The id represents a person's natural desires an instincts, the desires for food, safety, sex, all of those desires that satisfy the self. The superego represents the socially determined restrictions on behavior, the rules and regulations that govern how people ought to behave. Stories often center on the conflicts characters have between what they want to do (id) and what they ought to do (superego).
Characters often wrestle with conflicts between the desires for happiness and acceptance and the obligations to society. Characters ultimately must resolve these conflicts and choose a course of action. In The Tilted World by Tom Franklin and Beth Ann FennellyTed Ingersoll, federal agent, and Dixie Clay Holliver, a local bootlegger are brought together by circumstances. In an essay of 600 words, examine the conflicts that develop between Ingersoll and Dixie Clay in the context of Freudian motivations. What motivates their actions and desires, and how do Ingersoll and Dixie Clay navigate through these conflicts? What indications appear throughout the novel that illustrate the characters making choices that define who they are and their ultimate destiny within the story?
Prewriting
Prologue; Chapters 1-8
Identify examples in the prologue and chapters 1-8 that illustrate characters giving into their personal desires and examples where characters do what they feel that they ought to do based on the restrictions society places on behavior.
- Identify the choice made
- Was the choice made to bring happiness/satisfy desire, or was the choice made to accept responsibility for others/seek social acceptance?
- What seems to be the primary motivation for the choice?
- Document as (page; chapter) for instance, (3; Prologue)
Chapters 9-12
Identify examples in chapters 9-12 that illustrate characters giving into their personal desires and examples where characters do what they feel that they ought to do based on the restrictions society places on behavior.
- Identify the choice made
- Was the choice made to bring happiness/satisfy desire, or was the choice made to accept responsibility for others/seek social acceptance?
- What seems to be the primary motivation for the choice?
- Document as (page; chapter) for instance, (3; Prologue)
Chapters 13 - Epilogue
Identify examples in chapters 13-Epilogue that illustrate characters giving into their personal desires and examples where characters do what they feel that they ought to do based on the restrictions society places on behavior.
- Identify the choice made
- Was the choice made to bring happiness/satisfy desire, or was the choice made to accept responsibility for others/seek social acceptance?
- What seems to be the primary motivation for the choice?
- Document as (page; chapter) for instance, (3; Prologue)
Additional Resources
- Freud's Theory of the Id, Ego, and Superego
- Freud’s Structural and Topographical Models of Personality
- The Formation and Structure of the Human Psyche
- Summary of The Tilted World
Requirements
- Length: Your essay must be a minimum of 800 words.
- Documentation Format: You must include an MLA formatted Works Cited page that includes correctly formatted internal citations for the stories and the additional resources.
- Sources: You are restricted to the novel The Tilted Worldas a source and the articles on Freud. Only make reference to the articles on Freud in the introduction in order to define terms. Do not use any other source material. Your essay is based on your own close reading and analysis of the novel, and the body of the essay should focus on details drawn from the novel.
- Format: The essay must be in MSWord format (.doc or .docx)
- Stories deal with conflicts
- Freud defined conflicts as a struggle between the id and the superego (use sources to briefly define terms and explain)
- In literature - what a character wants to do versus what a character needs to do
- Often conflicts between desire for happiness, desire for acceptance, and obligations to society: choices may involve multiple motivations
- Could focus on specific traits of a character
- Could focus on nature of relationships between characters
- Could focus on situations that reveal character
- What struggles does the character face?
- What specific motivations (happiness, acceptance, moral obligation) are involved in the conflicts the character faces?
- What specific situations reveal these conflicts?
- What impact do these conflicts have on the character?
- How are the conflicts resolved?
Students must use MLA style documentation. Internal citations should identify the page number and section for the novel. Students must also include an MLA Works Cited page.Students should proofread carefully their final drafts for spelling, grammar, and punctuation as well as clarity, conciseness, and completeness. The final draft should be typed, double spaced, with one inch margins, in Times New Roman 12 pt. The essay should be a minimum of 800 words.
The essay will be evaluated based on how well students develop their arguments with significant support from the novel (thesis, topic sentences, supporting details from the novel); clarity, cohesion, and conciseness; correct use of MLA format; and grammar and spelling.For this essay, students may use a dictionary to help with words with which they are not familiar but should not refer to the dictionary definitions in the essay. Students must use MLA style documentation. Internal citations should identify the author and line number for the poems and author or authors for any articles or other resources. Students must also include an MLA Works Cited page.
Students should proofread carefully their final drafts for spelling, grammar, and punctuation as well as clarity, conciseness, and completeness. The final draft should be typed, double spaced, with one inch margins, in Times New Roman 12 pt. The essay should be a minimum of 900 words.The essay will be evaluated based on how well students develop their arguments with significant support from the poems (thesis, topic sentences, supporting details from the poems); clarity, cohesion, and conciseness; correct use of MLA format; and grammar and spelling.
Essay Map
Introduction
Lead
Thesis
The Tilted World by Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly . . .
Examine how the conflicts between the desires for happiness and acceptance and the need to be socially responsible and meet the demands of society are resolved. The essay can focus on either Ted Ingersoll or Dixie Clay. If necessary, students can include both characters in their essay. In that case, focus on one character at a time (block method).
Body
Topic Sentences
Each topic sentence should focus on how a specific character wrestles with and/or resolves the conflicts between his or her search for happiness and acceptance and the obligations to society.
Create specific arguments about the conflicts faced by the character:
Supporting Details
Use the following questions to help identify the evidence necessary to prove the arguments being made about the conflicts the character faces:
Conclusion
What significance, importance, relevance, or value is revealed by the resolution of conflicts faced by the character? How have these conflicts changed the character? How can this be applied to life?
