A Study and Analysis of the Main Character of Pedar-e aan Digari (Father of the Other One) Based on Karen Horney’s Theory of Neurotic Needs and Character Styles

This paper aims to analyze the personality of the main character of the novel Pedar-e aan Digari (Father of the Other One) by Parinoush Saniee, using the Neo-Freudian psychoanalytic theory of Karen Horney, especially her theory of Neurotic needs and personality types. Horney emphasized on the significance of the role of culture, environment and family on the development of personality. Analytic reading of those literary works that found their narrative on the basis of representing people’s healthy/unhealthy personality development, through narrating the childhood and youth events, can and may be of interest to interdisciplinary scholars. Horney has introduced three trends that arise from different needs which are; a) movement towards others, b) movement against others, and c) movement away from others and lead to three personalities, or character styles (i.e., compliant, aggressive, and detached). Integrating qualitative deductive content analysis, data and multiple examples in the text, which reveal how the main character of the novel responds to his neurotic needs in his childhood, have been gathered and, then, analyzed. Furthermore, how he chooses the trend of moving away from others and becomes a detached person in his adulthood has also been addressed.
Introduction:
The concepts within the theoretical framework of Karen Horney, a German psychoanalyst, have been used not only for diagnosing and analyzing the personalities of neurotic individuals but also for analyzing the personalities depicted in literary works. Horney herself believed that both literature and psychology deal with characters and strive to uncover the darker layers of the mind. Although Horney initially followed Sigmund Freud, she later diverged from some of his views, specifically asserting that "social and environmental factors are involved in shaping an individual's personality and are fundamental causes of neurosis and disruptions in personality functioning." In her book "The Neurotic Personality of Our Time," Horney introduced the dynamic theory of neurosis, which is based on the fundamental conflict between people-pleasing and people-avoiding behaviors. Horney's theory, besides social and cultural forces, was also influenced by her gender and personal experiences. Some key concepts of her theory include: basic anxiety, moving towards people, moving against people, moving away from people, and the idealized self-image. A significant portion of the narrative in the novel "Father of the Other One" progresses using a first-person narrator, through the perspective of Shahab, the main character, and revolves around the events of his childhood. The turmoil in the relationships between the father and mother and the main character during his childhood makes this work an excellent case study for psychoanalytic-literary analysis.
Methodology:
This article is a case study conducted within a qualitative paradigm, utilizing content analysis for data mining within the text. Since the analysis of the work is based on pre-existing concepts and components of Horney's theory, the content analysis is deductive in nature (Mayring: 2000). Methodologically, in deductive content analysis, the components or criteria for analysis are pre-existing, and the text is analyzed based on them. In this research, since the main categories or concepts of Karen Horney's theory, particularly neurotic needs and personality types, were pre-existing and used to analyze the main character, the content analysis of the text is deductive. Initially, the theoretical foundations and key concepts of Karen Horney's theory are explained, and then, relying on these concepts, the text is analyzed by presenting examples and evidence from the narrative. The approach to analyzing the findings in this research is also interpretive-descriptive (Maykut & Morehouse, 1994: 113).
Results and Discussion:
The novel "Father of the Other One" describes the sequence of childhood events of an individual who gradually distances himself from others and becomes a solitary character. A set of neurotic needs emerge during the main character's childhood, and he tries to respond to them in various ways. Initially, we see that Shahab lacks the power to say no and even agrees to others' unreasonable demands to keep them satisfied. Over time, when Shahab tries to break free from this passivity and act according to his own will, due to the emergence of another set of needs, he still takes the wrong path, attempting to express his dissatisfaction through stubbornness, destroying others' belongings, and cursing. Ultimately, he chooses the path of distancing himself from people and embracing solitude. Comparing Shahab's narration of his childhood with the evidence available from his adulthood within the same narrative shows that his childhood casts a shadow over his present life. As an adult, Shahab has made distancing from people his way of life. It also seems that Shahab still needs his father's approval and acceptance—a need that was not met in a healthy way during his childhood and has persisted into his adulthood.
Conclusion:
From Horney's perspective, the effort to gain affection in neurotic individuals is so intense that it can be considered a sign of anxiety and its severity. Although in the beginning of the story, Shahab shows in his narration that during his childhood, he sought to gain affection and keep people pleased, he becomes upset when he realizes he is being ridiculed and humiliated by others. This resentment grows within him, and each time he intends to show his hatred towards others. Over time, and with his inability to speak, everyone around considers Shahab to be backward, stupid, incapable, and dangerous. Shahab himself succumbs to others' perceptions, distancing himself from his true self, who has the ability to speak and can present himself to others. Neurotic individuals sometimes fill the gap between their real self and their ideal self with self-criticism and self-hatred. Shahab also secretly hates his inability and lack of acceptance, and tries to suppress his anxiety by destroying others' belongings. Shahab, by accepting his madness, tries to progress in this madness and prove it to others, desiring to excel in the personality that others have constructed for him, which further distances him from his real self. Shahab, as a silent protest, chooses not to speak and opts to distance himself from his family. By finding two imaginary friends, he strengthens the confinement of his world, spending all his time in his room with Asi and Bebee. When Shahab realizes that everyone rejects him because of his perceived stupidity and mistakes, he distances himself from them, hoping that others will not harm him. Reviewing Shahab's childhood experiences shows how he tries, at various stages, to meet some of his neurotic needs in order to overcome his anxieties and achieve a sense of security at home and in relation to others. In neurotic individuals, generally, one of the three tendencies of moving towards people, moving against people, and moving away from people predominates over the others. In other words, a person cannot fully reject the other two tendencies when choosing one; they are present and create fundamental conflicts.