Studies in

Hoda Barakat’s novel Barīd al-Layl stands as a seminal work of contemporary Arabic literature, renowned for its profound exploration of fragmented modern existence. Utilizing an epistolary structure, the narrative presents a poignant depiction of loneliness, identity loss, and existential disorientation. Its characters, each burdened by a traumatic past and a wounded psyche, engage in the futile act of writing unanswered letters in a desperate search for meaning. This study conducts a psychological critique of the novel’s protagonists, employing a descriptive-analytical approach grounded in Karen Horney’s theory of neurotic trends. Horney’s framework categorizes three maladaptive strategies for coping with basic anxiety: moving toward, against, and away from people. The analysis demonstrates how Barakat’s damaged characters embody these neurotic patterns as responses to profound sociocultural pressures and psychological injury. In examining the interpersonal strategies of these figures, the study not only elucidates their psychological composition but also illuminates the novel’s broader social and philosophical commentary on the fractured human condition in the modern world.