Friday, March 5, 2010

lay your back on the line.

I read some Freud this morning and I learned that I am really interested in his thoughts, explanations, and investigations of psycho-analysis. On the other hand, I don't care too much about his life as a neurologist, potential scientist, and faithful Jew. I think it's interesting that he, himself, had to go through a lot to become who he was (which is probably why he is so good at thinking) but truth be told, I just want to know what he has thought, said, and done.

I have to read "The Freud Reader" for my Desire and Discontent class and so far, I've learned quite a bit about the memories we contain from our childhood.

Most of the time, memories are not memories until we see something or do something in the present that reminds us or connects to an earlier act, thus producing a memory. In the "Reader" there was an example about this man who had the fondest memory of himself as a child running through a green field speckled with yellow dandelions. Him and his cousins, one female and the other male, were picking up flowers as they ran. He and his male cousin chased his female cousin, who at the time was about the same age as him (2 or 3) because she had the prettiest bouquet of flowers. The two male cousins succeeded in taking the girl's beautiful yellow dandelions away. When they did this, she started crying. Freud saw this as a present desire to "deflower" a girl.

Interesting.

I guess our lives are like a huge story book. Everything can be analyzed and interpreted. What I think, say, do, and remember are all connected to the person I am and my desires.

Cool beans.

2 comments:

Barry said...

Hey Leviana, I was about to put down my thoughts when I saw you use the word 'Guelph' in one of your posts. I checked your profile and lo and behold you're from Toronto. Awesome!!

I'm visiting here through Tamanna's blog, have gone through some of your writing and I like your insight. As far as this post goes, although I freely admit Freud was a briliant thinker I've always questioned some of his theories.

Much of what Freud believed has been argued/discredited/refuted over the years. As much as the study of human sexuality fascinates me, I think he gave too much weight to sexual desire as a motivator. This story for example gives me more than a little pause for thought. Can we really claim that a 2 or 3 year old subconsciously possesses a desire to deflower another? Where would the knowledge to carry out such an act stem from at such an early age? Is it instinctive? Highly doubtful in my mind. What are your thoughts?

It's 5:00 Friday afternoon. My mind shouldn't be this awake.

Anyway I love the variety in your blog. I'll read more as I get the chance.

TGIF!!

llc said...

Hey Barry! Thanks for your comment and kind words.

I agree with you. I don't think 2 or 3 year olds can really possess such a sexual desire. What I think Freud was getting at, though, was that those certain memories that we have stick out as we get older and experience different things because certain aspects of those memories symbolize our adult desires (if that even makes any sense).

I feel as though that tastic can really apply to anything, though. We all have the ability to read into things depending on our perspective. If we want to look back on a memory of flowers as a child sexually, that's possible. Yet, if we wanted to look back on that same memory and interpret the flowers as a symbol of beauty/hope/health, then we can do that as well.

Thanks again!