[ ABSTRAK Karya sastra tidak lepas dari kehidupan manusia. Beberapa di antaranya mengangkat persoalan jiwa manusia. Salah satunya adalah novel Katarsis karya Anastasia Aemilia. Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan perilaku sadis tokoh utama dalam novel Katarsis dengan pendekatan psikologi sastra. Tara, tokoh utama novel Katarsis berperilaku sadis. Perilaku sadis itu disebabkan oleh faktor internal dan faktor eksternal. Dari segi internal, perilaku sadis Tara disebabkan oleh gangguan jiwa yang dikenal dengan istilah psikopati. Dari faktor eksternal, perilaku sadis Tara dipengaruhi oleh lingkungan keluarga dan pengalaman buruk yang dialaminya. Dengan demikian, Tara berperilaku sadis karena ia adalah seorang psikopat yang pernah mengalami kekerasan dalam rumah tangga dan kekerasan seksual.

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ABSTRACT Literature can?t be separated from human life. Some of them raise the issue of human psychological. Katarsis by Anastasia Aemilia is such a novel. This research aims to explain the sadistic behavior of the main character in Katarsis with approach of psychology of literature. Tara, the main character of Katarsis novel, behaves sadistically. The sadistic behavior of Tara is caused by internal and external factors. From the internal, sadistic behavior of Tara caused by a mental disorder known as psychopathy. From external factor, sadistic behavior of Tara is influenced by the family environment and bad experiences that happened to her. Tara behaves sadistically because she is a psychopath who had experiences domestic violence and sexual assault., Literature can’t be separated from human life. Some of them raise the issue of human psychological. Katarsis by Anastasia Aemilia is such a novel. This research aims to explain the sadistic behavior of the main character in Katarsis with approach of psychology of literature. Tara, the main character of Katarsis novel, behaves sadistically. The sadistic behavior of Tara is caused by internal and external factors. From the internal, sadistic behavior of Tara caused by a mental disorder known as psychopathy. From external factor, sadistic behavior of Tara is influenced by the family environment and bad experiences that happened to her. Tara behaves sadistically because she is a psychopath who had experiences domestic violence and sexual assault.]