Words of Healing?

Wubs, Fenny (2023) Words of Healing? Bachelor thesis, Bachelor Religiewetenschappen.

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Abstract

This thesis aimed to explore the emotional authenticity of one of Seneca's letters of consolation, the Ad Polybium. The main research question was “Could Seneca’s Ad Polybium be interpreted as an emotional authentic consolation? To answer this question, the following sub-questions were examined: “What is already known about the Ad Polybium?”, “What theoretical model could be used to analyze the Ad Polybium?” and last “Does the Ad Polybium ‘work’ as consolation?”. Through a thematic textual analysis, supported by a contextualized model of consolation, this thesis examined Seneca's letter in detail. The research also considered its historical background, academic state of the art, definition and genre of consolation, and, various existing models and theories. The thematic analysis of Seneca's Ad Polybium reveals a new interpretation. The findings of the analysis show that Seneca's approach to consolation lacks emotional authenticity. His ulterior motive of praising emperor Claudius to potentially gain clemency and end his exile causes Seneca's words to fall short of genuinely recognizing and empathetically addressing the emotional burden Polybius is carrying. In short, Seneca fails to cross the thresholds necessary to provide words of healing because he is using Polybius’ situation to advance his own agenda. The exploration of consolatory themes and thresholds highlights Seneca's inauthenticity: Seneca's ulterior motives, self-serving agenda, lack of effort and personal knowledge, and, failure to create a safe space for Polybius to express his grief, all contribute to a lack of emotional authenticity. The Ad Polybium exposes emotional inauthenticity as a significant pitfall in consolatory efforts.

Type:	Thesis (Bachelor)
Supervisors (RUG):	Supervisor E-mail Tutor organization Tutor email Mathijssen, B.M.H.P. Faculteit GGW, Faculteit Religie, Cultuur en Maatschappij Brenda.Mathijssen@rug.nl
Degree programme:	Bachelor Religiewetenschappen
Academic year:	2022-2023
Date of delivery:	30 Nov 2023 14:30
Last modified:	30 Nov 2023 14:30
URI:	https://rcs.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/739

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