Although his methods have been largely discredited, Sigmund Freud's theories of the unconscious, the subconscious and repression they are extremely useful when applied to literary texts. None of the three novels discussed here - Jane Austen's Emma, ​​Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, and Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles - contain overtly psychoanalytic themes such as frequent dreams or psychological illness (apart from the madwoman found in the attic in Jane Eyre), yet they can all be read with the aim of discovering latent themes, displaced or repressed thoughts and feelings, and unconscious desires. The traditional approach to psychoanalytic criticism involves the neglect of a work's other contexts (historical, socioeconomic, etc.), thus making it extremely difficult to gain meaningful insight into these texts by means of Freudian psychoanalytic criticism alone. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Sigmund Freud revolutionized human psychology by suggesting that people are motivated primarily by unconscious powers. He stated that “much of what is in the unconscious mind has been put there by consciousness, which acts as a censor, pushing underground unconscious or conscious thoughts or instincts that it deems unacceptable” (Murfin 503). This repression cannot remain latent and often reappears in disguise; or, as Freud quoted, “There is always a return of the repressed” (Barry 100). Repressed thoughts commonly appear in the form of symbolic dreams. Freud was a great advocate of dream analysis and this remains one of his most famous legacies. Dream analysis, called dream work, examines the many ways in which repressed thoughts are handled. These include condensation, in which a number of events or people are summarized in a single symbol, and displacement, in which one person or event is represented by another person or event in some way associated, through significant connections or superficial. In addition to reappearing in dreams, repressed thoughts and emotions can also be redirected in various ways, through so-called defense mechanisms. Some examples of defense mechanisms are transference, when emotions felt towards someone in the patient's life are transferred onto the analyst; projection, when undesirable aspects of ourselves are perceived instead as aspects of another; cover memories, i.e. insignificant memories that serve to block more significant memories; and Freudian slips, accidental slips of the tongue or pen that represent repressed material (Barry 97-98). Freudian psychoanalytic criticism was officially applied to literature in 1908, when Freud published "A Poet's Relation to Daydreaming" (Murfin 505). He quickly caught on, because his analysis of symbols in the mind can easily be applied to symbols in literature. In general, Freudian psychoanalytic critics examine the relationship between the overt content of a literary work and its hidden content (which can also be seen as conscious versus unconscious content), observe unconscious motivations in both the characters and the author and they look at the psychic context of the literary work (not the historical, socio-political or economic context). Another branch of psychoanalytic criticism originates from the work of Jacques Lacan. Starting in the 1950s, Lacan developed a theory of psychoanalytic criticism that can be summarized with the statement: "The unconscious is structured like a language" (Barry 111). The structure of language in relation to the unconscious lies in the fact that "meaning in language is aquestion of contrasts between words and other words, not between words and things", and that "there is a perpetual barrier between the signifier (the word) and the signified (the referent)" (Barry 111). Furthermore, "words and meanings have a life ownpossess and constantly ignore and obscure the supposed simplicity and clarity of external reality,” thus implying that “language detaches itself from external reality and becomes an independent realm” (Barry 111). Lacanian criticism echoes the method of deconstruction, as it seeks to find meaning in the contradictions of the text, as well as observing the aforementioned psychoanalytic techniques. However, I will analyze the following texts by looking at the Freudian psychoanalytic tradition which seems to be less applicable to Emma Austen being entirely free of serious conflicts, traumatic events, dreams or mental illnesses. You can, however, see the seeds of repression on the first page of the novel: " [Emma] was the youngest of two daughters of a very loving and indulgent man and, following her sister's marriage, had become mistress of the house since childhood. Her mother had died too long ago for her to have more than a dim memory of his caresses" (Austen 23). The narrator goes on to describe the housekeeper, Mrs. Taylor, who essentially raises Emma, ​​although she becomes more of a friend. Throughout the novel, Emma must not only indulge and care for her volatile and dependent father, but she must also serve as the reigning queen of Highbury society. Furthermore, Emma is responsible for arranging relationships and marriages, as well as taking on protégés to transform into real women, as in the case of Harriet, Emma functions perfectly in her society conforming to her role in all ways except one: her refusal of marriage would probably explain her rejection as a maladjustment resulting from the absence of a maternal figure. In a general sense, one could see that Emma feels a deep responsibility to act as a mother figure for everyone else, because she herself did not have that figure (and any attribution of it). that role for Ms. Taylor would likely be considered unfounded due to the portrayal of Ms. Taylor as a friend rather than a mother figure). He is therefore reluctant to marry and abandon that responsibility. This idea is demonstrated later, when she marries and insists that she and her husband live in her father's house so that she can continue to care for him. A more intensely Freudian approach would attribute all of Emma's problems to the interruption of the process (formation and subsequent rejection) of an Electra complex, which prevents her from developing adequate romantic feelings for the male sex, and thus explains her reluctance to marry. All of the above, however, seems a little far-fetched, as the text shows almost no evidence of psychological conflict in Emma. One can develop a Freudian psychoanalytic critique of Emma, ​​but it is a stretch. Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre fits more easily into Freudian analysis, considering Jane's problematic childhood and her lack of parents. Orphaned at a young age, Jane lives in the care of her aunt and uncle, the Reeds. After the death of Mr. Reed, the only father figure she knew, Jane is cared for exclusively by Mrs. Reed, a cruel woman who blames and punishes her unfairly at every opportunity. Jane's childhood rebellion—she yells at Mrs. Reed more than once—is the result of her feelings of isolation and abandonment (both from her parents and from Mr. Reed). Furthermore, the scene in the red room cannot be overlooked, as Jane imagines that the ghost of Mr. Reed comes to avenge "the wrongs of her sister's son", and falls into a fit of hysteria which ends in unconsciousness (Bronté 29 ). Here I amtwo factors at work: the displacement of Jane's sadistic (and even masochistic) desires against Mrs. Reed onto the ghost of Mr. Reed, and the loss of consciousness that prevents her from fully realizing those repressed emotions - a defense mechanism to protect the mind conscious from a disturbing realization. Another major issue arises from the interruption of Jane's development of a normal relationship with a father figure and Jane's exile to Lockwood (a miserable boarding school where she encounters punishment, malnutrition, and humiliation) as punishment for her misbehavior. This instillation of obedience and sacrifice, in addition to the lack of a father figure, leads to what Dianne F. Sadoff describes as a "sadomasochistic" tendency in Jane's romantic relationships (Sadoff 518). Always look for someone to fill that missing paternal role, as an object of affection and also as a disciplinarian. The frequent references to Mr. Rochester being "old enough to be [her] father" and his constant promises of "Can I help you, sir? - I would give my life to serve you," are evidence of the power dynamic of relationship: both prosper through Jane's submission to Rochester (Sadoff 519, Brontë 204). Indeed, Rochester constantly calls Jane condescending nicknames and insists on showering her with expensive clothes, not to mention the fact that Jane works under him, as a governess for his illegitimate daughter. Jane eventually marries Rochester, but once again lives her life as his servant. However, it becomes very difficult to disentangle this view from a Marxist or socioeconomic context, as Jane was raised to be working class and to be subservient to the upper classes. She also doesn't have anything like this kind of role with St. John, who is actually a male relative. Aside from the red room scene, it seems that a Freudian psychoanalytic critique of Jane Eyre goes further than that with Emma, ​​but not enough to merit real consideration. Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles seemingly presents the perfect framework for a Freudian analysis, through the plot elements of neglectful parents, burdensome family responsibilities, rape and the resulting sense of guilt and rejection, rejection by the true love of Tess due to circumstances over which she had no control, her passivity, the clouding of conscience and her murderous act. Yet it seems that all these events are depicted as consequences of Tess's socioeconomic status rather than her psychological condition. It can be proposed that Tess's foggy or unfocused state of consciousness at crucial moments in the book (her rape being the most notable example) serves as a defense mechanism to repress painful memories or events. Indeed, Tess displays great guilt, which originates when she blames herself for the death of her horse and her role in her family's poverty. In reality, however, Tess is the only responsible member of the family; it is she who has the task of taking care of everyone. It could also be a consequence of having so many responsibilities at such a young age that Tess feels guilty so easily. Yet the novel's structure prevents any significant psychoanalytic insights, because Hardy intentionally externalizes and mutates his heroine, positioning her as the object of the gaze rather than the beholder. The reader rarely sees Tess's thoughts or emotions even through her behaviors. Furthermore, Hardy deliberately constructs Tess as a victim of circumstance, class, and fate, making it difficult for the reader to ignore the role of those contexts, or any other historical or socioeconomic context, in order to focus on a Freudian psychoanalytic critique. It's interesting., 1996. 518-535.