REPRESENTATION OF NARCISSISM IN TENNESSEE WILLIAMS’S SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER

Year 2022, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 1 - 11, 02.11.2022

Merve Feryal Ashmawy

Abstract

The concept of narcissism, named after a mythological hero, Narcissus, began to be used in psychoanalysis at the end of the 1800s. This concept, which was used to express the mental state of people who admire their own body and love themselves very much, is a psychological state that is discussed in detail in psychoanalysis by being expanded within this framework.
Freud used the concept of narcissism in the sense of homosexuality and expressed it as a situation that can be seen in every individual. Narcissism, which can be considered as a part of normal development as long as it does not disturb the individual and his environment, can also become pathological with the variables in the development of the individual. It is common for individuals with narcissistic characteristics to constantly see themselves as right and superior, and to underestimate and value others.
In this study, the main characters of Tennessee Williams, one of the important names of American theater, in his play Suddenly Last Summer will be examined in terms of narcissism. Williams, who is a playwright who deeply feels the crises he has experienced in his own life, deals with a main theme that can be evaluated in terms of narcissism in Suddenly Last Summer. The most obvious manifestation of narcissism in the play is Mrs. Veneable’s overconfidence in herself and her son, and that she has the right to humiliate and treat everyone else for herself.

Keywords

Narcissism, Tennessee Williams, Suddenly Last Summer, Psychoanalysis

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