The Inner Conflict of the Main Character in the Novel The Kite Runner and the Novel Seporsi Mie Ayam Sebelum Mati

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the forms and causes of the protagonists’ internal conflicts in the novels The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and Seporsi Mie Ayam Sebelum Mati by Brian Khrisna, utilizing Kurt Lewin’s approach-avoidance conflict theory. These two novels were selected because they both explore themes of trauma, guilt, and despair experienced by their protagonists despite originating from different socio-cultural contexts thereby enabling a cross-cultural comparison of psychological conflict patterns. The study employs a literary psychology approach, utilizing a qualitative descriptive method and a literature review (textual analysis) for data collection. The data consist of narrative excerpts and dialogue from both novels that indicate the protagonists’ psychological conflicts; these data were subsequently analyzed using content analysis techniques. The findings reveal that the character Amir in The Kite Runner experiences an approach-avoidance conflict, characterized by a struggle between the desire to atone for past mistakes and the fear of confronting trauma and guilt. Meanwhile, Ale in Seporsi Mie Ayam Sebelum Mati experiences an avoidance-avoidance conflict, characterized by a choice between enduring life’s suffering and putting an end to his despair. These differing forms of conflict demonstrate that the characters’ psychological pressures are influenced by the specific socio-cultural contexts of each story. This research is expected to enrich the study of cross-cultural literary psychology, particularly regarding the understanding of the variations in internal conflicts experienced by fictional characters.