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At the outset I wish to disclaim any intention of discussing the vast theme of Freud's influence on literature in general, a task far beyond my powers. I may call attention to a few of the many essays and books that have already dealt with this topic,1 but we still await a comprehensive study of it. It is plain that Freud's work afforded a powerful stimulus to the understanding of psychological motivation, but a writer's task is concerned with depicting the complex ramification of such motives rather than with any exposition of unconscious processes themselves.
Here I propose to confine myself to three themes: Freud's own contributions to our understanding of creative activity and the study of certain literary productions; some account of his interest in literature; and a note on his contacts with literary personages.
Freud had assuredly more reason to be hard when he wrote about literary production than in other fields of art, since he was himself a distinguished master of prose style. The bestowal of the Goethe prize on him was a recognition of this feature of his work.