THE MODERN PSYCHOLOGICAL NOVEL AND THE ISSUE OF SELF-IDENTIFICATION (IZOBRETATELYAT BY BORIS SHIVACHEV)

Abstract

In the article, we rely on certain psychoanalytical terms (unconscious mind, homosexuality, bisexuality, self-reflection, negation) to examine how their usage in fiction adds to the understanding of the complexity of the process of the formation of a person’s identity. The exposition studies this through the uncertain sexual identity of the main character, the relationship between parents and children, as well as through the narrative form of the novel. The text’s main point is that the influence of the psychoanalytical theory, which is found in the novel, is a result of the conscious adherance to said theory. On the one hand, this is what Boris Shivachev’s work does – it is modern and psychological, but on the other hand, it allows that the issue of self-identification be examined in light of some of the basic psychoanalytical concepts.