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Psychoanalysis of the Character Harry Gale
Khalid Ahmad Farooq
Ted Morrissey’s “Vox Humana” portrays the psychological struggles of Harry, a Korean War veteran navigating the aftereffects of trauma and reintegration into civilian life. Using Freud’s psychoanalytic framework, this analysis explores Harry’s inner world, focusing on key Freudian concepts such as repression, displacement, and the interplay between the id, ego, and superego. This work examines how Harry’s actions, thoughts, and creative pursuits reflect his unconscious mind’s attempt to manage the conflicts stemming from his wartime experiences.
Furthermore, the archetypal dimensions of human experience are also shown in the story through the character of Harry. Through the lens of psychoanalytic criticism, particularly archetypal psychoanalysis, Harry’s character represents universal struggles, such as isolation, identity, and the search for meaning. By examining Harry’s relationship with his inner world, external reality, and the collective unconscious, the analysis sheds light on the psychological and symbolic underpinnings of his journey.
Repression, a cornerstone of Freudian psychoanalysis, is evident in Harry’s avoidance of emotional and interpersonal engagement. His reluctance to discuss his experiences in Korea, his detachment from his sister Annette, and his taciturn nature reveal an effort to suppress memories of the war. Freud posits that repression occurs when the mind buries distressing thoughts and feelings in the unconscious to protect the conscious self. Harry’s hallucinations of Korean faces and whispered voices illustrate the return of the repressed, as these latent memories manifest in his waking life, disrupting his fragile sense of stability.
Freud’s structural model of the psyche—the id, ego, and superego—provides further insight into Harry’s character.
- The Id: Harry’s instinctual drives, such as his desire for solace and escape, emerge in his smoking and solitary behaviors. Harry’s silence about Tim is a manifestation that his pleasure principle drives his Id towards his instinctual desires ignoring moral principles. “He felt that he should say something about the absence of his brother-in-law but he didn’t want to inquire…”. His abrupt request for Beth Ann to drive him to the bus station reflects his id’s longing for immediate release from his alienating environment.
- The Ego: Harry’s ego attempts to mediate between his inner turmoil and external demands. For instance, his participation in the welcome-home party, despite his discomfort, showcases his effort to conform to societal expectations. “As the day of his welcome party approached, Harry felt more and more uneasy.”
- The Superego: Representing internalized social norms and guilt, the superego’s influence is evident in Harry’s feelings of obligation toward Annette and his guilt over not contributing enough to their household. “He was already feeling a trifle guilty about staying with Annette and not pulling his own weight.”This internal conflict underscores his struggle to reconcile his needs with societal expectations.
Harry’s immersion in transcribing the words of others during the war can be understood through the Freudian concept of displacement. By focusing on the narratives of North and South Koreans, Harry first ignores them by dumping them into the unconscious mind. These repressed thoughts are loosed into the conscious mind in the disguised form of dreams of theater. This process is termed as displacement by Freud, and this draws his attention away from the horrors surrounding him, creating a symbolic barrier between himself and the traumatic events.
Freud identified sublimation as a mechanism by which individuals channel their repressed desires into socially acceptable outlets. Freud says that a work of literature is the external expression of the author’s unconscious mind. Harry’s turn to poetry-writing exemplifies this process. The creation of his poem, The Human Voice, allows him to structure and express the chaos of his inner world. Writing becomes a therapeutic act, transforming his suppressed emotions into a tangible, creative form. This act of sublimation suggests Harry’s unconscious efforts to reconcile his fragmented identity and find meaning in his experiences
Archetypal psychoanalysis is governed by the ideas of Carl Jung, one of the students of Freud. He accepts many of Freud’s ideas but rejects some. He gives the idea of archetypal psychoanalysis based on patterns or images of repeated human experiences.
Moreover, Harry embodies the archetype of the “wounded hero,” a figure marked by physical survival but profound psychological scars. The typewriter that saved him from physical harm in Korea becomes a symbol of his psychic struggle. While transcribing the stories of others, Harry temporarily shields himself from the horrors of war, displacing his trauma into the “walls of words” he creates. However, this coping mechanism isolates him further, aligning with the archetypal exile who wanders without a home.
Freud’s concept of repression is evident in Harry’s avoidance of emotional engagement with his sister Annette and his taciturn nature. Yet, Jungian analysis frames this repression as the hero’s descent into the shadow—the unconscious repository of pain and unresolved conflict. His recurring hallucinations of Korean faces and whispers are manifestations of this shadow, as they force him to confront the war’s residual impact on his psyche.
Harry’s eventual turn to poetry writing marks a significant shift in his psychological journey. The poem “The Human Voice” represents his attempt to transform his inner voices into a cohesive narrative. This act aligns him with the archetype of the artist, who channels personal suffering into universal truths. Writing becomes a therapeutic exercise, enabling him to assert control over his fragmented psyche through the structuring of diction, syntax, and imagery.
In Jungian terms, Harry’s creation of the poem symbolizes his attempt to connect with the collective unconscious, tapping into the universal well of human experience. The act of folding the poem into the pages of Sandburg’s collection signifies his acknowledgment of his place within the broader continuum of artistic and existential exploration.
Harry’s engagement with mythology, poetry, and storytelling highlights his alignment with archetypal themes. The references to The Odyssey and The Iliad mirror his own journey through the liminal space between war and civilian life, drawing parallels to Odysseus’s return to Ithaca. His reading of Carl Sandburg’s Chicago Poems becomes a ritual of seeking solace and order amid the chaos of his thoughts. The poems’ rhythms momentarily silence his internal chorus, symbolizing the healing potential of archetypal art.
Through the lens of psychoanalytic literary criticism, Ted Morrissey’s “Vox Humana” reveals the intricate layers of Harry’s psyche as he navigates the aftermath of war and personal trauma. By applying Freudian concepts such as repression, displacement, and the dynamics of the id, ego, and superego, the analysis uncovers Harry’s attempts to manage his fractured identity and unresolved conflicts. His hallucinations, withdrawal, and eventual turn to poetry exemplify the interplay between the conscious and unconscious, illustrating the mechanisms through which the human mind grapples with suffering.
Ultimately, Harry’s journey embodies the struggles of integrating the self in the face of trauma, highlighting literature’s ability to mirror and explore the depths of human experience. “Vox Humana” stands as a poignant testament to the psychological resilience of individuals and the enduring relevance of psychoanalytic theory in understanding the complexities of literary characters and their narratives.
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Khalid Ahmad Farooq is a final-year student of BS English at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad. His academic interests lie in literature, with a particular focus on poetry, philosophy, and postcolonial studies. He has written poems both in Urdu and English exploring themes of nature and existentialism. Passionate about critical thinking and literary analysis, he actively engages in discussions on these subjects. Throughout his academic journey, he has participated in seminars and workshops, deepening his understanding of literary and philosophical discourse.
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