Delusion and Dream in Wilhelm Jensen'S Gradiva

Name: Delusion and Dream in Wilhelm Jensen'S Gradiva
Author: Sigmund Freud

The book is a psychoanalytic study of Wilhelm Jensen's novel Gradiva, a Pompeiian Fantasy. It explores the themes of delusion and dream in relation to the unconscious mind. The protagonist, Norbert Hanold, an archaeologist, becomes obsessed with a woman he sees in a relief, Gradiva, and travels to Pompeii to find her. Through his journey, Freud analyzes Hanold's dreams, fantasies, and delusions, revealing the repressed desires and unconscious motivations underlying his actions.

By Sigmund Freud · First published 1907 · Genre: Psychological Fiction, Literary Criticism, Fantasy · 4 chapters · 31,372 words

First lines

In a circle of men who take it for granted that the basic riddle of the dream has been solved by the efforts of the present writer, curiosity was aroused one day concerning those dreams which have never been dreamed, those created by authors, and attributed to fictitious characters in their productions. The proposal to submit this kind of dream to investigation might appear idle and strange; but from one view-point it could be considered justifiable. It is, to be sure, not at all generally believed that the dreamer dreams something senseful and significant. Science and the majority of educated people smile when one offers them the task of interpreting dreams. Only people still clinging to superstition, who give continuity, thereby, to the convictions of the ancients, will not refrain from interpreting dreams, and the writer of Traumdeutung has dared, against the protests of orthodox science, to take sides with the ancients and superstitious.

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Delusion and Dream in Wilhelm Jensen'S Gradiva is listed on Textopian as an essay by Sigmund Freud, dated 1907 CE.

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Work type: Essay
Author: Sigmund Freud
Date: 1907 CE
Language: English
Genres: Psychological Fiction, Literary Criticism, Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction
Length: 31,372 words
Structure: 4 chapters, 237 paragraphs
Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)

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Genres

Psychological Fiction — The narrative explores the psychological states of the protagonist, Norbert Hanold, and his delusions, making it a deep psychological study.
Literary Criticism — Freud's analysis serves as a critique of the literary work 'Gradiva', examining its themes and the use of dreams in literature.
Fantasy — The story involves elements of fantasy, particularly the blurring of reality and imagination through the character of Gradiva.
Romance — The underlying theme of love and longing between Hanold and the character of Gradiva, who represents his childhood affection, adds a romantic dimension.