writing; in his own terms, Carroll arguably based his characterisation of the creatures of Wonderland to symbolise the tripartite role of the Psyche.While Freud was yet to develop the structural mode of the psyche, each of the characters in the book can be classified as either the id, ego or superego, and ‘Carroll’s representation of these characters suggests he had a basic understanding of the mind’s psyche’ (5).The primitive force, driven by instinct and sexual yearning can be observed in each of the Cook, the Duchess and the Queen of Hearts; these women embody Freud’s description as being like ‘a cauldron full of seething excitation’ (6), and ‘a chaos’ (6), motivated almost entirely by seeking instant gratification and fulfilment. This is illustrated by each woman accessing their immediate pleasure by eating ‘copious amounts of food’ (2), which can be seen as an extended metaphor for overtly concealed sexuality.The Duchess is introduced to the audience as ‘stirring a large cauldron which seemed to be full of soup’ (2), and equally the Queen of Hearts appears overly indulgent with her ‘large dish of tarts’ (2).A prominent theory in Victorian psychology is that, in most cases, food ‘always acted as a veiled metaphor for sexuality, most improper in the respectable Victorian woman’ (7), hence both the Duchess and the Queen can be seen as grotesque beings, allowing us to classify them as the id.The id revolves around the pleasure principle, as Freud describes his creation as ‘the psychic force that motivates the tendency to seek immediate gratification of any impulse’ (6), something which is made undoubtedly clear in the Queen’s impulsive and violent actions. Carroll’s description of the Queen often involves absurd feelings of rage, ‘The Queen turned crimson with fury’ (2) and ‘like a wild beast she began screaming’ (2); she is also arguably the product of irrational and impulsive tendencies,“Off with her head! Off with her head!”(2). Gardner called this ‘violence, with Freudian overtones’ (8), and it could be said that her repetitive behaviour regarding beheading the creatures of Wonderland seeks to instantly gratify her rage, embodying the concept of Freud’s id. Another influence on Alice’s psyche can be seen with the Cheshire Cat and the hookah-smoking Caterpillar; both of these characters constantly remind Alice of her true self, and provide her with a ‘frame of reference to the real world’ (5), thus creating a bridge between her unconscious mind and reality.The Cheshire Cat and Caterpillar have been likened to the superego, the moralising aspect of the psyche which works in contradiction to the id in establishing an individual’s sense of right and wrong.The superego is defined by Freud as ‘a higher nature in man’ (6), which is easily applicable to these characters.Almost every time we are introduced to the Cheshire Cat, he is on a plane higher than the other creatures in Wonderland:Alice first
encounters him outside the Duchess’ house ‘sitting atop a tree’ (2), and during his own execution,‘his head looms over all the creatures’ (2), creating a god-like aspect of his character, as though he is looking over everybody, physically and metaphorically.The Cheshire Cat assumes a friendly stance, and has been looked upon as a reminder of Alice’s pet cat, Dinah – since the superego is mainly comprised of childhood memories and authority figures,‘it can be conjectured that her pet cat Dinah can be seen as an association of childhood authority’ (5). Just like Alice’s memories of Dinah and reality, the Cheshire Cat constantly reappears and vanishes in Wonderland, which could be looked at as a metaphor for the blurring of Alice’s conscious and subconscious states. By asking the Cheshire Cat for directions,Alice assigns him the role of an authority figure, or the superego. She respectfully approaches him;‘Cheshire Puss, would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ (2), with the modal verb ‘ought’ signifying a deeper request for moral guidance as she doesn’t ask the Cat for specific directions, and is happy to let her superego (the Cat) decide for her.The Cat also deals with Alice’s mental state and calls her mad,‘Oh you can’t help that, we’re all mad here. I’m mad.You’re mad’ (2) and ‘You must be, or you wouldn’t have come here’ (2), something which clearly makes Alice uncomfortable as, rather than agreeing with him, she decides to humour him and asks, ‘How do you know that you’re mad?’ (2). Elizabeth L.Auchincloss suggested in her book The Psychoanalytical Model of the Mind that ‘the superego makes it impossible for a mind to feel good about oneself’ (5), which can be applied to the Cat constantly making Alice feel uncomfortable, and forcing her to contemplate her own mental state. Similarly, the Caterpillar becomes the “higher
nature” of the superego and takes up an advisory role in Wonderland; he too is
positioned above Alice physically,‘seated on top of a mushroom’ (2) and smoking from a hookah pipe. Carroll uses both the Cheshire Cat and the Caterpillar to force Alice to examine her own identity; upon reaching the Caterpillar she claims, ‘I can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, Sir, because I’m not myself you see’ (2). Here she is hopeful that he will understand her identity crisis and tell her which way to go, again implementing a cry for moral guidance as much as physical help. In accordance with the morally-guiding superego, the Caterpillar is purposefully unhelpful and ambiguous in order to remind Alice of who she really is – ‘You! Who are you?’ (2). It could be said, by his refusal to give Alice the sympathy and help she so desperately wanted, he directs her to examine the nature of her dream self, and her subconscious mind. Possibly the most important piece of advice given to Alice by the Caterpillar, ‘Keep your temper’ (2), acts as a framework for her further negotiations and social interactions
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