Psychoanalytic notes

Psychoanalytic Criticism

By Sara Bobok, Aaron Chan, Emily Downing, Danielle Rice, and Stephanie Tate

Historical Background and Context

Freud was influenced by

● Philosophy Tutor: Brentano possibility

of

the unconscious mind

● Eduard Von Hartmann

Philosophy

of the

Unconscious

● Charles Darwin major

evolutionary theory

writings

Quick Biography of Sigmund Freud

● Born in 1856 in Austria

● Founding father of Psychoanalysis

● Medical Degree from University of Vienna

(~1881)

● Sets up private medical practice in Vienna

(~1886)

● Died in 1939 from jaw cancer

Freudian Interpretations of Sleeping Beauty - Application

●

Id, Ego, and Superego: Maleficent, Aurora and Philip could be seen as Id, Ego, and Superego

because of their roles (unconscious immoral urges, conscious decisions, and moral values).

● Displacement:

The story could represent a parent’s fear of their child losing their moral direction.

Maleficent represents corruption, and Philip represents the sexual curiosity which a child should be

shielded from until they are older. They isolated her from the rest of the world to keep her innocence

and morality.

● Oedipus complex:

Both Philip and Aurora feel the desire to “replace” their father and mother by taking

their place as king and queen, thus seeking a princess and prince, respectively.

●

Transference: At some point in the past, Maleficent was denounced in some harsh way (i.e. affairs in

the kingdom). She redirects her anger towards the king by putting a curse on his daughter.

Fundamentals

Id, Ego and Superego:

Three distinct parts of the

mind: unconscious, conscious and conscience,

respectively.

Fundamental Tenet:

All present experiences and

beliefs are a product of past experiences and

events.

Implications

● The “urge” to write could be related to

various unconscious conflicts that feel the

need to surface.

● Context of the book plays an important role

in the interpretation of the text.

● Readers should try to extract the author’s

conscious

and subconscious message.

● Freudian interpretation is not always

applicable.

Terms

Repression:

‘Forgetting’ or ignoring unresolved

conscious conflicts by putting them into the

subconscious instead.

Transference:

Past emotions surface and are

directed at the analyst or others.

Oedipus Complex:

Male infant is determined to

eliminate the father and become a sexual partner

of the mother struggle

in patriarchal society.

Libido:

Energy drive associated with sexual

desire.

Dream Work:

A process where real events and

desires are manifested through dreams.

Displacement:

One person or event is

turned into a different but associated

person or event.

Condensation:

People and events are

combined into one dream symbol