Breaking Bad
Watching the Breaking Bad series helped me understand how one's superego can deteriorate into their id following Freud’s psychoanalytic theory. Walter White, the anti hero, takes us on a journey which vividly illustrates Freud’s thesis. From watching the series and reading critiques on the Freudian aspect, I will develop my own report on:
“How ones selfishness takes over causing them to be driven by their id”
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Focusing on Walter White from Breaking Bad
The balance between the angel (superego) on the right and the devil (id) on the left is the primary principle surrounding Sigmund Freud’s theory that ones id and superego is the framework for our psychology. Breaking Bad (2008-2013), a TV series created by Vince Gilligan is a leading example of Freud’s theory as we are taken on a passage of the life of Walter White. We gain insights into his psychology, observing him how Sigmund Freud may have. As Walter’s train of thought changes throughout the series, we can directly relate it to Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory.
A high school chemistry teacher who did everything by the book, not putting a finger out of line is who we are greeted by on the first episodes of Breaking Bad. Walter White is portrayed initially as a passive man who is careful to do everything morally, his superego strongly evident within him. This is clearly shown in the first episode “Pilot” (season 1, episode 1) when Walter is working at the car wash and his boss makes him
Psychoanalysis created by Sigmund Freud is much like Individual therapy in the sense that it will explore the past and how any past circumstances are effecting the now adult. This therapy will last as long as the client needs the support of the counselor and relies on the client’s full participation. In this form of therapy the counselor will participate in guiding the client thru the unconscious mind to and find how it may be contributing to thoughts and behaviors that are causing the client distress. Like analytical therapy psychoanalysis will cover a variety of issues including psychosexual, compulsive, and depressive disorders. According to Haggerty, J. (2006) “The essence of Freud’s theory is that sexual and aggressive energies originating in the id (or unconscious) are modulated by the ego, which is a set of functions that moderates between the id and external reality. Defense mechanisms are constructions of the ego that operate to minimize pain and to maintain psychic equilibrium. The superego, formed during latency (between age 5 and puberty), operates to control id drives
When asked to write about a monster who portrays the Freudian Personality Theory, I immediately thought about one of my favorite Christmas movies, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. The Grinch came to my mind because of how he depicts the Freudian id, ego and superego. While a child usually would not pick up on this certain behavior, now as I am older, it is very evident that the Grinch is a perfect example.
Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist, constructed a theory in which a person's mind is separate into 3 parts which Aldous Huxley took advantage of and used it in his novel Brave New World: id, superego, and ego. These three parts, according to Freud, come together and create one’s personality and behavior. In Freud’s theory, the id is the innermost, unconscious aggressive and sexual desires and ideas; also, the id tries to fulfill those urges, and it provides the energy that is needed to manage one’s personality. On the other hand, the superego is the complete opposite from the I.d. The superego, the last part to be developed in one’s personality, is responsible for sensing right from wrong in someone's conscious and unconscious state. The
Breaking Bad is a television show about a chemistry teacher, Walter White, who gets diagnosed with stage three lung cancer. To make sure he can support his family, Walter teams up with an old student, Jesse Pinkman, to create methamphetamine. With Walter’s chemical experience, Walter creates the purest meth, which causes his substance to be desired and envied. The id, ego, and superego are seen throughout many characters in Breaking Bad. Out of the many characters, there are three that best represent the three theories of Freud’s id, ego, and superego.
The final part of Freud’s Division of the Mind is the superego. The superego is defined as a right or wrong compass that satisfies the id. For the superego, David Stevenson states that Freud believed a person’s “conscience tells what is right and wrong, and forces the ego to inhibit the id in pursuit of morally acceptable, not pleasurable or even realistic, goals.” The
A man wearing nothing but his underwear and a gas mask swerving his RV down the sandy highway of the New Mexico desert. In the RV , there is a Teenager with a gas mask passed out in the front seat and two men dead on the floor of the RV. The RV has crashed into the ditch and the driver who is wearing a gas mask,Walter White, climbs out gasps for air. He put on a shirt that was hanging from the side of the window and ran back into the RV to grab a video camera, wallet and a gun. He then records a video message to his family saying that he loves them and saying goodbye. meanwhile ,he heard the sirens approaching so placed the video camera and wallet down side by side and walks into the road with a gun in hand. Through the camera angles , changing of behavior and family interactions Walter White, who is diagnose with cancer, changes from a healthy dad and husband to a dangerous meth cooker.
Freud’s structural model illustrates that within every individual there is tripartite structure consisting of the Id, Ego and Super Ego.
According to “Sigmund Freud’s Division of the Mind: Id, Ego, and Superego” by David B. Stevenson, Sigmund Freud’s personality theory is composed of the id, ego, and superego. Stevenson explains that the id holds desires and urges and that “it is ruled by the pleasure principle, demanding satisfaction now, regardless of circumstances and possible undesirable effects”. If the desires and urges of the id aren’t satisfied then the self will feel nervous or anxious. The ego fulfills the desires of the id in a socially acceptable method in the world. The superego bases decisions on moral values, based on what is right or wrong. Stevenson also mentions that “The superego uses guilt and self-reproach as its primary means of enforcement for...rules”. The ego and superego may reach the same decision on something however the ego bases
Moreover this Super Ego is a development from both the ID and the Ego itself and represents our attempt to integrate values learnt from the society and from parents. Freud further explains that psychological health is maintained only when these three components are in balance. Any imbalance in between them leads to psychological disorders (Davey, 2011).Furthermore, Freud’s theory of psychosexual stages, the unconscious and the conscious mind completes the formation of the major components of psychoanalytic theory. (Cherry, N.D)
Freud’s unconscious and conscious systems are related to different functions of the three main structures of the mind, the id, the ego, and the superego. According to Freud, the traditional idea of
The following will analyse the Psychodynamic theory founded by Sigmund Freud. It will focus on the components of the ‘mind’ including the Conscious, the pre-conscious proper and the Unconscious. Examining his structure of Personality with reference to The’ Id’, ‘Ego’ and ‘Super-ego’. It will discuss Freud’s proposal of stages within his ‘psychosexual development’. It will then focus on Carl Rogers Humanistic theory, explaining his concept of the ‘Actualizing tendency’ and incorporating his creations of ‘Self concept’, the ‘Organismic self’ and the ‘Ideal self’. As a contribution to Roger’s work also highlighting Abraham Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of needs’. Freud and Rogers will then
Freud identifies an overwhelming sense of guilt as one of the central problems threatening modern civilization since individuals have consequently begun to rebel against civilization with an aggression that exceeds the level of aggression originally suppressed, threatening the disintegration of society, and attributes it to the operation of the superego, an internal psychical agency that monitors the intentions and actions of the ego, keeping the aggressive instincts of the latter in check. Essentially, the aggression that was initially directed outside of the self is redirected into the self. A part of the ego separates from the rest to form the superego. Conflict between the ego and superego creates guilt, a need for punishment. Another term for the superego is conscience. Freud traces the formation of
Sigmund Freud was a well known psychologist whose theories have founded the understanding of the human psyche. Freud’s theory of personality is one of his most known theories. It details that there are three segments of consciousness. The id is desire, immorality and is what drives us to do wrong. The superego exists to counteract and overpower the id, as it is morality, commonly known as our conscious. The ego exists to balance out both extremes and devises a solution to sate each segment. Then there are the defense mechanisms, repression, denial, projection, displacement, regression and sublimation. These are employed by the ego to keep the balance between the id and the superego and to protect the psyche, especially in traumatic times. Last, the Oedipus complex which Freud believed, only exists in children from the ages of 3-5, when they become attracted to
Identify one strength and one weakness of Freud’s concept of the ego, id and superego in relation to understanding human development and individual behaviour.
Sigmund Freud created strong theories in science and medicine that are still studied today. Freud was a neurologist who proposed many distinctive theories in psychiatry, all based upon the method of psychoanalysis. Some of his key concepts include the ego/superego/id, free association, trauma/fantasy, dream interpretation, and jokes and the unconscious. “Freud remained a determinist throughout his life, believing that all vital phenomena, including psychological phenomena like thoughts, feelings and phantasies, are rigidly determined by the principle of cause and effect” (Storr, 1989, p. 2). Through the discussion of those central concepts, Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis becomes clear as to how he construed human character.