Module in Freudian Literary Criticism

Subject: Literary Criticism

Topic: Freudian Literary Criticism
Sub- Topics: I. Definition of Freudian Literary Criticism
II. Freudian(syc!oanalytic" #pproac!es to Literature
III. $o% to &se Freudian Literary Criticism
I'. (limpse on Si)mund Freud *io)rap!y
'. Si)mund Freud+s T!eories
#. Sta)es of syc!ose,ual De-elopment
*. Defense Mec!anisms
C. T!ree Components of $uman ersonality
D. Le-els of Mind
'I. Freudian Critical .uestions
#cti-ity: #naly/in) a certain literature usin) any of Freudian #pproac!es
repared by: C0ISTI12 #*I(#2L C. #*#DI20
Submitted to: #3rof. 4enaida 5. 'itasa
C51T21T #1D 5*62CTI'2S
T!is module intends t!e students to define Freudian Literary Criticism. It also familiari/es t!em %it! t!e t!eories
t!at Si)mund Freud !ad formulated. Furt!ermore7 t!is could en!ance students+ ability in analy/in) a certain piece of
literature Specifically7 t!is module aims to:
8. define Freudian Literary Criticism9
:. familiari/e oneself %it! Freud+s T!eories9
;. e,amine 1eo-Freudian+s %or<s 9
=. learn and analy/e literature usin) one of t!e t!ree approac!es in Freudian(psyc!oanalytic" criticism9
L2#01I1( 05C2D&02S
8. Moti-ation
>&ne,pressed emotions %ill ne-er die. T!ey are buried ali-e and %ill come fort! later in u)lier %ays.?
@ Si)mund Freud
:. Lecture
I. Definition of Freudian(psychoanalytic)Literary Criticism
Literary criticism t!at uses t!e psyc!oanalytic t!eory of Si)mund Freud to interpret a %or< in terms of t!e
<no%n psyc!olo)ical conflicts of its aut!or or7 con-ersely7 to construct t!e aut!or+s psyc!ic life from
unconscious re-elations in !is %or<.
II. Freudian(syc!oanalytic" #pproac!es to Literature
the author: t!e t!eory is used to analy/e t!e aut!or and !is3!er life7 and t!e literary %or< is
seen to supply e-idence for t!is analysis. T!is is often called Apsyc!obio)rap!y.A
the characters: t!e t!eory is used to analy/e one or more of t!e c!aracters9 t!e
psyc!olo)ical t!eory becomes a tool t!at to e,plain t!e c!aracters+ be!a-ior and
moti-ations. T!e more closely t!e t!eory seems to apply to t!e c!aracters7 t!e more realistic
t!e %or< appears.
the audience: t!e t!eory is used to e,plain t!e appeal of t!e %or< for t!ose %!o read it9 t!e %or< is
seen to embody uni-ersal !uman psyc!olo)ical processes and moti-ations7 to %!ic! t!e readers
respond more or less unconsciously.
the text: t!e t!eory is used to analy/e t!e role of lan)ua)e and symbolism in t!e %or<.
III. How to Use Freudian Literary Criticism
T!e t!eories of Si)mund Freud !old a )reat deal of fascinations for literary critics B so muc! so7 t!at
t!ere is an entire branc! of literary criticism de-oted to analysin) %or<s of literature in t!e li)!t of Freud+s t!eories.
Loo<in) for t!e effects of Freudian t!eories in literature can be a fascinatin) study7 if you learn !o% to )o about it in
t!e correct manner.
1. *e)in by familiarisin) yourself %it! Freud+s t!eories. T!e most si)nificant amon) t!ese are t!e sta)es of
psyc!ose,ual de-elopment7 t!e defence mec!anisms (out of %!ic! repression is t!e most important"7 t!e
dominance of t!e libido as t!e dri-in) force be!ind all !uman t!ou)!t and be!a-iour7 t!e brea<do%n of t!e
!uman personality into t!ree components B id7 e)o7 and supere)o B and t!e mappin) out of t!e le-els of t!e
mind into t!e conscious7 unconscious7 and subconscious.
2. In addition to studyin) t!e t!eories of Freud7 it is also essential to del-e into t!e %or<s of neo-Freudians7 as
t!ese c!allen)e Freud+s !ea-y emp!asis on se,uality as t!e determinant of all !uman be!a-iour (%!ic! t!ey
deem too narro%". 1eo-Freudians e,plore ot!er factors t!at determine t!e !uman t!ou)!t process and
be!a-iour7 and t!ese include Carl 6un)7 Caren $orney7 and #lfred #dler.
3. 5nce you !a-e done all your bac<)round researc!7 and !a-e familiarised yourself %it! all t!e concepts7 it is
time to be)in. ic< a %or< of literature (start small B use a poem7 or a s!ort story" B and see if you can
analyse t!e c!aracters+ le-els of t!e mind. Loo< for t!e elements of id7 e)o7 and supere)o in a poem3story.
T!ese need not al%ays be a !uman c!aracter B rat!er7 t!ese can also be reflected in elements of nature
4. Study !o% t!e c!aracters are mentally dri-en by t!e ener)y of t!e >libido?. D!ile t!is is freEuently ta<en as
a purely se,ual term7 certain off-s!oots of Freudian t!eory -ie% it Euite differently7 so ma<e sure you do not
adopt a narro% perspecti-e7 and analyse it from e-ery different an)le.
5. #nalyse t!e psyc!ic conflicts bet%een >Freudian entities? present in a particular literary %or<. # c!aracter
could be at %ar %it! society7 %it! nature7 %it! anot!er c!aracter7 or be trapped in an internal stru))le. If t!e
conflict is bet%een a c!aracter and an e,ternal force7 t!is indicates t!at t!e c!aracter represents one facet of
t!e mind (id7 e)o7 and supere)o"7 %!ile t!e e,ternal element represents anot!er. If t!e conflict is internal7 t!is
means t!e c!aracter+s mental state is imbalanced7 and one element of t!e mind !as ta<en control o-er all
ot!ers.
6. Loo< for instances of >!ypnotism? in t!e %or< of literature. If any c!aracter s!o%s si)ns of !a-in) been
o-ertly manipulated mentally7 t!is could be a )ood startin) point for Freudian critiEue.
7. 2,amine t!e met!ods c!aracters adopt to !andle or e,press repression. 0epression is a <ey defence
mec!anism7 and t!e underlyin) factor be!ind most of !uman be!a-iour7 as per Freud. Ta<e a close loo< at
any past incidents t!e c!aracters mi)!t be loo<in) to repress7 or any outlet for t!e e,pression of t!ese
repressed t!ou)!ts7 suc! as dreams7 Freudian slips7 and sudden c!an)es of mood and temperament in
particular situations7 etc

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