Psychology of Literature

Psychology is actually derived from Greek words, “psyche” (the soul) and “logos” (study). Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental process (Papalia and Wendkos Olds, 1985:4). Other sources said that, Psychology is the study of the mind and human and animal behavior (Hornby, 1995:936). While according to Munn (1961:7), Psychology is a science and the reason for this is that its observations relate to living organisms. Though there are many definitions of psychology, but all have one similarity for the essence, that is about human and its behavior. According to Subhan (2003:57), Psychology (the science or study of mind and its processes) can be used to help a literary critic or a literary researcher to explain, interpret, and evaluate literary works. In relation to the quotation above, the writer can draws a conclusion that psychology can explain the creative work of the author.

By ‘psychology of literature’, we may mean the psychological study of the writer, as type and as individual, or the study of the creative process, or the study of the psychological types and laws presents within works of literature, or, finally, the effects of life nature upon its readers (audience psychology) (Wellek and Warren, 1978: 81). Psychology and literature have a functional relationship each other.