Freud singled out several parts of the psyche that vary in their degree of consciousness and can come into confrontation with each other. Repression is one of the key concepts in psychoanalysis, denoting the process. The “I” keeps in the unconscious drives, thoughts, and aspirations, not allowing them to consciousness. The process of repression occurs when the attraction, for some reason, is unacceptable to the individual. Satisfaction of this desire would definitely evoke pleasure, but at the same time also an unpleasant feeling in the form of guilt, disgust or anxiety (Freud, “The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud” 79). This is because this attraction, for some reason, is not approved by a person and does not fit into his picture of the world. Based on experimental and clinical data, Freud substantiated the critical role of the unconscious in human mental activity and presented it as a powerful irrational force that is in antagonistic opposition to the activity of consciousness (Freud, “Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis” 2217). In modern philosophy and psychology, the unconscious is recognized and widely used in scientific analysis and practical medicine.
Sisyphus is doomed to do useless hard work every day correlates with Freud’s internal confrontation. He is punished, and every day he has to roll a massive stone up the mountain from where it constantly falls, and the work starts all over again. People are also forced to do work that does not bring them any pleasure, but they cannot stop doing it. Thus a confrontation arises between the various states of the human psyche (Freud, “An Outline of Psycho-Analysis” 4971). This creates suffering in the person because the problem of internal conflict cannot be resolved while the work is being done.
In Bilal: A new breed of hero, the viewer watches the story of a brave boy enslaved by his sister. However, he did not put up with this but wanted to change it, although it was terrifying, almost no one dared to decide. This also leads to a confrontation in the protagonist’s mind because he understands the danger and impracticability of the act but wants to change his life. In this case, the unconscious takes over, and the character is freed from unnecessary work through suffering, which would have been much greater if no action had been taken.
In conclusion, it is worth saying that suffering and resistance are traced in every person, which can confirm Freud’s theory. This means that the states of his consciousness struggle in one way or another in every person. In turn, the individual’s future and moral and physical position depend on what type of consciousness prevails, as seen in Sisyphus and Bilal’s example.
Works Cited
Freud, Sigmund. “Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis.” Celebration of the Twentieth Anniversary of the Foundation. Edited by Hall, Stanley. Lecture, 1909, pp. 2195-2239.
Freud, Sigmund. An Outline of Psycho-Analysis. 1940, pp. 4954-5011.
Freud, Sigmund. The Standart Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. Translated by Strachey, James et al. Vol. 20, The Hogarth Press and the Institute of Psychoanalysis, 1926, pp. 74-175.