THE LINGUOPOETIC EXPRESSION OF MENTAL DISORDERS IN CONTEMPORARY FICTION FOCUS ON DEPRESSION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55640/Keywords:
Depression; Contemporary fiction; Mental illness in literature; Metaphor; Narrative voice; Imagery; Psychological realism; Confessional narrative.Abstract
This article examines how contemporary fiction deploys linguistic and poetic techniques to represent mental disorders, with a specific focus on depression. Through close readings of selected authors and novels – including Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, Ian McEwan’s The Child in Time, and Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation – we explore how metaphor, syntax, narrative voice, and imagery are harnessed to convey the inner psychological landscapes of depression. By analyzing these linguopoetic strategies in contemporary fiction, the article illuminates the nuanced ways literature bridges subjective mental experiences and empathetic understanding. The tone throughout is academic and analytical, foregrounding how authors transform the ineffable qualities of depression into concrete literary expression.
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