آزادی اگزیستانسیال در گسترۀ نظریه روان پویه درمانی اروین دیوید یالوم (مطالعه موردی: رمان «ابراهیم الکاتب» اثر المازنی)

Introduction

Freedom in existential psychotherapy is one of the most fundamental concepts that is closely related to responsibility, choice, and anxiety. The philosophy of existentialism believes that existence precedes essence, which means that man does not have a predetermined essence, but rather it is man himself who creates his essence and is free to present a good or bad essence because he cannot have any other choice but freedom. As Jean-Paul Sartre, the existentialist philosopher, believes, “Man is condemned to freedom” (Sartre, 1982: 36), meaning that he cannot avoid choice, and even the decision not to choose is itself a choice. Contrary to the popular notion that freedom means freedom from limitations, in this view, freedom is considered as the ability of man to choose and build his own life path. “We have not decided to be thrown into this world, but the way we live and what we are to become are the results of our own choices” (Carey, 1992: 204). In this research, we seek to answer the following two questions:

1_ From the perspective of psychoanalytic criticism, how has existential freedom reflected and affected the characters in the novel "Ibrahim al-Kateb" based on Yalom's theory?

2_ What are the challenges and obstacles facing the characters in the novel regarding freedom?

Methodology

In this research, in addition to using the descriptive-analytical method, the discussed samples have been collected by relying on the incomplete inductive method. The aim of this research is to examine and explain one of the existential concerns of man, namely freedom, in the context of literature, and to discover the underlying layers of the selected novel and reveal its purposeful structure.

Results and Discussion

From the existentialist perspective, man is free to define the meaning and purpose of his life, but this unlimited freedom can lead to existential anxiety. This anxiety arises from the awareness of an infinite number of choices and their consequences. One of the challenges associated with freedom is escape. We “are obligated by the reality of this freedom to accept responsibility for directing our lives. But this reality can be avoided by making excuses” (ibid.). Many people fear their freedom and prefer to take refuge in predetermined social roles, laws, or systems of thought rather than face the responsibilities that come with it. This escape from freedom can take the form of blind obedience to ideologies, dependence on others, or even passivity in decision-making, as “the individual cannot completely avoid making decisions, but can decide to make decisions passively, for example by allowing another to make decisions for him” (Yalom, 1991: 469). The individual makes a decision by taking refuge in the law or social roles, etc., and convinces himself that he did not make the decision himself, but rather it was the law or the role he plays, etc., thus removing the burden of responsibility from his shoulders. Erich Fromm calls this phenomenon “escape from freedom” and considers it one of the main causes of anxiety in modern man. In existential psychotherapy, freedom is considered a positive force and a driving force for personal growth.

The goal of this approach is to help clients identify their true and authentic choices. The therapist attempts to free the individual from dependence on external norms and to guide him or her towards accepting full responsibility for his or her life. This process requires the individual to be aware that his or her freedom always comes with responsibility and that he or she cannot escape the consequences of his or her decisions. Existential freedom is also linked to the concept of “authentic living.” A person who is aware of his or her freedom and accepts responsibility for his or her choices is able to live in a way that is consistent with his or her personal values and goals.

Conclusion

_ Freedom is widely reflected in the text of the novel and its effect on the characters is clearly visible. This component has affected the characters' decision-making in the form of cultural and social restrictions. These restrictions have forced the characters of Ibrahim and Shushu to give up their love. In order to decide on her relationship with Ibrahim, Shushu resorts to a game similar to lion and line (picking petals) and decides based on its result. Therefore, it must be said that such behaviors are to escape responsibility and shirk it. Also, in another part of the novel, the character of Ahmad al-Mait does not care about these restrictions and shows a rebellious reaction to external requests and restrictions.

_ Based on the studies conducted on the aforementioned novel, it should be said that freedom is not always a positive trend, and humans face challenges and obstacles after becoming familiar with it. The most important challenges and obstacles that the characters in the aforementioned novel face regarding freedom are: lack of control over life, feeling of being trapped, environmental tyranny, and rebellion against norms. Lack of control over life is one of the challenges related to freedom seen in this novel. In these circumstances, a person loses control when making decisions and choices and finds himself in a state of instability, just like the character of Ibrahim, who, despite having freedom to choose and make decisions, finds himself in the midst of life's challenges and the instability of his choices, which has caused him to lose control of them. The feeling of being trapped in humans is caused by the limitations of freedom or its absence, which leads to psychological and physical problems. Just as Ibrahim, after staying two nights at Shushu's house, feels trapped by the restrictions on his freedom and wants to change his situation. Also, rebellion against norms is another obstacle and challenge to freedom that is reflected in this novel. Ahmet al-Mit, as one of the main characters of the novel, tries to restore his freedom by standing up against social norms and customs.



Keywords: Azadi, Ibrahim Al-Kateb, Irvin David Yalom, Existential Psychotherapy, Al-Mazni.