The Psychology of Literature

Discovering who we are and what makes us tick is a lifelong journey. In today’s culture this is usually the province of psychology, but I ask you to remember another way--literature.

Consider The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I remember reading it in high school and dissecting it for plot, climax, metaphor, symbolism, foreshadowing, and themes such as man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. nature. Most of you will remember the story about Hester Payne, a woman who had an affair with the town minister, became pregnant, and was shunned by her community (man vs. society). I’m sure Hawthorne (a master at his craft) was aware of all the techniques of writing, but I think he wrote the story to help us understand ourselves and our place in the world better.  

Hawthorne used words to express his thoughts and opinions. His story evoked discussions that are still relevant today. For example, adultery, sin, guilt, love, lust, lies, and faithfulness. The plot and structure is not what makes The Scarlet Letter timeless, it’s the exploration of the human condition that does.

Anne Frank’s The Diary of Anne Frank is another example of how literature can help us understand ourselves better. It’s the story of a twelve year old girl who evaded the Nazis by hiding for two years with her family in an attic. Eventually they were discovered in 1944 and sent to Bergen-Belsen, a concentrating camp.

My daughter is fascinated with World War II. She collects books, essays, movies and anything else she can find about the war. I consider Christina an expert on the topic and remember discussing Anne Frank’s story with her. We talked about our ability to adapt to and survive hardship, what darkness in our hearts makes us capable of committing such evil acts against each other, and even more importantly, how the story is a warning of atrocities that should never be repeated.

There are lots of more modern examples of literature and commercial fiction to read and draw your own conclusions about what motivates our thoughts and actions. Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, Nora Roberts Carolina Moon, and three of  Eli Wiesel’s books: Dawn, Day, and Night  are but a few.

While the mechanics of writing is important and is present in every great story, I’ve challenged myself to move beyond techniques and write from my heart, the inner me. This allows me to question the motivation of my characters--their struggles, strengths, weaknesses, passions, and the meaning of it all. My goal is to write complex characters that are as timeless as Hester Payne.

Can you think of other examples of how literature helps us on our journey toward self-actualization?