Unveiling Modern Realities: Mental Wellbeing, Survivors Guilt and Societal Pressure in Durjoy Datta’s The Boy Who Loved

Hannish L. P.
Research Scholar, Reg. number: 2421316021002,
Department of English and Research center,
Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Nagercoil-629 003.
(Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.)
Email: lphannish97@gmail.com

Dr. J. Chitta
Research Supervisor, Department of English and Research center
Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Nagercoil-629 003.
(Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.)
Email: chittaj77@gmail.com

Abstract
Mental wellbeing is an overseen crisis despite having great awareness in modern society. Many people struggle in silence about their anguish, depression, survivors’ guilt and societal expectations without any means of support. Battling repressed trauma, familial pressure and cultural rigidity leads to development of suicidal tendencies in the protagonist of the novel, The Boy Who Loved by Durjoy Datta. Through Freud’s and Cathy Caruth’s’ Trauma Theory and Durkheim’s suicide Classification, the psychological and societal pressure leading an individual towards self-destruction can be analyzed. This paper advocates for better mental health awareness, need for having open conversations within a family and institutional reforms to support the struggling individuals before it is late.

Keywords: Wellbeing, Awareness, Depression, Self – destruction.