Psychoanalysis as a Form of Literary Criticism

Psychoanalysis as a Form of Literary Criticism Psychoanalysis is a set of psychological theories that was founded by the Austrian physician Sigmund Freud in his work Interpretation of Dreams (1900). By bringing up models for the human psyche such as tripartite model (considering human mind as being consisted of an Ego, Superego and Id), proposing different stages of human development (including oral, anal and phallic stage) and also mentioning Oedipus , Electra and Castration complexes, which were a great contribution towards Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic criticism . Oedipus Complex: the unresolved desire of a child for sexual gratification through the parent of the opposite sex, especially the desire of a son for his mother. This involves, first, identification with and, later, hatred for the parent of the same sex, who is considered by the child as a rival. Castration Complex: What prevents the male child from continuing to have incestuous desires for his mother is the fear of being castrated by his father as punishment for his desires. This approach then continued by psychologists such as Carl.G.Jung and Jaques Lacan. Lacan tries to analyze the hows and whys of human action. In this regard language has a significant role, psychoanalysis declares that language shapes the individuals emotions and experiences and as Lacan believed Language shapes and ultimately structures our unconscious and conscious minds while also shaping our self-identity. (Bressler, I34) Because psychoanalysis is concerned with the amorphous human stuff, before it is influenced by culture, language and history, its concern lies in the very intersection of pre-history and history. Pre-history is recognized with qualities such as indivisibility, non-integration, plentitude and oneness while history is related through difference, subjectivity and separation. In other words, the main concern of psychoanalysis is the continual tension between differentiation and non-differentiation. As Lacan believed, human beings go through different stages in order to be able to differentiate themselves as a separate entity in order to reach the sense of individuation. These stages are imaginary order, mirror stage and symbolic order. When the infant is in the first phase, the imaginary order, he imagines himself as united with his mother and cannot see the boundaries, but then in the mirror stage he begins to know that he is separated from his mother and the external world; although, this is just an allusion because he cannot move his body or eat whatever he desires. In the third phase, the symbolic order, the baby considers himself as separated and begins to learn language and this is where language gradually molds his identity. Intro John Fords Tis Pity shes a Whore encourages us to identify with its central characters complete identification with the pre-Oedipal, only for that sympathy to turn belatedly to disgust. The play dramatizes an incestuous relationship between Giovanni and his sister Annabella which leads to pregnancy and ends in disaster and death. Set in Parma, Italy, the story takes place against a background of lust, vengeance and greed that serves as a critique of contemporary culture and morality. Giovanni was warned about the seriousness of his sin by the Friar, but as Giovanni describes it is out of his control. After Annabella decides to end her relation and marry her suitor Soranzo, Giovanni falls in distress. Soranzo plans to catch Giovanni and Anabella in the process of love-making so he leads the situation so that they end up in his own bedroom, and have them murdered. Giovanni talks to Anabella and after realizing their impossible situation he kills her and exits and later on enters Soranz os party with Annabellas heart on his sword and after a battle kills Soranzo and dies himself from his wounds. Analysis Giovanni the central protagonist is a pre-Oedipal narcissist, he returns subjectivity to a pre-Oedipal state which literally consumes the other part of a self and makes two completely separate things into one self-same entity. Incest is a case within the pre-Oedipal stage. It breaks the laws of the post-Oedipal sexual and linguistic difference, in this case confusing the names of brother and sister with the name of lover. Giovanni rejects God as the creator of the world and gives himself the right to refashion and restate laws as a result of his pre-Oedipal desire. Giovanni emphasizing on the oneness he believes with his sister which was the womb where the both were born of seeks reunion and conjoining, looking towards his sister as an object, an object of love and devotion which eases the feeling of division within him. Love symbolically castrates Giovanni and the castration leads him to exile from his identity and masculine self, leading him to a state of a pre-genital, pre-linguis tic non-differentiation.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Giovanni also seeks another kind of unity which is the unity between sign, language and reality and he believes his words are directly from his emotions. Imitating words of poetic lovers; however, this language further separates and alienates him from the object of love which is Annabella for example when he is reading a sonnet for Anabella repeatedly interrupts him, these interruptions indicate Annabellas refusal to see herself in Giovannis inscriptions and results in violence. Unable to cope with losing his Annabella to Soranzo and his refusal of reality he kills and removes Anabellas heart from her body and enters the final scene with the heart on his dagger. Giovannis violent response to the trauma of exile (exile from Anabellas heart, life womb and bed) is to destroy in order to retain everything that is to be separated from him. His pre-Oedipal narcissistic fantasy is based upon the utter eradication or absorption by others leading hi m to create an iconic approach in the final scene obliterating all competing realities. Intro In Ben Jonsons Bartholomew Fair, an ensemble of various London characters attends the yearly fair in Smithfield commemorating the martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew. First performed in 1614, particularly the theme that when social order is turned upside down or absent, predators emerge to construct a new order based on cheating other characters. At the fair, the characters argue, steal, fight, and cheat while consuming roast pig, ale, gingerbread in a swirl of gluttony, profanity, and sex. Three authority figures, Humphrey Wasp, Justice Adam Overdo, and the Puritan Rabbi Zeal-of-the-Land Busy, seek to control other characters, but they cannot control their own appetites. When the three authority figures accede to their own appetites and gorge themselves, the audience and the characters realize that the fair has its own social order. Analysis For the purpose of the psychoanalytic interpretation of Bartholmew Fair, author will be read as Oedipal father/father-figure; audience as fathers wayward children conscripted by the father at the beginning of the play to the principle of solitary, and the fair as the occasional pleasure, sensual release and enjoyments forbidden by the father as audience are expected to keep their distance from the fair, preventing their fall into the pre-Oedipal world of the fair. The Carnival is the pre-modern equivalent of Freuds polymorphously perverse pre-Oedipal child whose bodily drives have not yet been regulated. The bizarre game played by several of the characters of vapours which involves contradicting one another for the sake of contradiction depicts the discharge of undirected bodily energies and the pig-woman Ursula who is the body of the fair psychoanalytical perspectives of the infantile desire towards the mothers body. Quarlous one of the spectators finds Ursula as a swamp that a man can sink within. Based on the Oedipus complex perspective, Ursula is that womb like state which can draw a man back to the non-differentiation state, while the aim of Ursula is to make money out of the fairs visitors, a capitalist simulation of the blissful state of pre-Oedipal indivisibility. Cokes represent an unregulated infant who bothers his guardian because he is attracted to each and every capital object within the fair. Bartholmew Fair is a questioning of e xternal authority and its externally imposed laws of difference and an embrace, which falls under the fantasies of pre-Oedipal state. Conclusion Psychoanalysis plays an important role in literary criticism, the approach to analyze a characters whats and hows of action without an aesthetic concern and to find a reason for their thoughts can be beneficial to the way readers interpret a literary work, and for authors to create distinguished characters based upon their concern. The Oedipus complex and the personality disorders were enlightened through   Giovannis Violence and death in Tis pity shes a Whore, which were a result of the intolerance of separation from his object of love; in addition, Cokes infantile desires in Bartholomew Fair is a shining example of rejecting adult-separateness.

Improving Classroom Behavior and Social Skills Essay

Improving classroom behavior and social skills is pertaining to an over-all impact on the child’s learning abilities. This strategy is particularly aimed when there are students who have disabilities. The teacher directly affects children’s appropriateness and inappropriateness and the classroom set up. It is a must to gauge the structure and reliability of daily activities and the rules of conduct set by teachers in assessing classroom variables. Proactive measures or guidelines have been established in sustaining an atmosphere of positive learning and appropriate behavior for children free or with disabilities. â€Å"Interventions delivered in a regular classroom have the greatest potential to enhance prosocial competencies by altering the classroom social system to support all students, including rejected and isolated students, students with disabilities, and low-performing students, all of whom are at risk for social difficulties† (Rathvon, 2008, p. 321). The Council for Exceptional Children has founded the eight behavioral management measures: Arrange classroom to meet social/emotional needs as well as instructional and organizational needs; adjust schedules to provide a balance between highly structured periods and more stimulating activities; establish a group behavior management plan that incorporates individual needs; Provide direct instruction, programmed learning, and precision teaching lessons; provide group-building opportunities that move students from an â€Å"I† to a â€Å"We† orientation; be aware of how individual needs affect group dynamics; attend to students’ physiological as well as psychological needs; much of the acting out behavior reflects a need for power or attention; and attempt to give as little emotional response as possible to inappropriate behavior (Council for Exceptional Children 2006-2007). The classroom, consists of twenty students, four of them have impairments, is organized but still conducive for playful learning. I have observed the following routines: drawing time, playtime with materials (e.g clay), reading time with teacher and a short recitation after that. These routines are very functional since they don’t only learn skills like creativity and imagination, they also get to mingle and interact with fellow students and unconsciously learn and brainstorm their thoughts and ideas. The four most challenging behaviors during my observation are inability to focus or display of inadequacy, petty fights between pupils, some inappropriate behaviors like noise, which is unavoidable at their age, and loitering around the classroom. The teacher has handled everything with grace. Yelling was never an alternative for her. Though her voice was not as soothing as it should be, she managed to pull out superiority in the softest possible way. She also gives rewards when pupils get satisfactory remarks and this is one of the best strategies at this stage of learning. Noise is one of the most challenging behaviors she had to face. Since children at this stage are very hard to control, judgment can never be made in accordance. But overall, her behavioral techniques and strategies are effective. The students had used the typical verbal and non verbal expressions most of us do. Nodding of head and hand gestures as non verbal communications and answering by yes or no and brief explanation during recitation as verbal. When the teacher says something that they totally agree on, students tend to nod their head repetitively and it goes as well by saying yes or no when the teacher asks them. As preschoolers, their thoughts are not yet firmly constructed. I would prioritize using a soothing tone of voice as a behavioral management technique. This is one of the most significant techniques the teacher overlooked. Reassurances or giving out positive comments is also an important way of appreciating the students’ works. However, criticisms should be given constructively and not degradingly. Well organization of classroom, like cleanliness and things properly placed on their shelves, should also be observed all the time for safety policies. Rewards and punishment is a very effective behavioral management. When a student gets a remark higher than the average, the teacher gives rewards, otherwise, punishment is given. But most of the times, punishment are just given in forms of assignments or projects. References Kelley, M. K., Noell, G., & Reitman, D. (2003). Practitioners Guide to empirically based   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   measures of school behaviour. 18, Rathvon, R. (Ed.) (2008). Effective School Interventions. Guilford Press. Council for Exceptional Children. 2006-2007.

Economy of the Southern colonies between 1607-1775 Essay

The growth of slavery became intertwined in the life of the southern colonies in the 17th century and early and mid 18th century. Slavery slowly evolved from numerous factors. Such factors that lead to the mixing of slavery and the southern colonies’ life were social classes, geographical location and economic problems. The paramount example is Jamestown, Virginia, the first successful English colony. During the development of Jamestown, there was the unintentional creation of social classes. The higher classes were people who had land and money. These were the people who brought indentured servants to the New World to work on the wealthy plantations. The indentured servants would serve out their terms and be free. The majority that became free did not have as much as their previous masters. This brought about the lower class of people, the people who did not have land or money. The next lower class would be the Indians and African slaves. They were separated mainly because of their skin color. They were made as slaves and were forced to work on the plantations. The Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676, the indentured servants’ uprising, lead to the idea of the use of indentured servants dramatically dropped because the indentured servants held a threat to the peace and tranquility of the colony. The idea of slaves emerged as the primary labor force. Slaves were easily identifiable and were able to control through physical intimidation. It was because of Bacon’s Rebellion would massive number of slaves from Africa being to be imported. The majority of laborers on the plantations were African slaves. The plantation owners relied on the African slaves to work their plantations. Their plantations’ labor was needed because of the geographical location. The geographical location of the south made the use of slaves ideal. The land was flat with rich soil and long growing season as well as slow flowing rivers. This meant that farming was ideal in this region. To work the large plantations that would fill the large land, there would be a need of many laborers. The initial concept of indentured servants was dropped after Bacon’s Rebellion and the concept of slaves emerged. The plantation owners began to rely on the African slaves and depended on their labor over the vast land. If there were no African slaves, then there would be no labor and  therefore the land that would produce the cash crops would be gone and the economy of the south would fail. The economic section of the south depended on cash crops which were the paramount cultivation. The reason for having cash crops was because of the geographical location. The cash crops made Jamestown survive though selling the cash crops back to the Old World forming the economic basis, cash crops. There was a need for workers to work the plantations that produced cash crops. The use of slaves became needed and grew on the south so that the south needed the African slaves to survive. Through the outlook of Jamestown, Virginia, it is shown that slaves became intertwined in the economy of the Southern colonies. The social class of slaves being on the bottom made them the labor force on the plantations that formed because of the geographical location, which was large rich land and large growing seasons, was perfect for growing cash crops, the south’s economy. The social class, geographical location and economic factors of the South encouraged slavery because slavery was part of the South’s economy.

The Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver - 1198 Words

Dalilah Bernier Period 2 Part I Title: The Poisonwood Bible Author: Barbara Kingsolver Date of Original Publication: 1998 Biographical information about the author (five facts): -Kingslover was born in 1955 - Throughout her life, she has lived in England, France, and the Canary Islands, and has worked in Europe, Africa, Asia, Mexico, and South America. - Kingsolver was named one the most important writers of the 20th Century by Writers Digest. - Her work, The Poisonwood Bible, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize - She has two daughters and a husband, whom she lives with on a farm in Appalachia. Source: http://www.kingsolver.com/biography/ Genre(s) and characteristics of genre(s): â€Å"a political allegory,† or â€Å"historical fiction† â€Å"Allegory is therefore the veiled presentation in a figurative story of a meaning metaphorically implied, but not expressly stated. Allegory is perhaps characterized as (a set of) prolonged metaphor(s), in which typically a series of actions are symbolic of other actions† . â€Å"Historical Fiction- the genre of literature, film, etc., comprising narratives that take placein the past and are characterized chiefly by an imaginative reconstruction of historical events and personages.† Source: http://producer.csi.edu/cdraney/2010/215/resources/strehle_chosen-people(kingsolver).pdfShow MoreRelatedThe Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver1124 Words   |  5 PagesIn the novel The Poisonwood Bible, written by Barbara Kingsolver, the reader is introduced to the Price family, Baptist missionaries who are attempting to â€Å"Christianize† the country of Congo, more specifically the village of Kilanga. As the story progresses, the family realizes that they are not changing the Congo; instead, the Congo is changing them. The development of the characters within the novel is due to the instrument of cruelty. 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