A story that serves as an extended metaphor or symbol for another story or concept.

LOTF is considered an allegory for many things, the main concepts being:

1)A general exploration of human nature and how it impacts society

2)World War II 3)Religion – the Bible 4)The psychology of the human personality

– today, this is the one we will focus on.

Austrian neurologistBest known for his theory of the

unconscious mind & the practice of psychoanalysis

What concept from Antigone is he responsible for creating?

Personality is composed of three elements ID EGO SUPEREGO

The three elements work together to create complex human behaviors

Present at birthEntirely unconscious Includes primitive and instinctive

behavior

Driven by the pleasure principle Strives for immediate gratification of all

desires, wants, and needs If needs are not satisfied immediately,

the result is a state of anxiety or tension▪ Example: baby who’s hungry cries because

he is not fed▪ Important early in life because it ensures all

an infant’s needs are met

Realistically, all your needs cannot be immediately satisfied

If people were ruled entirely by the ID (the pleasure principle), we would grab what we wanted in order to satisfy cravings This behavior is disruptive and socially

unacceptable

Responsible for dealing with realityDevelops to ensure that the ID’s

impulses can be expressed in an acceptable manner

Operates based on the reality principle Strives to satisfy the ID’s needs in

realistic and socially appropriate ways Weighs the costs and benefits of an

action before acting on or abandoning impulses▪ EGO will allow the behavior but in an

appropriate time and place

Last component of the personality to develop

Aspect of the personality that holds all the moral standards and ideals that are acquired from society

Sense of right and wrongProvides guidelines for making

judgmentsBegins to emerge around age 5

The “Ideal” Ego Includes the rules and standards for proper

behavior Obeying the rules leads to a feeling of pride,

value, and accomplishment The Conscience

Also includes information about what is viewed as improper behavior by parents or society

Improper behavior is often forbidden and leads to poor consequences, punishments, or feelings of guilt

Operates according to the ideal/moral principle

Acts to perfect and civilize behaviorWorks to suppress all unacceptable

urges of the ID Struggles to make the EGO act on

idealistic standards rather than realistic ones

With such conflicting emotions, conflict arises among the ID, EGO, and SUPEREGO

EGO is the strongest because of its ability to function despite these dueling forces A person with ego strength is able to

effectively manage these pressures, while those with too much or too little ego strength become too self-righteous or too disruptive

ID EGO SUPEREGO

Which character does only what he wants and is therefore representative of the ID?

Which character tries to be realistic and is therefore representative of the EGO?

Which character is most idealistic and is therefore representative of the SUPEREGO?

What conflicts occur between the characters who represent the ID, EGO, and SUPEREGO?