A Study of the Anima Archetype in the Novel "The Broken Wings" by Gibran Kahlil Gibran

A study of anima archetype in Broken Wings by Gibran Kahlil Gibran

Introduction: The interdisciplinary studies in literature and psychology have provided the proper ground for analyzing literary works. Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychoanalyst and psychiatrist, who founded analytical psychology. Collective unconscious and archetypes are among the basic elements of this theory. Jung introduces collective unconscious as the psychological origin of humans’ evolution and the source of past experiences, which have been hidden in the dark and thus, removed from memories. He believes that archetypes make up a part of humans’ collective unconscious and, while having been removed from humans’ memories, occasionally resurface in the forms of metaphors and allegories in their speech, action, and temperaments or in the forms of myths and symbolisms in literature and art. The most important archetype addressed by Jung is called anima, which is defined as the feminine image in human’s mind. According to Jung’s archetypes, anima is a contra sexuality element in mind, the image of the opposite sex in men’s individual unconsciousness and especially collective unconscious. Although the psychological characteristics of the opposite sex is unconsciously present in every individual’s mind, it mostly resurfaces in literary and artistic works as well as dreams. The concept of love, in general, and love at first sight, in particular, can be explained using Jung’s anima theory as individuals are typically attracted to those of the opposite sex who reflect their own animas’ inherent characteristics. Jung introduces some literary characters such as Beatrice, Helen of Troy, Milton’s Eve, and the character in H. Rider Haggard’s She as the human embodiments of anima. Thus, every female character who is given exaggerated power and status is probably a symbol of anima.

Gibran Khalil Gibran is one of the most well-known literary figures, poets, writers, and modernist painters, who co-founded the Pen League Society and started Al-Funoon magazine in New York. Broken Wings by Gibran Khalil Gibran is among the last literary works written in the writer’s own mother tongue (Arabic) and is regarded as one of the masterpieces of contemporary Arabic literature from a literary point of view. The book recounts the story of the spiritual, pure love of the writer for Selma Karamy (from a first-person point of view), which is thoroughly beyond sexual desires and far from physical attractions. However, this bitter love story does not end in lovers getting together at least not before their deaths. Gibran is in a constant conflict between body and soul, thus he believes that the pinnacle of freedom from body limits is reflected in death thoughts, arguing that humans can escape the prison of this material world merely through death. As one of the most frequent concepts in anima archetype, love belongs to every human culture rather than being an especial quality of a certain community, so it is regarded as a universal notion in humans’ collective unconscious. Accordingly, the novel can be studied based on both the positive and negative aspects of anima archetype approach in its most profound layers.

Methodology: The research employs a descriptive-analytic approach and, relying on library resources, attempts to describe the most fundamental principles and analyze the data obtained from the text.

Findings: The research findings indicate that anima archetype has been reflected in certain elements such as the beloved, inspiration, emotions in nature, night and the dark, silence, the especial quality of eyes, and even death, hence Gibran has effectively conveyed the emotions and passions associated with this spiritual love and its hardships to the readers.

Discussion & Conclusion: Anima archetype can be projected in both positive and negative forms and evidence indicates that Gibran has been under the influence of his inner anima all through Broken Wings. Due to the same influence, He falls in love with Selma Karamy. Under these circumstances, he exalts his inner female (anima) so loftily that, wishing to get together with her, he unconsciously regards this woman as equal to goddesses and Eve, hence comparing his getting away from her house to getting expelled from Heaven. Gibran is apparently introducing women as the key to worldly wonders, saving men from the darkness of bewilderment and emptiness and leading them to the light. His love for his hometown, Beirut, and its natural landscapes is another instance of the reflection of anima in a positive form. Under the negative influence of anima, Gibran experiences so much fury, depression, frustration, and disappointment that inevitably comprehends ...

Keywords: Psychological Criticism, Jung, Anima Archetype, Gibran Khalil Gibran, Broken Wings