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Critical Lenses

Critical Lenses. Psychoanalytic Criticism: Jungian. Jungian Criticism :. Unconscious mind not limited to sexual impulses; source of spiritual and creative energy Two levels of unconscious mind: the personal unconscious (like Freud) and the collective unconscious

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Critical Lenses

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  1. Critical Lenses Psychoanalytic Criticism: Jungian

  2. Jungian Criticism: • Unconscious mind not limited to sexual impulses; source of spiritual and creative energy • Two levels of unconscious mind: the personal unconscious (like Freud) and the collective unconscious • Jung theorized that all humans carry archetypes (universal images and patterns) in our individual and collective unconscious

  3. Jungian Criticism: • Archetypes cannot be known directly • Surface in art imperfectly as archetypal images (snake with its tail in its mouth, rebirth, mother, syzygy, descent into Hell) • Jungian critic attempts to (imperfectly) understand the archetype beneath the archetypal images or shadows in the characters, plot, language, and images of a work, and to bring these together in an archetypal interpretation

  4. Jungian Quest: • Assumes that the monomyth of the Quest underlies archetypal images • Hero forced to leave comfortable surroundings and venture in an unfamiliar, new world filled with new challenges • Meet wise old man who helps out with guidance and advice • Barrier tests the fledgling hero (tends to separate familiar world from unfamiliar)

  5. Jungian Quest (cont’d): • Adventures along the way – tests to prove the hero is worthy, training to prepare for final showdown • Ultimate showdown with the Shadow (father figure, the Other) • Hero returns, ready to take his place as an adult, responsible member of society, often symbolized by marriage • Father (or mother) figure overthrown; hero takes the place of parent

  6. Familiar world Threshold Land of adventure Jungian Criticism: Home Respected adult Call to adventure guide Crossing Return Initiation: Overthrowing Shadow Adventures

  7. Jungian Criticism: • Animus: archetypal masculine principle • urge towards consciousness • abstract knowledge • logic • Anima: archetypal feminine principle • pull of unconscious • instinctive knowledge • emotions

  8. Jungian Criticism: • Infant: animus and anima are united • Emerging conscious/animus must separate from unconscious/anima—this is necessary • Danger if conscious/animus become too detached from unconscious/anima • Quest often involves balancing animus and anima

  9. Jungian Criticism: Three psychological purposes for a quest • To overthrow our parents • To overthrow the part(s) of ourselves we fear • To bring our animus and anima into balance All of these are really about our desire to become respected adults who are mentally and emotionally healthy.

  10. Jungian Critical Questions • In what way can the text be viewed as an archetypal quest? • Can male and female characters represent the animus and anima? • What does the text tell us about any or all of the quest goals? In other words, what does it demonstrate about the maturation process?

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