A textual analysis of Leoncio P. Deriada's Night Mares using Freud's theory of wish-fulfillment and Jung's theory of the unconscious

• Main Author: Twano, Mylene B.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1997
• Subjects: Philippine literature; Night Mares (short story) > Criticism; Criticism; Textual and interpretation; Authors; Filipino; Symbolism in literature; Dreams in literature; Freud; Sigmund; Deriada; Leoncio P > Short stories
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/1553
• Institution: De La Salle University

The scope of this paper would present a great deal in understanding the importance of dream symbolism and its association to one's thoughts and emotions. Other factors that bring about the occurrence of a person's dreams, will be stated and explained in this paper. Freud's theory of wish fulfillment as apparent cause of dream symbolism, will be used to present the three concepts or considerations that explain the completeness of a dream-work and its causes. These considerations will be applied to each of the five stories in this study, i.e. The Prophecy , The Invitation , Flesh of Marble , The Hunt , and Night Mares to enhance the analysis of dream symbolism presented in Night Mares. Jung's theory of the collective unconscious will also be used in this study to show the relation of one's unconscious mind to the dreams that a person is having. The theory which consists of two aspects that speak of unconscious reality would also be applied to the five stories, to show the inability of the characters to control certain things that happen in the unconscious mind. A section about one's awareness on some of the Filipinos' superstitious beliefs and customs, that show the connection of a person's conscious doing to his unconscious behavior or way of thinking is also included in this paper. The five stories in Night Mares that I have chosen to analyze in this paper would present a dream imagery or symbolism that proves to be the turning point in the plot of the story and would also feature the characters' personalities that mirror the Filipino image. This study of dream symbolism seeks to understand the causes and effect of a person's dreams to his personality, his way of thinking and his whole life in reality.