Dark Identities in Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura: A Psychoanalytic Feminist Perspective

Abstract

This research paper explores the key concepts of dark identities in Mizuki Tsujimura’s "Lonely Castle in the Mirror" through a psychoanalytic feminist perspective. The paper is focusing on the psychological struggles, repression, and gendered trauma experienced by its female characters. This study examines how societal expectations, patriarchal structures, and mental health struggles shape the characters’ fragmented identities using Freudian, Lacanian, and Kristevan psychoanalytic theories alongside feminist literary criticism. The analysis highlights how fantasy functions as a symbolic space for self-exploration and resistance, enabling the characters to confront their repressed fears and challenge oppressive gender norms. This research contributes to contemporary feminist literary studies by bridging psychoanalysis, trauma theory, and Japanese literature, offering new insights into the novel’s critique of social alienation and identity formation. While acknowledging limitations such as cultural translation nuances and the subjectivity of textual analysis, the study recommends future research on cross-cultural feminist comparisons, reader-response analyses, and interdisciplinary approaches to trauma and identity in contemporary fiction. This research establishes Lonely Castle in the Mirror as a significant work in modern Japanese literature, emphasizing its role in addressing mental health, gender oppression, and psychological resilience.