PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH

BOOK ANALYSIS
“SAD GIRLS by Lang Leav”

Ms. Danielle Gallardo

Professor

MEMBERS:

Blue Ford Santos

Malaya Gobren
Kristine Joy Balones
 WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH?
The psychological approach is a unique form of criticism that uses
psychological theories in its interpretation of a text. It aims to link
the psychological and literary worlds to bring a kind of scientific aspect into
literary criticism.
Before we dive into the
analysis of the book, we must
know first who the proponent of
the theory is:
Sigmund Freud
He was an Austrian neurologist and
the one who proposed the
psychoanalysis, a clinical method
for treating mental illness through
dialogue between a patient and a
psychoanalyst. He developed a set
of therapeutic techniques centered
on talk therapy that involved the
use of strategies.
In the analysis of this book, we are
going to use his psychoanalytic
theory mainly emphasizing its relation to guilt.

I. ANALYSIS VIA PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH

First, let’s have an overview of Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic theory which
is subdivided into three parts: the id which is the primitive and instinctual part of
the mind that contains hidden memories, the super-ego which operates as a moral
conscience and the ego is the realistic part that mediates between the desires of
the id and the super-ego.
When these make conflicting demands upon the poor ego, it is understandable if
an individual feels threatened, overwhelmed, as if it were about to collapse under
the weight of it all. This feeling is called anxiety, and it serves as a signal to the
ego that its survival, and with it the survival of the whole organism, is in jeopardy.
The traditional Freudian view is that anxiety resides under the surface veneer of
our guilt. Freud’s theory proposes that we build defense mechanisms to protect us
from the guilt we experience if we knew just how awful our desires really were and
if we did something revolting in our lives.
It was clearly emphasized that Audrey’s brain optimizes defense mechanisms in
order to further reduce the anxiety she’s experiencing that arose from various
unacceptable or potentially harmful stimuli, especially from the crime she
committed.
Herewith are some examples supporting the aforementioned theory:
EVIDENCE 1: “There was a dark undercurrent of abuse and neglect I found
deeply disturbing. In the closing scene, Emily, the protagonist, trudges across the
snow toward her favorite iron-wood tree, a length of rope clutched tightly in her
hands. In the last few moments of her life Emily’s thoughts play out on the final
page in a series of flashbacks that felt strangely familiar to me.
I snapped the book shut and realized my hands were shaking…I had no idea
why the book had been so triggering. Somehow, it was written in a way that
mirrored Ana’s death.” (Sad Girls, 2018, page 131)
EVIDENCE 2: “The train jolted into life and began to move through a dark
tunnel, decorated with hanging spider webs and silhouettes of ominous figures, I
wasn’t a stranger to ghost trains, but for some reason, this one made me feel edgy.
I felt for my rubber band in the dark but realized in a jolt of panic that I’d left it at
home.
There were several loud cries and shrieks, then I felt a tap on my shoulder and
my head swung around sharply. My heart leaped into my throat. It was Ana. I
opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out.” (Sad Girls, 2018, page 206)
EVIDENCE 3: “The pointer moved again and landed on letter A. My body
stiffened, and a new fear gripped me as it made its way with slow deliberation to
the letter N. Then it completed its journey on A. Ana. The word exploded in my
mind like a hand grenade and sent me reeling into a state of panic.” (Sad Girls,
2018, page 229)
 EVIDENCE 4: “I remembered the page from Ana’s diary. I slipped my hands
in the pocket of my Audrey jacket, but nothing was there. I frowned. I was dead
sure I had put it in there. I checked the other pockets of my jeans—there was
nothing. My head began to spin. My throat felt like it was closing on me. I reached
down and tweaked my rubber band, blindly stumbling to a nearby bench.” (Sad
Girls, 2018, page 247)
EVIDENCE 5: “I bit my lip and shook my head, trying to gather as much
resolve as I could muster. I thought of what Mum had said the day she showed me
that old picture of my father. That’s what boys can do, Audrey; that’s the power
they can wield over you. It’s like being under a spell.
Somewhere during my heartache, my insufferable pain, there was something
else stirring within me, and it was growing stronger and more insistent with each
day. I had a sense that I was coming back to myself—that I was the one in charge
again. Anxiety took that away from me, and in a way, so did love.” (Sad Girls,
2018, page 263)
Evidence 6: “Like a jagged rock pitched from a slingshot, my mind traveled
back to the night I told that lie. I thought of Rad, his strong, gentle hands stained
with Ana’s blood. Candela lying on the hospital bed. Duck shoved into the back of
the police van. Now Freddy—Poor Freddy.” (Sad Girls, 2018, page 355)
II. CONCLUSION
Upon analyzing Audrey’s behavior we can confirm that anxiety exists, it
happens and can happen to everyone in real life. We can directly correlate
Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory to this novel because the protagonist
enacted a number of behaviors that is connected to the theory.
Audrey faced the atypical growing pains of experiencing love for the first time
and coping with seemingly unchangeable mistakes. She later on developed a huge
sense of guilt from the terrible situations her doings have led to. This is the same
with everyone, when we remember terrible our mistakes are, we tend to develop
anxiety.
In this novel, we can see that Audrey has a rubber band given by Ida. She used
this to defend her against the detrimental feelings of anxiety and unacceptable
impulses and also, to maintain one's self-composure. Everyone goes through a
point in their lives where anxiety becomes persistent and each individual has their
own defense mechanisms depending on the circumstance they’re experiencing.
 Evidence 7: “My fingers tugged fretfully at my rubber band, and it snapped in
two, falling silently from my wrist to the ground.” (Sad Girls, 2018, page 355)
Despite those, she was able to utilize these defense mechanisms
outstandingly. On the mid-end of the final chapters, Audrey was seen to have
transcended beyond the border of her anxiety.
She has finally found herself and is able to stand alone against all odds. She
learned how to cope up with her mental illness without being overly dependent
upon her rubber band. She learned to accept her mistakes and to reflect on it and
this is how everyone should respond to their anxiety.