Abstract This paper discusses Freud's belief that creative writing is a form of daydreaming, in which fantasies are given literary life. The paper explains how Freud showed creative writing to be a kind of wish fulfillment in which the writer imagines, or daydreams, a different world and then spins a literary exterior around that dream.
From the Paper "Understanding the source of inspiration of a creative writer--or any artists for that matter--has been one of the primary goals of literary critics, psychologists, and philosophers alike. Thus it should come as little surprise that Sigmund Freud approached the problem himself during his career as a psychologist in developing his theories of psychoanalysis. Freud (1907) tackles this problem in his oft-cited essay "Creative Writers and Day-Dreaming." Quite conversationally, Freud outlines the issue at hand: it is entirely unclear from what source the creative writer draws."
Abstract This essay draws on the similarities and comparisons between Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and Tim Burton's film, "Sleepy Hollow" with specific reference to the daydream scenes.
From the paper:
? Yet this daydream has no few of the aspects of a nightmare as well. In the real world, the worst Ichabod will ever endure is a fall from his faithful, and borrowed, steed Gunpowder. In the daydream film, he shall be skewered with a ghostly sword, beaten, choked, and otherwise bodily assaulted. The horsemen will not be a possible figment, a traveler who merely keeps pace and tosses pumpkins; to the contrary, he shall kill any number of people.?
Reviews the history of attitudes about daydreaming. Discusses contemporary research into the causes and effects of daydreaming. Concludes that woolgathering provides important benefits.
2,250 words (approx. 9 pages), 8 sources, 1995, $ 79.95
Daydreaming is something in which we all engage in to some degree. It is a form of dreaming, but as research has shown it is also different from the kind of dreaming we do when we are asleep. Daydreaming was once viewed simply as being idle and was not seen as something to be studied so much as something to be eliminated in the schoolchild and the worker. At best, daydreaming might have been associated with creativity for such as the poet, while for others it was seen as a bar to productive work. However, researchers then began considering the underlying meaning of daydreaming and what it might say about individual abilities, behaviors, skills, and performance.
The question was raised and analyzed as to whether ..."
This paper introduces, discusses and analyzes the short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," by James Thurber. It specifically summarizes the critical essay "Taking Care of Walter Mitty," by Ann Ferguson Mann.
Abstract "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" has become a comic American classic, full of humor and pathos. Walter is the classic henpecked husband who hides from the realities of his real world by devising elaborate and whimsical fantasies in his head. Throughout the story, he becomes a doctor, a fighter pilot, a naval commander, and a hero about to be executed, all to escape his continually nagging wife. Mann's essay sheds light on why Walter and his fantasy worlds are still so popular, along with some interesting theories about the cause of Mitty's daydreams
From the Paper "Mann's essay claims Mitty does not fantasize as a result of his wife's nagging, but totally the opposite, his wife is driven to her constant nagging by his continuous inattention to her. "Nevertheless, a close examination of the structure of the story suggests that Mitty's problems with his wife and with the rest of the outside world could just as easily be the result and not the cause of his fantasies" (Mann 352). This is an interesting and novel look at a story that has been interpreted in many ways for decades."
This paper analyzes the question of Don Quixote's 'madness' in "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes as a process of choice rather than an involuntary submission to psychosis.
Abstract The paper explains that when Don Quixote's nature as a daydreamer rather than madman is accepted, the story becomes all the more tragic because, in this case, the main character chooses fantasy in order to escape what he finds unacceptable in reality. The author points out that, politically, the novel warns against an over-idealization of political and philosophical systems of the past; refusing to adjust to the reality of the world tends to destroy rather than uplift. The paper relates that, despite the fact that Cervantes suggests madness, the way in which Don Quixote goes about being 'mad' suggests organization and intelligence, whereas, madness suggests chaos.
From the Paper "At the start of the book, Don Quixote is portrayed as a middle-aged man. He is at a stage in his life where there is little to hope for in the future, and most accomplishments lie in the past. To substitute his lost youth, the main character buries himself in stories of the past. He does this to such an intense degree that he feels the need to bring his fantasies to the context of his physical world. This is then the catalyst for his apparent madness."
This paper discusses the psychological effects of advertising: Subconscious and subliminal aims, methods of commercial campaigns, manipulation of daydreams, hidden yearnings, guilt complexes and irrational emotional blockages to sell products.
5,175 words (approx. 20.7 pages), 5 sources, 1981, $ 135.95
From the Paper "The following research is on the subject of the psychological effects of advertising. Advertising is a form of communication which is intended to sway people in a particular direction, to influence the audience to purchase a product or service. There is a tacit understanding of this fact on the part of the audience, but this does not mean that the people in the audience--whether it be for television, magazines, books, or newspapers--are able to control fully their own reactions. Advertising operates on many different levels, and there are subliminal messages in advertising that influence the thinking of the public. Many of these messages are certainly inadvertent, deriving from the prejudices and attitudes that are prevalent in a society at a given time. However, many others are intentional, designed to attract the viewer and to guide his or her thinking ... "
Abstract This paper describes typical behavioral patterns attributed to those who suffer from ADHD. Symptoms discussed are excessive daydreaming, learning difficulties, violence, stuttering and mood swings. It discusses how new treatment options have become available and the pros and cons of these different treatments. The paper focuses on why ADHD is so difficult to identify and the complex behavioral traits associated with it.
From the Paper "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a disorder that is estimated to affect between 1.6 and 2 million Americans (Lemer). It is actually a complex cluster of behaviors, resulting in difficulties in social, educational, and physical development; frequently, these difficulties can be extremely severe. Despite a substantial amount of research and public attention, there is still no commonly agreed on cause or generally effective treatment."
Abstract This paper discusses how Anton Chekhov demonstrates that the mere thought of money can severely impact a personal relationship in his short story, "The Lottery Ticket". An older couple with a family holds what could be a winning lottery ticket, but resists checking the numbers while they daydream about what they might do with the money. It examines how, at first, their reaction to the possibility of wealth is joyful; but rather than share their dreams and communicate their wishes, it looks at how Ivan Dmitritch and his wife, Masha, recede into their own worlds. It attempts to show how money definitely does not buy love and how, in fact, it has the potential to destroy it.
From the Paper "Ivan Dmitritch, who is described as ?middle class man who lived with his family,? had not previously believed in playing the lottery. Therefore, it was Masha who purchased the ticket. Her holding of the ticket is significant to this story because it signifies power. Ivan reveals his association of money with power when he tells his wife, ?It's not money, but power, capital!? Though the couple has not even won, they perceive the mere potential of winning as a source of power. Ivan gradually comes to resent the power that Masha holds, manifested in the lottery ticket. Knowing that because she purchased the ticket she deserves to make the decisions about how to spend the money, Ivan begins to feel threatened."
Abstract "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway is marvelous piece of writing basically because of its lucidity and simplicity. Yet the story contains important messages and philosophies, which can only be read between the lines and through close analysis of Santiago's monologues, daydreams, and thoughts. The paper points out that one message, which consistently runs throughout the novel and is repeatedly highlighted, is that man must continuously fight against unfavorable forces, even if he is certain of the futility of his struggle.
From the Paper "While Santiago is an old man with hardly any real strength left, he must battle both physically and mentally against external forces that have lately been very unkind to him. The old man is pitted against the sea, which symbolizes a great force and sea life as allies of that force, and while Santiago knows that he may not succeed, he is required to continue fighting. This continuous struggle is in line with Christian belief that despair is unforgivable. He watched only the forward part of the fish and some of his hope returned."
Abstract This paper examines the confluence of human imagination and scientific inquiry that informed the work of Albert Einstein. The author notes that Einstein's imagination, which made him appear like a distracted, daydreaming and unpromising child and young adult, was vitally important in allowing him to unlock the answers to questions that had dogged scientists for generations. The paper explores the stunning impact of Einstein's Annus Mirabilis.
From the Paper "Whether he desired it or not, Albert Einstein's name has become irrevocably linked with physics in the Twentieth Century. The reason for this, of course, is Einstein's Theory of Relativity, which, when first conceived early in the Twentieth Century, changed profoundly how man viewed the world and universe around him. This paper takes the opportunity to explore the stunning impact of Einstein's Annus Mirabilis and, much more importantly, emphasize how Einstein's oft-misunderstood creativity - a creativity that was confused with aimlessness by his elementary school educators and university instructors alike - was at the heart of his mathematical genius."
Abstract This paper discusses Robert Frost's poem "After Apple Picking." The paper suggests that "After Apple Picking" is Robert Frost's response to the biblical story of the Garden of Eden, as the poem suggests that desire and free will seem more treacherous than they actually are. It describes these themes throughout the poem and how the use of the narrator telling the story is effective in portraying them.
From the Paper "His daydreaming also signals a need for change, which is as natural as the changing of the seasons. Apple harvests usually occur at the end of summer, a time of transition. Autumn and winter, suggest the narrator, are not fearsome. They are the natural products of a successful, rich, and ripe summer. After his daydreaming on the ladder the narrator realizes that his apple-picking did not meet his expectations but he does not harbor any remorse. Frost suggests that desire fuels all human activity and creative enterprise, and even when the endeavor is of "no worth" it has intrinsic value as a personal learning experience."
