In a society, there are often multiple unspoken rules that members must adhere to in order to fit in. When an individual begins to deviate from these rules, it can be difficult to understand why. In the novel The Age of Innocence, the aristocratic Newland Archer makes many decisions that are seen as socially unacceptable, along with many that he makes reluctantly for the sake of appearances. Although they may be confusing to other members of society, these actions can be better understood after a psychological analysis using Sigmund Freud's theory of the Ego, the Id – in combination with Lacan's objet petit a – and the Super -I. Freud and Lacan's theories on the psyche reveal how the actions of an individual, like Newland, are guided by the unconscious mind. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Newland Archer, a product of the social world of old New York, finds himself repeatedly torn between his unconscious desires and his apparent social obligations. Newland is the epitome of an aristocratic male in New York society: he is financially well endowed, comes from a respectable lineage, and is educated to the point that European art has become a common topic of conversation. As he grew up, he became intimately familiar with the rules of etiquette and mannerisms that govern his society, such as his social obligation to one day marry an acceptable and pure woman. However, he feels “burdened by this creation of fictitious purity” (Wharton 25; ch. 5). Although expectations of social conformity have loomed over him throughout his upbringing, resulting in a privileged but lackluster childhood, he cannot help but feel as if there is something more to his suffocating society (Bussey 3). The incompleteness and early helplessness of human beings often produce a search for satisfaction and fulfillment (Kirshner 83). Newland wants to be exposed to the full range of human experience, rather than just operas at Faust and holidays at Skuytercliff. Although Newland longs to escape the confines of New York, he is reluctant to jeopardize his appearance and reputation. As a result, Newland's structured environment and upbringing set the stage for his multiple acts of defiance against New York society, along with acts of conformity with it. Newland Archer's passionate affair with Countess Ellen Olenska, the black sheep of old New York, depicts his desire for freedom and a change of pace underlying the id. The id in Freud's tripartite psyche drives an individual to engage in impulsive acts of self-indulgence (Lapsley and Stey 5). As a result of Newland's bland childhood, he longs for something different from the society he has been familiar with his entire life. He finds his breath of fresh air in Ellen Olenska, just returned from the fascinating continent of Europe. His experiences in Europe exemplify what Newland imagines himself missing, and he believes that being with Ellen will bring much-needed excitement that his life had previously been lacking (Bussey 3). In terms of Newland society, Ellen is an outcast. She is surrounded by scandal over the failure of her previous marriage in Europe and does not conform well to accepted guidelines for young women - she even wore black to the white dress gala ball. Newland understands that a relationship with someone like Ellen is forbidden, but he cannot shake the “vision of a woman who had the face of Ellen Olenska” (Wharton 79; ch. 25). Newland's first major decision in the novel is to follow through on his infatuation and run away with Ellen to Europe, where they can unload their responsibilities and "besimply two human beings who love each other" (Wharton 163; ch. 29). This decision is extremely impulsive considering that his entire life, from the money he earned as a law firm partner to the mother and sister he loves, has its roots in New York In fact, Newland's decision completely lacks a plan: he neither informed anyone of the decision nor made the appropriate travel arrangements to implement it. This is because the ES does not care about the details but rather focuses on the way forward quick to immediately satisfy an individual's unconscious desires (Lapsley and Stey 5 Although Newland's rash decision deviates from society's expectations, it can be explained as a desperate act of Newland's id, which desires Ellen and Europe). because of the freedom from New York society that the two offer. Combined with Freud's theory of the id, Lacan's theory of id desire further explains Newland's infatuation with Ellen. Lacan's theory involves the objet petit a, a fantasy that functions as the cause of desire (Kirshner 1). In relation to the novel, Ellen quickly becomes Newland's objet petit a as she is able to offer him the change of pace from New York society that he desires (Witherow). His ability to offer Newland a refreshing perspective is evident from New York's violent reaction to his return (Eby 97). But the most important aspect of the objet petit a is that it always remains a fantasy. Newland pursues Ellen because of the polarity between her and her society, but is often uncomfortable with how different the two truly are; his discomfort accentuates their differences and widens the gap between them. When Newland proposes his plan to run away with Ellen, she responds by asking if she should live as his "mistress". The word “lover” stuns Newland, who had rarely heard it spoken by women of her class. However, she notices how easily the word rolls off her tongue, and wonders if its presence in her vocabulary was due to the "horrible life she had escaped from" (Wharton 163; ch. 29). When he recovers from the shock of the word, Newland explains that Europe's purpose is that the two do not have to hide their relationship. The background differences between the two are so great, from Newland's perspective, that he cannot find a way to assimilate Ellen into the position she currently holds in society. As a result, Newland sees Europe as the only viable option. While Newland's pursuit of his objet petit a is the result of his desire for difference, his retention of some of the old New York views he grew up with creates a wide gap of difference between him and Ellen that cannot be easily filled. his socially acceptable marriage to New York's golden daughter, May Welland, is the result of his obedience to his superego. The superego, also known as personality conscience due to its ability to induce guilt, is the result of family life and offers moralistic goals (Lapsley and Stey 6). Old New York is ruled by a “superego” voice. Members of New York society are repressed by this voice but unknowingly support it (Witherow). While Newland recognizes that marriage is a "tedious association of material and social interests" and is reluctant to marry May, he pursues his marriage to satisfy his family and society (Wharton 196; ch. 34). In the eyes of society, May is the epitome of a desirable wife: she is reserved, proper and comes from a respectable genealogy. Even though Newland realizes before his marriage to May that he loves Ellen, he feels he cannot disobey his obligation to marry someone like May. Not only does he fear society's judgment, Newland also fears for his family ties. When it is assumed that JuliusBeaufort, a respectable banker from old New York, has shady dealings in his business, his wife refuses to be recognized as Beaufort because her name has now been dragged through the mud. Newland's superego, which is rooted in family life, may fear the repercussions of such an unacceptable act, which may include being shunned by his family. When Newland learns that May is pregnant, he must make his second big decision. He decides to abandon his doubts and dreams that Ellen and Europe will become a family man in New York, where he will remain in the safe but suffocating society from which he wishes to escape. His id may be suppressed due to the guilt he feels arising from his superego. Newland's upbringing of fairness and responsibility tells him that he cannot abandon his duties as a husband unless he wants to risk his family ties being severed. In fact, his superego is so powerful that he remains married to May until her death. After May's death, Newland makes it clear that he did not mind fulfilling his marital duty "as long as it retained the dignity of a duty," meaning he never transferred his desire for Ellen to May (Wharton 196; ch. 34) . Newland's ability to compartmentalize his desire for Ellen in order to fulfill his familial duty is due to the strength of his superego, which is a reflection of his structured upbringing. To appease both his desires and obligations in the most socially acceptable way possible, Newland's ego develops to take over and push him to make several compromises. The ego is seen as the agent of reason: it attempts to balance the id with the superego by deciding the mode of satisfaction, or whether satisfaction is to be obtained (Lapsley and Stey 6). So far in the entire novel, Newland has made two monumental decisions based on opposite sides of the tripartite psyche. In the last chapter of the novel, Newland makes his third decision. At the age of fifty-seven, Newland is fully mature and is able to make his final decision out of wisdom, as opposed to desire or a sense of duty. He finds himself sitting outside Ellen Olenska's apartment in Paris after a visit with her son, pondering whether he should go in and confront Ellen. Throughout the years of his marriage, Newland maintained his longing for Ellen as a “faint and dim” vision (Wharton 196; ch. 34). However, when he is inches away from her, Newland cannot see Ellen. He believes that the fantasies he has about Ellen are very satisfying, and he doesn't want to jeopardize this satisfaction with the reality of the situation: they might not be good for each other. He decides to go back to his hotel and not chase Ellen. This is the ultimate act of the ego. Balancing his id and superego, Newland's ego rationalizes that the memory of Ellen can offer him more satisfaction than a real confrontation. Deciding not to prosecute Ellen, a decision that was influenced by no factors other than his own wisdom, Newland abandons his objet petit a and gives it a proper burial (Witherow). Newland is now wise enough to understand that his relationship with Ellen was not created out of love but rather out of an unconscious desire for change; he even admits to his son that he didn't know if he thought Ellen was adorable, he just thought she was "different" (Wharton 200; ch. 34). Although he is attracted to Ellen because of their differences, he also realizes that he and Ellen are so different that they cannot complement each other well. As a result, his objet petit a remained a fantasy he would never get for the very reason he wanted it (Witherow). Please note: this is just an example. Get a customized document from our writers now.