Psychoanalytic Approaches to Literature

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Psychoanalytic Approaches to Literature

• Structure of the Mind, Child Development
  Oedipus Complex
• Dream and Sexual Symbols
• Psychological Diseases

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Psychological problems

• Undue repression of our desires
• Conflict in our psyche between ego and id
• Defense Mechanisms

Breakup Psychosis
Neurosis-- symptoms which at once protect
against the unconscious desire and covertly
express it. e.g. compulsive smoking
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Neuroses

• 1. as a Disorder Neuroses are characterized by
  such symptoms as anxiety, insecurity, depression,
  and unreasonable fears. Neurotic disorders
  seldom disable a person totally. Individuals who
  have a neurotic disorder recognize the symptoms
  as unacceptable and strange.
• 2.as a psychological mechanism the process
  begins with an unconscious conflict between
  opposing desires or between a desire and a
  prohibition.

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Psychosis

• The link between the ego and the external world
  is ruptured, and the unconscious begins to build
  up an alternative, delusional reality

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Problems caused in different stages Fixation
regression

• A. Orals - have problems with dependency needs
• B. Anals - have problems with aggression - either
  overcontrol or undercontrol.
• C. Phallics - have problems with sex sexual
  identity

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Possible applications of Psychoanalysis

• journey to the unconscious studying the
  unconscious motives of the author, or the
  characters.
• Oedipus complex, Oedipus drama in a family
• Dream analysis or analysis of sexual symbols
• Defense mechanisms, or psychological diseases