Psychoanalysis And The Defensive Mechanism - 1647 Words

When it comes to literary works, psychoanalytic critics â€Å"pay close attention to the unconscious motives and feelings of the author and characters within the literary work† (Barry 105). _______ By applying psychoanalytic concepts, the fundamental objective for critics is to probe for the underlying or â€Å"covert† content within a work in order to deduce what the work is about (Barry 105). For example, this can be done by analyzing textural elements. Critics will also attempt to distinguish major conflicts within the work as part of extracting important and relevant information in order to form a theory of the overall meaning of the play (Barry 105). Within psychoanalysis, the defensive mechanism is a significant to look for throughout the play. This concept conceived by Freud is described as the reaction of the mind to â€Å"operate at an unconscious level and help ward off unpleasant feelings or make good things feel better for the individual† (McLeod). The mind works to protect the individual from stressful situations. Besides fixation, regression, repression, and sublimation that was listed in the second paragraph, defensive mechanisms also includes denial, displacement, and projection. Of the ideas listed, repression plays the most pivotal role within Willy’s psyche. To gain a better understanding of repression, this defense mechanism is defined as the tendency to inhibit—consciously or unconsciously—the experience and expression of negative emotions or unpleasant cognitions inShow MoreRelatedCompare and Contrast the Main Principles in Any Two of the Followingpsychological Therapies: Psychoanalysis, Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Therapy or Humanistic Therapy1584 Words   |  7 PagesPsychology Assignment 1 â€Å"Compare and contrast the main principles in any two of the followingPsychological therapies: psychoanalysis, behavior therapy, cognitive therapy or humanistic therapy.† Over the detritus of centuries, mental illnesses (such as anxiety, depression and personality disorder) have been a major contentious topic, especially in the medieval times in which religion centered, cultural and traditional influenced people deemed these exhibiting symptoms of psychopathology asRead MoreReaction Paper of Sigmund Freud1227 Words   |  5 Pagesinfluential? 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