Sigmund Freud's Personality Theory

Psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud was the founder of psychoanalysis. He believed that the human mind was composed of three main parts: Id, Ego, and Superego. His personality theory was based on the belief that all human behavior is a outcome of the interactions of these three components. Freud believed in order to be free of conflict you must achieve balance between your Id, Ego and Superego. The id is the primitive section of the human psyche and is present at birth. The id operates entirely off of impulses and desires. It functions solely in the unconscious part of the mind. The id has no understanding of consequences and morals. A person with a dominant Id will not accept consequences for their actions and acts in outbursts of anger. The id
Freud defines the ego as “that part of the id which has been modified by the direct influence of the external world” (Freud) It works out sensible methods for fulfilling the id's requests while regularly compromising or deferring fulfillment to keep away from negative outcomes of society. The inner self considers social substances and standards, decorum and principles in choosing how to act. By the age of 5, the superego develops. The superego is the the ethical piece of the human psyche that forms because of the values and morals taught to us by our guardians. The Superego is composed of two part: the ego ideal and the conscience. The ego ideal includes behaviors and rules that should be followed according to society and parental figures. Obeying these proper behaviors leads to a sense of pride and accomplishment. The contains knowledge on things deemed unacceptable by society. The conscience causes you to feel guilty for failing to comply with these appropriate
Amir uses several ego defense mechanisms to try and resolve these anxieties. Initially, Amir uses the ego defense mechanism of rationalization. This is utilized in the following passage
“I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. That’s what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hassan. That’s what I made myself believe.”(68)
Amir tries to justify his actions by telling himself that he was afraid of Assef, when in reality he knew he allowed him to raped to gain Baba’s love. Amir then tells himself “He was just a Hazara, wasn't he?” He uses his social superiority to try and rationalize what he did and ease his guilt, however he is unsuccessful. However, the biggest ego defense mechanism Amir uses to try and resolve his anxiety is acting out. He is incapable of expressing his remorse to Hassan and instead of owning up to what he did he acts irrationally towards him. Hassan asks him to go for a walk, Amir snaps at him saying “I want you to stop harassing me. I want you to go away.”(88) Another scenario where Amir uses this defense mechanism is when he starts chucking pomegranates at