Psychoanalysis

Posted: January 5th, 2023

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Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis is described as a combination of specific theories and therapeutic methodologies that originated from the work and theories of Sigmund Freud 1. Psychoanalysis is based on the belief that each individual has unconscious thoughts, desires, feelings, and ideas. Psychoanalysis is applied in various fields like literature and psychology. In psychology, psychoanalysis is applied in talk therapy. Talk therapy is defined as the treatment of depression and therapy disorders. Freud used to sit behind the patient and take a point from the patient as he listened to the patient who happens to be explaining their dreams and childhood memories (Moghaddam 520). However, psychoanalysis is also applied in literary theory, which describes the underlying principles that can be used to understand literature.

Literary theory is defined as the principles derived from the internal analysis of the literature texts or derived from the text’s information, which can be applied in various interpretations by different individuals. (Houssier, Florian, and Simruy148). All the critical analysis involving the literature depends on the underlying ideological structure in two approaches; the theory approach gives an insight onto the constituents of the subject matter of criticism “literary” and the significant objectives of critical practice, which is the interpretation.  The literary theory seeks to express the Author’s relationship with the work that he is trying to present in the form of text (Galatzer et al. 2018). Therefore, literary theory seeks to develop the importance of class, race and gender in understanding the literary work in both the Author’s bibliography approach and thematic analysis approach as evident within the texts. Literary theory gives a wide range of techniques in understanding the historical context in interpretation, significance of language and unconscious elements of the Author (Zhang 2020). Theorists in the literature theory try to investigate the theory and evolution of various genres, including the most recent novel and short story, as they try to explore the significance of the literary structure’s formal elements (Houssier, Florian, and Simruy148). Over the recent past, the literary theory has focused on the explanation of the extent to which the Author uses the text is as a result of the cultural product rather than the Author and also answer on how texts used in literature help in creating a culture (Galatzer et al. 2018).

Psychoanalysis can be applied in understanding the literary language, style, and form in the academic grounds. It is more connected with the literature on three levels. These levels include; literary criticism, which is the primary mediator between psychoanalysis and literature, psychoanalysis, and the literature (Houssier, Florian, and Simruy148). Psychoanalysis tries to explain literature by using the literature as an illustration for psychoanalytic conceptions. Literature, on the other hand, uses the psychoanalysis theories to explain literature. It also seeks to exploit psychoanalysis in its application to critical and creative thinking. There are various theories described in the explanation of the literature. For instance, the captivation of the psychoanalytic theory posted by Sigmund Freud to Jacques Lacan has attracted much attention than for historians in the same conception despite the views being easily applied to historical occurrences more than literary illustration (Moghaddam 520). Psychohistory is an essential requirement in the American and European education systems. It has been used to emphasize psychoanalytic concepts to illustrate the various academic studies branches (Galatzer et al. 50).

Psychoanalysis draws attention to various other departments of psychology like behaviourism or biological and neurological approaches. Literature and psychoanalysis share two characteristics; cultural and structural. Culturally, literature and psychoanalysis share an element in the modern-day soul emerging almost simultaneously, as explained in Freud’s foundational interpretation of dreams (Zhang 2020). The temporal connection between the two is thus more of participation than a question of influence. In the structural approach, psychoanalysis draws and discloses stories (Houssier, Florian, and Simruy148). Its structure revolves around narratives. In talk therapy, which is mostly used in treating psychological disorders, literature conveys the message. Psychoanalysis digs out more profound in the complexities of the human soul, including literature as the mediation in communication. This was in alignment with Freud; the structural affinity was explored more by Jung, whose archetypes systems are linked to creative fantasy and myths, emphasizing myths’ similarities being used to illustrate collective unconscious (Moghaddam 520). Lacan expounds further illustration on its relation with the principles of human languages.

Psychoanalytical literal criticism is concerned with dreams as they are a symbolic representation of the unconscious psychological state for the dreamers. In his explanation, Freud is convinced that goals are guardians of sleep where he described them as disguised achievements and fulfilments of the suppressed wishes (Kuchuck and Rachel 370). In addition, the dreams are used as the road map to reaching the dreamer’s unconscious and thus have a direct connection to literature, where it is usually structured in the form of a dream. Jacques Lacan, Freud’s friend, attested to Fred’s theory propositions that goals are used symbolically to represent the dreamer’s unconscious state and how human language is up to date used (Pratiwi, Sarwiji, and Nugraheni 196). Carl Jung, however, opposed Freud’s theory of dreams being the manifestation of personal unconsciousness by arguing that they reflected archetypes that lead into the collective unconsciousness of all humanity.

Psychoanalytic criticisms use the reading model, as explained by Freud and other theorists, to interpret messages. Psychoanalytic criticism reveals the Author’s unconscious ambitions and apprehensions just as it occurs in dreams (Zhang 2020). Therefore, academic work is an illustration of the Author’s neuroses. In literary work, one can psychoanalyze a particular character on the assumption that all other characters were protrusions of the Author’s psyche (Houssier, Florian, and Simruy 148). This approach clearly illustrates the benefits of literature as explained by Freud that dream- thoughts which we first come across in the process of analysis spike the unusual form in which one clearly expresses his desire and true-self; the symbols used in communication are not only usually clothed in a prosaic way by also our thoughts. Metaphors and similes are used symbolically in communication, and images emblematically representing poetic speech (Galatzer et al. 2018). Like psychoanalysis, literature tries to unravel the unruffled emotions, psychological conflicts, ambivalences, and guilt. The literature attempts to explain the Author’s character and personal life; for instance, it gives an insight into the family life, fixations, sexual conflicts, and traumas within the character’s traits portrayed by characters within the plot of the story (Pratiwi, Sarwiji, and Nugraheni 196). Contrarily, the psychological attires express the message in a disguised and encode just like in dreams by using principles like symbolism, condensation of various thoughts if an individual into one image to represent him or her and the image created displaced through the use of associations.

Psychoanalytic criticism is closely related to new complaints. It is no longer concerned with the Author’s intentions and what he intended to express. Still, it majorly focuses on the need to know what the Author never dreamt of doing while publishing the literary work (Galatzer et al. 50). The censoring conscious material has been distorted by the censoring conscious, as illustrated in the new criticism. The unique characteristic of psychoanalytic critics is expressed in the type of questions that it seeks to answer.

Erik Erikson was an ego psychologist and has formulated one of the most famous theories of development. His work was influenced by Sigmund Freud’s work but was majorly concerned with psychological development instead of focusing on psychosexual development like Freud (Tambling 14). In his work, Erik illustrates life to be a process whereby each stage had an opposing conflict to every individual, which translated to the individual being aggressive to conquer the challenge and overcome led to his personal development and only those individuals who had the experience were the only successful in overcoming the challenge (Kuchuck and Rachel 370). Thus this implicated that one had to develop those specific skills in development, and failure to learn resulted in an inability to develop the skill. He also explains that a sense of competence in overcoming the previous challenge motivated the individual’s behaviours and actions and became competent in a particular area in real life. The successful conquering strategy led to notarization of the sense of mastery, often referred to as ego strength or ego quality (Galatzer et al. 50). The poorly cultured process translates to the development of a sense of incompetency in that sector. According to Erikson’s theory, the psychosocial process was initiated at one age and birth level. The psychological issue of trust and mistrust, as illustrated by Erik, starts to develop at the age of one year and is delivered when the child is under the parent’s primary care (Kuchuck and Rachel 370). The autonomy and shame, and doubt develop during adolescence as children create a sense of personal care. His work had some limitations with the theory’s short explanation of the experiences required to successfully conquer each stage and how they proceed to the primary level (Kuchuck and Rachel 370). However, it more considerable had support in psychological theory it provided a broad network through which individuals view development all over their lifetime.

Anna Freud is a psychologist, proposed the theory of child psychoanalysis despite her father being against the notion that children below the age of six can be psychoanalyzed (Galatzer et al. 50). Anna contradicted the Sigmund Freud theory. Sigmund emphasized his work on adults by enabling them to reconstruct their early years through traces left behind after repression had taken onto its roots (Kuchuck and Rachel 370). Anna’s father firmly believed that children could not be psychoanalyzed, thus Anna further improving his father’s previous theory work. Anna proved that children should be only be analyzed at the age of six, generations commonly referred to as latency period. She emphasized the need to focus on providing young children with care to nurture the psychosexual and emotional development. In her study, Anna hardly addressed the children while sitting on a couch as she observed that the attention was shifted much more comfortable when she managed them on a sofa.

In conclusion, psychoanalysis has been applied in various aspects of society. It also bears some relationship with other disciplines in the modern world like literature. The psychoanalysis principle is based on Sigmund’s Freud principle on using psychology to dig deeper to know specific psychological issues related to psychotherapy to treat individuals with psychological disorders. His theory has led to various views, either supporting the idea or critically disagreeing with his work. Erik critically discredits Freud’s Theory and presents the approach to developing specific skills to be dependent on the aggressiveness of conquering a particular activity or task leading to the development of that skill and failure to learn leading to inability feeling incompetent. Anna proposes the child psychoanalysis in her work to expound on his father’s work. To explore the meaning of the theory and literary material, one ought to focus on particular aspects like the Author’s intentions and emotions. In the modern, psychoanalysis has been used in literature to expound on the various elements in the learning sector, which has been attributed by identifying a particular gap in the theory or development of research previously done by someone else like Anna. Therefore, psychoanalysis criticism in literature is used to expound further into driving one to understand the Author and consequently his or her work. In theory, he understands the critical approach, thus the bottom line in the correct interpretation of any literary work. Therefore, just like it was used in psychology, psychoanalysis is a method of exploring the Author’s unconscious state in understanding the literature.

Works Cited

Glatzer-Levy, Robert, et al. Does psychoanalysis work? Yale University Press, 2018.

Houssier, Florian, and Simruy Ikiz. “From biography to theory: the role of Anna Freud in the emergence of the ‘adolescent process’.” The Scandinavian Psychoanalytic Review, vol. 40, no. 2, 2017, pp. 147-158.

Kuchuck, Steven, and Rachel Sopher. “Relational psychoanalysis out of context: Response to Jon Mills.” Psychoanalytic Perspectives, vol. 14, no.3, 2017, pp 364-376.

Moghaddam, Fathali M. “From ‘Psychology in Literature’to ‘Psychology is Literature’ An Exploration of Boundaries and Relationships.” Theory & Psychology, vol. 14, no. 4, 2018, pp. 505-525.

Pratiwi, Tia, Sarwiji Suwandi, and Nugraheni Eko Wardhani. “Psychoanalysis Ego Image by Freudian: Study of Psychology in the Main Character of the Tale of Hang Tuah.” Budapest International Research and Critics Institute (BIRCI-Journal): Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 2, no. 3, 2019, pp 195-199.

Tambling, Jeremy. Literature and psychoanalysis. Manchester University Press, 2018.

Zhang, Songyang. “Psychoanalysis: The Influence of Freud’s Theory in Personality Psychology.” International Conference on Mental Health and Humanities Education (ICMHHE, 2020). Atlantis Press, 2020.