TRAUMA AND DEFENSE MECHANISMS IN THE FORMATION OF LETITIA HELLION’S VILLAINY IN THE GIRL WHO COULD FLY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31851/gdytx113Keywords:
Freudian psychoanalysis, Reaction Formation, Traumatic loss, Villain formation, Psychoanalytic literary criticismAbstract
This study aims to examine the formation of Letitia Hellion's character as a villain in Victoria Forester's The Girl Who Could Fly (2008). Positioning Letitia as a nuanced villain viewed through a psychological lens to uncover motivations behind her villainous actions and decisions. Grounded in a descriptive qualitative method with textual analysis focusing on dialogue, narration, and character interactions from the novel, integrated with Freudian psychoanalytic literary criticism. The findings reveal that trauma and defense mechanisms play a central role in explaining Letitia's villain formation, following a sequential psychological process: Sarah's death functions as the central traumatic event, giving rise to distorted perceptions and fears of repetition. These cumulative psychological impacts appear to evoke the defense mechanism of reaction formation, which justifies her villainous behavior internally and manifests externally through institutional oppression and obsessive control over individuals with superability. From a psychoanalytic perspective, these findings demonstrate a broader understanding of literary villains by illustrating villainy not as an expression of innate evil, but as the product of complex psychological processes. Offering insights into the psychological complexity of fictional villains while providing a conceptual lens for understanding how similarly complex patterns of behavior may emerge in real-world individuals.
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