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Freud's "Dora"


# 47243
Freud's "Dora"
A feminist critique of Freud's famous patient, "Dora". "Dora" was Freud's initial attempt to marry dream therapy with psychoanalysis.
2,532 words (approx. 10.1 pages) | 16 sources | APA | 2003 Australia


Paper Summary:

This paper attempts to deconstruct and expose the inherent patriarchal ideologies in Freud's psychoanalysis of his famous patient, "Dora". The basis of Freud's psychoanalytic theories revolved around sexuality, and his account of her "madness" condemns her sexuality and dismisses all feminine sexuality. This is a feminist critique of Freud's theories, in general, and specifically, in regards to his comments on the case of "Dora", which attempt to expose the unconscious assumptions that Freud saw in everyone else but himself. The contention of this paper is thus that the society and culture and gender of an individual directly influences his or her perception and interpretation of another individual, and thus Freud, as a privileged, white man in a patriarchal society, could never hope to help or analyze "Dora" accurately.

From the Paper:

"For Dr Sigmund Freud the case analysis of "Dora" signified the possibility of proclaiming a marriage between dream analysis and psychoanalysis to the psychoanalytic community (Freud, 1901/1905: 44ff.). Yet it was never the woman in analysis who was of importance for either Freud or the psychoanalytic community. Ida Bauer was never important and nor was her Symbolic representation, Dora. Indeed all the women within Dora's case are characterized as "nothing," no woman is important (Gallop, 1985: 216). It might be argued that we can never truly know the content of Ida's "nothingness" because Dora was Freud's invention, his interpretation, biases and desires postured onto her feminine form (Geargear, 1985: 177). However we need not know Ida's real life story as Freud's narration of her is more indicative of Ida's status as a woman within a patriarchal society than any autobiographical account could ever have been. Thus Dora becomes a fluid character who need not claim a "real" identity or to be set in an historical moment for she exceeds Ida and is instead the transcendent woman; her hysteria is every woman's hysteria."

Cite this paper

APA Citation:

Freud's "Dora" (2012, January 15). Retrieved February 09, 2012, from http://www.academon.com.au/Essay-Freud's-Dora/47243

MLA Citation:

"Freud's "Dora"" 15 January 2012. Web. 09 Feb. 2012. <http://www.academon.com.au/Essay-Freud's-Dora/47243>




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immortal AU
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Feb 02, 2004
I have a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Religion and Theology, Sociology, and Women's Studies. I am a strong English student with a passion for my majors that is clearly evident in the essays I write. All of my essays received a High Distinction, Australian equivalent. Happy and safe buying with me : )
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