The Great Mother archetype in Tale of a Certain Orient by Milton Hatoum

Abstract

This study aims to analyse the psychological drama of the narrator-character In Tales of a Certain Orient by the Amazonian writer Milton Hatoum. Supported by Jungian theory on the negative maternal complex, we highlight the forms of psychic suffering and existential harm experienced by this character as a result of the mother–child relationship being fractured due to the biological mother’s rejection during her early childhood. Our Intention is to reveal the modes of representation of the unconscious archetype of the Great Mother, constructed and preserved In the collective and personal unconscious, and how they are projected by the narrator onto the adoptive grandmother to fill the profound void left by the biological mother. To this end, we focus on the symbols that represent the archetype of the Benevolent and Terrible Great Mother that emerge within the flows of the narrator’s unconscious mind.

Submission: Jun 10, 2025 ⊶ Accepted: Sep 30, 2025