Movement from Secure Base to the Unknown World: A Study of Child Psychology in Dev Kumari Thapa’s Selected Stories

Abstract

This thesis explores how child psychology is portrayed in four selected stories by the renowned Nepali author Dev Kumari Thapa, taken from a collection initially published in 2019 AD. Anchored in Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, the study delves into the psychological growth of child characters and their emotional responses to societal challenges. The stories, including “Securing Future,” “Puppy,” “Ritthe’s Question,” and “Tears That Could Not Become Pearls” provide a nuanced examination of innocence, curiosity, and resilience amidst adversity. Each narrative aligns with key developmental stages: Naresh’s imagination and questions about war reflect the preoperational stage; Madhukari’s empathy for her puppy and defiance towards her father resonate with the transition to the formal operational stage; Ritthe’s survival instincts highlight the concrete operational stage; and Bhunte’s reflections on loss and suffering demonstrate the onset of abstract thinking in the formal operational stage. Thapa’s works capture the essence of childhood in a socio-cultural context, emphasizing the interplay between external hardships and internal emotional growth. Through symbolic elements like pearls, tears, and war, the stories reveal how family, environment, and societal expectations influence cognitive development. Read with a critical lens from Piaget’s developmental psychology, this thesis offers a critical lens to understand childhood psychology through literature, contributing to the discourse on emotional resilience, cognitive growth, and moral development. Keywords: Child psychology, cognitive development, emotional growth, parental influence, innocence