Article Abstract:
The operas 'Don Pasquale' by Donizetti and 'Fidelio' by Beethoven illustrate aspects of the quest for authenticity. 'Don Pasquale' satirizes the Hegelian quest for synthesis, suggesting that conflict is inevitable in life. 'Fidelio' is a powerful representation of the role of the feminine in attaining psychological liberation. Florestan, as the authentic Self, is imprisoned in a dungeon. His wife Leonora disguises herself as Fidelio to obtain a menial job with the jailer in order to free her husband. The jailer is the everyday self which is assisted by the feminine to achieve a higher integration.
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Article Abstract:
Ibsen's play 'Peer Gynt' portrays the struggle to become an authentic self instead of a false self. Peer Gynt pursues versions of the false self through his desires to become an emperor, to gain wealth, to be the Great Prophet and so forth. Eventually he realizes that all these false selves are like layers of an onion, beneath which he finds no true core. Salvation and authenticity come when he returns to his faithful Solveig, reflecting Ibsen's belief that the true self is found only through relationship with another.
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Article Abstract:
Fictional parents, husbands and wives, and adult children in Anne Tyler's 13 novels illustrate the need for selfobjects in human psychological development. Tyler depicts dysfunctional families characterized by absent fathers and non-nurturing mothers, with characters seeking escape from static environments, but failing to create selfobject ties which can sustain them. These portrayals support H. Kohut's claim that selfobjects are needed and beneficial to people throughout their lives.
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