DOI: 10.1177/26318318261453669 ISSN: 2631-8318

Fragmented Selves and Psychosexual Distress: Unsustainable Psyche in The Dark Holds No Terrors

Srivarshini S, Lizy V
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Objective:

The article analyses The Dark Holds No Terrors , written by Shashi Deshpande, by adopting an ecocritical and psychoanalytical perspective and introducing the idea of ‘the ecology of the psyche’, whereby the psychological disintegration of the main character, Sarita, is reinterpreted. The article looks beyond typical feminist interpretations of the work and discusses the impact that trauma, guilt, and spousal abuse have on the psyche, which becomes a dysfunctional ecosystem.

Methods:

The article utilises a qualitative methodology for textual analysis, interpretation, and understanding through ecocriticism, psychoanalysis, and trauma studies. Using the theory of mental ecology by Félix Guattari, the article critically analyses elements like plot construction, stream of consciousness, symbolism, and metaphorical language in the novel. Ecological terms such as pollution, sustainability, habitat, and excavation are used to analyse and understand Saru’s narrations, traumatised memories, and psychological experience.

Results:

From the analysis, it can be observed that the mental condition of Saru represents an ecological system that is not sustainable due to its pollution because of guilt over Dhruva’s demise and the painful experience of her being raped during her marriage. The disrupted style of narration used in the story, as well as the change in narrators, represent the instability in her mental environment and the presence of repressed trauma within her. Such expressions as ‘a dark, dank, smelly hole’ and ‘ventriloquist’s dummy’ indicate mental deterioration, lack of control and alienation of the woman. What is more important, Saru’s going back to her childhood home represents ecological excavation.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, it can be said that The Dark Holds No Terrors portrays trauma as an environmental crisis within the self. Through the reimagining of the mind as an internal ecosystem subject to contamination and disorder, the article reveals that psychological sustainability is realised not by repression or evasion but rather through confrontation, synthesis, and self-acceptance. An ecocritical analysis of the novel provides a novel approach to its interpretation and emphasises the importance of mental ecology in analysing trauma and identity.

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