write essay on psychoanalytic criticism

• Directories
• General Literary Theory & Criticism Resources
• African Diaspora Studies
• Critical Disability Studies
• Critical Race Theory
• Deconstruction and Poststructuralism
• Ecocriticism
• Feminist Theory
• Indigenous Literary Studies
• Marxist Literary Criticism
• Narratology
• New Historicism
• Postcolonial Theory
• Psychoanalytic Criticism
• Queer and Trans Theory
• Structuralism and Semiotics
• How Do I Use Literary Criticism and Theory?
• Start Your Research
• Research Guides
• University of Washington Libraries
• Library Guides
• UW Libraries
• Literary Research

Literary Research: Psychoanalytic Criticism

What is psychoanalytic criticism.

"According to psychoanalytic criticism, readers can reach more insightful conclusions by considering the subconscious motivations of fictional characters and of the authors of texts. Psychoanalytic criticism also urges readers to consider how environmental factors impact characters and their development. Likewise, practitioners believe that certain texts have the potential to impact the reader on a psychological level, sometimes satisfying significant emotional and intellectual needs."

Brief Overviews:

• Psychoanalytic criticism (A Dictionary of Critical Theory)
• Psychoanalytic Theory and Criticism (The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism)
• Psychoanalysis and Literature (Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism)

Major Figures

Sigmund Freud

• The Freud Reader (various editions)
• Meisel, Perry. The Literary Freud . Routledge, 2007.
• The Essential Jung . Princeton University Press, 1983.
• Rowland, Susan. Jungian Literary Criticism: the Essential Guide . Routledge, 2019.

Sugg, Richard P. Jungian Literary Criticism . Northwestern University Press, 1992.

Melanie Klein

• The Selected Melanie Klein . Free Press, 1987.
• Essential Readings from the Melanie Klein Archives: Original Papers and Critical Reflections . Edited by Jane Milton, Routledge, 2020.

Jacques Lacan

•   Écrits (various editions)

Murray, Martin. Jacques Lacan: A Critical Introduction . Pluto Press, 2015.

Introductions & Anthologies

Find more books on Psychoanalysis and literature and psychoanalytic interpretation of literature at UW Libraries.

Definition: "psychoanalytic criticism." The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature. Eds. Hart, James D., Wendy Martin, and Danielle Hinrichs. Oxford University Press, 2021.

• << Previous: Postcolonial Theory
• Next: Queer and Trans Theory >>
• Last Updated: Jun 12, 2024 2:03 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/literaryresearch

Table of Contents

Collaboration, information literacy, writing process, psychological criticism.

• © 2023 by Angela Eward-Mangione - Hillsborough Community College

Psychological Criticism is

• a research method , a type of textual research , that literary critics use to interpret texts
• a genre of discourse employed by literary critics used to share the results of their interpretive efforts.

Psychological criticism, or psychoanalytic criticism, took off in popularity in the early decades of the twentieth century. Sigmund Freud, who based some of his theories on analyses of literature, particularly Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex , is the figure primarily associated with psychological criticism, though Jacques Lacan and Carl Jung have played key roles as well. Psychological criticism frequently addresses human behavior—at the conscious and/or unconscious level—as well as the development of characters through their actions. For example, according to Freud in The Ego and the Id, a work of literature is an external expression of the author’s unconscious mind.

Key Terms: Dialectic ; Hermeneutics ; Semiotics ; Text & Intertextuality ; Tone

Foundational Questions of Psychological Criticism

• What motivates the speaker or protagonist? Does the speaker or protagonist appear to be consciously or unconsciously motivated?
• How do desires and wishes manifest in the text? Do they remain largely fulfilled or unfilled? How does their fulfillment, or lack thereof, affect the character’s development?
• Does the text chart the emotional development of a character? How?
• How do the characters in the text evoke archetypal figures such as the Great or Nurturing Mother, the Wounded Child, the Whore, the Crone, the Lover, or the Destroying Angel)?

Brevity - Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

The Elements of Style - The DNA of Powerful Writing

Recommended

Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community

Structured Revision – How to Revise Your Work

Professional Writing – How to Write for the Professional World

Credibility & Authority – How to Be Credible & Authoritative in Research, Speech & Writing

Citation Guide – Learn How to Cite Sources in Academic and Professional Writing

Page Design – How to Design Messages for Maximum Impact

Suggested edits.

• Please select the purpose of your message. * - Corrections, Typos, or Edits Technical Support/Problems using the site Advertising with Writing Commons Copyright Issues I am contacting you about something else
• Your full name
• Your email address *
• Page URL needing edits *
• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Other Topics:

Citation - Definition - Introduction to Citation in Academic & Professional Writing

• Joseph M. Moxley

Explore the different ways to cite sources in academic and professional writing, including in-text (Parenthetical), numerical, and note citations.

Collaboration - What is the Role of Collaboration in Academic & Professional Writing?

Collaboration refers to the act of working with others or AI to solve problems, coauthor texts, and develop products and services. Collaboration is a highly prized workplace competency in academic...

Genre may reference a type of writing, art, or musical composition; socially-agreed upon expectations about how writers and speakers should respond to particular rhetorical situations; the cultural values; the epistemological assumptions...

Grammar refers to the rules that inform how people and discourse communities use language (e.g., written or spoken English, body language, or visual language) to communicate. Learn about the rhetorical...

Information Literacy - Discerning Quality Information from Noise

Information Literacy refers to the competencies associated with locating, evaluating, using, and archiving information. In order to thrive, much less survive in a global information economy — an economy where information functions as a...

Mindset refers to a person or community’s way of feeling, thinking, and acting about a topic. The mindsets you hold, consciously or subconsciously, shape how you feel, think, and act–and...

Rhetoric: Exploring Its Definition and Impact on Modern Communication

Learn about rhetoric and rhetorical practices (e.g., rhetorical analysis, rhetorical reasoning,  rhetorical situation, and rhetorical stance) so that you can strategically manage how you compose and subsequently produce a text...

Style, most simply, refers to how you say something as opposed to what you say. The style of your writing matters because audiences are unlikely to read your work or...

The Writing Process - Research on Composing

The writing process refers to everything you do in order to complete a writing project. Over the last six decades, researchers have studied and theorized about how writers go about...

Writing Studies

Writing studies refers to an interdisciplinary community of scholars and researchers who study writing. Writing studies also refers to an academic, interdisciplinary discipline – a subject of study. Students in...

Featured Articles

• How to Cite
• Language & Lit
• Rhyme & Rhythm
• The Rewrite
• Search Glass

Why Write Love Poems?

Start brainstorming, choose a rhyme scheme, review your poem, present your poem, what is a sestina, example of a sestina:, a red, red rose by robert burns, how to write love poems to your partner.

Writing a love poem to your significant other is a romantic idea for any special occasion. Not only does it show them you are thinking about them, it also shows that you put serious thought into your relationship and what you may love about the other person. It doesn’t have to take place on a special occasion though, like Valentine’s Day or an anniversary, but can be on any day that you feel like making them feel special.

Writing a poem is largely abstract, so you will have to get in touch with your emotions to write a poem about love. If you’re not the best at creative writing or this is your first time writing a love poem, don’t worry! The good news is, writing a love poem is easy once you have your ideas down. Below are some writing tips, suggestions and example rhyme schemes for writing a great romantic love poem.

Start by writing a list of things you like about your girlfriend, boyfriend or partner. Writing a poem is much easier if you know what words or ideas you want to incorporate. Think about your significant other and the things that set them apart from other people in your life. Try to avoid clichés as you brainstorm ideas, as this will make the poem feel more specific and personal. This person isn’t just a family member, loved one or friend, they could be your true love, so treat them like it!

There are many poetic forms to choose from, so whether you want to master the art of rhyme or write freely there is one for you. From free verse, to a couplet or haiku, the best love poems just show someone that you love them. Your partner will know how much effort you put into the poem based on the quality of the rhymes and content of the poem.

You do not have to be a critically acclaimed wordsmith to make something rhyme, either. Stick to words that are easy to rhyme, like heart, love, swoon or eyes. Finding synonyms for words can also help, or searching for similes to words and phrases could be a big help as well. Do not try to get too advanced or you will tie yourself up in contradictions or phrases that do not make sense.

Read each line aloud after you write it. This will give you a better idea of the meter in your poem. If a poem is more lyrical, it will sound lovelier to the reader. Poems that are choppy and poorly structured will just look hasty and boring. Study up on the standard classics of poetry meter such as iambic pentameter or iambic tetrameter, both of which are often used in love poetry from masters such as William Shakespeare and Emily Dickenson.

Present the poem in a romantic fashion. Simply giving them the poem on a sheet of loose-leaf paper could show a general lack of concern or effort. You’d be better off to write it on a meaningful card or a piece of parchment, which you can find at any crafts store. You could even paint the poem in an artistic way on a piece of canvas.

Your significant other will honestly know if the poem was hastily thrown together. Start writing well in advance of the date you plan to present the poem, giving yourself plenty of time to craft a lyrical poem of the highest quality. At the end of the day, they probably just want to hear “I love you” and see that love put into words or actions.

A sestina is a short poem with a fixed verse form consisting of six stanzas of six lines each Words that end each line of the first stanza are used as line endings in the following stanzas.

Sestina: Altaforte BY EZRA POUND

LOQUITUR: En Betrans de Born.

Dante Alighieri put this man in hell for that he was a stirrer-up of strife.

Have I dug him up again?

The scene is his castle, Altaforte. “Papiols” is his jongleur. “The

Leopard,” the device of Richard (Cœur de Lion).

Damn it all! all this our South stinks peace.

You whoreson dog, Papiols, come! Let’s to music!

I have no life save when the swords clash.

But ah! when I see the standards gold, vair, purple, opposing

And the broad fields beneath them turn crimson,

Then howl I my heart nigh mad with rejoicing.

In hot summer have I great rejoicing

When the tempests kill the earth’s foul peace,

And the light’nings from black heav’n flash crimson,

And the fierce thunders roar me their music

And the winds shriek through the clouds mad, opposing,

And through all the riven skies God’s swords clash.

Hell grant soon we hear again the swords clash!

And the shrill neighs of destriers in battle rejoicing,

Spiked breast to spiked breast opposing!

Better one hour’s stour than a year’s peace

With fat boards, bawds, wine and frail music!

Bah! there’s no wine like the blood’s crimson!

And I love to see the sun rise blood-crimson.

And I watch his spears through the dark clash

And it fills all my heart with rejoicing

And prys wide my mouth with fast music

When I see him so scorn and defy peace,

His lone might ’gainst all darkness opposing.

The man who fears war and squats opposing

My words for stour, hath no blood of crimson

But is fit only to rot in womanish peace

Far from where worth’s won and the swords clash

For the death of such sluts I go rejoicing;

Yea, I fill all the air with my music.

Papiols, Papiols, to the music!

There’s no sound like to swords swords opposing,

No cry like the battle’s rejoicing

When our elbows and swords drip the crimson

And our charges ’gainst “The Leopard’s” rush clash.

May God damn for ever all who cry “Peace!”

And let the music of the swords make them crimson

Hell blot black for always the thought “Peace”!

Example of Short Love Poems

Roses are red, violets are blue, and I'll never ever, ever stop loving you.

How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43) Elizabeth Barrett Browning - 1806-1861

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.

I love thee to the level of every day's

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for right.

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

O my Luve is like a red, red rose

That’s newly sprung in June;

O my Luve is like the melody

That’s sweetly played in tune.

So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

So deep in luve am I;

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;

I will love thee still, my dear,

While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only luve!

And fare thee weel awhile!

And I will come again, my luve,

Though it were ten thousand mile.

• Poetry Foundation: How to Write Love Poems
• Your girlfriend will know if the poem was hastily thrown together. Start writing well in advance of the date you plan to present the poem, giving yourself plenty of time to craft a lyrical poem of the highest quality.

<!--StartFragment-->I am a current senior studying at the University of Missouri - Columbia with a major in Journalism and a minor in Sociology. I have interests in photojournalism, documentary journalism and design fields. <!--EndFragment--><!--EndFragment-->

Psychoanalytic Criticism and The Turn of the Screw

Cite this chapter.

• Henry James &
• Peter G. Beidler 2  

Part of the book series: Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism ((CSICC))

284 Accesses

It seems natural to think about literature in terms of dreams. Like dreams, literary works are fictions, inventions of the mind that, although based on reality, are by definition not literally true. Like a literary work, a dream may have some truth to tell, but, like a literary work, it may need to be interpreted before that truth can be grasped. We can live vicariously through romantic fictions, much as we can through daydreams. Terrifying novels and nightmares affect us in much the same way, plunging us into an atmosphere that continues to cling, even after the last chapter has been read — or the alarm clock has sounded.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Unable to display preview.  Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Reading and Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis

Enjoying Substance: Psychoanalysis, Literature, and Joyce’s Writing of Women

Works cited.

Brophy, John. The Human Face . London: Harrap, 1945.

Google Scholar  

Cargill, Oscar. “The Turn of the Screw and Alice James.” PMLA 78 (1963): 238–49.

Article   Google Scholar  

Cooper, Wendy. Hair, Sex, Society, Symbolism . New York: Stein, 1971.

Dickens, Charles. David Copperfield . New York: Washington Square, 1958.

Dickens, Charles. Oliver Twist . New York: Holt, 1962.

Edel, Leon. Henry James: A Life . New York: Harper, 1985.

Eliot, George. Daniel Deronda . New York: Harper, 1961.

Ellis, Havelock. “Auto-Erotism.” Studies in the Psychology of Sex . 2 vols. New York: Random, 1936. 1, pt. 1: 163–283.

Fielding, Henry. Amelia . Middletown: Wesleyan UP, 1983.

Huntley, H. Robert. “James’s The Turn of the Screw : Its ‘Fine Machinery.”’ American Imago 34 (1977): 224–37.

James, Henry. The Portrait of a Lady . Norton Critical Edition. Ed. Robert D. Bamberg. New York: Norton, 1975.

Lavater, J. C. Essays on Physiognomy; for the Promotion of Knowledge and the Love of Mankind . Trans. Thomas Holcroft. 3 vols. London: Robinson, 1789.

Mantegazza, Paolo. Physiognomy and Expression . New York: Scribner’s, 1914.

Nardin, Jane. “The Turn of the Screw : The Victorian Background.” Mosaic 12 (1978): 131–42.

Rudwin, Maximilian. The Devil in Legend and Literature . Chicago and London: Open Court, 1931.

Ryburn, May L. “The Turn of the Screw and Amelia : A Source for Quint?” Studies in Short Fiction 16 (1979): 235–37.

Sheppard, E[lizabeth]. A. Henry James and ’“The Turn of the Screw.” Auckland: Auckland UP, 1974.

Siegel, Paul N. ‘Miss Jessel’: Mirror Image of the Governess. Literature and Psychology 18 (1968): 30–38.

Simms, Joseph. Physiognomy Illustrated; or Nature’s Revelation of Character . New York: Murray, 1889.

Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver’s Travels . Norton Critical Edition. Ed. Robert A. Greenberg. New York: Norton, 1961.

Thackeray, William Makepeace. Vanity Fair . Riverside Edition. Boston: Houghton, 1963.

Tyler, Graeme. Physiognomy in the European Novel: Faces and Fortunes . Princeton: Princeton UP, 1982.

Wells, H. G. Ann Veronica . New York: Smith, 1932.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Lehigh University, USA

Peter G. Beidler

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and affiliations, copyright information.

© 1995 Macmillan Publishers Limited

About this chapter

James, H., Beidler, P.G. (1995). Psychoanalytic Criticism and The Turn of the Screw . In: Beidler, P.G. (eds) The Turn of the Screw. Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-13713-8_7

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-13713-8_7

Publisher Name : Palgrave, London

Print ISBN : 978-0-333-63437-0

Online ISBN : 978-1-349-13713-8

eBook Packages : Palgrave Literature & Performing Arts Collection Literature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

39 Practicing Psychological Criticism

Now that you’ve learned about psychological theory, practiced this method of analysis with “A Narrow Fellow in the Grass,” and reviewed some examples, you will complete a theoretical response to a text using reader response as your approach. You will read three different texts below. Choose one text and respond to the questions in a short essay (500-750 words).

I have included questions to guide your reading. You may choose to respond to some or all of these questions; however, your response should be written as a short essay, and you will need to come up with a thesis statement about your chosen text. Post your short essay as a response to the Psychological Criticism Theoretical Response discussion board. I have included the theoretical response assignment instructions at the end of this chapter.

Checklist for Practicing Psychological Criticism

Psychological criticism applies one psychological theory to a text. Here’s a checklist that may help you. You do not need to address every item on this list.

• Choose a Theoretical Approach: Identify the psychological theory or framework you will apply (e.g., Freudian psychoanalysis, Jungian archetypes, cognitive psychology, etc.). Understanding the chosen approach will guide your analysis.
• Character Analysis: Examine the characters in the text, considering their motivations, behaviors, and conflicts. Look for signs of psychological complexity, trauma, or unconscious desires.
• Author’s Background: Research the author’s life and background to gain insights into how personal experiences, relationships, or psychological states might have influenced the creation of the text. You can also consider what the text tells us or reinforces about the author’s state of mind.
• Symbolism and Imagery: Analyze symbols and imagery, exploring how they may represent psychological concepts or emotions. Consider how recurring symbols contribute to the overall psychological impact of the text.
• Archetypal Analysis (if using Jung): If applying Jungian psychology, identify archetypal elements in characters or symbols. Explore universal patterns and symbols that may be present in the narrative.
• Psychoanalytic Concepts (if using Freud): If applying Freudian psychoanalysis, explore concepts such as repression, desire, id, ego, and superego. Analyze how these concepts manifest in characters’ thoughts and actions.
• Themes and Motifs: Identify recurring themes and motifs in the text. Explore how these elements reflect psychological concepts or theories, contributing to the overall psychological dynamics of the narrative.
• Psychological Trajectories: Trace the psychological development of characters throughout the narrative. Identify key moments or events that shape their personalities and behaviors.

Macbeth Act V Scene 1.  Dunsinane. Ante-room in the castle.

Enter a Doctor of Physic and a Waiting-Gentlewoman

I have two nights watched with you, but can perceive no truth in your report. When was it she last walked?

Gentlewoman

Since his majesty went into the field, I have seen her rise from her bed, throw her night-gown upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon’t, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep.

A great perturbation in nature, to receive at once the benefit of sleep, and do the effects of watching! In this slumbery agitation, besides her walking and other actual performances, what, at any time, have you heard her say?

That, sir, which I will not report after her.

You may to me: and ’tis most meet you should.

Neither to you nor any one; having no witness to confirm my speech. Enter LADY MACBETH, with a taper Lo you, here she comes! This is her very guise; and, upon my life, fast asleep. Observe her; stand close.

How came she by that light?

Why, it stood by her: she has light by her continually; ’tis her command.

You see, her eyes are open.

Ay, but their sense is shut.

What is it she does now? Look, how she rubs her hands.

It is an accustomed action with her, to seem thus washing her hands: I have known her continue in this a quarter of an hour.

LADY MACBETH

Yet here’s a spot.

Hark! she speaks: I will set down what comes from her, to satisfy my remembrance the more strongly.

Out, damned spot! out, I say!–One: two: why, then, ’tis time to do’t.–Hell is murky!–Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?–Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.

Do you mark that?

The thane of Fife had a wife: where is she now?– What, will these hands ne’er be clean?–No more o’ that, my lord, no more o’ that: you mar all with this starting.

Go to, go to; you have known what you should not.

She has spoke what she should not, I am sure of that: heaven knows what she has known.

Here’s the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!

What a sigh is there! The heart is sorely charged.

I would not have such a heart in my bosom for the dignity of the whole body.

Well, well, well,–

Pray God it be, sir.

This disease is beyond my practise: yet I have known those which have walked in their sleep who have died holily in their beds.

Wash your hands, put on your nightgown; look not so pale.–I tell you yet again, Banquo’s buried; he cannot come out on’s grave.

To bed, to bed! there’s knocking at the gate: come, come, come, come, give me your hand. What’s done cannot be undone.–To bed, to bed, to bed! Exit

Will she go now to bed?

Foul whisperings are abroad: unnatural deeds Do breed unnatural troubles: infected minds To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets: More needs she the divine than the physician. God, God forgive us all! Look after her; Remove from her the means of all annoyance, And still keep eyes upon her. So, good night: My mind she has mated, and amazed my sight. I think, but dare not speak.

Good night, good doctor. Exeunt

Macbeth by William Shakespeare is in the Public Domain.

• Repression and Symbolism: Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking and her obsessive hand-washing are classic signs of guilt and repressed emotions. How do her actions in this scene symbolize the repression of guilt and the psychological consequences of committing heinous acts?
• The Unconscious Mind and Sleepwalking: Freud believed that the unconscious mind expresses itself in dreams and behaviors like sleepwalking. How does Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking serve as a manifestation of her unconscious mind, and what repressed desires or fears might be surfacing in her somnambulant state?
• Guilt and the Superego: Lady Macbeth’s guilt is evident in her repeated attempts to cleanse her hands. How does this ritualistic behavior reflect the internal conflict between her actions (id) and her moral conscience (superego)? How does the superego contribute to her psychological distress?
• Psychological Impact of Guilt on the Body: In Freudian terms, how does Lady Macbeth’s guilt manifest physically? Consider her exclamation, “Out, damned spot!” and her intense focus on the imagined stain. What does this reveal about the psychological impact of guilt on the body, as Freud would interpret it?
• The Role of Dreams and Nightmares: Freud argued that dreams provide a window into the unconscious. Lady Macbeth’s speech about Banquo’s burial and the inability to undo past deeds occurs in a dreamlike state. How does the scene demonstrate Freud’s concept of dreams as a pathway to repressed thoughts and unresolved conflicts?

2. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (1923)

“Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening”  by Robert Frost is in the Public Domain.

Use Carl Jung’s theory of archetypes to analyze this poem. Here are some questions that can guide you. You do not need to use all of the questions in your response.

• Archetypal Landscape: How do the woods in the poem represent archetypal elements such as the unconscious or the unknown? Are there symbolic aspects of the woods that evoke universal images or themes found in Jungian archetypes, such as the shadow or the collective unconscious?
• The Hero’s Journey: Considering the journey motif in Jungian archetypes, how does the speaker’s progression through the snowy woods reflect the stages of the hero’s journey? Are there moments in the poem that correspond to the hero’s encounter with challenges, the unknown, or a transformative experience?
• Symbolism of the Horse: In Jungian psychology, animals can represent aspects of the unconscious. How might the speaker’s “little horse” symbolize the instinctual or intuitive aspects of the psyche? Does the horse’s reaction to stopping in the woods reveal anything about the speaker’s inner conflicts or desires?
• The Archetypal Dark and Deep: The line “The woods are lovely, dark and deep” suggests a rich and mysterious aspect of the unconscious. How does this imagery connect with Jung’s concept of the shadow or the hidden aspects of the self? What might the speaker be confronting or avoiding in the depths of the woods?
• Cyclic Archetypal Motif: The repetition of the final lines, “And miles to go before I sleep,” suggests a cyclical motif. How does this repetition connect with Jungian ideas of the eternal return or the circular nature of psychological development? Does the speaker’s journey through the woods symbolize an ongoing process within the psyche?

3. “Caged Bird” (1983)

Dr. Joy DeGruy , author of  Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome , developed a theory that explains the etiology of many of the adaptive survival behaviors in African American communities throughout the United States. 9  She explains that it is a condition that exists as a consequence of multigenerational oppression of Africans and their descendants resulting from centuries of chattel slavery, a form of slavery which was predicated on the belief that Africans were inherently genetically and biologically inferior to White people. As such, Africans were dehumanized as being without spirit, emotions, soul, desires and rights. However, once chattel slavery was abolished and dismantled, African Americans became the targets of institutionalized racism which continues to perpetuate injury today. DeGruy’s research lead her to the acronym M.A.P. which concludes that 1)  M ultigenerational trauma together with continued oppression leads to 2)  A bsence of opportunity to heal or access the benefits available in the society which ultimately leads to 3)  P ost Traumatic Slave Syndrome or PTSS. She also proposed that the ability to identify a shared cultural experience and have a descriptive term—Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome—allows for individuals to identify the experience, articulate it, and express it without guilt, fear, blame, or anger and is a source of healing and strengthening within the African American Community (Grayson et al.).

Theoretical Response Assignment Instructions

Instructions.

• 15 points: theoretical response
• 10 points: online discussion (5 points per response) OR class attendance.

Critical Worlds Copyright © 2024 by Liza Long is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Last updated 27/06/24: Online ordering is currently unavailable due to technical issues. We apologise for any delays responding to customers while we resolve this. For further updates please visit our website: https://www.cambridge.org/news-and-insights/technical-incident

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings .

Login Alert

• > The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism
• > Literary criticism and psychoanalytic positions

Book contents

• Frontmatter
• Introduction
• MARXISM AND POST-MARXISM
• FROM CULTURAL POETICS TO CULTURAL STUDIES
• PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACHES
• 14 Literary criticism and psychoanalytic positions
• GENDER AND SEXUALITY
• COLONIALISM, POST-COLONIALITY, NATION AND RACE
• MODERNITY AND POSTMODERNISM
• PHILOSOPHY, AESTHETICS AND LITERARY CRITICISM
• INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES
• Bibliography

14 - Literary criticism and psychoanalytic positions

from PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACHES

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2008

Storytelling is the obvious link between psychoanalysis and literature. Sixty years before Jacques Lacan described the unconscious as structured like a language, its method was labelled the ‘talking cure’ by an early patient. Most psychoanalytic methods produce texts, and most use texts such as dreams, narratives, slips of the tongue, jokes, but also bodily symptoms for their investigations. Freud employs Greek myths (most prominently Oedipus and Narcissus) for his crucial concepts. Jung scrutinises fairy tales and folklore, eastern and western religion, even alchemy. Neither differentiates between stories by actual patients and those inherited by literature and culture. This trend continues into the late twentieth century, as is evident in Lacan's analysis of Edgar Allan Poe's story ‘The Purloined Letter’. Eventually, psychoanalytic texts themselves have become objects of analysis, as in the writings of Abraham and Torok, who analyse Freud's analysis of the pathological case study the ‘Wolf-Man’.

Text-based in its methods, psychoanalysis shares with literature the poiesis of images and expressions, the poetics of their arrangement, the grammar of narratives, but also a theory of interpretation. The latter frequently abandons the idea of an origin of symptoms (in empirical fact or transcendent metaphysics) and instead refers to other texts, previous traumas or archetypal images and stories that are closely related to myths. Modern literary theory calls this ‘intertextuality’. Psychoanalytic theories also refer to their material in literary terms: the poetry of dreams, the drama of ur-scenes, and the narratives that emerge from them.

Access options

Save book to kindle.

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle .

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service .

• Literary criticism and psychoanalytic positions
• By Rainer Emig
• Edited by Christa Knellwolf , Australian National University, Canberra , Christopher Norris , University of Wales College of Cardiff
• Book: The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism
• Online publication: 28 March 2008
• Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521300148.016

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox .

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive .

• Search Menu

Sign in through your institution

• Browse content in Arts and Humanities
• Browse content in Archaeology
• Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Archaeology
• Archaeological Methodology and Techniques
• Archaeology by Region
• Archaeology of Religion
• Archaeology of Trade and Exchange
• Biblical Archaeology
• Contemporary and Public Archaeology
• Environmental Archaeology
• Historical Archaeology
• History and Theory of Archaeology
• Industrial Archaeology
• Landscape Archaeology
• Mortuary Archaeology
• Prehistoric Archaeology
• Underwater Archaeology
• Urban Archaeology
• Zooarchaeology
• Browse content in Architecture
• Architectural Structure and Design
• History of Architecture
• Residential and Domestic Buildings
• Theory of Architecture
• Browse content in Art
• Art Subjects and Themes
• History of Art
• Industrial and Commercial Art
• Theory of Art
• Biographical Studies
• Byzantine Studies
• Browse content in Classical Studies
• Classical History
• Classical Philosophy
• Classical Mythology
• Classical Literature
• Classical Reception
• Classical Art and Architecture
• Classical Oratory and Rhetoric
• Greek and Roman Papyrology
• Greek and Roman Epigraphy
• Greek and Roman Law
• Greek and Roman Archaeology
• Late Antiquity
• Religion in the Ancient World
• Social History
• Digital Humanities
• Browse content in History
• Colonialism and Imperialism
• Diplomatic History
• Environmental History
• Genealogy, Heraldry, Names, and Honours
• Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
• Historical Geography
• History by Period
• History of Emotions
• History of Agriculture
• History of Education
• History of Gender and Sexuality
• Industrial History
• Intellectual History
• International History
• Labour History
• Legal and Constitutional History
• Local and Family History
• Maritime History
• Military History
• National Liberation and Post-Colonialism
• Oral History
• Political History
• Public History
• Regional and National History
• Revolutions and Rebellions
• Slavery and Abolition of Slavery
• Social and Cultural History
• Theory, Methods, and Historiography
• Urban History
• World History
• Browse content in Language Teaching and Learning
• Language Learning (Specific Skills)
• Language Teaching Theory and Methods
• Browse content in Linguistics
• Applied Linguistics
• Cognitive Linguistics
• Computational Linguistics
• Forensic Linguistics
• Grammar, Syntax and Morphology
• Historical and Diachronic Linguistics
• History of English
• Language Evolution
• Language Reference
• Language Acquisition
• Language Variation
• Language Families
• Lexicography
• Linguistic Anthropology
• Linguistic Theories
• Linguistic Typology
• Phonetics and Phonology
• Psycholinguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Translation and Interpretation
• Writing Systems
• Browse content in Literature
• Bibliography
• Children's Literature Studies
• Literary Studies (Romanticism)
• Literary Studies (American)
• Literary Studies (Asian)
• Literary Studies (European)
• Literary Studies (Eco-criticism)
• Literary Studies (Modernism)
• Literary Studies - World
• Literary Studies (1500 to 1800)
• Literary Studies (19th Century)
• Literary Studies (20th Century onwards)
• Literary Studies (African American Literature)
• Literary Studies (British and Irish)
• Literary Studies (Early and Medieval)
• Literary Studies (Fiction, Novelists, and Prose Writers)
• Literary Studies (Gender Studies)
• Literary Studies (Graphic Novels)
• Literary Studies (History of the Book)
• Literary Studies (Plays and Playwrights)
• Literary Studies (Poetry and Poets)
• Literary Studies (Postcolonial Literature)
• Literary Studies (Queer Studies)
• Literary Studies (Science Fiction)
• Literary Studies (Travel Literature)
• Literary Studies (War Literature)
• Literary Studies (Women's Writing)
• Literary Theory and Cultural Studies
• Mythology and Folklore
• Shakespeare Studies and Criticism
• Browse content in Media Studies
• Browse content in Music
• Applied Music
• Dance and Music
• Ethics in Music
• Ethnomusicology
• Gender and Sexuality in Music
• Medicine and Music
• Music Cultures
• Music and Media
• Music and Religion
• Music and Culture
• Music Education and Pedagogy
• Music Theory and Analysis
• Musical Scores, Lyrics, and Libretti
• Musical Structures, Styles, and Techniques
• Musicology and Music History
• Performance Practice and Studies
• Race and Ethnicity in Music
• Sound Studies
• Browse content in Performing Arts
• Browse content in Philosophy
• Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art
• Epistemology
• Feminist Philosophy
• History of Western Philosophy
• Metaphysics
• Moral Philosophy
• Non-Western Philosophy
• Philosophy of Language
• Philosophy of Mind
• Philosophy of Perception
• Philosophy of Science
• Philosophy of Action
• Philosophy of Law
• Philosophy of Religion
• Philosophy of Mathematics and Logic
• Practical Ethics
• Social and Political Philosophy
• Browse content in Religion
• Biblical Studies
• Christianity
• East Asian Religions
• History of Religion
• Judaism and Jewish Studies
• Qumran Studies
• Religion and Education
• Religion and Health
• Religion and Politics
• Religion and Science
• Religion and Law
• Religion and Art, Literature, and Music
• Religious Studies
• Browse content in Society and Culture
• Cookery, Food, and Drink
• Cultural Studies
• Customs and Traditions
• Ethical Issues and Debates
• Hobbies, Games, Arts and Crafts
• Natural world, Country Life, and Pets
• Popular Beliefs and Controversial Knowledge
• Sports and Outdoor Recreation
• Technology and Society
• Travel and Holiday
• Visual Culture
• Browse content in Law
• Arbitration
• Browse content in Company and Commercial Law
• Commercial Law
• Company Law
• Browse content in Comparative Law
• Systems of Law
• Competition Law
• Browse content in Constitutional and Administrative Law
• Government Powers
• Judicial Review
• Local Government Law
• Military and Defence Law
• Parliamentary and Legislative Practice
• Construction Law
• Contract Law
• Browse content in Criminal Law
• Criminal Procedure
• Criminal Evidence Law
• Sentencing and Punishment
• Employment and Labour Law
• Environment and Energy Law
• Browse content in Financial Law
• Banking Law
• Insolvency Law
• History of Law
• Human Rights and Immigration
• Intellectual Property Law
• Browse content in International Law
• Private International Law and Conflict of Laws
• Public International Law
• IT and Communications Law
• Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law
• Law and Politics
• Law and Society
• Browse content in Legal System and Practice
• Courts and Procedure
• Legal Skills and Practice
• Primary Sources of Law
• Regulation of Legal Profession
• Medical and Healthcare Law
• Browse content in Policing
• Criminal Investigation and Detection
• Police and Security Services
• Police Procedure and Law
• Police Regional Planning
• Browse content in Property Law
• Personal Property Law
• Study and Revision
• Terrorism and National Security Law
• Browse content in Trusts Law
• Wills and Probate or Succession
• Browse content in Medicine and Health
• Browse content in Allied Health Professions
• Arts Therapies
• Clinical Science
• Dietetics and Nutrition
• Occupational Therapy
• Operating Department Practice
• Physiotherapy
• Radiography
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Browse content in Anaesthetics
• General Anaesthesia
• Neuroanaesthesia
• Clinical Neuroscience
• Browse content in Clinical Medicine
• Acute Medicine
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Clinical Genetics
• Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
• Dermatology
• Endocrinology and Diabetes
• Gastroenterology
• Genito-urinary Medicine
• Geriatric Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Toxicology
• Medical Oncology
• Pain Medicine
• Palliative Medicine
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine and Pulmonology
• Rheumatology
• Sleep Medicine
• Sports and Exercise Medicine
• Community Medical Services
• Critical Care
• Emergency Medicine
• Forensic Medicine
• Haematology
• History of Medicine
• Browse content in Medical Skills
• Clinical Skills
• Communication Skills
• Nursing Skills
• Surgical Skills
• Browse content in Medical Dentistry
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Paediatric Dentistry
• Restorative Dentistry and Orthodontics
• Surgical Dentistry
• Medical Ethics
• Medical Statistics and Methodology
• Browse content in Neurology
• Clinical Neurophysiology
• Neuropathology
• Nursing Studies
• Browse content in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Gynaecology
• Occupational Medicine
• Ophthalmology
• Otolaryngology (ENT)
• Browse content in Paediatrics
• Neonatology
• Browse content in Pathology
• Chemical Pathology
• Clinical Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics
• Histopathology
• Medical Microbiology and Virology
• Patient Education and Information
• Browse content in Pharmacology
• Psychopharmacology
• Browse content in Popular Health
• Caring for Others
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Self-help and Personal Development
• Browse content in Preclinical Medicine
• Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology and Genetics
• Reproduction, Growth and Development
• Primary Care
• Professional Development in Medicine
• Browse content in Psychiatry
• Addiction Medicine
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Forensic Psychiatry
• Learning Disabilities
• Old Age Psychiatry
• Psychotherapy
• Browse content in Public Health and Epidemiology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Browse content in Radiology
• Clinical Radiology
• Interventional Radiology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiation Oncology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Browse content in Surgery
• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Gastro-intestinal and Colorectal Surgery
• General Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Paediatric Surgery
• Peri-operative Care
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Transplant Surgery
• Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
• Vascular Surgery
• Browse content in Science and Mathematics
• Browse content in Biological Sciences
• Aquatic Biology
• Biochemistry
• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Ecology and Conservation
• Evolutionary Biology
• Genetics and Genomics
• Microbiology
• Molecular and Cell Biology
• Natural History
• Plant Sciences and Forestry
• Research Methods in Life Sciences
• Structural Biology
• Systems Biology
• Zoology and Animal Sciences
• Browse content in Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Computational Chemistry
• Crystallography
• Environmental Chemistry
• Industrial Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Materials Chemistry
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Mineralogy and Gems
• Organic Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry
• Polymer Chemistry
• Study and Communication Skills in Chemistry
• Theoretical Chemistry
• Browse content in Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Architecture and Logic Design
• Game Studies
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Mathematical Theory of Computation
• Programming Languages
• Software Engineering
• Systems Analysis and Design
• Virtual Reality
• Browse content in Computing
• Business Applications
• Computer Security
• Computer Games
• Computer Networking and Communications
• Digital Lifestyle
• Graphical and Digital Media Applications
• Operating Systems
• Browse content in Earth Sciences and Geography
• Atmospheric Sciences
• Environmental Geography
• Geology and the Lithosphere
• Maps and Map-making
• Meteorology and Climatology
• Oceanography and Hydrology
• Palaeontology
• Physical Geography and Topography
• Regional Geography
• Soil Science
• Urban Geography
• Browse content in Engineering and Technology
• Agriculture and Farming
• Biological Engineering
• Civil Engineering, Surveying, and Building
• Electronics and Communications Engineering
• Energy Technology
• Engineering (General)
• Environmental Science, Engineering, and Technology
• History of Engineering and Technology
• Mechanical Engineering and Materials
• Technology of Industrial Chemistry
• Transport Technology and Trades
• Browse content in Environmental Science
• Applied Ecology (Environmental Science)
• Conservation of the Environment (Environmental Science)
• Environmental Sustainability
• Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Environmental Science)
• Management of Land and Natural Resources (Environmental Science)
• Natural Disasters (Environmental Science)
• Nuclear Issues (Environmental Science)
• Pollution and Threats to the Environment (Environmental Science)
• Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Environmental Science)
• History of Science and Technology
• Browse content in Materials Science
• Ceramics and Glasses
• Composite Materials
• Metals, Alloying, and Corrosion
• Nanotechnology
• Browse content in Mathematics
• Applied Mathematics
• Biomathematics and Statistics
• History of Mathematics
• Mathematical Education
• Mathematical Finance
• Mathematical Analysis
• Numerical and Computational Mathematics
• Probability and Statistics
• Pure Mathematics
• Browse content in Neuroscience
• Cognition and Behavioural Neuroscience
• Development of the Nervous System
• Disorders of the Nervous System
• History of Neuroscience
• Invertebrate Neurobiology
• Molecular and Cellular Systems
• Neuroendocrinology and Autonomic Nervous System
• Neuroscientific Techniques
• Sensory and Motor Systems
• Browse content in Physics
• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
• Biological and Medical Physics
• Classical Mechanics
• Computational Physics
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Electromagnetism, Optics, and Acoustics
• History of Physics
• Mathematical and Statistical Physics
• Measurement Science
• Nuclear Physics
• Particles and Fields
• Plasma Physics
• Quantum Physics
• Relativity and Gravitation
• Semiconductor and Mesoscopic Physics
• Browse content in Psychology
• Affective Sciences
• Clinical Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Criminal and Forensic Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Evolutionary Psychology
• Health Psychology
• History and Systems in Psychology
• Music Psychology
• Neuropsychology
• Organizational Psychology
• Psychological Assessment and Testing
• Psychology of Human-Technology Interaction
• Psychology Professional Development and Training
• Research Methods in Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Browse content in Social Sciences
• Browse content in Anthropology
• Anthropology of Religion
• Human Evolution
• Medical Anthropology
• Physical Anthropology
• Regional Anthropology
• Social and Cultural Anthropology
• Theory and Practice of Anthropology
• Browse content in Business and Management
• Business Ethics
• Business Strategy
• Business History
• Business and Technology
• Business and Government
• Business and the Environment
• Comparative Management
• Corporate Governance
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Entrepreneurship
• Health Management
• Human Resource Management
• Industrial and Employment Relations
• Industry Studies
• Information and Communication Technologies
• International Business
• Knowledge Management
• Management and Management Techniques
• Operations Management
• Organizational Theory and Behaviour
• Pensions and Pension Management
• Public and Nonprofit Management
• Strategic Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Browse content in Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Criminal Justice
• Criminology
• Forms of Crime
• International and Comparative Criminology
• Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice
• Development Studies
• Browse content in Economics
• Agricultural, Environmental, and Natural Resource Economics
• Asian Economics
• Behavioural Finance
• Behavioural Economics and Neuroeconomics
• Econometrics and Mathematical Economics
• Economic History
• Economic Systems
• Economic Methodology
• Economic Development and Growth
• Financial Markets
• Financial Institutions and Services
• General Economics and Teaching
• Health, Education, and Welfare
• History of Economic Thought
• International Economics
• Labour and Demographic Economics
• Law and Economics
• Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics
• Microeconomics
• Public Economics
• Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
• Welfare Economics
• Browse content in Education
• Adult Education and Continuous Learning
• Care and Counselling of Students
• Early Childhood and Elementary Education
• Educational Equipment and Technology
• Educational Strategies and Policy
• Higher and Further Education
• Organization and Management of Education
• Philosophy and Theory of Education
• Schools Studies
• Secondary Education
• Teaching of a Specific Subject
• Teaching of Specific Groups and Special Educational Needs
• Teaching Skills and Techniques
• Browse content in Environment
• Applied Ecology (Social Science)
• Climate Change
• Conservation of the Environment (Social Science)
• Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Social Science)
• Natural Disasters (Environment)
• Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Social Science)
• Browse content in Human Geography
• Cultural Geography
• Economic Geography
• Political Geography
• Browse content in Interdisciplinary Studies
• Communication Studies
• Museums, Libraries, and Information Sciences
• Browse content in Politics
• African Politics
• Asian Politics
• Chinese Politics
• Comparative Politics
• Conflict Politics
• Elections and Electoral Studies
• Environmental Politics
• Ethnic Politics
• European Union
• Foreign Policy
• Gender and Politics
• Human Rights and Politics
• Indian Politics
• International Relations
• International Organization (Politics)
• International Political Economy
• Irish Politics
• Latin American Politics
• Middle Eastern Politics
• Political Behaviour
• Political Economy
• Political Institutions
• Political Methodology
• Political Communication
• Political Philosophy
• Political Sociology
• Political Theory
• Politics and Law
• Politics of Development
• Public Policy
• Public Administration
• Qualitative Political Methodology
• Quantitative Political Methodology
• Regional Political Studies
• Russian Politics
• Security Studies
• State and Local Government
• UK Politics
• US Politics
• Browse content in Regional and Area Studies
• African Studies
• Asian Studies
• East Asian Studies
• Japanese Studies
• Latin American Studies
• Middle Eastern Studies
• Native American Studies
• Scottish Studies
• Browse content in Research and Information
• Research Methods
• Browse content in Social Work
• Addictions and Substance Misuse
• Adoption and Fostering
• Care of the Elderly
• Child and Adolescent Social Work
• Couple and Family Social Work
• Direct Practice and Clinical Social Work
• Emergency Services
• Human Behaviour and the Social Environment
• International and Global Issues in Social Work
• Mental and Behavioural Health
• Social Justice and Human Rights
• Social Policy and Advocacy
• Social Work and Crime and Justice
• Social Work Macro Practice
• Social Work Practice Settings
• Social Work Research and Evidence-based Practice
• Welfare and Benefit Systems
• Browse content in Sociology
• Childhood Studies
• Community Development
• Comparative and Historical Sociology
• Economic Sociology
• Gender and Sexuality
• Gerontology and Ageing
• Health, Illness, and Medicine
• Marriage and the Family
• Migration Studies
• Occupations, Professions, and Work
• Organizations
• Population and Demography
• Race and Ethnicity
• Social Theory
• Social Movements and Social Change
• Social Research and Statistics
• Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
• Sociology of Religion
• Sociology of Education
• Sport and Leisure
• Urban and Rural Studies
• Browse content in Warfare and Defence
• Defence Strategy, Planning, and Research
• Land Forces and Warfare
• Military Administration
• Military Life and Institutions
• Naval Forces and Warfare
• Other Warfare and Defence Issues
• Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
• Weapons and Equipment

• < Previous chapter
• Next chapter >

15 Freud and psychoanalysis

• Published: January 2006
• Cite Icon Cite
• Permissions Icon Permissions

Psychoanalytic literary criticism emerges specifically from a therapeutic technique which the Viennese neurologist Sigmund Freud developed for the treatment of hysteria and neurosis at the end of the nineteenth century. A description of the cure, which one of Freud’s patients ingeniously called ‘the talking cure’, gives an idea of the unusual origin of this approach to literature. The therapy evolved from the initial observation that patients were relieved of their neurotic symptoms by recalling the memory of certain events and ideas related to infantile sexuality. During the cure, which consists of an interchange of words between a patient and an analyst, the latter draws the patient’s attention to signs of forgotten or repressed memories which perturb his or her speech. But, for the therapy to work, the patient must obey the fundamental rule: namely, he or she must say everything that comes into his or her mind, ‘even if it is disagreeable , even if it seems unimportant or actually nonsensical’. A first difficulty lies in the fact that I am pressed to tell embarrassing thoughts which I would rather keep quiet about.

Personal account

• Sign in with email/username & password
• Get email alerts
• Save searches
• Purchase content
• Activate your purchase/trial code
• Add your ORCID iD

Institutional access

Sign in with a library card.

• Sign in with username/password
• Recommend to your librarian
• Institutional account management
• Get help with access

Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:

IP based access

Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.

Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.

• Click Sign in through your institution.
• Select your institution from the list provided, which will take you to your institution's website to sign in.
• When on the institution site, please use the credentials provided by your institution. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
• Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.

If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.

Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.

Society Members

Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:

Sign in through society site

Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:

• Click Sign in through society site.
• When on the society site, please use the credentials provided by that society. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.

If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.

Sign in using a personal account

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.

A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.

Viewing your signed in accounts

Click the account icon in the top right to:

• View your signed in personal account and access account management features.
• View the institutional accounts that are providing access.

Signed in but can't access content

Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.

For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.

Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.

• About Oxford Academic
• Publish journals with us
• University press partners
• What we publish
• New features  
• Open access
• Rights and permissions
• Accessibility
• Advertising
• Media enquiries
• Oxford University Press
• Oxford Languages
• University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• Cookie settings
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy
• Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

This is “Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism: A Process Approach”, section 3.7 from the book Creating Literary Analysis (v. 1.0). For details on it (including licensing), click here .

This book is licensed under a Creative Commons by-nc-sa 3.0 license. See the license for more details, but that basically means you can share this book as long as you credit the author (but see below), don't make money from it, and do make it available to everyone else under the same terms.

This content was accessible as of December 29, 2012, and it was downloaded then by Andy Schmitz in an effort to preserve the availability of this book.

Normally, the author and publisher would be credited here. However, the publisher has asked for the customary Creative Commons attribution to the original publisher, authors, title, and book URI to be removed. Additionally, per the publisher's request, their name has been removed in some passages. More information is available on this project's attribution page .

For more information on the source of this book, or why it is available for free, please see the project's home page . You can browse or download additional books there. To download a .zip file containing this book to use offline, simply click here .

3.7 Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism: A Process Approach

When you write a critical paper using a psychoanalytic approach, you need to determine the focus you will use. Will you focus on the author? On the characters or the narrator? On the formal construction of the text? Often, a reading will draw from all three levels (as does Waldoff’s interpretation of Keats). Since psychoanalyzing an author requires considerable biographical research, many students opt to focus on character, theme, or text. You should also be guided by the following:

• You must clearly define your psychoanalytic approach to the work—Freudian, Lacanian, Jungian, or some combination. You could explore ideas in a journal entry to help you focus on your critical approach. You should then construct a working thesis that will be your guide. Ask yourself the following: How does my psychoanalytic approach help my reader better understand the work I am interpreting? Is my application of psychoanalytic theory too reductive or forced onto the literary work?
• You then need to reread the text through the psychoanalytic lens, taking notes and jotting down quotations that can be used for support in your paper. At this stage you should be amassing evidence to support your working thesis.
• You should then construct a more concrete working thesis and informal organizational plan that will guide you as you write your draft. Remember, your paper must be organized around a clear focus/thesis.
• You should finally get some feedback on your paper by sharing your draft with your instructor and classmates. Use this feedback for revision.

Peer Reviewing

After you have written a first draft, you should get some feedback from classmates. Use the relevant peer-review guide found in Chapter 10 "Appendix A: Peer Review Sheets" .

100 Psychoanalysis Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best psychoanalysis topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 most interesting psychoanalysis topics to write about, 👍 good research topics about psychoanalysis, ❓ questions about psychoanalysis.

• Psychoanalysis: Strengths and Weaknesses Report Convincing the patients involves asking the group to behave in a manner that can assure the patients that they are ready to help them handle their problems. The other core responsibility of the therapist is […]
• Fromm’s Humanistic Psychoanalysis In regard to the frame of orientation, Jeff and Ann view the natural world as a place that requires more development. Jeff and Ann have to assimilate and accommodate living in a new environment that […]
• Psychoanalysis and Madness by Freud and Lacan The human body structure, the way one thinks and the way human beings relate with each other are the structures that dictate the phenomenon of madness.
• Psychoanalysis and the Adlerian Theory Comparison Psychoanalysis and the Adlerian theory are some of the most influential existing psychological theories, and both are used by therapists and counselors in their practice.
• Freud’s Psychoanalysis for Schizophrenia Patients In this paper, the author’s approaches to this ailment are considered, and the ways of applying the specific observations of human behavior are discussed. Freud’s contribution to the development of psychoanalysis is significant, and his […]
• Classical Psychoanalysis: Sigmund Freud Drives and instincts are connected with the human personal experiences, and the id associated with the human unconscious nature is oriented to pleasure and satisfying the sex instinct and to satisfying the aggression instinct.
• Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis of “Saw II”Movie When in the beginning of the movie Michael has a head trap on and must use a scalpel to cut own eye, his survival instinct is fighting with the instinct of self preservation.
• Curtis Flowers Psychoanalysis The court’s failure to discover the crucial piece of evidence – the rifle and its rounds – prompted them to question the case’s substance.
• An Outline of Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud The main principles of Freud’s approach explained in An Outline of Psychoanalysis are focused on the “three forces of the psychical apparatus”: the id, the ego, and the superego.
• Interpersonal Psychoanalysis: Personality and Personification Children did not have a father figure in the family, which affected the personality of Stacy. The main task of an individual is to develop a personality that is related to the industry.
• Adlerian Theory of Psychoanalysis in Psychotherapy The paper is focusing on describing the key issues and treatment needs of the patient in relation to the key concepts, processes, techniques, and procedures according to the theory.
• Psychoanalysis and Domestic Interior Architecture In modern days, priorities have shifted to the interior furnishing of houses which is contrary to the ancient priorities where the focus was majorly placed on the exterior setting of buildings.
• Jung’s and Freud’s Approaches to Psychoanalysis The concept of the unconscious mind as the cornerstone of the study of the human psyche and core psychological changes represents the principal similarity between the two theories.
• The Summerland Film and Carl Jung’s Psychoanalysis This premise served as a narrative for both Summerland and LWW children arrive in the countryside and have to adapt to new surroundings.
• The Interpretation of Dreams and Psychoanalysis I can kind of feel that it is going to happen, and that a person is trying to kill me even before they attempt to do anything, but it seems inevitable.
• Metapsychology as an Element of Freud’s Psychoanalysis This paper tries to relate between theory and practice of Freud’s psychoanalysis by explaining; the main goals of Freud’s psychoanalysis theory and practice, Freud in Beyond the pleasure principle, the models of the human mind, […]
• Existential Theory of Psychoanalysis in Psychotherapy The paper is focusing on describing the key issues and treatment needs of the patient in relation to the key concepts, processes, techniques, and procedures according to the theory.
• Bloody Mary Ritual Under Alan Dundes’ Psychoanalysis Alan Dundes defines the subject of Bloody Mary in a standard way while sketching a psychoanalytic theory to explain the folklore.
• The Application of Psychoanalysis in Feminist Theories The concepts of psychoanalytic theories have become effective tools for understanding the main underpinnings of the feminist movement, its place in the lives of individual women, and post-feminism symptoms.
• Feminist Psychoanalysis From McRobbie’s Perspective Butler and Rabine, for instance, had a distinct view of the concept though Angela was able to analyse their notions in a psychoanalytic manner.
• Psychoanalysis in Art, Design, and Literature In the context of art and design, modernism can be used to describe the emergence of these aspects in the world of arts.
• Lee Kuan Yew’s Life in “Wild Psychoanalysis” In fact, Lee Kuan Yew never made a secret of his admiration of the British, because of these people’s ability to act as the “natural-born masters” in their colonies, before the disintegration of the “classical” […]
• Psychoanalysis and Psychiatric Treatment Methods The project evolved in Austria, in the first part of the 20th century and the practice was rapidly overtaken by the British and Hungarian medical institutions.
• Psychoanalysis of Lacanian Theory and Practice In this case, the child’s attraction to the mother can be perceived as a way of seeking safety and comfort rather than sexual attraction.
• Counselling Theory of Freudian Psychoanalysis Even though that from a Christian point of view, there is indeed a number of discursive controversies to the theory of psychoanalysis, there can be little doubt as to the fact that it was specifically […]
• Applying Psychoanalysis in the Real Life In ‘The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the ‘I”, as revealed in the psychoanalytic experience of Jacques, the main argument centers on the cognitive development of a child.
• Saussurean and Psychoanalysis in Power of Horror Kristeva developed the theory of semiotics which emphasizes on the nature of poetic language and the structural notion of the sign while also including the extra-linguistic factors of psychology, history and gender.
• Erik Erikson’s Life and Contributions to Psychoanalysis The aim of this essay is to present a bio-sketch of Erik Erikson, to characterize his contribution to the development of psychoanalysis and the understanding of human personality.
• Psychoanalysis: Sigmund Freud Works Examination The society heavily depends on the psychologists especially on the issue of social order which arguably is one of the most important aspects in the society.
• Psychoanalysis and Personality Development in the 21st Century
• The Life and Works of Sigmund Freud the Father of Psychoanalysis
• Learning Design Teaching Literature Using Psychoanalysis Approach
• The Third Party Syndrome in the Philippine Cinema: Psychoanalysis’ Perspective
• Phenomenology and Social Psychoanalysis Theories
• Historical Psychoanalysis and Dream Interpretation: The Freudian Methodology
• Psychoanalysis And Behaviorism Schools Of Psychology
• Compare the Neo-Freudian Theories of Personality to Freudian Psychoanalysis
• Sigmund Freud and Dream Psychology: Psychoanalysis for Beginners
• Freudian Psychoanalysis and the Awakening
• The History Teacher and Poetry of Departures for the Psychoanalysis Theory
• Psychoanalysis and the Self: Sigmund Freud’s Influence in 19th Century Philosophy and Science
• Psychoanalysis and the Gaining of Spiritual Enlightenment
• Psychoanalysis Between Positivism And Hermeneutics Psychology
• How Existentialism and Psychoanalysis Influenced Frankl
• The Interface Between Psychoanalysis and Neuroscience: The State of the Art
• Psychoanalysis Clarifying the Significance of the Hidden
• Metaphysics: Psychoanalysis and Plato
• The Psychoanalysis and Psycho-History on Hitler’s Unconscious Mind
• Capitalist Discourse, Subjectivity and Lacanian Psychoanalysis
• Feminist Cinematic Theory and Psychoanalysis
• Psychoanalysis, Behavioral, And Humanistic Therapy Approaches
• Structuralism, Behaviorism, Gestalt Psychology And Psychoanalysis
• Re-Enacting the Bodily Self on Stage: Embodied Cognition Meets Psychoanalysis
• How Psychoanalysis Changed Society with Consumerism and Public Relations
• Compare and Contrast the Main Principles in Psychoanalysis and Behavior Therapy
• The Grand Challenge for Psychoanalysis and Neuropsychoanalysis: A Science of the Subject
• Social Psychoanalysis, Post Structuralism and German Philosophical Traditions
• Logotherapy versus Traditional Psychoanalysis
• The Fundamentals And Evolution Of Psychoanalysis
• Psychologically Analyzing Sigmund Freud, the Father of Psychoanalysis
• Analyzing The Psychoanalysis Theory’s Of Sigmund Freud
• Gender Development and Its Association With Psychoanalysis
• Reasons Why Psychoanalysis And Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Are Becoming Rare
• Psychoanalysis and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy as Endangered Species
• The Neuropsychoanalytic Approach: Using Neuroscience as the Basic Science of Psychoanalysis
• The Psychoanalysis and the Behavior Therapies by Albert Ellis
• Psychoanalysis And The Social And Civil Situation Of Women
• Both Psychoanalysis And Surrealism Unconscious Brain Psychology
• Depression and Assessing the Benefits of Pharmacotherapy and Psychoanalysis
• What Disorders Does Psychoanalysis Treat?
• Has Psychoanalysis Been Discredited?
• What Kind of Therapy Is Psychoanalysis?
• What Are the Five Techniques of Psychoanalysis?
• Why Is Psychoanalysis Criticized?
• What Is the Difference Between Psychology and Psychoanalysis?
• Why Is Psychoanalysis Important to Society?
• Who Can Benefit From Psychoanalysis?
• How Psychoanalysis Changed Society With Consumerism and Public Relationships?
• What Is the Core Idea of Psychoanalysis?
• What Are the Benefits of Psychoanalysis?
• Can Psychoanalysis Be Harmful?
• How Existentialism and Psychoanalysis Influenced Frankl?
• What Is Wrong With Psychoanalysis?
• Is Psychoanalysis the Same as Therapy?
• What Is the Main Idea of Psychoanalysis?
• Does Research Support Psychoanalysis?
• What Are the Three Principles of Psychoanalysis Theory?
• Is Psychoanalysis Effective?
• Does Psychoanalysis Work?
• Is Psychoanalysis Still Used Today?
• How Does Psychoanalysis Apply to Society?
• What Is the Difference between Therapy and Psychoanalysis?
• How Does Psychoanalysis Explain Human Behavior?
• What Method of Study Does Psychoanalysis Use?
• Who Is Psychoanalysis Most Helpful For?
• How Did Freud Conduct His Research in Psychoanalysis?
• How Is Psychoanalysis Used Today?
• Where Does Psychoanalysis Work?
• What Is Another Word for Psychoanalysis?
• Moral Development Essay Topics
• Self-Concept Questions
• Mind Research Ideas
• Psychology Questions
• Schizophrenia Essay Topics
• Bipolar Disorder Research Ideas
• Phobia Titles
• Psychopathology Paper Topics
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, February 29). 100 Psychoanalysis Essay Topic Ideas & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/psychoanalysis-essay-topics/

"100 Psychoanalysis Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." IvyPanda , 29 Feb. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/psychoanalysis-essay-topics/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '100 Psychoanalysis Essay Topic Ideas & Examples'. 29 February.

IvyPanda . 2024. "100 Psychoanalysis Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." February 29, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/psychoanalysis-essay-topics/.

1. IvyPanda . "100 Psychoanalysis Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." February 29, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/psychoanalysis-essay-topics/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "100 Psychoanalysis Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." February 29, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/psychoanalysis-essay-topics/.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Frederick Crews, Withering Critic of Freud’s Legacy, Dies at 91

A literary critic, essayist and author, he was a leading voice among revisionist skeptics who saw Freud as a charlatan and psychoanalysis as a pseudoscience.

By Scott Veale

Frederick Crews, a literary critic and a leading skeptic in the contentious scholarly debate over the achievements and legacy of Sigmund Freud, died on Friday in Oakland, Calif. He was 91.

His wife, Elizabeth Crews, on Monday confirmed the death.

Mr. Crews, a professor emeritus of English at the University of California, Berkeley, was the author of more than a dozen books. Most recently, he wrote “Freud: The Making of an Illusion,” a deeply researched evisceration of Freud’s reputation and therapeutic insights that drew wide critical attention when it came out in 2017.

He was a longtime contributor to The New York Review of Books, where his essays and reviews explored the works Melville, Twain and Flannery O’Connor, among other authors. He also examined broader subjects like recovered memory therapy, the Rorschach test, alien abduction cases and, particularly, psychoanalysis, which he considered a pseudoscience, as well as the scourge of what he called Freudolatry.

As a young professor at Berkeley, Mr. Crews made a splash in 1963 with “The Pooh Perplex,” a best-selling collection of satirical essays lampooning popular schools of literary criticism of the time; they carried titles like “A Bourgeois Writer’s Proletarian Fables” and “A.A. Milne’s Honey-Balloon-Pit-Gun-Tail-Bathtubcomplex.”

Writing in The New York Times Book Review, Gerald Gardner called it a “virtuoso performance” and “a withering attack on the pretensions and excesses of academic criticism.” (In 2001, Professor Crews published “Postmodern Pooh,” a fresh takedown of lit-crit theories.)

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .