BPSU Literary Criticism Psychoanalytic Approach

Bataan Peninsula State University Literary Criticism First Semester
College of Education Normi Lugtu 2017
Agbay, Noralyn G. III-English
Mission
To develop competitive graduates and empowered community members by
providing relevant innovative and transformative knowledge, research, extension
enhancement of its human resource capabilities and institution mechanisms.
Vision
A leading university in the Philippines recognized for its proactive contribution to
sustainable development through equitable an inclusive programs and services by
2030.
“If Psychoanalysis can help us better understand human behavior, then it must certainly be able
to help us understand literary texts which are about human behavior” (Tyson.p11)
“Psychoanalytic Criticism provides a stimulating approach to literary analysis that holds that we
humans are complex yet somewhat understandable creatures who often fail to note the influences
of the unconscious on our motivations and our everyday actions” (Bressler.p161)
An Overview
Psychoanalytic is more of an approach rather than mere method or technique that we use
in critiquing literary text because it can work side by side along with other criticism and because
this approach attempts to explain the how’s and the why’s of human action without developing
an aesthetic theory. For instance, Feminist, Marxist, and New Historicist use Psychoanalytic
method in interpreting literature without violating their own hermeneutics.
*Aesthetic Theory is a systematic, philosophical body of beliefs concerning the how meaning
occur in literature.
*Hermeneutics is the study of the methodological principles of interpretation.
*Psychoanalysisis a method of treating emotional and psychological disorder.
“Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) whose theory of the psyche often is referred to today as Classical
Psychoanalysis which show how human behavior is relevant to our experience of literature”.
(Tyson.p12)
“The classical psychoanalytic theory we’ve discussed so far in this chapter has long been the
standard psychoanalytic approach to literature” (Tyson.p26).
The most controversial psychoanalytic technique is the Freudian Psychoanalytic which assumes
that all human behavior is sexually driven manifested in the text. In this perspective, all images,
action, characterizations in the text must be traced to the author’s ID, for everything in a text is
Intended Learning Outcome:
At the end of the lesson, 100% of the students with 75% Level of
Proficiency will be able to:
• Identify terminologies that are essential to Psychoanalytic
Criticism.
• Use Freudian Psychoanalytic Criticism in critiquing a text.

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ultimately hidden wishes of the author’s libido—Freudian Psychoanalytic Criticism.
Examples: Girl = Flower/Cup/Vase/Cave Boys = Sword/Knife/Pen
A text containing a boat floating into a CAVE or PEN being placed within a cup is
interpreted as a symbol of Sexual Intercourse.
“Psychoanalytic Approach is Archetypal Criticism first developed by Carl Jung and later by
Northrop Frye. (Bressler.p162). Using this analysis, critics examine a text to discover the
various archetypes that appears in the text. And these archetypes
or symbols have the same meaning for all readers.
Examples: Red = Danger/Blood/Love Water = Life
By citing textual evidences to show where and how these archetypes appear in the text and form
recognizable patterns, the critic believes that one can discover the text’s meaning. –Jungian
Psychoanalytic Criticism.
“The most recent type of psychoanalytic criticism is developed by Jacques Lacan”
(Bressler.p162)
Using this, a critic would attempt to uncover how a text symbolically represents elements of the
Real, the Imaginary and the Symbolic Orders by identifying the symbolic representations of
these orders within the text. –Lacanian Psychoanalytic Criticism
To better grasp the Psychoanalytic Criticism, we should be knowledgeable with the
different theories, concepts and terminologies that falls under in this Approach.
Historical Development
Sigmund Freud
 Vienna Neurologist and Psychologist. He is the foremost investigator of the unconscious and
its activities.
 The Interpretation of Dreams 1900, he lays the foundation for a new mode of how our mind
works.
 According to him, the best avenue for discovering the content and the activities of the
unconscious is through our dreams and that it is through the interaction of both conscious and
unconscious working together that we shape ourselves and our world.
 The founding father of the Psychoanalysis.
 While working with patients whom he diagnosed as hysterics he believed that his patient had
suppressed incestuous desires with which they had unconsciously refused to deal with.

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 He posited that fantasies and wishful thinking and not the actual experience plays a large
part in the onset of Neurosis
*Psychoanalysis is a medical term for the method used in treating emotional and psychological
disorder.
*Hysteric a widely emotional and exaggerated reaction.
*Incestuousan overly close relation that seems improper or sexual intercourse between two
closely related people
*Neurosisa function disorders involving chronic distress. It is the conflict among ID, EGO
and SUPEREGO
Model of Human Psyche: Dynamic Model
*Psyche Greek word for Soul or Spirit. It could also mean Personality
Fred developed various models of the human psyche and became the changing basis of
psychoanalytic theory and practices.
1. Topographic Model of Psyche
a. Conscious  Perceives and records the external reality
 It is the reasoning part of the mind and we believe that our behavior or
action is governed by our Reasoning or Analytic Skills but, Freud suggest that it is the
Unconscious that governs our action or behavior.
 It is the mind’s direct link to external reality because it perceives and reacts
with the external environment so it allows the mind to order and organize the outside
world.
 Also, it is the part of the mind that holds what we are aware of like verbalize
our thoughts and think about it logically.
b. Preconscious Simply storehouse of memories that the conscious part of the mind
allows to be brought to the conscious or awareness without disguising these memories
into other forms. Thus, it is the ordinary memory.
c. Unconscious  as a static system that simply collects and maintain our memory.
 Freud redefined that meaning of it believing it to be Dynamic System that
contains biographical
memories & our suppressed and unresolved conflicts.
 It storehouse the: Disguised Truth and Desires that want to be revealed in
and through the conscious.

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 This stores the urges, feelings and ideas that are tied up by the ANXIETY or
CONFLICTS (Neurosis). These do not disappear, instead they are still inside us
inserting influence in our actions unknowingly.
*Freudian Slip refers to the Disguised truth and Desires which inevitably made themselves be
known through our Dreams, Arts, Music, and Accidental slip of tongue.
2. Economic Model of Psyche
a. Pleasure Principles this is where the ID based its activities.
 it is the idea of Wishful impulses that need to be satisfied immediately
regardless of the consequences.
 it engages in the Primitive Thinking Process which is illogical,
irrational and fantasy oriented and it has no comprehension of objective
reality. Thus, it is selfish in nature.
b. Reality Principles  this is where the EGO based its activities.
 it works out in realistic way of satisfying the ID’s demand. Often it
compromises or postpones the satisfaction to avoid negative consequences of the Society
because ego considers SOCIAL REALITY NORMS, ETIQUETTE and RULES in
behaving.
c. Morality Principles Structural thought of Psyche. Definition of this is relative because
it talks about Morality.
3. Tripartite Model of Psyche
a. ID the LIBIDO that is the sexual and aggressive part of the mind and are hidden
memories.
 it consists of the components of personality present at birth including sex.
(biological).
 it does not change over time and experience because it is not touched by the outside
world.
 it is not affected by reality, logic or the everyday world as it operates in the
unconscious mind.
b. EGO it mediates between the ID and SUPEREGO.
 it is the decision-making part of the brain.
 it is in the Secondary Process of Thinking which is rational, logical and oriented
towards problem solving.
c. SUPEREGO it has two components

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1. Conscience it punishes the EGO if the EGO gives in to the demand of the ID by
causing the feeling of guilt.
2. Idea self or the EGO ideal which is an imagery picture of how one ought to be.
The ideal personality.
 it is the standard or the basis of the conscience whether or not the standard
is followed and if there is a need for punishment.
Freud’s Oedipal Developmental Phase: The Fixation Stage
1. Oral Phase as we suck our mother’s breast, our sexual libido is activated.
 our mouth becomes EROTOGENIC ZONE which refers to any part of the
body that is susceptible to becoming excited that will later cause us to enjoy sucking our
thumbs or other objects.
2. Anal Phase Anus becomes the Object of Pleasure when the children learn the delights
of defecation.
 Also, at this phase the children learn that they are independent person who are
separate from their parents.
 children here unconsciously learning being sadistic. They acquire the sense
of Expulsion and Destruction through defecating as means of expressing both anger and
excitement upon discovering independence from parents.
3. Phallic Phase This is when the child’s sexual desire or libido is directed toward Genital
when the child learns the pleasure that resulted from stimulating one’s sexual organ.
The Oedipus Complex: Fear of Castration
Oedipus Complex unconscious desires of the boys to their mother
Castration Complex as punishment. It is the fear of the removal of the penis by the father.
The Electra Complex/Penis Envy
 What happens here is that the ID of a girl also demands to sexually possess the mother like
how the father possesses her mother. But, the girl will discover that she has no penis like her
father—PENIS ENVY. Then the girl will think of that she might have been castrated by her
mother since both of them have no penis so she will direct her libidinal desire to the father which
progresses to heterosexual feminity. The sense of lacking (penis) will be appeased but will not
disappear.

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Thus, it might develop into a weaker superego and weaker superego may manifest
through women by being MORALLY INFEFRIOR TO MEN or by being SUBMISSIVE TO
MEN. It could also be the other way around the women becomes DOMINATIVE TO MEN
because the girl may redirect her feeling of envy to hatred to men.
SIGNIFICANCE OF DREAMS according to FREUD
 Freud explained that the conscious is having hard time handling those repressed desired w/o
producing feelings
 The unconscious then redirects and reshape the concealed wishes into an acceptable social
activities or form. By doing so, the ID creates a window allowing this softened and be socially
accepted desire to seep into the conscious states. And one form it is through DREAMS.
1. Displacement it occurs whenever we use a SAFE person, evet or object as STAND IN
to represent a more threatening person, event or object.
Example: I may dream that an elementary school teacher is sexually molesting me in or
der to express my unconscious knowledge that my parents sexually molested me.
2. Condensationoccurs during a dream whenever we use a single dream image or event to
represent more than one unconscious wound or conflict.
Example: my dream that I am battling a ferocious ear might represent psychological
battles or conflicts both at home or at work.
Psychological Defences Tyson (p. 18)
· Selective perception – hearing and seeing only what we feel we can handle
· Selective memory – modifying our memories so that we don’t feel overwhelmed by them
or forgetting painful events
Entirely.
· Denial – believing that the problem doesn’t exist or the unpleasant incident never
happened.
· Displacement – “taking it out” on someone or something less threatening than the person
who caused our fear, hurt, frustration, or anger, and
· Projection – ascribing our fear, problem, or guilty desire to someone else, and condemning
them for it, in order to deny that we have it ourselves”
Much of the pain we experience is rooted in our family relationships with mother, father, and
siblings interacting in a dynamics pattern of exchanges that continue to influence our behaviour
and choices as adults.

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· Avoidance – staying away from people or situations that are liable to make us anxious by
stirring up some unconscious – i.e., repressed – experience or emotion
Literature and Psychoanalysis
The unresolved conflicts that give rise to any neurosis are the stuff of literature because
literary work could be one of external expression of the author’s unconscious mind.
 Literary work then must be treated as a dream that needs to be analysed like Psychoanalysis
applying the Psychoanalytic technique to the text to uncover the author’s hidden motivational
and repressed desire.
 Psychoanalytic Approach is actually an approach, approach in a sense that it may work side
by side with other criticism.
Example:
Psychobiographical mentioned in Bressler’s which focuses on the interpretation of the neuroses
of the author using the different concept of psychoanalytic. It is then comparably similar with
Biographical Criticism, only that biographical criticism looks at the author’s life to see the
resemblance or the opposite of the author’s life to the text.
Psychological Reader’s Response. It may fall under Psychoanalytic if we will be basing our
responses as readers to the different psychoanalytic concepts. Then it is the other form of
reader’s response if we use other basis for our responses such as societal norms.
More so, literature according to Freud is seen as wish fulfillment of desires and wishes
denied by the EGO based on Reality Principle or banned by Superego based on Morality
Principle. These oppressed feelings, emotions or desires are kept in our Unconscious Mind.
These unconscious desires find symbolic expression in art exactly in DREAMS. The goal of
Freudian Concept of Psychoanalytic is to reveal the latent content of the work that underlies its
visible content.
Accordingly, literary work must be treated like a dream. Dreams as Freud posited in
Bressler’s book has the LANTENT CONTENT which is the desire of the ID and the
MANIFEST CONTENT is the remembered reported dream. In simpler words, the Manifest
content, from the word manifestation, is the reflection of the Latent Content. Just like
psychoanalysis method, the literary critic will then look for Psychological Materials present in
the text as well as Psychological Defense Mechanism that may manifest among the characters in

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order to interpret the literary text just like dreams.
Psychological Materials are:
Symbolism the repressed object represented in disguise.
Condensation  several thoughts or persons represented in a single image. It could be a
grouping of all one’s feeling, usually anger, into one content form. It is similar to METAPHOR
Displacement  anxiety located onto another image by means of association. It is the
transference of feelings to someone or something else. It is similar to METONYMY in which an
associative term is used for the object, concepts or events.
Oedipus Complex  According to classical psychoanalytic theory, it is the boy’s attachment to
his mother.
Electra Complex  The term was introduced by Carl Gustave Jung 1913 according to Bressler’s
which refers to girls’ attachment to the father. Carl Jung proposed the name Electra Complex
deriving it form the Greek Myth of Electra, who wanted her brother, Orestes to avenge the death
of the siblings’ father Agamemnon by killing her mother Clytemnestra.
Sexuality  On the other hand, according to Lois Tyson’s book, psychoanalysis sees a close a
connection between our sexuality and our identity because the origin of our sexual being is in the
nature of the affirmation or disruption our sense of self that occurs in childhood. To Tyson, there
are merely psychological differences among individuals more than the sex of a girl and sex of
boy.
***Remember that much of the pain we experience is rooted in our family relationships with
mother, father, and siblings interacting in a dynamics pattern of exchanges that continue to
influence our behaviour and choices as adults.
So how do we do it?
Here are some guide questions that may lead us to effective use of Freudian
Psychoanalytic Criticism for these may lead us to different psychological materials present in the
text.
1. What conscious motives are operating in the main characters? What core issues are
illustrated and how do these core issues structure or inform the piece.
2. Are there any Oedipal dynamics or family dynamics at work here? That is, is it
possible to relate a character’s pattern of adult behavior to early experiences in the family as
represented in the story?
3. How can characters behavior, narrative events and images be explained in terms of

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psychoanalytic concepts of any kind (for example, regression, crisis, projection, fear of or
fascination with death, sexuality- which includes love and romance as well as sexual The
Oedipal Dynamics: A behaviors – as a primary indicator or psychological identity or the
operations of Ego -Id and Superego?
4. In what ways can we view a literary work as analogous to a dream? That is how might
recurrent or striking dream symbols reveal the ways in which the narrator or speaker is
projecting his or her unconscious desires, fears, wounds or unresolved conflicts onto other
characters, unto the setting, or unto the events portrayed?
5. What does this work suggest about the psychological being of its author?
6. What might a given interpretation of literary work suggest about the psychological
motives of the reader?
Application to Literature
Jocasta: An oracle was reported to Laius once. (Line 676)
That his doomed would be death at the hands of his own son (Line 679)
His son, born of his flesh and of mine! (Line 680)
***
Messenger: Your ankles should tell you that. (Line 1010)
Oedipus: Ah, stranger, why do you speak of that childhood of mine. (Line 1011)
Messenger: I cut the bond that tied your ankles together (Line 1012)
Line 1010-1012, tells us Oedipus’ childhood, we could recall from the story that when King
Laius had his oracle: he will be killed by his own son Line 676-680. King Laius immediately had
his baby exposed (abandoned without protection from the elements—a common way to get rid of
unwanted infants) on Mount Cithaeron, one of the most remote point of the kingdom. As an
extra precaution, he nailed the child’s feet together (Line 1012).
This specific event in Oedipus’ life led to repressed feeling of abandonment and the horror of his
realization. Unconsciously, all his unpleasant feelings: the pain; the anger; the avoidance of this
oracle had caused him decide and act the way he did in the play.
Effects of this incident:
(a). Aggressive independence and damaging self-reliance.
 it caused him to be independent and to think that he could do everything/anything in his own.

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This is one of his defense mechanism caused by his abandonment.
1. He faces the Sphinx alone and assumes the throne of Thebes
Oedipus: Tell me, and never doubt that I will help you in every way I can (Line 13)
Priest: And wisest in the ways of God. You saved us from the sphinx (Line 38)
A strikingly independent action driven by his unconscious defense mechanism of aggressive
independence and damaging self-reliant to prove that he can even without the help of anyone. In
archetypal criticism, this is what we interpreted to as the Hamartia of pride.
(b). Condensation of anger
 The anger that accumulates within his infancy to the time he decided to left Corinth to avoid
the oracle.
1. Oedipus unconsciously transferred the anger of his birth and his exile to a man he met where
three roads meet and unknowingly killed his father.
Oedipus: At feast, a drunken man maundering in his cup (Line 750)
Cries out that I am not my father’s son! (line 751)
I contained myself that night, though I felt anger and sinking heart. (Line 752)
The next day I visited my father and mother and questioned them,
they stormed. (Line 754)
And this relieved me. (Line 756)
Yet the suspicion remained always aching in my mind (Line 757)
(c). Tripartite psyche of ID EGO and SUPEREGO
 These began to flourish the moment he was told about the oracle. ID brings about irrational
behavior and an unexplainable form of fear which unconsciously drives the character to actions
he himself could not phantom.
 Being driven by fear, he flees from Corinth and encounters Laius by the three crossroads.
Oedipus: There were three highways coming together at a placed I passed (Line 777)
Forced me off the road at his lord’s command (Line 781)
I struck him in my rage. (Line 783)
He was paid back and more! (Line 790)

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I killed him. (Line 793)
 The fear King Oedipus again exhibits when he forcefully accuses Tiresias, the all-knowing
seer and prophet of being the master minder of the death of Laius and the inventor of the plague
as a result of his past misdeeds. Not only fear interferes here but also a defense mechanism called
(d). Projection. He condemned others to deny what he had himself
Oedipus: Rage! Why not! And I’ll tell you what I think. (Line 343)
You planned it; you all but killed him with your own hands (Line 344)
If you had eyes, I’d say the crime was yours and yours alone. (Line 345)
These are just some of the possible interpretation we could give to the text Oedipus Rex using
Psychoanalytic Criticism. We could apply variety of psychoanalytic concepts such as Jungian
and Lacanian concepts of psychoanalytic.
References: Bressler C.E. (1999). Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice
Second Edition. Prentice Hall,
New Jersey 07458
Tyson L. (2006). Critical Theory Today: A Friendly Guide Second Edition.
Routledge New York, NY 10016
Oedipus Rex by Sophocles pages 476-520 of: Tomeldan, Y. et al. (2010). Prism: an
introduction to literature.
National Book Store, ISBN 9710830724

BPSU Literary Criticism Psychoanalytic Approach

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