D.H.Lawrence's Snake using Freud's theory of personality - Essay Example

D.H. Lawrences "Snake" Using Freuds Theory of Personality According to Sigmund Freuds structural model of the psyche; Id, ego and super-ego are the three parts of the psychic apparatus. Id is the unorganized part of personality that has no rules and is associated with pleasure. The ego is the organized realistic part, while the super-ego plays a critical and moralizing role (Ruth, 2006).Lawrence’s poem ‘Snake’ is all about the human mind and inner voice which sometimes leaves people with guilt and regrets.

The poem is all about the beauty of nature and man’s failure to appreciate it utterly (Lawrence, 1923). There is a great relationship between the Freud’s theory and Lawrence’s poem. The snake came to the poet’s garden to quench the thirst. The poet was peacefully watching the snake and compared its drinking movements with that of cattle. But suddenly, his ego pushed him to kill the snake and show his bravery, i.e. associated to his Id, as the society has much dislike for this creature.

Finally, he picked the clumsy log and hit the snake. Then, he immediately felt remorse for his act as directed by the super ego feature of Freud’s theory. Although the poet knew it was a wrongful act, his identity (id) and snake’s harmful nature provoked him to do so.This is the poet’s way of keeping some neutrality in the poem showing that even he cannot help being scared of snakes and, therefore, reacted rationally, but we need to improve our behavior and appreciate the creature. Then he wished the snake would come back.

In conclusion, we can say that ego sometimes biases our opinion and forces one to do what one does not want to. Though, super-ego later initiates a guilty feeling of the unmerciful act ─ it is human nature. ReferencesLawrence, D.H. (1923). Snake. Retrieved February 05, 2012 from:http://homepages.wmich.edu/~cooneys/poems/dhl.snake.html Ruth, S. (2006). Teach Yourself Freud. McGraw-Hill, pp. 105–107.