Introduction: “The Uncanny” by Sigmund Freud
“The Uncanny” by Sigmund Freud first appeared in 1919 in the journal Imago and was later reprinted in the collection Sammlung. Freud’s essay delves into the psychological concept of the “uncanny” (or unheimlich), which he defines as something familiar yet repressed, and thus frightening when it resurfaces. Freud explores how certain experiences, such as fear of the return of repressed childhood memories or unresolved emotions, can evoke a sense of dread or horror. The essay’s importance in literature and literary theory lies in its profound influence on psychoanalytic approaches to aesthetics and horror, shaping how readers and scholars interpret the intersection of familiarity and fear in various forms of storytelling. The concept of the uncanny has become a key framework for analyzing gothic fiction, surrealism, and modernist works that blur the boundaries between reality and imagination.
Summary of “The Uncanny” by Sigmund Freud
1. Definition of the “Uncanny”
- Freud begins by noting that the term “uncanny” refers to something both frightening and strangely familiar. He explains that it is tied to feelings of dread and horror, but with a deeper psychological basis:
“The uncanny is that class of the terrifying which leads back to something long known to us, once very familiar.”
2. Relationship Between Familiarity and Fear
- Freud explores the linguistic roots of the German word unheimlich (uncanny), which is the opposite of heimlich (homely or familiar). He argues that the uncanny arises when something familiar becomes estranged through repression:
“The uncanny is frightening precisely because it is not known and familiar. Naturally, not everything which is new and unfamiliar is frightening.”
3. The Role of Repression and the Return of the Repressed
- Freud ties the concept of the uncanny to repressed feelings, memories, or beliefs that resurface in a distorted or disturbing way. The uncanny occurs when these repressed elements break through into conscious awareness:
“This uncanny is in reality nothing new or foreign, but something familiar and old—established in the mind that has been estranged only by the process of repression.”
4. Intellectual Uncertainty and Ambiguity
- Freud discusses how uncertainty, especially regarding whether something is animate or inanimate (e.g., automata, dolls, or wax figures), contributes to the uncanny. He references Ernst Jentsch’s work on intellectual uncertainty as a key factor in this feeling:
“In telling a story, one of the most successful devices for easily creating uncanny effects is to leave the reader in uncertainty whether a particular figure in the story is a human being or an automaton.”
5. The Castration Complex and Fear of Losing One’s Eyes
- Freud introduces the idea that deeper psychological fears, such as the fear of castration, are symbolized by specific motifs like the loss of one’s eyes. He references the tale of “The Sandman” by E.T.A. Hoffmann to illustrate this point:
“This fear of damaging or losing one’s eyes is a substitute for the dread of castration.”
6. The “Double” and Narcissism
- The concept of the “double” or doppelgänger is another source of the uncanny. Originally, the double served as a means of self-preservation, but over time, it becomes a harbinger of death or a reminder of repressed narcissism:
“The ‘double’ was originally an insurance against destruction to the ego… but it became the ghastly harbinger of death.”
7. Animism, Magic, and Omnipotence of Thoughts
- Freud connects the uncanny to ancient beliefs in animism and magical thinking, where the boundary between reality and fantasy blurs. He explains that remnants of these primitive beliefs persist in the unconscious, contributing to feelings of uncanniness:
“The uncanny effect of epilepsy and of madness… springs from the remains of animistic beliefs that we have never quite abandoned.”
8. The Uncanny in Literature
- Freud distinguishes between real-life experiences of the uncanny and its representation in fiction. In literature, authors have greater freedom to manipulate uncanny effects by blending the familiar with the supernatural:
“Fiction presents more opportunities for creating uncanny sensations than are possible in real life.”
9. The Role of Repetition and Fate
- Repetition compulsion, especially when it feels involuntary, also produces uncanny effects. Freud gives examples of recurring numbers, repeated events, and situations that evoke a sense of being trapped by fate:
“The recurrence of the same situations, things, and events… awakens an uncanny feeling.”
Literary Terms/Concepts in “The Uncanny” by Sigmund Freud
| Literary Term/Concept | Explanation | Quotation/Reference from the Text |
| Uncanny (Unheimlich) | A psychological experience where something familiar becomes frightening or eerie due to repression. | “The uncanny is that class of the terrifying which leads back to something long known to us, once very familiar.” |
| Repression | The process by which desires, memories, or thoughts are pushed into the unconscious mind, only to resurface in distorted forms, contributing to the feeling of the uncanny. | “This uncanny is in reality nothing new or foreign, but something familiar and old… estranged only by the process of repression.” |
| Intellectual Uncertainty | The feeling of ambiguity about whether something is real or unreal, animate or inanimate, contributing to the uncanny. | “The uncanny would always be that in which one does not know where one is, as it were.” (referring to Jentsch’s theory) |
| The Double (Doppelgänger) | The concept of a double or twin, which initially served to preserve the ego but later evokes death or destruction. | “The ‘double’ was originally an insurance against destruction to the ego… but it became the ghastly harbinger of death.” |
| Automaton | An inanimate object (like a doll or robot) that appears to be alive, creating an uncanny effect due to uncertainty about its lifelessness or animateness. | “Doubts whether an apparently animate being is really alive; or conversely, whether a lifeless object might not be animate.” |
| Castration Complex | Freud’s theory that the fear of castration underlies many symbolic fears, such as fear of losing one’s eyes, which is connected to the uncanny. | “This fear of damaging or losing one’s eyes is a substitute for the dread of castration.” |
| Omnipotence of Thoughts | The belief that thoughts alone can influence reality, a primitive belief that resurfaces in uncanny experiences. | “We invest with a feeling of uncanniness those impressions which lend support to a belief in the omnipotence of thoughts.” |
| Animism | The belief that objects, places, or creatures possess a spiritual essence, contributing to uncanny sensations when lifeless things appear to come to life. | “The whole matter is one of ‘testing reality,’ pure and simple, a question of the material reality of the phenomena.” |
| Repetition Compulsion | The compulsion to repeat certain actions or events, often unconsciously, which can evoke an uncanny sensation, especially when it feels fateful or unavoidable. | “The recurrence of the same situations, things, and events… awakens an uncanny feeling.” |
Contribution of “The Uncanny” by Sigmund Freud to Literary Theory/Theories
Freud’s exploration of the uncanny has become a cornerstone of psychoanalytic literary theory. His concepts of repression, the return of the repressed, and the castration complex offer frameworks for analyzing literary characters, themes, and narratives from a psychological perspective.
- Repression and the Return of the Repressed: Freud argues that the uncanny arises when something long-repressed resurfaces, often in distorted and frightening forms. This is foundational for psychoanalytic readings of literature, where repressed desires or traumatic memories drive narrative tensions.
“This uncanny is in reality nothing new or foreign, but something familiar and old—established in the mind that has been estranged only by the process of repression.” - Castration Complex: Freud ties this complex to symbolic fears, such as the fear of losing one’s eyes in Hoffmann’s The Sandman, a concept that psychoanalytic critics use to explore underlying psychological anxieties in literature.
“The fear of damaging or losing one’s eyes is a substitute for the dread of castration.”
2. Gothic Theory
Freud’s essay is essential to understanding the Gothic genre, as the concept of the uncanny explains why certain tropes—like doubles, haunted houses, and animism—evoke fear and unease. His work provides a psychological explanation for the use of the grotesque and supernatural elements in Gothic literature.
- Doppelgänger (The Double): Freud’s discussion of the double, or doppelgänger, explains how the splitting of the self or encountering one’s own double is a source of terror in Gothic literature. Gothic texts often feature doubles to evoke the uncanny.
“The ‘double’ was originally an insurance against destruction to the ego… but it became the ghastly harbinger of death.” - Automata and Intellectual Uncertainty: In Gothic fiction, characters often encounter lifeless objects (dolls, statues, etc.) that appear to come to life. Freud connects this to the uncanny by highlighting the intellectual uncertainty that emerges when the line between animate and inanimate is blurred.
“Doubts whether an apparently animate being is really alive; or conversely, whether a lifeless object might not be in fact animate.”
3. Modernist Theory
Freud’s essay also resonates with modernist literary theory, particularly in the way it questions the stability of reality and identity. The sense of fragmentation, uncertainty, and alienation that is central to modernist literature can be interpreted through the lens of the uncanny.
- Alienation and the Familiar Becoming Strange: In modernist literature, characters often experience a world that feels disjointed and unfamiliar, even though it is superficially the same. Freud’s idea that the uncanny arises when something familiar becomes alien fits with the modernist preoccupation with the breakdown of stable identity and reality.
“The uncanny is frightening precisely because it is not known and familiar.” - The Breakdown of Reality and Fantasy: Freud’s discussion of animism and the omnipotence of thoughts explains why modernist texts, which frequently blur the lines between reality and fantasy, evoke uncanny feelings. This aligns with modernist attempts to destabilize readers’ perceptions of reality.
“An uncanny effect is often and easily produced by effacing the distinction between imagination and reality.”
4. Structuralism and Narratology
Freud’s work on the uncanny has been influential in structuralist and narratological approaches to literature, particularly in analyzing how narrative structures generate emotional responses in readers.
- Repetition Compulsion: Freud’s observation that repetition in a story can evoke uncanny sensations connects to structuralist and narratological theories that examine how repeated motifs or structures create meaning and emotional effects in literature.
“The recurrence of the same situations, things, and events… awakens an uncanny feeling.” - Narrative Devices: Freud notes that certain storytelling techniques—such as leaving readers uncertain about whether something is real or imagined—are effective in producing uncanny effects. This has implications for narratology, where the manipulation of reader expectations through narrative techniques is a key area of study.
“In telling a story, one of the most successful devices for easily creating uncanny effects is to leave the reader in uncertainty.”
5. Surrealism
Freud’s exploration of the uncanny, particularly the collapse of the boundary between reality and imagination, is also foundational to Surrealist theory. Surrealism seeks to reveal the unconscious mind by juxtaposing familiar objects in strange or irrational ways, thus creating an uncanny effect.
- Effacing the Line Between Reality and Fantasy: Freud’s explanation of the uncanny as a feeling that arises when imagination overtakes reality directly aligns with Surrealist art and literature, which often brings the unconscious to the surface in disorienting ways.
“An uncanny effect is often and easily produced by effacing the distinction between imagination and reality.”
Examples of Critiques Through “The Uncanny” by Sigmund Freud
| Literary Work & Author | Critique Through “The Uncanny” | Freudian Concept |
| The Sandman by E.T.A. Hoffmann | Freud uses this story as a key example of the uncanny, focusing on the fear of losing one’s eyes (a substitute for castration anxiety) and the intellectual uncertainty about whether the automaton Olympia is truly alive. The character Coppelius evokes uncanny fear by blurring the line between reality and fantasy, and by representing a repressed father figure. | Castration Complex, Intellectual Uncertainty, Automaton |
| Frankenstein by Mary Shelley | The creature in Frankenstein embodies the uncanny through its combination of the familiar (human-like appearance) and unfamiliar (grotesque assembly from dead body parts). Victor Frankenstein’s creation evokes horror as a repressed projection of human desires and fears, particularly around creation, death, and identity. | Repression, The Double, Uncanny Valley |
| Dracula by Bram Stoker | Dracula‘s titular character can be analyzed through the uncanny as a figure that disrupts familiar boundaries—between life and death, human and monster. Dracula embodies the repressed fears of death and sexual desire, both of which are estranged but familiar themes. The recurring motifs of transformation and the fear of the undead bring out the uncanny’s influence in the Gothic genre. | Repressed Desires, Fear of Death, The Double |
| The Turn of the Screw by Henry James | The ghosts in The Turn of the Screw evoke an uncanny atmosphere by casting doubt on whether they are real or figments of the governess’s imagination. The story plays on the intellectual uncertainty between reality and hallucination, making the familiar setting of a household eerie and strange. The children’s eerie behavior also adds to the uncanniness. | Intellectual Uncertainty, Repression, Uncanny Setting |
Criticism Against “The Uncanny” by Sigmund Freud
1. Overemphasis on Psychoanalysis
- Critics argue that Freud’s interpretation of the uncanny relies too heavily on psychoanalytic concepts like the castration complex and repression, reducing the uncanny to a purely psychological phenomenon. This limits its broader cultural, historical, or literary dimensions.
2. Reductionist Approach
- Freud’s explanation often reduces complex literary and cultural phenomena to simple psychological mechanisms. His focus on the uncanny as the result of repressed childhood fears or sexual anxieties is seen as overly simplistic, ignoring other factors that may contribute to the feeling of the uncanny.
3. Lack of Consideration for Cultural Variations
- Freud’s essay is criticized for not addressing the cultural and social variations in the experience of the uncanny. What might be considered uncanny in one culture may not evoke the same response in another, and Freud’s universalizing of certain themes (like fear of castration) does not account for these differences.
4. Narrow Focus on the Unconscious
- Some critics believe that Freud’s theory of the uncanny is too narrowly focused on the unconscious mind. This limits its application to works of literature and art that explore broader existential or philosophical questions, rather than those simply grounded in psychoanalytic theory.
5. Limited Engagement with Aesthetics
- Freud’s analysis neglects the aesthetic qualities of literature, art, and film that can evoke the uncanny. His focus is almost entirely on psychological processes, with little attention to how form, style, and artistic techniques contribute to uncanny effects.
Representative Quotations from “The Uncanny” by Sigmund Freud with Explanation
| Quotation | Explanation |
| “The uncanny is that class of the terrifying which leads back to something long known to us, once very familiar.” | Freud defines the uncanny as something both familiar and strange. It is rooted in repressed experiences or memories that resurface, evoking a sense of discomfort. |
| “This uncanny is in reality nothing new or foreign, but something familiar and old—established in the mind that has been estranged only by the process of repression.” | Freud links the uncanny to the return of the repressed, where forgotten or repressed memories or feelings re-emerge in a distorted and unsettling form. |
| “The German word unheimlich is obviously the opposite of heimlich, heimisch, meaning ‘familiar,’ ‘native,’ ‘belonging to the home.'” | Freud traces the linguistic roots of the term “uncanny” to show how the familiar (heimlich) can transform into something unfamiliar and frightening (unheimlich). |
| “The uncanny would always be that in which one does not know where one is, as it were.” | This quote underscores the idea of intellectual uncertainty, where ambiguity and confusion contribute to the feeling of uncanniness, making it hard to grasp reality. |
| “An uncanny effect is often and easily produced when the distinction between imagination and reality is effaced.” | Freud highlights how the blurring of reality and imagination can evoke the uncanny, especially when something imaginary manifests in the real world. |
| “The ‘double’ was originally an insurance against destruction to the ego, but it became the ghastly harbinger of death.” | Freud discusses the concept of the double or doppelgänger, which initially symbolized self-preservation but later came to evoke fear and death. |
| “The fear of damaging or losing one’s eyes is a substitute for the dread of castration.” | Freud connects the fear of losing one’s eyes, as seen in The Sandman, to the deeper psychological anxiety of castration, illustrating the symbolic nature of fear. |
| “Intellectual uncertainty… as to whether an object is animate or inanimate, and the impression that it is animate in the case of an object which is actually inanimate, is what produces the uncanny.” | Freud explains that the uncanny arises when the boundaries between life and non-life are blurred, as with automata, dolls, or wax figures. |
| “What is heimlich thus comes to be unheimlich.” | Freud notes the paradox that what is familiar (heimlich) can, through repression and distortion, become unfamiliar and uncanny (unheimlich). |
| “We can understand why the usage of speech has extended das Heimliche into its opposite das Unheimliche.” | Freud reflects on how the concept of the uncanny stretches the meaning of the familiar, suggesting that both are closely related in psychological experiences. |
Suggested Readings: “The Uncanny” by Sigmund Freud
- Freud, Sigmund, et al. “Fiction and Its Phantoms: A Reading of Freud’s Das Unheimliche (The ‘Uncanny’).” New Literary History, vol. 7, no. 3, 1976, pp. 525–645. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/468561. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
- Dimitris Vardoulakis. “The Return of Negation: The Doppelgänger in Freud’s ‘The “Uncanny.”‘” SubStance, vol. 35, no. 2, 2006, pp. 100–16. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4152886. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
- Lydenberg, Robin. “Freud’s Uncanny Narratives.” PMLA, vol. 112, no. 5, 1997, pp. 1072–86. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/463484. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
- Schlipphacke, Heidi. “The Place and Time of the Uncanny.” Pacific Coast Philology, vol. 50, no. 2, 2015, pp. 163–72. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.5325/pacicoasphil.50.2.0163. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
- Freud, Sigmund. “THE UNCANNY.” The Monster Theory Reader, edited by Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock, University of Minnesota Press, 2020, pp. 59–88. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.5749/j.ctvtv937f.6. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
- MCCAFFREY, PHILLIP. “Erasing the Body: Freud’s Uncanny Father-Child.” American Imago, vol. 49, no. 4, 1992, pp. 371–89. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26304061. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.