Introduction
Think about a difficult period in your life: whether the most problematic moment, or the most recent struggle, or a series of small yet unfortunate events. What were the circumstances that distracted you on your journey toward happiness? What dilemmas did you have to resolve to overcome the hardships?
According to Sigmund Freud, a person’s mind consists of conscious and unconscious parts that can affect how an individual makes decisions, especially when confronted with challenges. However, people often experience resistance to unraveling their concealed thoughts, thus affecting how they address problems.
Main Discussion
The Story of Sisyphus
Let us look at ancient Greek mythology, particularly regarding the story of Sisyphus. In an attempt to escape death, Sisyphus tricks the gods, but all he manages to achieve is a lifelong punishment. Powerful divinities sentence Sisyphus to push a rock up a mountain, and every time the stone reaches the top of the hill, it rolls down. Consequently, Sisyphus is condemned for a task that is hard, absurd, meaningless, and never-ending (Camus 140). Sisyphus’s continuous struggle represents a form of resistance that has no purpose.
The Story of Bilal
Now, it is important to examine the story of the protagonist of Bilal: A New Breed of Hero, which is a 2015 animated movie about an enslaved man trying to oppress despotism and become free. In a society that promotes slavery, Bilal wants to join a new movement and save his sister from oppression after their mother passes away. Accordingly, Bilal wishes to become an exceptional man and a great warrior. Nonetheless, a heavy rock is placed on Bilal’s chest as he has to overcome numerous challenges and tortures to maintain his values and protect his loved ones. Bilal’s resistance is reflected in his efforts to rebel against slavery from his childhood to adulthood.
Comparison of Sisyphus and Bilal
Experiencing distinct types of resistance, Sisyphus and Bilal represent different aspects of Freudian theories of conscious and unconscious. An individual’s consciousness depicts their awareness of themselves and the world. However, the concealed part of the mind is associated with the process of repression, which occurs when certain memories and feelings of a person are too painful for their ego. Consequently, automatic defense mechanisms of how people picture themselves contribute to the emergence of resistance behaviors and struggle (Chase 1000). Moreover, the unconscious has a crucial role in an individual’s mental activity due to antagonistic opposition to consciousness (Freud 2217). Repression of hidden thoughts can protect a person’s cognizant ego but also affects their demeanor and may prevent them from changing their lives.
Resistance of Sisyphus
Sisyphus’s experience of resistance demonstrates the damaging effects of concealing one’s line of thinking. Instead of admitting to his fear of death, which he tried to escape from, Sisyphus continues his struggle, which has no meaning and no point or indication of success (Camus 15). Nonetheless, Sisyphus is aware of his miserable position but cannot control his ego and be honest with himself (Camus 155). Sisyphus’s inner self lacks integrity, thus generating a gap between his conscious and unconscious mind and leading to an internal conflict. As a result, the model of resistance that Sisyphus undergoes is counterproductive due to having no purpose other than selfishness and is disconnected from the real world.
Resistance of Bilal
On the other hand, the story of Bilal shows a man who takes control of his defensive mechanisms to accomplish a rather honorable goal. Bilal’s resistance is caused partially by the desire to repress painful memories of slavery and loss alongside the inability to accept negative feelings. Bilal’s mother says to him that to become a great man and warrior, one must be free of chains that bind them to anger, vengeance, superstition, or fear (Bilal: A New Breed of Hero 20:34-22:40).
Although he does not yet understand it, such guidance is Bilal’s initial push toward unraveling the unconscious. Several years later, Bilal receives similar advice from a lord of merchants who declares that to become a grand person, Bilal must first liberate his mind. Eventually, Bilal develops a strong belief in his independence and has patience, honor, and courage to protect his loved ones (Darmawan and Simanjuntak 77). Bilal’s experience demonstrates how resistance can assist in overcoming challenges as the unconscious prevails over consciousness and the person becomes free.
What do the stories of Sisyphus and Bilal tell us about opposition to unraveling repressed thoughts? The ancient Greek myth suggests that those who cannot regulate their ego and be genuine with themselves will likely not be able to overcome their struggles. In contrast, the animated movie illustrates how by embracing certain defensive mechanisms for virtuous purposes, people may become liberated.
Conclusion
Sisyphus and Bilal’s experiences indicate that an individual’s moral and physical states depend on which aspect of the mind persists in the face of difficulties. Based on the examples of the two characters, we can formulate the secret of resistance: to succeed, a person must have an honorable rather than selfish intent, as honor comes with faith and honesty to unravel the unconscious. Now, think about a difficult period in your life and ask yourself what stops you from pursuing your goals and what hidden thoughts you must address to move forward.
Works Cited
Bilal: A New Breed of Hero. Directed by Khurram H. Alavi and Ayman Jamal, Barajoun Entertainment, 2015.
Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus. Penguin UK, 2013.
Chase, Cynthia. “The Witty Butcher’s Wife: Freud, Lacan, and the Conversion of Resistance to Theory.” MLN, vol. 102, no. 5, 1987, pp. 989-1013. Web.
Darmawan, Angel Agustin, and Marudut B. Simanjuntak. “Analysis of Bilal’s Characteristics in Bilal’s Film: A New Breed of Hero by Ayman Jamal: Don’t Have to Be Noble to Give Meaning.” International Journal of Education and Literature, vol. 1, no. 1, 2022, pp. 77-89. Web.
Freud, Sigmund. “Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis”. Celebration of the Twentieth Anniversary of the Foundation. 1909. Lecture.