The psychology of repressed desires in Yukio Mishima's Thirst for Love

The gap between desire and what is socially accepted often leads to tremendous inner turmoil; when that turmoil is disallowed, it can lead to tragic and bloody consequences. This research article examines the psychological effects of repressing one’s desires and the costs of living with the reality of never living a whole life through the protagonist, Etsuko, in Thirst for Love (1950) by Yukio Mishima. The paper identifies the psychological substructure of repressed desires and examines how Mishima has presented them as a source of inner conflict and a driving element of Etsuko’s actions. The research employs the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan to understand the repressed desires of Etsuko that manifest in destructive activities: obsession, self-punishment, and self-destruction. The study further explores how Mishima has employed the themes of sexual desires, unrequited love, and unfulfilled emotions and represents through Etsuko the tangle of social obligations and personal inhibitions in post-war Japan. Through a qualitative approach and textual analysis, it explores how the unknown desires of Etsuko lead to the emotional and psychological deterioration of her being, disclosing the dangers of repression within the context of Japanese post-war society, wherein traditionalism and the individual’s desires often clash with one another. This research argues its ability to elucidate the potential for violence when these desires are denied.