On Nina’s Personality In Film Black Swan—A Horneyan Psychoanalytic Approach

In light of Karen Horney’s theory of neurosis,this thesis aims to delve into the personality and tragedy of the female protagonist Nina in film Black Swan from four aspects: the formation of her neurosis,the representations of her neurotic personality,the construction of her self as well as the solutions to her neurosis.According to Horney’s theory of psychoanalysis,the dynamic center of neurosis is anxiety,which is generated by a problematic environment,both personal and socio-cultural.In Horney’s view,the lack of genuine love and warmth in the family circumstance will give rise to the basic anxiety,and this inner anxiety may be further intensified by the specific social and cultural environment where the individual lives.To cope with anxiety,the individual has to take up different defensive mechanisms,which leads to the formation of neurotic personality and results in interpersonal disorder and self-alienation,stopping the individual from actualizing his real self and potentials.Accordingly,the thesis explores the inner world of Nina through a thorough analysis of the causes of her anxiety and the development of her neurotic personality.Through a comprehensive investigation of the environment where Nina lives,the thesis argues that Nina’s anxiety is derived from the suffocating family environment as well as the unfavorable social conditions she is confronted with.The distortion of maternal love triggers the basic anxiety in Nina’s psyche,and the unique cultural context of ballet,such as the fierce competition among peers,the market-oriented show business world and the maledominant environment,further deteriorates her anxious mind and eventually turns her into a neurotic person.It then focuses on the defensive mechanisms to which Nina resorts to alleviate anxiety,revealing the representations of her neurotic personality and the disorder of her interpersonal relationships.Besides,it probes into Nina’s construction of the self in an attempt to find out the reasons for her mental split and provides some possible measures to help her return to normal.The ideal self of “sweet girl” constructed by Nina’s mother prevents Nina from facing her real self and inner desires,which only leads to Nina’s split of personality and self-destruction in her pursuit of the sensual and evil Black Swan.The thesis concludes that the protagonist Nina in Black Swan is a typical example of Horneyan “neurotic”.The personal and social environment causes considerable anxiety in Nina’s psyche.But the defensive mechanisms she adopts,either interpersonal or psychological,are futile,which only makes her more alienated from her real self.The self-destruction of Nina is predestined.