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  • Essay / Reading the psyche of an author in "Eva Luna" by Isabelle Allende

    The primary ideal of psychoanalytic reading is that literary texts are similar to dreams because they are both manifestations of psyche of a person and can be analyzed to uncover the unconscious meanings of the author. Eva Luna, written by Isabelle Allende, is made up of complex characters who each have their own story, described in depth through their childhood and their actions within the story, demonstrating the talent of Isabelle Allende herself. Its story revolves around Eva Luna and her eventual partner, Rolf Carle, who both come from dysfunctional homes. Their characters are gradually built from birth to adulthood, allowing all facets of their desires and anxieties to be explored. With this understanding of the characters and their motivations, it becomes possible to discover Allende's unconscious symbols and illustrations of his own neurosis. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Despite his dysfunctional upbringing, Rolf Carle becomes a successful journalist, much like Allende herself before her career as an author. An important aspect of his career was his constant obsession not only with reporting the political news of his country, but also with playing a role in that politics in order to promote the form of government he thought was best for his country: “From that day on, Rolf Carle not only recorded events; he used his contacts to advance the cause of the rebellion. His constant need to intervene beyond his job description is a symptom that he places the responsibility for protecting his country squarely on his shoulders. During his childhood, Rolf Carle watched his mother be controlled by the tyranny of his abusive father, because he and his brother were too young to intervene: "Jochen and Rolf glimpsed the terror in their mother's eyes and saw it shiver.” His choice to become a journalist is perhaps due to his shame at not having been able to protect his mother. He now views his country's tyrannical government the same way his father did, as they both present cruel authority. His active participation in politics is due to his need to protect the people of his country, to compensate for his failure to protect his mother, an act he now uses to process his guilt. Allende, who was also a journalist, may have made his professional decision for similar reasons. Although she did not have an abusive father, she also felt guilty for the loss of her father. Her choice to become a journalist may have been due to her need to solve problems in her country, which she was never able to solve in her own childhood. Another aspect of journalism is the requirement to travel. According to psychoanalysis, a person who travels may seek to “escape” emotional trauma. A line that gives the reader information about Rolf's life after the end of the novel says: "many years later, on the other side of the world, he woke up one morning crying under the white mosquito net." This line shows that despite his estrangement, Rolf was still affected by his experiences into adulthood. This demonstrates how we are generally a coping mechanism that causes people to repress their emotions, rather than process them, thus preventing them from overcoming their anxieties. Allende, who also traveled as a journalist, may have also done so due to a need caused by his childhood and perhaps unconsciously shows how this failed to properly resolve his problems. By psychoanalyzing Rolf Carle and.