Defence mechanisms in literature: Wuthering Heights and Yeryüzünde bir Melek

Abstract

The psychoanalytic approach in literary criticism can be perceived as an efficient way for the analyses of characters, events, and the impacts of society on personality development. As explained by Sigmund Freud (1962a), the struggle between the id (instincts) and the superego (society/environment) leads to conflicts for the ego (self) in actual life. In order to protect the ego from the undesirable experiences caused by the id, individuals tend to use ‘defence mechanisms’. Defence mechanisms were first posited by Freud and strengthened by his daughter, Anna Freud in The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defence (1936). In actual life, individuals consult defence mechanisms to avoid anxiety, sorrow and frustration. Therefore, they could both obey the societal expectations and protect their egos from undesired feelings. Similar to individuals in real world, in fiction, authors protect their characters from harsh situations via certain defence mechanisms. Through these devices, readers could understand and interpret the clashes in narration. This comparative study aims to analyse the defence mechanisms used by two literary female figures from different cultures: Raziye in Ahmet Mithat Efendi’s Yeryüzünde bir Melek (1878) and Catherine in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights (1847). The analysis examines and exemplifies how and why Raziye and Catherine use “denial” and “projection” as defence mechanisms. The study concludes that both female protagonists consult defence mechanisms for two reasons: to protect themselves in patriarchal societies and to avoid undesirable feelings of guilt, shame and sorrow.