Tewfik Al-Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach: A Psychoanalytical Diagnosis

Abstract

This paper x-rays Al-Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach as a symbolic representation of the political and social climate of Egypt during the Gamal Nasser regime. As a social construct, Fate of a Cockroach satirizes the regime of President Gamal Nasser as well as the feminist uprising in Egypt during the period, which provides meaningful insights and underscores the psychological themes explored in the text. The paper employs a qualitative research design based on psychoanalytic literary criticism approach. Primary data is derived from the text, while secondary sources include scholarly articles and books on psychoanalytic literary criticism. Findings reveal that Adil’s identification with the cockroach is a form of psychological projection, where he sees his own struggles reflected in the insect. His powerlessness in his marriage, dominated by Samia, mirrors the cockroach’s helplessness. Also, Adil’s refusal to save the struggling cockroach, despite sympathizing with it, underscores the indifference of fate, reinforcing an absurdist and psychoanalytic interpretation of human suffering.