Psychoanalytic Approach to Literary Texts: An Introduction to Literary Criticism under Freudian Influence

Author: J. Belman-Noel
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: As part of a series of books for university freshmen, psychoanalytic approaches to literary texts are not isolated. To facilitate reading and comprehension, we first explain the relevant terminology in the book, clarifying its meaning in the relevant field and its significance for literature students. Perhaps people may find it difficult to understand why literary criticism adopts psychological theories. In fact, the purpose of psychological theories is to help those who cannot live normally due to hidden emotional issues by understanding human mental mechanisms. Given that even professionals hold some inaccurate views on psychotherapy, we should first clarify the precise meaning of the term "psychoanalysis." We aim to reach a consensus and explain the psychoanalytic theory and related psychotherapies as clearly as possible in brief terms. This will be the main content of the first chapter. Considering the complexity of the human soul, as well as the difficulty of understanding it and the need to find a more reliable investigative method, readers will not be truly surprised by the length of the first chapter. Additionally, people may ask: In general, the term "text" often refers to literary works, so what does "text" mean here? The answer is simple: a text refers to a critique where the author is no longer the primary focus. A text, even a work like The Red and the Black, should be considered as Stendhal and his series of creations. Then, what kind of critique is this? It is inappropriate to liken "psychoanalyzing a text" to treating a patient. In reality, "psychoanalyzing a text" refers to reading and understanding the text better by considering the role of the unconscious, based on Freud's theory. This is a point we need to clarify promptly, as (as readers will see in Chapter 2) psychoanalysts starting with Freud naturally focused on the author's unconscious. This approach has led to some misunderstandings, confusion, and abnormal attitudes, which we will analyze. Over time, in the past three or four decades, this perspective has changed. In Chapter 3, we will explain under what conditions the psychoanalytic approach to literary works has been adjusted. In fact, the loss of the precious literary quality of works is due to the previous almost medical traditional perspective from which they were viewed. From then on, the authority no longer lies with psychoanalysts or literary historians but with critics who love the works themselves, who will offer critiques based on their own understanding of the works. At the end of this book, we will take Baudelaire's works as examples to explore how, in practice, considering the unconscious can further interpret the text of the works and understand how this method reveals a meaning often missed by us, rather than the meaning the work "itself" has. Because, in principle, a work's meaning is infinite. After grasping this often missed meaning, we can faintly understand why representative works of literature and art evoke beauty and pleasure and how they touch the depths of our souls.