Erika’s Self-Defence Mechanisms in La Pianiste

DOI

10.2991/assehr.k.200325.068How to use a DOI?

Keywords

film studies, masochism, psychoanalysis, self-defence mechanisms

Abstract

Since the beginning of psychoanalysis, the discipline has a close relation to any form of literature. Psychoanalysis can be used to analyze literature, and literature also often provides examples of psychoanalysis theories. Within time, the emergence of films makes it easier to do both. This article analyses the usage of one of the very well-known psychoanalysis theories, the self-defence mechanisms, by Erika, the main character of La Pianiste. The film plot is driven by an inner conflict within Erika as she faced two choices, whether to express her sexual fetishes or continue to repress it. This article aims to explain the self-defence mechanisms in the film, which is shown through the narrative and cinematographic aspects, also correlates it with other Freudian psychoanalysis theories such as the structural model of psyche (id, ego, superego) and dream. Those three theories also relate to Erika’s sexual fetishes and her relations with her mother and lover. The self-defence mechanisms are used to defend the ego from moral anxiety caused by the unbalance between Erika’s id and superego. This article finally measures the effectiveness of self-defence mechanisms used by Erika and whether her structural model of the psyche is in balance.

Copyright

© 2020, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.

Open Access

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Fitrohza Gilang Nurzamsyah
AU  - Suma Riella Rusdiarti
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2020/03/31
TI  - Erika’s Self-Defence Mechanisms in La Pianiste
BT  - Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Language, Literature, Culture, and Education (ICOLLITE 2019)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 132
EP  - 135
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200325.068
DO  - 10.2991/assehr.k.200325.068
ID  - Nurzamsyah2020
ER  -