Henkilöhahmon sisäinen konflikti Väinö Linnan romaanissa Tuntematon sotilas

Abstract

The object of this study is character´s internal conflict in the novel. The primary research question is: What are the internal conflicts of characters like in Väinö Linna’s novel The Unknown Soldier? An answer to the primary research question is sought by answering the following secondary research questions: What are the specific internal conflicts like? How do they manifest? What are the most important effects they have on the structure of the narrative? What kinds of groups of characters are possible to form? How could the traditional notion of characters internal conflict, as it is traditionally defined in literary studies, be developed? In this study, internal conflict takes place when a character 1) has two competing desires, two needs, the conflict of which is difficult to solve; 2) struggles and hesitates between two threatening fears; 3) is afraid of striving for something they want. Character’s internal conflict is also manifested when two antithetical basic needs co-exist simultaneously: a) independence vs. de-pendence; b) intimacy vs. withdrawal; c) co-operation vs. competition; d) impulse vs. moral guidelines. The structure and contents of the methodological apparatus of this study are as follows: 1) knowledge interest: hermeneutic; 2) paradigm: interpretative and intrinsic; 3) mode of approach: modified new criticism; 4) method: close reading. Of the novel’s characters, 28 were selected for an analysis through close reading. The analysis revealed that twelve of the characters (Riitaoja, Lehto, Kariluoto, Koskela, Lahtinen, Korpela, Kotilainen, Mäkilä, Salo, Karjula, Korsumäki, Jalovaara) have internal conflicts, whereas the remaining sixteen do not. Other essential search results are as follows. Characters with internal conflicts are connected to deep psychological portrayals of human nature, revealing their consciousness with all the inconsistencies, contradictions, and tensions. Typical for these characters are testiness and sensitivity, and an irregular rhythm of life. These elements deepen the characters and enables narrative progression. In addition to internal conflicts, the problem of masculinity figures prominently. The novel therefore stands as another sign of the author’s expertise in sensitive psychological expression. In addition to interpretive results, conceptual results were also reached. First of all, Harry Shaw’s relatively popular definition of internal conflict has been developed further using social psychological conceptual data. This has resulted in the above-mentioned definition, which has turned out to be efficient in analysis. Additionally, this experiment with new criticism has revealed new criticism still to be a useful approach when supplemented with a concession of the existence of cognitive models. The text can no longer be seen as an object which is completely detached from the prior knowledge of the researcher.