Pyschoanalysis of Song of Solomon
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The psychoanalytic approach to literary criticism is a rather complex idea based on theories and methods of analyzing human psyche and behavior. The work of Sigmund Freud is the basis for all psychoanalysis and is used to show how human desires and instinct are the foundation of all literature. In Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, there are many aspects of psychoanalysis and examples of Freud's concepts. The most prevalent is the development of a superego through the Oedipus complex in the protagonist Macon Dead III, better known as "Milkman." Sometimes thought of as the core idea of all of Sigmund Freud's work, the Oedipus complex is without a doubt a vital element of psychoanalysis. Roughly understood as the tendency of boys to idolize and love their mothers while having contempt for their fathers, the Oedipus complex has become somewhat common knowledge. A superego represents the influence of morals and ethics as well as the control of the satisfactions of the id. The impact of racial, societal, and cultural traditions are also present in the superego. Milkman's journey of self-discovery in Song of Solomon, shows undisputable evidence of Oedipal issues and the resulting formation of a superego.
Most people view the Oedipus complex as an incestual and perverse attraction to one's mother or father...