oathbringer Shallan and psychoanalysis

[HalfPint Hobgoblin he/him]

(I hope I raged the spoilers right ) So I had a thought. Shallan three distinct personas kind of line up really well with Freudian psychoanalysis. In psychoanalysis there are three distinct levels of consciousness. The Id (the unconscious desires and motivations), the super ego (the higher moral self) and the ego (an intermediary between the two).
 

Veil is the Id. She has all of the aggression and sexuality that Shallan try’s to repress. All of her underlying desires. (A great example of this is her attraction to Kaladin) 

Radiant is the Super ego. She embodies  the higher ideals that Shallan feels society expects from her. She is the higher lawful self. 
 

and Shallan is the ego. An intermediary between the two that comes up with comprises to both. 

Does anybody know if this was intentional on Brandon’s part? It fits really well to me and is pretty interesting. Freud also developed the ideas of repressed childhood trauma which Shallan has a lot of. 

[jamesbondsmith He/him]

Well hopefully he doesn't go with the Oedipus/elektra complex side of Freud.

Hasn't Freud largely been discredited in serious psychology, though? Not that it stops authors using the theories.

[HalfPint Hobgoblin he/him]

34 minutes ago, jamesbondsmith said:

Well hopefully he doesn't go with the Oedipus/elektra complex side of Freud.

Hasn't Freud largely been discredited in serious psychology, though? Not that it stops authors using the theories.

Oh most definitely. His theories are not taken seriously at all really. The only real important thing he pioneered was the idea of childhood repression. (but even that people don’t take it quite as far as he does) I’m not saying it’s accurate to life in any way or even what Brandon was intending. I just thought there were some interesting parallels. 

[Friendshipspren he/him]

I thought the same too. Although it's not exactly that. Veil for example is more than just sexuality or aggression. 

I think Brando likes the idea but also sees the inconsistencies in it . 

U will find the same idea expressed in another one of his non Cosmere works