The Body in Fracture: Anorexia, Identity, and Existential-Struggle in The Girls at 17 Swann Street

Abstract

Tug-of-war requires sustained force production, pulling endurance, lower- This research explores a scholarly approach to anorexia, body and identity of the character Anna in the novel The Girls at 17 Swann Street of the female author Yara Zgheib.The study adopts an integrated theoretical model that is an amalgamation of the theories of Jean Paul Sartre, postmodern body feminism of Susan Bordo and Judith Butler’s and the theory of identity developed by Jacques Lacan as a process which is constantly fluid and changing and is influenced by the external or social factors. The readers connect to a heartfelt depiction of Anna's insecurity of never being enough, her need for constant approval from society and an identity crisis. The research uses a qualitative approach based on text analysis of the primary text, and suggests that anorexia is not only a clinical neurological disease, but a psychological, existential and socio-cultural conflict. This study seeks to offer a comprehensive critical method which can be used as a basis for further research into identity, manifestation, mental health and gender in contemporary literature.