Rutgers University Newark The Interpretation of Dreams Essay

6 pages (two distinct essays of 3 full pages each — no more and no less, please!): typed, double-spaced, Times font with 1″ margins

1) Explain what Freud means by “dreamwork,” in his Interpretation of Dreams, and what he theorizes that such “work” does. What is “distortion,” why is it necessary, and how does Freud elaborate and illustrate specific forms of such distortion? (Whatever else you add, be sure to consider what Freud has to say both about “displacement” and “condensation.”) Finally, what does Freud argue about the possibility of achieving a correct or conclusive interpretation of a dream, and about the importance of the reliability of the material – the manifest dream – on which the analyst bases her or his interpretation? Cite specific passages to support each step of your argument.

2) In Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego, explain: how does Freud start from the idea of “ambivalence” (55) to build a theory of group psychology, and of the relation between the individual and the leader (Führer, in the original). Explain the ideas of “identification,” the bonds formed within the group, and Freud’s theory of how an individual can turn into a leader. Cite specific passages to support each step of your argument.

Please don’t copy what Freud says, analysis is key.

Please cite all your answers.

Used Texts

• • Basic Writings of Sigmund Freud, Interpretation of Dreams, 151-175: I. THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE OF DREAM PROBLEMS (Up to 1900); and II. THE METHOD OF DREAM-INTERPRETATION
  • Basic Writings of Sigmund Freud, Interpretation of Dreams, 176-205, 287-336: III. THE DREAM AS WIISH-FULFILMENT, IV. DISTORTION IN DREAMS, VI. THE DREAM-WORK, sections A-D.
  • Basic Writings of Sigmund Freud, Interpretation of Dreams, 436-465, 515 [bottom paragraph] – 517: VII. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE DREAM PROCESSES, sections A-B, and the very last 5 paragraphs of the book (Interpretation of Dreams)
  • Basic Writings of Sigmund Freud, Totem and Taboo, 775-832 (I: “The Savage’s Dread of Incest,” and II: “Taboo and the Ambivalence of Emotions”).