A Correlation between Psychology and Literature in Margaret Atwood’s The Edible Woman and Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
| Authors |
| Puni Yini Evelyn |
| Date of Publication: December, 2024 |
| Volume: XXIII, No.- XXVI |
| Abstract |
| This paper aims to identify the various theories in Psychology and bring forward a correlation between Psychology and Literature in the reading of a literary text. In the reading of a literary piece of work, it is evident that Psychology and its theories can play a major role in understanding it and the various possible explanations that is required in the reading of Literature. It is crucial to understand that Literature is inter-disciplinary in its form. The world we live in is not limited to a subject in itself, but also requires the help of various other aspects and understanding that explains a situation in many ways. This paper brings into light a few theories that can aid in an explanation which proves Psychology can be read and can go hand-in-hand with Literature, particularly in Maya Angelou’s first autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Margaret Atwood’s The Edible Woman. Published in the same year, 1969, the two women writers from different geographical locations i.e. United States of America and Canada respectively, their works shed light on a plethora of issues faced by women at the time. While one comes from the perspective of a Black American woman, the other is a White Canadian woman who share similar struggles, though worlds apart. Looking into the Psychological aspect of writing in Literature, this paper will allow for a broader cognizance of how both can be read together to further understand a literary work. It will reveal how theories in Psychology can be read into the analysis of a characters’ intentions, behaviour, and relationships that can provide further insights into human psychology |
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