Comparison of Male and Female Psychology - Essay Example

 Comparison of Male and Female Psychology Gender roles are a long debated topic among theorists. Carl Jung, a of Freud, proposed several theories on the roles of men and women in dreams. He believed that the themes of myths are repeated universally in different versions and that these themes are also evident in human dreams, supporting his theory of archetypes. His archetypes are the idea of an inherited impression of men and women, something that we, as humans, fill in with our own personal life experiences. The presence of these unconscious archetypes of the opposite sex is necessary for becoming complete as a person. Expounding on the teachings of Jung, Robert Johnson proposes to lend a greater understanding to the Jungian archetypes of anima and animus by using ancient myths as an example of how these theories play out in universal literature. The tale of Parsifal and his search for the Holy Grail lends us insight into the male journey from boyhood to adulthood and his coming to terms with his anima, or unconscious feminine personality traits (Jung). In contrast, the myth of Amor and Psyche delves into the female quest for love and the appearance of the animus, or male aspects to the female’s personality (Jung). While both of these tales showcase a different perspective on a similar situation, the way in which the female and male characters handle their changing circumstances differs greatly. In the myth of Psyche and Amor, the two are portrayed as star-crossed lovers who are torn apart by the woman’s betrayal and the subsequent anger of Amor’s goddess mother, Venus. The two are eventually reunited at the request of Amor by the gods (Ovid). The story points out the weaknesses of the girl, Psyche, as well as demonstrates the changes to her personality as she matures into a woman. Psyche begins the piece showing the frailty of the female, the unwitting innocence and naiveté often presented in the very young or inexperienced, especially while searching for love. Venus, in this tale, is a stark contrast to the obvious frailty of Psyche as the two women show conflicting sides of the female persona. Venus begins by demonstrating a stronger, more determined side of woman as she mercilessly orders her son to strike down the innocent Psyche to save her own vanity. Amor refuses his mother’s request and marries the unwitting girl instead. So caught up in this love affair is Psyche that she does not question her husband’s bizarre requests, until she is set upon by her vengeful sister’s who wreak havoc on the relationship between Amor and their sister. Amor, demonstrating a softer, more feminine side to his character, the anima, gave in to Psyche’s pleas, which in turn eventually forced him to leave his wife and return to his mother. Psyche does not begin to demonstrate even a hint of the animus, or inherent, unconscious male traits, in her personality except when she tricks her sisters into jumping off a cliff in retaliation for their deception. Instead she exemplifies all that is soft and perceived as weak in the female by falling in love with her phantom-like husband immediately, falling prey to those with stronger personality traits, and relying on others to complete the tasks set out before her. The ways in which she responds to the hurdles set out before her in life are what in the end allows her to find herself (Johnson, She). Psyche starts out the myth with an almost child-like innocence. Her character does not begin to fully develop until she lays eyes on Amor, discovering her sisters’ deception. When he leaves her for her betrayal, she tries to end her life, but instead decides to trick her sisters down that same dark path (Ovid). In this act, she reveals a cunning not previously associated with her character. After the deaths of her sisters, she sets out to find what she wants most, without waiting for her goals to come to her. When she realizes that Amor might be in hiding with his mother, who has in turn set a price for the capture of her daughter-in-law, Psyche turns herself over to the custody of Venus and her maids willingly, showing a great maturity in facing the consequences of her perceived actions. As she is faced with increasingly cruel tasks by Venus, Psyche showcases how both sides of her personality have blended as she relies on some assistance by other beings to complete the demands of the goddess. However, as the tasks increase, Psyche wishes for less direct help from the other beings and more direction from those that would help her, completing the final and most difficult task with only instruction offered to her. Psyche’s personality visibly grows and changes as she overcomes the tasks placed before her, culminating in the realization of her goal to be again with Amor. She becomes complete as a person, rounding out her character, but showing an increasingly minor reliance on others to do so as she accepts the animus part of her. In much the same way as Psyche spent the early part of her tale searching for a male element to complete herself, Parsifal begins his story in search of the Holy Grail, a relic which embodies all that is female (Johnson, He). This is a journey that also takes him from his child-like actions swiftly into adulthood with the trails along the path to his goal. In his search for this relic, Parsifal comes face to face with trials also brought into being through the actions of another. However, Parsifal greets his tasks with harsher emotions and more decisive action than that which is displayed initially by Psyche. The way in which he treats these tasks as well as his subsequent search for the Grail demonstrate the inner struggle the male faces as he is forced to come to terms with the more feminine aspects of his character (Johnson, He). Even though there is an innate response in the male to accept the anima, or unconscious female side of the male personality, he still fights it in an attempt to be more masculine. It is a futile response, since in the same way that the female requires the addition of the animus to be whole as a person, so the male requires the anima to fully realize himself (Jung). When Parsifal finally gives in, growing into and accepting himself, he is rewarded by triumphing over Klingsor and becoming the new King of the Guardians of the Holy Grail. As he moves into this new part of himself, he showcases it in his ability to heal Amfortas. He also demonstrates the growth of himself both into a man and as a person in the ability to become the new King to the Guardians of the Holy Grail. It is a very telling aspect to the story that not only does Parsifal realize his goal, but he becomes master of the Grail, king over his inherent feminine traits. Where Psyche accepted the stronger traits of the animus, Parsifal masters the formation of his being as an entirety by being appointed King over that which would be socially perceived as a weakness in man. Psyche and Parsifal are both alike in that they are faced with daunting tasks that ultimately lead them down the path of self-discovery. They are different in the individual ways in which they view and complete these tasks. Both use them to build up to a drastic change in personality as they accept both parts of their personality and use them to merge into adulthood. The use of these myths is an example of the existence and application of the anima and animus. It creates a universal visual image based on well-known and easily understandable stories that help humans better understand the way in which male and female traits interact in the psyche. By using something easily relatable, Johnson more readily proves his point, remembering that much like Jung’s male and female archetypes, these stories are implanted in the human subconscious. In taking this turn with Jung’s theories, Johnson makes them much more approachable by using something that both males and females can compare their own experiences against, realizing that these archetypes are in fact still very present and the theories still very relevant in today’s society. Works Cited Johnson, Robert A. He. New York: Perennial, 1989. Johnson, Robert A. She. New York: Harper, 1989. Jung, Carl. Archetypes. 11 January 2008. 30 November 2008 . Ovid. "Cupid and Psyche." Hendricks, Rhoda A. Classical Gods and Heros. New York: Perennial, 2004. 265-287. Various. C G Jung Page. 11 November 2008. 29 November 2008 . Read More