The Dangers of Free Association as Revealed by Modern Media

The Dangers of Free Association as Revealed by Modern Media
When reading Freud’s theories regarding the psychoanalytic approach to literature, it seems that I could never quite muster up enough enthusiasm to really want to interpret a piece of literature in this way. Although I still manage to I feel that many, if not most, of his arguments are at least understandable and fairly reasonable, I ultimately cannot like this approach because I feel that if it becomes recognized and allowed to be used as factual I feel it would be only detrimental to our society. Ultimately the problem is that I simply cannot think of a situation where Free Association specifically would lead us as a population to make any beneficial advancements, and therefore has no right to be legitimized as anything else than a literary hypothesis. I came to this conclusion because recently modern media has so kindly reminded me that when validity is granted to absurd notions situations get out of control and bad things happen.
Seemingly crude and obnoxious, Southpark was actually able to perfectly capture the thought that I never was able to fully articulate. Even though Freud believes a dream to be a “picture-puzzle” (The Interpretation of Dreams, 401) and goes further to clarify that “there is no justification for supposing that the lost pieces of the dream would have related to the same thoughts which we have already reached from the pieces of the dream that have survived” (The Interpretation of Dreams, 401) thus legitimizing Free Association, I still feel as if “it’s like everyone’s putting pieces together that aren’t there” (Stan, Southpark season 10, episode 9) as so eloquently put by Kyle Broflofsky of South Park elementary school.
It has become clear that I have a problem with the very foundation of Psychoanalysis, which grants everyone’s interpretation by Free Association as correct. I feel that when applied to decision-making and understanding the facts, such as ones subconscious desires or repressed notions, Free Association gives too much power to people who may or may not deserve such influence over people. In episode nine, season ten of Southpark, Cartman proceeds to successfully frame Kyle for the nine eleven attacks on the Twin Towers. This obviously absurd notion is brought up through Cartman’s “shocking powerpoint report on the truths behind the 911 attacks” (Cartman, Southpark season 10, episode 9) leading him by Free Association to decide that Kyle, a young boy in the fourth grade, is responsible for the attacks. It becomes obvious to Cartman that Kyle did this because “2-1+911 is twelve which contains the numbers” which are ridiculously manipulated by Cartman to be 91 which is the math score Kyle received on a math test the previous week thus proving Kyle’s involvement. Cartman proceeds to turn the entire school, and government against innocent Kyle.
Although extreme, this exemplifies that when everyone is working towards their own selfish desires unconsciously, and our desires are detrimental to society which is the entire reason they are repressed, evil will take over and never allow our society to make any progress. I feel that Free Association allows for more theories to skate by due to a strong willed individual, and if that individual somehow gains enough support for his random and personal opinion it will be carried farther and could get out of control. The key to the psychoanalytic approach is that each individual has a right to their own interpretive opinion, as in most analytical situations, but when such responsibility is given in a situation where it will be used to diagnose our unconsciouss repressed desires and lead to important conclusions, it can be easily twisted and used for evil.
Gossip Girl, another highly intellectual and excellently viewed show, is in its entirety about the negative affects of Free Association. A website is run, entitled gossip girl, where anonymous tips and photos are sent in and are up for interpretation from that point forward. Each interpretation has some validity, and gains approval the more it is exposed. This proves that the popular girls, which are the ones with the worst intentions, will control what information is believed by the mass public. I feel that this again shows what can happen when Free Association is used as more than just a mode of discussion.
I’ve been pretty hard on the psychoanalytic approach, but honestly I do find it very interesting when applied to literature. I agree with Freud in noticing “that literary texts are like dreams,” (Freud, Strangers to Ourselves, 394) and in that way Free Association is very interesting to explore. I just want to ensure that it stays only in the hypothetical and discussion phases and is not allowed to have a great impact on areas of society where it is not a fit mode of decision making.

All Freud quotes taken from:
Literary Theory: An Anthology, Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan