This paper examines Sarah Kane's plays Cleansed (1998) and 4.48 Psychosis (2000) through the lens of structural violence and institutional power. Drawing on Johan Galtung's concept of structural violence as indirect harm embedded in social systems, it argues that Kane depicts "invisible wounds", psychological, emotional, and existential traumas inflicted by oppressive institutions such as psychiatric facilities and authoritarian regimes. In Cleansed, the institution manifests as a site of physical torture and identity erasure, reflecting broader societal mechanisms of control over non-normative bodies and desires. In 4.48 Psychosis, violence is internalized, critiquing the medical-industrial complex's failure to address mental suffering. Through fragmented dramaturgy and graphic imagery, Kane exposes how institutional power perpetuates harm, urging audiences to confront complicity in these systems. This analysis synthesizes trauma theory, Postdramatic theatre, and feminist critiques to illuminate Kane's contribution to experiential.
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Volume 4 | Issue 3 | Year 2026 | Article Id: LLL-V4I3P105 DOI: https://doi.org/10.59232/LLL-V4I3P105
Invisible Wounds: Structural Violence and Institutional Power in 4.48 Psychosis and Cleansed
Nadia Shafi, Pradeep Kumar Jain
| Received | Revised | Accepted | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 2026 | 27 Jul 2026 | 20 Aug 2026 | 22 Sep 2026 |
Citation
Nadia Shafi, Pradeep Kumar Jain. “Invisible Wounds: Structural Violence and Institutional Power in 4.48 Psychosis and Cleansed.” DS Journal of Language, Linguistics and Literature, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 42-49, 2026.
Abstract
Keywords
Structural violence, Institutional power, Sarah Kane, Cleansed, 4.48 Psychosis, Trauma theory.
References
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