Exploring Guilt, Trauma, and Redemption: A Psychoanalytic Study of Silent Hill 2’s Dialogue and Monologue
Keywords:
psychoanalysis, video games, psychological conflict, interactive narrativeAbstract
This study examines Silent Hill 2 through Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, analyzing how James Sunderland’s dialogues and monologues reflect guilt, trauma, and redemption. The findings reveal that denial, projection, and repression manifest in his interactions, shaping his psychological struggle. The game’s symbolic environment externalizes his unconscious conflicts, reinforcing its narrative depth. This research underscores the potential of video games as a medium for exploring complex psychological themes and contributes to interdisciplinary discussions in psychoanalysis, literary studies, and media studies.References
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods. Oxford University Press.
Caruth, C. (1996). Unclaimed experience: Trauma, narrative, and history. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing grounded theory. Sage.
Cramer, P. (2015). Protecting the self: Defense mechanisms in action. Guilford Publications.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage.
Felman, S. (2003). Writing and madness. Stanford University Press.
Fludernik, M. (2009). An introduction to narratology. Routledge.
Freud, S. (2018). The ego and the id. Courier Dover Publications.
Freud, S. (2001). The interpretation of dreams. Dover Publications.
Freud, S. (2015). The ego and the id. Dover Publications.
Gee, J. P. (2011). An introduction to discourse analysis: Theory and method. Routledge.
Herman, D. (2009). Basic elements of narrative. John Wiley & Sons.
Herman, J. L. (2015). Trauma and recovery: The aftermath of violence–from domestic abuse to political terror. Basic Books.
Homer, S. (2005). Jacques Lacan. Routledge.
Hobson, R. P. (2016). The psychoanalytic background. In Brief Psychoanalytic Therapy (pp. 1–14). Oxford University Press.
Jung, C. G. (2014). Man and his symbols. Dell Publishing Company.
Kirkland, E. (2005). Restless dreams inSilent Hill: Approaches to video game analysis. Journal of Media Practice, 6(3), 167–178.
Lacan, J. (2006). Écrits: The first complete edition in English. W. W. Norton & Company.
Lacan, J. (2016). The four fundamental concepts of psycho-analysis. Karnac Books.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook. Sage.
Nurrachman, D. (2023). Critical Theory: Teori-Teori Kritik Sastra dan Budaya Kontemporer (pp. 89–90). CV. PUTRA SURYA SANTOSA. (2023)
Rogers, R. (2016). How video games impact players: The pitfalls and benefits of a gaming society. Lexington Books.
Rycroft, C. (1968). A critical dictionary of psychoanalysis. Basic Books.
The Silent hill franchise (1999–2009). (n.d.). In Silent Hill (pp. 136–138). University of Michigan Press. Retrieved December 11, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv65swb6.10
Vanri, K. F., & Hasbiyalloh, B. Y. (2011). Games Online dan Katarsis Virtual (Studi Kasus dengan Analisis Psikoanalisis Freud pada Kecenderungan Permainan Game Interaktif Point Blank dan Second Life). Jurnal ULTIMA Comm, 3(2), 35–54. https://doi.org/10.31937/ultimacomm.v3i2.198
Vaillant, G. E. (2012). Ego mechanisms of defense: A guide for clinicians and researchers. American Psychiatric Pub
Wolf, M. J. P. (2010). The Medium of the Video Game. University of Texas Press.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).