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The Lady Or The Tiger Ego Or Superego

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The Lady Or The Tiger Ego Or Superego
“The id [the part of personality that identifies wants and needs] doesn’t care about reality, about the needs of anyone else, only it’s own satisfaction.” (Heffner) The id is most prominent in babies and children, although it is possible for it to control a person. For example, people that manipulate others for their own personal gain typically are powered by their id, as it considers only it’s own long-term benefits, ignoring the outcome for anyone else. The princess in the short story, “The Lady or The Tiger” by Frank Stockton embodies the id specifically, with little portrayal of the ego or superego.

The trials are a public event held in an arena with two identical doors, one holding a tiger, the other a lady. If the man on trial, picks the door with the tiger, he is guilty and immediately mauled to death. If he picks the lady however, he is proven innocent and wed to her, despite all potential conflicts. The man had the choice of whichever door he wanted “subject to no guidance or influence” leaving only him responsible for the choice (Stockton, pg 2). This system is flawed when it …show more content…
This puts her vindictive nature on full display, while showing her selfish side also. She believes that being the cause for the death of another human being is better than her lover having a happy and fulfilling life with another woman. Along the same lines, the princess hates the woman behind the door because she believes she has seen her admiring her lover, and also on more than one occasion has caught the two talking, although of what she does not know. This causes her to allow the id to take full control, while also silencing the ego and any rational thoughts about the situation. The princess attends the trial and suggests to her lover which door to open, causing the trial to go exactly as she
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