Psychoanalytic criticism washington state university. Frommian humanistic psychoanalysis has a lot of scope to be used as a theory for. In this field of literary criticism, the major concepts of psychoanalytic theory, such as the idea of an unconscious and. Psychoanalytic literary criticism longman critical readers maud ellmann this collection of essays provides students of literary critical theory with an introduction to freudian methods of interpretation, and shows how those methods have been transformed by recent developments in french psychoanalysis, particularly by the influence of jacques. Freud, in psychoanalytic theory, the mental processes are essentially unconscious, and those which are conscious are merely isolated acts and part of the whole psychic entity strachey 16. Apr 28, 2020 psychoanalytic literary criticism is a way of analyzing and interpreting literary works that relies on psychoanalytic theory. It is necessarily dependent on the accept ance of the presence of. Freudian psychoanalysis by nasrullah mambrol on april 16, 2016 21. Sigmund freud, provides the literary critic with a guide to discovering, revealing. This article considers some of the affinities between postmodern literary theory and the psychoanalytic theories concerned with intersubjective phenomena. This paper suggests that psychoanalytic literary criticism may offer a reading framework that could. In this field of literary criticism, the major concepts of psychoanalytic theory, such as the idea of an unconscious and conscious mind, the divisions of the id, ego, and.
While we dont have the room here to discuss all of freuds work, a general overview is necessary to explain psychoanalytic literary criticism. It is a theory that is regarded as a theory of personality organization and the dynamics of personality that guides psychoanalysis. These different lenses allow critics to consider works of art based on certain assumptions within that school of theory. You will be redirected to the full text document in the repository in a few seconds, if not click here. Constructive criticism, 1, 16 published 1 may 2016. As lois tyson points out, aspects of psychoanalysis have become so ingrained in our culture.
It is known that the closet connection between literature and psychoanalysis has always been deployed by the academic field of literary criticism or literary theory. Therefore, the psychoanalytic critic can only talk about the minds associated with the book. Modern psychoanalytic theory, based largely on the work of dr. A general theory of psychological literary criticism. Scott fitzgeralds the great gatsby 1925, which remains the novel used for the sample literary application in every chapter. The freudian psychoanalysis was developed out of the observation and the analyses of. Postcolonial theory literary and critical theory oxford. In its first part from 1st to 28th lecture freud enthusiastically outlines his approach to the. In this theory, freud explains that each persons personality is formed of three parts. Psychoanalytic criticism download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl. It was a triumph for the interpretative art of psychoanalysis when it succeeded in demonstrating that certain common mental acts of.
Psychoanalytic literary criticism is literary criticism or literary theory which, in method, concept, or form, is influenced by the tradition of psychoanalysis begun by sigmund freud. Postcolonial theory is a body of thought primarily concerned with accounting for the political, aesthetic, economic, historical, and social impact of european colonial rule around the world in the 18th through the 20th century. Later, the postfreudian psychoanalytic theorists remolded the approach called readerresponse criticism. Postcolonial theory takes many different shapes and interventions, but all share a fundamental claim. A form of literary interpretation that employs the terms of psychoanalysis the unconscious, repression, the oedipus complex, etc. Psychoanalytic criticism adopts the methods of reading employed by freud and later theorists to interpret texts. Ultimately, any type of literature from poetry to prose acts as a manifestation of an authors internal desires and thoughts. In a nutshell, the key to understanding the history of psychoanalytic literary criticism is to recognize that literary criticism is about books and psychoanalysis is about minds. Literary theory and schools of criticism introduction. But it also led him to write creative literary criticism of his own, including an influential essay on the relation of a poet to daydreaming 1908 and the uncanny 1919, a provocative psychoanalytic reading of e.
Accordingly, with regard to the psychoanalysis theory, it is axiomatic to. The psychoanalytic criticism of oedipus the king 992 words 4 pages. Psychoanalytic reading has been practiced since the. Psychoanalytic literary theory university of msila. Chapter ii defining psychoanalysis and its criticism psychoanalytic. The contribution of psychological theories in literary criticism core.
Psychoanalytic criticism builds on freudian theories of psychology. Psychoanalytic theory literary and critical theory oxford. Psychoanalytic criticism in literature when one attempts to find out the authorial intent in the text or trying to understand the character, one is, in one way or other, entering into the domain of psychology and such attempts to read literature have been done since the time of classical criticism. Psychoanalytic literary criticism created by charity masters and dawson hatzman examples a good example of psychoanalytic literary criticism could be the little green monster. Psychoanalytic literary theory is influenced by the tradition of psychoanalysis begun by sigmund freud. According to him, the human behavior is formed through an interaction. Psychoanalytic criticism psychoanalytic criticism adopts the methods of reading employed by freud and later theorists to interpret texts. Freudian psychoanalysis literary theory and criticism. Many questions linger after a certain reader reads the short story. Pdf psychoanalytical theory in literary criticism debbie barry.
There are three popular approaches used in this criticism. Psychoanalytic criticism is the interpretative perspective of literature by applying some. Freuds application of psychoanalytic theory to literature quickly caught on. Jan 26, 2015 the key elements of psychoanalytic criticism consist of freudian psychology principles. Sixteen chapters in this work explore the psychological subtexts of such important. Sigmund freud is the founder of this literary criticism and it has been put into practice since its conception. A clinical introduction to lacanian psychoanalysis. One of the keystones in psychoanalytic theory is the concept of the unconscious. A psychoanalytic criticism argues that an authors unconscious desires and anxieties can be found in literary texts. What are the main features of psychoanalytic literary criticism. Concepts and methods are defined by tracing the role played by the drama of oedipus in the development of psychoanalytic theory and criticism. Psychoanalysis, as inaugurated by sigmund freud, analyzes the psyche, which, according to the theory, is a site of irrational and unconscious. Pdf an approach to psychological literary criticism by means of. Psychoanalysis is the process of using what we know about these three parts of someones personality to analyze the ways that person.
Postmodern literary theory is described briefly, and it is argued that one of its major. Joan riviere in her essay discusses three case studies which have in common the fact that women who wish for masculinity may put up a mask of womanliness to avert anxiety and the retribution feared from men. Pdf language students tend to struggle with literature because they find. An introduction to psychoanalytic criticism sigmund freud is the author of the structural model of personality. Modern criticism of freud and psychoanalysis are generally thought to have started in the 1990s. Chapter ii defining psychoanalysis and its criticism psychoanalytic criticism is the interpretative perspective of literature by applying some techniques of psychoanalysis. Sep 14, 2017 this video is about psychoanalytic literary theory intended for courses at indianola high school. The psychoanalytical theory considers the literary text as artist symptoms in which both author and text established a relationship, which is synonymous with a relationship between dreams and dreamers. Psychoanalytic theory is a branch of literary criticism which was built on the principles of psychoanalysis developed by sigmund freud 18561939. Literary theory and schools of criticism introduction a very basic way of thinking about literary theory is that these ideas act as different lenses critics use to view and talk about art, literature, and even culture. Sigmund freud is closely related to the psychoanalytic theory. Novel zorba the greek novel analysis as death likes it hot.
Introduction to literary theory purdue writing lab. Application of psychoanalysis criticism english 333. A guide to psychoanalytic criticism a research guide for. Psychoanalytic literary criticism by charity masters on prezi. Apr 16, 2016 home literary criticism freudian psychoanalysis. Psychoanalytic feminist thought has also followed another route, i. Psychoanalysis has also left its mark on literature, both by inspiring works of fiction that incorporate aspects of psychoanalysis andor psychoanalytic theory and by serving as the basis for psychoanalytic literary criticism, in which literature is critiqued through the lens of psychoanalytic theory.
I chose robert brownings short story, porphyrias lover to analyze. The essays cover a wide generic scope and are divided into three parts. A columbus of space a companion to cultural studies pdf a companion to diaspora and transnationalism a companion to film theory ebook a companion to film theory pdf a companion to gender. Psychoanalytic literary criticism is literary criticism or literary theory which, in method, concept, or form, is influenced by the tradition of psychoanalysis begun by sigmund freud psychoanalytic reading has been practiced since the early development of psychoanalysis itself, and has developed into a heterogeneous interpretive tradition. The psychoanalytic theory is the personality theory, which is based on the notion that an individual gets motivated more by unseen forces that are controlled by the conscious and the rational thought.
It argues that literary texts, like dreams, express the secret unconscious desires and anxieties of the author, that a literary work is a. Psychoanalysis itself a form of therapy wh1ch arms to cure mental disorders by investigatmg the interacnon of con. Psychoanalytic theory literary and critical theory. The key elements of psychoanalytic criticism consist of freudian psychology principles. Psychoanalytic literary criticism longman critical readers. It is correct that this decade exploded with a sudden and noticeable increase of quantity. The interpretation of the character of shakespeares hamlet, and of the play itself, as that of an oedipus situation, is a logical result of the fundamental prin ciples of psychoanalytic psychology. Introduction a very basic way of thinking about literary theory is that these ideas act as different lenses critics use to view and talk about art, literature, and even culture. It is known that the closet connection between literature and psychoanalysis has always been deployed by the academic field of literary criticism or.
To be sure, this much i may presume that you do know, namely, that psychoanalysis is a method of treating nervous patients medically. Psychoanalytic criticism emerged in the 1960s, the most influential interpretative theory among the series of waves in the post war period is based on the specific premises of the workings of the mind, the instincts and sexuality, developed by the 19th century. An introduction to literary criticism and theory before we begin our examination and study of literary theory, it is important that we define exactly what literary theory is and is not, identify some of the main characteristics of such, as well as identify some of the key differences between traditional literary. Sigmund freud pioneered psychoanalytic criticism, a type of literary criticism which analyzes literature as if it were a dream, reading into underlying messages and themes which prove to be telling of the subconscious of the author and primary characters. Psychoanalysis is the process of using what we know about. Key concepts in psychoanalytic literary theory if literary theory helps readers think about what literary texts do, psychoanalytic theory focuses on why characters in texts do what they do.
Pdf psychological literary criticism had its base in the. Psychoanalytic theories focus on the individual character and person, whereas many. The psychoanalytic criticism is a literary criticism that is used to interpret texts and their deeper meaning of psychology. The freudian psychoanalysis was developed out of the observation and the analyses of data derived from his clinical practice. The beginnings of this modern tradition are found in freuds the interpretation of dreams 1900, which provides a method of interpreting apparently unimportant. Psychoanalytic reading has been practiced since the early development of psychoanalysis itself, and has developed into a heterogeneous interpretive tradition.
Psychoanalysis is a form of therapy propounded by the austrian psychologist sigmund freud 18561939. Psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic literary criticism alex e. Psychoanalytic analysis students teaching english paper. This resource will help you begin the process of understanding literary theory and schools of criticism and how they are used in the academy. With the growing emphasis on theory in literary studies, psychoanalytic criticism is making notable contributions to literary interpretation. What are the main features of psychoanalytic literary. Psychoanalytic theory was developed by sigmund freud to explain the workings of the human mind.
Psychoanalytic thought has also had a huge influence in literary theory, the study of art, and, more recently, film theory, wherein freudian notions have been used to understand the psychodynamic processes at work in literary creation and audiences enjoyment of works of art, the structuring and narrative logics of literary and filmic. Most psychoanalytic criticism has tended to concentrate on the relation between a literary text and the psychology of its creator. Psychoanalytic criticisin is a form of literary criticism which uses some of the techniques of psychoanalysis in the interpretation of literature. Pdf psychoanalytical theory in literary criticism debbie. Psychoanalytic criticism introduction psychoanalytic criticism ts a form of literary cr1t1c1srn which uses some of the techmques of psychoanalysis in the interpretation of literature. This video is about psychoanalytic literary theory intended for courses at indianola high school. To make the dreamstory from which wonderland was elaborated seem freudian one only has to tell it.