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Alvin Wong
PISMP BI (SK) 2 JANUARY INTAKE 2013

Critical Essay of Psychoanalytical Literary Theory
“How I Met My Husband” by Alice Munro

Psychoanalytic literary theory examines a literary work through the
perspective of psychology
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Apart from that, the usage of this theory enables us to analyse the work of
a literature as the outward expression of the author’s unconscious mind
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Freudian psychology criticism
is commonly used but others such as Jugian psychology criticism, Gestalt and
Transactional psychology criticism approaches are still applicable
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Firstly is via
the analysis of psychobiography which examines the link between the author’s life
and socio-economic background with the character in the story
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The protagonist in the short story, Edie, is merely a projection of Alice Munro
at her young age
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First and foremost is seen in
the occupation or job taken by both the author and the protagonist
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Among the occupations
were as a waitress, a tobacco picker and also a library clerk
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In the
short story, Edie worked as a “hired girl” (Pg
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and Mrs
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Secondly, the next influence is seen in their socio-economic background and
surroundings
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Munro’s father, Robert Eric Laidlaw, was a fox and
poultry farmer, and her mother, Anne Clarke Laidlaw was a school teacher
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This is
one of the strongest evidence of the influence of her psychobiography in the short
story
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The usage of imagery such as farms, field and barns and also the culture of
the surrounding society which are mostly farmers are some concrete similarities
between the author and the character in the short story
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Munro’s first marriage was an unsuccessful marriage as both Alice Munro and exhusband, James Munro had a hard time living together
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These are the
few difficulties that affected Munro psychologically and indirectly expressed within
the character of Edie
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She thoughtlessly accepted Chris Watters as her “right man” up to the
extent that she even waited willingly for Chris letter
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Thus, through her own life challenges and experiences she portrayed it
into this short story
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Edie’s dilemma can be further branched into

Alvin Wong
PISMP BI (SK) 2 JANUARY INTAKE 2013

three main psychological terminologies which are the id, ego and superego
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In the short story, it
was a clear evident that Edie was very much engulfed by her id after she was left
blinded by the charm of her first love, Chris Watters
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20) after Chris promised that he would write to Edie
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20)
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Yet,
her ego, which is the major defences against the driving power of id and superego,
prompted her self-conscience, to choose to continue on waiting and believe that “…
he was going to write…” (Pg
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20)
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Succinctly, the short story “How I Met My Husband” clearly exemplifies the
presence of psychological interconnection through the psychobiography between the
author, Alice Munro and also the protagonist, Edie
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Hence,
psychoanalytical literary criticism can be used to examine this short story

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