Interpreting Literature By Means Of Psychoanalysis English Literature Essay

Interpreting Literature By Means Of Psychoanalysis English Literature Essay Psychological criticism is a way of interpreting literature by means of psychoanalysis, a form of interpretation developed by Dr. Sigmund Freud. In the practice of psychoanalysis, Freud attempted to understand the interaction of the conscious and unconscious mind. He believed that repressed conflicts and fears could be uncovered by having the patient speak freely and openly so that the listener may decipher hidden meanings and motives the patient might be unaware of. Much of his most famous hypotheses focus on the realm of the unconscious mind and how it goes about manifesting itself. Similarly, the role of psychological criticism is to attempt to analyze and draw conclusions from suppressed desires, conflicts, and fears within the realm of the unconscious of the characters, author, or even the reader of the piece of literature. This form of criticism can easily be applied to William Faulkners A Rose for Emily, a short story about the decaying life of Miss Emily Grierson as seen thro ugh the perspective of the town she lives in. Devastated by the loss of her father, Emily keeps herself isolated from everyone in the community except for Homer Barron, whom she later kills and holds on to in a last act of holding on to the past. To better understand Emily Griersons isolation from a psychological perspective, we must take a look at the underlying motivations within her character. Such motivations, can be discovered from many aspects of the story such as the setting and the relationship that Emily has between her late father and the entire community. Emilys isolation can also be seen in her behavior of avoidance and denial. The shot story  ¿Ã‚ ½A Rose for Emily ¿Ã‚ ½ takes place in a small town in the deep south shortly after the Civil War. Miss Emily came from the Grierson family, a noble, upper-class family from the time. She  ¿Ã‚ ½had been a tradition, a duty, a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town ¿Ã‚ ½ showing that she had noblesse oblige and she intended to keep it that way. The neighborhood that she lived in was quickly changing, where  ¿Ã‚ ½only Miss Emilys house was left, lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps ¿Ã‚ ½an eyesore among eyesores. ¿Ã‚ ½ While the town had progressed and modernized as most towns at the time did due to the change in ideals from the old generation to the new one, Miss Emily stagnated. In fact, she refused to change her ways at all.  ¿Ã‚ ½When the town got free postal delivery Miss Emily alone refused to let them fasten metal numbers above her door and attach a mailbox to it. She would not l isten to them. ¿Ã‚ ½ The house she lives in is old and run-down, and is a displacement for the state Miss Emily is in. It has stayed the same for many years, and so has she, which is the way she wants it. However, by doing so she separates herself from the community. This is our first glimpse, as the reader, of Emilys isolation. At this point in the story, the reader is left unaware why Miss Emily chooses update and modernize her house. It quickly becomes apparent that it must have something to do with her relationship with her father. Emily and her father have a relationship that is only briefly mentioned, but there is an obvious complication that later manifests itself throughout the rest of Emilys life. Even though Emily is described as being very beautiful when she was younger, her father would drive away any suitor who came to court his daughter. This, in a way, shows a sort of revers oedipal conflict where the father is trying to compete against possible husbands for Emilys love and attention. A possible clue for her fathers actions is that the mother is not there and ,in fact, is never mentioned in the story at all which leads the reader to assume that young Emily is the only woman in his life. The narrator of the story, that is, the people of the community, paint a description of their father-daughte r relationship; Miss Emily a slender figure in white in the background and her father a spraddled silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip.This description displays the idea that Emily is just a back drop to her father and his unconscious motive to keep his daughter close to him and him only. Her being in the back shows that she is being protected from suitors that are unworthy in her fathers eye. Also the whip that is holding may be interpreted as a phallic symbol signifying that he is the patriarch and will fight off anyone that wants to change that. Even so, Emily does not put up a fight but, rather, is submissive to her fathers wishes. She actually enjoys her fathers chasing away of men because, in a way, it brings her closer to her father and strengthens their relationship. This can be explained psychoanalytically as females can only gain identities in stories if they identify with a father figure. Even though young Emily is desperately trying to gain an identity, she is ignorant to the fact that by doing so she is creating a lifestyle of isolation that could only be made worse with the passing of Mr. Grierson. After her fathers death and without any other close family, Emily quickly realizes that she is now alone and isolated. She could not cope with this grim fact and instead turned to denial. When the ladies of the town came to offer their condolences,  ¿Ã‚ ½Miss Emily met them at the door , dressed as usual and with no trace of grief on her face. She told them that her father was not dead. ¿Ã‚ ½ She could not grasp the fact that with the loss of her father came the loss of her female identity and instead represses the idea as she stayed barricaded in her house for a  ¿Ã‚ ½long time ¿Ã‚ ½. The next time she is seen  ¿Ã‚ ½her hair was cut short, making her look like a girl ¿Ã‚ ½. Its quite obvious that at this point she is trying to live in the past to cope with her isolation. The cutting of her hair shows that she is unconsciously trying to go back to a place in her mind where her father is still alive and she is still a girl living under his rule. Shortly after, however, she is seen with Homer Barron,  ¿Ã‚ ½a Yankee ¿Ã‚ ½a big, dark, ready man ¿Ã‚ ½. Her infatuation with Homer was not that of romance as the townspeople thought, rather she was only displacing the idea of her father onto Homer. The only way she could have her father back and for everything to be how it was, Miss Emily must marry Homer; or at least that is what she believed. Her relationship with Homer was not meant to be because Homer was actually a homosexual. The story alludes to this with phallic symbols such as,  ¿Ã‚ ½his hat cocked and a cigar in his teeth ¿Ã‚ ½. When Emily discovers this fact she, again, is in denial. Her last chance of living in the past rushes away in an instant. So instead of letting go of Homer, she again tries to hold on to the past, more successfully this time, by poisoning Homer Barron and holding on to his body, a final act of desperation to save herself from isolation. With Homers body in her possession, she is no longer isolated in her mind. She has her displaced father back but it is different this time; now she is the provider of the duo, or in other words, she has now taken the role of the father. Because of this new found identity her character actually begins to drastically change.  ¿Ã‚ ½She had grown fat and her hair was [ ¿Ã‚ ½] that vigorous iron-gray, like the hair of an active man. ¿Ã‚ ½ This physical change in her appearance signifies that she has now become patriarch of the so-called family. But she is still incomplete in her role because Homer, who has now been dead for some time, cannot ever identify with Miss Emily. So once again, Emily is left isolated by her own accord and she remains this way until the day she dies. In conclusion, by using a psychoanalytic approach to analyze William Faulkners A Rose for Emily, many overlooked details paint an overall theme of isolation in the short story. Her old deteriorating house is a stand in for Emilys mental condition and unwillingness to change. Father daughter issues are prevalent in the story and end up determining the fate of Miss Emily. Devastated over the discovery that her displaced father figure, Homer Barron, is a homosexual she poisons him and denies his death while she holds on to his body, much like she did with her father, in an attempt to live in the past. In the end of her life, Miss Emily is isolated in world of her own creation where she lives in the past and desperately tries to hold on to the present.

Epiphany of Elisa in John Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums :: Literature Steinbeck Chrysanthemums Essays

Epiphany of Elisa in John Steinbeck's The Chrysanthemums John Steinbeck described Elisa Allen in "The Chrysanthemums" only with her language and actions. From these, the reader gathers that Elisa is strong, lean, and eager; the way she talks confidently about her chrysanthemums not only shows her confidence, but her way of filling the void of intimacy in her marriage. However, by the end of the story, the reader finds Elisa completely different, signifying the toll her epiphany has had on her. When the peddler arrives at Elisa's house, he seems very avid to do some work for her; she becomes irritated with his persistence, but soon changes. Once he begins to act interested and appreciative of her chrysanthemums (even requests for some sprouts), she begins to feel appreciated by him and lets her guard down. Removing her bulky clothes and transforming into a feminine woman in time to go out with her husband proves this change has occurred. Some people might think this was the place Elisa had her epiphany. I think differently Not far down the road, she discovers the sprouts she gave graciously to the peddler on the ground. During those crucial moments of telling herself why he threw them out and purposefully ignoring the peddler's caravan, Elisa has several sudden revelations: epiphanies. She realizes the man she thought truly valued her flowers simply feigned this interest to get what he wanted and then threw them out, causing her to feel thrown out and used. His disrespect for beautiful things also crosses her mind and she discovers she may never find someone to share the feelings she has for beauty. And finally, just as her chrysanthemums never made it far from the ranch, she knows her own desires to roam beyond the limitations of her home, perhaps even her marriage, are destroyed.

Naturopathic Medicines over Pharmaceutical Medications Essay

For World Health Organization (WHO), health of an individual is not only means of getting rid of physical illness or pain but involves complete mental and social wellbeing of an individual. It is muti-dimensional and involves various aspects including social environment of a person or a society. Still eighty per cent of people are heard complaining about one or the other health problems and only one percent of people are in according to the WHO definition really healthy. Among several factors, it’s the departure of the people from our age-old system of naturopathic treatment towards hyped Pharmaceutical Industry – a product of Industrial revolution. Dr. Mathias Rath, a German-based advocate of patients’ rights and author of the book, â€Å"Why Animals Don’t Get Heart Attacks-But People Do†, rightly said, â€Å"There is an entire industry with an innate economic interest to obstruct, suppress and discredit any information about the eradication of diseases†. (Faseyin, 2004) He condemned millions of people who are eager to pay billions of dollars to the pharmaceutical industry for medicines that never cure rather kills. Pharmaceutical industry is earning more than one trillion dollars by selling drugs promising cure of various diseases and are being marketed at a cost more than 55,000 percent of the raw materials, bringing profit to the whole pharmaceutical industry and the people attached to it but without any concern to the health of the people. These drugs are merely removing symptoms instead of curing. As a result, more people are finding themselves facing deathbeds even from the preventable diseases. For e.g. few centuries back, James Lind had found that deficiency of vitamin C can cause blood loss and scurvy but still pharmaceutical industries dealing with medicines promising the cure of cardiovascular diseases are not supplying this information. The official RDA for vitamin C set at 60 mg is also not enough to prevent the disease. And the reason is the attitude of the pharmaceutical industry that looks at the cost effectiveness of the medicines rather than the health of the citizens; naturally they find vitamin C as an unprofitable venture for the pharmaceutical industry. Allopathic medicines can cure acute illnesses very effectively and pharmaceuticals and artificial respiration has also saved lives of millions.   But if we count the side effects, these are more than the actual benefits. Several cases have come to light when patients have suffered from pneumonia and acute physical dysfunction arising from the continuous use of steroid medication. Patients can also lose normal intestinal flora and can develop acute digestive problems. Nature has bounteous wealth of healing powers in its lap, which our ancient healers had fruitfully utilized, to the advantage of the patients. Naturopathic medicines go deep into cleaning of our immune system, healing hormonal, nervous systems and detoxifying them and eliminating diseases from its roots thus taking care of patient’s complete health. Medieval Jewish writer, Maimonides reflected Plato’s concept of health, when he said, â€Å"The cure of many diseases is unkown to the physicians†¦ because they are ignorant of the whole (body and soul) which ought to be studied also; for the part can never be well, unless the whole is well. For all good and evil, whether in the body or in the human nature originates†¦ in the soul, and overflows from thence†¦ and therefore if the head and body are to be well, you must begin by curing the soul; that is the first thing.† (Vaux & Stenberg 2002) Underlying principles of healing on which the naturopathic medicine is based makes it different from all other medical approaches. Naturopathic doctors take the individual’s biochemistry, biomechanics, and emotional predispositions into account while prescribing medicines.   The body’s self-healing takes into consideration various aspects of body control and strive to maintain the biological balance of the body, which is a very crucial aspect of a healthy body. The holistic or naturopathic way of healing works in combination of best scientific diagnosis methods and monitoring techniques with both ancient and innovative health promotion methods. These methods involve use of natural diet and herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, exercises, relaxation, psycho-spiritual counseling, meditation, breathing exercises, and other self-regulatory practices taking into consideration history of patient’s health and his current life including family, job, and religious life and believes in basic concept that food and nutritional supplements are the best medicine. It focuses on prevention of diseases, maintaining high-level wellness and longevity. Besides, naturopathy beckons patients to be an active participant in his or her own healing process, rather than merely becoming a passive recipient of treatment. Naturopathy deals with specific individual needs, and involves in healing process of body, mind and soul. It is quite true that to understand about the illness, knowing about mere physical symptoms are not enough but emotional aspects of patient should also taken care of. Therefore naturopathic treatment is also called as a science of life as it regulates and maintains chemical activities in the brain, controls rhythm of heart, blood pressure, resistance power of skin and other functions inside our body.   It helps persons to overcome anxiety, depression, irritability, improve memory, create emotional stability, and proves to be a healing power for our old traumatic experiences and over and above rejuvenates our lives by giving us energy and vitality. There are several herbs that have multiple uses for human body. People have been growing herbs since centuries and their medicinal properties even challenge the practitioners of medicines of today. Our ancestors were growing the herb plants in their homes. Many evidences have come to light, which show that early settlers had grown herbs like parsley, anise, pennyroyal, sorrel, watercress, liverwort, wild leeks, and lavender across America and in other parts of the world also. They are still grown in many houses all over America and their proper use can relieve the patients from number of diseases. They are many more herbs like ginger, which reduces the chances of heart attack and act as a protective cover for heart and blood vessels. (Naturals Herbs Guide Online) In 1983, World Health Organization suggested to incorporate naturopathic medicine in conventional health care systems. In 1994, Bastyr University of Natural Health Sciences, received grant of   $1 million funds from the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Alternative Medicine to facilitate the research for alternative therapies to cure the patients affected with HIV and AIDS. The diet for cancer patients recommended by the National Cancer Institute was first published in a naturopathic medical textbook in the 1940s. Government of Germany has made it mandatory for conventional doctors and pharmaceuticals also to undergo formal training in naturopathic techniques, as they are cost-effective. (Morton & Morton 1997) Graduates of naturopathic colleges have to put in more hours of study in basic and clinical science than their counterparts in Yale or Stanford medical schools and they receive more training in therapeutic nutrition than Md.’s, osteopathic physicians, or registered dietitians. In United States alone, there are more than one thousand licensed naturopathic physicians and many provinces of Canada also issue licenses to naturopathic doctors as primary care physicians and it is expected that by the end of 2010, all fifty states will start issuing licenses to naturopathic physicians. (Alan Morton, Marry Morton 1997) There are many more healing techniques like Chiropractic, Ayurvedic Medicine, Therapeutic Massage, Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)/ Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Acupressure, Atlas Orthogonal, Chelation Therapy, Colonics, Psychotherapy/Counseling, Movement Therapies/ Dance, Holistic Dentistry, Ear Candling- Ear Candling/ Ear Coning/ Thermal-Auricular, Feng Shui, Flower Essences (Bach Flower Remedy), Herbalism, Hypnotherapy, Lymph Drainage Therapy, Ohashiatsu and Vitamin Therapy, whose basic principles and remedies lie in the various ingredients found in the nature. So why not fully utilize what the nature has given to us as only with the healthy body, there is healthy mind and only healthy mind can lead the world towards healthy living. REFERENCE LIST Faseyin A.Y.   2004. The Pharmaceutical Cartel: A Tool for Genocide. Retrieved on February 10, 2008 from W.W.W: http://newafrikanvodun.com/pharm.html. Grout M.M. Allopathic Medicine. Retrieved on February 10, 2008 from W.W.W: http://www.crossroadsclinic.net/articles/allopathic_medicine.html Morton M. A. & Morton M. 1997. Naturopathic Medicine. Retrieved on February 26, 2008 from W.W.W: http://www.healthy.net/asp/templates/article.asp?PageType=Article&ID=508 NaturalHerbsGuide.com. Natural Herbs, Herbal Remedies, Medicines, and Supplements Guide. Retrieved on February 26, 2008 from W.W.W: http://www.naturalherbsguide.com/ Vaux K.L. and Stenberg M. 2002. Covenants of Life: Contemporary Medical Ethics in Light of the thought of Paul Ramsay. USA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Direct Democracy Within A Representative System - 1485 Words

On a very basic level, direct democracy can be seen as mob rule or rule by decree. The system allows the mob to overrule the decisions made by the government, refusing any consistent social contracts between the citizens. In this pure form, direct democracy cannot even be considered a system of governance at all. It is not the most fair or just system. (Schneider). In order for any individual to indulge in a causal contract with other members of the society, it is necessary that they feel that they can rely on the constitution of the society they are contracting with. Direct democracy is popular currently as an alternative to a failed form called Representative Democracy. The Pirate Party â€Å"uses liquid democracy as an idea to tie votes to expertise and incorporate some aspects of direct democracy within a representative system, but this is a recycled idea from historical democracy that was replaced for a reason† (Marsh). Before individual voting and secret ballots were established, people were forced out of voting by the people in a position of power like employers or tyrannical spouses. Liquid democracy is not a new system instead it is a return to a previously failed one. It advocates corruption, vote buying and accepted rule by demagogues. These were the things that deemed this system of government not fit to be implemented; there is no logical reason for returning to a failed form of government. Women and minorities fought too hard for this system to return.Show MoreRelated‘We must recognize that representative democracy has f ailed, both politically and judicially as1500 Words   |  6 Pages‘We must recognize that representative democracy has failed, both politically and judicially as well as socially. As a consequence, we must return to the fundamental meaning of ‘democracy,’ the power of the demos to govern itself. 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