A Psychoanalytical Reading of Eva Luna Monica Palumbo 11th Grade

The primary ideal of a psychoanalytic reading is that literary texts are similar to dreams because they are both manifestations of a person's psyche, and can be analysed in order to discover the author's unconscious meanings. Eva Luna, written by Isabelle Allende, is comprised of complex characters that each have their own histories, that are described in depth through their childhood and actions within the story, demonstrating the talent of Isabelle Allende herself. Her story is entered around Eva Luna and her eventual partner, Rolf Carle, who both come from dysfunctional homes. Their characters are constructed gradually from their birth into adulthood, allowing every aspect of their desires and anxieties to be explored. With this understanding of the characters and their motivations, it becomes possible to discover Allende's unconscious symbols and illustrations of her own neurosis.

Despite his dysfunctional upbringing, Rolf Carle becomes a successful journalist, much like Allende herself prior to her career as an author. A significant aspect of his career was his constant obsession with not only reporting news about the politics of his country, but playing a role in those politics in order to promote the form of government...