Toward a methodology of Freudian influence: A consideration of paradigmatic Asian and Western texts

Although many writers use Freudian theory in their works, most studies of how the theory influences such works fail to explore the intricate interplay between Freudian and literary texts. This dissertation combines influence study theory and Freudian theory to determine how literature is influenced by Freudian theory, through a close reading of twentieth-century literary texts. Chapter One sets up a framework within which one can determine the influence of Freudian theories on literary texts, using as examples texts of Virginia Woolf, Thomas Mann, Philip Roth, Richard Wright, Italo Svevo, Robert Musil, and others. It examines the conditions under which a Freudian influence may take place and the ways in which Freudian theory is used in literary works. I divide Freud's theory into eight categories and pair each one with literary examples, taken mostly from fiction, that use that particular category of Freudian theory.;The remaining chapters apply the methodology to a short story (Frank O'Connor's "My Oedipus Complex"), a novel (Yasunari Kawabata's The Sound of the Mountain), an author (Lu Xun), and a subgenre (the mystery story). Chapter Two examines the use of Freudian theory in "My Oedipus Complex" and The Sound of the Mountain. Theoretically, it shows how the absence of certain Freudian elements can also constitute a Freudian influence. Chapter Three examines Lu Xun's "Mending the Sky" and the complicated influence phenomenon partly resulting from the author's own claims about his use of Freudian theory in that story. Theoretically, this chapter concludes that an influence study should examine critically the author's words about having been influenced by a certain source. Chapter Four discusses Freud's influence on Lu Xun as a whole, and examines in depth his The True Story of Ah Q, "Soap," and "Brothers." Chapter Five analyzes Freud's influence on the Anglo-American mystery story; works selected for discussion are Marnie and The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. This is the first study to distinguish various aspects of Freudian theory as they are utilized in literary works. It sheds light on the intricate inter-textual relationship between Freudian theory and modern fiction and it also yields theoretical implications for influence study in general.