The Journey of the Wounding Heart：Trauma Healing Therapy in the Novel <i>Malika’s Sofa</i> by Yoshimoto Banana

PURNOMO, Antonius R. Pujo

doi:2022.15.1.55

The Journal of Japanese Language Literature Studies > Volume 15(1); 2022 > Article

Special Issue

Border Crossings: The Journal of Japanese-Language Literature Studies 2022;15(1): 55-70.
doi: https://doi.org/10.22628/bcjjl.2022.15.1.55

The Journey of the Wounding Heart：Trauma Healing Therapy in the Novel Malika’s Sofa by Yoshimoto Banana

Antonius R. Pujo PURNOMO

Associate Professor, Department of Japanese Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Airlangga

The Journey of the Wounding Heart――Trauma Healing Therapy in the Novel Malika’s Sofa by Yoshimoto Banana

アントニウス·プジョ·プルノモ

アイルランガ大学人文学部日本研究学科准教授。日本思想史、近代日本文学。

Correspondence Antonius R. Pujo PURNOMO ,Email: antonius-r-p-p@fib.unair.ac.id

Published online: 30 December 2022.

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

ABSTRACT

Yoshimoto Banana’s novels are referred to as ‘self-help’ literature. As a result of Yoshimoto’s impactful role in literature, it has the power to be of use in self-healing. One of them is Yoshimoto Banana’s novel which describes the search for meaning within oneself by reconnecting with nature called Marika no Sofa (Malika’s Sofa). This novel tells the story of a female doctor named Junko sensei and Malika, her patient who has many personalities. The symptoms of DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) are shown by Yoshimoto in this novel, and it shows an interesting part that is highlighted how Yoshimoto offers a method of trauma healing by traveling and dialogue. In addition, in this study, the friendship connection and empathy emotion between the therapist and her patient are seen from the imago dialogue approach in Alfred Adler’s therapy. And then, followed by the natural therapy method using green trees approach. The researcher chose to use the concept of shinrin yoku (forest bathing), which is an immersion in the natural surroundings to have a good physiological effect and provide relaxation on the mind and body. Junko sensei and Malika’s trip to Bali can also be interpreted as a desire (motivation) to leave old wounds in the healing stage. Both of them rediscovered something that had been missing in their lives for a long time, it is to feel and live a full life like humans.

Keywords: Marika no Sofa, Trauma Healing, DID, Shinrin Yoku

キ―ワ―ド: マリカのソファー, トラウマ治癒, 解離性同一性障害, 森林浴,