FOUR SELVES OF F. M. DOSTOEVSKY IN S. FREUD´S RECEPTION

Abstract

The contribution examines the interconnections between Sigmund Freud and Fyodor M. Dostoevsky within the context of both authors' biographies. Freud, in his works, referred with Dostoevsky's literary oeuvre and personal life through the lens of psychoanalysis. In Dostoevsky and Parricide Freud presented a psychiatric perspective on Dostoevsky's writings, identifying four distinct aspects of his personality: the creative artist, the neurotic, the moralist, and the sinner. Freud suggested that certain elements of "Dostoevsky the human" are reflected in "Dostoevsky the artist". This study employs historiographical method to elucidate specific facets of Freud's reception of Dostoevsky. It incorporates excerpts from selected works (e. g. Humiliated and Insulted, The Gambler, Crime and Punishment). The relationship between Freud and Dostoevsky, as well as Freud's contributions to scientific research, is also interpreted through secondary sources (P. Říčan, L. Breger, and others). Furthermore, the study analyzes and interprets Freud's perspective on Dostoevsky's personality, comparing Freud's observations with historical and biographical insights from Anna Dostoevsky's memoirs. The primary aim is to chart the biographical parallels between Dostoevsky and Freud, assess Freud's reception of Dostoevsky, and juxtapose Freud's views with Anna Dostoevsky's recollections, ultimately providing a comprehensive portrayal of Dostoevsky both as a person and as an author.

Keywords

• literature
• psychology
• freud
• dostoevsky
• four selves of dostoevsky