This study discusses the process of cultural shock and coping strategies experienced by Viktor Navorski, the main character in The Terminal (2004), a film directed by Steven Spielberg. The purpose of this study is to identify the stages of culture shock experienced by Viktor and to analyze the coping strategies he employed throughout the adaptation process. Viktor is a citizen of Krakozhia who becomes stranded at John F. Kennedy International Airport due to a political crisis in his country. This situation places him in a state of cultural isolation within a highly regulated and unfamiliar environment. Through Viktor’s character, the film portrays how an individual attempt to adjust to a foreign culture while coping with the social and emotional pressures that arise during the adaptation process.
This study applied a descriptive qualitative approach in analyzing the film, supported by both primary and secondary data. The primary data were derived from the film’s dialogue transcript, while secondary data were obtained from e-journals, books, articles, and websites relevant to the topic. The data consisted of sentences in the form of narrative, monologue, and dialogue, which were analyzed through quotations, statements, and descriptive interpretation.
This study of study revealed that Viktor experienced culture shock and employed coping strategies to deal with it. Viktor, as a Krakozhian citizen, faced cultural differences with American society, such as a complex immigration system, an unfamiliar modern lifestyle, the use of English, and various rules and norms at the airport. First, Viktor went through four phases of culture shock: the honeymoon phase, the crisis phase, the recovery phase, and the adjustment phase. Second, Viktor adopted two types of coping strategies: problem-focused and emotion-focused, as efforts to overcome the cultural challenges he faced while living in a stressful and foreign airport environment.

Keywords: culture shock, coping strategies, the terminal