ILLEGAL CRISIS, ILLEGAL SELF:IDENTITY CRISIS IN PETER CAREY’S HIS ILLEGAL SELF

Identity has traditionally been understood as ‘the fact of being what a person or thing is’; whereas a modern definition is structured around ‘who’ a person apprises to be. Such a delicate process of ‘becoming’ begins when one is placed at the threshold of a so-called ‘social identity formation,’ namely, a hectic period during which one has to encounter yet another formidable challenge set and supported by society: Identity Crisis. The ‘crisis’ has to be regarded as a psychological confrontation between one s psychological as well as sociological development, and of course the ever changing demands of society. It is the very period in which the child can either resolve the crisis, or submit to social and familial chaos, contributing to the development of obvious negative traits - known as ‘maladaptions’. By exploring Peter Carey’s His Illegal Self, this paper investigates the potential elements that will inexorably lead to pandemic social concerns such as unresolved identity crises, and the psychology behind ‘street children’ as manifested in the modern novel.

Keywords:

Modern Literature , Psychosocial , Psychoanalysis , Identity Crisis , Street Children