A notorious Michael Swango copes with persecutory delusions in James B. Stewart's Blind Eye

This research focuses on the main character in James B. Stewart’s Blind Eye, Michael Swango. This research discusses Swango’s characterization and how he copes with persecutory delusions. New criticism is applied as the supporting theory to describe Swango. Coping mechanism is applied as the main theory to find out how he copes with persecutory delusions. Using descriptive method, the researcher found that Swango was a notorious physician. Among his colleagues, he was known as cunning, doing malpractice, peculiar, suspicious, lack of empathy and lack of skill. He also had some qualities to be a narcissistic and psychopathic person. Meanwhile, Swango’s coping with persecutory delusions was included on problem-focused coping. He began serial killing as retaliation after his performance as an intern was criticized by a faculty member. However, coping did not always bring an effective outcome. It raised another problem which was imprisonment as a punishment. It means Swango’s coping with persecutory delusions did not resolve his problem.