Analytic Approaches to Literature (Overview)

Definition of Analysis: the examination of smaller parts and their relation to the larger whole.

The Major Approaches:

Psychological – examines the inner mind (motivations) of the characters and/or author.

Mythological/Religious – examines cultural universalities (myths, morals, conceptions of the universe)

Literary/Textual – examines how the writing is structured and what techniques are being used.

Sociological/Historical – examines how groups in society operate over the course of time

Horner 2007

Assignment (Practice)

Actively read the Story “The Ant and The Grasshopper” on pages 8-11 in your textbook.

• Create two questions for each analytical approach

(Imagine what someone from each of these perspectives would ask about this story)

(8 questions total)

Group Compilation

Psychological –What events in the author’s life may have inspired the theme of this story?

Mythological/Religious – Does this story reflect the dominant religious viewpoint? What and how are symbols employed?

Literary/Textual – How have the author’s choices regarding literary techniques shaped this piece?

Sociological/Historical - When and where was this story written and what can be derived from the culture of that period?

The Ant and The Grasshopper

Analytic Approaches- Some Primary Questions

What do you know about psychology and Sigmund Freud and his theories?

Describe your dream life. Do you usually remember your dreams?

Do you have recurring dreams/nightmares?

What’s the last dream you remember?

What did it mean?

Journal – 10 min.

1. According to Freud, what is the purpose of dreaming?

2. What are the four components of dream work?

3. Why did Freud believe that studying dreams was so important?

Questions Vocab

Consciousness

Ego

Id

Latent

Psychoanalysis

REM

Superego

As you watch the film clip, be able to answer the questions and define the terms.

Doodles of flowers indicate a gentle

personality… Roses with sharp thorns can

indicate betrayal of love

Psychological Analysis

       He believed the mind could be divided into 3 categories:

The id contains "primitive desires" (hunger, rage, sex),

The super-ego contains internalized norms, morality and taboos.

The ego mediates between the two.

  The father of modern psychology

 Known for his studies of the repression, sexual desire and the unconscious mind

People who draw arrows have

direction and ambition.

Freud believed that the psyche, or "soul" of an individual was shaped like an iceberg. The small part that remained above the surface for all to see was the ego, the individual's self image that he projected to the world.

id

super ego

“negotiator”

ego

Review/ Key Ideas

Thus, psychoanalyzing a work of literature can give us great insight into

the unconscious of the author.

(psychological approach)

• From “The Ant and the Grasshopper” analyze the short story from a strict Freudian perspective.

• What might represent the id, ego and superego?

• Identify a minimum of two pieces of evidence for each element to support your interpretation.

What do you associate with each of these images?

When and where have you seen them?

Journal

Mythological Analysis

•A student of Freud who differed in views of human nature.

•Jung believed that human nature was more than a collection of repressed desires and fears.

•He was influenced by religion, art and mythology.

•Jung divided the mind into the ego, the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious.

is the reservoir of all human experience. According to

Jung all people were connected at this level .

• Archetypes comes from the Greek word archetypos, meaning “first of its kind.”

• They are universal images/concepts/ ideas that come from shared common experiences, which transcend time, place and culture.

• The value in using archetypal characters in fiction derives from the fact that we unconsciously already recognize the archetype, and thus the motivations, behind the character's behavior.

Mythological Analysis

examples

Read through the descriptions of the hero and villain archetypes.

1. Decide on five of the archetypes that fit your personality best and draw and label a pie chart representing these archetypes proportionately.

2. Write in paragraph format about how the three most dominant archetypes show up in your personality. Be specific by giving multiple examples.

the c

harm

er

the devilthe black widow

the best friend

the professor

Archetype Pie Chart