
Sigmund Freud and Defense Mechanisms:
Freud used three psychic zones to describe the components of human personality: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id, the pleasure principle, is the part of the personality that wants instant gratification without the consequences. The superego is known as the morality principle. The superego is the human conscience. The ego is the reality principle that maintains a balance between the id and superego. The ego is that conscious part that acts as mediator between the instinctual drives of the unconscious id and the social environment.
According to Freud, the ego has developed defense mechanisms, to cover for the wild demands of the id, which would rarely be socially acceptable. One of the defense mechanisms is referred to as Denial. Denial is defined as “having a conscious awareness at some level, but denies the reality of the experience by pretending it is not there.” Another of Freud’s defence mechanisms is Displacement. Displacement is defined as “reassignment of some kind of aggression to a scapegoat to relieve the tension of a situation or feeling.”
- What is significant about the Amir’s statement, “He was so g*ddamn pure, you always felt like a phony around him”? Use Sigmund Freud’s theory of displacement to answer the question.
- What does the sheep symbolize in Chapter Seven? Why does Amir recall the sheep’s slaughter during Hassan’s assault? What does Amir mean when he refers to "the look of the lamb."
Secondary Blog Response Expectations: After reading all of your classmates' Primary Blog Responses, select TWO that interest you. Reply to them in a thoughtful paragraph. You may offer constructive criticism, elaboration, or rebuttal. 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count at the bottom of the prompt. Due by 11:59pm Sunday night 12-6-2020!