Human Psyche and the Defense Mechanisms in Paulo Coelho’s The Devil and Miss Prym; A Psychoanalytic Study

Abstract

This article encompasses psychoanalytic aspects of the Stranger, one of the leading characters in the novel The Devil and Miss Prym. The Stranger is not presented as an evil or malevolent character; rather, he is shown as a psychologically complicated and tormented character. His behavior is disturbed by his past trauma, inner conflicts, unconscious desires, and drives. Through Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, particularly focusing on the id, ego, superego, anxiety, and defense mechanisms, this article concentrates on the Stranger’s inner psychological conflicts and how his past trauma shapes his moral values. The research follows descriptive qualitative research illustrating the major traits of the human psyche, core issues, defense mechanisms, and anxiety. The research exposes that the Stranger’s inner psychological complexities are the result of his past trauma, internal conflict, and anxiety. This study reveals the Stranger provokes the villagers to commit a crime out of his vengeance. His manipulation of killing an innocent is not a result of wickedness but a psychological response to his past trauma of losing his family and inner conflicts. The Stranger’s emotional distance, identity crises, and confusion about taking proper decision is a prominent example of his psychologically disturbed personality. Altogether, the study illustrates that the reason behind the Stranger’s malevolence is closely related to his past trauma and his inner psychological conflicts.