Pitfalls of Psychoanalytic Interpretative Folklore

The text presented several theoretical or interpretive approaches to the study of folklore. I found the example presented in the text of the psychoanalytic interpretation of calling on Bloody Mary the most compelling. Based on mine and my daughters past experiences of calling on “Bloody Mary”, I found many similarities between the text and our recollections of this verbal text performed by pre-teen girls. However, I do not necessarily agree that this particular ritual has something to do with the onset of the first menses. (Sims 188)

I found that in comparing mine and my daughters recollection of calling on “Bloody Mary” paralleled that of the basic components of the ritual presented in the text. They are as follows;

Occurred before we were twelve years old
Several young girls participated
Took place in a darkened bathroom
Involved chanting of “Bloody Mary”
Tried to find the figure or face of “Bloody Mary” in a darkened mirror

I asked my daughter why her and her friends performed this ritual. She said they did it because they wanted to be frightened. In my recollection of this particular event I would have to agree with the same conclusion as my daughter. I performed that ritual because it was scary. I asked my daughter if she thought performing this ritual had any other particular meaning to her other that just being scared. She said “no”. The text states that “many rituals are infused with a sense of seriousness and deliberateness, and some are less serious, existing as much for entertainment as for any other purpose, they are all typically important to the participants”. (Sims 96) I would have to conclude that calling on “Bloody Mary” is for entertainment purposes and doing this ritual is important to the participants which include seven to twelve year old girls. After informing my daughter that the psychoanalytic interpretations of calling on Bloody Mary was a ritual related to prepubescent, menstruation anxiety her and I both concluded that, that was not what was going on in our heads when we were performing this ritual. We both agreed that we just did it to be scared.

The psychoanalytic interpretative theory to folklore has several pitfalls as the text states. One pitfall states “that this theory assumes it is possible for a researcher to determine what’s going on in the minds of other people. (Sims 191) I noticed in the text that that there were not any views or opinions from seven to twelve year old girls supporting the folklorists’ interpretations and analyses of calling on “Bloody Mary. Upon further reading in the text, I discovered I preferred the folklorists’ approach of reciprocal ethnography. Incorporating the views, observations and commentary of the folk group members is included in the interpretation of folklore, (Sims 196) instead of, symbolic metaphors, or "mind reading" used in psychoanalytic interpretative theory.



This Post is in response to Chapter 6 Reflection Question.



Works Cited


Sims, Martha and Martine Stephens. Living Folklore an Introduction to the Study of People and Their Traditions. Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, 2005.