The voice of history Sigmund Freud I E.T.A. Hoffmann/ G.H. Schubert

Abstract

In "The uncanny", Freud's essay on E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The sandman", an attempt is made to reconcile the disparate voices mediating the world of the text. The resultant analysis is not only a flattening of Hoffmann's complex narrative; it also demonstrates a problem in the psychoanalytic understanding of the way in which narrative mediates history. This problem arises from a belief in the ability of scientific discourse to understand historical phenomena while overlooking the forms of their mediation. This essay attempts to show that the difficulties arising out of Freud's interpretation of "The sandman" are prefigured in the story itself. Drawing upon current trends in Romantic psychology (most notably the work of G.H. Schubert) and popular conceptions of. history, Hoffmann builds upon the assumption that narration mediates psychic and historical phenomena only by revealing its own inadequacy as a form of mediation. This assumption blurs the boundary which Freud sought to uphold between literary and scientific discourse. Consequently, a careful reading of Hoffmann and his sources reveals a fundamental doubt in the essentially Freudian project of a discourse of truth and a technique of its implementation.

Opsomming

In Freud se essay "The uncanny" oor E.T.A. Hoffmann se verhaal "The sandman", word 'n poging aangewend om die uiteenlopende bemiddelende stemme van die wereld van die teks met mekaar le versoen. Die gevolglike analise lei nie net tot 'n afplatting van Hoffmann se komplekse verhaal nie, maar di! illustreer ook 'n probleem in die psigoanalitiese opvatting betreffende die manier waarop die geskiedenis deur die narratiewe bemiddel word. Hierdie probleem spruit voort uit 'n geloof in die vermoe van wetenskaplike diskoers om historiese verskynsels le verklaar sonder dat die vorme van historiese bemiddeling in ag geneem word. In hierdie opstel word probeer om aan le loon dat die probleme wat voortspruit uit Freud se analise van ''The sandman" alreeds in die verhaal self voorspel word. Deur le put uit resente strominge in die Romantiese psigologie (in die besonder die werk van G.H. Schubert) en populere opvattings van geskiedenis, steun Hoffmann op die veronderstelling dat die narratiewe slegs psigiese en historiese fenomene kan bemiddel deur die blootlegging van sy eie ontoereikendheid as vorm van bemiddeling. Hierdie aanname vertroebel die grens wat Freud tussen literere en wetenskaplike diskoers probeer handhaaf. Gevolglik onthul 'n noukeurige lesing van Hoffmann en sy bronne 'n grondliggende twyfel in die essensieel Freudiaanse projek van 'n diskoers van waarheid en die implementeringstegnieke daarvan.