Blog Post #5

     Psychoanalytic criticism uses two parts of your inner-being: the conscious and the unconscious. By using Sigmund Freud’s iceberg theory, only 10% of the iceberg is shown above water, which represents your conscious. This is constantly running and we use these thoughts to go about our day to day tasks. Below the tip of the iceberg is the other 90%, which is your unconscious. These thoughts take some effort to access, and they are not as readily available as the conscious. To further understand the conscious and unconscious, they are further divided into three categories: the id, ego, and superego. The id is a part of the unconscious and it is the need to fulfill pleasure principles, whether in a rational manner or not. In the show Bojack Horseman, the main character, Bojack, is seen as representing the id. His parents paying little attention to him as a child is mostly likely the stem for his need to be liked by everyone. Next, the ego helps the id rationalize their behavior, and assists in helping show these pleasure principles in an acceptable way. The ego is represented as Bojack’s roommate, Todd. He aims to help guide Bojack fulfill his behavior in ways that are deemed more acceptable in society. Lastly, the superego focuses on suppressing irrational urges of the id and tries to make the ego understand the gravity of situations. Diane, a ghost writer for Bojack, is the superego. As she writes Bojack’s memoir, she has a strong influence in leading Bojack to doing things that are positive. She tries to help Bojack be seen in a positive light and it also affects Todd behavior around him. Whether it’s defined by a person’s past or by someone you meet, everybody is constantly growing. The use of the psychoanalytical theory can allow you to have a greater understanding of why people act the way they do in media.