...off the stage. From the tone of the play and the way the production varied from the original play, I felt the director’s concept was that of a Beetlejuice nature, say the name and they shall appear. Before Elvira comes back, Charles and Ruth speak of her for a solid five minutes. As I watched the production, each mention of her name made me think of Beetlejuice the movie. Speak of the devil, seemed to be another seemed concept. I believe some of the themes are jealousy, female hysteria, and deception. The theme of jealousy arises at the start of the play when Ruth and Charles are discussing Elvira. Her questioning Charles about her appearance in contrast to Elvira. Her jealousy is seen again after Charles begins acting ‘crazy’ and won’t stop talking about seeing the ghost of his late wife, she doesn’t like that Elvira is all he thinks about ever since she brought her up to begin with. As the play progresses Elvira becomes just as jealous of Ruth, so much that she tries to kill Charles. Female hysteria was a big ‘problem’ in the 30s and 40s, or so it was believed. Women were sheltered because of the notion that they would not be able to handle any kind of upsetting news. This idea is reflected in Ruth after Charles claims to see Elvira and acts like she's there all the time, she gets drunk and gets mad, and he has to calm her down. Deception is seen in Madame Arcati, for she is not the medium or psychic she says she is. It is unclear as to whether or not she believes it herself...
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...Psychoanalysis & "The Yellow Wallpaper." The field of Psychoanalysis was pioneered by Sigmund Freud in the late 1800's. His work is highly debated to this day. Despite this, his theories are still widely accepted and have spawned their own form of criticism. If we apply Freud's theories to Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" we look into a world of what Freud would have called the hysterical. When Gilman wrote this piece she was trying to describe the "therapy" that she received for her hysterical spells years earlier. Freud's work or the "talking cure" was still not widely accepted to treat psychological problems. A psychoanalytic reading of Gilman's piece would lead us to see a woman who is most likely still haunted by her expiriences while under psychological duress. We can also see Perkins' opinion on the course of therapy that she received. If the woman was not mad before her complete and total separation from society her incarceration brought her there in short order. Through the use of Freudian theory we know that Perkins suffered greatly from her depression & suffered even more from her misdiagnoses. We can also surmise that though the womans movement of the late 19th century was in full swing one of the only forums that she had to vent her frustrations and problems was in her writing. Since the talking cure was yet to be realized as a viable resources for treating "hysterics" Gilman was left only with pen & paper to vent her concerns. It is also reasonable to...
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...individual displays a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior beginning in early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts (Benjamin, 2003, p. 168). People with this disorder have intense, unstable emotions and distorted self-images. Their self-esteem depends on the approval of others and does not arise from a true feeling of self-worth. They also have an overwhelming desire to be noticed and often behave dramatically or inappropriately to get attention. The term histrionic personality achieved recognition as an official classification for the first time in the formal listings of the DSM-III, published in 1980. The term replaced hysterical personality, a syndrome whose origins in the word hysteria can be traced to the early days of both the Egyptians and the Greeks. During ancient times, it was used to represent the womb and signified excessive emotionality...
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...“Fiction presents more opportunities for creating uncanny sensations than are possible in real life” (Freud, 18). This quote comes from an essay written by Sigmund Freud in 1919 entitled “The ‘Uncanny.’” In this article, Freud discusses the subject of uncanniness and proposes what he thinks deems certain events or things to be labeled as uncanny. Freud states, “the ‘uncanny’ is that class of the terrifying which leads back to something long known to us, once very familiar” (1-2). Freud theorizes that one would find something uncanny if he had previous exposure to it, but was now viewing it in a horrifying manner. For example, a doll is not supposed to be terrifying. Dolls are loved by young children and seen as innocent or harmless. However, a fictional story about a doll that becomes possessed and kills people is frightening to people of all ages. This scenario would be considered uncanny because a doll, such a familiar thing, has deviated from the norm and turned horrific. Freud’s essay continues to flourish around the idea that it is most frightening when something so familiar turns into something so terrible. This feeling of mixed emotions can be referred to as “cognitive dissonance.” In the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, cognitive dissonance is defined as, “psychological conflict resulting from incongruous beliefs and attitudes held simultaneously.” While Freud himself never mentioned this psychological term himself in his article, it is very obvious that it has correlation...
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...Background Conversion disorder is one of a group of psychological disorders called somatoform disorders. These disorders are marked by the presence of physical symptoms without there being any physical ailment. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) (2000) “the symptoms must cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning” (485). Although conversion disorder is in the category of somatoform disorders, C.V. is marked by a deficiency affecting voluntary motor or sensory functioning. Essentially, conversion disorder is a neurological disorder in which physical symptoms are caused unconsciously by a stressful or traumatic event. Professor of Psychiatry & Emergency Medicine, Seth Powsner, MD,(2006) states that “although defined as a condition that presents as an alteration or loss of a physical function suggestive of a physical disorder, conversion disorder is presumed to be the expression of an underlying psychological conflict or need.” (p. 1) Psychological factors are not initially present, but after thorough investigation into the history of the patient, the symptoms are discovered. According to PsychCentral.com, “the symptom or deficit cannot, after appropriate investigation, be fully explained by a general medical condition, or by the direct effects of a substance, or as a culturally sanctioned...
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...Mass hysteria is a condition affecting groups of persons characterized by excitement or anxiety, irrational behavior or beliefs, or inexplicable symptoms of illness. In the play The Crucible written by Arthur Miller shows that mass hysteria can affect anyone on how they act and it had an influence in different societies throughout history like the 2016’s the creepy clowns scaring people, 1940’s the holocaust eliminating jews, and the 1400’s-1600’s European witch hunt finding witches. In the 1990’s the holocaust was a tragic event where many lives were lost. It was caused by a man called Hitler and he was the one who made it all happen. He showed mass hysteria to people about jews. A reason why hitler targeted jews is because a book that came...
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...The term mass hysteria is defined as a situation in which many people are affected by similar hysterical symptoms. In the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller a situation of mass hysteria is perfectly portrayed. The play takes place during the Salem witch trials, at the peak of the witch hysteria. The hysteria, which sent the village into a frenzy was set into motion by the niece of Reverend Samuel Parris. His niece, Abigail Williams, is portrayed as a person who lies to get out of her own punishments, or to avoid trouble. The point is Abigail Williams and Reverend Samuel Parris could have stopped the hysteria in Salem. Abigail Williams could have stopped the hysteria by admitting to dancing and charming in the woods, instead of lying. At the beginning of the play, Reverend Parris confronts his niece for seeing her and a group of girls dancing in the woods, which includes his daughter who lies motionless and unresponsive. His daughter is the reason witchcraft is considered. Then goes on to confront her about conjuring spirits. Abigail could have just admitted to trying to charm with the group, which the punishment for that is a whipping. So, if she would have admitted that, witchcraft would have no longer been considered. As Abigail says...
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...Reliability of Freud’s narration of Dora. The case-study of An Analysis of a Case of Hysteria (Dora) is Sigmund Freud’s retold account and interpretation of an eighteen-year-old girl’s experiences throughout adolescence. Throughout the text, the matter of reliability is brought to focus. Due to Freud’s profession, his narration of Dora’s recount comes from a neuropsychological perspective. In Freud’s Afterword he states, “The disadvantage of this is that the reader is unable to confirm the correctness of my working method on the basis of my account” (100). In this quote, Freud highlights that his and Dora’s views completely differ from one another. How reliable is Freud’s interpretation of Dora’s personal truth? Freud’s patronising mannerism...
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...Mass hysteria can lead to confusion and the altering of morals. During a time of large-scale panic, many aspects of society are affected and changed. In Arthur Miller’s drama, The Crucible, the court becomes flawed and operates under faulty logic by accepting flimsy evidence, performing unfair tests, and taking automatic proof of guilt. During the time period of The Crucible, religion played a major part in society. When religion is not strictly followed, the court automatically assumes guilt. When Proctor was asked if he was Christian, Parris chimed in by saying “ Such a Christian that will not come to church but once in a month” (90). Certainly in a time of mass hysteria and trials the church searched for anyone who did not strictly...
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...possibility of witches in their village brings mass hysteria to the people. While some would say the theme of The Crucible is corruption can happen anywhere, the theme of The Crucible as displayed through the author is that hysteria can rip apart a community, this is expressed through language, symbolism and characterization. First, language in The Crucible displays the theme by showing aggressive and passionate tones. Shouting from the accused at trials shows how bad the hysteria was. Also, the girls screaming at the sights of pretend spirits shows that the language in the play fuels the theme of mass hysteria ripping apart the town. Elizabeth and John Proctor confessing their...
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...At the Edge of Unjustified Suspicion Mass hysteria is a plague that has been around for many decades and is still around in today’s society. Mass hysteria is a condition in which many or certain groups of people are afflicted by the belief that something is not real or that is a fable. A prime example of mass hysteria occurred in Spring of 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, known as The Salem Witch Trials. The mass hysteria which caused the Salem Witch Trials was unjustified. The Salem Witch Trials began in 1688 when the Goodwin children all started behaving in a bizarre manner. Then, four years later, in 1692 two young girls (Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Parris) started to twitch, choke, and twist their bodies in many different horrifying...
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...there are many reasons for mass hysteria. In "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller, the mass hysteria was that many girls were accused of being witches because they were "dancing in the forest". An entire town went balistic when they heard the word witch. In the twenty-first century, people panic and become frightened over terrorist attacks and bombings. Numerous attacks and bombings have occured in the United States and an infinite amount of people become terrified that something worse might happen. In "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller, the people of the town go insane when they heard that a number of girls were bewitched. Once the people heard, their only reaction was to run and see if it was the truth. Reasons why a diverse amount of people become frightened is because people are going to get hurt or killed and also are worried about themselves because they can also be accused. Humans cause problems as a result of not having a satisfying childhood and want to make others lives miserable....
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...There are four psychic structures that govern the cause of a person’s thoughts and actions. They are hysteria, obsessional neurosis, perversion, and psychosis. Many characters in literature exemplify these structures. Some are Norman Bates from Joseph Stefano’s Psycho, Lawrence Shannon in Tennessee Williams' Night of the Iguana, Eliza in John Steinbeck’s Chrysanthemums and Madame Arcati in Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit. Norman Bates shows symptoms of psychosis, Lawrence Shannon shows signs of hysteria and perversion, Elisa show signs of hysteria, and lastly, Madame Arcati shows signs of neurosis. All of these characters show symptoms of these mental structures through their different ways of thinking. Philip Hill defines a psychotic person...
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...limitations. In Salem, Massachusetts around 1692, the suspicion of witchcraft arises throughout the town, creating problems and chaos. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, the effect of hysteria led to disorder and complete mayhem in Salem from the sudden spread of witchcraft, exemplified by Abigail Williams, Tituba and Danforth. Once the accusations and stories arose in the plot, it was almost impossible to restore order and peace in Salem. The beginning of the hysteria influence in Salem began with Abigail Williams and her attempt of witchcraft. Abigail worked as...
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...Mass Hysteria Mass hysteria is known as uncontrollable outburst of emotion or fear. The idea of mass hysteria has occurred various times throughout the history of the United States. The United States has some major examples of mass hysteria, the outbreak of Ebola in 2014 and the tragic events of 9/11 in 2001. These two incidents left the people in chaos and complete panic, nobody trusted anyone, people were afraid of transit such as planes, trains and busses, ultimately this led to fear across the world. In 2014 the Ebola epidemic had everyone in a panic although very few people were actually contaminated with this deadly disease and most cases were overseas in other countries around Africa. One case was when a woman near the Pentagon fell ill and had vomited in a parking lot, she was quickly isolated and quarantined for multiple hours. This case showed the panic and extreme precautions the government will take when a potential outbreak could occur even though nobody could confirm the lady was truly infected with Ebola. Ebola had the United States in havoc although it was not spreading at all, only a few scandalous cases had occurred leaving the people in complete terror...
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