Which of the following artists/fictional protagonists (a. Spiderman, b. Jackson Pollock, c. Madonna) lends him/herself to a Freudian/Foucaultian analysis and why? Choose one for a brief Foucaultian/Freudian analysis.
For the purposes of this assignment, I believe Madonna lends herself to a Freudian analysis. In the “Revelation of the Poet to Day-Dreaming,” Freud explained his perception of the relationship between art and the human unconscious process. He focused on how a poet’s art was a reflection of his/her day-dreams and unconscious processes. As a professional singer,
Madonna’s songs represent a form of poetry, making her a prime candidate for Freudian theory.
Freudian theory conveyed that the poet is a day-dreamer and that his/her art is the equivalent of a day-dream. He believed, through the assessment of art, one could construe the artist’s unconscious thoughts and suppressed day-dreams.
Madonna’s most popular song, arguably, is “Like a Virgin.” The main chorus of the song is as follows: (for complete lyrics visit http://www.madonnalyrics.org/like_a_virgin.html)
“Like a virgin
Touched for the very first time
Like a virgin
When your heart beats
Next to mine”
On the surface, Madonna’s song “Like a Virgin,” appears to be about a girl who is confused about love after enduring a number of unsuccessful relationships. She is vulnerable and depressed in her bewildered search for love. She then meets a man who then sweeps her off her feet and for the first time, like a virgin engaging in sexual intercourse, she feels unrestricted love.
Using Freudian analysis, one could interpret that “Like a Virgin” clandestinely represents Madonna’s unconscious longing to be protected and cared for by a male figure. The song was her way of unconsciously crying out for someone to protect her with a shield of love. At the time of the song’s conception, it could be interpreted that she was uncertain if love would find her in her fruitless journey and that her day-dreams were engulfed with worrisome feelings. By repressing her day-dreams, Madonna, at a surface level, was able to disconnect her personal day-dreams from the song. Freudian analysis would claim that the song exposed her unconscious instead of concealing her feelings.
Image From: http://media.marketwire.com/attachments/200603/MOD-253305_MadonnaTourPic.jpg
It is certainly possible that Madonna is revealing her unconscious desire for an ideal love relationship. I think this struggle may also be under the surface of her song "Material Girl". In this song, she focuses on material items that could just be filling an emotional void, such as a romantic relationship.
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