<![CDATA[Previous studies have typically depicted characters who successfully achieve congruence or self-actualization. In contrast, the study of these short stories by Harini et al. (2024) focused solely on masculinity and did not examine the characters’ psychological structures. The focus of this study is to address both of these gaps simultaneously. The data, consisting of 25 dialogue and narrative excerpts, were analyzed using the read-and-note method. They were then classified based on the criteria of values, incongruence, distortion/denial, and openness to experience. The results show that some data (D1–D3) indicate a greater degree of cultural introjection of patriarchy, while the clear conditions for self-esteem (D4) and their transmission to his son (D5–D7) create a strong incongruence between the father’s self-concept as a dominant figure and the fragility of his inner experiences. As a result of this incongruence, defense mechanisms emerge, including violence and emotional manipulation. Toward the end of his life, the Father figure appears only in dreams, but this awareness is only partial. The Father continues to describe his environment as a “punishment” and the death of the world before complete reconciliation is achieved—an ironic tragedy that ultimately ensures the character’s failure to achieve full self-congruence.]]>
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