Self-Harm as Biosocial Disorder in Alice Walker's Possessing the Secret of Joy

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This paper investigates, from a psychological perspective, the personality disorder of Tashi, the African protagonist of the novel, in the face of an invalidating and impeding African community that suppresses her growth towards womanhood and wholeness. In the light of Biosocial Theory, This psychological reading of Walker's novel suggests that Tashi's emotional dysregulation and sense of self dysfunction are the natural outcomes of her traumatic childhood experience. This traumatic childhood experience foreshadows Tashi's Borderline Personality Disorder in adulthood and her subsequent behaviour of rage and even self-harm. Tashi, as a borderline, frequently experiences severe episodes of anger, anxiety and deliberate self-harm behavior. This new reading of Walker's novel is not only meant to extend the argument regarding the cruelty of female genital mutilation, but also it divulges the inner workings of Tashi's mind and analyses her pattern of behaviour in order to pinpoint how Tashi's BPD results in impulsive actions and frequent problems in relationships, and how psychotherapy plays a vital role in treating Tashi's Borderline Personality Disorder.

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