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Abstract
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Character development has always been the subject of curiosity in the realm of literature, and indeed, various psychological theories relatively been the source of investigations to achieve a thorough understanding. This master’s thesis proposal examines the embodiment of Carl Jung’s Shadow archetype in Franz Kafka’s The Trial and Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar through a comparative lens. In the Jungian concept of Shadow, we refer to the aspect of the unconscious personality that is unrecognized by the conscious self, or, as Jung suggests, the Persona. All the suppressed weaknesses and basic instincts are hidden in the Shadow, One might think just because these hidden traits are out of sight, their existence is of no importance; however, as Jung argues, denying something would never change the fact about the existence and power the Shadow holds. By examining protagonists Josef K. and Esther Greenwood, this study aims to uncover the various ways the Shadow is portrayed and understood within their narratives. Both the hidden and obvious projections of Shadow will be evaluated, as will the question of how these manifestations determine their destiny and sense of conscious self. Applying comparative literary analysis, the commonly shared themes of alienation, madness, and existential angst will be taken into consideration, and the study will unravel the effect of the protagonist's Shadow elements in amplifying these central themes. This inquiry has two objectives: the first is to review the elements of Jungian Shadow in characters of the protagonists, through textual examinations of these literary works and to demonstrate their relevance to the themes of the narratives, in order to revisit the broader applicability of Jungian theory across various literary frameworks and eras. This exploration is expected to enrich understanding of Jung’s psychological influence on literature and introduce fresh interpretive perspectives to Kafka’s The Trial and Plath’s The Bell Jar. The r
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