Voicenotes from Me, Your Resident Bibliotherapist

Freud & Fairytales. Podcast +Transcript

PODCAST

Listen to the podcast episode here.

TRANSCRIPT

Hi everyone, in today’s voicenote I wanted to discuss the role of fairytales in bibliotherapy and psychoanalysis.

Fairy Tales and Psychoanalysis

Fairy tales have long been a subject of interest in psychoanalytic theory due to their rich symbolic content and universal themes. Freud’s analysis of fairy tales often focuses on the following aspects:

- The Unconscious Mind: The repository of repressed desires, fears, and memories.

- Defense Mechanisms: Psychological strategies used by the ego to manage conflict between the id and the superego.

- Oedipus Complex: A child's unconscious desire for the opposite-sex parent and rivalry with the same-sex parent.

- Dream Analysis: Dreams reveal hidden aspects of the unconscious mind.

- Symbolism: Objects, characters,  and events in stories and dreams often symbolize deeper psychological truths.

The Uncanny:

Freud’s essay "The Uncanny" (1919) delves into the concept of the uncanny as something familiar yet foreign that evokes fear and discomfort. He used E.T.A.