PSYCHOANALYTICAL EXAMINATION OF VICTIMS OF RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT IN SELECTED NOVELS OF THOMAS HARDY AND ELECHI AMADI

Rape and sexual assault are pervasive forms of gender-based violence that have existed throughout human history and continue to pose significant social and psychological challenges. This study examines the representation of rape and sexual assault, the language employed by perpetrators, and the psychological consequences experienced by victims in Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Elechi Amadi's The Great Ponds. Drawing on Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalytic criticism, the study analyses the psychological motivations underlying perpetrators' actions and the linguistic strategies through which domination, coercion, and victimisation are enacted. The analysis reveals that perpetrators are driven primarily by unconscious sexual desires, the urge to gratify instinctual impulses, and the vulnerability of their victims. Their language is characterised by intimidation, manipulation, mockery, flattery, threats, and patriarchal expressions that facilitate sexual violence and reinforce power imbalance. The findings further show that victims experience profound psychological trauma, including fear, shame, emotional distress, and long-term mental suffering. The study concludes that rape is sustained not only by individual deviance but also by socio-cultural and patriarchal structures that perpetuate gender inequality. It therefore recommends the enactment and effective enforcement of comprehensive legal frameworks that transcend cultural, religious, and patriarchal influences to ensure justice, protect victims, and deter sexual violence