ENG 4U1
Unit 1: Literary Criticism
A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
“The Dragon” by Katherine Govier
Our class is composed of a group of psychiatrists who are exploring both
Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory and Jung’s Archetypal Theory. It has come
to your attention that one of your fellow psychiatrists has been involved in
a questionable incident involving a mysterious woman. With a team of your
qualified peers, perform a psychological analysis of the psychiatrist in “The
Dragon” by applying either Freud’s or Jung’s ideas about the human mind,
development, and personality. Following your analysis, come to a decision
regarding the future of this individual. Will you allow this man to continue
practicing psychiatry, or will you require him to resolve his own issues first?
Consider the following areas of exploration when generating your report. Be
prepared to share your analyses, as well as your final assessment of the protagonist with a panel of your peers.
Group A: Freudian Reading
1. Identify each element of the tripartite psyche as presented in the story.
2. Explain how the story’s climax represents a conflict between the Id, the Ego, and the Superego. Is this conflict
resolved? Explain.
3. What textual evidence suggests that the psychiatrist’s problem is sexual? Is this problem shared by William Kirk?
Explain.
4. Identify any phallic and yonic symbols in the story. How does each symbol add meaning to the text?
5. Discuss how the “movement from society to isolation” and “the work ethic” are used as Freudian symbols in this
story.
6. Our overall decision regarding the future of the psychiatrist is…
Group B: A Jungian Reading
1. Identify the psychologist’s shadow, anima, and persona.
2. In what way could this story be considered an archetypal “quest” story?
3. Discuss how the following archetypes are used in the story:
a) The Scapegoat
b) The Outcast
c) Female as The Temptress
d) The Creature of Nightmare
4. Our overall decision regarding the future of the psychiatrist is…