3: Writing about Character and Motivation - Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism
- Page ID
- 14787
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- Understand the varieties of psychoanalytic literary theories.
- Apply a psychoanalytic theory to a literary work.
- Engage in the writing process of a peer writer, including peer review.
- Review and evaluate a variety of model papers by peer writers.
- Draft and revise a psychoanalytic paper on a literary work.
- 3.1: Literary Snapshot- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
- This page discusses psychoanalytic literary criticism using "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass." It explores themes of dreaming versus reality, connecting Alice's identity to Freud's interpretation of dreams as windows into the unconscious. The analysis highlights the surreal and nightmarish elements of Alice's journey, relating them to broader psychological themes in literature.
- 3.2: Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism- An Overview
- This page examines the connection between dreams and psychoanalytical literary criticism, focusing on how dreams reflect unconscious thoughts and desires. It discusses Freudian, Lacanian, and Jungian interpretations, using authors like Poe and Hawthorne as case studies. The content emphasizes the influence of personal and collective unconscious on literature and encourages readers to analyze dreams as narratives, relating them to literary themes and fostering individual interpretations.
- 3.3: Focus on Sigmund Freud (1856–1939)- Unconscious Repressed Desire
- This page explores Freud's influential theories on the mind's structure (id, ego, superego), the Oedipal complex, and their implications for mental health and literary criticism. It highlights the role of dreams in revealing repressed desires and emphasizes their significance in understanding literature through Freudian techniques like dream analysis and symbolism.
- 3.4: Focus on Jacques Lacan (1901–81)- Repressed Desire and the Limits of Language
- This page explores Lacan's evolution of Freudian psychoanalytic theory, focusing on the unconscious as language-structured and its implications for literary analysis. It contrasts Freudian external interpretation with Lacanian analysis, which examines language reflecting the psyche. Key concepts like the Imaginary, Mirror, and Symbolic stages are introduced alongside metonymy and metaphor, illustrating how language generates desire and fragmented identity.
- 3.5: Focus on Carl Jung (1875–1961) - The Archetypal Collective Unconsciousness
- This page discusses Carl Jung's departure from Freud's emphasis on sexual desire in psychoanalysis, introducing a layered perspective of the mind that includes the collective unconscious and archetypes. It highlights the importance of the Self's pursuit of wholeness, symbolized by the mandala, and the roles of anima and animus in personal development.
- 3.6: Reading Keats’s “Urn” through the Psychoanalytic Lens
- This page examines John Keats's "Ode on a Grecian Urn" through psychoanalytic literary criticism, encouraging group discussions on Freud, Lacan, and Jung. It highlights Keats's personal losses reflected in themes of longing and permanence, with insights from critics like Leon Waldoff. The analysis emphasizes the urn's representation of unfulfilled desires and archetypal images from the collective unconscious, framing beauty and truth as key themes.
- 3.7: Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism- A Process Approach
- This page outlines how to write a critical paper using a psychoanalytic approach, emphasizing the need to focus on the author, characters, or text construction. It highlights the importance of defining one's psychoanalytic perspective (e.g., Freudian, Lacanian), developing a supporting thesis, and taking notes during a rereading of the text. Additionally, it recommends creating a structured draft plan and seeking peer feedback to enhance and refine the final paper.
- 3.8: Student Writers at Work- Jenn Nemec’s Jungian Psychoanalytic Reading of “The Birthmark,” Susan Moore’s Freudian Reading of “The Birthmark,” and Sarah David’s Lacanian Reading of “The Birthmark”
- This page analyzes Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Birthmark" through a Jungian framework, focusing on Aylmer's obsession with his wife Georgiana's birthmark as a symbol of his fears and insecurities. It discusses how Aylmer misidentifies his shadow in Aminadab and, by failing to confront his darker self, leads to tragic outcomes.
- 3.9: Student Sample Paper- Susan Moore’s “The Desire for Perfection in Hawthorne’s ‘The Birthmark’”
- This page examines Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Birthmark," emphasizing the theme of the pursuit of perfection and its dire consequences. Through Freud's psychoanalytic lens, it explores the characters Aylmer's obsession and Georgiana's tragic fate, illustrating the tension between Aylmer's scientific ambition and Georgiana's humanity. The servant Aminadab symbolizes the need for balance between reason and passion, with the narrative cautioning against the dangers of ignoring imperfection.
- 3.10: Student Sample Paper- Sarah David’s “A Lacanian Analysis of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘The Birthmark’”
- This page analyzes Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” through a Lacanian lens, focusing on Aylmer's fixation on Georgiana's birthmark as a symbol of flawed beauty. It employs Lacan's theories, including the Symbolic and the unattainable Real stages, to examine Aylmer's desire for unity and the resulting tragedy. The analysis highlights the futility of chasing perfection and the instability of meaning, reflecting Hawthorne's critique of humanity's perfectionist desires.
- 3.11: End-of-Chapter Assessment
- This page discusses three psychoanalytic literary theories: Freud's emphasis on the unconscious and sexual development, Lacan's incorporation of language through the Imaginary, Symbolic, and Real stages, and Jung's concept of the collective unconscious with archetypes. It highlights the application of these theories in literary analysis and peer review practices, while students engage in writing exercises and collaborative feedback sessions to improve their analytical skills in poetry.
- 3.12: Suggestions for Further Reading
- This page provides an overview of essential texts and critical essays on key psychoanalytic figures like Freud, Lacan, and Jung. It highlights major collections, introductions, and secondary sources that offer critical insights into their theories, showcasing the scholarly discourse and developmental changes in psychoanalytic theory through diverse interpretations.