ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Psychoanalytic literary criticism

Psychoanalytic literary criticism is a way people study literature using ideas from psychology. It tries to understand why characters in stories behave the way they do and what their actions say about the writer who created them.

Psychoanalytic literary criticism is like a secret treasure hunt. Just like you go on a hunt to find hidden treasure, people who use this type of criticism go on a hunt to find hidden meanings in stories. They look for clues or hints that can help them understand the writer's thoughts or feelings that might be hidden in the story.

When looking for hidden meanings, people who use psychoanalytic literary criticism pay special attention to the characters in a story. They believe that the characters' actions, thoughts, and feelings can reveal a lot about what the writer was thinking when they created the characters.

Another important thing people who use psychoanalytic literary criticism look for is symbolism. Symbolism is when an object or event in a story represents something else. For example, a red rose might represent love or passion. People who use psychoanalytic literary criticism try to find the meaning behind the symbolism in the story to help them understand the writer's message.

In short, psychoanalytic literary criticism is like a fun treasure hunt where people look for hidden meanings in stories by analyzing characters and symbolism. They hope to uncover the writer's true message and learn more about the writer's thoughts and feelings.