Which of the following artists/fictional protagonists lends him/herself to a Freudian/Foucaultian analysis and why? Choose one for a brief Foucaultian/Freudian analysis.
Spiderman would sort of fit the Freudian analysis because he has sort of a dual lifestyle. He is not like a crazy person who is imagining his super hero second life, so Freud would be able to analyze such a person. Peter Parker is living this bland, mundane life which has been marked by tragic deaths of his close relatives. Although he is not daydreaming his Spiderman role, it is similar to a fantasy that liberates him from his boring daily routine. As Spiderman, he is in control and fulfills his desire to fight crime. Freud thought that dreams reflected the desires that one could not fulfill in a person's reality. This is why I said that Spiderman "sort of" fits the Freudian analysis. Peter Parker fulfilled his fantasy.
Spiderman would probably also lend himself to Foucaultian analysis, however, not so much in the artistic realm. Peter Parker creates this character, Spiderman, who deviates from traditional standards. He wears a costume, shoots webs from his wrists, and has superhuman strength. Spiderman challenges the role of a police officer and invents a new way to fight crime. He challenges norms of our time like the Las Meninas portrait challenged normal artistic standards in the past.
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Fine, concise observations, Mark - e.g. "Although he is not daydreaming his Spiderman role, it is similar to a fantasy that liberates him from his boring daily routine."
ReplyDeleteI like your Foucaultian interpretation of Spiderman. I think it's a good point that you brought up about challenging social norms. Spidey definitely does that, and I suppose that by questioning the natural pecking order of police and criminals, he is creating some serious art in the crime-fighting realm.
ReplyDeletei think the existence of spiderman lends itself to a foucaultian analysis...as a society we want to believe that crime is under control thanks to the police, but the idea that spiderman would be necessary undermines this belief and questions the structure of our society.
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