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106567

Self-Harm as Biosocial Disorder in Alice Walker's Possessing the Secret of Joy

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Last updated: 04 Jan 2025

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Abstract

This paper investigates, from a psychological perspective, the personality disorder of Tashi, the African protagonist of the novel, in the face of an invalidating and impeding African community that suppresses her growth towards womanhood and wholeness. In the light of Biosocial Theory, This psychological reading of Walker's novel suggests that Tashi's emotional dysregulation and sense of self dysfunction are the natural outcomes of her traumatic childhood experience. This traumatic childhood experience foreshadows Tashi's Borderline Personality Disorder in adulthood and her subsequent behaviour of rage and even self-harm. Tashi, as a borderline, frequently experiences severe episodes of anger, anxiety and deliberate self-harm behavior. This new reading of Walker's novel is not only meant to extend the argument regarding the cruelty of female genital mutilation, but also it divulges the inner workings of Tashi's mind and analyses her pattern of behaviour in order to pinpoint how Tashi's BPD results in impulsive actions and frequent problems in relationships, and how psychotherapy plays a vital role in treating Tashi's Borderline Personality Disorder.

DOI

10.21608/opde.2018.106567

Keywords

Self-Harm, Biosocial Theory, BPD, Alice Walker, Tashi, Possessing the Secret of Joy

Authors

First Name

Salman M. Salama Abdul-Hamid

Last Name

Hamid

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Volume

65

Article Issue

1

Related Issue

14739

Issue Date

2018-07-01

Receive Date

2020-08-09

Publish Date

2018-07-01

Page Start

5

Page End

23

Print ISSN

1110-2721

Online ISSN

2735-3591

Link

https://opde.journals.ekb.eg/article_106567.html

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https://opde.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=106567

Order

1

Type

Original Article

Type Code

1,140

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

CDELT Occasional Papers in the Development of English Education

Publication Link

https://opde.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Self-Harm as Biosocial Disorder in Alice Walker's Possessing the Secret of Joy

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Article

Created At

22 Jan 2023