The Cause and Effect in Development of Michael’s Personality To Be Oedipus Complex in Daldry’s Film The Reader

Abstract

This article analyzes the cause and effect in development of Michael’s personality to be Oedipus complex in Stephen Daldry’s film The Reader, a German-American romantic drama based on the 1995 German novel of the same name.  This research attempts to reveal the cause and effect in development of Michael’s personality to be Oedipus complex using psychoanalysis theories, id, ego, superego, defense mechanism and Oedipus complex. The plot of the film shows that there are conflicts among the main character towards another character which causes him to be Oedipus complex.  The characters, the characterization, and the plot show that their problems are the keys of the cause Michael, the main character, to be Oedipus complex. The analysis shows that someone’s personality development relates to his environment, especially, his family and close friends.