Readings from last week

I read the Freud essay in time for class and I was disappointed that we did not discuss the section that interested me the most. Near the end of the article Freud states, "'superstition' need not be the only or the real reason for some particular custom or observance and does not excuse us from the duty of searching for its hidden motives." The way he describes the superstition prior to this explanation was very intriguing to me. She thought the razors should be gotten rid of because next to the shop was an undertaker's office. her superstition was that the undertaker was a bad omen but in reality she was afraid that her husband would fatally injure himself with the newly sharpened razors. Thinking about the real reason behind superstitions reminded me of many of the campus superstitions we have; such as the bad luck caused by stepping on the memorial glad seals. The supposed reason is that stepping on the seal will cause the student to become unable to earn a 4.0. This is obviously just a superstition but perhaps it previously had a subconscious reason behind it.

The other reading (chapter 8 in the Napier book) I was very interested and disappointed by as well. The accounts of Nausicaa and Kiki were enjoyable to read mostly because of how concise they were; however, the section on Totoro was far too revealing for my taste. I was affected mostly by the psychological analysis of the two young girls. I have never seen the film and therefor know very little about the plot. Claiming that the two girls' experience with Totoro and the cat bus was all in their imagination will definitely affect how I view moments in the film. I am sadly not looking forward to viewing it in this new light.