Representation of Mental Health in Modern English Literature: A Literary and Psychological Perspective

This paper investigates the nuanced representation of mental health in modern English literature, focusing on the convergence of literary creativity and psychological insight. Throughout the 20th century, the portrayal of mental illness underwent a profound shift, influenced by the emergence of psychoanalytic theories and changing societal attitudes toward psychological well-being. This evolution is vividly reflected in seminal texts such as Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. By employing a combined approach of literary critique and psychological theory—especially Freudian and Jungian concepts—this study explores how literature gives voice to fragmented identities, trauma, emotional alienation, and social marginalization. The findings reaffirm the value of fiction not merely as a mirror to psychological discourse but as a transformative medium that fosters empathy and challenges stigma around mental illness