dc.description.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. | |