Alvy Into The Classroom

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Early signs of Alvy’s difficulties with the opposite sex were also present in the sequence’s classroom scene. During this, adult Alvy narrates about how he had already discovered women through the classroom environment. His thoughts about this are, again, expressed retrospectively as a voiceover and flashback. Younger Alvy is shown leaning over and kissing a girl in the classroom, and his teacher scorns him for this action. The teacher tells him, “You should be ashamed of yourself.” While young Alvy is disappointed about the negative consequences, the film employs the technique of physically intercutting present-day Alvy into the scene. Whereas younger Alvy did not directly defend his actions, adult Alvy does. Adult Alvy declares to the teacher, …show more content…

The female child expresses her aggravation with young Alvy over his actions. In her argument, she references Freud, explaining how even he spoke of a latency period. This suggests that she believes that Alvy’s actions were premature and that he should, too, experience a latency period, especially if Freud did. Her mention also plays into how the film emphasizes the importance of psychoanalysis, Freud, and the unconscious. As Freud’s psychoanalytic discoveries often pertained to human behavior and sexuality, Freud’s influence is made known and aligns with the troubles Alvy finds in relationships. These are clearly exemplified throughout the opening sequence, as a myriad of Freud references are made. Freudian concepts are woven in as tools that provide Alvy insight into sexuality, starting from a young age and spanning into present-day. Even in the opening monologue, Alvy references Freud, but in relation to comedy and the unconscious. In it, he tells a joke that derives from Freud’s Wit and Its Relation to the Unconscious. As well, Alvy’s reflections on the unconscious and the repressed mirror his efforts to figure out why he and Annie broke-up. He is trying to figure out where that screw-up occurred, as he introspectively sifts through old memories. Therefore, Freud acts as a referral point for both Alvy’s comedy and his sexual relations. The two define Alvy’s job and his personality, as his career choice and his relationship struggles

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