Study on the change of motive and motivation of the main character of "of mice and men" based on Freud's psychological theory of personality structure and personality dynamics

Murder has been one of the most increasing topic in literature. The scope of motive and motivation analysis of the perpetrator is chosen since people sometimes consider differently towards motive and motivation. This thesis aims to find out the motive and the motivation of the main character of the novel, to discuss, and to find the changing of motive and motivation in protecting his best friend and killing his best friend. The method used in the analysis is a qualitative study. The theories used in the analysis are Objective Theory by M.H. Abrams to view the intrinsic elements of the novel, and continued to Freud’s Theory of Psychology to view the analysis of motive and motivation through id, ego, and superego. The analysis then finds that the motive of the main character in protecting his best friend, viewed through the analysis of id, is a seek of pleasure, which changes into the feeling of threat of being accused and the feeling of fear of revenge. Meanwhile,the analysis of the motivation of the main character, viewed through the analysis of ego and superego, finds a change in the story: the wishes of owning a land changes into the wishes of getting rid of the problem and to put the responsibility upon his best friend, while the superego relates to the justification of the killing action. The conclusion is the motive changes from seeking of pleasure into the feeling of threat of being accused and the feeling of fear of revenge, while the motivation changes from owning a land into getting rid of the problem and to put the responsibility upon his best friend. The writer then suggests that readers should be able to predict that any problem will arise upon any matter. The writer would also suggest that readers are able to bring the action which is not violating the aspects of superego. At last, the writer would like to suggest other researchers to be able to bring broader aspects of analysis of this novel and the method, to make it more beneficial for further studies