Psychiatric Literature

The following types of texts can be distinguished:

• light - correlates with the manifestation of paranoid accentuation;
• dark - correlates with the manifestation of epileptoid accentuation;
• sad - correlates with the manifestation of depressive accentuation;
• funny - correlates with the manifestation of hyperthyroidism , hypomaniacality ;
• beautiful - correlates with the manifestation of demonstrativeness ; hysteroidity ;
• complex - correlates with the manifestation of schizoid .

Correlation is not direct. This is a very indirect verbal projection of personality traits (of a generalized order, but not of an individual personality trait). A text (especially an artistic one) cannot be a direct manifestation of accentuation, since it performs an important aesthetic function in culture. The problem of diagnosing the text is not worth it, because in the absence of information about the author as a person, he is among the unsolvable. In addition, there are moral restrictions that prevent the analysis of the creative personality from the perspective of psychopathology.

Each of the types of texts presented above has a systematic character, which is determined by the systematic character of the emotional-semantic dominant . In each type of text, you can create your own thesaurus . Unlike the general linguistic thesaurus ( Roger ), thesaurus of types of texts reflect the systematic thinking of the author, they are obviously partial and obviously incomplete. For example, they can describe only the bottom (and there can be no top), or be descriptions of sounds of only low frequency (but not melodic at all), or describe the emotional, but not intellectual characteristics of the subject. Subjective thesauruses , which are components of the author’s picture of the world (such as the author), consist of a set of general language elements organized on the basis of subjective grounds.

Dark Texts

Dark texts are one of the types of fiction and journalistic texts distinguished by the emotional-semantic dominant in the framework of psychiatric literary criticism. Along with the “dark” texts and in opposition to them, the texts “light”, “funny”, “sad”, “beautiful” and “complex” stand out.

Definition

The generalized model for generating “dark” texts is based on epileptoidity as a mood disorder that is expressed in irritability , outbursts of anger and rage , and attacks of an evil mood. When they end, perhaps repentance , promises to improve, obsequiousness , sweetness , flattering . In many works, it is noted that this is more of a stenic than an asthenic personality with a focus on a specific business.

Description

"Dark" texts are found in very large numbers in fiction. They are characterized by the opposition of good and evil. In them the enemy is a stranger , smart and dangerous . The enemy carries evil, which may consist in the fact that he offends the little one, seduces the innocent, invents deadly weapons, conducts dangerous experiments on people, etc. Good is not only to do his own thing , but also to kill the smart and dangerous the enemy. In the "dark" text there can be antiheroes - creatures without memory, puppets, zombies subject to the will of others ( mankurts , banderlogs , flocks , shorties , proles , etc.)

It is characteristic that many types of texts set their own parameters for such seemingly universal categories as time and space . In particular, in “dark” texts, time is “impulsive”; space has the ability to shrink. Among the “dark” texts, several subspecies can be distinguished: “actually dark”, “simple”, “cruel”, “viscous”, “nagging”, “artsy”, “torn”.

The emotional and semantic dominant in a “dark” text is realized using the following key components: “simple”, “ longing ”, “enemy”, “deed”, etc. In addition, vocabulary associated with sensory sensations is characteristic of “dark” texts ( auditory, visual, tactile) and biological level of human existence (physiological functions, hunger , pain , laughter ).

Examples

“Dark” texts are quite often found in journalism; they can also be devoted to political issues, which makes them close to “active” texts. The heroes of the "dark" texts, as a rule, are people of the so-called dangerous professions. The action in them takes place, as a rule, in harsh environmental conditions - at sea , on a ship, behind enemy lines, in a mine, in the North , in the enclosed space of one room, a spaceship or a psychiatric hospital ( Ken Kesey ), etc.

"Dark" texts exist in the genre of scientific and fiction . Their focus is on the description of concrete, beneficial actions. There are many “dark” texts among works of animals, as well as among fairy tales (Czech fairy tales, as well as the tales of the Brothers Grimm , works by S. Lagerlöf , N. Nosov , J. Swift , can serve as a typical example). The texts of Mitkov and many works in the genre of black humor can also be "dark."

Sad Texts

Sad texts are one of the types of literary texts distinguished by the emotional-semantic dominant in the framework of psychiatric literary criticism. A correlation with depression and melancholy can be detected.

Psychological Foundation

The generalized model of generating “sad” texts is based on depression as a constantly lowered mood. The picture of the world of a depressed personality is as if covered with a mourning fleur, life seems meaningless, in everything they only look for gloomy sides. These are born pessimists. Depressive personalities are extremely sensitive to all sorts of troubles, sometimes they react very sharply to them, and in addition, some vague feeling of heaviness on the heart, accompanied by an anxious expectation of misfortune, constantly haunts many of them. At the same time, great kindness , responsiveness, and the ability to understand other people's spiritual movements usually glow behind this gloomy shell. Thus, the psychological portrait of a depressed personality contains conflicting traits. On the one hand, gentleness , calmness , friendliness , sensitivity and good attitude towards people, on the other hand - pessimism , self-doubt , a tendency to guilt. This is the basis of the ambivalent (in this case, conflicting only internally) personality attitude with depressive accentuation.

Description

The “sad” texts, which are based on the typological personality traits described above, are lyrical in style, the hero in them is either young , cheerful and full of hope, but dies in his prime, or is already old , poor and mourns his failed life. The meaning of life , expressed in a "sad" text - its emotional-semantic dominant - is to cherish every day lived, to love life . At the same time, life within the framework of such a worldview is difficult and exhausting, therefore death comes as getting rid of suffering , it is sweet. The emotional coloring and assessment of time in a “sad” text changes from the past , which is beautiful, but it made many mistakes, through the present , which brings suffering and guilt for the past, to the future , in which only loneliness , cold , death await a person. The target setting of the “sad” texts can be defined as communicatively weak: the hero of the “sad” text as if hoping for the softness , condescension and favor of the readers, asks for pity on him, to enter his position. The content of the work is perceived as a call for help.

Examples

This kind of attitude is consistent with the depressive vision of the world: the environment is perceived in a dark light, the past is seen as a chain of errors, in the present and future - darkness and hopelessness . In these texts, the plot often ends with the death of the protagonist . Psycholinguistic analysis shows that depression is manifested, in particular, in the work of such Russian writers as Alexander Pushkin , Nikolai Gogol , Mikhail Lermontov , Turgenev I.S. , Ivan Bunin . Many of the works of these authors can be called "sad" on the basis of the similarity of the verbalized picture of the world in them with the attitude of the depressed person. Researcher Vadim Rudnev even considers it possible in this connection to talk about "Russian depressive realism."

• M. Lermontov “My spirit went out and grew old”
• Yesenin "I do not regret, I do not call, I do not cry ... I will not be young anymore"
• Arkady Severny "I will not be young anymore"

Thesaurus

The following semantic complexes play a key role in the structure of the emotional-semantic dominant of “sad” texts: age (youth / old age), wealth / poverty, joy / sadness, life / death , regret, submission , dumbness , heaviness, sigh, smell.

• Joy : happiness , peace; fun , laughter, smile , liveliness, love of life, cheerfulness; storm, whirlwind, movement, action, struggle .
• Youth : childhood, youth; soul; eyes, eyes, lips, pleasant smells, bright.
• Kindness : understanding, love, looking in the eyes, feeling a soul mate; kind, sensitive, attentive, caring.
• Submission : barely, sob, scared, tired , sad , docile.
• Loneliness : alone, sit, lie down, be silent, dumb; sad, silent, eternity; sea, ocean, island , stars.
• Sadness : sad, sad, sadness , doubt.
• Old age : memories, cold, lonely; to be forgotten, unnecessary; need care; wish death.
• Cold : cold , cool, autumn, winter.
• Severity : heavy, not easy, (with) crush, stone , cargo.
• Sigh : calm, fatigue, breathe, breathing , easy.
• Death : evening , night , wandering around; die / die, fade away, smolder, fall asleep with an eternal sleep , sleep sweetly (in damp ground, in a grave); funeral, bury, cemetery , churchyard , plate, stone , grave , grave hill, cross; corpse , coffin , corpse , skull and many others. other

Complicated Texts

Complicated texts - describe the world of ideas , concepts and abstractions . Within the framework of psychiatric literary criticism, it is postulated that they can be, to one degree or another, mediated by the verbal manifestation of schizoid accentuation. Many science fiction texts fall into this category. Philosophical texts also often turn out to be so.

Fun Texts

Fun texts are one of the types of literary texts distinguished by their emotional-semantic dominant within the framework of psychiatric literary criticism.

Definition

• “Funny” texts are the exact opposite of “sad” texts . Funny texts are a description of the behavior of a person who is faced with obstacles or dangers, but successfully overcomes them and reaches the highest degree of success.

Contents

Thematically “funny” texts are dedicated to people of the so-called courageous professions. These are novels about paratroopers in love with their profession and performing feats , or about brave chauffeurs who make their way through the snow drifts with an important load. Their heroes can be crooks , cheaters , thieves , musicians , military, travelers, police . The main character is lucky , witty , optimistic , resourceful and erudite . In this text, the abundance of events and their participants, there is a frequent change of scene .

The attribution of a work as an adventurous or rogue novel in most cases also indicates that the text was created in accordance with this emotional and semantic dominant . A lot of comedies about successful gangsters and hunters for them are created on the same basis. The style of “funny” texts is light and free.

Psychological Foundation

• A generalized model of generating “funny” texts can be based on such a personality trait as manicity , which manifests itself in a wealth of thoughts, enterprise, dexterity and resourcefulness. The high mood prevails, in which people are in a joyful state, in their memories there is only a beautiful future in pink colors, they are full of plans . Intellectual arousal , manifested in the rapid change of ideas and perceptions, is explained by the fact that in thinking there is no proper control on the part of “guiding perceptions”. Psychomotor agitation and the desire for continuous activity. It is possible to increase sexuality , as well as increased emotional arousal. Reevaluation of one's self is often frequent, in harmony with the general mood and reaching the ideas of greatness . Such people are characterized by self-confidence , arrogance ; often they are deceitful, envious, prone to risky adventures in the absence of a critical attitude to their shortcomings. They have a constant need for amusement.
• Psycholinguistic analysis shows that these typological personality traits are expressed in texts that can be called "funny." The following motives find verbal manifestation in them: great physical strength; overcoming space ; flight ; sociability ; singing ; appetite erudition ; megalomania ; money an abundance of heroes; a woman ; an animal ; enemies .

Examples

Examples of “funny” texts are “ Baron Munchausen ”, “Winnie the Pooh” , “ Toddler and Carlson, who lives on the roof ”, “ Twelve Chairs ”, “ Three Musketeers ”, “ Examiner ” by N.V. Gogol , numerous comedy films ( “ Only girls in jazz ”, “ Happy guys ”), etc.

Features

• The style of the “fun” text leaves an impression of lightness and superficiality, as events and characters alternate very quickly. Many “funny” texts relate to children's and adventure literature.
• For “funny” texts, the presence of a sad component is also characteristic ( Eeyore Eeyore in the story “ Winnie the Pooh ”, Benvenutto from “ Gelsomino ”).

Beautiful Texts

Beautiful texts are one of the types of literary texts distinguished by the emotional-semantic dominant in the framework of psychiatric literary criticism. Beautiful texts include poetry and poetry.

Definition

Such texts are beautiful where the focus is on the outward expression of the person’s emotional experiences .

Psychological Foundation

The basis of a generalized model for generating “beautiful” texts can be a character trait such as demonstrativeness ( hysteroidity ). Despite all the methodological differences in the approach to hysteria, all researchers note that it manifests itself in special behavior, designed for an external effect, and in special - hysterical - reactions that are situationally determined. Demonstrative personalities are characterized by “shallow depth, the simplicity of their experiences and their completely determined situational conditioning. A hysterical personality is capricious, mannered, and pretends to be paid attention only to anyone with a positive sign or dislike. It is unbearable only indifference.

Description

“Beautiful” texts are texts that describe the feelings and sufferings of the hero, and more often the heroine, who finds herself in unusual circumstances. They contain the following indicators of hysteroid accentuation: proper name, appearance, persecution, human body, eroticism, emotionality (it manifests itself in the presence of a large number of metaphors and epithets with a high degree of severity of the sign: unusual, wonderful, intense), anxiety, calm, amazement, resentment, confidence, origin, secret of kinship, a lie, a mysterious disease, relatives, money, someone else's speech, color (mostly light colors), animals.

Time and Space

Actions in “beautiful” texts often take place in unusual places and the building is often described (name of the part of the house, interior decoration, description of the room, barrier). When the heroine moves in space, the emphasis is not on movement, but on the change in her social status. Metaphorically speaking, the main dimension of the “textual” space of a “beautiful” text is the situation. She, in turn, is either unusual or tragic. Changes in time in a “beautiful” text are not emphasized. Even if events are separated in time, the emphasis is not on this, but on a change in the psychological status of the heroine. Thus, the “text” time of a “beautiful” text is a time of excitement, feelings and suffering of the heroine. Figuratively speaking, in a “beautiful” text the space is not extension, but the space of emotions, and the time is not external changes, but the time of subjective experiences.

Style

The style of “beautiful” texts is upbeat, refined and deliberately beautiful; it is as if he was copying the oral excited speech of a demonstrative person, full of inversion.

Examples

“Beautiful” texts, occupying a special place in culture, very often form the basis for theater and film scripts, are the textual basis for operettas and vaudeville . They are very common in the form of Mexican soap operas and scripts for Indian films. In journalism, “beautiful” texts exist mainly in the genre of reviews of theatrical productions, as well as reports from art exhibitions, beauty contests, and fashion shows. These are soap operas , Mexican series , "ladies'" and romance novels , etc.

Light Texts

Definition

Light texts are one of the types of literary texts distinguished by their emotional and semantic dominant within the framework of psychiatric literary criticism.

Concept Content

The emotional and semantic dominant of “light” texts is usually represented by two concepts : “All life is unique and valuable” and “I” know the truth and bring my understanding of life to other people. ”” The description of the world of “light” texts is based on a description the world of personality and the natural world that surrounds this personality. "I" acts as a subject of life and receives the following predicates: `honest ',` pure', `unique ',' unique '.

Examples

Many texts on the topic of ecology, as well as religious texts, can be classified as “light” texts. In addition, “bright” texts quite often are devoted to pressing problems of society, history, culture and religion. The style of "light" texts is often journalistic, journalistic, dynamic and edifying. They are characterized by calls for good, for respect for a person, for decency; authors often turn to ethical and moral (normative) ideas.

Style

The style of “bright” texts is emotionally elevated, elevated and corresponds to the description of the noble goals that the characters of “bright” texts strive for. When describing unseemly, dishonest acts or unkind ideas in "bright" texts, the pathos of angry exposure appears. Sometimes the rhythm of the text is possible. The syntax of "light" texts is characterized by frequent red lines.

Vocabulary

A special place among the means of creating the expressiveness of “bright” texts is occupied by the sublime vocabulary of the literary language, which came from the language of church books, rites, chants, and the language of religious speech, which is distinguished by a particularly significant and majestic content.

The leading semantic component in “light” texts receives the following language realization: direct, honest, sincere, upright; with soul; clean, clear, clear, clear, bright; self-worthy, incomparable, different from everything else.

Psychological Foundation

The emotional and semantic dominant of “light” texts can be correlated with paranoid accentuation , which is a manifestation of increased suspicion and painful touchiness, persistence of negative affects, the desire for dominance, and rejection of the opinions of others. There is evidence that the most important overvalued idea of ​​a paranoid personality is usually the thought of the special meaning of his own personality. A variety of "bright" texts are the texts "active", where suspicion is manifested with all evidence. In the psycho-diagnostic questionnaire RB Kettel is called this factor - suspicion. It is this kind of texts - “active” - that is the basis of a large number of detective works.

The psychological analysis of literary works goes back to the studies of Z. Freud , Alfred Adler , Rankor-Laferrier and other representatives of the school of psychoanalysis .

In Russia, it is represented, in particular, by the works of professors Segalin and N. Rubakin .

The methods of psychiatric literary criticism are criticized by traditional literary criticism , which indicates that a literary work is not a direct expression of the author’s personality, but is mediated in the process of its creation by the existing framework of genres , styles , literary trends, etc. - and therefore any conclusions from text to personality author in professional literature should be done very carefully.

In addition, the proposed approach is criticized by those who believe that it is impossible to analyze a work of “ genius ” using methods that have at least some relation to psychiatry. This is interpreted as "the charm of psychiatry ." The works of professors Segalin , Lombroso , Rubakin and others from the same position are considered insufficiently correct. In other words, the approach itself is considered a priori false without taking into account what it really allows to detect.

From the same position of the demarcation of the psychiatric and psychological approach to the psyche, this method of analyzing the text and personality (through its speech production) is interpreted as incomplete. Moreover, the methods of analyzing texts of L.S. Vygotsky and S.M. Eisenstein , who analyzed mainly the psychology of form without regard to the psyche of its creator.

A critical role is played by the critical provisions of this theory, according to which the analysis of the personality of the creator of a work cannot be made without taking into account his contribution to the development of culture, without analyzing the cultural and historical significance of the text he produced. In this case, there are also moral imperatives, the criteria of which are not determined, but postulated.

In Russian

• Abulkhanova-Slavskaya K.A. Life Strategy.- M .: Nauka , 1991 .- 299 p.
• Almaev N.A., Gradovskaya N.I. Subjective scaling and content analysis in assessing the emotional-affective component of discourse // Psychological study of discourse. M., 2002. ISBN 5-9292-0080-7
• Belyanin V.P. Psycholinguistic aspects of a literary text. - M .: Publishing house of Moscow University, 1988. ISBN 5-211-00166-4
• Belyanin V.P. Introduction to Psychiatric Literary Studies. Munich: Verlag Otto Sagner / Specimina Philologiae Slavicae. Band 107. 1996 .-- 281 c. ISBN 3-87690-644-X ISSN 0170-1320
• Belyanin V.P. Fundamentals of psycholinguistic diagnostics: ( Models of the world in literature) .- M .: Trivola , 2000. - 247 p. ISBN 5-88415-036-9
• Belyanin V.P. Psychological literary criticism.- M .: Genesis , 2006. [1] ISBN 5-98563-071-4 .
• Gindin V.P. Psychopathology in Russian literature.- M., 2005. ISBN 5-9292-0151-X
• Project Yu. L. Personal determinants of understanding and experiencing a poetic text. 2007. [2]
• Rancourt-Laferrier, D. Russian literature and psychoanalysis. Per. from English M .: Ladomir, 2004 .-- 1013 p. ISBN 5-86218-440-6
• Rudnev V.P. Characters and personality disorders: Pathography and metapsychology.- M., 2002.
• Segalin G.V. “ Clinical archive of genius and giftedness. ” - M., 1928-1932.
• Segalin G.V. Europathology L.N. Tolstoy .-- Sverdlovsk, 1930.
• Sirotkina I. Classics and psychiatrists: Psychiatry in Russian culture of the late XIX-early XX centuries / Translation from English author. M., 2008. -272 p.

In foreign languages

• Daniel Laferriere-Rancour . Out from Under Gogol's Overcoat: A Psychoanalytic Study. 1982
• Daniel Laferriere-Rancour . Russian Literature and Psychoanalysis. 1989
• Gottschalk, LA & Gleser, GC ( 1969 ) The measurement of psychological states through the content analysis of speech. Berkley: Univ. of California Press.

• Classification of Psychopathies
• Psycholinguistics
• Pathography
• Creative Expression Therapy
• Bibliotherapy