Psychoanalytic literary criticism relies on a foundational understanding of psychological theories in order to analyze the plot, conflict, or structure of a literary work. Much of this critical lens rests on the work of Sigmund Freud, whose expansive work sought to explain human behavior and thought. As we approach a work from a psychoanalytical lens, it might help to ask questions like these as you begin to form an understanding of interpreting the work:

• Does a character (particularly a main character) seem to suffer from a mental illness such as depression, mania, alternate realities, or obsessions? If so, how does this affect the character or conflict?
• Does the character seem to have an unnatural fascination with topics such as death or sex? If so, how might this reflect the character's conscious vs subconscious attitudes, behaviors, and/or thoughts?
• Is there any evidence of an Oedipus complex in the work? (See link below for an explanation of this theory Freud developed.) How does this attachment reflect the subconscious thoughts of the characters involved, and how does it affect their actions?
• How might the conflict, structure, or character development reflect the psychological health or balance of the author? (Edgar Allan Poe, Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, and Emily Dickinson are often the subjects of this type of criticism.)
• How might your interpretation as a reader reflect your own psychological motives or expectations?
• How do the characters in the novel reflect typical archetypes that span all of literature? (See link below for some examples.) What does this reveal about the human experience?

I hope these questions guide you as you consider a work through a psychoanalytical lens. Good luck!