Blog Post 5

Essentially, Psychoanalytic theory is the process of analyzing characters or people based on their personalities and what may or may not be going on in their head. It asks why a character does something, the implicit reasons beyond their outward motives that are a result of their own personal experiences and beliefs. While semiotics gives story actions thematic meaning, and Marxism puts stories in societal context, Psychoanalytic looks for personal meanings. For instance, say a character is over protective or needy with their loved ones. Psychoanalytic theory would look at what previous experiences or beliefs that lie in the characters subconscious might cause the character to use over-protectiveness as a defense mechanism. Perhaps, they were abandoned as a child by their parents or they lost some one important to them in one or another.

One of the main ideas in Psychoanalytic theory is the idea of defense mechanisms. Defense Mechanisms are subconscious reactions to stress, trauma, and general unpleasant situations. Some, like repression, are more extreme while others are subtle forms of manipulation or coping mechanisms. Almost all of them happen on a subconscious level, rather than a character or a person choosing to activate them.

Another important idea brought forth by Psychoanalysts is Character Archetypes. Archetypes are forms of characters that are seen frequently in myths that now influence modern media. The hero, the wise man, the mother figure, etc. are examples of figures frequently seen in stories.