Family Violence, Amputation, and their Impact on Characters` Development in the Novel “Aghithni” by Nuha Hamdalla

The study aims to explore the impact of family violence and amputation on the characters of “Aghithni” (Help Me), a novel by the Jordanian novelist Nuha Hamdalla. The novel focuses on the impact of violence and the effect of a sudden amputation on the development of characters. It also reveals the novel's ability to incorporate characters' psyches through their interactions with one another and the impact of society and the environment on their psychological development. The characters were suffering from psychological crises, resulting from society`s pressures. These affected their attitude toward themselves and the way they dealt with various life situations, leading to a hesitation between adaptability and non-adaptability. The psychological critical approach, in addition to some modern psychological studies, was used to discuss the sequential impact of violence against women as manifested in Noor`s personality and the impact of amputation on “Suhaib”. The technical tools, such as monologue, dialogue, and memoirs that helped reveal characters' psyches, were also taken into consideration. The study concludes that domestic violence affects characters` behavior. It also revealed society's impact on the development of characters' psyches, particularly how amputation influenced the personality of a major character, such as Suhaib. The study recommends that researchers pay closer attention to the relationship between literature and the psychological aspects of characters in the novel, as well as how content influences the artistic form of the work.