Sigmund Freud is the author of the structural model
of personality. In this theory Freud explain that each person’s personality is
formed of three parts: The ego, the superego and the Id. Therefore
psychoanalysis is the process of using what we know about these three parts of
someone’s personality to analyze the ways that person behaves.
Psychoanalytical criticism is the literary theory
whereby literary critics analyze the actions of the literary characters using
the three personality structures that Freud identified. As critics explore the
Ego, Superego and Id of characters in a work. They focus on the ways that these
parts of the character’s personality influence the work as a whole.
The text “Jumping
Monkey Hill” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is about the group of writers in
Africa organized by Mr. Edward met at the workshop camp with the aim of
compiling one story about the African literature in one oratory. Ujunwa who is
one of the writers writes a story about the women are sexually harassed by men
in job opportunities and abandon their family the story which she writes
reflect her friend encountered when she applies for the job interview in Lagos
Nigeria in her story she uses Chioma as the character at the end of the
presentation, she reveals her story to relate to her life experience. This
enables her to present the evils done to women by men’s patriarchal system.
The elements of psychoanalysis that can be found in
the text Jumping Monkey Hill includes
the following:-
Id is one of the elements of personality found in
the text Jumping Monkey Hill. This is
the inner most core of the personality only the structure present at birth and
the source of the all psychic energy. It exists totally within the unconscious
mind. Examples in the text Ujunwa hates her father and those men who behaves
like her father in page 96 she tries to avoid the Intimate relationship with
Mr. Edward.
Another Id in the text is seen in the page 100 the
inner desire of Chioma to get employment. She buys the Guardian and scours the
employment section and sends out her C.V in brown mails envelops.
Also the Id of Chioma’s father of aggressive we have
seen that this father was not aware about his behavior of aggression in page
100 Chioma’s father says “why have you not came since, eh! He asks, pretending
to the angry because she knows it is easier for him to be angry with people
after you have hurt them”
Ego is another element of personality found in the
text. It has direct conduct with reality and functions primarily at a conscious
level. It operates according to the reality principles, testing reality to
decide and under what conditions the Id can safely discharge its impulses and
satisfy its needs. Examples of the Ego found in the text are as follows:-
When Chioma
is aware of different challenges faces her when finding a job at the first
office, the man is telling her that he will hire her but on the spot he comes
behind her reaches over her shoulders to squeeze her breasts. Chioma gets Angry
because she does not want to be used as a sexual instrument in order to get a
job as she argue that she does not want to loses her dignity for sexual
affairs.
Also the other Ego found in the text is that Ujunwa
hates Ugandan because of his behavior of supporting or answering every question
Edward Campbell asks Ugandan always stands on the side of Mr. Edward Campbell and
ignores other participants on the resort this shows that Chioma is opposite to
those people having behavior like that of Ugandan.
Superego as an element of person’s personality also
found in the text. This is a moral aim of the personality. It contains the
traditional values and ideals of family and society. These ideas are
internalized by the child through identification with his or her parents, who
also use reinforcement and punishment to teach the child what is right and what
is wrong and how a child should behave.
In the story the Jumping
Monkey Hill Superego is seen when Chioma’s mother refuses to go and beg Chioma’s
father her husband to turn back home. In page 105 she says “never not in this world
I am not going to beg him it is enough”
Also Chioma’s mother refuses to go to untie her
husband to the Babalawo (witchdoctor) as she was advised by Aunt Funmi that the
yellow woman had tied him up with medicine and she knew a good Babalawo who
could untie him. She said “No lam not going” page 105 therefore the act o Chioma’s
mothers towards those things is because of superego derived her.
Another superego is seen by looking the Chioma’s
decision towards the challenges faced her during the time when she was in
search for the job where opposes to be sexually harassed by those who are in
power. Chioma’s says “stupid man you cannot respect yourself” she decided to
leaves (page 100).
Another superego is seen in page (96) we see Ujunwa
being asked a question by Edward. What she did back home in Nigeria. She faked
a wide yawn and hoped. He would stop talking. Edward repeated a question and
asked whether she has taken a leave from job to attend the workshop. From that
point she realizes that it is unpleasant to stay quite so she told him that she
left a job Lagos. So this act is compromises by her superego.
In the text The
Jumping Monkey Hill, we see Ujunwa faces difficult problem in her life that
result her into conflict here the Oedipus complex arises.
Oedipus complex is the act where by a child looks
the parents of the opposite sex as an enemy. Example we observed that Ujunwa
loves more her mother and hates her father.
In order for the people being busy from that
problems some defenses mechanism arise. Defensive mechanism refers to
unconscious strategies that people use to reduce anxiety by considering the
source of it from themselves and others. For instance denial
Denial is seen in the text by looking Chioma’s
mother who refuses to go and beg Chioma’s father to be back home. Chioma’s
mother says “…never in this world, I am not going to beg him! It is enough” (page
100).
Generally Id, Ego and Superego are the basic
elements in the psychoanalytic criticism whereby through these structures we
can see how the characters personality influences the whole work of art.
REFERENCES
Adichie, N. C (2009), The Things Around your neck, United Kingdom: Fourth united
publishers
Fieldman, S. R (2011), Understanding psychology 10th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Passer, M. W & Smith, E. R (2011), Psychology: The science of the mind and
behavior 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill
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