A musician is the perfect antidote

In respect to the shaping of the self in the primordial realm of life (392), an overbearing mother, one who implements the necessity of gaining the attention of men and maintaining a perfect physical appearance because she has been unable to obtain the aforementioned herself, sends her two daughters out into the world despising anything that could take the shape of a healthy relationship. As said by Rivkin and Ryan, the daughters are "compelled to flee relationships that threaten to overwhelm its fragile self-boundaries" (392). Not only do the daughters 'flee,' but they date musicians who will never and can never give themselves to either of the daughters. Likewise, they follow these men on tour and because having been abandoned by their own father, they are forever searching for their 'identification' in chasing the father they never had.




Lyrics | Tool lyrics - Vicarious lyrics

The oldest daughter, who has felt the most significant brunt of the familial troubles, speaks the exact words that Freud uses in "Beyond the Pleasure Principle." She states often that she will never be able to "accomplish anything" or "succeed in anything" (435) -specifically a relationship- because she is looking for the father who never took care of her and 'fleeing' the overbearing mother. Moreover, it is because of the "[l]oss of love" (435) that in acting like a helpless child, she searches for the attention of a man who will be able to provide her monetary and fatherly assuaging. What is more perfect than a wealthy musician who will be able to provide her that financial comfort while still keeping at a distance and 'fleeing' when going on tour just as her father had when she was a young child ? It is the perfect unconscious acting out and the repetition of this cycle is palpable. As Freud speaks about, her repressed feelings of say rage and abandonment provide for the 'compulsion to repeat' (434) scenario. Thus, she has discovered the exact specimen in a musician who will provide her all that her id desires.

On a side note: The Tool video I have provided is said to be the Id at work. The lyrics, expressed through the video, show the unconscious desires that humans have for violence. The lyrics even specifically point to the unconscious in the words "Frown out your one face, but with the other" and that 'other' being one's unconscious need to be shocked or horrified or what have you. The video itself shows the internal eye (id) going deeper into an internal world - possibly the superego - allowing for an even more fascinating read and something to chew on: is Freud's conceptualization of the human mind limited to just the ego, id, and superego or - like the eleven dimensions - are there more dimensions of the mind that have yet to be tapped into?

"Part Five Psychoanalysis and Psychology." Literary Theory : An Anthology. Ed. Julie Rivkin. By Michael Ryan. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Blackwell Limited, 2008.

"Tool- Vicarious lyrics." LyricsMode. 2009. 24 Feb. 2009 (.)