Psychoanalysis and Comparative Symbolism in Fiction
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Psychoanalysis and Comparative Symbolism in Fiction
There are few classic literary works which are what they initially appear to be; as there are underlying inferences with symbols to represent them. Characters portrayed in these stories are hardly what they appear at first to be and may in fact surprise readers with their depth and ability to astonish in many significant ways, including those other than language (May, 238). Discussed in this paper are symbols, conflicts and struggles, and reasoning within three distinct works; Use of Force, Good Country People, and a Good Man is Hard to Find.
Use of Force
In Williams’ Use of Force, a power struggle exists between a physician and his patient, a beautiful and seemingly frail sick young girl. In suspecting a deadly illness, the doctor must first determine the young girl’s health by looking into her mouth at her throat, which is where the struggle begins. Because the young girl refuses to cooperate, the physician sheds his learned demeanor and how he has learned to handle himself in frustrating situations while preserving the dignity of patients, and becomes more and more aggressive and insistent that he be able to finish his exam and diagnose the young girl. The parents themselves are very loving and extremely concerned for their daughter, but stand helplessly watching the behavior of their beautiful little girl. The doctor appears to be in control, especially on arrival of the family’s home where he sees
they are of low income, but keep a clean home for their well being. Because of the physicians education and composure, the parents are helplessly dependent upon him to cure their daughter, but at the same time, do not seem to trust him with her. It could very well be that the level of poverty may have given the doctor a feeling of superiority and of power over these individuals which made him free to act as harshly with the young girl as he did (Breman, 87). Admittedly, the doctor also indicates his love and affection towards the little girl, being so beautiful he becomes quite taken with her. This may also have sparked a possessiveness and want of her submission to him causing his violent reactions when she did not. Needless to say, the appearance of the doctor initially was very different from what he projected to the family by his actions. The young girl, too, seemingly docile and fragile fought her “savior” with strength and aggression all were surprised she possessed, indicating her appearance was not her reality either.
More symbolism can be taken into consideration when reading this story; instances of personal feelings and professional logic which only time and experience can yield cease to be separate and begin to catastrophically mingle. The physician seems professional, but his personal feelings cannot be contained which enable his actions to become violent without remorse. He seems to almost take pleasure in causing her pain. There is one fact to consider, in his own way, he convinces himself these means are necessary to save her life; as he has grown attached to the girl this is his main focus and does not consider the implications. The young girl, the reason for the conflict is the product of poverty and the lower classes which represent how they are regarded by the middle and upper classes. These are typically ruled over by those with money, education, and social prestige; but as appearances are deceiving, so is she. The young girl is the one with the power; to make a professional disregard his years of training, experience, education
and knowledge of repercussions of actions such as these proves she is the one with true influence. Her presence renders her own parents unable to stop her behavior, and her beauty captures her victim (the doctor) helpless to do what he knows is right. She is ignorant of these facts, of course, which makes her all the more powerful. Both characters defy the social norms, and have seemingly reversed roles. The doctor is educated enough and has experience to know there are more civilized methods used when trying to persuade patients to cooperate. The girl, who would have cooperated out of reverence to an educated and older man, takes on the complete opposite and fights to resist him. He defeats her of course, which is a fitting end proving her undisciplined behavior would come to no gain.
Good Country People
Symbolism in this story is obvious in the names of the characters. Each name represents quite the opposite of the characters’ reality in life or in their own minds. Hulga and her mother, Mrs. Hopewell are both naïve when considering the world. These two women believe that what one wants in life, they can attain it; and readers witness the enlightenment of both individuals heartbreaking realization of evil. Hulga was once Joy, who had lost her leg at a young age and since this time suffered a depression so deep it made her feel ugly and almost hideous inside. She chooses to change her name to Hulga, because it reflects these feelings in her own perception of the perfect way. For readers, one can see this is her way of gaining control over at least one aspect of her life; a power struggle won by the changing of her name. It is then she chooses to accept the inevitability that the world will give one only what it wants to give, and she learns to
see nothing deeper than what is on the surface; this is a form of self protection and maintaining control over future disappointments concerning her life.
Mrs. Hopewell on the other hand lives in a world full of illusions, where one has control over what they gain in life. She is accepting of many things, which is contradicting because she cannot accept certain aspects of her own daughter. She is not what she seems on the surface, she is never accepting of her daughter nor of any of her accomplishments in life. She wants Hulga to act as other young girls her age, dress like them, and have “a good time” like them so she can be proud of her. Hulga on the other hand is too intelligent for many of the people she is surrounded by, including her superficial mother who criticizes her efforts constantly. Mrs. Hopewell is symbolic in this story as well, as she looks beyond the borders of her land hoping for freedom and expressing its possibilities, but is in fact bound to stay where she is; she is not free, she is burdened.
Mrs. Hopewell publicly praises the Freeman girls, which in turn demeans her own daughter. In contrast, Hulga finds the two girls revolting, which seems to widen the divide between herself and her mother. Hulga was robbed of many girlish activities such as running and dancing, and has been told she will not live past a certain age due to a heart condition. This has devastated Mrs. Hopewell, who only seems to have hope for people other than Hulga. She is embarrassed to have Hulga as her daughter, with her apparent differences with the other girls in her manner of thought, dress, and choices of activities, but most of all is ashamed of Hulga’s choice of names and takes this as a personal affront. These perceptions only deepen the chasm between Hulga and her mother, worsening their conflicts and power struggles over each other’s lives.
More symbolism can be seen in Pointer’s taking of Hulga’s wooden leg and keeping it out of her reach. She struggles to reach it, as if it were her very soul she was attempting to recapture, as well as Pointer’s hollowed out bible which reflects his own spirituality and perhaps his soul as well (Havird). These conflicts of power between these two characters also leave one tempting the other, where education cannot defeat deceit and betrayal from the world Hulga has tried so very hard to protect herself from.
A Good Man is Hard to Find
This story by Flannery O’Connor begins with a family travelling to Florida with a Grandmother who would rather be elsewhere. She complains about an escaped criminal named “Misfit” who is at large and whom she has read about in the newspapers. Eventually, with many mishaps, the family’s car overturns and the Misfit finds them. To flatter the serial killer, the Grandmother makes reference to his upbringing, by stating he must have not been raised by commoners, only to result in her own son’s murder. The power struggle between the Grandmother and Misfit end in tragedy, as her flattery of him had the opposite effect; his taste for blood is only fueled by her feeble attempt, placing her responsible for these actions as a result of her insistence. The family represents societal norms, and Misfit, the deviants of these societies which instill fear in the rest. It is the family’s fear which emboldens him, and the Grandmother’s instruction to turn to religion only fuels his insanity. He puts on her son’s yellow shirt with the parrots on it, taunting her even while she insists he pray to Jesus for help. Religion in this story is the central theme, and where the true conflict lies. Because of the Grandmother’s insistence on a murderer praying for Jesus, she is given mercy by way of joining her family in death. This way, she would not need to live the rest of her life without them, and understand she played a significant role in guiding the family to their final destination.
The Misfit is a young man who thrives on “meanness” and who does not have a particular belief in God. He does not have a real struggle for control with the Grandmother, but her faith gives him another conflict he is altogether unfamiliar with; God. It seems for the first time, through the old woman, he is given a conscious, where at first he thrived on meanness and even stated this when he shoots the grandmother in the chest, then at the end of the story states there is no pleasure in this. There is a change which had occurred within this deviant, he began to feel the presence of God through grace (Browning, 41). The Grandmother accomplished this before her death when she accepted the Misfit as one of her own children, one whom she perceived could still be given mercy by her beloved Jesus.
In conclusion, symbolism in the three literary works referenced above have a prominent and persuasive effect on the way readers identify with the characters as well as the conflicts within the story. In each story, there is struggle, recognition of inevitability, and change within oneself even in a final moment.
Works Cited
Bremen, Brian A. William Carlos Williams and the Diagnostics of Culture. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. Questia. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
Browning, Preston M. Flannery O'Connor. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1974. Questia. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
Havird, David. "The Saving Rape: Flannery O'Connor and Patriarchal Religion." The Mississippi Quarterly 47.1 (1993): 15+. Questia. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
"9 Uses of Symbolism." Symbolism in Religion and Literature. Ed. Rollo May. New York: George Braziller, 1960. 233-250. Questia. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
Course
Professor
Date
Psychoanalysis and Comparative Symbolism in Fiction
There are few classic literary works which are what they initially appear to be; as there are underlying inferences with symbols to represent them. Characters portrayed in these stories are hardly what they appear at first to be and may in fact surprise readers with their depth and ability to astonish in many significant ways, including those other than language (May, 238). Discussed in this paper are symbols, conflicts and struggles, and reasoning within three distinct works; Use of Force, Good Country People, and a Good Man is Hard to Find.
Use of Force
In Williams’ Use of Force, a power struggle exists between a physician and his patient, a beautiful and seemingly frail sick young girl. In suspecting a deadly illness, the doctor must first determine the young girl’s health by looking into her mouth at her throat, which is where the struggle begins. Because the young girl refuses to cooperate, the physician sheds his learned demeanor and how he has learned to handle himself in frustrating situations while preserving the dignity of patients, and becomes more and more aggressive and insistent that he be able to finish his exam and diagnose the young girl. The parents themselves are very loving and extremely concerned for their daughter, but stand helplessly watching the behavior of their beautiful little girl. The doctor appears to be in control, especially on arrival of the family’s home where he sees
they are of low income, but keep a clean home for their well being. Because of the physicians education and composure, the parents are helplessly dependent upon him to cure their daughter, but at the same time, do not seem to trust him with her. It could very well be that the level of poverty may have given the doctor a feeling of superiority and of power over these individuals which made him free to act as harshly with the young girl as he did (Breman, 87). Admittedly, the doctor also indicates his love and affection towards the little girl, being so beautiful he becomes quite taken with her. This may also have sparked a possessiveness and want of her submission to him causing his violent reactions when she did not. Needless to say, the appearance of the doctor initially was very different from what he projected to the family by his actions. The young girl, too, seemingly docile and fragile fought her “savior” with strength and aggression all were surprised she possessed, indicating her appearance was not her reality either.
More symbolism can be taken into consideration when reading this story; instances of personal feelings and professional logic which only time and experience can yield cease to be separate and begin to catastrophically mingle. The physician seems professional, but his personal feelings cannot be contained which enable his actions to become violent without remorse. He seems to almost take pleasure in causing her pain. There is one fact to consider, in his own way, he convinces himself these means are necessary to save her life; as he has grown attached to the girl this is his main focus and does not consider the implications. The young girl, the reason for the conflict is the product of poverty and the lower classes which represent how they are regarded by the middle and upper classes. These are typically ruled over by those with money, education, and social prestige; but as appearances are deceiving, so is she. The young girl is the one with the power; to make a professional disregard his years of training, experience, education
and knowledge of repercussions of actions such as these proves she is the one with true influence. Her presence renders her own parents unable to stop her behavior, and her beauty captures her victim (the doctor) helpless to do what he knows is right. She is ignorant of these facts, of course, which makes her all the more powerful. Both characters defy the social norms, and have seemingly reversed roles. The doctor is educated enough and has experience to know there are more civilized methods used when trying to persuade patients to cooperate. The girl, who would have cooperated out of reverence to an educated and older man, takes on the complete opposite and fights to resist him. He defeats her of course, which is a fitting end proving her undisciplined behavior would come to no gain.
Good Country People
Symbolism in this story is obvious in the names of the characters. Each name represents quite the opposite of the characters’ reality in life or in their own minds. Hulga and her mother, Mrs. Hopewell are both naïve when considering the world. These two women believe that what one wants in life, they can attain it; and readers witness the enlightenment of both individuals heartbreaking realization of evil. Hulga was once Joy, who had lost her leg at a young age and since this time suffered a depression so deep it made her feel ugly and almost hideous inside. She chooses to change her name to Hulga, because it reflects these feelings in her own perception of the perfect way. For readers, one can see this is her way of gaining control over at least one aspect of her life; a power struggle won by the changing of her name. It is then she chooses to accept the inevitability that the world will give one only what it wants to give, and she learns to
see nothing deeper than what is on the surface; this is a form of self protection and maintaining control over future disappointments concerning her life.
Mrs. Hopewell on the other hand lives in a world full of illusions, where one has control over what they gain in life. She is accepting of many things, which is contradicting because she cannot accept certain aspects of her own daughter. She is not what she seems on the surface, she is never accepting of her daughter nor of any of her accomplishments in life. She wants Hulga to act as other young girls her age, dress like them, and have “a good time” like them so she can be proud of her. Hulga on the other hand is too intelligent for many of the people she is surrounded by, including her superficial mother who criticizes her efforts constantly. Mrs. Hopewell is symbolic in this story as well, as she looks beyond the borders of her land hoping for freedom and expressing its possibilities, but is in fact bound to stay where she is; she is not free, she is burdened.
Mrs. Hopewell publicly praises the Freeman girls, which in turn demeans her own daughter. In contrast, Hulga finds the two girls revolting, which seems to widen the divide between herself and her mother. Hulga was robbed of many girlish activities such as running and dancing, and has been told she will not live past a certain age due to a heart condition. This has devastated Mrs. Hopewell, who only seems to have hope for people other than Hulga. She is embarrassed to have Hulga as her daughter, with her apparent differences with the other girls in her manner of thought, dress, and choices of activities, but most of all is ashamed of Hulga’s choice of names and takes this as a personal affront. These perceptions only deepen the chasm between Hulga and her mother, worsening their conflicts and power struggles over each other’s lives.
More symbolism can be seen in Pointer’s taking of Hulga’s wooden leg and keeping it out of her reach. She struggles to reach it, as if it were her very soul she was attempting to recapture, as well as Pointer’s hollowed out bible which reflects his own spirituality and perhaps his soul as well (Havird). These conflicts of power between these two characters also leave one tempting the other, where education cannot defeat deceit and betrayal from the world Hulga has tried so very hard to protect herself from.
A Good Man is Hard to Find
This story by Flannery O’Connor begins with a family travelling to Florida with a Grandmother who would rather be elsewhere. She complains about an escaped criminal named “Misfit” who is at large and whom she has read about in the newspapers. Eventually, with many mishaps, the family’s car overturns and the Misfit finds them. To flatter the serial killer, the Grandmother makes reference to his upbringing, by stating he must have not been raised by commoners, only to result in her own son’s murder. The power struggle between the Grandmother and Misfit end in tragedy, as her flattery of him had the opposite effect; his taste for blood is only fueled by her feeble attempt, placing her responsible for these actions as a result of her insistence. The family represents societal norms, and Misfit, the deviants of these societies which instill fear in the rest. It is the family’s fear which emboldens him, and the Grandmother’s instruction to turn to religion only fuels his insanity. He puts on her son’s yellow shirt with the parrots on it, taunting her even while she insists he pray to Jesus for help. Religion in this story is the central theme, and where the true conflict lies. Because of the Grandmother’s insistence on a murderer praying for Jesus, she is given mercy by way of joining her family in death. This way, she would not need to live the rest of her life without them, and understand she played a significant role in guiding the family to their final destination.
The Misfit is a young man who thrives on “meanness” and who does not have a particular belief in God. He does not have a real struggle for control with the Grandmother, but her faith gives him another conflict he is altogether unfamiliar with; God. It seems for the first time, through the old woman, he is given a conscious, where at first he thrived on meanness and even stated this when he shoots the grandmother in the chest, then at the end of the story states there is no pleasure in this. There is a change which had occurred within this deviant, he began to feel the presence of God through grace (Browning, 41). The Grandmother accomplished this before her death when she accepted the Misfit as one of her own children, one whom she perceived could still be given mercy by her beloved Jesus.
In conclusion, symbolism in the three literary works referenced above have a prominent and persuasive effect on the way readers identify with the characters as well as the conflicts within the story. In each story, there is struggle, recognition of inevitability, and change within oneself even in a final moment.
Works Cited
Bremen, Brian A. William Carlos Williams and the Diagnostics of Culture. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. Questia. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
Browning, Preston M. Flannery O'Connor. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1974. Questia. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
Havird, David. "The Saving Rape: Flannery O'Connor and Patriarchal Religion." The Mississippi Quarterly 47.1 (1993): 15+. Questia. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
"9 Uses of Symbolism." Symbolism in Religion and Literature. Ed. Rollo May. New York: George Braziller, 1960. 233-250. Questia. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.