Striving Toward Wholeness

by Barbara Hannah

Barbara Hannah studies the psychic processes that move people to strive for wholeness of personality, an integration of all innate capacities. Since this inner drama manifests itself with special intensity in the lives of creative individuals, she has taken up the biographies and literary productions of five major English novelists--Robert Louis Stevenson, Mary Webb, and Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte--along with one nonliterary artist--Branwell Bronte. Not only do Stevenson, Webb, and the four Brontes take on fresh, unsuspected dimensions, but the concepts of analytical psychology are also broadened and deepened as Barbara Hannah indicates how contemporary people may gain insight from these examples in their own efforts to strive towards wholeness. Barbara Hannah (1891-1986) was born in England. She went to Zürich in 1929 to study with Carl Jung and lived in Switzerland the rest of her life. A close associate of Jung until his death, she was a practicing psychotherapist and lecturer at the C.G. Jung Institute. Her books available from Chiron include The Archetypal Symbolism of Animals; Encounters with the Soul; Jung, His Life and A Biographical Memoir ; and Striving Toward Wholeness .

Genres: Psychology

328 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

Reviews

[Lapsus Linguae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: I criticize only the author's views on Anne Bronte's personality and work, not Dr. Hannah's proficiency in Jungian psychology.

After reading a chapter on Anne, I thought that there are two types of bad literary criticism. The first one comes from a limited view, usually constrained to a single work or aspect of someone's Art (a good example is Orwell's criticism of Mark Twain or Salvador Dali). The second is the result of a critic's inability to see right in front of them--to analyze the text they are reading. Dr. Hannah's review of Anne Bronte's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall--unfortunately--is the second one. For some reasons she never bothered to find out what Helen meant when she said "I am no Angel." Helen's inability to be wholly good, no matter how hard she tries, is one of the central points of the novel. Arthur's annoyance at Helen's piety is caused by his views on wifely duties, not by his supposed non-religiousness. Arthur expects the devotion to himself and he is jealous of Helen's love of God: "A woman's religion ought not to lessen her devotion to her earthly lord."

Contrary to Dr. Hannah believes, Arthur never strives to become "bad because his wife is too good", he just seeks pleasure. Helen and Arthur's irreconcilable differences are not polarizing--Helen chooses "the narrow way" of self-development (the eponymous Striving towards Wholeness), while Arthur decides to stay still and while away his life seeking bodily pleasures.