Mental Disorder Definition of Terms
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Besides carrying indirect and implicit elements of life, literature is one of the concealments of people‟s imagination or fantasies. The imagination and fantasies
are expressed through literature because they are prohibited by social and moral standards. Psychologic
al approach is associated with Freud‟s psychoanalysis because Freud‟s is often used in a literary analysis. However, Knellwolf and Noris
2008 states that the psychological approach to literature is also associated with other experts; Jacques Lacan, Melanie Klein, and Carl Gustav Jung p. 180.
Psychological theory used in the approach is not limited to one expert only. The psychological approach takes a psychological perspective. Guerin,
Labor, Morgan, Reesman, and Willingham 2011 state that “psychological approach provides insight into the thematic and symbolic mysteries of a work of
literature and enhances other readings” p. 222. The approach interprets symbols and analyzes literature by referring to psychological theories. For example, a
researche r wants to identify reasons behind a character‟s transition of personality
by adopting a psychological approach. At this point, the character‟s behaviors, dialogues, or even facial expressions portrayed in the story are used as symbols,
indicators, or clues to the identification. They are interpreted by the help of Freud‟s dynamic of personality theory. The reasons are identified by applying
Freud‟s psychological theory. The psychological approach analyzes literature by relating a literary work
to the au thor‟s life as well. Daiches 1981 says that “one could analyze a
particular work and draw from the analysis inferences about the psychology of its author” p. 334. He declares that the approach analyzes literature by referring to
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the author‟s psychological condition. Daiches 1981 explains that it is because the literary work may be affected by the author‟s personalities, traumatic
experiences, conflicts, or frustrations p. 334. Those aspects construct literature because literature is seen as the conc
ealment of people‟s fantasies and suppressed meanings. Thus, understanding the author‟s psychological condition may be
helpful in the process of analyzing literature.