Mariano Marcos State University COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION Laoag City

LITERARY CRITCISM: THE PSYCHOANALYTIC A Study Guide on the Short Story, FOOTNOTE TO YOUTH By Jose Garcia Villa

BACKGROUND OF THE PSYCHOANALYTIC CRITICISM Psychoanalytic literary criticism refers to literary theory which in method, concept, or form, is influenced by the tradition of psychoanalysis. Its main focus is analysis of the mind and behavior

Sigmund Freud He famous Austrian psychoanalyst and is the founder of psychoanalysis who is influential in the field of psychoanalytic literary criticism.

Jose Garcia Villa José García Villa (August 5, 1908 – February 7, 1997) was a Filipino poet, literary critic, short story writer, and painter. He is considered one of the finest literary poets regardless of race or language.  

He was born in Manila, Philippines, in 1908, and emigrated to the United States in 1929. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico in 1932,  He moved to New York for graduate study at Columbia University. Scribner’s published a collection of stories called Footnote to Youth in 1933. Villa died on February 7, 1997 in New York City.

Footnote to Youth (1933) (A Philippine Short Story in English) This is a story of a father who made a mistake in the past and ended up living a hard life. Then he had a son who is like him when he was young, hasty in making the decision to get married. Would he stop his son to repeat the same mistake he made? Could he stop his son to repeat that mistake?

PSYCHOANALYTIC LITERARY CRITCISM GENERAL PRECEPTS EVIDENT IN THE STORY

General Precepts Paragraph Justification According to PLC, “the work of the literature is entwined with the psyche.” Psyche refers to the spirit, soul; the mind especially as a functional entity governing the total organism and its interactions with the environment. One of the aspects of individual’s personality: Id – concerned with pleasure or desire; motivates behavior in the most primitive ways,; it drives aggression, anger, sexual desire, hunger and all the appetites. (5) Thinking himself man – grown, Dodong felt he could do anything. Being young and inexperienced Dodong thinks he is invincible. He doesn’t consider the consequences of his actions. He is only after his desires.

(14) “I am am going to marry Teang,” Dodong said. (16) “I will marry Teang,” Dodong repeated. “I will marry Teang.” The id which motivates aggression is working its way on Dodong’s emotions and he may not even know it. (31) “Son, if that is your wish…of course…” There was a strange, helpless light in his father’s eyes. Dodong did not read it, so absorbed was he in himself. Dodong’s desire overwhelmed him that he didn’t even read the signs that his father is not happy of his decision to let him marry.

(70) “I am going to marry Tona. She accepted me tonight.” (74) “I love Tona…and I want her.” Like Dodong, Blas exemplified the aggression of youth. His girlfriend just accepted him that night and he already wanted to get married. Again aspect of personality that controlled the character is the Id. (76)“You want to marry Tona,” Dodong said. He did not want Blas to marry yet. Blas was very young. The life that would follow marriage would be hard… The aspect of personality at work here is the superego because Dodong is an experienced man, he already know the consequences of the Blas’ decision to get married early.

General Question Guides in Analyzing Literature through the Psychoanalytic Criticism

Subject Matter 1. Is the literary piece entwined with the mind. 2 Subject Matter 1. Is the literary piece entwined with the mind? 2. Does the literary piece embody universal human psychological processes and motivations? 3. Does the literary piece represses its real content behind obvious content? 4. Does the literary piece contain symbolism to reverse the process of the dream work and arrive at the underlying latent thought?

Character/Persona Does the character persona expresses the unconscious desire and anxieties of the author? 2. Does the character/persona exemplify a combination of conscious and unconscious mind or behavior?

Style 1. Does the writer used a language in the text that means more than its surface? 2. Is there meaning in the verbal plays?

Prepared by: Dorina Michille Lubong James Patrick Sayao BSE III-A Consultant: Prof. Jahnese D. Asuncion