"Interpretations of Dreams" Reinterpreted

Paper Summary:

Although there are certainly seems to be few things more self-indulgent than keeping a dream journal, in his writing "Interpretation of Dreams," psychologist and author, Sigmund Freud, makes a persuasive case that understanding oneself begins with understanding one's dreams. The paper shows, however, that despite the seeming straightforwardness of the writing, coupled with the integrity and fame of the esteemed author, other lesser-known and lesser-respected authors have since convincingly demonstrated that the writings are not all-inclusive and are indeed more than they first appear. The paper looks at texts by Ken Frieden and Stanley Edgar Hyman, among others.

From the Paper:

"Moreover, he points out how many dreams make references to literary works, particularly Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, and various works by Goethe. In addition, while symbolic artifacts in Freud's dreams-a word, a quotation, or a book-initially mystify the interpreter, the verbal symbol "serves as a boundary marker, linking he forbidden and the impossible Oedipal desire for what can never be" (79). Consideration of these arguments makes it actually make Hyman's assessment of Freud's ability as a writer and a psychoanalyst plausible."

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