„WHO IS THAT MAN AND WHAT DOES HE WANT FROM ME”: NEUROSIS AND PSYCHOSIS OF EDUARD SAM AND PROBLEM OF IDENTIFICATION IN THE NOVEL GARDEN, ASHES

Abstract

Considering the fact that problems of psychosis, neurosis and identification fall under the domain of psychology, psychiatry and psychoanalysis, we decided to interpret some parts of the novel using the psychoanalytical method. In this work we will try to explain the distinct ability of the literary character Eduard Sam to assume various roles, by using his psychotic and neurotic inclinations and characteristics. Psychoanalytical approach might also lead us to the resolution of the problem, contained in the second part of the novel, which is related to discovering, i.e. the inability to discover, the identity of Eduard Sam, and young Andreas Sam’ s crisis of identity, brought about by his father’ s obstruction of his process of identification. We have also devoted certain attention to the narrative procedure of the construction of Eduard Sam’ s literary character, a procedure that is deconstructing a whole world of memories using irony, for the purpose of creating a whole new literary world.