2 Holden’s personality

   2。1 id of Holden

   According to Freud, the id operates upon the pleasure principle。 In his words, the id is the dark and inaccessible part of our personality… It is filled with energy reaching it from the instincts, but it has no organization, produces no collective will, but only a striving to bring about the satisfaction of the instinctual needs subject to the observance of the pleasure principle (ed。 Burger 83)。 Freud believes that libido is the original impulse of all human behaviors。 As for Holden Caulfield, his id also includes sexual desire, the original instinct。 Sally is a superficial girl in Holden’s eyes who usually gossips。 However, his attitude for Sally in reality is opposite from the depiction in the novel。

          Finally, old Sally started coming up the stairs, and I started down to meet her。 She looked terrific。 She really did。 She had on this black coat and sort of a black beret。 She hardly ever wore a hat, but that beret looked nice。 The funny part is, I felt like marrying her the minute I saw her。 I’m crazy。 I didn’t even like her much, and yet all of a sudden I felt like I was in love with her and wanted to marry her。 I swear to God I’m crazy。 I admit it。 (J。D。 Salinger。 349)来*自~优|尔^论:文+网www.youerw.com +QQ752018766*

 This inner activities are totally consistent with Freud’s theory of personality as it is very common for a boy appreciating a young beautiful girl。 However, when we concern the original opinion he has for Sally, it is just so abnormal to say that he wants to marry her。 So from this sharp contrast we can see the id in Holden is very strong and hard to deny。

  The id is based on the “pleasure principle”, which tries to avoid pain or displeasure。 Holden is born in a rich family who will not care so much about money。 However, when arriving at home, he has used up all the money but he is unwilling to take Phoebe’s pocket money。 He is moved but also feels ashamed of getting money from little sister although he finally takes it。 So Holden is supposed to cherish the money a lot, and let’s see how he spends the money。 “I would have walked down to their house, because I didn’t want to spend any of Phoebe’s Christmas dough that I didn’t have to, but I felt funny when I got outside。 Sort of dizzy。 So I took a cab。 I didn’t want to, but I did。 I had a helluva time even finding a cab” (J。 D。 Salinger。 411)。

Although Holden thinks he would cherish the money, the result is that he uses it to change a more comfortable condition for himself, which also shows the power of id。