Heart of Darkness in the Light of Psychoanalytic Theories.

Psychoanalytic Criticism Psychoanalytic criticism originated in the work of Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, who pioneered the technique of psychoanalysis. Freud developed a language that described, a model that explained, and a theory that encompassed human psychology. His theories are directly and indirectly concerned with the nature of the unconscious mind. Through his multiple case studies, Freud managed to find convincing evidence that most of our actions are motivated by psychological forces over which we have very limited control (Guerin 127). One of Freuds most important contributions to the study of the psyche is his theory of repression: the unconscious mind is a repository of repressed desires, feelings,†¦show more content†¦In condensation, several wishes, anxieties or persons may be condensed into a single manifestation or image in dream story; in displacement, a thought or a person may be displaced onto the image of another with which or whom there is an e xtremely loose and arbitrary association that only an analyst can decode. Psychoanalytic critics treat metaphors as if they were dream condensations; they treat metonyms- figures of speech based on weak connections- as if they were dream displacements. Thus, figures of speech in general are treated as aspects that see the light when the writers conscious mind resists what the unconscious asks it to depict or describe. Psychoanalytic criticism written before 1950 tended to study the psyche of the individual author. Poems, novels and plays were treated as fantasies that allowed authors to release curbed desires, or to protect themselves from deep- rooted fears, or both. Later, psychoanalytic critics stopped assuming that artists are borderline neurotics or that the characters they fabricate and the figurative language they use can be analyzed to figure out the dark, hidden fancies in the authors minds. So they moved their focus toward the psychology of the reader, and came to underst and that artists are skilled creators of works that appeal to the readers repressed wishes. As such, psychoanalytic criticism typically attempts to do at least one of the following tasks:Show MoreRelatedPsychoanalytic Criticism Originated In The Work Of Austrian1287 Words   |  6 PagesPsychoanalytic criticism originated in the work of Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Freud discovered that most of our actions are motivated by psychological forces over which we have very limited control. One of Freud’s most important contributions to the study of the psyche is his theory of repression: the unconscious mind is a repository of repressed desires, feelings, memories, wishes and instinctual drives. A principal element in Freud’s theory is his assignment of the mental processes toRead MoreEssay about Heart of Darkness: Psychoanalytic Criticism4502 Words   |  19 PagesHeart of Darkness: Psychoanalytic Criticism Psychoanalytic criticism originated in the work of Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, who pioneered the technique of psychoanalysis. Freud developed a language that described, a model that explained, and a theory that encompassed human psychology. His theories are directly and indirectly concerned with the nature of the unconscious mind. Through his multiple case studies, Freud managed to find convincing evidence that most of our actions are motivatedRead MoreEssay on Feminist Theory in Heart of Darkness1199 Words   |  5 PagesMonsters in Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad’s varying depiction of women in his novel Heart of Darkness provides feminist literary theory with ample opportunity to explore the overlying societal dictation of women’s gender roles and expectations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The majority of feminist theorists claim that Conrad perpetuates patriarchal ideology, yet there are a few that argue the novel is gendered feminine. Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar claim â€Å"Conrad’s Heart of Darkness†¦penetratesRead More Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Carl Jungs Principle of Opposites2119 Words   |  9 Pagespioneer of psychoanalytic theory along with his former partner and mentor, Sigmund Freud. 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The analogy of a flashlight comes to mind; the light of consciousness illumines whatever is attended to, leaving everything else in obscurity. As gold and silver deserve to have their integrity as unique substances respected, so do humans understandably try to uphold the purity of their given inclinations