Self-neglect is the most destructive force for a human being. In Deux Mots by Isabel Allende, the dangers of a disturbed mind are explored through the character of the Colonel and his relationship not only with others but also with himself. The psychoanalytic lens involves applying Freud's concept of the superego, ego, and id to a character to further analyze their moral conscience, desires, and reasoning. The ability to balance these conflicting psychological forces is defined by the term “ego strength.” Performing psychoanalysis on the Colonel, it is clear that he has unhealthy ego strength due to his isolation from society, his despair in love, and his heavy dependence on El Mulato. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the short story, the Colonel's constant use of fear to maintain power eats away at his social life, demonstrating his mental incompetence to manage his position. as a man of authority. His intimidating reputation is described in the text as follows: “Colonel and El Mulato had spent their lives fighting in the Civil War, and their names were ineradicably linked to devastation and calamity. The rebels invaded the city like a fleeing herd, enveloped in noise, bathed in sweat and leaving a hurricane of fear in their wake. The chickens took flight, the dogs ran for their lives, the women and children disappeared out of sight...” (Allende, 3). This excerpt from the story describes how the Colonel is greatly feared by everyone in town. The mere presence of his army disperses people in horror. The effect they have on the people shows why he doesn't have the opportunity to interact with the townspeople and have a normal, two-way conversation. Rather than allowing the rebels to enter the city peacefully, they are compared to wild animals. As human beings, they can be ordered to enter a city with respect and keep people from straying from their path. Choosing to remain feared rather than admired is a decision the Colonel implemented in his army. However, this simply leads to the Colonel never having relationships with the townspeople, further plunging him into isolation. This poor social life and lack of human connections are quite destructive, as shown throughout the story through the character of the colonel. For example, later in the text it says: "For years he slept in the open, bitten by mosquitoes, eating iguanas and snake soup, but these minor inconveniences were not the reason for which he wanted to change his destiny” (Allende, 4). Using the psychoanalytic lens, one can trace his present, unhealthy state of mind back to his past trauma as a soldier during the war. The inhumanity the Colonel faced due to his living conditions and unusual diet undoubtedly had an impact on his psyche. In the quote, the colonel seems immune to the horrible experiences he had during his Civil War. Considering such unusual circumstances as minor inconveniences shows the severity of his mental damage. His disturbing thought process is further justified by his perception of fate. The Colonel believes his destiny is to remain this scary character and continue to have a negative impact on normal people. Accepting such desperate conditions shows the dominance of man's superego. Rather than taking action and ensuring the comfort of others around him, he continues to live his life as a manintimidating. However, the identity of the colonel appears to differ. His deep desires are revealed in the text when he explains to Belisa why he wants to become president. As it says in the text: “What really disturbed him was the terror he saw in people's eyes. He wanted to enter a city under a triumphal arch with brightly colored flags and flowers everywhere, he wanted to be acclaimed…” (Allende, 4). In this part of the story, the colonel describes how light his dreadful wartime ordeal is when setting aside his desire for society's approval. Comparing the colonel's horrible lifestyle during his war years with this desire for popular admiration justifies the harsh reality of his state of mind. The traumatic times he endured during the Civil War don't upset him as much as his lack of a social life. Analyzing these samples of history, it is evident that the Colonel has convinced himself that he is doomed to live a life deprived of human interaction and admiration. This self-inflicted punishment of the Colonel shows how his past experiences in war, coupled with its negative impact on the community, led him to lead an isolated life. His superego is dominant during this phase of his life, as he continues to live up to his fearsome reputation and isolate himself more rather than approach people in a friendly manner. The Colonel's inability to properly manage the psychological urges of his mind proves that he has unhealthy ego strength from the beginning of the story. Although the Colonel's superego is dominant at the beginning of the story, it quickly switches to his identity when Belisa Crepusculario enters. his life. This lack of control over one's emotional state further shows the weakness of one's ego strength. By forcing Belisa to help him write a presidential speech, the colonel falls madly in love with her. In the short story, his perception of Belisa is described in detail, as it is told: “The man smelled the scent of a mountain cat coming from the woman, fiery heat radiating from her hips, he heard the terrible whisper of her hair. and a breath of sweet mint whispered in his ear the two secret words that were only his” (Allende, 5). The intense vocabulary used to describe the passion of his love is effective in conveying the colonel's feelings. However, this impulse of desire, which dominates in the id of the mind, does not disappear in the next moment. In fact, the severity of his love is crucial to his character. This exact description of Belisa is repeated later in the story, as it says on page 6: "...her senses were inflamed by the memory of her wild smell, her fiery heat, the murmur of her hair and her sweet minty breath. his ear…” (Allende, 6). The terminology used here refers to when the Colonel first fell in love with Belisa. This use of repetition proves that his passion for Belisa is significant. The thoughts that reside in one's id show how it becomes the dominant force of one's ego force. The power of his desires takes over not only his mental but also his physical health. This is proven by his fall, as it is said: “…he began to behave like a sleepwalker, and his men realized that he might die before he even took his place in the presidential chair” (Allende, 6). The Colonel's irresponsible handling of his desires pushes him to the point of almost dying. As an adult man, this shows that there is no adolescent stage or hormonal change to justify his lack of control over his desires. Switching from a dominant superego to an id after meeting a stranger for a few days shows the Colonel's deranged approach to dealing with his desire for Belisa, which has.