Sethe and Paul D's Id, Ego, and Superego

Are any characters or concepts in the text symbolized by the id, ego, or superego?

The following is a passage from the novel Beloved, by Toni Morrison:

“Not quite in a hurry, but losing no time, Sethe and Paul D climbed the white stairs. Overwhelmed as much by the downright luck of finding her house and her in it as by the certainty of giving her his sex, Paul D dropped twenty-five years from his recent memory. A stair step before him was Baby Suggs' replacement, the new girl they dreamed of at night and fucked cows for at dawn while waiting for her to choose. Merely kissing the wrought iron on her back had shook the house, had made it necessary for him to beat it to pieces. Now he would do more...

There were two rooms and she took him into one of them, hoping he wouldn't mind the fact that she was not prepared; that though she could remember desire, she had forgotten how it worked . . .

It was over before they could get their clothes off. Half-dressed and short of breath, they lay side by side resentful of one another and the skylight above them. His dreaming of her had been too long and too long ago. Her deprivation had been not having any dreams of her own at all. Now they were sorry and too shy to make talk. Sethe lay on her back, her head turned from him”(24-25).

Psychoanalytical Interpretation:

The idea of the id, ego, and superego of the human psyche is one of Freud’s most famous theories. These three systems are parts of our conscious and subconscious mind (not physical sections of brain) that play a huge role in every-day actions and decision making. The id is the unconscious, primitive, impulsive, instinct-driven part of the brain. Biological compulsions, such as aggression, sexual desire, and hunger are all subconscious feelings related to the id. The ego is the aspect of the brain that revolves around reason and compromise in order to avoid negative consequences of the id’s actions. The last section, the superego, revolves around learned morals and ethics, especially regarding sex or aggression. The superego controls the id’s desires in order to fit into what society deems normal. The superego is also divided into two sections: the conscience, or creator of guilt when the id gets its way, and the ideal self, a standard that we may feel guilt over if not upheld. In the passage above, Sethe and Paul D’s id, ego, and superego truly stand out.

Paul D’s sexual desire for Sethe is a clear symbol of the brain’s id. The passage even goes as far as to say that because of Paul D’s extreme inherent desire for Sethe, he forgets the past 25 years of time spent apart from her: “Overwhelmed. . . by the certainty of giving her his sex, Paul D dropped twenty-five years from his recent memory”. Paul D’s sexual desire for Sethe is primitive, unrealistic, and fantasy oriented because “his dreaming of her had been too long” and because Sethe was “the new girl they dreamed of at night and fucked cows for at dawn” in their past life together on the plantation. These characters’ biological desire for sex that has grown over time is a perfect  example of Freudian theories involving the id regarding sex. Furthermore, the id can be seen in the subtle references to aggression that the author creates. When the author writes that Paul D “shook the house” and “beat it to pieces”, the instinct of aggression represented by the id is evident. By using words with clear connotations of belligerence and hostility such as “beat”, the author conveys to the reader what Freud would consider the id’s aggression.

Many actions that take place in this passage demonstrate the power of the superego. Derived from the conscience and the ideal self, the superego is represented through Sethe and Paul D’s feelings of guilt and shame for having sex. Sethe grew up on a plantation where she was seen as the sexual prize for the many men who desired her. It is likely that her ideal self or standard she strives to meet is one that has been overly sexualized by her past life; She most likely wants to be a desirable and passionate woman. Sethe obviously does not live up to these high expectations for herself making her feel guilty: “she had forgotten how [desire] worked”. When the author says that Sethe and Paul D “lay side by side resentful of one another” too “sorry and too shy to talk” the presence of the conscious, guilty part of the superego is evident. When the author uses words like “sorry” and “shy” with connotations of shame, it's evident that the superego section of the brain is being used.

Due to the fact that this passage is rich with emotions ranging from desire to aggression to guilt, it is a perfect literary example to demonstrate the power of the id, ego, and superego. Freud’s ideas, while only theories, seem to perfectly represent the feelings and actions displayed in this passage through words with strong connotations and symbols.