Psychoanalytic Criticism: A supplementary Discussion

[A.S. Rafi]

Currently I am giving lectures on "psychoanalytic criticism" following Peter Barry's Beginning Theory. Many of the key terms of this particular theoretical approach have been mentioned in this book without offering sufficient or elaborate explanations. So this thread is dedicated to the students and enthusiasts who want to get a clear idea about the predominant psychoanalytic terms. For a better correspondence, this post will arrange the key terms exactly how those have been put in this book:

[A.S. Rafi]

1) Psychoanalysis: The term psychoanalysis is used to refer to many aspects of Freud’s work and research, including Freudian therapy and the research methodology he used to develop his theories. Freud relied heavily upon his observations and case studies of his patients when he formed his theory of personality development.


Source: Kendra Cherry, About.com Guide

[A.S. Rafi]

2) Freud's Three Levels of Mind

According to Freud, the mind can be divided into three different levels:

1.   The conscious mind includes everything that we are aware of. This is the aspect of our mental processing that we can think and talk about rationally. A part of this includes our memory, which is not always part of consciousness but can be retrieved easily at any time and brought into our awareness. Freud called this the preconscious.

2.   The preconscious mind is the part of the mind that represents ordinary memory. While we are not consciously aware of this information at any given time, we can retrieve it and pull it into consciousness when needed.

3.The unconscious mind is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that outside of our conscious awareness. Most of the contents of the unconscious are unacceptable or unpleasant, such as feelings of pain, anxiety, or conflict. According to Freud, the unconscious continues to influence our behavior and experience, even though we are unaware of these underlying influences.

[Shampa Iftakhar]

Rafi:

Very common and probably well-spread theory in literature is psychoanalysis.At present, I am teaching  Connor's 'My Oedipus Complex'  based on this theory. Students get this text bit hard when I relate theory.

[A.S. Rafi]

Exactly! Very common in literature but I think it's the most complicated one as it simultaneously requires intellectual excellence, psychological openness and religious tolerance. Some students do possess the intellect, but the overtly religious discourse and conservative cultural setting where they belong to, make it much challenging for them to grasp the theory and find its application in literature.

[A.S. Rafi]

3) Repression:

Repression is another well-known defense mechanism. Repression acts to keep information out of conscious awareness. However, these memories don't just disappear; they continue to influence our behavior. For example, a person who has repressed memories of abuse suffered as a child may later have difficulty forming relationships.

[A.S. Rafi]

4) Sublimation:

Sublimation is a defense mechanism that allows us to act out unacceptable impulses by converting these behaviors into a more acceptable form. For example, a person experiencing extreme anger might take up kick-boxing as a means of venting frustration. Freud believed that sublimation was a sign of maturity that allows people to function normally in socially acceptable ways.

[A.S. Rafi]

5) psychoanalytic theory of personality

According to Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, personality is composed of three elements. These three elements of personality--known as the id, the ego and the superego--work together to create complex human behaviors.

[A.S. Rafi]

5 (a)  The Id

The id is the only component of personality that is present from birth. This aspect of personality is entirely unconscious and includes of the instinctive and primitive behaviors. According to Freud, the id is the source of all psychic energy, making it the primary component of personality.
The id is driven by the pleasure principle, which strives for immediate gratification of all desires, wants, and needs. If these needs are not satisfied immediately, the result is a state anxiety or tension. For example, an increase in hunger or thirst should produce an immediate attempt to eat or drink. The id is very important early in life, because it ensures that an infant's needs are met. If the infant is hungry or uncomfortable, he or she will cry until the demands of the id are met.
However, immediately satisfying these needs is not always realistic or even possible. If we were ruled entirely by the pleasure principle, we might find ourselves grabbing things we want out of other people's hands to satisfy our own cravings. This sort of behavior would be both disruptive and socially unacceptable. According to Freud, the id tries to resolve the tension created by the pleasure principle through the primary process, which involves forming a mental image of the desired object as a way of satisfying the need.

[A.S. Rafi]

5 (b) The Ego

The ego is the component of personality that is responsible for dealing with reality. According to Freud, the ego develops from the id and ensures that the impulses of the id can be expressed in a manner acceptable in the real world. The ego functions in both the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious mind.
The ego operates based on the reality principle, which strives to satisfy the id's desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways. The reality principle weighs the costs and benefits of an action before deciding to act upon or abandon impulses. In many cases, the id's impulses can be satisfied through a process of delayed gratification--the ego will eventually allow the behavior, but only in the appropriate time and place.
The ego also discharges tension created by unmet impulses through the secondary process, in which the ego tries to find an object in the real world that matches the mental image created by the id's primary process.

[A.S. Rafi]

5 (c) The Superego

The last component of personality to develop is the superego. The superego is the aspect of personality that holds all of our internalized moral standards and ideals that we acquire from both parents and society--our sense of right and wrong. The superego provides guidelines for making judgments. According to Freud, the superego begins to emerge at around age five

[Tahsina]

Just a little note: Freud was accused of being overtly sexual in relating his ideas. Not always he was right in his interpretations. 

[Shampa Iftakhar]

His theory is not scientific also. For more, visit the following links:

http://samvak.tripod.com/psychoanalysis4.html
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/science/psychoanalysi...