“Kıskanmak”, adapted from Reşat Nuri Güntekin’s novel, presents the theme of jealousy on the surface as a love story, but at its core, it explores deep psychodynamic conflicts. This article examines the psychological processes underlying jealousy through the series’ three main characters: Seniha, Halit, and Mükerrem. Drawing on Freud’s psychoanalytic approach, Adler’s concept of the superiority complex, and Young’s schema therapy model, the analysis argues that jealousy is related to repressed desires, feelings of worthlessness, and identification conflicts.
Jealousy is a complex emotion that arises when an individual compares themselves to others. It is often an expression of fundamental emotions such as inadequacy, worthlessness, and fear of loss (Parrott & Smith, 1993). In the series “Kıskanmak” (Envy), jealousy appears not as an individual weakness, but as a self-inflicted wound rooted in childhood.
In this context, the characters of Seniha, Halit, and Mükerrem serve as psychological mirrors of one another.
Seniha: Defectiveness Schema and Repressed Desires
Seniha has been neglected by her family since childhood and overshadowed by her brother. This has fostered a deep sense of defectiveness and inadequacy within her (Young, Klosko & Weishaar, 2003). Seniha, who feels unlovable, masks this feeling with coldness, distance, and sarcasm.
According to Freud (1923/1961), jealousy is the expression of repressed desires. In her anger at Mükerrem, Seniha punishes the woman she truly desires to be. This situation is a classic example of the projection defense mechanism.
According to Adler’s (1927) theory of the superiority complex, Seniha attempts to protect her own value by belittling others to offset her feelings of inferiority. Her jealousy is not simply an emotion but a defense centered on her identity.
Halit: Narcissistic Satisfaction Seeking and Emotional Blindness
Halit, as a child unconditionally loved and idealized by his family, developed a narcissistic personality pattern. According to Kernberg (1975), narcissistic individuals appear strong on the outside but are fragile on the inside.
Halit cultivates his self-worth through external validation, seeking success, status, and control. This is precisely what triggers Seniha’s anger: Halit’s “privileged” position. From Freud’s perspective of the Oedipus complex, Halit is at the center of family attention, while Seniha assumes the role of the excluded child. This dynamic transcends sibling rivalry into a battle over the right to be loved.
Mükerrem: The Need for Approval and the Dependent Self
Mükerrem embodies the societal ideal of a woman: beautiful, elegant, yet internally empty. Her need for approval and search for love indicate a dependent personality pattern.
According to Adler (1927), such individuals compromise their self-worth to retain the love of others. Mükerrem’s attachment to Halit also demonstrates that she defines her own worth through external acceptance.
Seniha’s jealousy of her is no coincidence; Mükerrem is a reflection of her repressed femininity and desire. In other words, Seniha sees in Mükerrem “the person she wants to be.”
Tripartite Dynamic: Projective Identification and Self-Conflict
The triangle of Seniha, Halit, and Mükerrem is a classic example of projective identification (Klein, 1946). Each projects aspects of themselves they cannot accept onto the other.
Seniha’s anger touches Halit’s narcissism, and Mükerrem’s dependency touches Seniha’s repressed lovelessness. In this relational cycle, the envied person essentially becomes the “mirror of the jealous.”
Jealousy is therefore a way of avoiding confronting one’s own repressed desires.
Conclusion
The series “Kıskanmak” demonstrates that jealousy is not an individual emotion but an identity-based wound. Seniha loses herself as she becomes jealous; Halit confuses being loved with power; and Mükerrem erases her self in order to be loved.
In this respect, the series depicts jealousy through the metaphor of “losing yourself while looking at someone else.”
Jealousy basically begins at the point where a person does not know how to love himself.
Source
Adler, A. (1927). Understanding human nature. Greenberg.
Freud, S. (1961). The ego and the id (J. Riviere, Trans.). W.W. Norton. (Original work published 1923)
Kernberg, O. F. (1975). Borderline conditions and pathological narcissism. Jason Aronson.
Klein, M. (1946). Notes on some schizoid mechanisms. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 27, 99–110.
Parrott, W. G., & Smith, R. H. (1993). Distinguishing the experiences of envy and jealousy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64(6), 906–920.
Young, J. E., Klosko, J. S., & Weishaar, M. E. (2003). Schema therapy: A practitioner’s guide. Guilford Press.