Department

English

Faculty Advisor

Robert Saba

Location

GC Ballrooms

Start Date

30-3-2016 2:00 PM

End Date

30-3-2016 3:00 PM

Session

Session 3

Session Topic

Poster

Abstract

How can the author’s knowledge and experiences influence his interpretation of culture and medicine in literary works? The purpose of this study is to interpret the condition of Juan Pablo Castel, Ernesto Sábato’s character from the short novel "The Tunnel", one of the most relevant pieces of literature in Argentina and Latin America after World War II. I believe that this character shows symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder, and there's a strong correlation between this diagnosis and the author's philosophical beliefs. This study contributes to multiple disciplines because it is interdisciplinary on different levels: the first intersection lies between the disciplines of psychology and literature; the second one has to do with languages, since I combined bibliography in English and in Spanish in order to reach a conclusion; and lastly, I approached the character's interpretation from a medical, descriptive perspective (symptoms described in the DSM-5) and from a more holistic, and dynamic perspective such as existential psychotherapy. In order to interpret this character, I first analyzed previous research done on the author's social and cultural context, and then examined different approaches to existentialism and borderline personality disorder. My conclusion shows a relationship between Juan Pablo Castel's condition and Ernesto Sábato’s exposure to existential philosophy.

Comments

**Abstract Only**

File Type

Poster

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Mar 30th, 2:00 PM Mar 30th, 3:00 PM

Existentialism & Borderline Personality Disorder in \’The Tunnel\’

GC Ballrooms

How can the author’s knowledge and experiences influence his interpretation of culture and medicine in literary works? The purpose of this study is to interpret the condition of Juan Pablo Castel, Ernesto Sábato’s character from the short novel "The Tunnel", one of the most relevant pieces of literature in Argentina and Latin America after World War II. I believe that this character shows symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder, and there's a strong correlation between this diagnosis and the author's philosophical beliefs. This study contributes to multiple disciplines because it is interdisciplinary on different levels: the first intersection lies between the disciplines of psychology and literature; the second one has to do with languages, since I combined bibliography in English and in Spanish in order to reach a conclusion; and lastly, I approached the character's interpretation from a medical, descriptive perspective (symptoms described in the DSM-5) and from a more holistic, and dynamic perspective such as existential psychotherapy. In order to interpret this character, I first analyzed previous research done on the author's social and cultural context, and then examined different approaches to existentialism and borderline personality disorder. My conclusion shows a relationship between Juan Pablo Castel's condition and Ernesto Sábato’s exposure to existential philosophy.

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