The Relationship between a Character’s Psychological Traits and Their Position in the Novel Eva Through the Lens of Philippe Hamon’s Theory

Abstract

Exploring how a character’s inner state interacts with the spaces around them is one of the key concerns in literary research. The character's emotional life cannot really be separated from the places in which they live; this connection gives the story a unique voice that distinguishes it from other texts. The present study addressed this topic by examining the novel Eva through Philippe Hamon's theoretical framework. Because psychological analysis plays a vital role in uncovering the connections between character and setting, Hamon's ideas are utilized to interpret both the character's mental qualities in relation to place and the effect of space on the character's emotions. The study seeks to identify the spatial qualities that arise from the character's psychological state, as well as the motivations behind the place’s effect on the individual. It also investigates how emotions such as safety, happiness, sadness, or uncertainty develop and finally form a fundamental part of the character-place communication. One of the primary results is the powerful connection between the character's emotional experience and the setting. What stands out in Eva is how this relationship works against common logic: the novel refers to natural, beautiful landscapes as "hell," but underground and dark areas are described in a refined, almost dreamy manner, as if they were a form of heaven. The reason for our choice of this topic is to highlight the strong relationship between the character's mental health and the world. This relationship has been explained in the light of Philip Hammon's theory of how it affects the heart and mind.