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VOL. 12, ISSUE 1 (2026)
Psychological realism and literary imagination: Techniques of portraying mental illness in English literature across historical contexts
Authors
Nitika Mathur, Dr. Prtibha Jadon
Abstract
This study examines the evolution of
psychological realism in portraying mental illness across major periods of
English literature, from early modern drama to contemporary fiction. Through
close textual analysis, narratological examination, stylistic investigation,
and historical contextualization, the research evaluates how literary
techniques for representing mental disturbance have transformed in response to
shifting cultural and medical paradigms. The findings reveal a consistent
progression from externalized, performative depictions of madness in early
modern texts to increasingly interiorized, nuanced, and psychologically
immersive portrayals in later periods. Nineteenth-century fiction introduced
free indirect discourse and introspective narration to convey characters' inner
struggles, reflecting Victorian engagements with emerging psychological
theories. Modernist authors radically experimented with stream of
consciousness, temporal fragmentation, and perspectival instability to simulate
the experiential texture of mental illness, echoing the influence of
psychoanalysis. Contemporary works further expanded these strategies by
integrating clinical terminology, trauma-informed structures, and
multiperspectival narration, demonstrating heightened ethical sensitivity in
representing psychological distress. These results illuminate literature's
crucial role in shaping cultural understandings of mental illness by fostering
empathy, challenging stigma, and adapting its narrative strategies to evolving
models of the mind. The study underscores the dynamic relationship between
literary form and mental health epistemologies, affirming that psychological
realism is not a static aesthetic category but a historically situated mode
responsive to changing conceptions of mental illness.
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Pages:146-151
How to cite this article:
Nitika Mathur, Dr. Prtibha Jadon "Psychological realism and literary imagination: Techniques of portraying mental illness in English literature across historical contexts". International Journal of English Research, Vol 12, Issue 1, 2026, Pages 146-151
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