Psychoanalytic Media Analysis: Harry Potter films Series
'this paper will indulge in the analysis of the harry potter films by using of Freudian psychoanalysis theory. It will incorporate the psychoanalytic concepts of the Austrian Sigmund Freud in the understanding of the Harry Potter films.'
Genres and films have always been analyzed using different aspects of film theories have been advanced to analyze some specifics of films. The psychoanalysis film theory attempts to analyze films in a specific way in a manner that it considers the different perspectives of viewers and those which were in the mind of filmmakers. Whatever the theory which is being used by a psychoanalyst analyze a film, the fundamental elements of psychoanalysis are always present. Therefore, this paper will indulge in the analysis of the harry potter films by using of Freudian psychoanalysis theory. It will incorporate the psychoanalytic concepts of the Austrian Sigmund Freud in the understanding of the Harry Potter films.
Psychoanalysis is a psychotherapeutic and a psychological theory which has other interconnected concepts. This is an aspect which was advanced by Sigmund Freud which deals with many of the concepts which are dealing with the psychology of humans (Maniadakis, 2015). Therefore, psychoanalysis is related to the aspect of films in the element that it can be applied in the psychoanalysis of films. The idea is that the theory can be used to the understanding of the experience of watching films. This is in the conceptualizing of whys some films sell and become blockbusters while others are flops in their sales. The psychology of the audience is the center of the analysis of the films and the understanding of the motives behind filmmakers in winning of the audience in their films. The film's maker attempts to connect with the audience psychologically and therefore create a situation where there is an esteemed fan base. Therefore, before analyzing of a film of the Harry Potter films, it is prudent that a clear understanding of the concepts of which are incorporated in a film to make it look real and the audience part of the film.
There are several concepts which were advanced by Freud which is integral in analyzing of films and are useful in understanding the scope of movies and other genres. One of these concepts is the unconscious, which deals with the aspect of the human mind where people keep repressed fears, desires, and fantasies without even knowing that such aspects exist in them. It can be deduced that approximately 70% of the human mind is made up of unconscious things which are repressed form manifesting themselves in normal lives (Maniadakis, 2015).
The other concept which is integral in psychoanalysis as developed by Freud is the one which deals with Id, Ego, and Superego. According to Freud, Id deals with the aspect in which it operates in the domain of pleasure principle. It is the aspect of human mind which deals with basic human drives. Superego is the domain of the human mind which is based on the manner of the principle of perfection (Kuhn, 2014). This is the state which is engraved with the thoughts of human social status. In the human mind, ego comes as a way of balancing the two concepts, that is Super Ego and Id. it is the domain of the human mind which operates under the principle of reality (Kuhn, 2014).
The other concept as advanced by Freud is the one of sexuality, where it deals with the sexual desires which humans have, whether they are subconscious or unconscious. There is a sense in which every person has those personal spaces which are hidden in their subconscious. This sexual instinct is represented as the urge or the libido (Maniadakis, 2015). However, the issue of merely is repressed because there is a sense in which sexuality has been one of the most guarded aspects of human life.
The other concept is the Electra complex and the Oedipus Complex. As Freud denoted, there are instances in the childhood where a child experiences sexual urges. This is in the aspect of the genital of the phallic stage of development (Kuhn, 2014). This happens in the manner that children have a sexual attraction towards the parent of opposite gender. That is for girls, they are attracted to their fathers, and for boys, they are attracted to their mother. For girls, it is known as the Electra complex, while Oedipus complex is for boys.
The other concept of psychoanalysis is the one of defensive mechanism as advanced by Freud. As he denoted, defensive mechanisms are ones who are advanced by the human mind in the ego. This is a mechanism of the body toward of anxieties and controls human instincts. According to Freud, there are numerous ways of the human mind developing the defensive mechanism. These include repression, ambivalence, suppression, avoidance, denial, fixation, identification, and projection (Maniadakis, 2015). These defensive mechanisms are in such a way that they give people the right attitude and mechanism to avoid situations which are not in line with their own liking.
The other concepts as advanced by Freud are dreams, guilt, and aggression. Human dreams are a combination of the subconscious and the unconscious thoughts which are have recollected throughout their lives (Kuhn, 2014). They are aspects which are in the manner that they represent to show people how they feel and would like to have fears, fantasies and fulfilled. Aggression, as denoted by Freud, is the ability of the human mind to have an instinctual action which is controlled by Id and is disrupted by the Super Ego. On the other hand, Ego is the one which brings about guilt due to the actions which humans make in their lives (Kuhn, 2014).
All these concepts are part of human real life and films are ventures which are made to represent the implementation of these concepts in the fictional world. This is in fixation of this incidence of human life, which can be real or imagined while in real life. Though, there are instances in films where the world which is depicted is another planetary and does not represent parts of the real world. This can be after all a creation of fertile human imagination and depiction of human beings or worlds which are to be realized as real. So, if it is a fiction film or a fantasy film, creation by someone who has imagination and it is connected to the audience, make the concepts of Freud to be integral in the understanding of films.
The famous Harry Potter series written by J.K Rowling and converted into a film series, is one of the films which present Freudian concepts of projection and displacement, which is caused by the rivalry of siblings and bullying. There is also a demonstration of Id, Ego, and Superego the form of Ron, Hermione, and Harry.
Harry who is the lead character in the in the films is an orphan who is brought being brought up in a family which demands high social acceptability and high standards. In the family, Harry is not able to demand for anything for his physical needs or personal fulfillment. He has a limited place to live, clothes which fit and food which can nourish him adequately. He is harassed by his aunt, shrieked by his uncle and bullied by his cousin where has never been given love, or affection by the family despite needing sympathy after the death of his parents(Columbus, Cuarón, Newell & Yates, 2011). Harry expects these adults to be empathetic of his situation and comes to learn that he must be self-reliant to survive. This is where Harry develops the traits of superego which was to spur him to do whatever was good when he is called upon. This is because he knows and feels the aspect of being mistreated from experience.
When Harry goes to get the philosophers stone, he is convinced that “I am going out of here tonight and I am going to get the stone first” despite knowing it is a deadly mission (Rowling, 2010). While going to save Ginny from the basilic, Harry is convinced that he has to sacrifice his own will for the purposes of saving someone who was in need. He blames himself for the death of Cedric in his presence and feels responsible for his death. This is a trait of trajectory where he has developed the aspect of self-blame. Back at home, he is blamed by his guardians for the misfortunes which befall the family. From the film, it can be deduced that complaining is part of the life of his Uncle Vernon. This therefore gives Harry the habit to blame himself for the tragedies which befall his way, despite his dedication to avert them.
His companion Hermione is a definition and symbolization of Ego. She is very definitive in following of social conventions, and she is very judgmental to those people who do not like especially her friend Ron. She is the first person who has changed into school uniform when her cohort is on their way to Hogwarts. She encourages others to harry up to make it to the train and is determined to rub her character to those people who interact with her. She has taken it as a personal activity of memorizing all her books for her fear of inadequacy due to her magical bloodline (Columbus, Cuarón, Newell & Yates, 2011). When she is taken into detention by aiding in the breaking of school rules with Harry had Ron, she is furious with them and herself. She says “I hope you are pleased with yourself. We could all have been killed or worse expelled”, which is to show that she tries hard to gain social acceptability (Rowling, 2010). This is due to her situation of half-magic blood where she fears of being rejected by the society. Though her strictness in the breaking of rules and the following films, she is concerned about remaining a model for social conventions.
His other companion, Ronald is depicted a person who is depicted as having emotional upsurges, with higher thinking capacities which are wanting. He is, therefore, being symbolized as Id. he is physically agitated by being provoked by physical attacks by others by nemesis by Draco Malfoy. He is depicted as “are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley ... Ron dived at Malfoy" which is an altercation which happens in all other films in the series (Rowling, 2010). His interaction with Malfoy gives subsequent traits which are primal to other habits. Lavender is her girlfriend who he has an emotional attachment to her. In this case Ginny writes when she sees them kissing “it looks like he is eating her face. I suppose he will have to refine his technique” (Rowling, 2010). Here she comments reflecting on the animal self or Ron symbolically. Therefore, there is a sense in which Ron is depicted as the representation of Id regarding human drives which are not controlled which are uncontrolled.
The rivalry between siblings is something which takes account in all the films of Harry Potter series. This is in the manner in which Petunia Dursley is depicted as projecting and displacing her fear and hurt from her rivalry with her sibling based on their looks and appearance (Columbus, Cuarón, Newell & Yates, 2011). She competed for attention from her parents unsuccessfully with her sister and therefore displays her anger and frustrations on Harry. Severus Snape who is a teacher at Hogwarts also displaces and trajected his hatred of James Potter who is the father of Harry Potter. This is stems from his inability to win Lily James who is Harry’s mother, from James despite him being intelligent but not very good looking (Columbus, Cuarón, Newell & Yates, 2011). He was also a teacher’s favorite which meant that he got away with bullying of Snape which made him hate James to the core. Therefore, when Harry reports to school, Snape takes his hatred all on Harry through the trajectory.
The relationship between Harry and Ginny can be understood as Oedipal. His mother Lily is described as very beautiful, and Harry has never seen her but knows her from being told so by others. He was told that his mother has green eyes and long red hair (Rowling, 2010). She had a bold and vivacious character which was charming to people. She died protecting Harry from harm form their nemesis who is Lord Voldemort. On the other hand, Ginny has such beautiful descriptions and when she was trapped in the basement with a basilic, she was they are because of her love for Harry(Columbus, Cuarón, Newell & Yates, 2011). There is a sense in which one can determine that Harry has no choice but to be attracted to her. He sees his mother in her and this there qualifies as oedipal complex, but despite that all other oedipal relations are catastrophic, hers and Harry survive to marriage.
To conclude, the film series of Harry Potter brings about the concepts of Freud in a way which is in the complexity of human relations. This brings about issues such as rejection, superego, id, ego, projection and oedipal attachments. Therefore, the Freudian concepts bring about the perfect way in which the writers and filmmakers had a good connection with the audience where they could empathize, love, hate and cherish in the series.
References
Columbus, C., Cuarón, A., Newell, M., & Yates, D. (2001-2011). Harry Potter (film series). United Kingdom & United States: Heyday Films1492 Pictures.
Kuhn, P. (2014). Footnotes in the History of British Psychoanalysis: Observing Ernest Jones Discerning the Works of Sigmund Freud, 1905–1908. Psychoanalysis And History, 16(1), 5-54. http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/pah.2014.0138
Maniadakis, G. (2015). The cut and the building of psychoanalysis, Volume 1: Sigmund Freud and Emma Eckstein. International Forum Of Psychoanalysis, 24(4), 255-257. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0803706x.2015.1097491
Rowling, J.K. (2010). Harry Potter. London: Bloomsbury.
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