Sigmund Freud’s Theory in Life of Pi
Throughout my life I have always wondered about the conscious and unconscious mind and why humans act differently in different environments. The main theory that is used in the novel “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel is the Freudian theory. The first reason why the Freudian mind has a major role in Life of Pi is because it shows that Pi will act differently upon various situations and environments. Secondly, the Freudian mind shows us that there is the id, ego and superego, which overcome Pi’s psyche and change his behavior. Lastly, Pi is consciously aware of all that is going on but the unconscious mind influences his personality and behavior without him even noticing. Although Pi is a human that is very humble and religious, the Freudian mind shows that even the most civil individuals have an obscene side to their personality.
Piscine Molitor Patel known as Pi acts differently upon various situations and environments. As he was living in India he was a vegetarian but when he got stranded on the lifeboat his psyche went to survival mode and he had to...
Primarily, one of the dominant and fundamental theoretical variances concerning Freud and Jung’s personality theories was that relating to their opposing notions regarding the unconscious human mind. Firstly, Freud understood that the centre of ones inhibited beliefs and distressing recollections was found in the unconscious mind. Freud stated that the human mind focuses on three constructs: namely the id, the ego and the super ego. He claimed that the id shaped ones unconscious energy. Freud said that it is not limited by ethics and morals, but as an alternative simply aims to fulfil ones desires. The id strives to keep with the “pleasure principle, which can be understood as a demand to take care of needs immediately.” (Boere) The next unconscious
Emotion twists Hamlets feeling towards his mom and Claudius. Readers can use Sigmund Freud’s Structural Model of the Psyche which includes ID, EGO, and SUPEREGO to decode William Shakespeare’s main character, Hamlet. Id is defined as the most influential urges that a character does and reacts immediately to instincts, meaning nobody motivated the character to do what he/she does. Expanding, ego can be seen as something motivating the character to do something while the character still has personal opinions. In other words, the ego is made with reason and is slightly justified. Then the last element is superego, the total influence and motivation made by someone else, leaving no room for conscience.
The field of psychology known as Psychodynamic theory, deals with the mind. The conscious and the unconscious thoughts and how a person feels. It suggests that the developmental stages of childhood and how they are dealt with has an influence on the person a child will become in later life.
Stranded for 227 days at sea in a lifeboat, with no one else except an adult Bengal tiger. This is exactly what the main character Pi, in "The Life of Pi" went through. "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel is a story about a boy named Piscine Molitor Patel, an Indian boy who survives more than seven months floating on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean, with no one else but a 450-pound tiger (Cooper). Yann Martel was born on June 25, 1963, in Salamanca, Spain. His parents, Emile Martel and Nicole Perron, were both born in Canada. He spent his childhood in several different countries, including France, Mexico, the United States, Canada, and Costa Rica. As an adult, he lived in many other places but one of them was India, which may be where he got inspiration for writing “Life of Pi”. Yann Martel uses the literary elements similes and foreshadowing, to express the theme that believing in religion can give you the faith to want to survive.
Sigmund Freud’s theories on the construction of the mind are simple, but fundamentally changed the field of psychology. He proposed, among other things, that the human mind is composed of three parts: the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious. The preconscious consists of information, such as a telephone number, that is “accessible to consciousness without emotional resistance” (Schellenberg 21). In Freud’s estimation, the unconscious is the most important area of the mind. The information stored within it has “very strong resistances” to becoming conscious (Freud 32). Residing in the unconscious is the id, which “contains everything…that is present at birth… – above all, therefore, the instincts which originate from somatic organization” (14). From birth, all action is instinctual, from the id. The id recognizes and entertains no desires but its own and is impatient to have its needs met. This phase lasts until a part of the id changes “under the influence of the real external world” (14). This changed portion b...
Sigmund Freud first theorized the psychosexual theory after studying a patients mental health. The theory states that a human develops from underlying unconscious motives in order to achieve sensual satisfaction.
The unconscious mind can be explained in various ways and can take on various attributes. Carl Jung the author of “The Archetype and the Collective Unconscious,” defines unconsciousness as the first reactions and interactions a person endeavors. Several Physicists believe that the unconscious mind acts separately from our voluntary thinking. Scientist believes that understanding the unconscious mind is key to determining what type of archetype a person may have or develop. Experiments such as, reaction to stimuli, have lead cognitive psychiatrist to determine the strength of the unaware and involuntary mind. In addition, many social physicists have also believed that the unconscious mind is unaware of it actions and that the unconscious part of our brain can sometimes be focused on several signs that our conscious self can’t see.
Of the copious number of topics in the world today, nothing captivated Sigmund Freud’s attention like psychology did. Known as the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud laid the foundations for comprehending the inner workings that determine human behavior (1). Through his involvement with the hypnosis, dream analysis, psychosexual stages, and the unconscious as a whole, Freud began a new revolution that faced its own conflict but eventually brought the harvest of new knowledge and clarity to the concept of the mind.
According to psychologist, Sigmund Freud, there are three main parts that make up a human’s personality: the id, ego, and superego. In the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, the narrator of the story, Chief Bromden, represents each of these traits. In the beginning, Bromden only thinks of himself as any other crazy man, who no one pays attention to, but throughout the story Bromden develops mentally through all three stages of Freud’s personality analysis, maybe not in Freud’s preferred order, but he still represents them all.
A quick glance at Life of Pi and a reader may take away the idea that it is an easy read and a novel full of imagination, but take a Freudian view on the work and it transforms into a representation of the human psyche. Martel’s novel takes the reader on a journey with Pi as he struggles for his own survival. Pi experiences a breakdown of each component that makes up ones personality according to Freud throughout the novel. One by one id, ego and super ego both express a huge factor in Pi’s choices and emotions throughout his story. The readers are also introduced to an alternate ending to choose from. This alternate ending plays a key role in understanding how to view the novel through Freudian lenses. Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis clarifies many troubling issues raised in the novel Life of Pi.
2. The root of any issue motivating one to seek counseling dwells upon their need to understand the meaning of the unconscious disturbances causing disruptions in their style of living. The theory states that people are in search of the unconscious meaning to their unhealthy behaviors to gain more insight into and control over their behaviors, urges, and desires.
A personality is unique to each person, and has developed because of various elements in that person’s life. Theorists have studied personalities and their formation for hundreds of years now, and each theorist has their own view on how a personality is formed, and what affects the growth of that personality.
Freud's methods of psychoanalysis were based on his theory that people have repressed, hidden feelings. The psychoanalyst's goal is to make the patient aware of these subconscious feelings. Childhood conflicts that are hidden away by the patient, become revealed to both the analyst and the patient, allowing the patient to live a less anxious, more healthy life.
Imagine being stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in a lifeboat, not alone but with some carnivorous animals, as company. The chances of survival do not seem so high, but when one has the will to survive, they can do anything to attain it. Pi Patel and his family are on their way to Canada from Pondicherry, India, when their cargo ship the Tsimtsum sinks. Pi is not the only survivor of the ship, along with him is a hyena, an injured zebra, an orangutan and a 450-pound orange Bengal tiger. Pi travels across the Pacific Ocean in only a lifeboat, with food dwindling quickly, he needs to find land and most of all survive the voyage. In Life of Pi; Yann Martel develops the idea that having the will to survive is a crucial key to survival; this is demonstrated through symbolism of the colour orange, having religion on the protagonist’s side and the thirst and hunger experienced by the protagonist.
Personality can be defined as the difference in patterns of thinking and feeling in an individual. In most cases, the study of personality focuses on understanding differences in certain peoples’ characteristics, such as how social or irritable an individual is. The father of psychoanalysis is deemed to be Sigmund Freud. With time, Freud theory has been modified so that it can meet the present needs. His theory mainly focuses on the aspect of unconsciousness in the human personality. According to Freud, people often repeat their bad behaviors even though they are not willing to do so, or have a desire to stop those bad behaviors (Esterson 42). Freud believed that this was because