I was talking to my sister about how my back up plan in college was to major in Psychology. After her complaints about her psychology courses for her Pre-Law requirements, I asked about what she was covering in class. She told me she was going over some of Sigmund Freud's ideas about the human psyche. One of Freud's ideas was that the human psyche is divided into three parts: the id, the superego and the ego. Oddly enough, the three parts coincide very closely with Heathcliff, Edgar and Catherine respectively! It was kind of funny. I did a little bit more research on my own to make sure I had an understanding of Freud's principles of the structure of the human personality.
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The Id: Heathcliff
According to Freud, the id is childish and impulsive operating on the "pleasure principle." The pleasure principle basically is the idea that someone will do as he or she pleases to gain pleasure or desires without consideration of the consequences. Heathcliff is the epitome of this part of the human psyche, so he functions as the id in Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff often fulfills his own desires impulsively and does not take into consideration the effects of his actions. Even if it means torturing Hindley, Hareton and Cathy because of what happened to him in the past. He even goes so far as to bribe the sexton to dig up Catherine's grave because he wants to see her again-which is impulsive and rather grotesque behavior. Heathcliff tends to act without thought because he seeks revenge and whats to be with Catherine. He follows the behavior that instinctively comes to him, as the id would. Because he was tormented as a child, his instinctive reaction is to torment those who harmed him. Who wouldn't have that reaction? (at least internally want to.) He loves Catherine, so he would do anything to be with her even if it meant digging up her grave. Although extreme, many of us have a similar thought process, asking for the ones we love to come back to us.
The Superego: Edgar
Freud identified the superego as the moralizing part of the human psyche- the part of us that follows values and moral codes prescribed by society. Edgar Linton is the paragon of the superego. Edgar is a gentleman and is well-off financially. He is an enemy to Heathcliff, which makes sense because they are direct opposites. He sees Heathcliff as barbaric and uncivilized because he is the id. Edgar even disapproves of Hareton because he is Heathcliff's son because he is associated with the uncivilized nature attached to Heathcliff. Edgar is the part of the psyche that people strive to become- the "ideal self."
The Ego: Catherine
The ego, as described by Freud is the decision making part of the human personality, which often fluctuates between the unrealistic id and the more realistic superego. Like the superego, Catherine struggles between the id (Heathcliff) and the superego (Edgar). She loves Heathcliff because that is what she instinctively wants but because of what society has taught her about being a prim and proper lady, she loves Edgar as well, as he is the ideal. The superego operates on the "realistic principle," striving to fulfill the demands of id but also following the ideals of the superego. Essentially, the ego tries finds a realistic way to obtain pleasure. Catherine does something similar. She stays with Edgar to make those around her believe she is the ideal woman. However, in private she is still madly in love with Heathcliff and ends up with him in the afterlife. The ego is often a weak relative to the id and can only hope to point the id in the right direction. Catherine tries to guide Heathcliff to do the right thing-and not say anything horrible about being happy that Hindley's wife, Frances, had died. But, Catherine only succumbs to the ids instinctive and impulsive power. Heathcliff keeps his hold on Catherine even in her death and she never loses her unrelenting love for him.
Brontë uses these characters as representations of the parts of the human psyche to humanize the personality traits everyone possesses- highlighting the complexity of the human mind despite the simple world that the characters reside in. The country setting in which the characters dwell is in isolation from the rest of the world and is associated with simplicity. but in this sea of simplicity lies the complex minds of the individuals. This is a reminder that even if life seems simple, we remain complex in our expression.
It's really awesome when a blog post talks about more than just the novel and branches out into other areas of study. Books, after all, are meant to teach us about more than just writing. Psychology is a subject I've always been fascinated with but have never been able to take a class on it. I'm glad you were able to connect the characters of Cathy, Heathcliff, and Edgar to the three parts of the human psyche. Not only did it teach a good lesson on psychology, but it also revealed a great deal about the characters themselves.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, my history notes includes some of Freud’s ideas. I agree with all your connections with the characters. On the other hand, I believe the id exists in everyone’s mind, but political, economic and social restrains prevent us to become another “Heathcliff”. Also, I did not think it is the social expectation that causes Catherine to marry Heathcliff. From the beginning of the work, I always believe it is Catherine’s materialistic desires that drives her to marry Edgar. However, her materialistic desires derive from social expectations. Besides, I absolutely love how you incorporate a “So what” section in the end of your post, and it all ties into the author’s message and the complexities of human nature. Most importantly, thank you for bringing up an interesting topic and connecting it to the novel. Now that I read the three parts of the human psyche, I might possess all three traits! Shhhhhhhhhhh!
ReplyDeleteI actually took a Psychology class over the summer and I learned a lot about Freud's ideas. Unfortunately it was an online course and I did not really retain any of the information that well. I am happy that you took the challenge to apply the novel to something unique and out-of-the-box. What else could I expect from you? Perhaps Heathcliff, Edgar, and Catherine were representations of Emily Bronte's personality and how she feels internally when encountered with certain problems. Or all the characters in her book represented members of her family, excluding the twisted drama that come with the residents of Wuthering Heights. I think its so cool how we can apply Wuthering Heights to so many different things but Emily Bronte probably did not take all of these elements into consideration when she was writing the book. That is what makes her story even more timeless because we can always point something out even if we could not initially see it. I love your boldness, and it is an asset in your future endeavors. Keep up the good work girl!
ReplyDeleteYour blog post was soooooooo interesting! I love how you used outside sources to incorporate within your blog post. As I was reading it, I noticed some references to Sigmund that actually is in AP History so I connected with the history of his psyche perspectives. Your blog post brought up a sophisticated idea that I did not even think of, who knew that the three main characters represented the division of human psyche. Your blog posts are always stellar therefore I don't have much advice to give you to improve it. Nice work!
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