A Jungian Reading of Jarallah Alhumaid’s A Wild Herb’s Sorrows: Understanding the Persona and the Shadow

Abstract

This paper conducts a Jungian analysis of Jarallah Alhumaid’s short story collection, A Wild Herb’s Sorrows, focusing on the protagonist Matar Abdulrahaman. The analysis centers on Carl Jung’s concepts of the persona and the shadow, exploring how these psychological aspects shape Matar’s identity and influence his interactions with society. Jung posits that the persona represents the public facade individuals present to the world, while the shadow embodies repressed and unconscious aspects of the psyche. The title of Alhumaid’s work metaphorically aligns the overlooked wild herb with the common man’s struggles, symbolizing their intrinsic value despite societal neglect. Each story in the collection delves into Matar’s emotional struggles, portraying him as a poor man in his thirties navigating love, loss, and self-discovery. His persona, often conflicting with his shadow, prompts introspection into morality, motivations, and life’s purpose. Divided into two sections, the paper examines Matar’s loneliness, escapism, and misanthropy as expressions of his persona while the second section delves into his inner struggle manifested through dreams, psychological projections, and narrative fabrication.

Key Words

Carl Jung – persona – shadow – archetypes