Enter Sandman: A Psychoanalytical Approach

Could a rock song be an expression of the id? From what Freud tells us, it seems like Metallica’s heavy metal hit, “Enter Sandman,” is actually an expression of a father’s hatred for his son because of the threat he poses to the parents’ relationship.



Let’s rewind a bit and make sure we understand the basics of Freud’s concept of psychoanalysis. According to Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan, Freud divided the human personality into three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego, which split into the two subcategories of consciousness or unconsciousness. Whereas consciousness is human control, or reason, unconscious is “a repository of repressed desires, feelings, memories, and instinctual drives, many of which, according to Freud, have to do with sexuality and violence” (Rivkin 389). In the consciousness lies the ego, while in the unconscious exist the superego, the human conscience, and the id, which is “a combination of sexual libido and other instincts, such as aggression that propel the human organism through life, moving it to grow, develop, and eventually to die” (391). Every person unconsciously struggles between acting on the will of the id or the superego in a kind of tug-of-war.

The "Oedipus Complex" is described by Freud as a process through which children learn to model their parent of the same sex because of their sexual desire for the parent of the opposite sex. Because Freud theorizes that literary works,like dreams "embody or express unconscious material in the form of complex displacements and condensations," I argue that this song, a literary work, is a description of singer/songwriter James Hetfield’s aggression toward his son as a result of the "Oedipus Complex" (Rivkin 394).

First, the song is clearly a threat from father to son. The relationship is established within the first two lines: “Say your prayers, little one / don’t forget, my son / to include everyone.” In the chorus, we find the threat: “Sleep with one eye open / gripping your pillow tight.” Why would a father threaten his son? The answer is in Freud’s essay, “Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego,” wherein he explains that, as a result of the Oedipus Complex, “the boy notices that his father stands in his way with his mother. His identification with his father then takes on a hostile coloring and becomes identical with the wish to replace his father in regard to his mother as well” (“Group” 439). The song, then, is the father’s unconscious reaction to his son’s efforts to replace him to take away the mother. Perhaps it is for this reason that the songwriter states “Heavy thoughts tonight / And they aren't of Snow White.” Snow White, the feminine, submissive woman who takes care of seven dwarves in a maternal fashion clearly represents the singer’s wife and the child’s mother, the object causing competition between the two.

The threat is only further highlighted by the mentioning of the sandman. According to Freud, “a study of dreams, phantasies and myths has taught us that anxiety about one’s eyes, the fear of going blind, is often enough a substitute for the dread of being castrated” (“Uncanny” 424). By threatening his son with the arrival of the Sandman, the father is actually threatening his son with castration as a punishment for desiring the mother. Here we can see that the punishment for a sexual desire appropriately concerns the subject's genitalia.

The entire song is a concoction of the id, which is referenced several times in the song. For instance, the constant referral to dreams reminds one that dreams are manifestations of the id through which "dream-thoughts," or the latent content of dreams, are symbolized by "dream-content," a set of appropriate symbols through which the "dream-thoughts" are censored ("Interpretation" 401-2). Another example of this is the reference to Neverland, which in the story of Peter Pan refers to a place where children can act out the energy of the id. These references to the id suggest that although the song has been processed through the id, it is clearly a manifestation of the id, which Freud has suggested is reflected in all literary works.


Sources:

Freud, Sigmund. "The Interpretation of Dreams." Literary Theory: An Anthology. 2nd Ed. Eds. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Malden: Blackwell, 2004.

-----. "Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego." Literary Theory: An Anthology. 2nd Ed. Eds. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Malden: Blackwell, 2004.

-----. "The Uncanny." Literary Theory: An Anthology. 2nd Ed. Eds. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Malden: Blackwell, 2004.

Rivkin, Julie and Michael Ryan. "Introduction: Strangers to Ourselves: Psychoanalysis." Literary Theory: An Anthology. 2nd Ed. Eds. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Malden: Blackwell, 2004.

Freud and Plato

Freud was indeed a reader of the classics. Now that I think about it, I can see the connection between Freud and Plato. In the Republic, Plato describes the human soul as being divided into three parts represented by a man, a lion, and a multifarious (many-headed) beast wearing the costume of a man. Now, if I remember correctly, the man represents reason, the lion represents emotion, and the multi-headed beast is the animalistic urges we all have, like eating, sex, etc. Of course, Plato urges that any just man should keep the little man in charge of the lion and the beast, which is typical of something he would say considering his emphasis on reason. When Freud made his appearance in the philosophic circle, he contradicted Plato's belief that humans were guided by reason by arguing that humans were guided by the id, ego, and superego, with the ego in consciousness and the id and superego battling in the unconscious. I am convinced that Freud's concept of the id, ego, and superego are influenced by Plato's three parts of the soul. After looking up the issue on line, it seems I am not the only one to have made the comparison. Gerard M. Gallucci has published a book by the title Plato and Freud: Statesmen of the Soul.

Freud and Women

Although it is clear that Freud hardly touched on the issue of women in his writing, his essays seem to explain out why some women repeatedly tolerate abuse from their partners.

First, let us consider the Electra Complex, wherein sexually desires her father and, therefore, associates with her mother (this is analogous to the Oedipus Complex existing in males). It has been proven that move women who are abused were raised in houses with an abusive father. In the formative years, then, the abused girl's ideal man is one who abuses women, perhaps herself included. It follows, then, that once the woman reaches sexual maturity her concept of ideal men remains twisted, and she is attracted to the bad boy, the man who seems disinterested, overbearing, perhaps an alcoholic, and all other characteristics that might remind her of her father--of course, she seeks these characteristics unconsciously.

Second, this behavior may also be further explained in Freud's essay, "Beyond the Pleasure Principle." In this essay Freud argues that the pleasure principle does not explain all behaviors. Not all behaviors are for pleasure, as he explains. In his example, a child who is extremely attached to his mother plays games in which he throws his toys to make them "disappear." He plays this game not because he gets pleasure out of making the object disappear, but because making the objects disappear gives him control over the situation of his mother's leaving him daily. It is clear that battered women do not stay with abused men for pleasure--after all, what pleasure could a woman get out of being abused? But it has been argued that women have control over whether to stay with a man or to leave him after she has been beaten, and perhaps that moment after a fight when the man apologizes and begs her to stay does provide her with a sense of control over the situation.

Of course, there is more to be said about this than Freud mentioned in his works. Psychological manipulation, for example, is always involved in abuse. False promises for change, existing love, and drug addictions are other factors that are involved. Nevertheless, Freud seems to suggest one logical conclusion: the best way to prevent domestic abuse is in stopping child abuse. Only then can we break this dangerous and deadly cycle.

Eminem: The Man and the Sign

Nowadays, celebrities seem to be the focus of mass media. Because we see the faces of certain people in our own homes on our televisions as well as their photos all over the covers of magazines as we shop for our groceries, most people often come to feel as if they personally know their favorite celebrities. However, it is clear that this is not the case. Eminem, an infamous White rapper, is an excellent example of what happens when association changes the meaning of a word.

Before I get begin, let me explain some necessary facts about language. First, according to Ferdinand de Saussure, “language is a system of signs that express ideas” (60). In other words, utterances, syllables, and words, are only one part of language, while the meaning they contain is an entirely separate part. Both of these parts are required for language to exist. That is, language requires both a signifier (what is said) and a signified (the meaning of what is said). Indeed, “the two elements are intimately united, and each recalls the other” (61). The two cannot be separated. Second, “the entire mechanism of language, with which we shall be concerned later, is based on oppositions” (70). As Saussure explains, a sign exists only because of oppositions and comparisons.

What does Eminem have to do with all this? He is just one example of what happens when the signifier changes while the signified stays the same. First of all, we should consider his name—or alias: Eminem. The first image that comes to mind is that of the white rapper himself who is also known as Slim Shady. Perhaps he is then associated with the “bad boy” image of drugs, foul language and crotch-grabbing. Or maybe it is associated with his controversy with Christina Aguilera and his hate for Kim Mathers. Maybe it is associated with the various songs that he has written for his daughter. Regardless, we can see that the signifier triggers a concept that carries meaning related to the rapper. However, we can see that, in the eyes of fans, the signifier is separate from the man: the word “Eminem” does not remind us of Marshall Bruce Mathers III from Kansas City, Missouri. Indeed, as fans we do not even know this person, and so the signified in our mind is different from one in the mind of a long-time friend or family member, such as his mother, for instance. The same is true in reverse—when we see a photo of the blonde rap artist, the first word that comes to mind is “Eminem.” His actual name is irrelevant, as may be the case with any musician who uses an alias.

Interestingly, we should also consider the word “Eminem.” The word itself is clearly a throw-back to the M&M candy brand. Yet, when we hear this name in reference to music, or when we see it spelled out as the alias, the signified is always the musician. This is an example of a changing signified while the signifier remains the same.

Finally, we should consider opposition and comparison, as this is what Saussure argues gives units meaning. Because Eminem is a person, although the nickname may be referring to a character or role he plays as a musician, he is unique. However, in the minds of the fans, we know him by knowing who he is not. And in considering opposites, we may consider various other celebrities. For instance, he is not Christina Aguilera—in fact, the two cannot stand each other. They may be considered opposites because of their sex, or because of their musical genres. In either case, both seem similar in some ways and different in others. Perhaps another opposite might be Tupac. Although both are successful rap artists, Tupac always was a highly respected artist who rapped about meaningful topics, while Eminem has always had a controversial reputation and violent, questionable lyrics. Nevertheless, it is clear that we can identify Eminem by identifying who and what he is not. But then again, the Eminem we are identifying, is only the signified that we think we know, and not the man. The celebrity is, indeed, both a sign and a man.

Source:

de Saussure, Ferdinand. “Course in General Linguistics.” Literary Theory: An Anthology. 2nd Ed. Edited by Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2004.

Shklovsky

Post Pending

Defamiliarization through Chalk Art: A Word Picture

"Dungeon" by Philip Beever


Look into the dungeon and see those who suffer below: one man reaches his hand out to us with a pained face. To the right, a man climbs up a rope held by a man above. On the farthest wall, another prisoner climbs up the brick walls with his bare hands and feet. The sun is to our right, as we can see from the diagonal shadow on the back wall. Bits of sun also sprinkle in through the barred window on the right wall, while the other windows remain in the shadows. In the darkness lies a skeleton.

Then look up and see that above the dungeon lies our world: the real world. In the lower right corner lies the chalk to remind us that the dungeon and its prisoners are nothing more than chalk art on the floor. Indeed, the man on the right is not pulling up the man who climbs up the wall, but simply posing for a photo.


More art by Philip Beever

A Seven-Minute Tragedy

Although Plato and Aristotle had very different views on literature, it is possible that both would have approved of Immortal Technique's excellent tragic poem in his rap, "Dance With the Devil."



To begin, the application of the literary theories of Plato and Aristotle to a piece of contemporary poetry is challenging because the two philosophers maintain completely different philosophies on the subject of literature. First, Plato’s perception of poets is overall negative. In Ion, although he refers to poets as divine, he also rejects them for being possessed by the gods and thus irrational when, in his opinion, reason should govern any just man (“Ion” 14). In the Republic, a book in which Plato attempts to describe the ideal community, the kallipolis, Plato decides that poetry should be banished from a city governed by reason because poetry describes events that are not true and because it deals with the emotions, a part of the soul that is inferior to reason (“Republic 10” 52). Aristotle, on the other hand, never condemns poetry. Instead, he recognizes the art of imitation and analyzes its various parts (“Poetics” 57). Nevertheless, excerpts from their various writings can give us an idea of what the authors might have thought about this work.

Plato might have approved of “Dance With the Devil” because it teaches a moral lesson. Plato’s main concern in Republic is justice, and he states that poets should be forbidden from writing that “there are many unjust men who are happy, and just men who are miserable, that wrongdoings pays if you can get away with it, and that justice is another person’s good, but your own loss.” (“Republic 3” 32) Immortal Technique’s poem actually illustrates the opposite, which Plato certainly would have approved of. The main character in the story is “a corrupted young mind” whose corruption “successfully changed his fate.” The unjust character not only suffers the guilt of raping and killing his mother, but also ends up “[jumping] off the roof and [dying] with no soul.” If anything, this is an example of what not to do, and might actually improve the morals of its listeners.

Aristotle might also approve of this poem because of its character and its ability to evoke the emotions of fear and pity. The question of whether Aristotle would approve of the tragedy in Immortal Technique’s poem lies in our perception of William. In our Platonian analysis, we deduced that he was an unjust character. However, if we agree that William is an ordinary man who only succumbed to his malicious behavior after being consumed by the capitalistic society in which he lives, then he characterizes Aristotle’s tragic character: he is “not conspicuous for virtue and justice, and [his] fall into misery is not due to vice and depravity, but rather to some error” (Aristotle 72). Indeed, from his single mother’s drug addiction to his dropping out of school, he never has a chance: he is simply “the product of a ghetto breeding capitalistic mental.” Because William is described as helpless, listeners are able to sympathize with him as he accidentally spirals into depravity and unknowingly kills his mother in a manner similar to Oedipus in the play of the same title that Aristotle so often references as an example of great tragedy. He even describes William’s behavior as acceptable tragic events: “But when the sufferings involve those who are near and dear to one another, when for example brother kills brother… or son mother… then we have a situation of the kind to be aimed at” (75).

Despite the fact that Plato and Aristotle almost never agreed, I argue that they may both have approved of Immortal Technique’s tragic poem, “Dancing With the Devil,” although they would have done so for different reasons. Plato would have approved because the poem teaches a moral lesson, while Aristotle would have approved because he describes tragedy as evoking fear and pity for character who suffers due to an error. Yet, it is interesting to consider that neither philosopher ever witnessed such poetry or rhythm in their lives. Indeed, their philosophies may have been entirely different if they had.

Sources:

Aristotle. "Poetics." Classical Litearary Criticism. Trans. Penelope Murray and T.S. Dorsch. London: Penguin, 2000.

Plato. "Republic 2." Classical Literary Criticism. Trans. Penelope Murray and T.S. Dorsch. London: Penguin, 2000.

-----. "Republic 3." Classical Literary Criticism. Trans. Penelope Murray and T.S. Dorsch. London: Penguin, 2000.

Immortal Technique. "Dance With the Devil." Youtube.