© NOV 2018 | IRE Journals | Volume 2 Issue 5 | ISSN: 2456-8880

Psychosocial Analysis on Kamila Shamsie’s

In the City by the Sea
R.PREMLATHA1, SUMATHY K.SWAMY2
1,2
PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, Coimbatore

Abstract -- Psychosocial analysis looks at individuals in the kite and falls to his death. And soon after, Hasan’s
context of the combined influence that psychological idyllic, sheltered family life is shattered when his
factors and the surrounding social environment have on uncle, a dissenting politician, is arrested and charged
their physical and mental wellness and their ability to
with treason.
function. This paper proposes to highlight the psychosocial
elements with special reference to Kamila Shamsie’s In the Set in a land ruled by an oppressive military regime,
City by the Sea published in 1998. Kamila Shamsie is the
this charming novel vividly recreates the confusing
successful writer who concentrates on psychosocial
world of a young boy on the edge of adulthood, and
elements in her writing. She is one among the famous
writers who writes about political, social and religious beautifully illustrates the transformative power of the
ideas. This paper delves the family and neighbour’s vital imagination.
role in the growth of the protagonist, Hasan. It portrays the
emotional development of a child and his longing for the The themes of sadness, loss and vulnerability are clear
love. The uncle’s love and support made him to overcome in this tale. It is a tale of political instability in Pakistan
his torments in life and lives his life happily. and it affects people who are living in such a country.
The people of the country suffer by military rule. The
I. INTRODUCTION readers get an idea of the situation in the city through
the eyes of the eleven years old protagonist. He gets
hurt and harmed mentally. Azeem’s death and
Kamila Naheed Shamsie was born on 13 August 1973.
Salamna’s house arrest give him a great loss and
She is one of the new waves of Pakistani writers who
sadness in life.
are based Britain based and successful in both Pakistan
and the West. As a female born in Pakistan in the early
1970s, in a culture in which girls were expected to
become only wives and mothers, Shamsie was The novel In the City by the Sea is told from the
fortunate in her family background and the support she perspective of an eleven-years-old boy. He is
received from her affluent and literary family. Her comfortable and happy with his family and neighbours
works are In the City by the Sea (1998), Salt and but the unexpected storm of events shakes his life. He
Saffron (2000), A God in Every Stone (2014). Her first struggles to bare Salman’s absence and feels for his
novel In the City by the Sea was shortlisted for the misfortunes. With the support of his family members
Mail on Sunday or John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in the and their guidance, he is recovered from all the
UK, and she received the Prime Minister’s Award for miseries of his life. They played an important role his
literature in Pakistan in 1999. In 2009, she donated the emotional development. Their love and support made
short story. him to overcome his torments in life.

In the City by the Sea is set in an unnamed city in The novel covers many aspects of our culture: kite
Pakistan, where a political struggle is uprising. Hasan flying, rituals at someone’s death. Salam is the
is eleven years old, an imaginative, intelligent boy, democratic rival of the president and his repressive
who loves cricket; pomegranates; the night sky; his military regime. Hasan and his family, and the rest of
clever, vibrant, artistic mother; and his witty lawyer the inhabitants of this unnamed Pakistan city, must
father; and he adores his next-door neighbour Zehra. live with civil strikes and the resultant days off school
One early summer morning, while lazing happily on and work, curfews and political unrest. Hasan, his best
the roof, Hasan watches a young boy flying a yellow friend and neighbour Zehra are intelligent, observant

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 © NOV 2018 | IRE Journals | Volume 2 Issue 5 | ISSN: 2456-8880

children and make a charming pair. The slightly own. The child’s peer group will gain greater
eccentric characters, the Old Man and Widow provide significance and will become a major source of the
plenty of smiles dispensing their life. child’s esteem.

Hasan observes a young boy on a nearby roof, flying In the City by the Sea is remarkable in projecting self-
a kite. He sees the boy fall. It becomes a constant assurance of a young boy. With this subtle political
image in his head. He feels guilty and connects the flavour, this is a sensitive story of the mind of the
boy’s fall to his fault. The delighted flyer watches his adolescent boy. The novel develops into the depths of
colourful dancing speck rather than his own footing, relationships as much as it takes to lighter planes of
and plummets to his tragic death. His beloved uncle, imagination. Hasan’s life is shattered when his uncle,
once a powerful political force, has arrested in the a dissenting politician, is arrested and charged with
house surrounded by entertaing family memebers to treason. So, he suffers from nightmares and
undulge him silly jokes and his love of pine cones. But imagination. His family members and his neighbours
suddenly he is arrested and disappeared. His reeling supported him to overcome the trouble. The dilemmas
family has forty days to figure out the possibility to and frustrations of his life are captured in the novel.
save him. Hasan, imaginative and obsessed, is
convinced that if he can only figure out what Salman’s Hasan’s friend, Zehra plays an important role in the
spirit wants, he can win his precious uncle’s freedom. novel. Whenever the unpleasant things happen in his
life, he aspires to get her advice. It gives him happiness
This is a novel of a young boy coming to terms with and a relief. As illustrated in Erikson’s theory friends’
change- with his feelings of guilt about the death of the help lead him to reach his success in life. even though
kite-flying boy, with imprisonment of his uncle, the she is two years elder than him, she can understand his
changing political landscape within the country, and troubles. The friendship between both of them are
his changing relationship with Zehra. The story is tactfully handled by Shamsie. She is much matured to
delightfully told and it reveals a boy’s interactions face her problems in life. Whenever Hasan is upset and
with family and friends, whom he confides in during sad, he would go to Zehra’s house and have a
difficult situation. conversation with her. They both share their problems
and convince each other. His father helps him to
Salman is the important character in the novel. The forget his thoughts on the nightmares and makes him
plot is set around his uncle. Salman and her wife Gul feel happy whenever he is depressed.
Mumani show love and affection to Hasan. He goes
against the military rule. His vision of starting the There are many children like Hasan who struggles
political party is successful in the end. In order to help with the inner conflicts. In that situation the children
the people in the country, his political party has amny need some guidance and soothing support of family.
targets to serve the people. Here the family of the eleven-year boy Hasan helps
him to develop psychologically. But many of the
Erik Erikson was a neo- Freudian psychologist who children are mentally affected by the family itself
accepted many of the central tenants of Freudian because there are not enough amounts of love and
theory, but added his own ideas and beliefs. His theory affection showered in most of the family. Families are
of psychosocial development is centered on epigenetic the golden key to promote the social skills. If the
principle, which proposes that all people go through a children get family support like Hasan they will
series of eight stages. At each stage, people face a definitely get rid of psychological problems.
crisis that needs to be successfully resolved in order to
develop the psychosocial quality central to each stage. Kamila Shamsie through the novel In the City by the
Sea reveals that the society must understand the
The fourth stage “Industry versus Inferiority” which psychology of a child, Hasan and provide support and
occurs between the ages of 5 and 12, is focussed on guidance to overcome obstacles to reach greater
developing a sense of personal pride and heights. In the novel, Hasan starts to look his life into
accomplishment. Children at the stage will be learning a positive way. All the changes in his life, supports him
to read and write, to do sums, to do things on their to become the happiest person in his life.

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REFERENCES

[1] Erikson’s psychosocial development theory.”

Businessballs. 2014.
[2] Fehir, Caitlin. “Three works by Kamila
Shasmie.” Belletrista. 2012
[3] Mcleod, Saul. “Theory.” Erik Erikson. 2008

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