A Psychoanalysis of the Character Khadija in the Novel Bayn al-Qasrayn Based on Alfred Adler’s “Tree of Lifestyles”

Authors
Aliakbar Noresideh
Madiheh Karimi
Semnan University
Abstract
The novel, due to its expansive nature, possesses a greater capacity than other narrative forms to represent the political, social, cultural, and psychological dimensions of society; hence, the necessary groundwork exists for employing literary subtleties to expose power structures as well as the individual and social traumas arising from them. This has led to an inseparable link between literature and other sciences, including psychology. In this regard, the analysis of literary works by Sigmund Freud, aimed at understanding the individual and collective unconscious, paved the way for other psychologists, such that some of them, including Alfred Adler, presented their theories based on literary works. Adler’s theory of the “Lifestyle Tree”, as an analytical tool, examines the personality structure of the individual within the social and cultural context and elucidates lifestyle based on the roots, trunk, and branches of this tree. In line with this, the present research, using a descriptive-analytical method, aims to analyze the character of Khadija in Bayn al-Qasrayn by Naguib Mahfouz based on this theory, and specifically, to evaluate the impact of her parents’ attitudes and her physical characteristics on her lifestyle. The results of the research indicate that the lifestyle of the character Khadija has been shaped under the influence of the patriarchal structure of society and the acceptance of gender discrimination. This has driven her toward superiority-seeking and dominance, which, while compensating for feelings of inferiority, has led to social isolation and the intensification of symptoms of personality disorders. Moreover, the mismatch between her appearance and society’s beauty standards has led to the formation of a negative self-concept and jealousy. This lack of self-confidence has pushed her toward compensatory behaviors such as domineering and the unconditional acceptance of the opposite sex in order to achieve a sense of social belonging.
Keywords
Psychoanalysis
Alfred Adler
Lifestyle Tree
Arabic
Najib Mahfouz
Between the two palaces
Character of Khadija
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Studies in the Arabic Geosciences
Volume 7, Issue 4 - Serial Number 21
Spring 2026
Pages 313-340