Psychoanalysis: A Freudian criticism

of three works of literature

A Clockwork
Orange

Atlas Shrugged

The Picture of Dorian

Gray

A Clockwork Orange
Id, ego, and
superego
Dreams
Father figures
Oedipus complex

Whats it
going to be
then, eh?
Alex freely acts out all desires, giving
his id complete control.
His superego fails to punish him
because he sees no wrong in what he
is doing.
Music fuels violence and vice versa.

Dreams are the

royal road to the
unconscious
Dreams that he loses his power
wish fulfillment of keeping power.
Dream comes true when droogs turn
on him.
In jail, he dreams of music and
violence, his two passions that are
now taken away.
In prison, he dreams of Ludwig van in

Rehabilitation
Behavior modification program combines
violent images with a physically sick feeling
Ego changes because his relationship to
reality is driven by physical sickness in
relation to violence
Superego still craves violence, but ego
suppresses the urge to avoid feeling ill
Becomes a Clockwork Orange, alive on the
outside, yet mechanical inside

Reintegration
Alex cannot defend himself because
the thought of violence makes him ill.
Sees F. Alexander as father figure
Oedipus complex fulfilled Alex raped
and killed F. Alexanders wife.
F. Alexander seeks revenge by using
Alex then driving him to attempt
suicide.

I Was Cured All Right.

Alex envisions his tainted ego leaving

his body and new, fresh ego
entering, freeing him to act out his
ids desires.
The ultimate wish fulfillment of
regressing into his original state.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Uncanny
Id, Ego, Superego
Oedipus Complex

If I would be always young, and

the picture grow oldI would give
my soul for that.

The Faustian bargain transfers

evidence of Dorians age and
misdeeds to the portrait.
The picture becomes uncanny
because it is essentially Dorians soul
manifested in a physical painting.

The only way to get rid of

temptation is to yield to it
Acts out all the fantasies of his id
Superego dissolves because he has
no conscious and his self-ideal
resides in the picture
Ego is transferred to the portrait
because anything that would
normally bring him pain is evident in
the painting

He has been twentyone nearly half a

century
He has no need for a superego .
Society continues to accept him
despite his horrid acts because he
remains young and beautiful.
The reader lives out the fantasy of
being forever young.

A Schism of the Soul

Basil (father figure) is horrified at the
portrait and Dorian, realizing hes
done something wrong, kills him.
Has no ego or superego so he
destroys the painting. Because the
portrait contains those essential
parts, Dorian dies.

Atlas Shrugged

The perfect man?

Sex is not an animal instinct.
Does repression cause everything?

Who is John
Galt?
The archetypal
man
Galt is in absolute control of himself,
thus has successfully repressed all
desires.
Characters view sex as a recognition
and sharing of values.

"So you think

that money is
the root of all
evil? Have you
ever asked
what is the
root of
money?"

Wealth and values versus living life

through alms, altruism, and
socialism.
Possible repressions results in overly
passionate views.

Conclusion
All human
motivations and
behaviors can have
psychoanalytical
interpretations.
The explanations
are not always
correct, but can me
made to fit most
circumstances.

FIN