Psychoanalysis primarily originated through the works of Sigmund Freud. His theories arrived as an alternative viewpoint towards "abnormal adult behavior." Prior to Freud, earlier viewpoints focused on the physiological means for these abnormalities, but avoided emphasis on behavior. Several principles from his theories of dream interpretation and the Oedipus complex set the basis on the modern use of using critique. They basically served to correlate the nature of the unconscious mind and text that results from such. Many modern psychoanalysts claim Freud to be not only the first psychoanalyst, but also the first psychoanalytic critic. Many modifications and alterations to the original theory were soon conducted by some of Freud's followers such as Jung, Adler, and Lacan, but the concepts and techniques of criticism are somewhat similar in principle.

From the work of Freud, who pioneered the technique of psychoanalysis, emerged the basis for psychoanalytic criticism towards literature...