Discussion on the relationship between Freud’s psychoanalysis and literary criticism
Paper abstract: This article starts with the analysis of Freud’s psychoanalysis and attempts to outline its thoughts at different stages of development. Context, focusing on the contribution of this theory to literary criticism and its main shortcomings. The famous Austrian scholar Freud (signlUnd lreUd) is the founder of the psychoanalytic literary criticism theory. His psychoanalytic method is one of the two major theoretical cornerstones of the Western literary trend that originated in Europe at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. For this This Western trend of thought, characterized by irrationalism, has had a profound influence. Psychoanalysis has a very close relationship with literary criticism. With the help of this theory, many hidden deep meanings in the field of literary criticism can be revealed, and it can provide a new research perspective for literary criticism.
Paper Keywords: Psychoanalysis, Literary Criticism, Freud’s New Perspective on Western Literary Trends
In the 20th century, mankind has made unprecedented achievements in politics, culture, economy, science, technology, etc. achievements, which to a certain extent promoted the development and prosperity of Western literary criticism theory. Philosophers such as Nietzsche and Kant expounded different views and opinions on literary creation based on their respective world views and methodologies, and became an important source of ideas for Western literary trends. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, various literary works were characterized by irrationalism. The literary trend of thought has made its debut in European and American countries, and various critical schools have emerged. Formalism, new critical theory, structuralism, modernism, feminism, deconstruction, etc. are surging, ebbing and flowing, coming and going in their own way. Influenced the Western literary world.
In this massive trend of Western literary thought, Freud’s psychoanalytic criticism has had a long-term impact on the Western literary world with its unique and profound theoretical system. In the analysis and interpretation of literary works, Play a very unique role. Due to historical limitations, although this theory has some shortcomings such as pansexualism, there is no doubt that it has made a huge contribution to Western literary criticism.
1. The main theoretical achievements of psychoanalysis
Freud’s psychoanalysis has built a bridge between literature and psychology, and people can interpret literary works from a new perspective. . Its contribution to literary criticism is multifaceted, and can be summarized in five main points: (1) giving literary images more symbolic meaning; (2) borrowing and introducing the psychological concepts of the Electra complex and the Oedipus complex, opening up a new world The research horizons of literary critics; (3) Freud's ideas about psychological "type models" and "psychological process structure models" provide theoretical basis for literary critics to conduct psychoanalysis of characters in works; (4) His related The theory of life and death instinct is helpful in analyzing the theme of death in works; (5) The humanistic research method he proposed breaks through the traditional thinking framework of analyzing the biography of writers in the past.
The trend of Western literary thought in the 20th century is the greatest humanistic liberation since the White Enlightenment Movement. Looking at the literary criticism of this historical period, we can find that although psychoanalysis faces structuralism, phenomenology and original criticism, Despite the constant impact of many literary and artistic trends such as criticism, it is still developing vigorously and influencing the creations of many philanthropic scholars. In addition to the theoretical charm of psychoanalysis itself, it also benefited from the many disciples of Dinig Freud, who critically inherited and It developed the mentor's knowledge and injected new vitality into the psychoanalytic method.
2. The Contribution of Psychoanalysis to Literary Criticism
Psychoanalysis has opened up a new research dimension for literary criticism and provided a refreshing and exciting solution to many problems that have long plagued literary research. A convincing explanation. Its contribution to literary criticism is mainly reflected in the following five aspects:
First, although there are many schools of Western literary theory in the 20th century, they generally have one thing in common: they focus on textual interpretation. According to Freudian interpretation, there are universal symbolic meanings in literary works, many of which are related to sex. For example, most psychoanalysts compare the concave and round things in works to wombs. What's more, they tend to compare an empty house to female genitals, and the people hiding in the empty house symbolize trying to seek maternal protection; at the same time, psychoanalysts usually also compare the objects in their works like tree trunks, towers, Images such as snakes and mountains are regarded as symbols of male genitals, and vigorous sports, such as riding and flying, are regarded as manifestations of sexual happiness.
It is an indisputable fact that the major writers in the West in the 20th century were more or less influenced by Freud's theory in their creations. Literary critics can better unearth the symbols and connotations in the works with the help of Freudian psychoanalysis, which helps to understand the works thoroughly.
For example, the master of symbolism and American writer Ernest Hemingway was also deeply influenced by Freud’s theory. His novel A Farewell to Arms was created using symbolic techniques. masterpiece. The word "arms" in his symbolic book title not only means "weapon", but also symbolizes "embrace, hug", that is, "love".
In addition, the novel also interweaves two themes from beginning to end: on the one hand, it reveals the cruelty of war and the protagonist's war-weariness; on the other hand, it describes the constant frustrations that love encounters.
However, the Freudian interpretation is not impeccable. The neglect of the aesthetic function of literature and the default of language media are two major weaknesses. For this reason, the theory is often criticized by some critics. censure. Sydney once said that literature is a medium that "educates and entertains" people.
Muir advocated that the purpose of writing is to educate, and the purpose of poetry is to entertain and teach. It can be seen that the aesthetic function of literature is realized through language, because literature is the art of language. Moreover, language also plays the role of organizational structure in literary works.
Critics have found further symbols in concepts such as "self-eroticism" (a child's desire for his own body) and "castration complex" (complex), which represents primitive biological needs. significance.
In fact, many Freudian symbolic meanings are often too arbitrary and subjective, and therefore cannot withstand in-depth scrutiny and are sometimes unbelievable.
Second, Freud’s unique discussion of the “Electra Complex” and the “Oedipus Complex” is of great help to commentators in analyzing the relationship between the writer Niu Ping and the motif of his work. According to Freud's thoughts, his complex theory reveals an important gradual stage in the human spiritual field, that is, the emergence of the ego and superego, and the development of personality, from family (nature) to a broader background (culture). Moreover, Freud believed that the external sense of authority and the internal sense of morality will affect a person's life. It can be inferred from this that Freud's theory is not limited to the existence of the individual, but also points to the more profound external world.
Freud first mentioned the concept of "Electric Father Complex" in his masterpiece "The Interpretation of Dreams". He gave a comprehensive explanation of it, calling it "the desire to achieve something." A disguised expression of desire.” The Interpretation of Dreams is a book that "had a huge impact on both literary criticism and literary theory."
Freud created the "Electra Complex" through his unique research and analysis of Sophokraus's "Oedipus the King" and Shakespeare's play Hamlet. "theory. Domestic scholar Wang Ning (2000) believes that the application of the "Electra complex" in literary criticism is Freud's most outstanding contribution to psychoanalysis and a major breakthrough in Shakespeare research in the 20th century. Before Freud, critics had different opinions on Hamlet's reluctance to implement his revenge plan and his indecisive character. They can't help but ask: Is Hamlet really crazy? Is he pretending to be crazy? The famous British psychoanalyst Ernest Jones was the first researcher to use Freud's theory to analyze Shakespeare's works. In his paper entitled "On the Use of the Electra Complex to Explain Hamlet's Mystery" (1910), he made the following astonishing conclusion: It was the murderer Claudius Hughes who made Hamlet determined to avenge his father's murder. , relieved the depression complex in childhood. To this end, Jones also cited many facts in an effort to prove Hamlet's hesitant, conflicted and hesitant mental state at the critical moment of implementing his revenge plan. Although Hamlet ultimately takes his revenge, he remains a tragic figure.