The most important part of the psyche is the id.

The id works with other parts of

the psyche such as the ego and superego and together, they filter the id. The ego filters

the sexual drive of the id and it establishes socially acceptable tendencies. The

superego also filters the id in that represents the socially appropriate conscience and

counteracts the id with more acceptable thoughts. The importance of the id as a part of

the psyche is highlighted through Siri Hudsvedts, The Shaking Woman or a History of

my Nerves, Sigmund Freuds, The Ego and the Id and Henry James, The Turn of the

Screw.

In Siri Hudsvedts, The Shaking Woman or a History of my Nerves, the

narrators shaking is a result of her unconscious. Hustvedt states, The id, or it, was the

wholly unconscious, timeless place of primal urges or drives (Hustvedt, 150). We can

associate her shaking with the id (unconscious) since we do not know the true root of

the shaking. It is almost as if it is unfiltered. Hustvedt also stated that Every sickness

has an alien quality, a feeling of invasion and loss of control that is evident in the

language we use about it (Hustvedt,6 ). That lack of control over thoughts and chaos is

associated with the id. The id consists of the inherited components of personality. It is

impulsive, unconscious and responds directly to our instincts. It is also not in touch with

the external world. In relation to the id, the ego is impacted by the external world. It acts

as a sort of filter for the id. Freud writes that the ego is like a man on horseback, who

has to hold in check the superior strength of the horse (Freud, 15). This exhibits how

the ego, once again, filters the id and serves as a problem solver for the unorganized

thoughts of the id. In relation to the id, the superego is similar to the ego in that it filters
the id, but to some respect, it is more advanced in that it incorporates values and morals

of society to keep the id in check. Without the id, there would be nothing to manage for

the ego and superego. Freud states, Where the id is, the ego shall be.

In Henry James, The Turn of the Screw, The governess id is displayed through

her wild imagination and her interactions with the people and ghosts in the house. She

is described as easily carried away (James 18). She is easily carried away by her id,

which are her unconscious and raw thoughts coming forward. Her visions of the ghosts

are merely her id displaying these unfiltered thoughts. Some of these thoughts are quite

disturbing. For example, it is insinuated that the governess has sexual feelings for Miles.

Sexual tendencies are a key part to the id. The governess stated in describing Miles,

There was something divine I had never found to the same degree in any child

(James, 13). This confirms that she was infatuated with Miles and her words represent

her unconscious thoughts coming forth. In regards to the ghost, these visions are

symbolic. Freud states, ...the ego seeks to bring influence to the external world to bear

upon the id and its tendencies (Freud, 19). The visions that the governess has

symbolize how the ego keeps the id in check. The visions encourage the governess to

repress her feelings for Miles and evaluate her actions. The governess wild imagination

is the most prominent feature about her and this reiterates that the id is the most

important part of the psyche.

Along with the ego and superego, the id makes us who we are. All three work

together simultaneously. However, the id is the most important part of the psyche
because it is the rawest form of our thoughts and much of who we are is derived from

our id.