Zanna

Pardon My Freudian Spike

I have seen this idea a Buffy discussion board, (actually I think it was the ever cryptic and slightly annoying William the Poet) and it was intriguing to me. It seems to make certain things a little clearer in my TV addled brain. Spikes line from Lessons

“Nobody comes in here…just the three of us” kept bothering me. Still does. But it got me thinking that it didn’t refer to Spike, Buffy, and the Big Bad…or Spike, William, and Buffy…but Spike’s id, ego and superego. Now, I’m not a huge fan of Freudian psychology, but I think it warrants consideration in the context of the Spike character.

In Freud’s theory, division is not the separation of the mind into three structures and functions that exist in physical partitions in the brain; they are not even truly structures, but rather separate aspects and elements of the single structure of the mind. Now in realistic application of the principle of levels of consciousness, the mind doesn’t have three distinct little men who engage in constant fisticuffs of conflict. The personification of these elements merely serves as a convenient guide through a complex psychoanalytic theory; but in the Buffyverse, the metaphor reigns supreme. In the Buffyverse, it appears that Spike is in constant battle with the different levels of his consciousness.

I need to look at them separately in order to explain what I mean.

Spike the Vampire without the chip or soul is representative of the Freudian concept of the id. He wants only to eat, drink, kill and gain sexual pleasure. These urges are the demands of the id, the most primitive motivational force. In pursuit of these ends, the id demands immediate gratification: it is ruled by the pleasure principle, demanding satisfaction now, regardless of circumstances and possible undesirable effects. This is evident from the first episode in which Spike appears, School Hard. He cannot wait for the Feast of St. Vigious; he has to have his fun then and there. He ignores the threat of the Anointed One and the knowledge that if he waited he could possibly have a better result. In true id fashion, he cannot see beyond the “want, take, have” mentality, consequences be damned. The id will not stand for a delay in gratification. However, if the urge is not immediately discharged, the id will form a memory of the end of the motivation. So, after failing to kill Buffy…the need to kill unsated…he kills the Anointed One. This act of wish fulfillment satisfies the id's desire for the moment, though obviously it does not reduce the tension of the unfulfilled urge.

Ego

All is well in the land of id, until The Initiative puts the chip in Spike’s noggin. The chip begins then to act as a kind of artificial ego. The eventual understanding that immediate gratification is usually impossible (and often unwise) comes with the formation of the ego, which is ruled by the reality principle. The ego/chip acts as a go-between in the id's relations with reality, often suppressing the id's urges until an appropriate situation arises. He can’t kill humans anymore…the primary thing his id is screaming to do…so the ego/chip becomes his repression. Within Freud’s model of mind, this repression of inappropriate desires and urges represents the greatest strain on, and the most important function of, the mind. The ego often utilizes defense mechanisms to achieve and aid this repression. One type of defense mechanism is Reaction Formation. To ward off an anxiety-causing and unacceptable (and in Spike’s case, chip induced headache causing) impulse, one may replace it with its over-emphasized diametrical opposite. For example, Spike hates Buffy for being heroic, good and…well the Slayer, but his ego/chip won’t let him do anything about this hatred, so he transforms this hatred into aggressive love and obsession. This replacement of his hatred with its opposite, love, represses the hatred, and satisfies his superego's guide for what is acceptable, but does not eliminate the original impulse. The best indication that an emotion or act is a formed reaction is any noticeable persistence or excess in the behavior. Indeed, behavior motivated by reaction formation may be stifling or absurdly, unnecessarily overzealous, evidence of the repressed impulse at its root.

" This…between us…it’s wrong…I know it. I’m not a complete idiot" ~Spike from Crush

The ego's effort at pragmatic satisfaction of urges eventually builds a great number of skills and memories and becomes aware of itself as an entity. With the formation of the ego, the individual becomes a self…or in Spike’s case a more than one-dimensional character, instead of an amalgamation of urges and needs.

Superego

In some ways, Spike’s development of a superego began before the quest for his soul; although it was not truly developed, and more of an extension of ego to include the desire for Buffy to be proud of him. While the ego may temporarily repress certain urges of the id in fear of punishment, eventually these external sources of punishment are internalized. This is where souled Spike comes into play. Spike no longer needs Buffy to be his moral compass, because he has taken punishment, right, and wrong into himself. The superego/soul uses guilt and self-reproach as its primary means of enforcement for these rules.

Of course in analyzing Spike we also look at the Buffy character. I think that their connection is not merely in the wonderful James Marsters/ Sarah Michelle Geller chemistry and the tragic story of the characters history. They are mirror images of each other, as Spike developed the levels of consciousness, Buffy’s were deconstructed. This idea seems to be supported by Marti Noxon:

Regarding Spike, a.k.a. William the Bloody: "He sort of represents Buffy's other side. He's her id. He's hang dog because he loves Buffy, and he's not been getting his way. But in some ways I think he's the most powerful. And he's constantly struggling with his nature, which is also a part of Buffy's character arc. So, to me, he is heroic in the Buffy universe, because he's right there representing what the show's about, which is the struggle to be a hero and the other part of you that wants to drag ya on down into the abyss."

~ Marti Noxon

I got this tidbit from yet another board, which seems to also support the train of thought. Of course it could be some random musings of another fan. The mod of the board posted it as if it were from some source in the know. I hate to use it without knowing the source…or even the real context…but it’s interesting none-the-less.

"…some of you were quite good at the last batch of questions . . .

while others are missing the mark somewhat. Remember, *none* of what *I'm*

talking about has to do with 'ships, 'cause 'ships are not the focus this

year. Any relationship issues in these early shows especially will be

either a.) misdirection b.) characterization incidental to the plot or c.)

more misdirection. In that final scene, don't think Buffy and Angel, or

Buffy and Spike, or Buffy and anyone but . . . Buffy. There's something odd

there, and the focus on relationships and romance is blinding many of you to

something you should be noticing." ~buffyworld.com bboard…unknown original source

To be honest, I think I’m still missing it too. It’s hard to focus on Buffy, in the midst of that amazing James Marsters performance; however, taking into account the statement from Marti Noxon and my own musings, it seems that Spike’s inner turmoil is reflective of Buffy’s own turmoil. Because her consciousness isn’t fragmented in the way Spike’s is, the most effective way to illustrate it is through his inner battle. It maybe about the need for her (or both of them) to come to terms with the coexistence of the three levels of consciousness within herself.

Or not.