15 Psychological Crtisism

Psychological criticism is an approach to literary criticism that interprets writings, authors, and readers through a psychological lens. The focus is on the expression of the unconscious in the work, looking at psychology in the narrative itself as well as in the author. Critics think about the symbols in the work and what they might mean. They also evaluate the psychological state of the characters, and examine their motivations and actions with an understanding of psychology in mind.

An example of psychological criticism would be contemplating a fictional character's past in order to understand why he killed his mother
psychological criticism can play a role in psychotherapy.