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Psychoanalytic Criticism: A supplementary Discussion

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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.

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