Eco-psychological analysis of ecological autobiography. The case of Mary Oliver’s Upstream: Selected Essays
Eco-psychological analysis of ecological autobiography. The case of Mary Oliver’s Upstream: Selected Essays
Author(s): Shuai TongContributor(s): Małgorzata Olsza (Translator)
Subject(s): Psychoanalysis, Human Ecology, Theory of Literature, American Literature
Published by: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu
Keywords: Freudian ecopsychoanalysis; daydreaming; ecological autobiography; creative writing; experience of suffering; joy of liberating healing;
Summary/Abstract: This study examines the confluence of psychoanalysis and ecocriticism in American nonfiction, particularly analyzing the ecological autobiography “Upstream: Selected Essays (2016)” from the Freudian eco-psychoanalytic perspective. The paper demonstrates the interplay of the ego with the id and superego in Freud’s theory and the contribution of daydreaming to creative writing. Moreover, analysis in specific work suggests that while childhood experiences of suffering persist subconsciously, revisiting human-nature relationships is vital. It tends to be clear that natural environments offer mental relief and assist in mending memories from an eco-psychoanalytic viewpoint. Meanwhile, the therapeutic potential of creative writing through daydreaming and imagery for humans is also acknowledged.
Journal: Forum Poetyki
- Issue Year: 2024
- Issue No: 38
- Page Range: 26-43
- Page Count: 18
- Language: English
