Creative Writing Practice and Pedagogy: a Jungian Approach

CREATIVE WRITING PRACTICE AND PEDAGOGY: A JUNGIAN APPROACH by Madeline Sonik B.A., The University of Western Ontario, 1984 M.A., The University of Western Ontario, 1985 M.F.A., The University of British Columbia, 2002 A THESIS SUBMITED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Cross-Faculty Inquiry in Education) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA September 2006 © Madeline Sonik, 2006 ABSTRACT In conventional Creative Writing post-secondary classes, the focus of student training is technique, to the neglect of the unconscious in the learning process. Some educators, in fact, suggest that the role and workings of the unconscious are dangerous areas for Creative Writing educators to explore. This thesis, drawing on the work of Carl Jung, as well as of Jungians and post-Jungians, advocates that the unconscious, in fact, needs to be valued and worked with purposefully in the Creative Writing classroom. The notion of archetype, with particular reference to the "archetypal feminine," is explored in this context. At the outset it is argued that the primary elements of what has collectively been considered "great literature" consist of far more than their mere technical components. The transformational qualities of great literature arise through a flux of the living experience of universal human themes. These "archetypes," as Jung called them, cannot be reduced to merely technical tools intended to assist the writer's ego: they are autonomous energies that demand the ego's engagement if they are to be integrated and expressed. Jung used the term "individuation" to signify the evolution of ego consciousness in an individual. This thesis introduces the concept of a "literary individuation," in which student writers can find personal growth and maturation by engaging with the unconscious in the writing processes. By defining and then applying many of Jung's conceptualizations to Creative Writing practice and pedagogy, the generative importance of the ignored unconscious and the "archetypal feminine" begins to emerge. Student writers can use Jungian constructs to ii better understand their characters, their writing, their own personalities, and their 1 while educators might consider making constructive curricular modifications that acknowledge and reinstate the importance of the unconscious. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract u Table of Contents iv Preface v Acknowledgements viii Introduction 1 CHAPTER 1 Archetypes and Writing 8 CHAPTER 2 Amplification and Image 29 CHAPTER 3 Individuation and the Writer 50 CHAPTER 4 Jung's Typology 209 CHAPTER 5 Dreams 245 CHAPTER 6 The Voiceless Feminine: A Personal Revelation 272 Concluding Remarks 300 Notes 301 References 304 iv Preface This thesis explores a new approach to Creative Writing education, based on concepts of the influential thinker and psychoanalytical pioneer Carl Jung. It represents the maturation of ideas that I have been developing both as a professional writer and writing instructor for more than 15 years. My first published fictional story, "Abiding Peace" (1990), which I include in this thesis, was also the first I wrote in which I began experimenting with Jungian concepts in the production of Creative Writing. Shortly after its publication, I began designing and teaching a wide range of continuing education Creative Writing classes, through which I was able to further investigate the application of certain Jungian ideas. My first published collection of short stories, Drying the Bones (2000), was a compilation of experimental stories that tested the validity of my methods. Some of the stories from that collection are similarly used as exemplars in this thesis. I see my aim in this study as attempting to re-voice the "voiceless feminine" in creative writing practice and pedagogy, and this expression will reappear throughout my work. It is important to note at the outset (and this point will be further elucidated throughout the thesis) that the concept of the "feminine" as used here is fundamentally archetypal; it does not denote a gender distinction, but embraces both men and women. It has long been a concern of mine that the "archetypal feminine" is largely overlooked in current conventional Creative Writing teaching. It is my hope to identify this archetypal energy and explain how failure to acknowledge it can vitiate the depth of student engagement necessary for the production of exceptional literary art. By presenting a broad Jungian framework, I seek to show how instructors might begin to give this archetype its due. It is important also to note what the thesis is not. It is not intended to be the definitive word on Jung, Jungians, or post-Jungians, nor to argue or critique the fine points of Jungian or post-Jungian theory. Jungian methods and concepts are reflected in this thesis to the degree that I have understood and experienced them as useful in Creative Writing teaching and practice. Hence I limit myself to those Jungian theories and concepts which I have discovered from experience can enrich and enliven the experience of Creative Writing learners and illumine their literary productions. Since Jungian ideas have been transmitted in North America through the medium of English, and since they are similarly communicated to students through the medium of English, it has been deemed appropriate, indeed essential, to use the standard translations of Jung, rather than his original German text. Moreover, I have been able to use only a fraction of the large body of related works that I have consulted, and have limited myself to citing only those that I have found to be strictly relevant to my exploration of the topic. In addition to consulting the work of scholars and of Creative Writing educators, I have been able to draw on my own experiences of Creative Writing education, both as a learner and a teacher. Over the years, I have been exposed to diverse learning environments. I bring my responses to grade school and high school Creative Writing instruction into my work, but particularly those to my post-secondary experiences in Creative Writing courses. In addition to formal academic training, both in Creative Writing and Journalism, I have participated in a number of private Creative Writing workshops and retreats in Canada, the United States, and England. In all of these settings vi I have had the opportunity to observe and discuss informally Creative Writing teaching methods. As an instructor, I have taught adult learners in community college and at the university level, both graduate and undergraduate students. These experiences give me confidence that the proposals laid out in the following thesis have a sound theoretical basis, but could also be viable and workable in a practical instructional setting. vii Acknowledgements The task of completing a PhD thesis is both an arduous and joyful one. The kind and generous support of a number of individuals has made the arduous aspects much less arduous and the joyful aspects much more enjoyable. I wish to thank the members of my committee for their wise and unsparing direction. Lynn Fells read the thesis and made meticulous and valuable suggestions. Karen Myer's guidance and reassuring insights kept up my spirits when my morale started to flag. Geoff Hancock shared his superb knowledge of the writing scene to save me from a number of misconceptions and to provide me with much thought for what directions I might follow from this point. George McWhirter is owed a special debt. Since my first arrival at UBC he has been a truly devoted teacher and it is no exaggeration to say that without his support and encouragement it is unlikely that I would have considered pursuing a PhD in the first place. I wish to record a particular debt of gratitude to Carl Leggo, my thesis supervisor, whose patience, wisdom and perceptive understanding of my particular needs have been unparalleled, At a more personal level, I would like to record my gratitude to my partner Eric Henderson, who read and re-read my thesis at various stages, and constantly challenged and tested my conceptions. To my friend Tony Barrett who gave me much help on bibliographic and technical matters and has consistently offered me encouragement. Finally I want to thank my Aunt Hana, who inspired me some years ago to have the courage to grasp the opportunity of pursing higher educations no matter how formidable the obstacles might seem. viii Creative Writing Practice and Pedagogy: A Jungian Approach Introduction Creative Writing Education began for me in the first grade. I was in a progressive school, in Chicago, and our teacher had allotted a great deal of class time to what were called "language arts." These included everything from grammar, spelling and vocabulary to the reading and writing of stories and the production of our own plays. It was in Grade One that I first experienced the joy of opening myself to the thoughts and stories that inhabited my imagination, and attempted to transcribe them. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it was this desire to express the stories of my imagination that compelled me towards literacy. I was not a particularly good student. I did not possess the memory or the consistency of exceptional students; my penmanship was awful, and I often found it difficult to give the "right" answer. I believe, in many ways, that this lack of exceptional scholastic ability allowed me the freedom to play, and in play I found the areas of scholarship which most interested and energised me. I have often wondered if writing would have become my art, my way of self-expression, if it had not been for the ironic fact that I had not excelled at it. I never felt the pressure that the good students felt to follow the grade school and high school recipes of writing, which included things like "the story outline," "the plot graph," and "the character sketch." Teachers placed such great emphasis on the unwavering commitment to these procedural devices, which were so foreign to my own natural mode of creation that not only could I not follow them, but I could not comprehend how these things could possibly be helpful to anyone.

Load more