The aim of this doctoral thesis is to show how the Jungian process of individuation — the psychological development of a unique individual — is depicted in the fairy tales of the twentieth-century Spanish writer, Carmen Martín Gaite. The three shorter tales — El castillo de las tres murallas, El pastel del diablo and Caperucita en Manhattan — are explored here along with the novel, La reina de las nieves. Individuation, as well as being the means by which an individual person develops, also implies a new way of relating between human beings. Jung described the outcome of individuation as ‘objective cognition’ which, this thesis argues, is equivalent to love and conscious relatedness between persons. Dreams play a crucial role in the individuation process — as they do in the work of Martín Gaite — guiding the dreamer on his/her journey. Dreams facilitate encounters with aspects of the personal and collective unconscious, which appear in symbolic form. The protagonist of the story by Martín Gaite which is closest to a traditional fairy tale (El castillo de las tres murallas) and the novel which takes a traditional tale as its reference point (La reina de las nieves) illustrate the importance of dreams in the development of the protagonists. At the heart of each of the other two tales — El pastel del diablo and Caperucita en Manhattan — is an imagined text which illustrates, in symbolic form, aspects of the individuation process. Connections have been made in Jungian thinking between individuation and the development of Christianity into a third age, the Age of the Holy Spirit, because of the major shift in consciousness (akin to the change which occurred 2000 years ago with the birth of Christ). Alongside the exploration of individuation in the fairy tales, this thesis also considers parallels with the Christian story and indications of its development or renewal.

This study attempts to find out if a reading of Michael Romekys novel I, Vampire through the theories presented by psychoanalyst C. G. Jung adds anything to the understanding of the novels narrative. More precisely it attempts to read the novel as an individuation process, a Jungian concept in which an individuals damaged psyche heals itself, of the novels protagonist. This reading is based upon the assumption that the protagonist, David, suffers a trauma when he divorces his wife Clarice. This trauma, and divorce, is read as a split between David ego and his anima, his female aspect. When he is on the brink of suicide, Tatiana shows up, turn him in to a vampire and give his life new meaning. Tatiana is read as his anima, the part of himself that i distanced himself from during the divorce, and he now needs to assimilate with again. This assimilationwhat Jung names the conuncitio, is the goal of the individuation process. In order to success with this individuation process David has to meet and overcome the dark and damaged parts of himself; his shadow aspects to use the Jungian language. These are represented by the evil vampires Jack the Ripper and von Baden. It is only after meeting, and defeating this shadow aspects, and after a rigorous mental training, in order to strengthen his mental abilities, that David can unite with his anima, Tatiana, in the alchemical wedding. The Jungian goal of the individuation process. I find in this study that to read this novel through a Jungian screen show aspects otherwise hidden. The narrative structure, and the symbols in the novel, have a distinct Jungian flavour which give the novel a meaning perhaps not seen on the surface.