The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society: Psychoanalytical Issues of Juliet Ashton - Essay Example

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society: psychoanalytical essay on the character of Juliet Ashton IntroductionThe Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society is a letter based novel written jointly by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrow. It tells the story of Juliet Ashton, a young English author and a group of readers on Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands occupied by German forces during war. Various stories are told through the voices in many letters that reveal the extent to which the lives of the characters have been forever changed by recent tragedies. (Shaffer and Barrows 22). People go through painful experiences once in a while and for others it may happen for a long period of time in their lives. The first instinct is to repress these feelings and behave as though these experiences never happened at all. But this method has not been successful as these repressed emotions find their way of expression in the manner that we behave. In order to deal with repressed emotions, people develop defenses and in Juliet's case, they include fear of intimacy and projection. Psychological development Juliet' character is primarily modified by her childhood after she was orphaned at an early age. Her assertion of independence and spontaneity stems from the little attention she received from her uncle who sent her to study in boarding school all her life. Human beings often seek love and recognition from each other; the tender age at which she failed to receive these two may have been a contributing factor to the sense of personal independence that she asserts throughout the novel (31). Her desire for seriousness and independence drives her to abandon the current mediocre columns she is writing and seek more serious columns with interesting content that she can write under her own name. From a lack of stability in her early life, she is also slow to trust any male figure carefully weighing her options before she can engage them. This is seen in her internal struggles between the glamor of her current London life and the excitement of an unknown adventure. She does not trust Mark Reynolds who despite his debonair and utterly flattering advances does not appeal to her better judgment. April's correspondence detail Juliet's growing friendships with the Guernsey islanders that make her slowly forget the busy life that she once had in London (Shaffer & Barrows 2008). From the numerous letters that she has received from the islanders and her quest to learn and understand more from them, Juliet decides to visit Guernsey, a decision which is significant to her own self-fulfillment. Relationship with Kit February's correspondences shed light on Elizabeth McKenna who provided a viable escape for her people, from the German occupation, through the use of literature and food. She believes in what was right as depicted by her efforts to hide a slave worker that led to her transportation to France. Her daughter Kit is left behind but is raised by the islanders as their own. This embodies the natural protective instinct of the islanders that created a pseudo-family for Kit. The letters in March further speak about the love that the community members had for one another. When Elizabeth arrived on the Island as an outsider, Adelaide's letter states that Elizabeth was warmly welcomed because of their caring nature. In part two of May's correspondence, we are ushered into a scenario whereby Juliet has arrived on the island and is seeking ways of connecting with the people there (113). Her upstanding character and ability allow her to gain the trust of others so that they can share with her their experiences from the war. Even though Kit does not open up to her easily from the beginning, Juliet does not give up. She is keen in forming relationships with the girl because in a way she believes their stories are related. Both were abandoned by their parents at such a young age and have been raised by other people. She projects her own experiences onto Kit as if trying to connect with her emotions. Nevertheless, she employs the use of humor and charm to appeal to Kit who eventually lets her guard down and learns to trust her. Juliet seeks to fill the void in Kit's life by showing her affection in a manner that she wishes she had been treated. In June's letters, Juliet functions as a dedicated caregiver and present mother, unlike Elizabeth whose parenting skills were considered wild. They explore the island on a daily basis, play silly games and attend functions together. Unconsciously, Juliet is filling the maternal void that Elizabeth left behind and their bond strengthens at a time when news of the death of Elizabeth reaches the island. The bond between a mother and a daughter is important and every child seeks to develop this bond. They seek a female figure to whom they can identify with to receive love and protection. The islanders may have raised Kit well but the bond between herself and Juliet grew strong because of this very need. Juliet also gains maternal fulfillment from their relationship with Kit. She is able to connect with playfulness and the unconditional love of a child which transform her into a mature maternal figure. Her need for belonging has been met and she now feels she has a greater responsibility of raising a child. The life she lives in London becomes strange to her as she finds inner peace on the island. In fact, July's letters from Sidney to his sister Sophie detailing his visit to Guernsey provides an aerial perspective of the happier and healthy Juliet. It even states that she may never return to London and is complicated by the love interest that Juliet is developing for Dawsey. Sidney goes further to detail why he finds Dawsey suitable for Juliet, passing his character as capable, trustworthy and humorous; qualities that they share with Juliet. In August, Eben's story of his grandson being sent away sparks maternal fears into Juliet. She cannot connect with the story because she has never been a mother but can comfortably admit that when she is not with Kit, she constantly worries (Shaffer & Barrows 79). Maternal instincts are often a sure sign that one is ready to be a mother and Juliet's perceptions towards Kit made her ready to become a mother. She feels that she must take Kit along with her to London but fears what the islanders might say about this act. She is still unable to decide whether love is worth risking so much for when the outcome is unknown. Juliet still feels that she may be rejected once again if she seeks to take Kit away, a feeling that arises from the projection that she constantly makes when dealing with her own previous experiences. In the final letters of September, Juliet decides to legally adopt Kit as her way of depicting that they will have a lasting relationship as mother and daughter. Kit reciprocates the act by showing Juliet all of her prized possessions that are composed of mementos from her late parents. This sharing of personal belongings means Kit is ready to let Juliet into her life by opening a box that she had figuratively stored her prized possessions and deepest secrets. Juliet and Kit's relationship develop from one of mistrust and caution to one of love and trust. Both of them have been abandoned by their parents and were unwilling to let other people into their lives; Juliet, in the manner that she treats potential husbands and Kit in the manner that she initially treats Juliet with caution. Juliet and the men in her life Juliet has two failed attempts at love and refuses to be any man's trophy wife no matter how handsome or rich he may be. Juliet and Sydney in their letters speak of a failed engagement to Lieutenant Rob Darty which occurred as a result of the Lieutenant's action of packing away Juliet's beloved books in a basement (78). It is clear that she valued her work and her books more than personal relationships. In part one of May correspondence, Juliet still fiercely asserts her independence and need to protect herself by rejecting Mark Reynold's proposal and finally ending their relationship. Human beings unconsciously behave in a manner that allows them to play out their painful experiences. They develop defenses, like fear of intimacy as in the case of Juliet that enables them to cope with the situation. Her own personal happiness, which lies in her work, comes first. This makes her ignore the advances made by Mark Reynolds throughout the novel. A notable correspondence in January is a letter from a Guernsey islander, Dawsey Adams who offers Juliet the opportunity to lead a new interesting life, away from the normalcy of London life. In his letter, Dawsey introduces her to a life in which people came to find love as an escape from the horrors of the German occupation; the strength of the human nature in trying times. It is at Guernsey that she finds a life of love and fulfillment as the islanders introduces her to a life of care for one another. This makes her understand the concept of intimacy and personal relationships. Mark Reynolds and Rob Darty are similar in the manner of treatment that Juliet felt she received from them. They were not in any way in touch with her feeling, her ambitions and her work. This is depicted in the manner that she rejected their proposals; the reasons may seem mediocre to the common person but to her, they were valid reasons. Dawsey, on the other hand, was a complete contrast to the other two. He had a soft spot for literature, a subject that they had in common with Juliet. Towards the end of the letters, She forms a romantic union with Dawsey as well which is depicted in Isiola' humorous detection notes (Shaffer & Barrows 141). Juliet finally achieves self-fulfillment when she proposes to Dawsey. This means she is ready to form a lasting union with the man and is ready to start her future. This is an ultimate act of bravery because she has been breaking up marriage proposals with the men who have tried. By doing so, she mirrors her satisfaction with life and her willingness to let down her defenses and give intimacy a chance. Works Cited Shaffer, Mary Ann, and Annie Barrows. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. London: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2008. Print.  Read More