TJELLS | The Journal for English Language and Literary Studies

A Psychoanalytic Study of Destructive Aspects of Love and Desire in Somerset Maugham’s Human Bondage: A Lacanian Psychoanalytic Reading

Behnaz Abed — 2024-09-03

The present study is a comprehensive psychoanalytic approach to Destructive aspects of Love and Desire in Somerset Maugham’s Human Bondage. W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) is one of the twentieth century's most productive, multitalented, and famous writers. His works depict the life of people who struggle despite all the destructive relationships they have to gain something. Philip, as the main character in the novel, is a typical representation of one who suffers from human bondages and struggles for freedom and finding truth. Human Bondage is one of the most famous and intimate novels that tells us about the main character’s way of life, which is filled with difficult trials. Philip has not been in a safe holding environment in the absence of his mother, and he was born with a clubfoot. As object relation theory mentions, all incomplete relationships throughout childhood reveal themselves in one’s adulthood, especially in destructive relations and friendships. According to Lacanian Psychoanalysis, False Self is such a mask for the child whenever he/she feels him/herself in danger. He rejects being in and tries to find a replacement for the absence of his mother.

Back to Human Bondage, Philip, due to the loss of his mother, gives a sense of insecurity that would transform itself into something else, finally leading to unpredictable results. So, he always chooses to be the child of his partner instead of having a mutual relationship with her. The subject of the relationship for Philip is destructive and devastating, so much so that it brings about some bondage. His love for Mildred is a relationship of bondage within which he loses his true self and falls into the state of a “desiring subject” who is irresistibly dependent on another. We understand one of Lacan's most well-known maxims that "Man's desire is the desire of the other". To enrich the analysis further, Lacan states that there is never one true love between the people who claim to love each other, and desire can never be satisfied. The nature of desire is that one asks for something, but when he gets closer to attaining it, he feels it is not exactly what he wanted, and so he shifts to something new in the hope of satisfying his desire. It is argued in the present study that Philip desires his mistress to such an extent that he fails to develop his own independent identity and contributes to his self-deterioration. This is a hazardous situation for him since he finds out that he plays no role in satisfying his desire. Therefore, in the process of satisfying his desire, Philip has to negotiate with others whose desires are different from those of Philip. The very contrast is the leading cause of the bondage explored in the present study.

The Hidden World of Gondal: Romantic, Psychoanalytic, and Feminist Readings of the Brontë Poems

Punitha Andrews — 2024-09-10

This paper provides a theoretical exploration of Emily and Anne Brontë’s Gondal Poems, part of the elaborate fictional world they created known as the Gondal saga. Despite their literary richness, these poems are less well-known than the sisters' novels and other poetry. By employing Romanticism, Psychoanalytic Theory, and Feminist Criticism, this study delves into the thematic and psychological depths of the Gondal Poems, uncovering new layers of meaning and highlighting their distinctiveness from other works by the Brontës. The paper also explores the potential for interdisciplinary adaptations, comparing the contributions of both Emily and Anne to the Gondal saga, and proposes expanding the scope of research through comparative studies and modern adaptations. This comprehensive analysis aims to ensure that the Gondal Poems receive the scholarly attention they deserve, enhancing our understanding and appreciation of these complex and evocative works.

The Significance of Interpersonal Relations in Rehabilitation in Toni Morrison’s Paradise

Dr. Shamaila Dodhy — 2024-09-15

This study frames the emotional damage and the process of rehabilitation of Mavis in Toni Morrison's Paradise. The writings of Morrison authenticate African-American realities and concerns. She explores complex societal, political and philosophical concerns in her novels, exposing black victimization, the psychological effects of racial and sexual persecution, and the complications that African Americans face in a society dominated by white cultural values. Paradise, a multilayered work, has inspired a wide range of literary criticism. However, most critics have either neglected the role and significance of interpersonal relations in the process of rehabilitation of broken individuals or have touched only marginally.

Consequently, criticism of Paradise needs to be a more comprehensive analysis of the importance of interpersonal relations. The present study aims to fill this gap, thereby gaining fresh insights into the artistic piece. Narratives of violence on electronic media may desensitize people to what they see and hear. However, this study emphasizes that attachment relationships are the most efficient means to regulate emotional distress. If one's world gets fractured, which is beyond one's control, resulting in denigration, then the overwhelming weight of such intrusive stress and the ever-present threat of harassment have to be lifted with someone's help. The study argues that psychological ailments should be dealt with seriously because psychological damage is not a matter of concern of individual psychopathology but a problem that touches the social and cultural dimensions of human life. The reader will be equipped with a new framework for assisting distressed individuals, which will strengthen the community.

Nurturing Environmental Trepidations: Exploring Climate Awareness and Childhood Innocence in Bijal Vacchrajanai’s Saavi: The Memory Keeper

Risana — 2024-09-20

Cli-fi bestirs as a emanating genre on the grounds of disparate and coercive environmental repercussions. The writers emulated an idiosyncratic perspective on the sweeping ecological and climate crisis with an amalgamation of our country's rich cultural heritage and coeval eco-friendly problems. Traditional narratives are intertwined with futuristic scenarios aiming to emphasize the lurking danger behind deforestation. Water scarcity, Rising sea levels, and Melting of polar ice caps and glaciers were the ancillary eventualities due to the hasty obliteration of trees and forests. In this context, juvenile fiction has the restraint to foster ecological anxieties and cognizance among the readers. The article aims to explore how Bijal Vacchrajanai, in her novel Saavi: The Memory Keeper, makes use of imaginative storytelling to pinnacle the increasingly erratic weather patterns. It also highlights the unprecedented climate upheaval that Mother Earth is going to face in the distant future. The paper focuses on the potency of environmental knowledge and climate advertency among the young generations.

Postcolonial Identities in Amitav Ghosh’s Sea of Poppies

M. Suresh — 2024-09-26

India is a beautiful country that is painted with ethnic, bio-cultural, and linguistic diversity. It has its roots connected with eternal nature. People of different classes, castes, creeds, and colours intermingle all together under a single roof. India is a country which accepts new things with an open mind in favour of humanity. A few decades back, what India is now was a slightly different tone. Sea of Poppies delineates the contemporary class domination, exploitation, caste brassiness, untouchability, male domination and the quest for identity. The book is a historical overview of India. Britishers suck the blood of the Indians by enslaving them. During the colonial period, starvation and violence spread in Bihar and Bengal. In this article, the ancient aspects of India and its connectivity with nature and culture are described briefly, and the dark side of the marginal people is discussed. The writer has not praised but protested the sheer exploitation of humanity; meagre steps taken against evilness destroying the Indian culture and social life and also throws a light of optimism towards the emerging thoughts which can mould the mindset of the younger generations to a more significant extent.