Hidden Fears and Defense Mechanisms of Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley in William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair

Authors

  • Anita Universitas Stikubank Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
  • Teguh Kasprabowo Universitas Stikubank Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.38035/jmpis.v7i5.9598

Keywords:

Hidden Fears, Defense Mechanism, Becky Sharp, Amelia Sedley, Vanity Fair

Abstract

This study examines the hidden fears and defense mechanisms of Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley in William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. The objective of this study is to identify the hidden fears experienced by the two main characters, analyze the defense mechanism that employ, and explain how these psychological factors influence their relationship and life decisions. This research employs a qualitative descriptive method and applies Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, particularly the concepts of anxiety and defense mechanisms. The data were collected from the novel Vanity Fair and analyzed through textual interpretation of the characters’ thoughts, actions, and interactions. The findings reveal that Becky Sharp’s Hidden fears remain associated with poverty, social rejection, loss of status, and emotional vulnerability. To cope with these fears, she employs defense mechanisms such as rationalization, denial, projection, repression, and reaction formation. Meanwhile, Amelia Sedley’s hidden fears are related to abandonment, emotional loss, insecurity, and fear of disappointment. Her defense mechanisms include repression, denial, idealization, and displacement. These defense mechanisms influence the characters’ behavior, relationship important life decisions throughout the novel. The study concludes that hidden fears play a significant role in shaping the psychological development of both characters and contribute to the progression of the narrative.

References

Anwar, N. (2018). Capitalism versus Narcissism: {Death of a Salesman}’s Psychoanalytic Critique. International Journal of English and Literature, 9(4), 31–38. https://doi.org/10.5897/IJEL2018.1168

Blanden, J., Doepke, M., & Stuhler, J. (2023). Educational Inequality. In Handbook of the Economics of Education (Vol. 6, pp. 405–497). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.hesedu.2022.11.003

Capuano, P. J. (2008). At the Hands of Becky Sharp: ({In})Visible Manipulation and {Vanity Fair}. Victorians Institute Journal, 36(1), 167–191.

Carlson, R. W., Bigman, Y. E., Gray, K., Ferguson, M. J., & Crockett, M. J. (2022). How Inferred Motives Shape Moral Judgements. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(8), 468–478. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-022-00071-x

Corradi, R. B. (2023). Psychoanalytic Contributions to Psychodynamic Psychiatry: Freud’s Anxiety Theory. Psychodynamic Psychiatry, 51(4), 386–405. https://doi.org/10.1521/pdps.2023.51.4.386

Cunninghame, C. (2024). Inequality and Education in Australia. The Economic and Labour Relations Review, 35(2), 250–267.

Freud, A. (1936). The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defence. https://psptraining.com/wp-content/uploads/Freud-A.-1936-1993.The-ego-and-the-mechanisms-of-defence.-London-Karnac-Books.pdf

Freud, S. (1961). The Ego and the Id. W. W. Norton & Company.

Giuseppe, M. Di. (2023). Approximating Defense Mechanisms in a National Study of Adults: Prevalence and Correlates with Functioning. Translational Psychiatry, 13(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-02303-3

Jesus, S. (2023). Freedom and Anxiety: A Psychoanalytic Exploration of the Super-ego in the Postmodern Era. Trends in Psychology, 32(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43076-023-00303-w

Kaya, S. Ü. (2021). Defence Mechanisms in Literature: {Wuthering Heights} and {Yeryüzünde bir Melek}. RumeliDE Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi, 25, 1079–1088. https://doi.org/10.29000/rumelide.1036624

Lee, I. T. (2022). A Study on Cognitive Distortions as a Rationalization Mechanism for Immoral Behavior. Journal of Moral & Ethics Education, 74, 213–239. https://doi.org/10.18338/kojmee.2022..74.213

Lingiardi, V., & Madeddu, F. (2025). Revisiting Defense Mechanisms in Contemporary Clinical Practice: Evidence and Perspectives. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome, 28(3), 877. https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2025.877

Moya, A. (2011). The Politics of Re-presenting {Vanity Fair}: Mira Nair’s Becky Sharp. ATLANTIS: Journal of the Spanish Association of Anglo-American Studies, 32(2), 73–87.

Palarani, Y., & Hadiyanto. (2022). Psychoanalytical Conflict, Anxiety, and Ego Defense Mechanism of Aza Holmes in John Green’s {Turtles All the Way Down}. Culturalistics: Journal of Cultural, Literary, and Linguistic Studies, 6(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.14710/culturalistics.v6i1.14757

Sarrar, L., & Goth, K. (2022). Defense Mechanisms Reloaded in the Light of Impaired Personality Functioning: An Attempt of Clarification and Simplification Resulting in the DSQ-22-A for Adolescents. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 866837. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.866837

Sels, L., Overall, N. C., Loeys, T., Verhelst, P., & Kalokerinos, E. K. (2025). The Use and Consequences of Expressive Suppression in High-Risk and Low-Risk Relationship Discussions. Emotion, 25(5), 1293–1305. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001494

Syahidah, J., & Laksono, A. (2021). Psychoanalytical Conflicts, Anxiety, and Ego Defense Mechanisms of the Main Character in Karin Slaughter’s {The Good Daughter}. Culturalistics: Journal of Cultural, Literary, and Linguistic Studies, 5(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.14710/culturalistics.v5i2.12474

Xu, Y., Zhang, G. Q., & Tsai, W. (2026). Longitudinal Associations Between Expressive Suppression and Psychological Health: The Moderating Role of Authenticity and the Ambivalence Over Emotion Expression. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 73(1), 116–127. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000834

Yılmaz, M., Grandjean, L., Beuchat, H., & de Roten, Y. (2025). When Treatment Does Not Seem to Help: Identifying Interpersonal and Defensive Functioning in a Case with Borderline Personality Disorder. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 55, 249–258. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-024-09661-7

Zhang, Y. (2017). Becky Sharp’s Identity Pursuit in {Vanity Fair} from Lacan’s Theory of Mirror Stage. Canadian Social Science, 13(3), 74–79. https://doi.org/10.3968/9400

Zogmaister, C., & Maricuțoiu, L. P. (2022). Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Tell Me That I Have Succeeded at It All: Self-Esteem and the Defensive Mechanisms Against Failure. Social Psychology of Education, 25(5), 1221–1248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-022-09723-5

Downloads

Published

2026-08-23

How to Cite

Anita, & Kasprabowo, T. (2026). Hidden Fears and Defense Mechanisms of Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley in William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Dan Ilmu Sosial, 7(5), 3726–3741. https://doi.org/10.38035/jmpis.v7i5.9598

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 5 (2026): Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan dan Ilmu Sosial (Agustus - September 2026)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Anita, Teguh Kasprabowo

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Hak cipta :

Penulis yang mempublikasikan manuskripnya di jurnal ini menyetujui ketentuan berikut:

  1. Hak cipta pada setiap artikel adalah milik penulis.
  2. Penulis mengakui bahwa Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan dan Ilmu Sosial (JMPIS) berhak menjadi yang pertama menerbitkan dengan lisensi Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (Attribution 4.0 International CC BY 4.0) .
  3. Penulis dapat mengirimkan artikel secara terpisah, mengatur distribusi non-eksklusif manuskrip yang telah diterbitkan dalam jurnal ini ke versi lain (misalnya, dikirim ke repositori institusi penulis, publikasi ke dalam buku, dll.), dengan mengakui bahwa manuskrip telah diterbitkan pertama kali di Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan dan Ilmu Sosial (JMPIS).