An Analysis of A Good Is Hard to Find in the Light of Freud’s Tripartite Personality Theory

【Abstract】Flannery OConnor is a great southern female novelist of the twentieth century. This thesis tries to analyze A Good Man Is Hard to Find from the perspective of Freuds Tripartite Personality Theory， shows the authors intention of designing the characters and also enlightens readers the importance of a healthy personality.

【Key words】Tripartite Personality Theory； Freud； id； ego； super-ego

【作者簡介】齐亚兴（1992-），女，河北廊坊人，西安外国语大学英文学院2016级在读研究生，研究方向：英语语言文学。

Flannery OConnor is noted for her writing in a Southern Gothic style. “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is one of her most anthologized stories. The novel tells the story of a terrible murder. Sigmund Freud revised this notion of three levels of personality and introduced three basic structures in the personality： id， ego and the superego.

1. The Impulsive Id

The Misfit is a typical representative of id. In fact he still suffers from the struggling between id and ego， in the end he submitted to vicious id. The Misfit instigates his men brutally to murder the whole family members. The man， with the instinct of a perverse character， yields to his strong animal nature. The id is responsible for his basic drives and basic impulses. The Misfit still did something against the law without any sense of moral. This proves The Misfit is in a certain condition of id. Whatever happened， the grandmother puts herself in the most important position first. Afraid of being killed， she said “you wouldnt shoot a lady， would you” （11）. In this situation， she worried about herself safety first. That shows shes self-centered and indifferent. The id does not respect common sense and logic either. Her behavior is unaccepted by society.

2. The Rational Ego

The ego strives to satisfy the ids desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways. “It is the egos job to meet the needs of the id， while taking into consideration the reality of the situation. The ego works to balance the id and superego” （Freud）. One Chinese scholar states “The old woman in the novel can also be said to be the representative of the ego” （Xia 60）. Although she is selfish， she knows how to coordinate her inner demand and the reality. Before the reality that the house was not in Georgia but in Tennessee， she also knew the sense of shame. The change on psychology suggests that he is not unpardonable. She relies on reality principle and faces reality squarely.

3. The Virtuous Superego

Superego， which originates from the ego， is in accordance with the morality principle. It consists of the norms， values， and ideals. Face his mothers unreasonable requirement， Bailey never yield or compromise. He tries to control his inner instinct well to make himself be in accordance with the social and criteria. Before being shot， he shouted， “Ill be back in a minute， Mamma， wait on me” （12）！ The person he worried most is his mother not himself. Bailey always put his family in the most important position. Everything he did shows morality and conscientiousness occupied his whole soul. Superego guides Bailey to act in a socially appropriate manner.

The Grandmother is selfish and indifferent for the most of her life. But while she was going to be shot， her head cleared for an instant. She even murmured “You are one of my own children” （16）. She realized that The Misfit is ever someones child who needs love. At that time， she is no longer the center of her world， she know there are others need to be loved. At the end of the text， the author depicts her as a child which symbolized the hope. It seemed death is a way of liberation. It is love that awoke the superego consciousness of The Grandmother. Finally， she finished the metamorphosis from id to superego.

4. Summary

By exploring characters respective conflicts and struggling between id， ego and superego， the thesis shows the authors intention of designing the characters. Only three components coordinated with each other can a person possess the healthy personality and adapt to society well.

References：

[1]Freud，Sigmond.The Complete Introductory Lectures on Psychoanaltsis[J].New York：W·W·Norton，1966.Print.

[2]OConner，Flannery.A Good Man is Hard to Find[J].New York： Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company，1976.Print.

[3]Snowden，Ruth.Teach Yourself Freud[J].McGraw-Hill，2006：105- 107.Print.

[4]夏萍.從弗洛伊德的人格结构理论分析《好人难寻》[J].湖北广播电视大学学报，2018，28.2（2008）：059-060.