While analyzing the book Beloved by Toni Morrison I will be looking at it through a Psychoanalytic lens. I mainly chose this lens because I am fascinated by how people react and what sticks with them in their mind. When reading the description of the book and listening to my teacher explain the book’s characters and plots, I immediately thought of this lens. The author delves into frightening and complex ideas in this book, and these thoughts are used to explain the hardships of slavery in the mid 1800's.
So I mainly chose to analyze this book through this lens because of the complex thoughts all the characters would have can be analyzed in different ways depending on who reads it. This lens will allow me to think more deeply about why characters are committing their actions or responding to another character in a certain way. Compared to other lenses, I think this lens will help me focus on the characters motives, thoughts, and pasts that haunt them and make them react the way they do. I want to analyze what makes them tick, cry, or laugh. These are the things I feel are important to understanding the story on another level, and understanding maybe what the author was thinking when she wrote this novel.
I was debating on analyzing this book through a Marxist lens, because I felt it would allow me to dig deeply into how the characters felt about their situations in slavery and their lives when they were free. I decided not to use this lens because I know I can get more out of the psychoanalytic lens, like the things I explained above.
During my first blogging experience I hope to get my thought out there and receive comments that let me and the commentator fully develop thoughts on my topic. So comment away!
-Halemah Shuman
Hi Halemah, I really enjoyed reading your explanation for why you decided to pick this lens. I am doing the same lens, and I basically have the same thinking as you! It is interesting to think that the entirety of who you are is contained in a small organ in your skull-- all your thoughts, memories, and knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading more from you!
Thank you Emma! And yeah it's really interesting!
DeleteI am doing the same lens. However, I related this lens to aspects of a high-schoolers life. But in any case, it is very good to see someone analyzing the book with the same thoughts and ideologies.
ReplyDeleteHalemah! I'm doing the Post-Colonial lens so it is quite different then the lens you chose, making it all the more interesting. First off, what lead you to pick this lens and the process you went through was very thoughtful. Secondly, when you said this lens would help you "understand the story on another level" and see what "the author was thinking when she wrote the novel", I really connected with that. I think that's an amazing goal to have while reading and you can definitely achieve it!
ReplyDeleteHalemah! I'm doing the Post-Colonial lens so it is quite different then the lens you chose, making it all the more interesting. First off, what lead you to pick this lens and the process you went through was very thoughtful. Secondly, when you said this lens would help you "understand the story on another level" and see what "the author was thinking when she wrote the novel", I really connected with that. I think that's an amazing goal to have while reading and you can definitely achieve it!
ReplyDelete