Abstract:
Individuals are inextricably shaped by their life experiences, with early life
events casting lasting shadows. As Tyson (1999) posits, the world is
―comprised of individual human beings, each with a psychological history that
begins in childhood experiences in the family‖ (p. 12). This study employs the
Bowen Family theory and Anna Freud‘s Defense Mechanisms, both
Psychoanalytic theories, as frameworks to illuminate the life experiences and
psychological developments of two pivotal characters, Amir and Mariam, in
Khaled Hosseini‘s novels, The Kite Runner (2003) and A Thousand Splendid
Suns (2007), respectively. This study delves into the impact of their early
experiences on the course of their lives, seeking to decipher the motivations
behind their actions, the enduring psychological repercussions of these
experiences, and the strategies they employ to cope. Psychoanalysis contends
that an unconscious drive significantly influences or shapes a person‘s
behaviour. In the narratives of Amir and Mariam, we discern intricate threads
of thought, emotion, and conduct that can be traced back to the unconscious
forces of love and family. This study centres on the theme of family dynamics,
specifically examining the childhood experiences of these protagonists and
their contribution to character development. It sheds light on the roles of
family and love in shaping the actions of Amir and Mariam, the haunting
legacies of their past, the far-reaching consequences of which both characters
grapple with in adulthood, and, intriguingly, exposes a unique manifestation of
the Oedipal (male and female) Complex in both novels.
