| This psychoanalytic study of the works of Stephen King and Nathaniel Hawthorne offers in-depth, formalistic examinations of characters who operate, both literally and/or metaphorically, as schizophrenics. Using the philosophical/clinical work of R. D. Laing, along with more medically-grounded diagnostic information about schizophrenia, for its groundwork, the resulting theory, radicalized hyper-materialization, offers a method of interpreting literature based upon the psyche and its tangible and intangible metaphysical constructions.; The theory of radicalized hyper-materialization deals with the complex relationship between mind and body, specifically their intangible and tangible elements. A method of interpreting works of literature and popular fiction, especially their more enigmatic aspects (themes, character behavior, plot development), radicalized hyper-materialization is designed to examine characters who show signs of internalization, depression, even outright psychosis; according to this theory's fundamental concepts, repression and secrets sometimes lead to the unconscious construction of internal worlds, coagulating systems of energy that, if unchecked, can penetrate the psyche's metaphorical containment system, creating physical and/or quasi-supernatural manifestations that affect the host source, his/her environment, other characters, even the narrative itself (but not necessarily all of the above, or in this particular order).; The analyses in this investigation, which focus on the works of King and Hawthorne, offer scholars and analysts an application of theory, demonstrating how to implement radicalized hyper-materialization and its core concepts. Also, the resulting investigations help to shed new light upon the way in which characters think and interact with one another in both the academy's literary canon and outside of it. |
