A Psychoanalytical Interpretation of Omar El Akkad's American War: An In- Depth Study of Sarat Chestnut's Neurosis

Abstract

This research paper postulates the sociological and psychological factors responsible for prompting neurosis in the protagonist Sarat Chestnut in the novel American War (2017). It is the study of Sarat’s disturbing behavior and the constant struggle to exist in her society and bear its ill-treatment. The theories of Neurosis and Seduction; a part of the theory of psychoanalysis, have been applied to study the symptoms and causes of Sarat’s neurotic behavior. Instead of presenting neurosis as a pure medical disorder, neurosis has been discussed as a mental disturbance. Two types of neurosis i.e. compulsion neurosis and anxiety hysteria are found in Sarat. The symptoms of these two kinds of neurosis includes agoraphobia, ambivalence, traumatic fixation, disabled sublimation, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The reasons responsible for neurotic behavior of Sarat are sexual abuse, disturbed family unit, sibling rivalry, suppressed fear, and hatred, suppressed desires or drives, and societal norms.