New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis Lesson Plan

Discuss Freud's references to Greek mythology, specifically the mention of Ariadne's Thread, the Labyrinth, and Medusa. How do you make sense of these interpretations in the broader context of Freud's work?

These will likely be the first of many challenging analyses made by Freud that will shock and/or confuse students. Allow them to express their confusion and discuss what they find difficult or even preposterous about the claims. What Freud is doing here is a kind of symbolic interpretation of the psychological reality reflected in these stories. For Freud, Medusa's power to turn men to stone who look upon her and her head covered in snakes is a literary...