role in guiding the individual to find their skills
and abilities in certain competence. Individuals who achieve initiative will feel
industrious and confidence in every step they will take for their future. On the other
inferiority and even doubt their own skills and abilities. It happens because they have
low self-esteem, which is reached in the previous stage when they feel guilty.
e. Identity vs. Identity confusion
Adolescence is the primary period when individuals transform from childhood to
adulthood. The teen years are indeed a time of identity crisis, or in Erikson’s terms is
a turning point of increased vulnerability and heightened potential (Erikson, 1968:
96). Therefore, it is the time for the young-adult to gain their identity, finding out
who they really like to be. With the advent of puberty, adolescents look for new roles
to help them discover their sexual, ideological, and occupational identities (Jess
Freist, 2008: 263). At this stage, adolescents will expand their social interaction in a
larger society or environment. Most of adolescents want to be recognized in the
society where they belong to. Therefore, if they feel that they have been recognized
by their society like what they have to be, it can indicate that they have been
successful in gaining self-identity. On the contrary, if they fail to recognize their own
identity, it could lead them to have identity role confusion. This ‘dystonic’ element
usually can be seen if the adolescents do not know what they want to be when they
grow up.
f. Intimacy vs. Isolation
Adulthood is the last phase after childhood and adolescence phases. The conflicts
for individuals in this stage grow more complicated.In addition, this stage is the time
when individuals begin to build an intimate relationship, such as a relationship with
and they should have certain purpose for their future life. It is the time for them to
build a family from their marriage couple. Nonetheless, it happens only after a
reasonable sense of identity has been established that real intimacy with the other sex
is possible (Erikson, 1963: 101). If individuals succeed in passing this stage of
intimacy, they will have a healthy and comfortable relationship. Meanwhile,
individuals will feel loneliness, isolation, and depression when they cannot complete
the stage of intimacy.
g. Generativity vs. Stagnation
During the middle adulthood, there are many wishes that should be accomplished
in individuals’ life. Careers, relationships, and families are being the concerns in this
life stage. However, the most important goal for adulthood in this stage is to establish
the next generation. According to Erikson (1980: 103), the pervasive development
underlying this wish is generativity. When adults fail to accomplish the wishes, they
will feel unproductive or stagnant.
h. Integrity vs. Despair
Adults will achieve integrity when they see that their wishes in life are
accomplished. In addition, a successful and a productive life also support them to
reach integrity. On the other hand, when they feel unproductive in their life and feel
guilty in the past, and think that they cannot accomplish their wishes, it will lead
them to despair or become desperate to face the life. Erikson (1980: 104) suggests
that despair expresses the feeling that the time is short, too short for the attempt to
Figure 1. Erikson Psychosocial Crisis Theory of Human Development based on Chapman (2006: par.13)
Chart
Psychosocial Stages Life Stage and Relationships
Basic Strength 1
(Trust vs. Mistrust)
Infant (0-2 year) / Mother
Hope and Drive
2
(Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt)
Toddler (2-3 years) / Parents
Willpower and Self-Control
3
(Initiative vs. Guilt)
Preschool (3-5 years) / Family
Purpose and Direction
4 (Industry vs.
Inferiority)
Schoolchild (5-12 years) / School, teachers,
neighbourhood
Competence and Method
5
(Identity vs. Role Confusion)
Adolescent (12-19 years) / peers, groups
Fidelity and Devotion
6 (Intimacy vs.
Isolation)
Young Adult (early 20’s) / Lovers, friends, work
connection
Love and Affiliation
7
(Generativity vs. Stagnation)
Mid-Adult (20’s-50’s) / children, community
Care and Production
8
(Integrity vs. Despair)
Late Adult (after 50’s) / society, world, life
Wisdom and Renunciation
2. Identity Crisis in Adolescence: Identity vs. Identity Confusion
Each psychosocial crisis has a significant role in the growth of human
personality. However, from his description of all crises in each stage of human
development, the one that becomes the most crucial period is the Identity vs. Identity
grow up and develop to be young people followed by psychological development that
begins to create their social roles. Erikson (1980: 94) emphasized that this period is
the time when the childhood ends and the youth begins. This time, adolescents must
establish a good relationship to the world and share their skills of communicating to
the society. The achievement of adolescents in earlier stage will highly contribute for
them in handling the crisis in this period. The result whether individuals’ personality
grows healthy or not depends on how they handle each crisis of psychosocial
development. Individuals who cannot handle the crisis in this period will fail to
achieve the sense of identity. Consequently, those adolescents will be doubted in
making decisions in their life because they do not have self-confidence.
Individuals should make a balanced outcome in each crisis in order to get the
proper development of their personality. If they can manage it well during the crisis,
they will accomplish the ego strength or a sense of identity. On the other hand, if the
individuals cannot handle a problem in a certain stage, it will lead them to the failure
at the end of the stage. The failure in one stage will create more complicated
problems in later stage, which makes the individuals face more complex identity
crisis. Therefore, the final result of individual’s in handing the problem in the
childhood will determine the quality of identity crises in the adolescence stage.
Identity formation is the time when individuals have passed the identification
phase in their childhood and begin to explore more experiences as adolescents. It is
the beginning of individuals to identify themselves according to the society where
they are or the way they have to become (Erikson 1968: 159). Based on Erikson’s
description of identity formation, it can be said that social recognition is influential
for individual in order to gain the sense of identity. Individuals identify themselves
based on the society’s judgments about how they should be acted on their ways.
As the critical period of human development, adolescence is the time for
individuals to explore more about the value of life in order to gain their identity. In
this period, adolescents begin to ask “who they are” and “what they want to be in the
future”. The process of exploring a sense of identity in this stage is called
psychosocial moratorium. Erikson (1968: 156) mentions that psychosocial
moratorium is the time when individuals have experimentation to find out the way
they can fit in the society and being recognized as a part of them. However, there are
some problems that possibly occur during the psychosocial moratorium. Individuals
will achieve healthy personality if only they can overcome the problems in
psychosocial moratorium; the problems are identity diffusion, identity foreclosure
and negative identity.
a. Identity Diffusion
Identity diffusion is the inability of individuals in figuring out a sense of identity.
They never be sure to act or react as what they want to, also they might overthinking
on what they should take an action in certain occasion. According to Erikson (1968:
171), identity diffusion is usually accompanied by an acute upset in the sense of
workmanship, an inability to concentrate on required tasks or in a self-destructive
an abhorrence of competitiveness. In addition, adolescents who are suffering from
identity diffusion usually have a difficulty in making decisions in their life. Those
disruptions will make them feel difficult in forming relationship and having
emotional disorder.
b. Identity Foreclosure
Identity foreclosure is when individuals define the values of their life too early
without experiencing more about many other choices or opinions. It can be influenced
by the circumstances and the beliefs of their parents. According to Tung and Sandhu
(2005: 88),
“boys who prematurely commit themselves to life goals according to their parents’s expectation or according to the choices of other authority figures without realization of their true selves or without going through a decision-making process are more vulnerable to lesser psychological health.”
It means that individuals will define themselves based on how the majority
commonly judge on how they should to be in such society. The majority itself can
refer to people around individuals whom have a big influence to the individuals in
making decision, such friends, family members, and teachers. In fact, parent become
the ones who have authority and the most influential factor in leading their children to
define themselves. For example, individuals will be forced by their parents to be what
their parents want. Parents have their own opinion about how their children are
supposed to be, and their children must follow them although they do not want to do
circumstances. As the consequence, they will live with their self-image under the
pressure.
c. Negative identity
According to Erikson (1980: 139), “negative identity is the loss of a sense of
identity which often is expressed in a scornful and snobbish hostility toward the roles
offered as proper and desirable by one’s family or immediate community”. Negative
identity is formed by the individual as an effort to be recognized by the society, but
they express it in the wrong way. Adolescents who form negative identity usually act
as the opposite of what their society demand them to do. This can be called as denial
action because an individual prefer to be a person who is not commonly acceptable in
the society roles. For example, a boy who has ever been raped by other boys will
choose to be a homosexual as the form of negative identity in order to release their
pain in the past.
C. Background of the Novel 1. The Author
Stephen Chbosky is an American novelist who is best known as the author of The
Perks of Being a Wallflower, which was first published in 1999. He also becomes the
screenwriter and the director of a film with the same title in 2006. It is his first book
that he delivers to teenagers, especially American teenagers. The book is popular
among teenagers and awarded as the best-selling book. Since his first book is
The story in his first book really depicts the life of adolescents that contains many
conflicts usually occurring to most of teenagers. Consequently, it becomes a
controversy since the book describes about sexuality and drug use as experienced by
adolescents. However, the book still can grab an attention from many people who
love the story and the positive messages of the book.
Chbosky’s inspiration in writing the book is from his own life experiences. There
are some parts in the story that is inspired from Chbosky’s life in his adolescence.
Many characters in the novel represent the people he has ever met in his life. For
example, the character of Charlie’s English teacher, named Bill, represents Chbosky’s
mentor who has big deal in his life. Besides, the story of the novel takes place in
Pittsburg, where Stephen Chbosky is growing up there too. However, Chbosky’s in
Beisch (2015: par. 4) admits that,
“in terms of it relating to my adolescence, I’ve always said that the book is very personal to me, but it isn’t necessarily autobiographical – not in the literal sense of the word anyway. I do relate to Charlie. But my life in high school was in many ways different."
Chbosky’s expression above tells that the character of Charlie is very personal to
him, but it does not need to be categorized as an autobiographical novel since he has
many ways different of life with Charlie. The character of Charlie is the
representation of Chbosky’s hope about a character that should exist in the real life.
Chbosky tries to focus on how people should struggle on their passion. In addition,
Chbosky intention in creating the story is to make the reader feel like it is a reflection
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Charlie is a person who is in his transition from childhood to adolescence. He is a
fifteen year-old-boy, and just begins to be a senior high school student. This is a story
of what it is like to grow up in high school. Charlie always writes letters to someone
who he never knows. The letters are singular and unique, since it covers everyday life
of Charlie, his activities, his feelings, and his world. He observes everything around
him and notes it in his letter. Charlie is a calm boy who feels nervous every time he
meets new people in his life. Even, he only has one best friend named Michael, who
commits suicide. Several weeks after his best friend’s death, he meets new friends
named Sam and Patrick. Charlie’s relationship with his new friends begins to change
his whole world. It is the time for Charlie to explore the life in his transition period as
a way to identify who he really is.
Charlie lives in a family, which has a little interaction one to another. He does
not have a serious conflict with his family actually; he just does not have a good
communication with them. Charlie really loves his aunt, named Helen, the one who
always makes him comfortable to share with. However, she has died after she bought
him a birthday gift when actually Charlie was still in his childhood. After that, he is
really upset and feels guilty of his aunt’s death. He becomes taciturn and introverted
that makes his friends call him as a wallflower. During his adolescence period, with
his new friends, he sees the wild world of American teenagers. He begins to know
Charlie finds many conflicts during his new world; it is the conflict in his mind
actually. He has an unstable emotion; he has no confidence to build a relationship,
and he is introverted. His best friends try to change Charlie to live his life. Actually,
Charlie has tried his best to follow his friends, but deep inside his mind, he has
pressures that make him difficult to be like other common teenagers. He struggles to
overwhelm his anxiety and fear in which no one knows what the real problem on him
is. At the end chapter of the novel, it is revealed that Charlie has ever been sexually
assaulted by his beloved aunt. This fact is the reason that influences his personality to
grow unhealthy because of the feeling of fear and anxiety after the abuse.
Finally, Charlie is hospitalized for two months and treated by his psychiatrist. He
then stops writing letters to anonymous. His family has known his problem, and helps
Charlie to overcome his trauma. He feels excited to go to sophomore year high school
without any worry. He also realizes that it will be too busy for him to write letters,
because he prefers to participate than just observe.
D. Previous Research Findings
There are two records of literary researches that focus on psychosocial analysis,
socio emotional development and adolescence identity at study program of English
Language and Literature in Yogyakarta State University. The first thesis is entitled
The Psychological Effect of World War II on Ira Hayes & John Bradley’s Character
in James Bradley’s Flags of Our Fathers by Eka Setiawati (2011). The thesis focus
world war and how the character deal with the traumatic experience related to
Erikson’s psychosocial development theory. The results of the research show that
there is two psychosocial crises suffered by the main characters according to
Erikson’s psychosocial development; those are Intimacy vs. Isolation and
Generativity vs. Stagnation.
The second is entitled Identity Crisis of The Second Generation of Asian-Indian
Americans as Reflected in Lahiri’s The Namesake by Anestia Fiddin (2013). This
research focuses on identifying the identity crisis that experienced by the main
character in the novel and the impact of the crisis toward the character’s personality
development related to Erikson’s psychosocial development theory. The result of the
research is that there are three problems occurring on the main character in the novel,
those are identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, and negative identity. As the
consequences, there are three malignancies that happen on the character as the impact
of the identity crisis in adulthood stage; those are intimacy crisis, identity confusion,
and distantion.
The theory of the previous research finding is the same as the theory used in this
research that Erikson’s psychosocial development focuses on socio emotional
development. Conversely, this investigates The Perks of Being A Wallflower by
Stephen Chbosky. This research aimed to identify the failure in the process of
psychosocial development and the impact of the failure on the main character
personality in the novel as the effects of traumatic experiences using Erikson’s
research to show the causes and the impacts of the failure in the Erikson’s fifth stage
of development toward the character of Charlie. There has not been a previous study
on Chbosky’s The Perks of Being A Wallflower conducted by either students or
lecturers in the English Department of Yogyakarta State University.
E. Conceptual Framework
Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower shares to the readers about
the teenagers’ life in America. The main character in the novel is Charlie, who is in
his growing up period to find his identity. Charlie is a boy who faced so many
conflicts in his life, whether with his friends, family, or even himself. Charlie
experiences some traumatic experiences in his life such sexual assault from his
beloved aunt, the sudden death of his aunt and his best friend. Charlie is trying his
best to deal with those bad experiences, but he failed. The researcher identifies how
traumatic experiences fail Charlie to accomplish the basic strength in the fifth stage of
Erikson’s psychosocial development and the effect of the failure toward his
personality in the following stage.
The researcher applies Erikson’s psychosocial theory to answer the research
questions. This theory believes that each person experiences eight psychosocial crises
which help to define his growth and personality. Each stage consists of problem that
must be faced. The more an individual resolves the crisis successfully, the healthier of
Figure 2. Conceptual Framework
Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower (words, phrases, clauses,
sentences, discourse) Erikson’s Psychosocial
Development
Eight Stages of Development: 1. Trust vs. Mistrust
2. Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt
3. Initiative vs. Guilt 4. Industry vs. Inferiority 5. Identity vs. Role
Confusion
6. Intimacy vs. Isolation 7. Generativity vs. Stagnation
Identity vs. Identity Confusion
Intimacy vs. Isolation
1. To reveal how traumatic experiences make Charlie fail to accomplish the basic strength in the fifth stage of Erikson’s psychosocial development.
2. To analyze how the failure affects Charlie’s personality in the sixth stage of Erikson’s psychosocial
This research was a qualitative research and the results of the research were data
in the form of expressions instead of numbers. Qualitative research aims to develop
an understanding about social phenomena in the world, such as identifying why
things are the way they are (Yorkshire, 2009: 7). The first step required in this
qualitative research was doing close reading to the given text and figuring out every
details in the text that supports the data of the research. Then, the researcher
interpreted the meaning of the text guided by the theory used in order to answer the
research questions.
The data of this research could not be measured numerically. Therefore, a
descriptive-qualitative method was employed to analyze the data of the research. The
data were used to describe the phenomena as the effects of traumatic experiences
toward adolescence’s psychosocial development as depicted in Chbosky’s The Perks
of Being a Wallflower. The descriptive-qualitative method helped the researcher
explain the complexity of the meaning of the data in order to make the readers
understand it.
B. The Data and Sources of Data
The primary source of this research was The Perks of being a Wallflower, a novel
parts excluding epilogue and the story is formed in letters. The researcher read and
scrutinized the script comprehensively. The novel tells the fictional story of a grown
up boy who experience identity crisis during his personality development. This novel
provides main data of the study in the form of sentences and expressions reflecting
the topic of traumatic experience and personality development. Furthermore, the data
taken helped the researcher to answer the research questions (1) how traumatic
experiences make Charlie fail to accomplish the basic strength in the fifth stage of
Erikson’s psychosocial development, (2) how does the failure give impact toward
Charlie’s personality in the sixth stage of Erikson’s theory.
C. Research Instruments
The research instrument of this research was the researcher herself, who played
an important role in analyzing the data on the novel. According to Creswell (2014:
185), the researcher as the key of the research instrument collects the data by
examining documents and observing behavior. A secondary instrument is also
possible to be used in collecting the data, but the researcher is the one who gather the
information. The researcher collected, categorized, and interpreted the data from the
novel to get meanings in accordance with the topic of the research. The interpretation
and analysis of the researcher on the data were highly needed in order to guide the
reader to get a deep understanding about the social phenomenon depicted in
A table sheet was also needed as the secondary instrument to make the researcher
easier in collecting the data during the research process. All of the data that could be
analyzed were recorded in the table sheet. The table sheet also helped the researcher
classify the data into categories.
D. The Technique of Data Collection
The research data were taken by reading the novel carefully and noticing every
detail that would be analyzed. In this research, the researcher was doing close reading
to Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The next step was re-reading the
novel comprehension and taking notes of the data from the novel. Then, the
researcher interpreted the data from the novel and categorized the data in order to
answer the research questions. The last, the researcher identified the data based on
each categorization. To answer the first research question, the data were categorized
into three parts of Charlie’s failure in the fifth stage of Erikson’s Psychosocial
Development; those were identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, and negative
identity. The second categorization was related to the effects of the failure to
Charlie’s personality in the later stage of the development; those were intimacy and
isolation.
The researcher used a data sheet for facilitating the work during the process of
data collection. The data sheet helped the researcher to record all the data found in the
Table 1. The Table List of the Data for the Effects of Traumatic Experiences that Fail Charlie to Achieve the Basic Strength in the Fifth Stage of Erikson’s Psychosocial Development
Table 2. The Table List of the Data for the Effects of the Failure toward Charlie’s Personality in the Sixth Stage
No Category Data Indicators Explanation Page
1. Isolation The last time I had a friend over to dinner was Michael last year. We had tacos. The really great part was that Michael stayed over to sleep. We ended up sleeping very little. We mostly just talked about things like girls and movies and music. The one part I remember
The
feeling of loneliness
Michael is the only best friend Charlie ever had for a year. It shows that he does not have a good interaction with others so that he has no friends. Charlie lives without real friends for a year.
55
No Category Data Indicators Explanation Page
1. Identity
Diffusion
It started yesterday at home. I don't like my birthday. I don't like it at all. I went shopping with my mom and sister, and my mom was in a bad mood because of parking spaces and lines. And my sister was in a bad mood because she couldn’t buy her secret boy a present and hide it from Mom. She would have to come back herself later.
Acute Upset
Charlie does not think that his birthday is special, even he gets deep down and sad when he notices that his birthday is about to come. The possible reason for Charlie to hate his birthday is because he has unexpected memories of his birthday that makes him really regrets about it.
[image:49.595.112.546.542.717.2]distinctly was walking around the neighborhood at night. My parents were asleep along with the rest of the houses. Michael looked into all the windows. It was dark and quiet.
E. The Data Analysis
In analyzing the data from Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the
researcher employed a content analysis technique. As mention by Tesch via Wahyuni
(2012: 122), content analysis technique focuses on the characteristics of language as
communication with attention to the content or contextual meaning of the text. A
content analysis method was the most appropriate method used in this research in
order to help the researcher describe and interpret the data of the research.
The researcher needed to do several steps in analyzing the data from Chobsky’s
The Perks of being a Wallflower in order to get the data interpretation as well. The
steps are presented as follows.
1. Reading and re-reading Chobsky’s The Perks of being a Wallflower in order to
get a deep understanding of the data content.
2. Classifying the data, which were related to the research questions, namely about
traumatic experiences and the effects of traumatic experiences toward human
3. Interpreting and scrutinizing the meaning of the data in line with the topic
discussion in this research. The interpretation and analysis of the researcher were
important to achieve the research objectives.
4. Checking the measure of trustworthiness by triangulation process.
5. Making some conclusions based on the analysis that had been done to the data of
the research. The conclusion aimed to know whether the research objective is
really achieved or not.
F. Trustworthiness
According to Guba, via Shenton (2004: 63), the trustworthiness of the data is
important to be demonstrated during the research process in order to make sure that
the research is trusted. The criteria to check the trustworthiness are credibility,
dependability, transferability, and conformability. The credibility is aimed to measure
the intention of the research. The research is credible when the data of the findings
are in accordance with the research objectives. The dependability refers to the
instrument or the data itself, whether it can be used to multiple occasions or not.
Transferability is the prospect whether the research can be applied on the other same
phenomenon or not. Meanwhile, conformability is to make sure that the researcher is
neutral and the research is objective.
The researcher also applied triangulation to check the credibility of the data
whether the research is on the right line or not. In observing the credibility, the
friends who are the students of English Language and Literature to check the data. In
addition, the researcher also discussed her analysis with her first and second thesis
consultants to get suggestions and inputs related to the analysis.
G. Analytical Construct
Table 3. The Analytical Construct of the Data for Charlie’s Failure in the Fifth Stage of Erikson’s Psychosocial Development
Category Definition Indicators
Identity Diffusion
Identity diffusion is when an individual lack of self-definition and direction of life.
a. Acute Upset: Charlie suddenly feels
extreme regret on something he just done and it leads him to get deep sadness.
b. The inability to concentrate: Charlie loses his focus every time he remembers something that irritates his feeling.
c. The excessive of self-awareness:
Charlie evaluates and compares himself as a person who is not as good, as intelligent, and as attractive as other people.
d. The inability to make a decision:
Charlie cannot make a correct decision in facing many possible choices that must be choose in his life.
Identity Foreclosure
Identity foreclosure is when parents and society play the most important role to influence an individual in making decision in order to gain their self-identity. An individual also do not exploring more opinion while gaining their identity.
a. Interruption of exploring self-potential: Charlie does not consider himself as a potential person.
b. Premature establishment of a sense of identity: Charlie unconsciously giving and receiving judgment on himself which contributes to his definition of self.
c. Excessive involvement of parents:
his parents in making a choice in his life. Negative Identity Negative Identity
Negative identity is when an individual showing the opposite act or behavior that is not expected by his family and social rules.
a. Performance of undesirable choice of an action to gain an acceptable identity. b. A denial action toward the rule in
[image:53.595.102.516.147.259.2]family.
Table 2. The Analytical Construct of the Data for the Impacts of Charlie’s Failure toward His Personality
Category Definition Indicators
Intimacy Individuals’ readiness to engage with the society, build more intimate relationship, and productive in work.
a. Participation in groups: Charlie begins to share and join with larger interaction in groups.
b. Encouragement in a worthless relationship: Charlie establishes a relationship with others without true fusion.
Isolation Individual unable to
enjoy his/her responsibilities as adult
to play a part in society and cannot achieve an intimate relationship with other sex.
a. The feeling of loneliness: Charlie feels hopeless and unhappy because he does not connect with other people.
b. Alienation: Charlie separates himself from the environment around him in order to avoid problems in his life. c. Depression: Charlie is haunted by the
CHAPTER IV
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
This research attempts to identify the failure of the psychosocial development
of an adolescent that is portrayed in Chbosky’s The Perks of being A Wallflower. Hence, the researcher only involves Charlie as the leading character that is assumed as an adolescent who experiences failures in his psychosocial
development. Erikson’s psychosocial development is employed to guide the researcher in answering the research objectives related to Charlie’s failures.
In this chapter, the researcher describes the findings of the research, which are divided into two sub-chapters. The first sub-chapter answers the first research objective that is about Charlie’s failure in the fifth stage of Erikson’s psychosocial
development. It is marked by three problems ascending in his psychosocial moratorium, which are identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, and negative
identity. The second sub-chapter answers the second research objective about the impacts of Charlie’s failure toward his personality in the sixth stage, Intimacy vs. Isolation. In addition, the researcher also provides one part that explains the
traumatic experience and other supporting factors as the causes of Charlie’s failure in achieving his proper personality development.
A. Charlie’s Failure in the Fifth Stage
Erikson with his psyc
