Goodbye Winesburg

Goodbye Winesburg

As the first quarter comes to an end, so does our reading of Winesburg, Ohio.  For some it was enjoyable.  For others it was stressful.  That doesn't matter, though, because it is all over now.  Unfortunately, we will never escape this first quarter, because what we have done over the course of this quarter is the first domino in a long chain of pieces that make up the rest of our lives.

Similarly, it is impossible for George Willard to escape Winesburg.  Despite physically leaving Winesburg, the events and people there shaped his manhood and life in a way that will always stay with him.  Winesburg will always be there in the background of his life.  He may be able to leave Winesburg, but Winesburg will never leave him.

I hope everyone had a good high school career, because how well they did will affect the rest of their lives.

Just kidding.

Or am I?

"There Are Times When A Cigar Is Only A Cigar"

"There Are Times When A Cigar Is Only A Cigar"

There have been numerous criticisms of Freud and his theories.  One of these criticisms is how Freud claims that any object that is phallic or yonic is symbolic in some way.  Freud loved smoking cigars, and many of his critics poked fun at him for this.  In response, Freud gave the famous quote: "Gentlemen, there are times when a cigar is only a cigar!"

This quote is comical, especially when you take into consideration how serious of a person Freud was.  Despite this, some people still choose to analyze the quote as a denial of the basis that Freud's theories stood on.  Freud's theories were controversial already, so his poking fun at them did not help to convince people of their authenticity.

As a follower of Freudian psychology, Sherwood Anderson was certainly aware of this quote.  In The Philosopher, Anderson makes his own subtle joke about this quote with the character of Doctor Percival.  He is a large man with numerous stogies protruding from his pockets.  Unlike every other mentioning of cigars in the novel, this has no symbolic meaning.  This just goes to show that sometimes, "a cigar is only a cigar."

George Willard and the Talking Cure

George Willard and the Talking Cure

According to Freudian psychology, there are only two ways to release repressed memories from the subconscious -- free association and dream analysis.  Free association is a psychoanalytic technique in which the patient is allowed to say whatever comes to mind in an effort to understand the problems that they are experiencing in their subconscious.  Dream analysis is another psychoanalytic technique where the patient talks about their dreams so that the psychologist can identify symbolic elements that represent problems within the subconscious.

Both of these methods require the patient to talk to the psychologist and reveal their personal thoughts and emotions.  Psychologists are able to draw out this information with their years of experience in dealing with people.  Much like psychologists, journalists also try to extract personal information from people.  In Winesburg, Ohio, George Willard acts as a psychologist by drawing out repressed feelings from people's subconsciouses. 

In Hands, Wing Biddlebaum is an outcast with something to hide.  He displays his inner conflict through dissociation.  His hands move uncontrollably, as if they have a mind of their own.  Nobody tries to get to know Wing until he meets George Willard.  George speaks to Wing in a way that forces him to recall his repressed thoughts.  He reveals his experience as a teacher in Pennsylvania and how he was accused of touching his students inappropriately.  By talking about these issues, he starts to become better.  He begins to regain control of his hands, but snaps out of it and begins to displace his trauma by hitting his hands against a fence post.

Despite his failure, George Willard helps Wing towards overcoming his problems.  In a seemingly simple interview, he is able to draw out the traumatic events that affect Wing and address them in a positive way.  George Willard acts as a psychologist and his interview is his way of using free association to treat Wing Biddlebaum.

Defense Mechanisms

Defense Mechanisms

This week in English class, we focused on various Freudian concepts, including defense mechanisms.  According to Freud, the body would completely shut down when faced with trauma and no way to deal with it.  To counteract this, the mind uses various defense mechanisms.  Freud came up with two mechanisms on his own, those being repression and sublimation.  These are considered to be the two most important defense mechanisms by Freudian psychologists, despite dozens of other mechanisms being discovered since then.

Repression is the when the mind pushes traumatic events into the subconscious.  An example of this is how children forget traumatic events, such as witnessing their parents creating their siblings.  This is considered to be an unhealthy way of dealing with traumatic events.  Repressed memories manifest themselves in different ways during daily life, yet can only be addressed through free association and analyzing dreams.

Sublimation is when negative emotions are channeled into positive outlets.  An example of this is how artists will use their emotions to dictate their creations.  This is the best way for people to deal with problems, as it acknowledges the source of stress and converts it into something meaningful with no emotional harm to the person.

The contrast of these two types of defense mechanisms is palpable.  It is obvious why Freudian psychology is considered to be outdated when you consider that he was only able to identify these two.  While they are important, they neglect an entire range of other mechanisms, both healthy and unhealthy.  It is amazing to think how a science as philosophical as psychology has completely changed over the course of a century.  Ideas from the 1900s are either built upon or refuted, which makes me wonder how it will change over the course of my own lifetime.