General Psychology, Psych 110
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"Stories for Personality" page

Applying Personality Perspectives to Novels


Novels:

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, Julia Alvarez

Very Good, Jeeves!  PG Wodehouse

Snow Falling on Cedar, David Guterson


Goals:

  • Prioritize and Apply terms from each perspective
  • See how each perspective emphasizes different parts of same situation, gives different possible interpretations of same events.
Perspective Yolanda/ "Antojos" Bertie / "Impending Doom" Kabuo/"The Accused"
Trait Questions: Are there a few trait words that summarize her/his behavior? Clear, consistent patterns of beahvior.
Trait Yo is pessimistic, insecure of her family's reaction but she is controlled in her reactions to their smart ass comments we Woosters are men of iron

intrepid

snooty?

introverted, detached, calm (last sent. 1st para.)
emotionally stable and calm
Humanistic Questions: Where is the person receiving conditional positive regard (CPR) and unconditional positive regard (UPR)? How does the CPR and UPR affect the person's ability to express their uniqueness?
Humanistic Yo perceives herself as others see her. Her personality is made up of what everyone expects of her. "Yo sees herself as they will" (p. 1) and "Yo clasps her brow and groans as expected." (p. 2)

Yo feels inferior amongst her rich relatives, is aware of other's feelings . Yo sees herself as shabby Lucinda (beautiful) mocks with Miss America song)

Jeeves provides UPR, whereas Aunt gives lots of examples of CPR (worm and outcast)

his self actualization? puzzling things.

Kabuo usually is in control of his emotions, perhaps by compartmen-talizing. He does this to maintain his dignity which seems important to him (last sent. 1st para.)

Kabuo has (actively) detached himself from the trial in order to avoid dealing with his emotion

Culture and Gender Questions: What patterns of interaction are affected by cultural or gender role training? e.g. collective/individualist
Culture and Gender clothes mark status for women (white - maid, black - matrons), so she is very self conscious of her dress. Women's personalities partly influenced by men's role, the father's and husband's desire for control Bertie directly asks Aunt why he must do something -- directive, individualist
Psychoanalytic Questions: Where is tension and conflict? How is it handled? How are situations which appear different symbolically similar?
Psychoanalytic healthy: Yo went home knowing what they expect of her. She somewhat views herself as an outcast. Her ego is strong enough to challenge her to integrate her desire (id) to be her own person with her family's expectations of her (SE)
unhealthy: family puts her down. views herself differently.
nameless dread (yet intrepid exterior) his ego is repressing his emotionsat

at 1st Superego was in control; then after he realized life has passed him by he lets impulse to show emotion go (remorse over season + infinitely beautiful)

Social Power/ Race Questions: Which situations was the person put in by differences in social power?
Social Power/ Race Is Bertie more assertive than Jeeves?  how much has the difference in the way they express themselves due to different consequences.

Bertie, because he was born to an upper class family, is expected

Social Cognitive In the interaction between the maid, the maid is reacting as social roles require (Submissive) You acknowledges social superiority in labeling maid's gesture as "gesture of pleading"

Tia Flora's opinion of the help is influenced by the mistakes the help makes and her outspoken opinion probably influences the help not to care and make more mistakes. Info process: Flora pulls out negative piece - attributes internal permanent

Jurors sat with studiously passive faces as they strained to make sense

The man accused of murder blocks out his situation because he can't change the outcome of the verdict. This effects jury, they reflect off one another

interesting comparisons to Jeeves & Bertie:

Little Girl & Inspector Gadget, Hong Kong Fooey and Cat, Get Smart, The Thin Man and Asta


Last Modified: January 25, 2000

Tom Link

tlink@pierce.ctc.edu