Analysis Of Nathan Rosen's The Unconscious In Vanka

809 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Literary devices and their use

Like the bishop, to provide himself an escape from his suffering, Vanka looks to his past memories and tries to implant his present self in his past living situation. For example, he imagines what his grandfather is doing at the exact moment he is writing the letter to him: “He is probably standing at the gate by now, squinting his eyes at the bright red windows of the village church, stamping his felt boots, and bantering with the servants (Chekhov, Vanka 46). Vanka’s vivid imagination when conjuring up his past indicates how he is resisting his current situation in the hopes that he will be reunited with his grandfather and freed from his hardships. Similarly, in another flashback, Vanka recalls how the young mistress, Olga Ignatievna, “having nothing to do, taught him to read, to write, to count to a hundred, …show more content…

In his article The Unconscious in Vanka, Nathan Rosen argues that “Vanka’s trust in Olga’s love for him is misguided and...Olga’s interest in Vanka..was due to little else than boredom” (Rosen 443). This claim further highlights Vanka’s innocence as well as the contradictory nature of the situation because it calls for him to subconsciously skew the truth in order to preserve hope. Now, not only is Vanka not free from force, he is also not free from lies; the former impacts the latter because Vanka's subjection to force leads to his subjection to lies. Nevertheless, in his situation, the lies fuel his will to live. His newfound hope will inevitably be snuffed out because of the fact that he addresses his letter “to grandpa in the village” (Chekhov, Vanka 48). However, Vanka is not aware that his letter will not reach his grandfather and that he will be forced to stay in his current situation. For now, he is consoled by his false hope has minutely alleviated his

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of David Vogel's 'How Can I Saw My Father Drowning'

    812 Words  | 2 Pages

    David Vogel, born in 1891, lived with grief and loss before his very eyes before his death in a tragic occurrence. He spent his youth in Lvov and Vilna but settled in Vienna in 1912, although he was born in Stantanov, Russia. Later on, in the outbreak of World War One, Vogel was captured and imprisoned in Austria detention camps as a Russian enemy. He was released in 1916, and lived a solitary life thereafter. When World War Two uprised he was incarcerated in French detention camps. He was released from France in 1941, but captured but Nazis just three years later. Supposedly, he died in the Holocaust in 1944. David impacted society through awareness of the affects he had on the Holocaust with his poems, How Can I See You, Love, Here You Sit Beside Me, and I Saw My Father Drowning.

    Read More

  • Double Consciousness In He Who Endures By Bill James's The Sky Is Gray

    1375 Words  | 3 Pages

    The idea of double consciousness, as defined by DuBois, can be seen in fleeting moments in both He Who Endures by Bill Harris and The Sky Is Gray by Ernest Gaines. When one compares the thought of double consciousness with the modern perception of a hyphenated existence, one can see that they both view the cultural identity ( African American) as one of a dual nature, but the terms differ in their value judgments of this cultural duality. Depending on how one values this cultural duality, as evidenced in both of the aforementioned works, it can alter the meaning of the works. However, double consciousness is the more appropriate perspective because it existed as a thought when these works were written, a positive view of hyphenated existence

    Read More

  • Vladek’s Intelligence and How he Survived the Holocaust

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    Vladek’s skill of being persuasive helped him throughout his hard times. Vladek persuaded Anja’s father to buy him a textile company, which helped Vladek later on. Vladek also persuaded a family to put him into hiding using the money he got from the textile company. When Vladek wanted to escape his current home to move to Turkey, Anja refused. Vladek successfully persuaded Anja, and changed Anja’s answer from defiantly not to let’s do it. Vladek even persuaded a Nazi soldier whom Vladek was teaching English to, to give Vladek and his relative new clothing.

    Read More

  • An Analysis of Page 69-70 of Chopin’s The Awakening

    432 Words  | 1 Pages

    Each time I read The Awakening, I am drawn to the passage on page 69 where Edna and Madame Ratignolle argue about “the essential” and “the unessential.” Edna tries to explain, “I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself.” What most would see as essential—money (you need it for food, clothing, shelter, etc) and life—Edna sees as “unessential.” Edna is speaking of more than that which one needs for physical survival; she would not hesitate to give her life to save the life of one of her children. On the other hand, Edna’s being, her “self,” is something quite different from her physical form.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Book 'The Running Dream'

    891 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout life people encounter a numerous amount of obstacles, some of these obstacles can be tougher than others. These obstacles don’t define who you are, how the situation is handled does. In the book The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen, Jessica encounters a tremendous obstacle that life could throw at her. Jessica has had to learn to adjust her life from the way that she used to live. Her life is changing and she has to decide if this accident defines who she is going to be while being surrounded by the love and comfort of her family.

    Read More

  • The Aftermath of the Holocaust in Art Spiegelman’s Maus Volumes I and II

    1130 Words  | 3 Pages

    Vladek’s failure to move forward from his past experiences causes him to suppress his pain. He is unable to express his emotions; as a result, he uses control as a coping mechanism. Vladek’s control is illustrated when he destroys Anja’s memoirs. Vladek explains, “After Anja died, I had to make an order with everything… These papers had too many memories. So I burned them” (1:159). By destroying any evidence that reminds him of Anja, he harms his own emotional stability. Moreover, burning the papers illustrates his attempt to cover up the reality that he cannot always have control over life. Vladek’s suppression leads him to use control in an unhealthy manner.

    Read More

  • The Long Way Home Sparknotes

    732 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Long Way Home: An American Journey From Ellis Island to the Great War by the award winning David Laskin, magnifies the struggles and difficulties that Meyer Epstein, Antonio Pierro and many other immigrants faced as they entered America during World War I. Laskin’s extensive education in historical writing is evident throughout the very detailed book as it almost comes to life. With a bachelors in history and literature from the prestigious Harvard University, Laskin has mastered his writing skills. Laskin’s historic novel The Children’s Blizzard received “The Washington State Book” award which depicted a sudden winter storm in the upper midwest killing many settler children. The Long Way Home exposes the experiences of twelve immigrant

    Read More

  • Anton Chekhov's The Lady With The Pet Dog

    2052 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the short story “The Lady with the Pet Dog”, Anton Chekhov demonstrated a great ability in mood shift and presenting some of the most dynamic characters. One could argue both of the main characters undergo metamorphosis, but it seems clear that the male character undergoes the most radical transformation. In fact, Charles Stanion argues “One of the story's most impressive aspects is Dmitry Gurov's gradual metamorphosis” (402). Throughout the story, the reader witnesses the transformation of Gurov from treating Anna as a mere conquest to developing a true love for her. Chekhov’s short story is one characterized by many details that support this transformation. In this essay, I will prove how Gurov’s radical change parallels the complexity and precariousness human

    Read More

  • Resurrection of Lazarus in Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment

    452 Words  | 1 Pages

    From the moment when Raskalnikov murders the old woman, his personality begins to change drastically. Dostoevsky challenges the reader to understand the madness which ensues by first demonstrating that the ideas and convictions to which Raskalnikov clung died along with the women. While the reader struggles with this realization, Dostoevsky incorporates the Biblical legend of Lazarus as a symbolic mirror for Raskalnikov's mind. By connecting the two, the reader encounters the foreshadowing of a rebirth of morals and beliefs, though what form this may assume remains cryptic. As references to Lazarus continue to occur, the feeling of parallelism increases in intensity. Just as Raskalnikov slowly struggled through madness, Lazarus lay dying of a terrible disease. When Lazarus eventually dies, Raskalnikov mimes this by teetering on the edge of insanity, the death of the mind. Eventually Sonya begins to pull Raskalnikov back to reality by relieving a portion of his guilt. As his Christ figure, she accomplishes this by providing the moral and spiritual sturdiness which Raskalnikov lost after his debasement during the murders. Sonya affects him not by active manipulation, but via her basic character, just as Christ personified his beliefs through the manner in which he lived his life. No matter what Raskalnikov says or does to her, she accepts it and looks to God to forgive him, just as Jesus does in the Bible. This eventually convinces Raskalnikov that what he did was in fact a crime and that he must repent for it and"seek atonement".

    Read More

  • The Body By Stephen King Analysis

    1547 Words  | 4 Pages

    The novella, The Body, written by Stephen King is quintessential for portraying the overarching coming of age theme, however within this theme a more specific theme of innocence vs. experience is present. This theme can be seen within the book’s plot, symbols, and Chris Chamber’s character. Taking a look at the historical time period of when this novella was written, and taking a look at the biographical history of Stephen King himself helps the reader to understand why this particular approach to the theme was chosen. The novella itself travels with four young boys as they begin their journey in search of a dead body, and along the way they not only discover the cruelty of the real world, but they also face the cruelty that can be see within

    Read More

  • Freudian Psychoanalysis and the Awakening

    995 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sigmund Freud, the preeminent, 19th century, European neurologist and psychologist, designed a theory he labelled “psychoanalysis,” a theory which would transcend all borders and integrate itself deeply into many facets of society. In fact, an American named Kate Chopin, wrote a book entitled The Awakening, which was published at the turn of the 19th century, in which this theory played an integral role in expressing the complexity, relevance, and growth of the main character. The express importance of the main character displaying a Freudian psych is pertinent even in the modern time because it allows us to view the application of his theories around the time of their conception, trace their evolution and see the changes throughout the years. By possessing these comparisons, one could then gain insight as to how society and the individual has developed and progressed.

    Read More

  • Lolita

    4882 Words  | 10 Pages

    At what point does a reader decide whether a narrator is reliable or unreliable, and what real difference does this decision make. If a narrator is deemed reliable, does the story gain any truth or significance that it had been missing before the determination was made? If the narrator is decidedly unreliable, what other sources are available to bring the reader closer to or passed the deceptions of the narrator? At what point does the narrator’s unreliability begin to reflect on the author? And if that connection is sustained, should the reader then assume that the author is also unreliable, forever mistrusted and scrutinized? These questions are integral when discussing Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, for within this novel the reader is asked to separate herself from conventional ideas of morality, decency and reality, and place herself within the trust of an unreliable narrator.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Reuven In Chaim Potok's The Chosen

    558 Words  | 2 Pages

    Perhaps the hardest of ideas to express through literature is the idiom “actions speak louder than words”. There exist an innumerable number of people who have much to offer through the simple means of words. Yet, there also exist several others who, though silent, express their emotions and beliefs via the medium of actions. Manya, an obscure character in Chaim Potok’s novel The Chosen, belongs to this limited group of “silent contributers”. Manya, the Malter family’s Russian Housekeeper adored the Matler family, Reuven Matler in particular. She frequently expressed her affection for the family by her actions and rarely through her words. Through different circumstances, Manya silently contributed to the Malter Family with her thoroughness, empathy, and dedication.

    Read More

  • Comparing Maupassant's Necklace and Chekov's Vanka

    791 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... (47) and in Vanka's dream he appears to laugh, as if reveling in the fact that he has been able to cause more mischief, this time in Vanka's life (49).

    Read More

  • Heart of Darkness: Psychoanalytic Criticism

    4505 Words  | 10 Pages

    Psychoanalytic criticism originated in the work of Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, who pioneered the technique of psychoanalysis. Freud developed a language that described, a model that explained, and a theory that encompassed human psychology. His theories are directly and indirectly concerned with the nature of the unconscious mind. Through his multiple case studies, Freud managed to find convincing evidence that most of our actions are motivated by psychological forces over which we have very limited control (Guerin 127). One of Freud’s most important contributions to the study of the psyche is his theory of repression: the unconscious mind is a repository of repressed desires, feelings, memories, wishes and instinctual drives; many of which have to do with sexuality and violence. These unconscious wishes, according to Freud, can find expression in dreams because dreams distort the unconscious material and make it appear different from itself and more acceptable to consciousness. They may also appear in other disguised forms, like in language (sometimes called the Freudian slips), in creative art and in neurotic behavior. One of the unconscious desires Freud believed that all human beings supposedly suppress is the childhood desire to displace the parent of the same sex and to take his or her place in the affections of the parent of the opposite sex. This so-called “Oedipus Complex,” which all children experience as a rite of passage to adult gender identity, lies at the core of Freud’s sexual theory (Murfin 114-5).

    Read More

More about Analysis Of Nathan Rosen's The Unconscious In Vanka

Open Document