Psychological criticism

1. Psychological Criticism
Delving into the mind…

2. What is psychology?
The science of the human
mind and human behavior

3. How does it connect to
literature?
Glimpse into the mind of
Characters
Author
Our own minds

4. First psychological critic
384 BC – 322 BC
Discussed tragedy
•Catharsis
•Recognition

5. Modern origin
Sigmund Freud
Father of psychoanalysis
Emphasis on the
unconscious

6. Many other views now exist
Jung (remember archetypes?)
Maslow (hierarchy of needs)
Skinner (Behaviorism)
Daniel Goleman (EQ)
and many more…

7. Benefits ?
A reader can explore the
psychology
1.Of a writer as expressed in the work.
2.Of fictional characters
3.In the form of the work (symbols, etc.)
4.Of a culture or society
5.Of the reader

8. Limitations
Usually connected to criticisms of the psychologist and
psychological theory applied rather than the critical
lens as a whole
Freud was a terrible sexist…
Psychoanalysis is deeply personal…
But, some also say it ignores the text and everything
that goes with the work as a text

9. Warning!!!!!!!
You cannot do a psychological
(sometimes called psychoanalytic)
criticism without knowing and applying a
psychological theory.
Research a theory and then apply it!

10. For example, Freud’s theory …

11. Examine how Freud’s theory appears in
the work..

12. A classic subject of Psychological
Criticism

13. Check out the website…
You will find a .pdf called “Some Other Useful
Psychological Theories and Frameworks for Analysing
Literature” with suggestions for theories to research,
A link to the explanation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Need and;
An activity matching Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to
Life of Pi

14. References
Doing Literary Criticism: Helping Students Engage with
Challenging Texts by Tim Gillespie. © 2010. Stenhouse
Publishers.

15. Brought to you by your
friendly neighbourhood
teacher…
Liana Côté