In this journal, you are asked to write a psychoanalytic critique of your chosen novel. You don't have to be a psychologist to do psychological criticism; common sense and an interest in human thinking are the only essentials.
Critics using this lens build their interpretations of literature on psychological concepts, many of which were developed by noted psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Those who espouse Freud's theories believe that childhood events, wishes, fears, or traumas are repressed to become part of a person's unconscious. The Purdue Online Writing Lab explains, "To keep all of this conflict buried in our unconscious, Freud argued that we develop defenses: selective perception, selective memory, denial, displacement, projection...among others." Many repressed experiences make themselves visible in the form of dreams, and sometimes, according to Freud, in the form of literature.
According to Freud, "Creative writing is like dreaming: both allow wishes or fears to be fulfilled that would otherwise be suppressed." The critic's job, then, is to "make educated guesses about what has been repressed and transformed by the author, or by characters, or even by other readers" (Lynn 23). The author's own childhood traumas, family life, fixations, and such will be evident in the behavior of the characters in the literary work.
Questions to consider for psychoanalytic theory:
Critics using this lens build their interpretations of literature on psychological concepts, many of which were developed by noted psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Those who espouse Freud's theories believe that childhood events, wishes, fears, or traumas are repressed to become part of a person's unconscious. The Purdue Online Writing Lab explains, "To keep all of this conflict buried in our unconscious, Freud argued that we develop defenses: selective perception, selective memory, denial, displacement, projection...among others." Many repressed experiences make themselves visible in the form of dreams, and sometimes, according to Freud, in the form of literature.
According to Freud, "Creative writing is like dreaming: both allow wishes or fears to be fulfilled that would otherwise be suppressed." The critic's job, then, is to "make educated guesses about what has been repressed and transformed by the author, or by characters, or even by other readers" (Lynn 23). The author's own childhood traumas, family life, fixations, and such will be evident in the behavior of the characters in the literary work.
Questions to consider for psychoanalytic theory:
- What forces are motivating the characters?
- Which behaviors of the characters are conscious ones? Which are unconscious?
- Are the theories of Freud or other psychologists applicable to this work? How so? To what degree?
- What role do psychological disorders and dreams play in this story?
- How does the work reflect the writer's personal psychology?
- What do the characters' emotions and behaviors reveal about their psychological states?
- How does the work reflect the unconscious dimensions of the writer's mind?
- Are there prominent words in the piece that could have different or hidden meanings? Could there be a subconscious reason for the author using these "problem words"?
Looking for an example of psychoanalytic criticism? The article linked here contains a psychoanalytic analysis of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends along with an analysis of the Nickelodeon cartoon Rugrats. Note how the author uses textual evidence to support their analysis, and spends almost no time giving mere summary. Remember to write two paragraphs; each paragraph should be at least eight sentences long.
Scarlett has many forces that push her through the hard times of this novel. Many of her loved ones die during the book so she was always motivated by them to keep them happy in heaven. She had her mother die, her father die, her first husband and second husband die, and also her daughter Bonnie. Many times throughout the book she would be in a moment trying to make a decision and she would think, “What would Ellen do?” Ellen was her mom. That would be an example of a conscious decision because she thought about first. An unconscious one would be a fast unthought choice. Scarlett had many of these in the novel such as when she would drive alone to her mill where she worked. It was very dangerous and all her people told her not to do it. It was an unthought choice that she made many times till one time she was attacked and realized her mistake of making an unconscious decision.
ReplyDeleteIn Gone With the Wind there was a dream that played a major role in the story. Scarlett had a dream over and over where she would wake up in complete terror due to her scary dream. She would be running in dark fog away from something that she never could figure out, to safety. She had it many times till she finally actually experienced it. Twas the night her friend Melly died she ran home in the dark fog and she realized she was running from nothing. She was just running to home to Rhett. To her love. This was a main part in the story. Another thing that really determined Scarlett’s physiological state was the way she reacted to things. She was very strong and brave and never gave up on anything. She didn't eat so that her pregnant friend could live. She made many risk to keep everyone she possibly could happy.
Hardwigg is motivated by the trill of adventure. He wants to get the attention for discovering the center of the Earth and shattering current scientific theories. Harry is motivated by his uncle, Hardwigg. Harry doesn't really want to go on the journey, but Hardwigg forces him into it. Hans is motivated by the money. Harry explicitly says that Hans is down for anything as long as he gets paid every Saturday. Though I'm not sure what would have happened if Hardwigg couldn't pay him while they were miles below the surface. The theories that I think are the most applicable are the ones relating to hunger and thirst. Harry's responses to starvation and dehydration were stereotypical. It was expected with illogical actions and some hallucinations.
ReplyDeleteDreams play a relatively small part in the book. The only dream I remember is when Harry dreamed that he was about to be attacked by a shark-crocodile and then by an Ape Gigans. I feel that when the book is reflecting Verne's personal psychology, it shows his thirst for scientific knowledge and his unrelenting imagination. The Afterward in the book was very enlightening about why Verne wrote the way he did. The characters' emotions and behavior can reveal quite a bit about their psychological states. I think the reason Harry jumped off the deep end so much was because he was the relatively normal one. Hardwigg was obsessed with the journey and Hans was too calm for the situation. Harry was usually levelheaded, but did experience a few spells of irrationality.
The work reflects the unconscious dimensions of the writer's mind when Verne exposes his subconscious need to be a man. As a child, Verne's father wanted him to be a lawyer, but Verne didn't want that for himself. His father never supported him in becoming a writer and Verne was left forever trying to prove himself. Just as Hardwigg always calls Harry "his boy." Even the afterward makes note of this. I did not notice any prominent words that could have different or hidden means. That is not surprising for me because I found the book to be boring and I'm not very good at noticing hidden things. In that case, I could have easily missed something.
I completely agree with you on the motivations. Also you mentioned what would happen if Hardwigg couldn't pay Han's in the middle of the Earth. What do you thing Han's would have done. Next is Han's background. I agree that it is to survive that Han's takes jobs like these. I also agree with you on why Harry jumped off the deep end. Most people would in a situation like that. As for dreams, does it have to be unconscious dreams. Couldn't it be his dreams of the future? Or of a small dream or goal he has?
DeleteThere are three things that could have happened if Hans wasn't paid. Hans could have left Harry and Hardwigg alone then found his way back to the surface, he could have stayed with them until they returned to the surface while helping, or he could have stayed with them but done nothing to help the others. I guess it does not have to be unconscious dreams. I did not interpret the question like that the first time. Hardwigg's dream of discovering the center of the Earth is a huge factor. It's basically why the book was written. I'm not really sure what Harry's dreams were. One of them was probably to marry Gretchen.
DeleteJoe’s motivation through the story I feel is that he has a lot of rage and anger in him from being beat as a child. He has a lot of things that he can be mad about like his mother dying and father being shot and being abused. He has a lot of reasons to be mad and upset with people. Joe has a choice of having sex and rapping the girl. But I think he has no control over when he gets mad or upset and like when he beat the waitress because that’s just how he was brought up.
ReplyDeleteLena has a lot of emotion in her because she has a child with no father and people who don’t respect her. She really hasn't freaked out or anything. She has really bottled everything up and keeps to herself. I feel like the writer may have had some problems when he was growing up because he seems to have a lot of violence and rage that takes place throughout the story. He must of had a rough childhood or just maybe he likes to write about these kind of stories but I can tell he definitely likes violence.
If you were Joe, would you be mad at his grandpa? He was responsible for both of his parents deaths. I would be very upset and wouldn't want to be around him anymore. If put under the same conditions as Lena, could you remain calm? I don't think I could stay very relaxed in that situation.
DeleteYes, because he made me never meet my father. I would be really mad because my mother died too and I got to never meet any pf my parents and my dad could still be alive if it wasn't for my grandpa. If I was Lena I would be mad about Joe leaving and I would also be very stressed out and enraged and just really messed up.
DeleteIn “The Call of the Wild” there are different forces motivating the characters depending on which character you are looking at. The people in the books are mostly motivated by money, but behind their want for money is a want to provide for their families, and a need to survive. The people are using the dogs to try to get their money. All of the dogs are motivated by their need to survive, and also by the people they are around. The dogs are motivated to listen to the people because they know that if they don’t, they will probably be beaten. The behaviors of the people are all conscious ones. They all know what they are doing when they decide to go for gold in Canada. On the other hand, most of the behaviors of the dogs are all instinctive behaviors.
ReplyDeletePsychological disorders and dreams don’t play a very big role in this book. There is one scene that talks about Buck daydreaming about his home, and the life he used to have, but that was the only scene that discussed dreams at all. The small insight you get into Buck’s dreams tell you that he still remembers what it was like to be pampered and well-cared for, but he doesn’t miss it or wish that he still had that life. Buck has turned very aggressive and harsh towards the other dogs. He steals food and does what needs to be done to survive. This shows that he is losing the domesticated part of his mind, and he seems to be going slightly crazy. The whole book is very restless and it doesn’t have a very peaceful feeling. I think this could show that the author wasn’t very happy with the position he was in. This could also show that the author is unconsciously a very aggressive person.
There are a few forces that are motivating the characters from the book Animal Farm written by George Orwell. In the beginning of the book, the main force driving all the animals is having their own farm, and not having to listen to Mr. Jones, the farmer, anymore. But later on in the book, after Snowball gets banished, it seems like the greater force in Napoleon's mind is making himself look better than Snowball. He's always trying to prove himself, his ideas, and almost everything that he does is better than what Snowball does.
ReplyDeletePsychological dreams play a very big role in the book. What every animal on the farm is striving to do is make a farm that sort of looks like what Major described it to look like. After he died, the next to in line for leadership were Snowball, and Napoleon. Snowball still had the same dream as major did, to make the farm better, have less hours worked, have more crops for the animals instead of for the humans, and have a happier life. But Napoleon's dream is a little different. After Snowball is banished from the farm, Napoleon gets so powerful that he just wants everything for himself. The way he does this is by scaring everyone with his blood thirsty dogs, and he gets away with it for the whole book. Why does George Orwell make the two leaders so different in their thinking and actions?
I agree that the animals are motivated by the idea of having their own farm. Also, the idea that Napoleon is being motivated by being the best and in control is accurate with what I saw. Do you think Napoleon is a representation of something in George Orwell's personal life? What about the other characters? Do you see any that might represent something deeper?
DeleteThere may be something that happened in the authors own life. But I think that Napoleon keeping to himself symbolizes more of what Joseph Stalin did during that time period. I don't see anything other than the other farms as something deeper.
DeleteHenry is a simple soldier trying to make it through the war. The war is a terrible place to be in. He is motivated by the fact that he could die at any moment like many other soldiers are. He sees the wounded die and it scares him. When he sees people die, it makes him want to run away from all of this. When Henry's friend died, he was very angry. So angry that his fist was shaking from being squeezed too hard. Henry is very confused about what he should do. He wants to stay and fight in the battles, but he keeps finding himself running away. He is a little jumpy about the flying bullets due to one of them grazing his face.
ReplyDeleteHenry is starting to become the soldier he wants to be in chapter XVII. He fell asleep a child and woke as a man. After he woke up, it was battle time and Henry was ready. Henry fired over and over and didn't stop. He had a lot of anger to release and he was getting it out. Henry was careless and he had been firing for a while after the enemy retreated. He is becoming the soldier that he dreamed about. I feel like Stephen Crane put Henry on the Hero's Journey. Henry is becoming a stronger soldier. Crane could have made Henry like this because Crane wants the people to get motivated from all of this. That they can over come their fears.
If Henry friend's hadn't of died, do you still feel he would've had anger to release? I feel this is the only reason he got the courage.
DeleteHe could still release some anger of being bossed around all the time but I don't think it would be as much. He needs to learn how to store his anger and take it out when he is fighting.
DeleteI don't think he will ever really have a moment that will teach him how to let his anger out at the correct time
DeleteLena's main goal is to find the father of her baby. I think that Joe Brown trying to run away from the situation was a conscious decision. However, I think the decision to have the baby with Lena was unconscious, because Joe Brown lives a bad lifestyle. I think Freud's theory can be applied to this book. One way would be in the sense of fear of being left. Another fear established in the book is the fear of not having a home, and wondering to hopefully find a nice place to settle. This book reflects the setting in which Faulkner lived, with money not being a big presence. It was an effort to make a living.
ReplyDeleteJoe Brown's behavior of gambling and drinking reveal that his physiological state isn't the highest. He doesn't have a strong mindset, and is kinda left wondering. Lena's actions on the other hand show she has a strong mindset. Her action to go a far distance to find the dad of her baby show that she is strong minded to find the father. This reflects the authors unconscious decisions because at this time, he most likely didn't realize that issues described in this book, would soon become a big deal. The idea of racism soon became a very harsh subject. Along with racism, the Great Depression was coming along, and was the worst economic disaster of the US.
Why do you feel it was unconscious for Joe when he found out about the baby? He had to know what he was doing and the chances he was taking so I think that it was his idea or his mistake because he knew the risks and didn't act accordingly. I agree with you about Joe's state of mind but what do you think caused him to have that kind of mindset? Being beaten? Or are there other causes to this kind of mindset. If you had a friend who had that kind of mind set would you try to help them or let them keep doing what their doing? I would try to help out my friend and get them back on track. Why do you feel know one tried to help Joe?
DeleteI think it was unconscious because of his addictions. I think Joe got that mindset because of how he was raised and the habits he developed. If they were safe to be around, I would try to help them, otherwise I would not.
DeleteAt the beginning of the book, True Son's intentions were very clear. True Son wanted nothing more than to return to his Indian family. His longing for his Indian home was the drive for many of his actions and behaviors. You could see many of his actions were rebellious against his English family. I feel this was also the same way for many of the other Indian/English children who were brought back to their families. Love for one's family is a very strong motivation and True Son displays this perfectly.
ReplyDeleteTure Son's physiological state was definitely a bit rocky. Trus Son is a 15 years old so he is already a little careless and free-spirited. He also could not decide where his loyalties were. He thought that he was loyal to the Indians but he later betrayed them. That is a sign that his psychological state wasn't very good. On the other hand it also showed that True Son had compassion for every human, even the ones who are supposed to be his enemies.
Why do you think that True Son decided to betray his Indian family?
DeleteAt the beginning of the book, True Son's intentions were very clear. True Son wanted nothing more than to return to his Indian family. His longing for his Indian home was the drive for many of his actions and behaviors. You could see many of his actions were rebellious against his English family. I feel this was also the same way for many of the other Indian/English children who were brought back to their families. Love for one's family is a very strong motivation and True Son displays this perfectly.
ReplyDeleteTure Son's physiological state was definitely a bit rocky. Trus Son is a 15 years old so he is already a little careless and free-spirited. He also could not decide where his loyalties were. He thought that he was loyal to the Indians but he later betrayed them. That is a sign that his psychological state wasn't very good. On the other hand it also showed that True Son had compassion for every human, even the ones who are supposed to be his enemies.
The book I am reading "The Red Badge of Courage" focuses on the main character Henry. At the very beginning of the novel Henry's intentions are clear to anyone. His goal is too join the Army. As the readers progress further along in the chapters we start too see that Henry is afraid of battles. Henry as a child dreamed of glorious battles, but in reality our dreams are never true. Throughout this the hardest battle Henry has to face is psychological. It's psychological because of how he finds trouble trying to see the reality of the war itself and living up to the war stories he wanted to have.
ReplyDeleteHenry's psychological state is decent. In the beginning of this novel the readers see no problem with his state of mind, besides being a little impulsive. Throughout the rest of the chapters we can begin to see how the war is taking a mental toll on the boy. I say he was impulsive because of his decision to join the army. I am not saying that everyone who decides to join the army is impulsive but his case I am. When he leaves to join the army he does not listen to other people's opinions he just up and leaves headed for a war he thought would be better than what it truly is.`The mental toll I am talking about is how he feels he cannot live up to his own expectations. He wanted to come home a war hero, but so far he has just ran. In his eyes the failure and stress is starting to break him
I like how you said his biggest battle was psychological. Do you think he will overcome it? I'm starting to think that he could've been pressured into joining the Army because so many other people were. Like maybe some of his friends joined and he was the only one left.
DeleteIf we are speaking of being forced to I could see him being drafted and not enlisted on his own free will. Which do you feel is more likely?
DeleteIn “The Pearl” the main character Kino is very motivated by his family. He consciously protects them and strives for the best for them. But, it seems that he may have an unconscious decision as the story moves along. It seems that even though Kino wants his to family safe and happy he seems to make very dangerous decisions to try to get his family money. Kino seems to have hard attempts to try to get money even though it might put his family in danger. This can show that Kino most likely had money problems in his past.He probably has been unconsciously craving the life as a rich man since he was really young. So, although he seems to have good intentions with the money that he will gain with the giant pearl he might have wanted the money from the start before he even had the pearl but now his unconsciousness finally has the opportunity to emerge from him. Another way that this is seen is in Kino’s emotional state about the giant pearl, he seems to have become obsessed with the pearl leading to him even attacking the ones he loves.
ReplyDeleteThis might show that John Steinbeck might have also craved money in his life without him realizing it. He could have even gone through the things that Kino has gone through throughout the story. If Steinbeck had gone through these problems then it seems that he has definitely overcome these problems because it can be seen that Steinbeck does not approve of Kino’s decision of keeping the pearl. This can be seen when Steinbeck uses Kino’s wife to show what Kino is doing wrong. Even the pearl itself is called evil many of times throughout the story. It was shown that the giant pearl could already create evil in a man. Other than the descriptions of the giant pearl but Kino describes it as his own soul which could be the revealing of Kino’s true thoughts. If Kino would describe the pearl as his very own soul then it can be seen that he is in a very dark place where at the moment his only light is focused on the pearl.
I agree with what you had to say about John Steinbeck and that maybe he was money-hungry. Do you believe that the way he grew up influenced his life at all? I certainly do. Looking back on the previous literature we have read, I see a pattern of wanting a better life.
DeleteI agree with what you had to say about John Steinbeck and that maybe he was money-hungry. Do you believe that the way he grew up influenced his life at all? I certainly do. Looking back on the previous literature we have read, I see a pattern of wanting a better life.
DeleteYes, I believe that he may have seen or have been in a situation of poor income or in a poverty like situation. He did live in the time of the Great Depression and it probably influenced on his inspiration of the story.
DeleteI agree. As the Great Depression effected everyone, it most likely effected Steinbeck's writing.
DeleteThroughout “Lord of the Flies” Jack’s passion for power is what motivates him. He gives into his dark side over and over again. He wants to be leader of all the people on the island. This means he will stop at nothing to have Ralph’s people join his little tribe. Ralph on the other hand is motivated by free will. He wants to make a democratic society and do what’s best for the group. Either way, both characters are just trying to survive. However they have different ways of going about it.
ReplyDeleteThe psychological states of the characters have declined drastically as their time on the island lengthens. In the start of the book they were all pretty sane. Now however, they are falling apart and letting fear control them. Being frightened by the “beast” they are always on edge. Simon found the parachute which they thought was the beast in the first place. He was carrying it back to Jack’s feast but when the others saw it they automatically assumed the worse. They thought it was the beast so they killed Simon with the parachute. Recently fear has gotten the better of them.
Do you think that once they get back home they will be sane again? Do you think Jack will be satisfied once he gets the power he wants, or if he does?
DeleteGabie, I believe it will take a long time before they are sane again. They could suffer from PTSD and be out of their right minds. Anyone who is gone from civilization for that long and is forced to endure what they have, will take awhile to get used to normal things. Also, no I don't think Jack would be satisfied. In my opinion he is the type of character who keeps wanting more and more.
DeleteIn Little Women, Jo's stubbornness seem to be the biggest motivator for her. She wants to be a writer and because people don't think it's a good idea it pushes her to want to do it even more. She doesn't want to be seen as a useless girl so she decided to do everything she can to stay independent, including refusing Laurie's proposal. Although in the end she ends up ending her writing career and getting married to somebody else.
ReplyDeleteJo's stubbornness is a sign that she wants to be independent person because during that time women weren't supposed to stand out like that. This could possibly be a reflection of Jo having a lot of siblings and she feels like she doesn't get attention so she could try to stand out from her sisters by being more masculine than the rest of them.
In the novel, Kidnapped, I feel that the main character, David, is driven by the want of returning home and gaining power over his uncle. David was kidnapped during his first attempt and wants to return to try again. I believe Alan is motivated by helping his new friend return home and by trying to escape all of the danger he is currently in with the recent murder. Also with the character Alan, I think that all of the behaviors that revolve around wanting conflict and always on the run, not caring what others think of him are all unconscious. These can prove that maybe Alan was neglected as a child or didn’t have a very good childhood. Conflict may have been a crucial part of his life and now is his go to method of taking care of things.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the the theories of Freud could be applicable to Kidnapped to some degree because there is almost always a reason as to why you are doing something, whether it’s coming from the conscious, preconscious, or the unconscious state of mind. There were reasons for each of the characters actions in the book whether we knew the reason at the moment or not. To explain David’s psychological state through his actions, I think that him being hesitant towards making decisions can show that he might have been unstable or maybe a little bit insecure. Alan, being the opposite, was quick to make decisions and always in charge, which portrays that he may be slightly over confident
I feel like this work can reflect on Stevenson’s personality because through the character David, he could be telling the story of his own feelings. He may not have been the richest kid and there may have been corruption within his family with a love affair just as there was in David’s life. Stevenson is also always throwing in words that are from the Latin language which aren’t necessarily needed but a reader like me doesn’t know the meanings or why he is including them in the story. Stevenson may be using them to show that people back then could speak multiple languages. He could also be trying to show that he is also bilingual and has a strong Latin background.
I very much agree that it reflects his personality, isn't it cool to read a book and also see thier personality. What do you think about the ending?
DeleteI feel like the ending didn't wrap up the story very well because it kind of just all of a sudden ended. What about you?
DeleteIn John Steinbeck’s “The Pearl”, Kino is motivated by a number of things. Kino’s main motivation is his family. Not only his current family, but the generations past, and his family bloodline. He wants to make his ancestors proud by being the best he can be. He constantly is working very hard to provide for his family, and hardly ever loses hope. It seems as though Kino will risk anything for them, including his safety. He puts himself in numerous dangerous situations. This might be, because he has never had the luxuries of a rich man. In chapter 2, He searches for a pearl, in hopes of a good life and a healthy Coyotito. Although he is conscious about seeking the pearl and seeking a better life. I do not think Kino is conscious about his obsessiveness of the possibility of having a good life.
ReplyDeleteThis work may reflect John Steinbeck is different ways. Relating back to his previous novel that we read “Of Mice and Men”, he has shown different things. What has really stood out in both that novel and this, is the search for a “good life”. Lennie and George both went searching for greatness, as is Kino. Kino has never been a man of money. This makes me think that maybe Steinbeck knows what it’s like to struggle with money. Despite this, in chapter one, Kino describes the way he wakes up in the morning: “Kino’s eyes opened, and he looked first at the lightening square which was the door and then he looked at the hanging book where Coyotito slept.” (1). This is describing the way is observing, and he seems very content. In conclusion, Kino is motivated by his family, and although he seeks a better life he is content in the now.
It is interesting how the influence of Kino's family relates to his interest of money or a better life. Do you think that Kino's search for a better life justifiable that he is doing it for his family? Do you think that it relates to Steinbeck's lafe?
DeleteYes, I think that he does what he does solely for the purpose for his family. I think that he might have struggled too, perhaps with his family as a child or parent.
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ReplyDeleteIn A Farewell to Arms I see Lt. Henry's motivation is only that he wants WWI to be over. And his decisions are usually based off of that. He usually has no real motivation what so ever, Henry is a type of person who could care less about other things besides living and the war. Seeing as though Catherine has the unconscious behavior of denial as Henry has a tiny amount of it too. Both Henry and Catherine question each other mainly Catherine questioning Henry if he still loves her to help assure that he won't leave during the war times.
ReplyDeleteI believe Freud's theories have some impact on A Farewell to Arms. It seems maybe Henry has a lust or denial in how he loves/feels towards Catherine although he describes how beautiful she can be and how he cares greatly. On the other hand Catherine seems to show a slight trauma in thinking Henry will leave her by always question his love for her as if someone in her life she cared for has left her. Henry is a confusing character to figure out in depths of discovering his feelings and past that doesn't involve the war.
In A Farewell to Arms I see Lt. Henry's motivation is only that he wants WWI to be over. And his decisions are usually based off of that. He usually has no real motivation what so ever, Henry is a type of person who could care less about other things besides living and the war. Seeing as though Catherine has the unconscious behavior of denial as Henry has a tiny amount of it too. Both Henry and Catherine question each other mainly Catherine questioning Henry if he still loves her to help assure that he won't leave during the war times.
ReplyDeleteI believe Freud's theories have some impact on A Farewell to Arms. It seems maybe Henry has a lust or denial in how he loves/feels towards Catherine although he describes how beautiful she can be and how he cares greatly. On the other hand Catherine seems to show a slight trauma in thinking Henry will leave her by always question his love for her as if someone in her life she cared for has left her. Henry is a confusing character to figure out in depths of discovering his feelings and past that doesn't involve the war.
Who do you think left Catherine-maybe a boyfriend or her father? Also, do you think Henry is apathetic to everything because he doesn't want to get too close to anyone, only to lose them?
DeleteI think if I remember correctly that it was from relationships and I do think Henry is apathetic. He first stated how he never loved anyone truly or even at all and later it comes to his mind that maybe he does love her but sometimes doesn't show much care towards her and later their baby when he passed away.
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ReplyDeleteLt. Henry makes conscious decisions to go out of his way to try and love Catherine, and he later abandons his men to run away with her. Catherine unconsciously doubts that he loves her, however, and asks him repeatedly if he still loves her. Freud's principles seem to applicable to these characters. Catherine seems to have an abandonment issue, so maybe her relationships or people close to her ended up leaving her, which is why she's so clingy. Henry is really just in lust with Catherine instead of in love with her, which explains why he showed little interest in her and his child with her. There really aren't any psychological disorders or dreams that further the story, but Henry is likely traumatized by the horrors of war, and therefore is almost numbed to normal life. The work reflects the writer's psychology by the way he treats his female roles in his stories.
ReplyDeleteA little digging into his other stories shows that female roles are often just in service to male roles and are underdeveloped. Ernest Hemmingway really shows his own experiences through Henry (although there wasn't a relationship with a nurse among his real experiences.) There doesn't seem to be a significance to any certain phrases, although the way he writes sounds almost poetic at times, which leaves an impact on the reader.
I noticed a little that Henry didn't care that Catherine had passed away due to the huge blood loss that she endured, causing her and the baby to pass from the cord wrapping around the baby boy's neck. What you stated is clearly in the reading as we finished A Farewell to Arms.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I wasn't really sure how he could be so uncaring about his wife and child. Maybe he has mental issues of some kind other than the war. War doesn't make a person heartless.
Deletein the novel Shane, he is motivated by many things. I think he is motivated by himself more than others. Its almost as if he is doing work on the farm to right a few of the wrongs he has done. It could also be his morals, he portrays an amount of character I have not seen in any other character. It could also be hi is driven by the kindness of Bob's family.
ReplyDeleteBob has "child eyes" so to speak. I believe that this is because the author wants innocence. if you think about it that could be why he made it like there is two main characters, so that one can be innocent and a mans point of view can be seen can be seen.
What do you mean about 'if you think about it that could be why he made it like there is two main characters, so that one can be innocent and a mans point of view can be seen'? The way I look at it is that Shane is the main character but the story is only told from a child's point of view.
Deletebut, in almost every other book the protagonist is the one who tells the story. That's why i think Bob is also a main character
DeleteLooking at the novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer written by Mark Twain through the psychoanalytic lens I notice a lot of similarities in the events that take place in the book and events in the author's life. By looking at this novel through this lens I can see the protagonist, Tom Sawyer and his author Mark Twain have some similarities in their lives. One huge similarity that I believe has had an impact on his writing is the fact that Mark Twain's father passed away when Twain was 11 years old due to pneumonia. I can see how Twain growing up with a single parent could have affected his character Tom Sawyer to also be parentless.
ReplyDeleteLooking deeper into it I can see that both Tom Sawyer and Mark twain not only lost a parent but they lost their father figure as well. This could affect a lot of things including their urge to break the rules. I believe that for the time period Tom Sawyer had no father figure to discipline him in his troublesome ways.
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ReplyDeleteFreud’s ideas can be perfectly matched up with “The Scarlet Letter”. His ideas are very significant when looking at the characters. When looking at Hester, the main character, it is interesting to look at the forces that keep her motivated, in this case to keep her secret. One force that motivates Hester is Pearl, her daughter. Hester doesn’t want anything happening to Pearl. Pearl is a moral guidance towards Hester. Looking at another character, Dimmesdale there are some forces motivating him to not tell anyone that it was him with Hester. The church that he is a minister at, motivates him. He doesn’t want anyone to think of him as a criminal. He just wants everything to go back to normal so that he doesn’t feel guilty anymore.
ReplyDeleteHester is branded as an adulteress for her actions, but unlike her partner in crime, Dimmesdale, she took her rejection very seriously and wore her 'A' proudly. In that way, she rebelled against the community and its unconscious values. I think that Hawthorne uses Hester’s character as a reflection of the subconscious urges of community. Hawthorne uses Dimmesdale as the exact opposite. He uses Dimmesdale to represent the Puritan community as a whole. Hester’s superego got the best of her. She knew that adultery was wrong but still went ahead with it, because she loved Dimmesdale so much. I think that Dimmesdale will go crazy later. This will happen because he has so much guilt built up inside and he can’t let it out, therefore causing him to go crazy.
In Bram Stoker's, "Dracula", you can see quite a few events that happened in his life, and events that happened in the book. One event was one of the characters, Jonathan, suffered a head/brain fever. Bram suffered a mental disease when he was young and later had an effect on him in his adult years, similar to Jonathan who suffered from his brain fever later in the book. Bram also was married in his 20's/early 30's, like most of his characters. Jonathan was also a writer for a newspaper in the beginning. Stoker's first job was in journalism. He also didn't have kids, like his characters currently.
ReplyDeleteYou can also see the motivation behind the characters for there actions. Jonathan's motivation was Mina, his love and now wife. Without her, he would have never scaled the tower wall, ventured into the Count's room, and escaped the castle. Mina was motivated by Jonathan to stay strong whilst he was gone. Professor Van Helsing motivation was unclear in the beginning besides a favor for a friend. As the story progressed, he was motivated to end the "illness" to save lives and to end it. Aurther's motivation was for his wife, Lucy, and her's were Aurther and her mother.
In Bram Stoker's, "Dracula", you can see quite a few events that happened in his life, and events that happened in the book. One event was one of the characters, Jonathan, suffered a head/brain fever. Bram suffered a mental disease when he was young and later had an effect on him in his adult years, similar to Jonathan who suffered from his brain fever later in the book. Bram also was married in his 20's/early 30's, like most of his characters. Jonathan was also a writer for a newspaper in the beginning. Stoker's first job was in journalism. He also didn't have kids, like his characters currently.
ReplyDeleteYou can also see the motivation behind the characters for there actions. Jonathan's motivation was Mina, his love and now wife. Without her, he would have never scaled the tower wall, ventured into the Count's room, and escaped the castle. Mina was motivated by Jonathan to stay strong whilst he was gone. Professor Van Helsing motivation was unclear in the beginning besides a favor for a friend. As the story progressed, he was motivated to end the "illness" to save lives and to end it. Aurther's motivation was for his wife, Lucy, and her's were Aurther and her mother.
There are many psychoanalytic parts in the book “Journey to the Center of the Earth”. One of the many parts is the characters motivations. What is there motivations? The most normal one out of them all I would say is Hans. He is only there for money. Humans have always wanted money because of greed or a better life. So Hans feels like the most normal character. Then the second most common personally is adventure and achievements. That is what Hardwigg is after. He want the feeling of adventure by going to the center of the Earth, and on top of that the achievement of being the first to show the world the center of the Earth. Then there is Harry. He is there because of his uncle Hardwigg. He is there following his uncle. He was really reluctant of going on the journey.
ReplyDeleteNext is how this book reflects the writer’s personal psychology. It seem that Verne’s was very adventures. He wants to be going on this trip as well. The book also reflects how much he was into science-fiction. This I would personally consider science-fiction because that's what it was when it was written. It is old now because of all the advancements in technology and society. But the book was still talking about none real stuff back then. This book was a way for Verne’s to unleash his creativity and dreams. Lastly, I didn’t recognize any hidden meanings in the book. I personally had a little difficulty reading this book so I may have missed it thought. If there was one.
I greatly agree with you, but I have a few questions. Why do you think that Hans was motivated by money? Do you think he had a backstory that leads to the origin of why he's oriented around money. Why exactly did Harry do whatever his uncle wanted of him? Why didn't he rebel? Do you think he might rebel in the future? Could you explain, "But the book was still talking about non real stuff back then." I don't understand what you were trying to say. I also didn't recognize any hidden messages, but I wouldn't be surprised if we both missed any.
DeleteI believe Han's was motivate by money because of his background. It doesn't say in the book but you can notice it. The homes they stayed in on the way to the mountain weren't all that great. I believe that Han's had less than most people and he grew up early to make sure him and his family would survive. As for why harry did all he was asked to. He is simply being like most kids from back in that age. It is natural to listen to your elder especially if you really like them. So he always listened to his uncle. As to why he didn't rebel. It's wasn't normal to rebel back then. He looked up to his uncle too much. Then there is the fact Hardwigg would ether be so outraged or sad that harry wouldn't do what he was told. Harry might in the future for example for Gretchen's hand. Next why did I type that. what I meant was what he was still writing nonsense in terms of actually happening in life.
DeleteSo in the last few chapters of the book White Fang does a one hundred and eighty degree flip in his personality and motivation. He goes from being a brutal killer dog fighting machine, to a loving caring wolfdog that retires in the sunlight with his children. Earlier in the book, he made a conscious decision to hate everyone and everything. This was because good ol’ Beauty Smith treated him incredibly poorly, and also entered him into a dog fighting ring. Now, dreams don’t really take place much in this book, because the only true dream of White Fang is to be free, until he realizes he loves Scott, and decides to be his loyal dog forever. I think a lot of this book is Jack London trying to emulate how he felt in his younger years, except through the eyes of another creature, White Fang, to be exact. London did not have a very easy life, and had to work hard to make it, which White Fang had to do as well. I think the last portion of the book is how London felt his life should end.
ReplyDeleteLondon had a hard life, and so did White Fang. As far as I know, Jack London was never beat, or had his master get drunk and trade him off to a dog fighter, but still I think London was trying to emulate his life onto White Fang. Throughout the book we see White Fang grow bitter, because how poorly people treat him, and he lashes out about this every time he gets close to something. Even though he was bitter and angry, eventually he grows out of this with enough love from his best friend Scott. I think this is London trying to show us that you can save someone even if they have been treated cruelly in the past. London may have been treated poorly as a child or teenager, but then maybe he met someone that turned his life around, and made him happy again. My idea is that White Fang is a sort of autobiography of Jack London. The big thing is, instead of saying the real events, he shrouded them in the character of White Fang and his life events.
From reading your journal it seems like you support Freud's theory? I can see why someone would think that but i'm not completely sold. Yes, they both have had some hard times. However, they are in completely different ways. White Fang was beat, London was never touched. Jack was never held captive, manipulated or anything like that, yet that becomes a key role in the book. Perhaps i'm wrong, but i'm looking forward to you shedding some light on Freud's presence in the book.
DeleteYes I do support Freud's theory in this book. London may have not been physically help captive, or anything like that, but maybe he felt emotionally locked in by something, his parents, his first wife, or something like that.
DeleteIn the book Shane, there are actually, now that I think about it, a lot of psychological concepts intertwined with this story. For instance, if we look at the character Shane, he gets his motivation from numerous things. Mainly his past and a deep care for people. What I mean is that the author lead us to believe that Shane has done some bad things in the past. Shane may want to clear his conscious. As for his deep care for people, the Starrett family took him in and gave him love. He may want to return that love. In this story, some of Shane's action are conscious actions and unconscious actions. His conscious actions are the choices to go after Fletcher's henchmen in order to protect his family. For example, Shane made the choice twice to get in a fight with the men. Some of his unconscious actions are when he moves to position himself so he could see the whole room. He does this every single time he goes in a room without thinking about it. I think the author makes these psychological ideas to show the nature of the characters.
ReplyDeleteFreud's theories don't really show up in this book. I don't see evidence in what I read of any decisions are being pushed into unconscious. Each character has a very different psychological state to him/her. For example, Joe Starrett has nearly an angry state. He seems really explosive in his actions, but protective. Marian Starrett seems very protective and worry full. Bob Starrett appears innocent and non-talkative. However, he thinks and thinks and thinks. Shane is the last character in this explanation. Shane is a weird character. At times he seems like Joe. He is very angry and sticks up for the people he cares about with violence. He is also a thinker like Bob. And finally, he cares very much about the well-being of his family, like Marian. Shane is the most peculiar character I have ever met in a book. In conclusion, the author, Jack Schaefer, uses this Criticism a lot and in many shapes and forms throughout the book.
This story is from Bobs point of view, what do you think is his motivation for telling it?
DeleteI think his motivation is to show how much he looks up to Shane and how much Shane has affected his life.
DeleteIn the novel kidnapped I feel that there is one thing that is motivated Alan and David. The thing that motivated them was to get home and be free. The most conscious character is Alan. He was uncomfortable and wanted to go home. Alan figured he would make it back sometime. The emotions of David reveal that he needed someone. If he wouldn’t of been with Alan he would of been a mess due to their brother relationship.
ReplyDeleteDue to Alan being in war, he wasn’t too emotional about being taken. They both didn’t like it, but in the time period being taken and war was normal. As David can be very stubborn. For example, when Alan is being hateful. David comes back and backstabs and talks about his family.
I agree with your motives, but I feel like Alan wasn't exactly looking to get home. He talks about how he is almost always traveling and how he continues to come back to the country in which he is not welcome to visit his loved ones still living there. Therefore I more found his motive to help his new companion get home. What did you think about psychological disorders? I didn't think that any characters revealed any signs of having one except for maybe David's crazy uncle.
DeleteI thought the same thing that maybe only his crazy uncle has some disorders.
DeleteAny others stand out to you? I thought that maybe Alan did towards the beginning since he was all of a sudden brave enough to go against all of the authorities on the boat. Just never came to a clear decision
DeleteWhile reading Pride and Prejudice this week, I attempted to look through the psychoanalytic lens. What I found was that many of the characters did not reveal any serious psychological disorders. However, I could tell what their personalities and states of emotional health were like. A reoccurring trait of many of the characters was hopelessness and desperation. All of them seemed to make themselves almost depressed over money. I found it to be sad, because to me, money isn't everything. It's hard to believe that people back then cared enough about it to drive them into such a sad state. They let it control their lives.
ReplyDeleteA specific example of something I noticed while reading was that Elizabeth's best friend, Charlotte, was a very desperate woman. She married another desperate, weird rich guy just because it would offer her financial security. It sounded pretty silly to me, but she must have, been very hopeless and felt as if there was no other option. In fact same man had proposed to Elizabeth too not long before Charlotte. Elizabeth refused, unlike her friend, because she knew she could do better, even though he was wealthy. I feel like Elizabeth is a smart girl who has good mental health when it comes certain things. She makes great decisions all throughout the story, and wealthiness isn't everything to her.
I agree with you how you noticed desperation. Not only was it because of money but because of how things were in that time period. Do you agree? What are some examples of how money controlled their lives? If you had a friend like Charlotte do you think her behaviors would rub off on you? How would you feel if it was like this today in our time period? I think Elizabeth is able to somewhat be her own person unlike Charlotte and not let her surroundings and temptations get the best of her. What are your thoughts?
DeleteYes, I completely agree. In that era, a lot of things were very different. For instance, in this story, money controlled the lives of the sisters by making them interested in Bingley and Darcy in the first place. Also, for Charlotte, money is what she thought that she needed to be happy. I'd hope that if I had a friend like Charlotte that she wouldn't rub off on me, but I'm not sure. If this happened a lot today, which it does sometimes, I think a lot of people would be very unsatisfied with their lives.
DeleteElizabeth is certainly the strongest character in the story through my eyes. I've also noticed that she somewhat became the main character as opposed to Jane like in the beginning.
In "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," the characters are motivated by different forces. Aronnax is motivated by his curiosity. Although knowing that he should escape the Nautilus with Ned Land as soon as possible, he longs to stay on board with the endless supply of nourishment for his curiosity. Captain Nemo is motivated by his hatred for what happened to him on land. He used this motivation to invent new methods as to being able to acquire all of his necessities from the sea. Ned Land is motivated by his need for meat. The driving force of his wish to flee the Nautilus is because he is dissatisfied with only eating fish and constantly yearns for red meat.
ReplyDeleteCaptain Nemo's actions reveal information about his psychological state. He refuses to reveal anything about himself or his past. Through gathering bits and pieces of information, we know that something terrible happened to his family. He might be in denial about what happened. Instead of facing his problems he spent millions to build a submarine so that he would never have to step foot on land. That doesn't seem like something a psychologically healthy person would do. He also denies that man is anything more than a savage.
one thing that confuses me about Nemo is that he denies man to be anything more than a savage yet he himself is merely a man. Does he not see the hypocrisy in saying such things? He definitely isn't psychologically healthy. As I suggested in my entry I believe he suffers from some for of post traumatic stress disorder. If so his drastic actions make more sense.
Deleteone thing that confuses me about Nemo is that he denies man to be anything more than a savage yet he himself is merely a man. Does he not see the hypocrisy in saying such things? He definitely isn't psychologically healthy. As I suggested in my entry I believe he suffers from some for of post traumatic stress disorder. If so his drastic actions make more sense.
DeleteNemo is a very smart man and I believe he is aware of the hypocrisy. Maybe he thinks that he and his men are the few exceptions of all men being savages?
DeleteIn the novel, 'Lord Of The Flies' every character is motivated by the same thing. To stay alive and hopefully make it back home to their families. However, they all have other motivations as well. Like Jack, Jack's goal is to be the boss, be the one that everyone looks up to. He is not the only character with this at mind. The way he approaches it prove that he really wanted to be in charge of everything that goes on. His big goal is to get the kids that knew Ralph before to join on his side.
ReplyDeleteThe kid's have changed so much since the beginning of the book. At the beginning they were all normal. They all had one thing on their mind, to get off the island. As the book has moved on they have become crazy. Now, they are all scared that they won't be able to get back home. They have been so scared that they make impulse decision that were not they best ideas. One of these decisions would have been the idea to kill Simon off.
Gabie, do you think it's their personal motivations or the motivation to stay alive that has ended up changing them all so much and will make them most likely not get off the island?
DeleteI think a little of both. They want to live, but they don't want to do since they have no authority figures around anymore. It has drove them all to desperate measures.
DeleteIn Treasure Island, I can see that Jim's psychology is changing very rapidly as the book progresses. At the beginning, Jim is easily frightened by any sort of threat. He even runs to his mother at one point. In later chapters, after his father died, Jim can be seen doing much more mature things. He ripped open Billy's shirt after he died in order to find a key, even though his mother wouldn't go near it. He was smart enough to grab the map from the treasure chest, even though he didn't know he would need it. When his mother passes out, he is able to drag her to safety and then listen in on the conversation Pew is having with his men. Jim is also brave enough to refuse to give the officer the map that he found.
ReplyDeleteIt is my belief that he is acting this way because of his father's death. He unconsciously wants to fill his father's shoes as the man of the house. The growth in just a few short chapters is extraordinary. He starts getting involved in matters that he isn't aware of. Jim starts his journey as a cabin boy for the doctor and the nobleman. This is the author working to paint him as a hero. He wants to make sure that the growth is gradual, but not too slow. Jim's subconscious desires appear to be about adventure.
That is a very interesting observation. I saw that he was getting braver and braver as the story went on, but I never though of it being because of his father's death. Is there anything else that has changed about his character besides his bravery?
DeleteI feel like he is more driven as the story progresses. He wants the treasure more and more throughout the novel.
DeleteI noticed that as well and I find it very interesting. As his good characteristics like his courage grow, so do his others like greed
DeleteWhite Fang is always motivated by the force of nature. He is a wolf and he always leans back on that when he meet or something new occurs. For example Weedon Scott hugs someone and White Fang growls because of it. He resorts to his nature of the wild. Scott’s motivation is to keep White Fang because he is such a good dog and he learns from things. Scott is told that once a chicken eater they are always a chicken eater but he believes and knows that White Fang is good. He loves his dog and treats him properly, which no one has ever done before so, which is why White Fang acts out sometimes. He has never had a person love him so White Fang treats Scott like family and protects him at all costs, even risking his own life. Dreams are not a part of this book. They are really straight to the point and they don’t worry about dreams that they may have.
ReplyDeleteFreud’s theory is heavily present in this book. London expresses himself throughout the whole book. You wouldn’t know about his until you read about London’s experiences, which we did last week in the historical lens journal. London has a hard life in the beginning and so does White Fang. They are both trying to survive battling the ups and downs in life. Through the book you can find that London had a bad life if you knew that he puts him into his own book as White Fang. This problem that he faced affected him so greatly that he wrote a book about it. Near the end White Fang finds his mate and lies basking in the sun and I think that this is what London wants for himself to find someone that he can settle down with and live a happy life, that White Fang has found.
I agree with you that London threw himself into the character of White Fang. Do you think there was some hidden reason behind him not using dreams at all in White Fang, or do you just think that is how he wrote the story? Did you think that learning more about London's life and comparing it last week helped you understand how Freud's theory applied in this book? Why or why not?
DeleteI think that the dreams wouldn't help the story because it wouldn't go with the theory of survival in the book. Why would he dream if his instincts take over in situations? Dreams would ruin this instinct that takes place. I most definitely think that by learning about London's life I can understand Freud's theory. His theory talks about how an an author's life will be present and it is in this book. You see the hard life that both face as well as the ups and downs that you see in London's life. This happens in the book.
DeleteThe psychoanalytic theory presents itself in a strong way throughout the novel, “The Count of Monte Cristo”. Where it is not as obvious in the beginning, it can be seen later in the book just how much Dantes’ emotion plays a role in how he behaves. At the start of the book, Dantes finds himself in a pretty low point with his captain being killed at sea. On top of this, he is framed by jealous peers and thrown in jail. This low point that he went through definitely fueled the fire and caused him to want revenge on those who put him through his pain and suffering. I believe the one person that kept him sane though, was one of Dantes’ friends at the start of the book named Maximilian Morrel. Dantes always reserved a spot in his head to think about him and later in the book, he repaid Morrel for being kind to him.
ReplyDeleteThe toll that this suffering had on Dantes at the start of the book is seen throughout the last half of the story. Once Dantes finds treasure on an island by the name of Monte Cristo, he starts his journey to repay the people he respected. In addition to this though, he wanted revenge on those who made him suffer. He goes about getting revenge on three different people; Mondego, Villefort, and Danglars. He does this by means of exposing their secrets, poisoning them, and by taking advantage of their greed. Successfully bringing them all down seems to bring happiness and peace to Dantes. The anger that the reader could see building throughout the story seems to dissipate and leave a man who should’ve always been happy. Once all this anger and frustration had vanished, Dantes continued on with his life and lived it as happily as he could.
I believe that it is very apparent in the start of the novel. You can see his lows and highs when it comes to being captain and his lover. I agree that the jealousy builds throughout the book though. I also agree that his revenge grew as he was imprisoned.
DeleteIt definitely shows a reader just how much events that take place can change an individual. Dantes was so nice and wouldn't hurt a fly at the start of the book. After all of the events that took place, towards the end he was seen as rash and harsh. Dumas really wrote this story so that stood out I believe.
DeleteIn "Treasure Island", you can tell a lot about a character's personality and physiological state by the way they act. A re occuring trait seen in each character is courage. Everyone in the book wants to have or needs more courage. At the beginning of the book, Jim was scared of the blind pirate and his men. Eventually, he had to face his fear and leave the inn with his mother to protect them. Bill was also a character in need of courage. He had to face his duties but chose to ignore them by hiding in the inn and drinking all day. Each character does or has something that shows their need for courage.
ReplyDeleteThe characters' personalities can also be seen by what they want. Each character is going after something in the book. Some have different wants, but there's one that most characters have. Everyone in "Treasure Island" wants money and are full of greed. At the beginning of the book, Jim's mother did not want to leave the inn when in danger because she was too worried about getting their familiy's payment from bill. The blind pirate and his crew were so obsessed with treasure that they raided the inn and tore it apart. Even Jim wants to go after the treasure. Every character's urge to find the treasure shows the greed in them and their need for material things.
I like how you didn't limit greed to the antagonists of the story, but do you think that Jim is fueled by greed?
DeleteI think overall, Jim is fueled by growing courage and his need for adventure. As time goes on though, his greed becomes bigger and bigger and may start to take over later on in the story
DeleteI think that because Jim is painted as a hero, he won't let his greed take over because that is not a heroic trait the author would want to showcase.
DeleteThe main motivation affecting the characters would have to be survival. This ties in neatly with conscious and unconscious behavior. I don't think White Fang wants to be fierce and aggressive, but when put into difficult situations he reacts accordingly. Freud's theories are vaguely present in White Fang. You could argue that Jack London portrayed himself as White Fang. However, this is mostly based off of the fact they both had tough childhoods. London had dreams of being able to rise above other authors to become truly successful. White Fang is in a relatively similar situation. He just wants to overcome the standards the humans have set before him.
ReplyDeleteHow the characters behave certainly reveal a lot about their psychological state. I feel White Fang is lacking when it comes to emotions and behaviors. He used to be curious and full of life. Now he suspects the worst in everyone. It is a defiant sign of character development. As far as prominent words go I could not seem to find any. White Fang is better expressed through actions rather than dialogue. This means he does not really give off any misleading clues.
You gave many examples of how London and White Fang are similar having rough lives and wanting to defy the odds, do you still think that Freud's theory is vague or is this shown throughout the book? I think that Freud's theory is heavily present because London really puts himself in the book as White Fang. White Fang was like that because he was in nature and on his own, now that he has been treated very poorly by people he expects that from everyone. He becomes suspicious of everyone because of the treatment he has received. What actions did you see in the book that White Fang does a lot? I see him being aggressive towards other people and animals because of his life before.
DeleteI still believe Freud's theory is vague. It is a coincidence at best. When it comes to noticeable actions, White Fang tends to growl a lot more. I think it can be traced back to his harsh punishments.
DeleteIn the novel,"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" The characters all behave with different mannerisms as result of their own Psyche. Professor Aronnax is clearly very imaginative and curious. He has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Throughout the first half of the book he has reoccurring dreams about the sea, this may simply represent his facination with its mysteries. I find myself imagining that Jules Verne projects himself into the story through this character.
ReplyDeleteCaptain Nemo is another character that I find interesting to analyse from a psychological point of view. Something clearly happened to him leading him to hate the land and its people. He seems to always have a secret,always hiding things. Repressing what seem to be the symptoms of some sort of PTSD. I ultimately beleive that Aronnax, being as curious as he is, will discover Captain Nemo's secrets.
At the end of the book, Captain Nemo shows the box with all the information about his life to Aronnax which will only be opened after all of the passengers of the Nautilus are dead. Why do you think he would tell some stranger about who he is instead of Aronnax, considering he planned on never letting him leave to tell the world about his experiences on the submarine?
DeleteI think that curiosity killed the cat. It wouldn't be a mystery anymore if he told aronnax. Furthermore if Aronnax were to outlive Nemo he might leave the Nautilus and reveal its secrets anyway. Perhaps he thinks it would make for a better story this way.
DeleteI wish the book hadn't ended without all of my questions being resolved. There are still so many secrets of the Nautilus and crew yet to be revealed. If only Jules were still here today to write a sequel.
DeleteIn Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut, Billy Pilgrim has been through many rough times in his life. I believe the forces motivating Billy are the thoughts of the Tralfamadorians caused by PTSD. Throughout the entire book Billy is referring to lessons he learned from the Tralfamadorians. He learned from them that no one ever really dies, they always live. This is where Billy gets the motto “So it goes,” everytime he hears someone has died. I believe Billy’s conscious behaviors consist of him being distant from those around him. One unconscious decisions Billy makes is when he time traveling.
ReplyDeleteSlaughterhouse Five’s plot heavily revolves around Billy’s dreams and his potential disorder. The novel reveals Billy is dealing with some sort of trauma, leading to an unhealthy psychological state. I believe this is a strong reflection of the author's personal psychological state. Slaughterhouse Five is his life turned into a novel of a man named Billy. Vonnegut., I believe deals with PTSD and uses novels to help relieve some of the conflict. It reflects Vonnegut's unconscious decisions throughout the entire novel. It speaks of when he travels with the Tralfamadorians and about his dreams in the novel.
In George Orwell's Animal Farm, there are many forces driving the animals. The largest motivator in the story was the idea of freedom for all animals. The idea that they could run themselves without help from a farmer who was in their minds holding them captive.
ReplyDeleteAfter the animals drove out the humans, the pigs rose to power and began convincing the farm populations that they were right about everything. They were in control of the farm's politics and government. After some time, Napoleon snapped mentally and started wanting to get rid of Snowball. He didn't tell any other animals about his plan, instead he became very secretive and kept his thoughts to himself. I think the author did this because he was going through something similar in his own life.
What makes you think he was going through this in his own life? Maybe there's a chance that Napoleon being Joseph Stalin was going through this same thing?
DeleteI think this was happening in his own life because he was alive during the revolution and saw it first hand. He fought in the Spanish civil war and was around when Stalin was in rule. However, maybe you were right and it was actually Stalin that was going through the things in the book, and it wasn't Orwell after all.
DeleteIn the novel "The Count of Monte Cristo", the psychoanalytical theory starts when the novel does. At the very beginning, the main character of Dantes is sad because his captain has died. However, his mood soon changes when he is told he will be becoming the captain. This makes one of his shipmates very jelaous and that is when a lot of jealousy is added to the story. He is also still elated when he comes home and is able to see his father and his betrothed. He acts this way because he has been gone on a ship for so long and then finally got to go home. This creates an even deeper feeling of longing and then love that is simple for the reader to pick up on. His mood changes slightly when he is introduced to his fiance’s lover of sorts. This is when the next large amount of jealousy is added to the picture.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, the jealousy builds up greatly, until Dantes is framed and thrown into jail. This is a large low point for the main character and it created a more vengeful spirit in him that he eventually acted on. During this point in the novel, Dantes experienced a lot of agony. I believe this is what drove him over the edge to decide to commit suicide. He was a smart man though, so he thought it through and decided to throw out his food secretly so that no one would know he was trying to die. This shows his strength even though he was drowning in his own weakness. Before dying, he encounters a man trying to escape called the “Mad Priest”. This is the man that kept Dantes from insanity because he taught him all about mathematics, science, and politics. Although this man was against Dantes’ revenge plot, he still helped him create it and figure out how to go through with it. These are only a few examples of the psychoanalytical theory in "The Count of Monte Cristo".
I find it ironic that, in the end, it was Dantes' enemies at the start of the book that ended up suffering. It just goes to show, what goes around comes around. In this case, Dantes got his revenge and although he seemed "evil" near the end of the book, he came around to show the character we read about in the beginning.
DeleteAt the beginning of “The Light in the Forest” True Son is very loyal and when he’s taken from his Indian home he is willing to do anything to get back to his family. He tries to fight his way out and rebels against the white men almost like it’s his nature. Throughout the story I think he has remained loyal to the Indians, although somewhere along the line he became more loyal to himself and chose to care about all lives than just Indians.
ReplyDeleteThe overall amount of books the author wrote suggests that he has a strong sense of stability. He makes the characters and they appear real and solid which is why he is considered a great author. I don’t think Freud’s method fits this story very well but perhaps by the end of the book it will be revealed.
I wouldn't say that his loyalties changed but in the beginning of the story True Son wasn't forced to make a hard choice. Towards the end of the book he had to make the choice between letting a child die or saving it. I think that his integrity had more of an impact on his actions.
DeleteI agree, although the action of saving the child meant rebelling against the Indians and they would feel betrayed.
DeleteI feel that Catch-22 is a very psychologically deep novel. One of the forces motivating there characters, is the desire to get away from the war. Lots of their actions are not conscious ones as they seem to have all gone insane. Psychological disorders play a huge role. Many of the character see things that aren't there and the other characters think that they're absolutely insane.Even the characters in the book mention this. In chapter 10, Dr. Stubbs says about Yossarian, "That crazy bastard may be the only sane one left. I feel that many of these characters may have had a troubled childhood due to the fact that they all have these weird visions and outbursts. Either that, or the author is trying to show just how much of an effect war can have on a person's mental wellness.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this novel shows a lot about the author's own life and psychological thinking is shown in this novel quite a bit. Since Heller was in this war, I believe that he is showing how much effect it had on him psychologically. This could be part of him showing how bad he thinks war is. It's also possible that he saw all of these characteristics in the people he actually fought with and wanted to honor them. I feel that maybe sometimes even Heller wasn't sure what he was writing because he was so used to writing crazy stuff that he just got used to it. I don't feel that there are any prominent words that Heller put in this piece as "problem words".
Would you consider Heller to be an activist against war considering the protests it has against it in Catch-22?
DeleteYes he seems to make it clear that he despises war.
DeleteIn Catch-22 the forces motivating the characters are pretty simple. For them it is either life or death. If they don't do what they are asked they die, if they don't do what they are asked well they die. Pretty much any mistake or refusal and they die. This is all done in sort of an unconscious state. Nobody in the camp realizes the insanity of war, except Yossarian. Everyone believes what they do is normal and routine, and Yossarian goes crazy thinking about all the ways he could die on this mission.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this reflects on the author in a few different ways. One would be that he too was in the war and so he understands the insanity of it, and maybe it is showing that after the war he feels alone in his own crazy little world. It could also show that he had an experience with someone who lost their mind in the war, or that society today just ignores the experiences everyone who was in the war had.
Do you think it's possible that Yossarian is based off the author himself?
DeleteI believe that it could be. I feel like Joseph Heller put elements of his own experiences into Catch-22, giving it a more real life feel.
DeleteIn "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" I think the fact that Tom is a younger boy without parents is what drives him toward doing what he does. He gets in trouble and sneaks out a lot. I think he does this because he has no discipline from his aunt. Another big motivation is his friends. His best friend is homeless and has no guardian at all. They both go off and do things they shouldn't be.
ReplyDeleteThis reflects on the author in a very big way. The Author Mark Twain lost his father as a child. This could be why Tom was a parent-less child. Tom could be a recreation of Twain's childhood. If Twain was a trouble maker as a child this could be shown trough Tom breaking rules and running away.
I agree because that Mark Twain and his character had a lot of similarities in their childhood with obstacles they over came. Do you know for if Twain was a trouble causer.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, “The Scarlet Letter”, the psychoanalysis lens: id, ego and superego. Id is the biological component like the instinct of what they are wanting at that moment. Ego is like the bad angel on your shoulder which tries to get you to go with the urges of our instincts of the id. The superego is like the good angel that makes you feel bad for doing wrong and good when you do something right. Hester makes good and bad decisions throughout the novel. The unconscious behaviors Hester makes is when she committed adultery and when she keeps her lover a secret. The conscious behaviors she makes are when she takes all the criticism from everybody in the puritan community and even has the letter stitched into her clothes she makes the best of it and embraces it. The main thing motivating her is her child, Pearl. And the main thing motivating Chillingworth is to keep his secret.
ReplyDeleteHester’s unconscious desires and id and the puritans society and superego show Hawthorne’s contained desire to break free from society’s ways. Hawthorne’s family had an influence on his writing because his father was absent and dies at an early age in Hawthorne’s life. His mother also had difficulties making his writing more of a desire and repression which is wanting something and hiding the negative parts of it. A prominent word or symbol used would be the scarlet letter. At first it was represented as an adulterer but now is represented as able.
I agree with everything you said here. Do you think that Hawthorne used any of the characters in a specific way, for a specific reason?
DeleteIn Slaughterhouse Five, Billy only has a few motivating forces. One of which being the Tralfamadorians, these strange ‘aliens’ seem to always show up postwar to teach Billy something. One could say that it is kind of is mixed messages to Billy, as he is comforted by the fact that time is completely predetermined, but the fact there is no free will almost scares Billy. This could be because he was so traumatized by the war he is involved in. He believes that because everything is predetermined when it comes to fate and time, that all the terrible things he has been through could not go any other way. This somewhat helps motivate him through all of this trauma. Through this lens one could also wonder, does Billy’s philosophy of the aliens help him not take responsibility for some of his actions/mistakes? This could very well be, Billy could be using all of these made up things to try and get himself through terrible things he has had to do.
ReplyDeleteOne could conclude that Billy has Post Traumatic Stress Order. You know that he has problems when no one will sleep next to him in the boxcar, they say he whimpers and kicks. These were the first clear signs if you look at it in a logical order. Also, in chapter three, Billy jumps and believes that World War III is coming when he hears sirens going off. He even puts himself in the mental ward of a veterans hospital. It is very clear Billy has PTSD and many problems. The fact the Billy never really shows emotion could also be concerning. His wife is hysterical when she hears Billy was in a plane crash, so hysterical she gets in a crash and dies. However, Billy does not really show any amount of emotion towards her death, in fact he returns home and starts writing the newspaper about his abduction. Vonnegut's use of “So it goes.” after every death is him saying that everyone dies and life moves on without that person. Vonnegut phrases always seem to relate back to the war, “So it goes.” meaning that nothing can really stop war and death.
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DeleteI agree the Tralfamadorians were a motivating force because they affect the way he thinks and they teach him new meanings. I also agree that Billy is dealing with PTSD becuase of his actions, like you mentioned. Did you see any other phrases or actions repeated?
DeleteIn "The Call of the Wild money is definitely something motivating the characters. Money is the whole reason that Buck was taken. When Buck was living with the rich people he was taking for granted what he had. Now that he has to work and doesn't get much food he knows how lucky he was. While he was happy he wan't thinking about how lucky he was. Maybe that is something that has happened to the author, Jack London. Maybe he was happy with his dog and one day it ran away or was taken like Buck. Maybe that experience was the motivation for him to write this story.
ReplyDeleteSurvival is another thing that is motivating the characters. It is linked with the money part. Money is need for survival. Buck was doing everything he could do to survive. He thought at first in the beginning when he was being transported around that if he would fight he might get free. After a while he realized that the humans wanted him to fight and struggle so he quit. It's possible that Jack Land on was put in a situation like that. Someone maybe was not being nice to him and he realized that if he didn't give then a reaction maybe they'd quit.
Continuing on reading Pride and Prejudice, I looked through the psychoanalytic perspective. What I discovered was there was no particular and specific disorder in the novel, and honestly the book is so focused on love and romance that I think even if their was a disorder in one of characters in the book, it would not be aknowleged. However, I could really see the articulate time the author took on describing the characters' state of mind and emotional standings. Something I noticed was some re-occuring themes such as despair and discouragement . What was interesting was, most of the characters' emotional standing was dependent on their social and financial status. This hit home to me because I find it to be very sad that people could be so unhappy if they were not surrounded with items and money. To me, it's about being happy with your blessings, not about materialistic things. It's scary to see how much people's heads were such in a different world and state of mind back then. It's almost as if they weren't their own person, but a person who was created and made based on their environment and surroundings.
ReplyDeleteI guess something specific I noticed was one of Elizabeth's friends. Her surroundings and mindset created a very desperate, greedy woman. She put herself in a relationship with a man who was all about riches. It proved that she was not looking for love, but was focused on materialistic items. Because so many people were desperate, she was an example of how desperate some people actually were which completely shocked me. The man Charlotte is with that she's taking advantage of actually tried to be with Elizabeth. Elizabeth, being the good person she was knew it wasn't true love so she refused despite her knowledge of his wealth. I this showed how strong minded and strong willed Elizabeth. Like I said the author showed characteristics of characters throughout the book, I think it was easy to determine what kind of people the characters really were.
If you were Elizabeth, how would you have acted towards Charlotte? I probably would've been a little angry with her. I know that if I were Charlotte, I would not have married a man who proposed to me right after my best friend. Both Charlotte and Mr. Collins must have been insanely desperate for that to work out.
DeleteWhat has shocked you the most in this novel? Has it been more of the money issues, or the social issues? To me, I feel like it's been the money issues, but the social ones stand out a lot as well between the characters.
Continuing on reading Pride and Prejudice, I looked through the psychoanalytic perspective. What I discovered was there was no particular and specific disorder in the novel, and honestly the book is so focused on love and romance that I think even if their was a disorder in one of characters in the book, it would not be aknowleged. However, I could really see the articulate time the author took on describing the characters' state of mind and emotional standings. Something I noticed was some re-occuring themes such as despair and discouragement . What was interesting was, most of the characters' emotional standing was dependent on their social and financial status. This hit home to me because I find it to be very sad that people could be so unhappy if they were not surrounded with items and money. To me, it's about being happy with your blessings, not about materialistic things. It's scary to see how much people's heads were such in a different world and state of mind back then. It's almost as if they weren't their own person, but a person who was created and made based on their environment and surroundings.
ReplyDeleteI guess something specific I noticed was one of Elizabeth's friends. Her surroundings and mindset created a very desperate, greedy woman. She put herself in a relationship with a man who was all about riches. It proved that she was not looking for love, but was focused on materialistic items. Because so many people were desperate, she was an example of how desperate some people actually were which completely shocked me. The man Charlotte is with that she's taking advantage of actually tried to be with Elizabeth. Elizabeth, being the good person she was knew it wasn't true love so she refused despite her knowledge of his wealth. I this showed how strong minded and strong willed Elizabeth. Like I said the author showed characteristics of characters throughout the book, I think it was easy to determine what kind of people the characters really were.
If you were Elizabeth, how would you have acted towards Charlotte? I probably would've been a little angry with her. I know that if I were Charlotte, I would not have married a man who proposed to me right after my best friend. Both Charlotte and Mr. Collins must have been insanely desperate for that to work out.
DeleteWhat has shocked you the most in this novel? Has it been more of the money issues, or the social issues? To me, I feel like it's been the money issues, but the social ones stand out a lot as well between the characters.
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ReplyDelete