Rahmat Setiawan 092154030 English Language and Literature Dept.

faculty of Language and arts State University of Surabaya (Unesa) Lidah Wetan Campus Email: nubackz@aol.com Concept of Id, Ego, and Superego in the Short Story The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant
In a Short Story, there must be characters that influence the whole of the aspect of the story like plot and conflict through the behaviors and motivation. Sariban (2009:165) in Teori dan Penerapan Penelitian Sastra also explain that the source of behaviors is from the motivation. Both of them will form the personality or persons character. Minderop (2010:21) in the Psikology Sastra said that personality contains three structures, Id, Ego, and Superego. Id is the basic natural instinct and based on pleasure principle. Ego is the differential of Id and located between unconsciousness and consciousness and as the arbiter between Id and Superego. Ego works based on the reality principle. Superego is the part of moral that from parents and environment. This analysis is purposed to analyze the characters personality of the short story because the analysis of psychology taken from the text of the short story. In the short story The Necklace, the main character Mathilde is in the reality that she is beautiful woman but her husband is only a clerk. Mathilde feels so uncomfortable of it, full of regret, and sorrowful. That feeling is the form of Mathildes Id that is repressed by the reality of being an only clerks wife. The feelings appear to She suffered intensely, feeling herself born for every delicacy and every luxury. She suffered from the poverty of her dwelling, from the worn walls, the abraded chairs, the ugliness of the stuffs. All these things, which another woman of her caste would not even have noticed, tortured her and made her indignant (Maupassant, 1907:3). She imagines pleasures, one dinner shows how big her desire of luxuries. It is in She was thinking of delicate repasts, with glittering silver, with tapestries peopling the walls with ancient figures and with strange birds in a fairy-like forest; she was thinking of exquisite dishes, served in marvelous platters, of compliment whispered and heard with a sphinx-like smile, while she was eating the rosy flesh of a trout or the wings of a quail (Maupassant, 1907:4). Her desire about luxurious thing, glamour, and looked rich are the reflection of her Id. The raising conflict drives the Id crazier. It is when they get an

invitation from The Minister of Education and Madame Ramponneau at the Ministry on the evening of Monday, 18th January. Mathilde is shame to wear her dress, she cries and her husband finally gives her four hundred francs. The husband here is like the Ego of Mathilde, it fulfills the Ids demand because giving Mathilde the money is the realistic thing to stop her crying out again. Crying here is the effect of unfulfilling the Id. Look here All right. I will give you four hundred francs. But take care to have a pretty dress. (Maupassant, 1907:29). Then her husband, deciding the realistic thing to fulfill the Mathildes Id of having new dress, it represents the Ego. Actually, the Ego of Mathilde also tries to buy, but it is more realistic to do by her husband because in this story the husband has the money. It means that buying the new dress is the Ego of Mathilda, but her husband represents it. Id will never feels satisfied, after having new dress, Mathilde wants to wear jewels. She forces to wear jewels although either she or her husband does not have it. Her husband tries to ensure her that it is fine without the jewels, just wearing the flower. You will wear some natural flowers. They are very stylish this time of the year. For ten francs you will have two or three magnificent roses. (Maupassant, 1907:35). Nevertheless, Mathilde keep forcing of wearing jewels, this the riot of her Id that has been repressed for long, it demands to the Ego of Mathilde to wear any jewels. Here, the character of Mathildes husband is representation of the Superego that blocks the Ids demand and it is like a moral, that simple and natural are better than forcing to be luxuries. This is being the conflict between the Id and Superego; the Ego should be immediately finding the decision that is realistic to do and fulfilling both of them. It is to reduce the internal conflict of the Ego or Mathildes self. In that case, her husband also becomes the reflected Ego of Mathilde that decides to give advice to lend the jewels to Mme. Forestier. What a goose you are! Go find your friend, Mme. Forester, and ask her to lend you some jewelry. You know her well enough to do that. (Maupassant, 1907:39). Lending is reality to do, and her husband reflects the Ego of Mathilde that should decide something to do. The Ids demand does not stop, after meeting Mme. Forestier and Mme. Forestier allowed her to lend the jewelries, Mathilde choose the diamond necklace whereas it belongs to the beautiful jewelry. All at once she discovered, in a box of black satin, a superb necklace of diamonds, and her heart began to beat with boundless desire. Her hands trembled in taking it up. She fastened it round her throat, on her high dress, and remained in ecstasy before herself. (Maupassant, 1907:48). Looking at a beautiful diamond necklace, the Id demands to select it. It seems to her desire, and the Ego finally

follows the Id. The Ego does not ponder to the Superego. Actually, after lending the necklace, Mathilde loses the necklace. She exchanges it by buying the similar necklace and lends money to a debt collector. She pays by installment and spends all of her rest time by paying her installment until all about her life has changed. She is regretful of not following and listening to her Superego or her husband. Based on the concept of Id, Ego, and Superego, in the short story The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant, especially the main character, Mathilde has the selfish character and not a wise woman. She always tries and forces to fulfill her Ids demand with regardless to the Superego that represented by her husband. When she has given money for buying new dress, she keeps wishing of having jewelries to wear, it represented her Id that search for pleasure of herself while her Ego ignores the Superego that is represented by her husband. It is like in human real life that woman is more difficult to handle the desire, especially about shopping and prestigious thing than men are. It should be a lesson for a better life. The Id always demands more and more with regardless to anything, the Ego should immediately decide to do something to fulfill the Id with pondering to the Superego. Finally, the author inputs the moral value that someone should feel happy and fulfilled. If someone cannot handle the Id or ignoring the Superego, something bad will come. References: Minderop, Albertine 2010, Psikologi Sastra, Jakarta: Yayasan Obor Indonesia. Sariban 2009, Teori dan Penerapan Penelitian Sastra, Surabaya: Lentera Cendekia. Maupassant, Guy de. 1907. The Necklace. In B. Matthews (Trans.), The Short-Story (Chapter XX). New York: American Book Company.