Özet
The ANALYSIS of NARSISSISTIC PERSONALITY in DINEYRI PAPAZI by SAFIYE EROL
Dineyri Papazı, the latest novel of Safiye Erol, is about love in general. More specifically, it talks about a deep but forbidden love between a young girl– Gülbün, and a rich and older man – Mehmet Ayhan Cimşidoğlu, in İstanbul during World War II. In the present article, Mehmet Ayhan’s character has been analyzed within the conceptual framework of narcissism, which is a special research area in psychoanalytic school of thought. The opposition between the psychological depth of Gülbün – who was in the process of moral maturation (kemalat) and dissolved into one’s own being, mystery, and love; and, the psychological state of Ayhan as a grandiose selfhood reflects itself as a certain dichotomy and conflict in the novel.
In this study, Ayhan’s narcissism can be identified as neurotic type, which is a form of pathological narcissism rather than normal narcissism. Given the fact that narcissism arises out of the mirroring process, and is important for the development of personality and self-esteem, high levels of narcissism observed in Ayhan might potentially be related to the impact of familial and childhood processes on him. Ayhan, most of the time, exemplifies the traits of narcissistic personality (which is, in fact, pinpointed to be pathological by Otto Kernberg) such as addiction to be admired and appreciated, continual seek for satisfaction based on brilliancy, richness, power, and beauty; and, lack of empathy. Under the light of narcissism-related psychoanalysis literature, the current study mainly intends to scrutinize the possibility that Gülbün’s psychosis might be caused by Ayhan’s psychological condition. In the end, we hope to penetrate the deep structure of the novel.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Safiye Erol, Dineyri Papazı, narcissism, psychoanalytic theory, textual analysis.