UNRAVELING JEALOUSY AND SEXUAL PARANOIA IN THE NOTHING BY HANIF QURESHI: A PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The study seeks to examine the psychological dimensions of the multifaceted nature of jealousy and sexual paranoia as aspects of complexity in the novel The Nothing (2017) by Hanif Qureshi. The objectives are to interpret the way these emotional conditions are realized in the text, as well as the ways of their effects on the perception or behavior of the protagonist with others.As for framework is concerned, Freudian psychoanalysis (concepts of repression, libido, ego defenses) and Attachment theory (anxious attachment and fear of abandonment)  have been employed to describe the inner world of the main character and his ties with others. The sample is comprised of major story events and interaction between characters of The Nothing, which brilliantly depict the appearances of jealousy and sexual paranoia. The results indicate that the jealousy of the main character is characterized by obsessive paranoia and feelings of insecurity, where obsessive paranoia is used as the driver of the controlling and invasive tendencies of covert monitoring and withdrawal. These mental disorders create an illusion of the main character and break the confidence needed in the relationships, which results in a collapse of his feelings. The analysis shows how the novel helps people know more about the psychological contexts of jealousy and paranoia and how a level of emotional sensitivity is important to sustain relationships.