A Philosophical And Psychological Study Of Hasan Manzar’s Novel "Habs"

Abstract

This research article Highlights a psychological and philosophical analysis of Hasan Manzar's significant novel Habs (حبس), which portrays the mental turmoil of the novel's main character "Ariel Sharon" the former Israeli Prime Minister, during his years-long coma. As a psychiatrist, Hassan Manzar skillfully explores the complexities of human conscience, subconscious repression, guilt, and psychological trauma. Although this novel has been gained political and moral attention in Urdu literary circles but it still lacks a comprehensive psychological analysis. The research is grounded in Sigmund Freud’s theories, particularly the unconscious, defense mechanisms, and guilt. Using interpretive and analytical methods, the study examines the protagonist’s internal conflict, symbolic visions, recurring dreams, and the resurfacing of suppressed memories. The findings reveal that Sharon, once empowered by violence and supremacist ideology, ultimately becomes a victim of his own subconscious torment. "Habs" is not merely a narrative of historical injustice but a psychological elegy on the disintegration of the self, the awakenings of moral conscience, and the burden of repressed atrocities.