Franklin Molly Franklin English 2100 Professor Camargo 21 March 2013 The Id, Ego, or SuperEgo? Dictionary.

com defines the word crazy as mentally deranged; demented; insane or senseless; impractical; totally unsound. While this is a very broad definition, it is also a very flexible one in that it applies to many different people and situations in both reality as well as works of fiction. Some people are born crazy and some people develop it as they grow in age. Some people are made to be crazy by their unconscious urges and desires. Sigmund Freud, a well-known psychologist, developed the idea of psychodynamic psychology. This field of psychology includes personality theories contending that behavior results from psychological factors that interact within the individual, often outside of conscious awareness (Morris 14). To relate this idea of psychodynamic psychology to a work of fiction, one may choose to analyze Stephen Kings All That You Love Will Be Carried Away. In this short story, each part of Freuds structure of the mind, the id, the ego, and the superego, can be clearly seen. To briefly summarize the story at hand, Alfie Zimmer is a traveling salesman who takes interest in noting different writings on the walls of bathroom stalls and other sorts of profanity along the roads that he travels. He travels to Lincoln where he plans to stay in a hotel and commit suicide. As he is preparing to kill himself, Alfie becomes distraught on what to do with his notebook containing his collection of noteworthy profanity. According to Morris and Maisto, the id, in relation it Freuds theory of personality, can be defined as the collection of unconscious urges and desires that continually seek expression

Franklin 2 (Morris 335). Collectively speaking, this means that every person has urges and desires in which they are not consciously aware that are constantly seeking to be obtained. The first example of the id that can be seen in the text of All That You Love Will Be Carried Away appears in the second paragraph of the text when the narrator is reflecting on Alfies age by stating Alfie was forty-four, too old to be f****** truck stop whores, eating chicken fried steak, or hauling his luggage upstairs (King 81). In saying this, the narrator is letting the reader in to the unconscious mind of Alfie. The things listed by the narrator seem to be things that Alfie wishes he could do but is no longer able to because of his age, whether he recognizes it like hauling suitcases upstairs or rather if he is oblivious to it like the mention of having sexual relations with truck stop whores or eating chicken fried steak. Its thoughts and desires like these that make up the unconscious mind that seem to dictate our behaviors that Freud so strongly defines. Another example of Alfies id that can be seen within the text comes in to play when the narrator is discussing the farmhouse Alfie is fascinated with. And was is possible that behind those lights, some farmers wife was even now heating up a pot of Cottager Split Pea Soup or perhaps microwaving a Cottager Shepherds Pie Francais? It was (King 82). A Freudian psychologist would note that the wife of the farmer is the only person mentioned and perhaps conclude that Alfie has an unconscious urge or desire for the farmers wife. The argument they may present to defend the theory is why mention the farmers wife? Why not the farmer? The next piece of Freuds psychodynamic puzzle is the ego. As defined my Morris and Maisto, the ego is Freuds term for the part of personality that mediates between environmental demands (reality), conscience (superego), and instinctual needs (id) and is now often used as a synonym for self (335). One of the strongest examples from within the text of All That You Love Will Be Carried Away can be found towards the middle of the text when the speaker is

Franklin 3 elaborating on Alfies hobby of writing miscellaneous bathroom graffiti down in his little notebook. King writes He had started collecting when he was selling the UPCs, noting various bits of graffiti in the Spiral notebook without at first knowing why he was doing it. They were just amusing, or disconcerting, or both at the same time (King 85). A few paragraphs later, the narrator mentions, He (Alfie) had thought of writing a book (85). When these two quotes are l compared side-by-side, Freuds concept of the pleasure principle can be seen. The pleasure principle is the way in which the id seeks immediate gratification of an instinct. The thought of writing a book is that pleasure principle kicking in to play in Alfies personality. The last major piece of Freuds psychodynamic personality puzzle is none other than that of the superego. The superego is defined as the social and parental standards the individual has internalized; the conscience and the ego ideal (Morris 336). One may ask well what is the ego ideal? Morris defines the ego ideal as the part of the superego that recognizes what one may like to be (336). In more understandable language, the superego is simple the part of the personality that make compromises between the id, unconscious urges and desires, and the ego, reality of the situation, by the use of morals. In the later pages of the story, it is clear that Alfies superego is hard at work when he is trying hard to decide what to do with the notebook. At first he thinks he will just leave it open by the bed, then he realizes that the detectives would end up reading it and think he is crazy. He then has the thought to flush it down the toilet but decides against that as well because although immersion might blur some of the ink, it wouldnt blur all of it. Not enough He hated the idea of just flushing it away (King 87). This recognition of the perspective others may take on the notebook and Alfies instant search for a new plan signify Alfies superego looking for a compromise to please Alfies unconscious need to keep the work alive but not in a way that ties it to his dead body causing society to question his sanity. This

Franklin 4 concept can also be seen in the text before Alfie starts to imagine what would happen when someone found the book. Alfie attempts to call his family as if he feels like he owes them some sort of explanation, apology, or sympathy. He leaves a message on the answering machine for his wife and he even goes as far in to detail as to say he paused, then for the first time in about four years added I love you (86). Again this is Alfies superego searching for a way to please both Alfies subconscious need to please and protect his family as well as to meet his conscious desire to commit suicide. While Alfie can definitely be described as mentally deranged, demented, insane, senseless, impractical, and totally unsound, most of his behaviors can in fact be explained by Freuds psychodynamic theory of personality. From the id to the ego to the super ego, Alfies behaviors fit into Freuds psychodynamic personality puzzle nearly perfectly.

Franklin 5 Works Cited "Crazy." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2013. King, Stephen. All That You Love Will Be Carried Away. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2004. 80-89. Print. Morris, Charles G., and Albert A. Maisto. Understanding Psychology. 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.