Reconsideration of G. Chaucer’s «The Manciple’s Tale» through the psychoanalytic approach
Liliya Alievna Khasyanova
Докладчик
студент 3 курса
Московский педагогический государственный университет
Московский педагогический государственный университет
Anna Olegovna Klimova
Докладчик
студент 3 курса
Московский педагогический государственный университет
Московский педагогический государственный университет
Ключевые слова, аннотация
This conference paper is dedicated to analysing one of G. Chaucer’s «The Canterbury Tales» through Freudian psychoanalysis. This study examines «The Manciple’s Tale» applying psychoanalytic concepts to the main characters’ behaviour. To get a comprehensive understanding of the heroes’ motifs, the authors use symbolism, id, ego, super-ego, and projection. Consequently, this approach reframes the core message of Chaucer’s literary piece and establishes raven as the driven force for the narrative.
Тезисы
Key words: G. Chaucer; «The Canterbury Tales»; psychoanalytical; symbolism
The novelty of the article is grounded on the basis of psychiatry’s rapid spread nowadays and its impact on society. The aim of the work is to get a detailed picture of Phoebus’s mental state and, essentially, the raven’s that serves as a key to a psychoanalytic reading of «The Manciple’s Tale».
The main aspects of Freudian research such as symbolism, id, ego, super-ego and projection are used as materials to deepen into the object of analysis. Being applied on the crow, symbolism creates juxtaposition: its potential for enlightenment to meaningless application of its abilities, making the crow a complex character symbolising the uselessness of cleverness without the ability to analyse one’s actions and their influence on the future. The next concept taken by the authors is id, ego, super-ego. The most primitive one of the tripartite structures of the mind is id which is driven by biological origin that is connected with instincts [Rennison, 2015]. The crow is considered to be the representation of the emotional centre of Phoebus’ mind due to several reasons: the crow embodies impulsiveness, it does not anticipate the matter of consequences and responsibility, and reveals shameful circumstances for the owner; the bird lacks moral principles since the desire to speak truthfully has its roots in flaunting its abilities that reminds childish behaviour; the pleasure principle can be seen in the crow, after being in a stressful situation, witnessing wife’s betrayal, aspires to escape an unpleasant sensation by telling Phoebus about them. In charge of the mind's rationality is ego that brings the lens of reality and helps to adapt to the world around. The personification of the ego in the tale is Phoebus. The character shows the ability to deal with the id — crow — caging it, and super-ego in the way he fully corresponds to established norms. Another extreme in human’s psyche is the super-ego that represents moral principles and ideal inner-self. The Manciple's tale contains an abstract representation of super-ego which is expressed in social norms of that time, including the chivalry reflected in Phoebus, who possesses nobility, strength, and courage. Projection often emerges when people unconsciously transfer their own inner paranoia and jealousy to a certain object [Ornston, 1978: 124]. Phoebus himself is prone to cheat, revealing his emotional volatility after the truth became known. This concept is shown through the relationship between the main hero and the crow. Phoebus taught the bird to speak, or to reveal the truth. The crow can be called a symbol of mirror, reflecting the heroes’ identities. Instead of realising his own destructive behaviour, Phoebus projects his guilt complex onto the bird. Although projection is one of the defence mechanisms, it still turns from a source of protection to one of collapse. Phoebus individually created a trap and a vicious circle, suppressing his genuine personality.
As a result, psychoanalytic literary criticism unfolds Chaucer’s «The Manciple’s Tale» from a different angle and accurately portrays the crow’s crucial position in the story.
Literature:
Ornston D. On projection: a study of Freud's usage // The Psychoanalytic study of the child. 1978. Vol. 33. №1. P. 117—166.
Rennison N. Freud and Psychoanalysis: Everything You Need to Know about Id, Ego, Super-ego and More. Oldcastle, 2015.
The novelty of the article is grounded on the basis of psychiatry’s rapid spread nowadays and its impact on society. The aim of the work is to get a detailed picture of Phoebus’s mental state and, essentially, the raven’s that serves as a key to a psychoanalytic reading of «The Manciple’s Tale».
The main aspects of Freudian research such as symbolism, id, ego, super-ego and projection are used as materials to deepen into the object of analysis. Being applied on the crow, symbolism creates juxtaposition: its potential for enlightenment to meaningless application of its abilities, making the crow a complex character symbolising the uselessness of cleverness without the ability to analyse one’s actions and their influence on the future. The next concept taken by the authors is id, ego, super-ego. The most primitive one of the tripartite structures of the mind is id which is driven by biological origin that is connected with instincts [Rennison, 2015]. The crow is considered to be the representation of the emotional centre of Phoebus’ mind due to several reasons: the crow embodies impulsiveness, it does not anticipate the matter of consequences and responsibility, and reveals shameful circumstances for the owner; the bird lacks moral principles since the desire to speak truthfully has its roots in flaunting its abilities that reminds childish behaviour; the pleasure principle can be seen in the crow, after being in a stressful situation, witnessing wife’s betrayal, aspires to escape an unpleasant sensation by telling Phoebus about them. In charge of the mind's rationality is ego that brings the lens of reality and helps to adapt to the world around. The personification of the ego in the tale is Phoebus. The character shows the ability to deal with the id — crow — caging it, and super-ego in the way he fully corresponds to established norms. Another extreme in human’s psyche is the super-ego that represents moral principles and ideal inner-self. The Manciple's tale contains an abstract representation of super-ego which is expressed in social norms of that time, including the chivalry reflected in Phoebus, who possesses nobility, strength, and courage. Projection often emerges when people unconsciously transfer their own inner paranoia and jealousy to a certain object [Ornston, 1978: 124]. Phoebus himself is prone to cheat, revealing his emotional volatility after the truth became known. This concept is shown through the relationship between the main hero and the crow. Phoebus taught the bird to speak, or to reveal the truth. The crow can be called a symbol of mirror, reflecting the heroes’ identities. Instead of realising his own destructive behaviour, Phoebus projects his guilt complex onto the bird. Although projection is one of the defence mechanisms, it still turns from a source of protection to one of collapse. Phoebus individually created a trap and a vicious circle, suppressing his genuine personality.
As a result, psychoanalytic literary criticism unfolds Chaucer’s «The Manciple’s Tale» from a different angle and accurately portrays the crow’s crucial position in the story.
Literature:
Ornston D. On projection: a study of Freud's usage // The Psychoanalytic study of the child. 1978. Vol. 33. №1. P. 117—166.
Rennison N. Freud and Psychoanalysis: Everything You Need to Know about Id, Ego, Super-ego and More. Oldcastle, 2015.