PsychologySociology
S. Schiff
2006.3.1Philip Roth Studies
tlooto Summary
Bowen's family systems theory analyzed for its applicability to literary texts, specifically Philip Roth's When She Was Good and Portnoy's Complaint.
Abstract
This essay considers Murray Bowen's family systems theory as an alternate psychological discourse by which to analyze literary texts. Using as a test case Philip Roth's When She Was Good and Portnoy's Complaint, this essay suggests that the theory's conception of family functioning allows for a nuanced reading of Roth's fiction specifically and of literature in general.
Citation format
SCHIFF, S. Family systems theory as literary analysis: The case of philip roth. Philip Roth Studies, 2006, 2: 25–46.