Criticisms of Great Expectations: Psychoanalytic and Gender Perspectives Psychoanalytic and gender literary criticisms are important as individual analyses and are similar in some respects, namely sexual and gender issues, which make them ideal choices for analyzing Great Expectations. Reading the novel from a psychoanalytical perspective invites an interpretation based on symbols, repression, dreams, and the nature of the conscious vs. the unconscious mind. The central thesis of psychoanalytical criticism is based on the theories of …showed first 75 words of 1562 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1562 total…act. Freud believed that to strengthen the ego (the conscious), one must bring repressed memories or emotions into the conscious mind. Freud also studied sexual development and had very definite ideas and theories about sex and gender. Brooks's essay on psychoanalytic criticism was more informative and helpful in interpreting Great Expectations than was Cohen's gender criticism, though Cohen's approach was certainly unique and fascinating to read, impossible to ignore, and difficult with which to agree.