THE EXPLORATION OF THE SELF WITHIN THE FAMILY CONTEXT IN KARL OVE KNAUSGÅRD’S “MY STRUGGLE”

Authors

  • Ștefana POPA Faculty of Letters, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. E-mail: popa_stefana_teodora@yahoo.com

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/subbphilo.2020.3.13

Keywords:

Karl Ove Knausgård, My Struggle, psychological criticism, FST, humanistic psychology, the self, the father, autofiction.

Abstract

The exploration of the self within the family context in Karl Ove Knausgård’s My Struggle. The aim of this paper is to explore the self as it can be found in the novel My Struggle by adopting a psychological criticism method. The central conflict in the six-volume novel is based on the tumultuous relationship between the main character Karl Ove and his father. By using theories from psychology and applying them to the text, new dimensions and aspects of the narrative come into light. Instead of focusing solely on the conflict between father and son, this research shows how the main character is constructed in the context of a family. Concepts taken from Abraham Maslow, Karen Horney and family systems therapy work together and reveal the journey of the self and the great influence the family has on it.

REZUMAT. Explorarea construcției sinelui în contextul familiei în romanul Lupta Mea de Karl Ove Knausgård. Scopul acestei lucrări este de a explora sinele întâlnit în romanul Lupta Mea folosind metodele criticii psihologice. Conflictul central al romanului în șase volume este conturat în jurul relației tumultoase dintre personajul principal, Karl Ove și tatăl său. Prin folosirea anumitor teorii din psihologie și aplicarea lor pe textul operei studiate, noi dimensiuni și aspecte ale narațiunii ies la iveală. Lucrarea de față nu se concentrează în mod exclusiv pe analiza relației dintre tată și fiu, ci arată cum personajul principal este constituit în contextul unei familii. Conceptele preluate de la Abraham Maslow, Karen Horney și family systems therapy funcționează împreună și dezvăluie evoluția sinelui pe parcursul romanului precum și impactul major pe care familia îl are asupra sa.

Cuvinte cheie: Karl Ove Knausgård, Lupta Mea, critică psihologică, FST, psihologie umanistă, sine, autoficțiune.

Author Biography

Ștefana POPA, Faculty of Letters, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. E-mail: popa_stefana_teodora@yahoo.com

Faculty of Letters, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. She is interested in Norwegian Literature.. E-mail: popa_stefana_teodora@yahoo.com

References

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Published

2020-09-30

How to Cite

POPA, Ștefana. (2020). THE EXPLORATION OF THE SELF WITHIN THE FAMILY CONTEXT IN KARL OVE KNAUSGÅRD’S “MY STRUGGLE”. Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Philologia, 65(3), 171–188. https://doi.org/10.24193/subbphilo.2020.3.13

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Articles