Not just the exploration of the unconscious life of fictional characters. Freud was interested in the work of dreams and fantasy. Jung took this further and suggested a 'collective unconscious' which contained symbols and archetypes common to all humanity, apparent in mythological systems. A writer taps into these elements when writing symbolic material. Lacan challenges any claim to universal truth of these symbols but argues, rather, that the subconscious is constructed like a language.
Symbols are always open to negotiation, exchange, but follow certain patterns.
His works connects with the post-structuralist material below. He is interested in the fragmented nature of the self and the ways in which a falsely unified self is represented. This runs contrary to Aristotle's notions of character. Freudian analysis can be used to explore the dark and dangerous sexual content of film noir but has larger ramifications than simply saying that 'everything is about sex'. Psychoanalysis has become a part of criminology and crime fiction as an explanation for criminal behavior, from 'Psycho', to 'The Wasp Factory' and 'Silence of the Lambs'.