The Tripartite Psyche as Reflection of Social Vision in Selected Plays of Francis Imbuga
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Date
2019
Authors
Mutura, Roselyne Karegi
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
This study aims at assessing how Francis Imbuga in Betrayal in the City, Man of Kafira and The Successor employs the tripartite psyche to bring to the fore his social vision. It evaluates whether the psychic states of the lead characters in these fictional societies influence their behaviour, and subsequently whether Imbuga crafts his social vision by exploiting the tripartite psyche. The study is guided by three objectives: First, it examines how the writer uses the lives and deaths of his characters to manifest the tripartite psyche; second, it interrogates how dreams and Freudian slips among the characters are informed by the tripartite psyche and third, it investigates how the writer uses the tripartite psyche in the construction of his characters to express his vision for the society. The study fills the gap in knowledge on the role of the tripartite psyche in literary works. It argues that psychic states of the lead characters in these fictional societies influence their behaviour and that Imbuga uses the tripartite psyche to craft his social vision. To interpret the psychic states of the characters, the study employs psychoanalytic criticism. Specifically, it utilizes the postulations of Sigmund Freud on the unconsciousness, on the interpretation of dreams, on the tripartite psyche, on defence mechanisms and on psychopathology of everyday life; as well as those of Carl Jung on self- archetypes. The study is textual in nature and takes a descriptive qualitative approach. Data was collected from primary texts while the secondary texts aided in the interpretation of the plays. The study established the existence of tripartite psyche in characters‘ lives and deaths and in their dreams and Freudian slips. It recommends an extensive study of Imbuga‘s recently published works to reveal the changing post-colonial social vision of a literary writer in Africa.
Description
A Thesis Submitted to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Arts of Kenyatta University, October, 2019