Psychoanalytic Criticism Essay

Sigmund Freud, a well-known psychologist, believes the unconscious laughingstock be unlocked through dreams. He delimitate the unconscious as, the storehouse of those painful experiences and emotions, those wounds, cautions, guilty desires, and unresolved conflicts we do not know about because we feel we will be overwhelmed by them (Tyson). psychoanalytic criticism, a form of criticism which eitherows the reader to psychoanalyze an authors unconscious through the characters of his or her work(s), is heavily influenced by Freudian theories of psychology. Since Sigmund Freud explored the deeds of the unconscious, he found that his patients developed compositiony defense and anxiety mechanisms to allot with disagree qualified ideas, painful memories, feelings or impulses. Nella Larson, author to of Passing, created two diverse characters wake different signs to support Freuds defense mechanisms and repressionClare Kendry and Irene Redfield.Clare Kendry, one of the main charact ers in the book, represses much of her discolouren history to meet societal expectations. At the bloodline of Passing, Larson gives a short backstory to Clares life portraying her biracial background. As the novel progressed, readers meet an attractive- airing womanwith those dark, al close bleak, eyes and a wide brim like a scarlet flower against the ivory of her skin (Larson, 9). formerly this eye-catching woman introduces herself to her longtime friend, Irene Redfield, as Clare, she declares she has passed into the purity community. During the civil rights movement, if a biracial individuals skin complexion come forthed closer to ovalbumin than black he or she would be able to pass into the flannel society. As she reads the story of her lost years to Irene, one can tell Clare has repressed her black history as a result of contemptible in with two discolor aunts after her father died. She has this a locus in the family since her aunts were racist against the black com munity.This prejudice against black people unconsciously helped Clare in repressing her black identity. Clares aunts were hypocrites in their religious beliefs because for all their Bibles and praying and ranting about honesty, they didnt necessitate anyone to know that their darling companion had seducedruined, they called ita Negro girl. They could excuse the ruin, but they couldnt forgive the tar-brush (Larson, 19). When maintenance with her aunts, she was conditioned to believe she was 100% white. This conditioning influences Clare to pass into the white community, loss her black history behind. In a way, since Clare has conditioned herself to live among white people, she cautions her identity will be compromised. Eventually, she marries a rich, white man named tail end Bellewan extreme racist. During one of Irenes visits, Clare confessed that she would never go through the horrors of gestation again because she nearly died in terror the w yap nine months forwards Marger y (her daughter) was born (Larson, 26) because she feared that Margery might be dark (Larson, 26).This fear coincides with Clares repression of fractional of her identitysomething she has been trained not to accept especially since she married a very prejudice man. After re-meeting Irene in the restaurant in Chicago, Clare begins to look up to her as more than a friend by r severallying out to Irene Redfield and showing discreet signs of projection. Since she did not make up a bugger off figure growing up, she instinctively projects that solitary need onto her friend, Irene. When Irene and Clare bump into each other at the restaurant, Clare professes her need to discriminate Irene on a unfluctuating basis, And now, Rene dear, that Ive found you, I mean to see rafts and lots of you (Larson, 16). This proves Clares need for projection, hoping that Irene would fill that motherly intent. Clares projection could correspond many things but one stands out clearshe is absorbing t o unconsciously revert back to her black heritage and needs that motherly role modal to guide her back to her own identity.Unlike Clare, Irene Redfield has different psychoanalytical issues, one of which regards low self-esteem. Throughout Passing, Irene starts to despise Clare because of her confidence. Clare shows traits that she yearns to possess indicating that Irene doesnt see her self-worth. Irene is jealous of Clares beauty and outgoing attitude. Irene knows Clare carries heavy baggage because she is privateness her identity from her economize but it seems like Irene hates the fact that Clare doesnt appear to have a care in the world Irene doubted the genuineness of it, eyesight herself only as a means to an end where Clare was concerned. Nor could it be give tongue to that Clare had even the slight artistic or sociological interest in the race that some members of other races displayed. She hadnt. No, Clare Kendry cared nothing for the race. She only belonged to it. (Lar son, 36). This passage is the starting point of Irenes jealousy. In her mind, Clare had it all.She is married to a rich, white man who sees her as a white woman whereas Irene is married to a black manalmost making it impossible for her to ever pass into the white community especially because one of her sons shares his fathers skin tone. Irene in addition dislikes Clares appearance during the Negro Welfare League Dance because she thinks her husband might find Clares apparel attractive. When she noticed Clares fair dress and features, she regretted that she hadnt counseled Clare to wear something ordinary and inconspicuous (Larson, 53). This dance was the outgrowth of Irenes fear of betrayal and abandonment. Towards the end of the book, Irene suspects her husband, Brian, is having an affair with Clare. Despite what she suspects, she doesnt want to believe it. Because she thinks that as long as Clares black history is kept from John, Irene has nothing to worry about. Despite how Ir ene feels, Clare is bold and avant-gardewilling to jeopardize everything to be free of Johns grasp.Irene couldnt bear losing Brian especially if Clare gains marital freedom It was that smile that maddened Irene. She ran crossways the room, her terror tinged with ferocity, and laid a hand on Clares clean arm. One thought possessed her. She couldnt have Clare Kendry cast off by Bellew. She couldnt have her free (Larson, 79). This excerpt proves that Irene has a fear of abandonment and a fear of betrayal. She cannot handle her husband betraying her for Clare Kendry, and she does not want to raise the boys alone. Irene to a fault shows signs of repression and selective memory What happened next, Irene Redfield never afterwards allowed herself to remember. neer clearly (Larson 79). Irene knows what had happened but repressed the memory because she wouldnt have been able to handle having murder on her hands.When the detective asks her what had happened, she, instead, remembers what s he wants to remember and tells him Clare simply wing out the window before anyone could stop her. With Irenes unfortunate luck, he believes herallowing the new memory of Clare Kendrys death to take place of the true event. Much of Irenes responses to Clares persona reflect what many blacks must(prenominal) have felt during the Civil Rights movement. During the Civil Rights Movement, the Jim Crow laws were established and separationism was made legal. Unfortunately, the black community received the shorter end of the stick and had to wear down harsh treatment. Because of the hardships many black men and women had to tolerate, a psychological illness was developed. Due to the heavy white influence, black people were subjected.Like Irene, they most likely experienced avoidance, low self-esteem, fear of intimacy, abandonment or betrayal. racial men and women who passed into the white society found a loop hole to escape the disadvantages of segregation. Nella Larson captured a mor bid, yet perfect, moment of how fear can literally drive a person over the edge and do any(prenominal) it takes for the fear to absolve. She portrayed Sigmund Freuds defense mechanisms and anxieties well and understood the consequences of repression and fear. Repression is a double-edged sword. It is necessary to cope with tragic events and/or thoughts but it is also a powerful vice to the human mind.The defenses and anxieties Sigmund Freud discovered through his experiments could fuck off or break a persondepending on their mental condition. Fears can either conquer or be conquered. Clare wanted to conquer her fear by leaving her husband, John. She wanted to free herself from his prejudice attitude and start a new life where she wouldnt have to hide her black history. On the downside, Irene Redfield allowed her fear and rage consume her conscious, giving her the weapon she need to kill Clare Kendryparanoia. If Irene wasnt so afraid of losing her husband, then she wouldnt have had to kill Clare to eliminate her fears of solitude and betrayal.Works CitedLarson, Nella. Passing. London W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2007. Book. Luft, Joseph and Harrington Ingham. SMALL stem INSTRUCTOR TRAINING COURSE. 1984. Chapter 5 Johari Window. Web. 11 November 2012. . Tyson, Lois. Critical Theory today A User-Friendly Guide. 2nd. New York City Taylor and Francis Group, 2009. Web.