Key Elements of Similarity between Arthur Schnitzlers and Freuds Views of Sexuality - Essay Example

Essay, English Literature ic and Modern Outline the key elements of similarity between Arthur Schnitzler’s and Freud’s views of sexuality and the subconscious. How did these clash with the prevalent morality of the period? There has been immense influence of Freud’s work on the work of Arthur Schnitzler and in shaping his theory on sexuality and subconscious. Freud’s ideas have contributed to Schnitzler’s idea development. Freud and Schnitzler received the same medical training, and have the similar interest in hypnosis and hysteria. There is some relationship between these two men which is highlighted in Schnitzler’s diaries and his psychoanalysis notes. Some other authors have pursued the idea of adoption of the ideas of Freud topics, categories, and symbols in texts produced by Schnitzler. However, many scholars have presumed that Schnitzler and Freud’s ideas are overlapping and confusing or mingled with each other. Prominently, many scholars have even perceived the ideas of Schnitzler as an anticipation of Freud’s ideas. Schnitzler is Freud’s imitator and has copied the ideas of Freud (Berry). Freud has influenced Schnitzler’s application of various systems of dream work. But, the dream creation presented by Schnitzler is different in numerous ways than Freud’s as it is accompanied by displacement, condensation, and distortion. It is an intricate mechanism of dream work which comprises of day residue but does not just end here and goes on to take in the novelty element in it as the first narrative of Schnitzler analyzes. Schnitzler was carefully analyzed by Michaela Perlmann in the study of dreams representation in Schnitzler literature. Both Freud and Schnitzler entered UV (University of Vienna) the School of Medicine where they were trained as urologists. The academic environment they lived in was positivistic, rational, and liberal. Freud always regretted his choice of education but Schnitzler did not. He seemed contended with his choice of education at University of Vienna. Schnitzler was focused over the pillars of liberalism and rationalism as religion served as a daunting force on him. However the ideas of Freud on sexuality are different. Both of these philosophers attended lectures from most of the same professors and that is the reason that there is so much similarity between their ideas (Berry). According to Freud, sexuality entails a person towards a sexual aim or objective rather than any sexual object and describes various variations between sexual aim and sexual object in context. A distortion between sexual aim and sexual objects can be found according to Freud. He emphasized upon negative distortion between the two phenomena. He said that a weak person cannot get attention from adults and thus molesting prevails. According to him, behaviorally abnormal people are sexually abnormal but behaviorally normal people can be abnormal too. He said that every child is born with sexual desires and an intricate process of development occurs when the child grows older. A normal sexual path begins at a very early age rather than puberty as perceived by many people.Schnitzler, however, had diverse views than Freud as he has always appeared as the one refuting the ideas of Freud. He was known to be a pornographer and rested in anti-semitic terms (Berry). 2. Discuss the generational shift between first and second wave Viennese modernism in literature, music and painting, with such examples as Hofmannsthal, Schnitzler, Klimt, Mahler on the one hand and Trakl, Kokoschka, Schiele, and Schonberg on the other. You may focus on the shift in one particular art form in more detail or outline the salient features of all three. The two decades 1890-1910 marked the beginning of Vienna modernism after the Second World War. Architecture in these two waves of modernism is unparallel as compared to any other time in the history of Vienna. The scholars who brought the interest in modernism to the city of Vienna were basically foreigners and helped a lot in the work of scholars as in Carl E. Schorske who was a teacher in United States as well. The second wave is the one that brought the most changes in which there was Schorske in particular who the founding father of the Modernism of Vienna is. He set up various exhibitions which were mostly organized in 1980s. The historical developments and artistic accomplishments also paved the way for Vienna modernism (BPD AUSTRIA). Cultural cynicism was on its verge by Ludwig Wittgenstein which was prevalent in a hopeless world of the Franz Kafka and many adornments of the time period follow these ideas. Schnitzler also brought the ideas of dread and death for the Viennese society. The affluence of that time also was an enduring factor in modernism and unrest. The city was puckered into polarity as the second wave drew nearer and the glory of paintings of Kimti in science adored the city but was taken over by the political unrest of the city (BPD AUSTRIA). The transition on the turn of the century was not without disasters. The powerful and virulent government took over all the notions of the politicians. The names of Oskar Kokoschuka and Egon Schiele are the highlights of music and Carl Menger, Hans Kelsen, and Arnold Schoenberg the founders of culture and humanities (BPD AUSTRIA). 3. Discuss the role of ceremony and subversion in Hofmannsthal’s Rosenkavalier (The rose bearer). The ceremony and subversion in Hofmannsthal’s Rosenkavalier is with the insinuation of divine sphere somewhere above us and in allegiance to human beings on Earth which is below all these manifestations. However, the signs of these manifestations are significant even on Earth as well. The ceremony entails the story in an eager way when it reminds us of the Viennese wine songs in which last line is to abstain from the defeat of human trials and the ending has to be from above somewhere. We human beings seek rebellion and subversion against this unjust system of governance which has taken them into agony (Richard ). The narcissism and pride of every object will be comprehensible and known and will be a reason for destitute for all human soul. This is the intellect that human beings has to bore in and is rooted in each and every individual. The vanity will thus devastate in form of despair when at the end a ceremony will precede everything and subversion will have little or no role then. All the virtues and enjoyment and the merriment will come to an end as the ceremony of subversion will prevail. This is how Hofmannsthal's stands by his idea of justice and equality. Human beings will be left to nothingness and will come to a zilch. Subsequently the question will come where do we remain but no answer will be given (Richard ). In this play, Marschallin breaks the meditation in pride of everything and painfully rather sought the way to passing of time. This passing of time is relentless and the young lover takes away the pleasures of the meditation. The young lover is Octavian who is madly in love with the Princess and disrupts the painful meditations on the arena of Time but the youth is much more aware of his age. After a night of making love, in the morning she makes a prophecy that he will leave her sooner or later. Even though he fervently protests against this prophecy and says that she can take anything away from him and held him in prison. But Time is the real enemy which is beyond the indecisiveness of men (Richard ). It is the Time which is the genuine rebellion against everything in the play. It is the time which needs to be amended sooner or later. It goes by its own ways and there is nothing we usually feel about it. Our real rebellion should be against time. The ceremonies, matrimonies, and nuptials- all are upon benevolence of time. Everywhere everyone talks about it in the world but nobody has a solution to stop time. This is the subversion the author talks about. It is one we cannot fight against or fight for. Time is our competitor for which we should entail our efforts on. Marschallin knew that time will come when her lover will deceive her and finally her life will also come to an end. This sense of despair she faces throughout the play she tries to share with her only lover who fails to even comprehend anything out of what she was going through (Richard ). References Berry, Jeffrey Eric. "Simund Freud, Arthur Schnitzler, and the Birth of Psychological Man." . Bates College SCARAB, 27 May 2013. Web. 21 Apr 2013. . BPD AUSTRIA, . "Vienna Modernism 1890 – 1910." . Federal Press Service . Web. 21 Apr 2013. . Richard , Straus s. "Full text of "Der Rosenkavalier. The rose-bearer. Op. 59. Comedy for music in three acts by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. English version by Alfred Kalisch" ." . American library. Web. 21 Apr 2013. . Read More