Pop psychology in JA's day
Posted by Linden on August 11, 1998 at 23:30:45:
In response to You'd love to know... So would I., written by Susanna on August 11, 1998 at 23:02:57
] "That in Jane Austen's time, the idea that the unconscious mind existed
] was quite a popular one, that she might have been playing around with this idea whilst writing P&P. That's an interesting thought."
IMHO, it's clear JA's writing that her main "psychological theory," as it were, is the one that was current in the 18th century, based on the mind receiving "impressions"
David Hume (1711-76) was one of the proponents of the view that the mind gains "impressions" - like wax receives an impression of a seal - and puts together "ideas" based on these impressions.
That's why P&P was originally called "First Impressions" - Elizabeth's first impressions of Darcy & Wickham have to be erased by further impressions and ideas.
This theory doesn't leave much room for the subconscious mind (in the sense that the P&P "subconscious attraction" theory requires.) In other words, what you see with the mind is what you get.
However, I'm not certain of this, and there is evidence to the contrary in JA. Captain Wentworth in "Persuasion" is pretty clearly still in love with Anne while he's paying court to the Musgrove girls, and this is subconscious in the sense that he doesn't realise it at the time.
Perhaps the Romantic movement provided an alternative psychology, which JA picked up on later in her writing career. Does anyone know any more details?
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