Psychological criticism is an approach to literary criticism that interprets writings, authors, and readers through a psychological lens. It is a research method that literary critics use to interpret texts and a genre of discourse employed by literary critics used to share the results of their interpretive efforts. The analysis focuses on the biographical circumstances of an author, and the main goal is to analyze the unconscious elements within a literary text based on the background of the author.
According to Ole Miss, Psychological Criticism analyzes three main points:
- An investigation of “the creative process of the artist: what is the nature of literary genius and how does it relate to normal mental functions?”
- An investigation of the psychological roots of the characters represented in the work
- An investigation of the psychological effects of the work on its readers.
Psychological criticism frequently addresses human behavior at the conscious and/or unconscious level, as well as the development of characters through their actions. Critics think about the symbols in the work and what they might mean. They also evaluate the psychological state of the characters and examine their motivations and actions with an understanding of psychology in mind.
Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Jacques Lacan are some of the figures primarily associated with psychological criticism. Freud believed that literary texts are an external expression of the author’s unconscious mind, and evaluating the behavior of a character will help the reader to trace the childhood, family life, fixations, traumas, and conflicts.
However, extreme care has to be taken when using this criticism to evaluate a work because it can become reductive in nature. The person who analyzes this work should be careful so as not to project any.
