A Psychoanalytic Interpretation of Rapunzel Essay

A Psychoanalytic Interpretation of Rapunzel The familiar story of Rapunzel, as told by the brothers Jacob Ludwig Carl and Wilhelm Carl Grimm, takes on new meaning with a psychoanalytic interpretation. It is a complex tale about desire, achievement, and loss. The trio of husband, wife, and witch function as the ego, id, and superego respectively to govern behavior regarding a beautiful object of desire, especially when a prince discovers this object. The story begins in a rural house where a man and woman live without children, near a walled garden tended by a frightening witch. The first line of the story tells us that they yearn for a child. It is clear that there exists in this house an almost tangible feeling of desire†¦show more content†¦If the unconscious mind is obscure and dark, and the conscious mind is clear and sunny, then dusk is where the two blend briefly. This tendency to act at dusk further confirms the idea that this man represents the ego, which is the reconciliation of both id and superego. He too is nameless. When the witch who owns the garden discovers the trespass, she brings down a harsh verdict. If the woman must continue to have the rampion, then the witch will receive their child. The witch represents laws and social constraints, corresponding to the repressive superego. The husband must again play referee and weigh his wifes desires and the witchs rules. He is not strong enough to overpower the id element of his household. He hastily agrees to the deal, and the witch transforms the desirable root from her garden into a child. The girl who results from this ordeal takes a new form as the popular object of desire, but little has changed. Her name is Rapunzel, meaning rampion, the radish that her mother sought. A childless woman wishes for rampion, receives it, and loses it in the form of her daughter. Here, the witch is more in control than the other characters. Continuing in her position as the moral control, the witch tries to protect her Rapunzel by locking her up. This attempt to preserve the girls chastity ultimately fails because a prince discovers her when he hears her singing. Song is a symbol ofShow MoreRelatedMedia s Influence On The Socialization Of A Child997 Words   |  4 Pagestells the story of Rapunzel who is an effervescent teen going on an adventure to see the lights of Corona. The Disney made the progression in some aspects, whereas there were still some aspects showing the gender inequality. The main character is Rapunzel who is female. She does not want to be imprisoned in her tower, so she goes on an adventure. It shows the female lead trying to break her gender role and follow her own path rather than the one defined for her. In addition, Rapunzel saves her hero withRead MoreFairy Tales Adapt to Culture1235 Words   |  5 Pagesextent does the given cultural situation affect the status of fairy tales in that time? F airy tales are the center of constant analysis by literary scholars and psychoanalytic experts alike. The stories are probed, analyzed and examined time and time again for they offer themes and ideals that provide realistic application of and interpretation on society and the way people think and act. It is engrossing to contemplate the differentiation of a fairy tale story among dissimilar societies. Modern dayRead MoreWizard of Oz as a Fairytale Essay4056 Words   |  17 Pagesallegorist not a childrens storyteller. Examination of his correspondence and politics (Parker) as well as his biographical details and authorial intention suggest he was the latter. It seems Littlefield, with his imaginative interpretation, was gazing a little too far over the rainbow. Oz draws upon fairy tales but with a knowing referentiality and a working awareness of feminist, political and sexual criticism through which they will are assessed. He lifts phrases