Narratives of Trauma: Rejection and Psychological Disintegration in Elif Shafak’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World

Abstract

This study explores the psychological impact of interpersonal rejection on identity formation in 10 Minutes 8 Seconds in This Strange World. The study is also analyzes how familial and interpersonal rejection influences the psychological development of the protagonist in 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World. The study used qualitative research methodology in which data collection was conducted using the primary text of 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World. A purposive selection of narrative episodes in which familial neglect, abuse, interpersonal rejection, and relationships were selected for analysis. The study is also grounded in Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory, which is used in explaining the impact of interpersonal rejection on identity formation. The findings indicate that rejection plays an imperative role in an individual’s life, commencing with parental rejection in early life and progressing through social and structural rejection, which finally manifests itself in emotional instability, inner shame, and fragmented identity. The analysis also indicates that rejection is not an individual experience but is closely linked with patriarchal and socio-cultural structures, which further emphasizes rejection in various stages of an individual’s life. Although alternative communities provide some emotional support, it is not an adequate solution to alleviate the effects of early rejection. This research contributes to an emerging body of interdisciplinary scholarship through its integration of psychology and literary analysis, which provides an in-depth understanding of the role of fictional works in depicting inner psychological processes and also emphasizes the importance of IPARTheory in analyzing themes of trauma, marginalization, and humanity.