ABSTRACT

A Study of the Psychological Aspects of the Main Characters

in Wei Hui’s Novel Shanghai Baby
Abstract
By DwiAprilinaSetiarini
Dwiaprilinas9@gmail.com

This study investigates the psychological aspects of the main

characters in Wei Hui‟s novel Shanghai Baby. Researcher
describes and identifies the characteristics of main characters
personality related to Sigmund Freud‟s theory (Id, Ego,
Superego). In this study researcher uses qualitative approach with
descriptive method or commonly referred to as qualitative
descriptive method. Data are collected from variety of sources
such as the novel, books, journal, online website, and some
additional information. The findings from the study, the writer
found there are six personalities of the main characters in Sanghai
Baby Novel, such as ambitious, lustful, restless, sensitive,
introvert and extrovert, the writer also found the relationship
between the characteristics with the theory of Sigmund Freud (Id,
Ego, Superego).

Keywords: characters, characteristics, psychology, novel, personality

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 ABSTRAK

Studi Aspek Psikologi pada Karakter Utama dalam Novel Wei Hui
Shanghai Baby

Oleh

Dwi Aprilina Setiarini

E1D012011

Penelitian ini menganalisa aspek-aspek psikologis pada karakter utama dalam novel
Wei Hui „Shanghai Baby‟. Peneliti menjelaskan dan mengidentifikasi karakteristik
kepribadian karakter utama yang berhubungan dengan teori Sigmud Freud (Id, Ego,
and Superego). Metode yang digunakan adalah deskriptif kualitatif. Dalam metode
pengambilan data, penelitian ini menggunakan berbagai sumber antara lain buku,
novel, jurnal, online website, dan beberapa informasi tambahan. Peneliti menemukan
bahwa terdapat enam kepribadian pada karakter-karakter utama dalam novel
Shanghai Baby antara lain ambitious, lustful, restless, sensitive, introvert, dan
extrovert. Peneliti juga menemukan terdapat hubungan antara karakter dengan teori
Sigmud Freud (Id, Ego, Superego)

Kata kunci: Karakter, Karakteristik, Psikologi, Novel, Kepribadian.

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1. INTRODUCTION

Literature could be defined as a term used to describe written or

spoken works. In addition, literature is used to describe anything from

creative writing to more technical or scientific works, but the term was most

commonly used to refer to works of the creative imagination, including works

of poetry, drama, and prose.

There are two reasons why the writer chooses Shanghai Baby novel to

analyze. Factually, Shanghai Baby is a novel that has caused much

controversy in China in 1999 and beyond in the early years of the millennium.

The Chinese government labeled it as „porn‟ and „spiritual pollution for the

minds of the people‟, and publicly burnt over 40.000 copies of it in 2000.

Underground literary circles continued to spread copies of the novel, making

it increasingly popular. The popularity of the book did not go unnoticed

abroad. A blend of eastern and western culture in Shanghai Baby make this

novel is interested to published. The novel was translated and sold in many

different countries, turning it into international bestseller.

Character Coco, TianTian, and Mark as the main characters in this

novel can be said that is interesting to be analyzed. Three of them have a

significant characteristics. From ambitious girl Coco who waits tables by

night, while trying desperately to write a novel so that she might „‟burst upon

the city like fireworks‟‟. Then TianTianas an introvert men who are impotent

and drug-addicted and Mark as the extrovert business man which came as the

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 third person in Coco‟s love story that make Coco betray TianTian as her

boyfriend. Behind the ambitious and the spirit of Coco, she became restless as

a result of her betrayal. In this research, the writer want to show the readers

beside labeled porn from the government as the result of their act. It happens

because there are personality psychology of main characters. Therefore the

writer of this research is interested to analyze human behavior resulting from

the interaction Id, Ego, and Superego.

Empirically, after read this novel, many people decided that this novel

evokes such emotional reactions does not belong in the trash, but should get

the attention it deserves. The reader also can depict the situation and the effect

of the companionship of two different cultures in the text, east and west. The

east meets the west and it causes an influence to our live, point of view, and

life style.

Based on the explanation above, the writer would like to analyze the

psychological aspect from main characters used theory of psychology of

Sigmund Freud.

1.1. Statement of the Problems

1. What are the characteristics of main characters‟ personality in Shanghai

Baby novel?

2. How are those personality related to Sigmund Freud‟s theories (The Id,

the ego and the Superego)?

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 a. Purpose of the Study

1. To describe the characteristics of main characters‟ personality in

Shanghai Baby novel.

2. To identify and describe the personality of the main characters related

to Sigmund Freud‟s theories

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature is a slice of life that has been given direction and meaning,

an artistic interpretation according to the percipient‟s point of views, and it is

grouped into three genres: poetry, drama and prose. Flanagan (2006) in

Rahmah (2013: 14) defines „‟poetry as an imaginative awareness of

experience expressed through meaning, sound rhythmic language choices so

as to evoke an emotional response‟‟. Drama is a kind of literature that

equipped with arms, legs, tears, laughs, whispers, shout, and gestures that are

alive and immediate called drama (Meyer, 1987:905).

Prose is divided into two, fiction and non-fiction. Fiction is diverged

into novel, short story, and graphic, while non-fiction can be history of

science, reports, bibliography, and literary journalism. The three kinds of

literary works consist of knowledge and an entertaining aspect to the readers.

Literary work is the reflection of human‟s life, based on author‟s own

experience or even be imagination.

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 There are two kinds of literature. The first is high literature, so called

high literature is “high” because it seeks to reveal some truth about the human

condition. Its characters, plot and setting are all working to achieve some kind

of epiphany on a greater level, to have some kind of social or psychological

consciousness and to present the reader with existential issues of his or her

own existence. High literature typically deals with the form or style of writing

as well. The purpose of narrative technique in high literature is to complement

the themes of the book.

The second, popular literature is fiction that does not deal with abstract

problems. Popular literature includes those writings intended for the masses

and those that find favor with large audiences. It can be distinguished from

artistic literature in that it is designed primarily to entertain. In popular

literature the narrative technique is designed to easily and quickly convey

ideas to the reader.

3. RESEARCH METHODS

3.1. Research Design

This research used qualitative approach with descriptive method or

commonly referred to as qualitative descriptive method. Qualitative research

is the research methods used to examine the condition of natural objects.

Qualitative research is used because data collection in this study did not use

numbers (but in some case it can be used). Meanwhile descriptive method is

a research method by describing a problem with words. Then qualitative

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 descriptive method deals with description, analyze the events, human status,

object, condition, and the way of thinking.

3.2. Method of Data Collection

The source of data which used as a source for this research are:

1. Source of primary data

Source of primary data in this research is Wei Hui‟s novel Shanghai

Baby translated from the Chinese by Bruce Humes. Printed by Washington

Square Press in U.S.E 263 pages.

2. Source of secondary data

Source of secondary data are taken from documents, books, dictionary,

articles and internet in order to get the information that related to the primary

data.

3.3. Method of Collecting Data

Method of collecting data in this research is used by reading through the

novel and find some references relating to the theme of this research by finding

expression, phrases, and statements in the novel.

To gain more detail information to support the content of research the researcher

collect the data by Library study. By using this method the writer is going to the library

and look for the data for build up the research. The data which have close relation with

literary works.

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 In this method the writer read some of literature which related to the research

such as books, magazines, articles, and documents then rewrite the data or information

that are found on them.

4. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1. Finding

After observing main characters in Shanghai Baby novel, the writer

found a few things related to the personality of main characters. First, Nikki

(Coco) has three characteristic, which are ambitious, lustful, and restless.

TianTian has two characteristics, which are sensitive and introvert. Furthermore

Mark is extrovert business man.

4.2 Discussion

4.2.1 Characteristics of The Main Characters in Shanghai Baby

Novel

1. Ambitious

In Shanghai Baby novel, Nikki has a very strong ambition to achieve

all the things in her life. She always try to do anything to catch what her

wants. She wants to be a famous writer. She was write some short story

and already published them eventhough her story can not accepted by all

people.

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 (1) Every morning when I open my eyes I wonder what I can do to
make myself famous. It‟s become my ambition, almost my raison
d‟etre, to burst upon the city like fireworks. (WeiHui 1999:1)

The excerpts above show Nikki has a strong ambition to be a famous

writer. Every day she never stop to thinking and looking for ways to

become a famous writer. She works as a waitrees in a cafee to get some

money and try to forget her ambition to be famous writer, but she can not

to forget it. She was hard to deny life's little ironies. She think she is in the

wrong place, wrong roles, but united in her commitment to life's young

dream.

2. Lustful

In Shanghai Baby novel. Nikki has lustful characteristic, where she is

think that in the male world, being able to perform sex normally is as life

itself, and any shortcoming causes unbearable pain. She think sex is the

part of relationship and it can not be separated.

(2) TianTian couldn‟t handle sex. I‟m not sure if it was related to the
tragedy that had caused his mental problems, but I remember the
first time I held him in bed. When I discovered he was impotent, I
was devastated, so much so that I didn‟t know if I could stay with
him. Ever since college I had seen sex as a basic necessity
(although I‟ve since changed my mind about this). (WeiHui 1999:
35)

In this scene. We can see Nikki think that satisfaction in sex is really

importan in a relationship but actually beside that, sex is not the only one

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important thing that we should looking for in a relationship. Moreover,

since her college, she always thinks that sex is a basic requirement in this

life. The strong sex desire makes Nikki felt she could not maintain her

relationship with TianTian just because she knew TianTian is impotent

guy. So, it is not surprised when Nikki start to betray her boyfriend. From

the description above we can conclude that Nikki has lustful characteristic.

Judging by the way she think the importance of sex in her life, especially

in a relationship.

3. Restless

(3) “I‟m in Beijing,” I said, as my heart was seized by a sharp wave or

tired tenderness. I didn‟t even know why I was in Beijing at this
moment. I was so agitated, a heart that never knew where it
belonged, floating here and there, never resting, so tired, so
useless. I had nothing, just taking a plane from here to there, just
sleeplessness night after night. Neither music nor drink nor sex
could save me…. (WeiHui 1999: 111)

The quote above teel us Nikki is very confusing in her life, its like she

did not know herself. She does not know what the meaning of her own life

and what her purpose of life. She just tried to follow whatever her heart

said and go wherever the place that passing through her mind. When

Cristmas day, she did not know why she was celebrating cristmas at

Beijing. She chose to celebrate cristmas by herself, without TianTian, and

also not with Mark, nor with her family. Confusion of her heart brought

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her to Beijing. It make she can not think and concentrate. I had nothing,

just taking a plane from here to there, just sleeplessness night after night.

Neither music nor drink nor sex could save me. She did such activities

under the conscious, thinking of nothing, just do it like the wind blow her

away. However she tried to please herself, she could not stop from that

restles feeling

4. Sensitive

(4) “From the moment I first saw you at the green stalk, I just felt you
were cut out to be a writer,” TianTian went on, to flatter my vanity
more. “Your eyes are deep and your voice carries real emotion.
You never stop watching your customer. And I‟ve even heard you
discussing existentialism and voodoo with Spider.” (WeiHui 1999:
23)

In the quote above has been described that TianTian is a sensitive

man. Since the first time he met Nikki, he can guess what kind of person

of Nikki is, he could feel that Nikki could be a writer. A sensitive person

can guess and feel something that was not said. For example, when a

friend of us who is angry and do not want to talk. If we are one of the

sensitive person, then without asking them, we could know that they are

angry.

The sensitive person is usually can read someone by seeing their body

language and how their act. As TianTian, just by looking at the Nikki‟s

eyes and hear her voice that filled with emotion when they are talking at

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the café, he could guess that Nikki could be reaching her dream of

becoming a writer.

5. Introvert

(5) For a while after his father died, TianTian lost the power of
speech. Then he dropped out of high school in his first year. His
lonely childhood had already turned him into a nihilis. His
aversion to the outside world meant he spent half his life in bed.
(WeiHui 1999: 4)

Here we can see TianTian become introverted person because of his

life experiences, began when his father died. His family was broken down,

grandmother did not stop blaming his mother because she think his mother

is caused his father‟s death. Then his mother decided to married with the

other guy and lived with him. Then TianTian chose to stay in an apartment

alone. His lonely childhood and broken home is change his mindset.

6. Extrovert

(6) Mark‟s eyes scanned in my direction, and after an instant‟s

hesitation he walked over. “Would you like to dance?” (WeiHui
1999: 29)

Mark is a business man who came to the Madonna‟s retro party and

accidentally he met with Nikki and TianTian. Madonna introduced them

with each other. From the quote above, we can see mark is extrovert

person because he asked Nikki to dance eventhough he knows that Nikki

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 came to the party with her boyfriend and he does not know know her

before. He said his wishes directly and feel free to said his feeling. He is

never hiding his desire to ask Nikki to go to dance floor. That is one of

characteristic of the extrovert person.

5 CONCLUSIONS

1 The result of findings and discussion in this thesis shows that Shanghai Baby

novel not just a bad novel that labeled by the government of China. There are

unique characteristic from the main characters. There are six prominent

characteristics that formed the main characters personality, which are, ambitious,

lustful, restless, sensitive, introvert and extrovert. The personality of the

characters is affected by west culture, it is like European always in the right side.

Not only that, the past experience also affected the personality of characters,

2 Furthermore, the writer also found Nikki has strong Id because she is ambitious

girl. Ambitious is a desire of someone that want something and try to find way to

achieve that. The strong desire of Nikki‟s is created by life instinct, it is like she

will life forever and try to avoid the pain. She take every possible way to catch

her dreams. But it is totally different with TianTian‟s personality, he have no

desire of his life, he does not want anything, he just enjoyed his loneliness, avoid

social world because he think all people is fake, everyone become the real their

self when they are alone. That personality created by death instinct. That instinct

make he thought that the goal of all life is death.

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3 So, literary work is the best and the most effective media to educate moral and

personality of the characters and personality of one group of certain society in

which it is considered as a norm and appreciated as the most important life in

society.

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