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This handbook explores the subconscious motivations of characters and authors using Freudian and Jungian concepts.
Why do we sabotage our own happiness, and why do certain characters in literature seem driven by forces they don't even understand? What if the 'villain' isn't a person, but a repressed memory clawing its way to the surface?
Consider a character who finds a lost wallet full of cash. 1. The Id screams: 'Take the money! Buy that watch you want!' 2. The Superego whispers: 'Stealing is a sin; you must find the owner.' 3. The Ego decides: 'I will take the wallet to the police station, but I'll ask if there is a reward for its return.' This resolution shows the Ego finding a realistic way to satisfy both the Id's greed and the Superego's ethics.
Quick Check
Which part of the psyche acts as the 'referee' between animalistic instincts and social morality?
Answer
The Ego
While Freud focused on individual history, Carl Jung looked at the Collective Unconscious—a reservoir of experiences shared by all humans. This is where Archetypes live. Archetypes are universal, inborn models of people, behaviors, or personalities. Common archetypes include the Hero, the Mother, and the Shadow (the hidden, dark side of our personality). When you see a character in a global myth that feels strangely familiar, you are likely encountering an archetype. These symbols resonate because they are 'hard-coded' into the human experience, much like a mathematical constant like is universal to all circles.
In Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: 1. Dr. Jekyll represents the Ego and Superego, trying to maintain a respectable social standing. 2. Mr. Hyde is the literal manifestation of Jekyll's Shadow—the repressed, dark impulses he cannot acknowledge. 3. The tragedy occurs because Jekyll attempts to completely separate the two, rather than integrating them, leading to a total psychic collapse.
Quick Check
True or False: Jung believed that all humans share a 'Collective Unconscious' that contains universal symbols.
Answer
True
Analyze Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby through a psychoanalytic lens: 1. Identify the Trauma: Gatsby's 'childhood' ended when he rejected his poor parents (rejection of the past). 2. Identify the Object of Desire: Daisy is not a person to Gatsby, but a 'Screen Memory' or a symbol of the status he lacks. 3. Analyze the Defense: Gatsby uses Reaction Formation—he overcompensates for his feelings of worthlessness by creating an extravagant, fake persona. 4. The Result: His inability to integrate his past self with his present 'Ego Ideal' leads to his inevitable downfall.
If a character is described as being 'driven entirely by their immediate desires without regard for consequences,' which Freudian element is dominant?
Which Jungian concept explains why a 'Wise Old Man' figure appears in both ancient Greek myths and modern sci-fi films?
In psychoanalytic criticism, a character's outward behavior is often seen as a mask for deeper, unconscious conflicts.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to sketch the 'Iceberg Model' of the mind and label where the Id, Ego, and Superego sit in relation to the water line.
Practice Activity
Choose a villain from a book or movie you know well. Write one paragraph explaining their actions as a result of a 'Shadow' archetype or a specific childhood trauma.