So here is one of my own literary pieces about Freudian concepts that can be seen in a text called “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the Freudian quotes are from “Five Lectures On Psycho-Analysis.” This is actually what is known as a Summary and Response paper and basically an overall analysis of two literary pieces. I hope you enjoy.
Raaed Zaman
Professor Yankwitt/ Professor Von Uhl
Individual & Society: HA7- Mon/Wed 2pm-3:15pm, HA8- Wed 12:30pm-1:45pm
September 24, 2020
What’s Behind The Wallpaper?
In the “Five Lectures On Psycho-Analysis”, we see psychologist Sigmund Freud talk about his theory of psychoanalysis and how he believed people can be cured by being aware of their unconscious thoughts. Throughout this paper, we will see how Freud’s first lecture speaks upon the attitude of most doctors when the topic of hysterical patients came up. Freud’s lectures bring light upon many of the points that are expressed in “ The Yellow Wallpaper”. Also, Freud talks about another doctor he works with, Dr. Breuer who shares similar views with him. In this paper, many things will be discussed that aren’t clearly stated throughout the texts, but these are inferences that can be made due to textual evidence that was purposely left. In the period of time in which both of these texts were done mental illness wasn’t a real issue to medical doctors and they didn’t care enough to take care of their patients and formulate a proper solution.
When we begin to read Freud’s “First Lecture” we can see he analyzes what doctors in the late 1800s did to patients of hysteria. The main point that Freud was trying to bring across to his audience was that doctors did not handle patients with mental illness properly. Since they did not have knowledge about it, they couldn’t handle hysteria patients. During Freud’s first lecture, he stated, “The doctors have learned many things that remain a sealed book to the layman…He cannot understand hysteria, and the face of it he is himself a layman. This is not a pleasant situation for anyone who as a rule sets so much store by his knowledge.”(Freud 2201). This shows that Freud believes the doctors were not equipped with the knowledge to help their patients. Now we as readers ask ourselves what is hysteria? Hysteria is a psychological disorder. It’s not a physical problem. When we look at this quote in reference to “The Yellow Wallpaper” we can see that this is pure negligence towards the patients. Freud talks about another doctor that was his teacher, Dr. Breuer. He was doing the exact opposite of what other practitioners were doing, he genuinely cared about his patients and their well being. Freud mentions “Dr. Breuer’s attitude towards his patients deserved no such reproach. He gave her both sympathy and interest, even though, to begin with, he did not know how to help him”(Freud 2202). When we look at this quote we see something we are yet to see either in Freud’s first lecture or even in “The Yellow Wallpaper.” For the first time between both of these texts, we are coming across someone who actually believes these patients, someone who genuinely cares about these people.
In “The Yellow Wallpaper” we see many of the criticisms that Freud makes in his lectures. He talks about medical doctors dealing with hysteria and how they didn’t care about their patients. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” the narrator has not one but two people in her family that are in the medical field. Between both her brother and her husband, John, neither one of the two take her illness seriously at all. Both of them try to brush off her psychological issue as if she’s a child who’s lying about her illness. In the text, we read, “ he says really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression… My brother is also a physician and also of high standing and he says the same thing.”( Yellow Wallpaper 648). We can see the narrator believes she is a patient of mental hysteria, but her husband and brother who are both highly known in the medical field tell her it’s nothing but depression. As we read through Freud’s First Lecture, we noticed that he constantly complains about doctors not actually helping their patients and prescribing them to rest. The same exact thing goes on here which shows why the criticisms Freud made in his first lecture are mirrored in “The Yellow Wallpaper.”
When we take a look at Freud’s lecture, we can clearly see his reasonable perception of doctors and their lack of knowledge when it comes to hysterical patients. Freud’s criticism is supported in “The Yellow Wallpaper”. The story explains how the narrator who suffered hysteria had family members who did not believe her and just focused on the physical symptoms. This goes to prove how Freud’s views were accurate and the doctors during these times were ignorant on this topic.
WORK CITED:
Freud, Sigmund. “Five Lectures On Psycho-Analysis.” Five Lectures On Psycho-Analysis. Sept.1909, Clark University, Worcester Massachusetts.
Perkins Stetson, Charlotte. “The Yellow Wallpaper.”The Yellow Wallpaper. Jan. 1892.
