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Psychoanalysisreading of SylviaPlath

By Julia Nigg

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Introduction

Psychoanalytical reading Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung

Psychoanalysis interprets dreams and fantasies

Insight for resolution of problems

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Fundamentals of psychoanalysis

Behaviour determined by childhood events

Repressed emotions can result in mental or emotionaldisturbances

Example: depression

Bringing this material into the conscious mind, frees themind

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Personal reading

Psychoanalysis allows understanding Presence of Jungian theories

Release of repressed emotions through writing

Bringing material in the conscious mind

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Quote

Jung conceptualises depression as a damming up of energy

which, when released, may take on a more positive direction.

Energy is trapped because of a neurotic or psychological

problem but, if released, actually helps the overcoming of the

problem. (A critical dictionary of Jungian analysis)

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Mirror

Speaker appears to be in deep reflection

Writing of a broken mind

Bringing forth compartmentalised truths

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Mirror

Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,

Searching my reaches for what she really is.

Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.

(10-12)

Finding her inner self

Jealousy,

possibly of

others whohave found

themselves.

Reflects, provides clarity

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Further evidence

Jung also writes that clarification represents a

conversion of a vague feeling into a more precise idea or

image to which the person can relate. (A critical

dictionary of Jungian analysis)

Lake and mirror are an attempt at clarification

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Freud and Plath

Theory relies on Freuds Morning Melancholia Plath found it to be relatable

Took Freuds advice to use writing to self-heal

Most present in Daddy

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Daddy

Psychological in nature

Narcissistic love for her father coupled with hatred

towards him

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Daddy

Daddy, I have had to kill you.

You died before I had time--

(6-7)

Matter-of-fact. Pure anger and hatred

Slightly ambiguous

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Daddy

I was ten when they buried you.At twenty I tried to die

And get back, back, back to you.

(57-59)

Attempted suicide

Loss of father at an early age

Repetition conveys her

obsession with him

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Analysis

Poem is the epitome of the psychological analysis done

with Plaths poetry

Correlates with Freuds Mourning and Melancholia

Fathers death had largest impact on her life

Frees herself of through her poetry

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Works Cited

1. ." Digication E-Portfolio. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2014..

2. Samuels, Andrew, Bani Shorter, and Fred Plaut. Depression. A Critical

Dictionary of Jungian Analysis. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1986. 41.

Print.