Psychological Study On The Protagnist Of Ha Jin'S War Trash

This thesis adopts the method of text analysis and focuses on the fictionality of the novel.By studying the paradoxical characteristic of the protagonist with the principles of psychology,it tries to confirm that the protagonist,Yu Yuan,has some symptoms of schizophrenia and depression while his acculturation behaviors to the American culture comply with the fusion model and integration strategy in acculturation psychology,but unfortunately the culture he adapted to isn't the dominate culture in the POW's camp,and he is also forced to be assimilated by the hierarchical and dictatorial cultural atmosphere which put much acculturation stressors on him.The first chapter talks about the schizophrenia and depression shown in Yu Yuan.The symptom of schizophrenia reflects on Yu Yuan is the paranoia of persecution,and what connects with it is Yu Yuan's habit of putting on a “mask” to disguise himself.Schizophrenia is also associated with anhedonia which is a typical symptom of depression.People with schizophrenia are in danger of losing themselves,while people with depression are destructed by the loss of the object.In addition to schizophrenia,there also appears obvious symptoms of depression in Yu Yuan.Depression is shown in deep,persistent pain.Yu Yuan has sad feelings continually.And these sad feelings occur when Yu Yuan was caught by homesickness or loneliness.The second chapter mainly uses the method of acculturation psychology to study the acculturation behavior of Yu Yuan and it tries to prove that his acculturation behaviors conclude two types,one is his integration of the individualism in the American culture and the other is his assimilation to the despotic culture of the POWs(Prisoners of the War)camp.Both acculturation behaviors have bad influences on his mental health.Chapter 3 is the last chapter of this thesis.It is about the causes of Yu Yuan's mental problems.The reason that causes Yu Yuan's paranoia of persecution can be concluded into the following two aspects: one is the external and the other is the intrinsic.The external factors are the opposing and exclusive ideas or emotions that belong separately to the two opposite groups,and these two groups always criticizedeach other and had bloody fights against each other.Besides the external factor,there were also some intrinsic causes,including the physiological factor and the personality factor.The reasons that cause his depression can also be divided into two aspects: the external factors and the intrinsic factors.External factors include the segregated environment that separated the POW s from the rational world,the high-handed controls well as his disillusion of love and the atrocities that caused his PTSD which was shown mainly in his depression,while the intrinsic factors include Yu Yuan's pessimistic way of thinking as well as his loneliness due to his identity as an intellectual which made him a misfit among other illiterate POW s.The relieve of depression comes form the below perspectives: one is his merge in the the labor work,second is his reunion with the nature,and third is his improvement in interpersonal relationships.