Psychology in the Fiction of Henry James: Memory, Emotions, and Empathy

Psychology in the Fiction of Henry James: Memory, Emotions, and Empathy focuses on the study of consciousness, also examines new ways to read fiction from a scientific perspective, one that draws upon early psychological theories and recent neuroscientific research. Freud and William James stand together as intellectual pioneers who contributed to our understanding of the revolutionary concept of consciousness. Meanwhile, Henry James devoted his life to the development of narrative methods that would extend the realm of Realism: a pursuit that led him to draw upon consciousness and experience alike. When examining these three figures, the key components of consciousness that they shared in common turn out to be memory, emotions, and empathy. This volume deals with theoretical works on those three concepts by the works of Freud, William James, and recent neuroscientists, as well as two narrative techniques Henry James devised to represent consciousness: ghosts and Free Indirect Discourse. Additionally, this book is an analysis of Henry’s major fictions to show how those scientific terms have been used to achieve a fresh reading of his novels. Overall, this volume demonstrates that the three components are elements in the dual-aspect monism that Freud proposed earlier.

Teckyoung Kwon is professor emeritus of English at Seoul’s Kyung Hee University.