The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize yourself with Psychological literary criticism (also called Psychoanalytical literary criticism) and apply some of its tools in analyzing a short story.
Directions
- Review Psychoanalytical literary theory from the following:
- Watch this video on Psychoanalytical literary criticism at
- Choose two main characters from one of the stories we have read in this unit.
- Identify an important conflict these two characters share (either between each other or a conflict from outside the relationship).
- Consider how psychological factors within the two people affect resolving this conflict.
- Recall that the video talks not only about the Id, Ego, and Superego, but also about stress, depression, PTSD, grief, and so on.
- In particular, look at different ways the characters view masculinity.
- Do varying ideas of masculinity cause, or exacerbate, the conflict?
- Write three paragraphs about the following, using direct quotations and paraphrases (with in-text citations) to support your claims):
- First paragraph
- Identify the two characters and the conflict you will analyze.
- Second paragraph
- Analyze psychological factors that seem to be motivating these characters, especially in what it means to be, for example, a “good” man or a “strong” father or a “loving” husband.
- Third paragraph
- Explain how these factors and this conflict contribute to meanings of the story..
- First paragraph
- Post a three-paragraph response to the discussion board by clicking on the title of this activity or through the Discussion Board main menu on the left.
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