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Applying Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism to a Short Story

Applying Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism to a Short Story

Q Purpose: Practice analyzing a short story through the lens of Psychoanalytic Theory by examining critical questions. Task: After reading and viewing the page Applying Psychoanalytic Theory in a Character Analysis of The Misfit, choose a character from one of the short stories you've read in this unit (you can use the same story you analyzed in your first Unit 3 Discussion), that you believe demonstrates one or more of the Freudians defenses listed below. selective perception selective memory denial displacement (blaming) projection regression fear of intimacy fear of death or preoccupation with death Then write two paragraphs describing how this character exhibits these traits. How do they show up in the character's behaviour or dialogue? Do they interfere with the character achieving his or her goals? Do they shield or protect the character in some way? Consider the following questions which may help you to develop your argument: What do we see in the character's speech or behaviour that is worth exploring? How does the character relate to his or her past? To others? Towards the conflict within the story? What might be an unresolved problem in the character's life? Be sure to provide textual evidence (passages from the short story) to support your answers, including at least one direct quote. Consider this preparation for your essay in this Unit. Respond to at least 2 other students' posts. Your initial post and peer responses should be substantive. Criteria on which you will be graded: Your response to the question(s) is well supported by your textual examples Your explanation and engagement of your chosen quotation(s) conveys issues related to Psychoanalytic Theory Your responses to your classmates are respectful, thoughtful, and original (i.e., not merely "good job!")

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"Paper Menagerie" is a short story about a bi-racial boy named Jack, who has a white dad and a Chinese mom, who immigrated to America. Jack, the son, appears as an aggressive and immature boy in this story. He is the main character and the narrator of the story, but he also receives most hate from the readers. The Freudian defense demonstrate denial in this story When he is a kid, Jack's mom creates an origami menagerie for him, and when Jack's mom breathes into the origami, the menagerie comes to life, jumping and playing with him. After a fight with schoolmate who teases Jack about his Chinese heritage, Jack discards the menagerie, and rejects his mom, who grows increasingly silent.