Defense Mechanisms In Lit Essay Research Paper

Gallimard simply does not comprehend that Song is male. He sees her as the epitome of feminism. Whilst all the while, she is obtaining secrets that will later condemn him.

Gallimard displays a variety of defense mechanisms. But these are encountered for reasons polar to Parry. While Parry mechanisms were designed to mask an event of the past, Gallimard uses his to hide the truths of the present. I also theorize that Gallimard used his defense mechanism to hide the actuality that he was homosexual (I read something to the effect in a magazine article where the actual subject of the play admitted as much)

Gallimard presents a classic case of what Freud coined denial. The subject does not want to accept the realities of a situation, so rather he just pretends they do not exist. Gallimard simply is in denial that his precious flower could be anything but female. He is a man; she is a woman, a submissive concubine to him. Actions taken within the beginning of the work where Song gives Gallimard her shame plays right into this deception. It gives Gallimard a masculine feeling of superiority.

Gallimard also shows distinct signs of rationalization. This mechanism allows the subject to find excuses for their behavior. Gallimard is the man. He has been with his Song on numerous occasions. He rationalizes that she is the epitome of feminism. Submissive, Loving, the perfect feminine specimen. Even his culture subscribed to the domineering position of a man over his concubine. This cultural hegemony displayed the east as womanly, thus increasing his rationalization of the belief of Song being a woman.

On a second level, one could subscribe to the belief that, in fact, Gallimard was homosexual, and used his defense mechanisms to cloak this reality. He could have created Song as a quasi fantasy. The ideal of a woman in a body of a man. He would not have to consider the ideal of himself being homosexual while at the same time having been allowed to be one.

Many parallels can be drawn between the defense mechanisms of each of these characters. Both are trying to hide an undesirable characteristic. Both create a world for themselves that is unlike reality. Song becomes the feminine character whom is not what as she appears. She is Gallimard fantasy of what a woman should be. Parry simply creates a total fantasy world where much is not as it appears. Parry lives within a land of Knights and Holy Grails.

Each of the characters seems to have differing motives for their defense mechanisms. Parry has memories. These memories haunt and torment him. He wants to hide these memories. Ergo, he represses these memories in order not to dwell on the pain. Gallimard is denying something in the present. He does not want to see Song for what she is. He uses the mechanism of denial either to disguise the appearance of his loved one as male, or just maybe to deny the actuality that he might differ from the cultural norms of the time.

Each of us has hidden pains, worries or torments. Probably each of us uses certain defense mechanisms in order to combat these. Yet, when one cannot decipher realities from fantasy the mechanism become counter productive. In Gallimard s case he passes on secrets to his love. Only to learn of her deceit at his fall. The fantasy is the rationale behind the delving of the secrets. The fantasy leads to his jailing. While the Fisher King concludes with the typical Hollywood ending, Parry s mechanisms still cause danger to himself throughout the movie. The fantasy world in which he lives in does not deal with the feelings that live deep inside him. The torment is still there. It is just not apparent. He is seen as the crazy bum. He is a man in pain