This final project analyzes the anxiety and defense mechanism of the main character namely dr. David in The Memory Keeper’s Daughter novel written by Kim Edwards. The aim of this study is to analyse the anxiety and defense mechanism of the main character according to psychoanalysis theory of Sigmund Freud.
This study belongs to qualitative study. The data of the study are in the form of words, monologue, and dialogue collected by reading the novel, identifying, classifying, inventorying, and reducing the data. The data are analyzed and reported qualitatively in the result of the analysis.
There are two findings found in this study. First, the study describes the anxieties of dr. David according to Sigmund Freud’s theory, which are reality anxiety, neurotic anxiety and moral anxiety. These anxieties of dr. David are shown by the feeling guilty of dr. David because of his decision to hand his daughter to Caroline and lied to his wife that their daughter died when she was born. Second, this study describes the defense mechanisms according to Sigmund Freud’s theory, they are repression and rationalization. Those defense mechanisms done by dr. David when he worries about his decision. He separate their daughter to avoid his wife from the teribble grief as he and his mother in the past.

Keywords: Psychonalysis, Anxiety, Defense Mechanism.