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“Vox Humana”: Fertile Ground for Freudian Analysis
Nazeefa Bibi
“Vox Humana” by Ted Morrissey provides a rich landscape for Freudian psychoanalytic criticism, particularly in its exploration of trauma, repression, and the influence of childhood experiences on adult life. The narrative delves into how unresolved childhood conflicts resurface in adulthood, requiring new forms of psychological adaptation. By examining the characters through a Freudian lens, we can uncover the deep-seated desires, repressed memories, and defense mechanisms that shape their actions and relationships, particularly focusing on the protagonist, Harry.
Freud’s concept of the unconscious mind is central to psychoanalytic criticism, positing that much of human behavior is profoundly influenced by deep-seated desires and repressed memories residing beyond conscious awareness. In “Vox Humana,” Harry exemplifies this struggle as he grapples with unresolved emotions from his experiences in the Korean War. His time in Korea is marked by traumatic events that he struggles to confront. His unconscious houses vivid memories of violence, loss, and suffering that he has suppressed to protect his mental state. These memories manifest as anxiety and emotional detachment. His silence and avoidance of meaningful conversation with Annette reveal the weight of his unconscious conflicts, indicating a profound repression of guilt and horror. This inability to articulate his trauma is evident in moments like the panic attack he suffers in the grocery store, symbolizing how buried conflicts can suddenly erupt and overwhelm his conscious awareness. Harry’s unconscious also contains a longing for connection and understanding. His desire to reach out to Annette, reflects the human need for familial bonds and emotional support. His emotional detachment and difficulty forming connections suggest that his past continually intrudes upon his present life. Through his silence, introspection, and alienation, he presents a rich terrain for Freudian analysis, where his physical transformation and behavioural changes manifest the deep-seated trauma that profoundly impacts his identity and relationships.
The loss of parents during Harry and Annette’s childhood represents a crucial psychological wound that shapes their adult personalities. According to Freudian theory, such early loss disrupts normal psychological development, particularly during crucial psychosexual stages. In Harry’s case, this early trauma creates a foundation of vulnerability that is later exploited by war experiences. The war serves as a catalyst that brings his latent vulnerabilities to the surface, making them more pronounced and debilitating. Harry’s silence about his experiences is not just a symptom of his war trauma but also a reflection of his deeper, unresolved childhood wounds. Freud believed that unresolved childhood trauma could lead to neuroses in adulthood, and Harry’s struggle with communication reflects this idea. Instead of processing his emotions through dialogue, he resorts to smoking and introspection, indicating a defensive mechanism to shield himself from painful memories. His attachment to the stories of others, particularly those he transcribes, highlights a desperate attempt to connect with humanity while simultaneously distancing himself from his own narrative. Annette, on the other hand, copes with the loss differently. Her psychological development is also disrupted, but she channels her trauma into a different form of expression. She grapples with her role as a caregiver and protector, often stepping into a maternal role for Harry despite her own emotional needs being unmet. Morrissey contrasts her coping mechanisms with Harry’s, highlighting the varied ways individuals process and manifest their grief and trauma.
Freud’s structural model of the psyche consists of the id (primitive desires), ego (rational self), and superego (moral conscience). Harry embodies a struggle between these elements. His base instincts, such as the need for comfort through smoking and drinking, highlight his desires for immediate gratification. Meanwhile, Harry’s rational side attempts to navigate the complexities of his relationships and societal expectations, particularly in his interactions with Annette. However, his guilt over his wartime actions and the burdens of responsibility weighs heavily on him, often paralyzing his ability to act or express himself fully. Harry’s id, containing the raw material of war trauma and childhood loss, pushes against his superego’s internalized social expectations of normal behavior. His weakened ego struggles to mediate these conflicts, resulting in psychological paralysis manifested as silence and withdrawal. The welcome-home party becomes a battleground between these forces, with social expectations (superego) conflicting with his traumatized psyche (id).
In Freud’s economic model, he introduces two concepts that govern the human psyche: the pleasure principle and the reality principle. The pleasure principle drives individuals to seek immediate gratification of desires and to avoid pain or discomfort. Harry is primarily driven by the pleasure principle, particularly in his need for temporary relief from his emotional pain and trauma. His smoking serves as a means to achieve this gratification, providing momentary escape from troubling thoughts and feelings. His desire for solitude and avoidance of deep conversations also reflects this principle, as he seeks to avoid the discomfort of confronting his past. While Harry is often driven by the pleasure principle, his ego attempts to engage with the reality principle, grappling with the need to reconnect with Annette and fulfil his familial responsibilities. However, his overwhelming trauma complicates this process, leading to internal conflict as he struggles to balance his instinctual desires for solitude against the social expectations of being a supportive brother. This interplay of principles creates a complex psychological portrait illustrating Harry’s challenges in navigating his trauma and relationship with his sister.
The Oedipus complex is another psychoanalytic concept introduced by Freud, describing the unconscious feelings of desire that a child may develop for the opposite-sex parent, alongside feelings of rivalry with the same-sex parent. While the Oedipus complex is not directly enacted in “Vox Humana,” the relationships and dynamics between the characters, particularly focusing on Harry and Annette, can be analyzed through this lens. Annette’s caregiving role for Harry, following his return, places her in a parental-like position. Her nurturing behavior toward Harry can be seen as a manifestation of the mother archetype, filling a void created by their parents’ absence. This dynamic complicates their sibling relationship, as Harry’s dependence on her for emotional support creates a power imbalance that echoes Oedipal themes. After returning from the war, he relies on Annette for support and stability, suggesting an unconscious desire for maternal care. Harry’s feelings of inadequacy and guilt can also be interpreted through the lens of the Oedipus complex. His trauma from the war complicates his ability to fulfil expected roles within the family, leading to a sense of rivalry with his own past and the idealized version of a brother who is supportive and strong. This internal conflict mirrors the tension of the Oedipus complex, where the desire for maternal affection is fraught with guilt regarding the implications of that desire.
Freud’s concept of the return of the repressed plays a crucial role in shaping the story’s tension. Harry’s panic attack in the grocery store is a direct manifestation of repressed emotions. The panic he experiences in a public setting is the eruption of unconscious anxiety buried beneath the surface. This incident reveals the fragility of his emotional state and the inevitability of confronting repressed trauma. Moreover, Harry’s eventual turn to poetry exemplifies Freud’s idea of the return of the repressed. The traumatic material, initially repressed through silence, eventually finds expression through artistic creation. This represents a more mature psychological adaptation, where primitive defense mechanisms are replaced by creative sublimation. Harry’s art allows him to externalize the pain and confusion stemming from his wartime experiences, offering a way to navigate his trauma while maintaining a degree of distance from it.
Freud emphasized the importance of dreams as a window into the unconscious. While the text does not explicitly depict dreams, the imagery and symbolism throughout the narrative reflect Harry’s inner turmoil. His visions of the “chorus” and his recollections of the Koreans he transcribed symbolize the different aspects of his identity that are fragmented due to trauma. Each voice can be seen as a manifestation of parts of himself that he struggles to integrate, echoing Freud’s assertion that repressed feelings often return in disguised forms. The chorus serves as a reminder of the emotional burden he carries, reflecting his inability to escape the psychological scars of war. The “masks” he assigns to the voices symbolize the different facets of his psyche, providing a way to navigate the complexities of his emotions without confronting them directly. The juxtaposition of domestic life with the horrors of war symbolizes the conflict between his past and present, illustrating his struggle to reconcile these disparate aspects of himself.
In addition, “Vox Humana” can be interpreted from a Lacanian psychoanalytic perspective, as he believes that language shapes our identity and molds our psyche. Harry feels alienated not only from society but also from himself. His inability to articulate his feelings reflects a deeper existential crisis, indicative of what Lacan describes as the “Real”—the unspeakable trauma that disrupts the symbolic order of language. Harry’s attempts to find solace in words, through both the transcriptions he did in the military and his poetry, illustrate his struggle to reclaim his voice. Language plays a crucial role in the narrative. Harry’s work as a transcriber highlights the power of words in shaping reality. However, his detachment from his own narrative signifies a disconnection from his identity. This resonates with Lacanian psychoanalysis, where language is a means of structuring identity, yet it can also alienate individuals from their true selves.
In conclusion, “Vox Humana” serves as an intricate exploration of Freudian psychoanalytic concepts, particularly concerning trauma, repression, and the impact of childhood experiences on adult life. Through Harry’s character, we see the profound effects of unresolved conflicts manifesting in silence, panic, and emotional detachment. The narrative illustrates how early loss and trauma shape identity, affecting relationships and coping mechanisms. By examining the interplay of the id, ego, and superego, as well as the return of the repressed, we gain insight into the complexities of Harry’s psychological landscape. The story ultimately highlights the necessity of confronting and integrating repressed emotions for true healing, emphasizing the intricate connections between trauma, language, and identity. Through this Freudian lens, “Vox Humana” reveals the enduring struggles of individuals grappling with their pasts and the multifaceted nature of the human psyche.
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Nazeefa Bibi is a dedicated student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Linguistics at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad. Currently in her 8th semester, she is passionate about exploring the intricacies of language and the richness of the literary world. She aims to deepen her understanding of English studies and contribute to the field through her academic endeavors.
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