Sigmund Freud, born 1856, was a Austrian neurologist who is often regarded as the father of psychoanalysis. He created an entirely new approach to the understanding of the human personality, which is why his work was considered very important but also controversial.
Freud proposed that the human personality is composed of three parts that develop in different stages of our lives.
The 'Id' is the unconscious, impulsive part of our personality which is present form birth. the id seeks pleasure and immediate satisfaction, acting upon instincts. its main aim is to gain gratification at any cost.
The 'Ego', is the conscious, rational part of the mind that develops around age two. its role is to balance out the impulsive desires of the Id on a socially acceptable way, with the behaviour demonstrated by the Superego.
The 'Superego' is the final part of the mind which develops around four years old. It promotes the child's sense of right vs wrong as well as our ideal self. It seeks to civilise and perfect our behaviour.
Freud's Tripartite Personality theory also links closely to the unconscious mind theory; Freud proposed that the mind is like an iceberg. The conscious mind lies on the surface, and is the logical part of our mind. However, the unconscious lies at the bottom of the iceberg. It cannot be directly accessed, so is instead expressed indirectly, for example through dreams. Freud believed it is ruled by pleasure seeking and determines much of our behaviour.
Cara Flanagan, L. H. R. M., 2015. Psychology A Level and AS Book 1. s.l.:Oxford University Press.
Freud' Theory in Film: Fight Club 1999
Fight Club is a 1999 psychological thriller directed by David Fincher, which demonstrates Freud's tripartite personality theory. The film follows the protagonist's life, which is so mundane that the character is not even given a name and is instead listed in the credits only as the 'Narrator'. The Narrator works as recall specialist for the automobile industry, but is dissatisfied with his job and spends his time buying materialistic items such as IKEA furniture in order to try and fill a void in his life, linking also to Lacan's theory. He suffers badly with insomnia and starts going to support groups for diseases such as cancer and parasites, even though he doesn't have these diseases, in the hope to feel better about himself. The opening credits of the film show the inside of the narrator's brain, foreshadowing the psychological nature of the film.
Later in the film, the Narrator meets Tyler Durden, a soap maker and salesman. When his apartment is set on fire he ends up moving in with Tyler as he has nowhere else to go. Tyler's house could be seen as a metaphor for the narrator's brain; the decay and derelict state of the house representing his deteriorating mental state. The narrator is the superego whereas Tyler represents the id. Tyler is everything the narrator wants to be, impulsive, powerful, and confident. Tyler also represents the narrator's repressed sexual desires - Tyler enjoys sleeping with Marla but the narrator is disgusted by her when he sees her in the kitchen the next morning. Within the house, Marla is never seen with both Tyler and the Narrator together, and only speaks to them separately. Furthermore, Tyler tells the Narrator not to mention him to Marla, foreshadowing what is to happen later in the film.
In this scene, the Narrator comes to the realisation that him and Tyler are in fact the same person. The camera movement is sharp to reveal Tyler, who seems to appear out of nowhere, making the Narrator jump. Tyler sits back in his chair relaxed. A large lamp is placed above his head, almost creating a spotlight over him, showing that the Narrator is focused on him and also glorifying him. He wears red, symbolising danger and also has a fur coat, representing the animalistic and impulsive nature of the Id. At one point he even says: "All the ways you wish you could be? That's me", confirming that he is the Id of the narrators personality. "Smart, capable, and free in all the ways you are not". No music is used within this scene, and instead, intense non-diegetic sounds are used, creating a sense of unease for the viewer. Harsh, disorientating editing is also utilised when analepsis are shown, portraying the Narrators sudden remembrance of events as Tyler is talking to him.
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