If "The Monkey's Paw" is uncanny or not is a topic quite debatable, mainly because of the role the reader has in determining the uncertain events which appear in the story. Anyhow, if the story is read according to Freud's point of view of what the uncanny is, the reader can surely state that "The Monkey's Paw" is an uncanny story. There are many elements that are stated in Freud's conception which can be implicitly related to the story, such as the fact of coincidence. But first of all, it is important to clarify what Freud meant by "uncanny" and how this concept is applicable to the story.
It is difficult to have an effective approach to what uncanny actually means. Even in Freud's essay "The Uncanny" from Art and Literature, the reader can discover different views and opinions about the meaning of this term. Besides the feelings of fear and disorientation which are produced by something that is currently happening, Freud emphases the idea that men are able to detect the sober truth about the facts; that is to say that the uncanny is not something intellectually uncertain as Jentsch states, "[. . .] The better orientated in an environment readers are, the less readily they get the impression of something uncanny in regard to objects and events in it" (341). Freud does not state that men are able to explain everything strange that can occur; it is that remaining part that falls into discussion whether the matter of facts are mere coincidence or not. It is this part of human life that results frightening, because sometimes, there are so many explanations for one event that doubts are difficult to be clarified.
According to Freud, to be aware of human beings reaction to what is frightening is an important device writers can ...
... middle of paper ...
...n't reveal many meanings right away, but by looking closely to it many details appears slowly. The first thing that comes to prove itself from the text is the strong feeling of uncanniness which surrounds the whole story. Though many people may think that uncanny is a synonym of "awkward", the theories Sigmund Freud holds about it demonstrate that "uncanny" is much more complex that just the simple awkwardness of a fact. "The Monkey's Paw" proves to be uncanny because it escapes from just a simple feeling that emerged because the reader got scared, because though the story is surrounded by feelings such as fear and horror, what it is important is that the readers themselves creates those sensations as they feel somewhat identified but still terrified by the facts narrated, even though there is a explanation behind those facts such as "just a matter of chance."
Another reason why The Monkey's Paw explains foreshadowing with suspense or tension because in the article the author writes again "A rat," said the old man, in shaking tones—"a rat. It passed me on the stairs."
1 The Monkey’s Paw “The Monkey’s Paw” is a short story written by the author W. W. Jacobs. Thestory was first published in England in the collection The Lady of the Barge in 1902. In the story, the person who receives the paw is granted three wishes.
In short, there are multiple similarities and differences in the characters, plot, and resolution in the short story and motion picture “The Monkey’s Paw” that clearly influence the audience. For instance, the difference in characters affects the mood. Similarities in the plot influence the tone, and the corresponding resolutions impact the theme. The director of the motion picture “The Monkey’s Paw” chose to stick to some aspects of the text as well as change some for numerous reasons, some of which include keeping the audience's attention, sustaining the author's tone in the text, and ensuring that the readers and viewers receive the same message.
Sigmund Freud believed that he “occupies a special place in the history of psychoanalysis and marks a turning point, it was with it that analysis took the step from being a psychotherapeutic procedure to being in depth-psychology” (Jones). Psychoanalysis is a theory or therapy to decode the puzzle of neurotic disorders like hysteria. During the therapy sessions, the patients would talk about their dreams. Freud would analyze not only the manifest content (what the dreamer remembers) of the dreams, but the disguise that caused the repressions of the idea. During our dreams, the decision making part of personality’s defenses are lowered allowing some of the repressed material to become more aware in a distorted form. He distinguished between
Freud developed his theory from interactions with his neurotic patients and his own psychological experiences. He classifies an obsessional neurotic is classified as one who if “aware of impulses in [himself] which appear very strange,” is “led to actions, the performance of which, give him no enjoyment, but which it is quite impossible for [him] to omit” (Freud Abstracts 2). In Frankenstein’s ...
According to Freud, "the uncanny is that class of the frightening which leads back to what is known of old and long familiar. (Freud 220) In other words, the uncanny can be expressed by "the distinction between imagination and reality is effaced" (Freud 244) and "an actual repression of some content thought and a return of this repressed content" (Freud 220). Moreover, he posits the uncanny moment as one in which two ostensibly opposing figures, elements, or definitions appear to coalesce, or in which one is mistaken for the other, revealing the fundamental instability of their distinction. (Alison 32) Besides, it involves the infantile complexes which was formerly repressed but are later revived and gen...
Freud, Sigumund. "The Uncanny." Literary Theory: An Anthology. Ed. by Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. New York: Blackwell, 1998.
The word “uncanny” has no singular, correct definition to it. It could mean a multitude of things and can be achieved through various techniques outlined by Sigmund Freud. In volume XVII of The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Freud gives many definitions of the word “uncanny” and writes the various mechanisms to achieve an uncanny effect. One such mechanism occurs when the imaginary becomes reality. This technique is showcased in the movie Inception made in 2010 and directed by Christopher Nolan. By blurring the lines between imagination and reality, Nolan is able to pique the viewer’s interests, which causes them to become more invested into the movie.
Sigmund Freud was a very intriguing man; his philosophies and ideas have contributed in today’s medical as well as mental practices in various ways. Freud was a trendsetter when it came to psychoanalytic, and his theories as well as his practices changed the world of psychology, and some of his ideas may have caused controversy in the public views yet it doesn’t change the fact that Freud open the doors to future psychology professionals in abundance. In this paper I will discuss Freud’s Origins and education. I will also summarize his career on the development of psychoanalysis. Last but not least I will discuss his theories that have fallen out of favor with many modern psychologists as well as my believes in why did it occurred?
of the book. d. a. a. a. Freud. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Harding, James. "The Monkey's Paw: Overview." Reference Guide to Short Fiction. Ed. Noelle Watson. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. Literature Resource Center. Web. 20 Apr. 2011.
In Hoffmann’s “The Sandman” , there is a re-occurring theme of the uncanny that is commented on by both Sigmund Freud and Ernst Jentsch, who try to explain the uncanny in different ways by highlighting events and imagery that they believe to play a key role in creating it. I however, would argue that the uncanny is a more universal theme in the story and likewise, it’s source will be much more general. In the course of this paper, I intend to prove that the source of the uncanny is the fact that the reader doubts the reality they are presented within the text in the same way that one would doubt the reality that is perceived by a schizophrenic. This is due to the fact that the narrator suffers from schizophrenia and a possible dissociative personality disorder. Furthermore, the events of the short story only occur within the twisted mind of the narrator and represent a series of psychical manifestations that were most likely imagined as a defense mechanism to deal with the traumatic loss of his father and siblings.
Freud’s conception of the mind is characterized by primarily by dynamism, seen in the distribution of psychic energy, the interplay between the different levels of consciousness, and the interaction between the various functions of the mind. The single function of the mind, which brings together these various aspects, is repression, the maintenance of what is and what isn’t appropriately retained in the conscious mind.
The aim of this essay is to clarify the basic principles of Freud’s theories and to raise the main issues.
The longevity of success using psychoanalysis becomes a testimony to Freud’s in-depth study of the human mind. His forty plus years of work in the field were spent on the development of the main principles of psychoanalysis along with the techniques and methods used by the analyst. His work was furthered by his daughter and later adopted then adapted by Erikson. What seemed so revolutionary in the 1890’s and beyond has now become widely accepted by most all schools of psychological thought and its study.