The Uncanny

Describe symbolism in The Uncanny by Sigmund Freud

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In Section II, Freud begins by discussing a childhood memory that Da Vinci mentions in his scientific writing. The memory is of a vulture opening up the baby Da Vinci's mouth while still in his cradle with the vulture's tail, and the vulture hitting the infant several times with its tail against his lips. Freud believes that his memory is so bizarre and unlikely that it must be a "screen memory"—that is, a memory that is really a fantasy fabricated by the subconscious later in life to seem like a childhood memory. According to Freud, the tail, a symbol in many cultures including Italian, symbolizes the male penis. He also speculates that the tail inside the mouth is a symbol of fellatio.

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The Uncanny