SOCIAL NORMS, SUBMISSION AND STOCKHOLM SYNDROME CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF LOUISE GLUCK’S TWO MYTHOLOGICAL POEMS: A MYTH OF INNOCENCE AND A MYTH OF DEVOTION

Abstract

Pakistan is a male dominant country where women are not just subjugated under patriarchy but to societal norms as well. In this social context, this research paper addresses the question of how Stockholm syndrome can be found in the women of Pakistan. The researcher has aimed to break down the power dynamics between the men and the women of Pakistan through the lens of psychoanalytical framework and Stockholm syndrome. This article is a qualitative research article and it studies two characters, Persephone and Hades, from Greek mythology that Louise Glück uses in her two poems: A Myth of Innocence and A Myth of Devotion compiled in her book Averno (2006). This article identifies Persephone as a victim of Stockholm syndrome representing Ego under stress and the reasons behind why she is captivated by Hades. It also studies Hades as an abductor of Persephone and the representation of Id that fully takes over him. The poems have been written by an American but they are applied on Pakistani men and women .The findings of this article highlight that women in Pakistan may become the victim of abuse by their spouses, but yet choose to stay with them either because of their attachment with their partner/tormentor or feeling pressurized by the society and its twisted and hypocritical rules. When women choose to defy these rules they become the victim of domestic violence.