Lenora Hope’s Defense Mechanism Portrayed in Riley Sager’s The Only One Left

Abstract

This study analyzes the defense mechanisms reflected by one of the characters in Riley Sager's novel, The Only One Left. This study is approached using Sigmund Freud's theory and refined with the theory of his daughter, Anna Freud. The method used by the researcher is library research, with data taken from library materials, primary data taken from the narrative and original text of the novel, and secondary data obtained from supporting books and scientific articles. The results of the study indicate that Lenora Hope uses denial, identification, repression, and suppression. Lenora uses the method of denial when the police arrive and has not even said anything, uses identification to change her identity to her disabled sister, Lenora reflects repression when she chooses to remain silent for decades about the truth of the tragedy, and she uses suppression when Lenora bribes one of her former domestic workers to remain silent. By combining the views of Freud and Anna Freud, this study concludes that Lenora's defense mechanisms function not only as evidence of emotional disturbance but also as adaptive strategies in dealing with trauma and maintaining self-image.