Freud is a very well known and ridiculed intellectual figure. For that I love him. He was prominent in my household as a child and apparently as a toddler I chewed on his brightly colored books. Ya ya have fun dissecting that one. I did have trouble reading Dora, though, because I couldn’t separate him from his work. The cocaine, the dingy, damp, sexual analysis of everything, the cigar jokes. It’s too much. Here’s a little catharsis, because we all need that right?
J: Why does it feel like your psychoanalysis shares similarities with conspiracy theories?
Freud: Conspiracy theories you say? What about that painting on your wall? Tell me more about that painting you have up
J: No seriously, every denial becomes further proof of repression for you.
Freud: Ah a lizard. I see….
J: Your analysis of Dora reads like a detective novel you sadistic pig.
Freud: *footnote* the lizard is a traditional symbol for a desire to eat macaroni. As I have explained already, macaroni has been found on cave painting, stuck to the wall with cheese. This has significance to the second dream, as we shall see later *end footnote*
J: Do you find pleasure in doing this? It really seems like your getting a kick out of snooping in on Dora’s entire family and their medical history. Gotta say though, do dig your stuff about desire for self-punishment being rooted in “penitence and remorse” (pg. 39).
Feud: So you want to kiss me and my smokey, smokey mouth?
J: Hombre, Hombre…
Freud: Tell me about your PHantasy…
J: Also why does it seem like your playing musical chairs with the direction of Dora’s desires? One minutes its for Frau K, then Herr K, then her own father, then back to Herr K.??? I should also add that these ideas seem really simplistic – isn’t there more to life then sex and guilt? What about genuine compassion? What about creative production? What about taking care of house plants? Isn’t that a non-sexual activity?
Freud: Your choice of words there cannot be accidental. Tell me more about your genitals relations with house plants.
FIN
Also: isn’t there more to sex than repression and fear?
we can only hope so Avash.
“why does it seem like your playing musical chairs with the direction of Dora’s desires?” This is a good question, I think. But wouldn’t Freud respond: why on earth do you expect Dora only to desire one person (or even one gender)?
Good point.
I didn’t notice this at first, but everything Freud says in your conversation is a distraction. (Excellent.) I agree – Freud would do that.