A Psychosocial Study of Regina’s Curse and Bliss in Susan Choi’s ‘My Education’

Abstract

Susan Choi's My Education examines the complex dynamics of identity sexuality and power within a sexualized academic milieu of the 1990s. This paper examines Regina a graduate student and Nicholas Brodeur a contentious lecturer alongside her interactions with his family and her girlfriend Colleen. Choi's narrative marked by poetic precision crafts characters who illuminate psychological and social themes especially through Regina's journey. Regina embodies the human psyche's contradictions oscilling between ambition and self-destruction while Brodeur's allure and manipulation highlight complex power relations. The analysis posits that  transcends its context to probe universal themes of love morality and the influence of latent desires on rational decisions. Choi documents Regina's personal evolution and her engagements with others By examining the profound impact of educational and relational encounters on personal growth. This study highlights how the novel engages with the construction of identity against societal constructs of power and sexuality offering a poignant commentary on the human condition. Through examining internal conflicts and external interactions My Education is revealed as a reflective work on humanity it emphasizes the enduring influence of academia and relationships on individual development and self-understanding.