The Interpretation of Dreams

Key words: The Oedipus Complex, condensation, displacement, manifest-content and latent content, dream-content and dream-thoughts.

Questions: 1. What is the distinction between dream-content and dream-thoughts?

         2. Give an example of the Oedipus Complex in daily life.

Chapter 5   The Oedipus Complex—the love toward mother and the hatred against father

I.                    Greek Mythology—the legend of King Oedipus

II.                 Sophocle's play—"Oedipus Rex"

A.     The play focuses on the contrast between human will and destiny

B.     The play still touches people in modern times because if reflects our inner impulse —the first sexual impulse towards our mother and the hatred and murderous wish against our father. (p.921)

C.     People learn to repress and forget such impulse.

D.     Dream of having sexual relationship with mother—it's astonishing because it makes people to face the "Oedipus Complex" that has been repressed.

III.               Example: Shakespeare's "Hamlet"

A.     In Oedipus the impulse is fulfilled; in Hamlet it remains repressed.

B.     Hamlet's hesitation of revenge

a.       traditional explanation:

1.      The intellect paralyses his direct reaction

2.      Hamlet's irresolute character can be classified as neurasthenic

b.      Freud's viewpoint:

1.      He first points out some examples to state that Hamlet is not an irresolute person

2.      Hamlet's hesitation comes from recognizing himself with the killer of his father. (p.923)

C.     Hamlet's distaste for sexuality reflects Shakespeare's own distaste for sexuality, which can also be seen in other plays.

Chapter 6  The Dream-Work

I.                    Manifest content/ dream-content vs. latent content/dream-thoughts

II.                 The work of dreams—condensation and displacement

A.     The work of condensation—dream-thoughts are condensed in dreams, therefore dreams can never be fully interpreted.

B.     The work of displacement—

a.       There is the physical force to transfer and displace in the process of dream-formation.

b.      The consequence of displacement—dream is the distortion of the dream wish existing in the unconscious.

III.               The means of representation in dreams

A.     The elements of dream-thoughts are turned about, broken into fragments and jammed together under the work of dreams.

B.     Dreams don't represent the logical relations between dream-thoughts; they present all the materials of dream-thoughts in a single situation and combine the contraries. The logical connection is reduced by simultaneity in time.

C.     The "either—or" in dreams should be interpreted with "and."

Eg. (p.928)  "You are requested to close the eyes"

         or  "You are requested to close an eye."

should be interpreted as