The First Part, Chapter Three
Novel Psychological Analysis

I. Definition

Novel psychological analysis is a methodological approach that integrates psychological theory with literary study. By examining characters’ inner worlds, psychological motivations, emotional conflicts behind actions, and latent mental structures, it explores how novels reflect human psychological activity and its significance within cultural and social contexts.

II. Focus Areas

This discipline particularly emphasizes three core aspects:

1. Character Psychological Depiction: Revealing the psychological drivers behind characters’ personalities and actions.
2. The Unconscious and Symbolism: Exploring the expression of deep unconscious content in novels and its symbolic meanings.
3. Reader Psychological Response: Studying the psychological interaction and resonance between the reader and the text.

Example: Freud’s psychoanalysis (e.g., the unconscious and dreams) and Jung’s collective unconscious (e.g., archetypes) are often used to analyze classic novels such as Crime and Punishment, examining Raskolnikov’s guilt and inner struggle.

III. Types of Analysis in Novel Psychological Study

1. Personality Analysis
   Examines character traits and behavioral patterns, analyzing how they are influenced by internal and external factors.
   Example: Using personality psychology to determine whether a character is introverted or extroverted and whether their actions align with these traits.
   Applicable Example: Jane’s determined personality in Jane Eyre and how it influences her choices and fate.
2. Motivation and Conflict Analysis
   Investigates the psychological drivers behind a character’s actions, such as desires, fears, dreams, or ambitions, and how these motivations propel the plot.
   Applicable Example: Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy in The Great Gatsby, driven by love and the psychological impulse of dreaming.
3. Emotional Psychology Analysis
   Explores the deep psychological mechanisms behind characters’ emotional expressions, such as love, hate, jealousy, or loneliness, and analyzes internal emotional tension.
   Applicable Example: Hester’s intertwined shame and guilt in The Scarlet Letter.
4. Trauma and Healing Analysis
   Focuses on psychological changes arising from significant events or trauma, and subsequent adaptation, recovery, or failure.
   Applicable Example: Characters in To the Lighthouse confronting inner grief and helplessness.
5. Symbolism and Unconscious Analysis
   Explores unconscious cues in behavior or dreams, analyzing their symbolic significance in narrative.
   Applicable Example: Using dreams or fantasies in The Brothers Karamazov to suggest moral conflicts.

IV. Applicable Subjects: Psychological Analysis of Protagonists, Supporting Characters, and Antagonists

(A) Protagonist Psychological Analysis

1. Focus
   Protagonist analysis mainly examines:
2. • Inner Conflict and Tension: Psychological struggles, moral dilemmas, and emotional conflicts during decision-making, often driving the plot. Conflicts may arise internally (e.g., reason vs. emotion) or between personal values and the external environment.
   • Psychological Growth and Transformation: Protagonists evolve through plot progression and experiences—maturing, declining, or transforming. Growth is evident in overcoming difficulties or redefining goals through conflict.
   • Inner Drives and Action Logic: Explores how desires, dreams, and fears shape decisions and propel the story. Motivations are often multi-layered, with surface actions concealing deeper psychological causes.
3. Applications
4. • Psychological Struggle and Choice: Depict how protagonists navigate external conflicts and internal struggles, especially at pivotal moments, analyzing their psychological depth for thematic and plot significance.
   • Growth or Decline: Show how protagonists resolve inner conflicts or fall into despair, revealing the full spectrum of their mental world.
   • Connection with Story and Theme: Protagonist psychology should align closely with story themes; their struggles and growth enrich the work’s depth.
5. Examples
6. • Hamlet – Hamlet
     a. Inner conflict: Hamlet wrestles with the duty of revenge versus moral anxiety after learning his father was murdered by his uncle, also doubting the ghost’s authenticity, resulting in indecision.
     b. Psychological growth: By the end, Hamlet accepts death as inevitable, which enables him to complete his revenge, albeit at the cost of his life.
   • Elizabeth Bennet – Pride and Prejudice
     a. Inner conflict: Misunderstanding of Mr. Darcy and pride cause tension between love and prejudice.
     b. Psychological growth: Gradually understanding Darcy’s true character dissolves her biases, leading to psychological maturity.
   • Samurai in Shūhei Fujisawa’s works – Twilight Samurai
     a. Psychological struggle: Balancing family responsibilities with poverty and external pressures, including lethal duels.
     b. Growth: Chooses self-sacrifice to protect his family, evolving from household provider to courageous fighter.

Protagonist psychological analysis not only reveals inner depth but also constructs vivid, three-dimensional characters, enabling readers to resonate emotionally and intellectually, fostering great novels.

(B) Supporting Character Psychological Analysis

1. Focus
   The goal is to enrich narrative depth, making supporting characters more than mere foils. Key points include:
2. • Highlighting protagonist traits and actions through contrast or support.
   • Constructing a psychological map of character groups to reflect social strata, cultural context, or collective behavior.
   • Adding plot tension and emotional resonance via diverse supporting character psychologies.
3. Applications
4. • Reinforce themes: Supporting characters’ motives and actions should reflect or strengthen the story’s core themes (e.g., good vs. evil, fate, or love ethics).
   • Propel plot: Their decisions and behaviors influence protagonist actions and facilitate conflict and turning points.
   • Create psychological contrast or mirroring: Compare supporting characters’ psychologies to highlight protagonists’ choices or fates.
5. Examples
6. • Peeta – The Hunger Games: Emotional support and resilience contrast Katniss’s calm, serving as a psychological anchor and highlighting themes of love and courage.
   • Cynthia – Les Misérables: Provides contrast to Fantine’s suffering, emphasizing societal neglect and moral responsibility.
   • Dr. John Watson – Sherlock Holmes: Warm, grounded perspective contrasts Holmes’s cold rationality; his viewpoint guides readers into Holmes’s psychological world.
   • Daniel – The Kite Runner: Hassan’s loyalty and courage contrast Amir’s inner weakness, emphasizing protagonist growth during redemption.

Supporting character analysis strengthens dramatic and thematic depth, highlights protagonist choices, and enriches narrative realism.

(C) Antagonist Psychological Analysis

1. Focus
   The goal is to reveal the internal drives of antagonists, creating multi-dimensional characters. Core aspects:
2. • Impact of Psychological Trauma: Examine how early experiences or significant life events shape beliefs and actions.
   • Moral Choices and Value Conflicts: Reflect specific moral frameworks or the subtle balance/ distortion of good and evil.
   • Behavioral Logic: Identify deep causes for actions, ensuring plausibility and narrative consistency.
   • Complexity and Human Resonance: Show emotional conflicts or inner struggles to elicit understanding or empathy.
3. Applications
4. • Add narrative depth by portraying antagonists as fully fleshed-out, emotionally resonant characters.
   • Mirror protagonist psychology, highlighting key choices and central conflicts.
   • Stimulate moral reflection on themes like justice, morality, and order.
5. Examples
6. • Javert – Les Misérables: Humble origins foster rigid law adherence; confronted with forgiveness, his worldview collapses, leading to self-destruction.
   • Voldemort – Harry Potter: Abandoned childhood breeds distrust; desire for immortality drives extreme measures; obsession with purebloods reflects insecurity.
   • Tom Buchanan – The Great Gatsby: Social privilege generates insecurity and jealousy, conflicting with Gatsby’s romantic pursuit.
   • Kurtz – Heart of Darkness: Civilized exterior versus inner colonial megalomania; greed and moral corruption illustrate duality under extreme conditions.
   • Saul Goodman – Breaking Bad / Better Call Saul: Starts with professional ethics but succumbs to power, money, and survival pressures, revealing moral grayness and internal struggle.

Antagonist psychological analysis enhances drama, reveals motives, and deepens understanding, transforming “villains” into compelling, multi-layered characters.

Conclusion

The diverse types of novel psychological analysis, applied to protagonists, supporting characters, and antagonists, deepen readers’ understanding of characters’ inner worlds and narrative significance. Psychologically nuanced characterization enriches three-dimensionality and realism, enhancing both literary depth and emotional engagement.