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Aleppo University Faculty of Arts and Humanities Department of English The Collective Unconscious in Eugene O`Neill`s Desire Under the Elms and Mourning Becomes Electra and George Bernard Shaw`s Pygmalion and Man and Superman: A Comparative Study By Diana Dasouki Supervised by Prof. Dr. Iman Lababidi A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts In English Literature 2018 i Dasouki Declaration I hereby certify that this work, "The Collective Unconscious in Eugene O`Neill`s Desire Under the Elms and Mourning Becomes Electra and George Bernard Shaw`s Pygmalion and Man and Superman: A Comparative Study", has neither been accepted for any degree, nor is it submitted to any other degrees. Date: / / 2018 Candidate Diana Dasouki ii Dasouki Testimony I testify that the described work in this dissertation is the result of a scientific research conducted by the candidate Diana Dasouki under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Iman Lababidi, professor doctor at the Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Aleppo University. Any other references mentioned in this work are documented in the text of this dissertation. Date: / / 2018 Candidate Diana Dasouki iii Dasouki Abstract This dissertation explores the theory of the collective unconscious in Eugene O'Neill's Desire Under the Elms and Mourning Becomes Electra and George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and Man and Superman. The main objective is to study how the work of Jung has awakened interest in the unconscious and archetype psychology. The collective unconscious is a useful theory because studying literature, myth and religion through archetypes can reveal many deep and hidden meanings. Freud has been studied by scholars and critics more than Jung, and his theories have achieved universal importance and reputation, yet Jung's theory of the collective unconscious adds wider and richer interpretations to the world of psychology. The study reveals the impact of Jungian psychology on O'Neill and Shaw respectively. From a dramatic perspective, the characters of the plays chosen reveal the psychological and spiritual dimensions of human beings in the twentieth century. The study also examines the relationship between the two O'Neillian and Shavian plays by deriving universal concepts from Jung such as Archetype and Electra Complex. Moreover, the study finds that O'Neill is a Jungian dramatist by revealing his interest in Jung's theory through using the Greek myth in both Desire Under the Elms and Mourning Becomes Electra. It proves that mythology reflects the human psyche i.e. the collective unconscious of humans, and that its influence can be detected through the individual's behaviour. iv Dasouki This study also examines the archetypes used by Shaw in the two plays in question such as the mother archetype which represents man's need for maternal love. Moreover, the study finds that Jung's theory of the collective unconscious is incorporated within Shaw's plays. It proves that Shaw also borrows the Jungian theory to point out that humans have inherited their experiences, sins, customs and actions from the ancient ancestors. v Dasouki Acknowledgment I would like to thank my supervisor Prof. Dr. Iman Lababidi whose knowledge, advice and guidance have formed the foundation of my work. I was inspired by her critical ideas and arguments throughout the writing process of this thesis and it is a great honor to work with her. I am grateful to the Head of the English Department, Prof. Adnan Al-Sayyed for his generous assistance and guidance. I also thank Aleppo University for giving me the opportunity to follow up my studies. A grateful thanks to all my professors who have taught me and shaped my intellectual development. It would not have been possible to write this thesis without their support and help. Special thanks to all my friends and colleagues in the English Department who encouraged me to complete this work. Most of all, I express my love and gratitude to my husband and family who have supported me professionally and personally so that this work has been completed. vi Dasouki Table of Contents Abstract iii Acknowledgment V Introduction 1 Chapter one: The Collective Unconscious and Analytical Psychology 10 Chapter two: The Collective Unconscious in O`Neill`s Desire Under 31 the Elms and Mourning Becomes Electra Chapter three: The Collective Unconscious in Shaw`s Pygmalion and 63 Man and Superman Conclusion: Similarities and Differences 94 Works cited 101 Works consulted 107 Dasouki 1 Introduction "In addition to our immediate consciousness, which is of a thoroughly personal nature… there exists a second psychic system of a collective, universal, and impersonal nature which is identical in all individuals". C.G.Jung, The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious The relationship between psychoanalysis and literature is based on the theories of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung i.e. the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious. The interpretation of literature through psychoanalysis is a useful method of initiating a different viewpoint or meaning. The collective unconscious of Jung in the early 20th century raised interest in studying dreams, mythology and religion. From a Jungian perspective, the key to understanding any literary work is to interpret its symbols, images, myths and religious connotations. A literary work only survives when it is universal i.e. when it contains universal elements or archetypes. Moreover, Jung's concept of the unconscious is different from Freud's in that it strengthens the world of psychology through introducing richer and wider interpretations such as mythological and religious ones. Carl Jung was an early disciple of Freud because he viewed the unconscious as a key element in his psychology. Jung was also an active member of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society. When the International Psychoanalytical Association was formed Dasouki 2 in 1910, Jung became president at the request of Freud. However, in 1912, Jung publicly criticized Freud's theory of the Oedipus Complex and his obsession with sexual interpretations. This led to an eventual break in their professional relationship when Jung wrote a letter to Freud telling him "One repays a teacher badly if one remains only a pupil"(qtd. in Eisendrath 39). Jung developed his own worldview of psychoanalysis and most of his visions of analytical psychology reflected his major differences with Freud. Rather than adopting Freud's view of psychoanalysis, Jung formulated his own concepts of image and archetype. Both Freud and Jung took remarkably different attitudes toward the unconscious. Freud was studied by scholars and critics more than Jung and he achieved universal admiration and acclaim, yet Jung's theory of the collective unconscious was applied fruitfully to the study of literature. Jung accepted Freud`s assumption that the unconscious played a major role in man's conscious behavior, but his concept of the unconscious was different from Freud's. Freud developed only psychological interpretations in literary works such as the Oedipus Complex while Jung invented mythological interpretations. Moreover, he formulated a new approach to the understanding of a literary work. Jung's vision of psychological process including his theory of the collective unconscious opened the way for the analysis and understanding of cultures, religions, nations and races. The stress he laid on mythology as the projection of the collective unconscious found validation in the 20th century. Dasouki 3 According to Jung, understanding any work of art needs an interpretation of its symbols, myths and religious connotations. He states in his book Aion that "Mythology illustrates the nature of the collective unconscious" (12-13). He points out that retelling ancient myths establishes a connection between the conscious and the unconscious: Myths and fairytales give expression to unconscious processes, and their retelling causes these processes to come alive again and be recollected, thereby reestablishing the connection between conscious and unconscious (180). According to Jung, the human psyche consists of three parts: the conscious, the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious. The conscious is directly affected by the unconscious. The unconscious is divided into two parts: the personal unconscious which exists below the surface of the conscious and contains all individual experiences or events which are forgotten or repressed due to their distressing nature, and the collective unconscious which lies in the depths of the psyche containing universal and inherited experiences shared by all humans; influencing their thoughts, behaviors and perception of the world (The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious 3-4). Jung divides the unconscious into two levels: the personal unconscious which is superficial and the collective unconscious which is deeper and universal (The Archetypes Dasouki 4 and the Collective Unconscious 3). Jung believes that humans are motivated by certain inherited experiences from their ancestors. These inherited experiences create the collective unconscious. Thus the collective unconscious is inborn and includes past experiences with universal concepts such as God, mother, water, earth and father that are transferred from one generation to another so that people are influenced by them. The contents of the collective unconscious influence peoples, myths, legends and religions. On the other hand, the contents of the personal unconscious are called
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