1. Beyond the Pleasure Principle
By Sigmund Freud
Presented by Julie Nguyen and Jarrod Carter
2. What’s “Beyond the Pleasure Principle” ?
Essentially, Freud’s theory is this: Once a person
experiences a loss or a scarring event, they have a
compulsion to repeat a similar action, with a better
result. The “death drive” to repeat would continue
until we gain control of the situation and return to
peace.
3. Claim
Edna’s “death drive” (Freud) had caused her to
repeat the loss of Roberts through various ways.
When Robert left for Mexico, Edna had continued
doing the things she loved because Robert would
have encouraged Edna to do the things she loved.
When the novel implies that Robert has rejected
Edna at the conclusion, it resulted in a loss of her
freedom, and ultimately her life.
4. Evidence
“Robert's going had some way taken the
brightness, the color, the meaning out of
everything... She sought him everywhere—in
others whom she induced to talk about him. She
went up in the mornings to Madame Lebrun's
room, braving the clatter of the old sewing-
machine. She sat there and chatted at intervals as
Robert had done.” (Chopin)
5. Explanation
Edna is attempting to deal with Robert’s
loss. She repeats actions that Robert
would have done because by doing so, it
reminded her of him.
She’s trying to find peace in herself, and
live on, but she can’t do that without
doing something related to Robert; his
absence gave her the new “faded
existence” she has (Elaborate).
6. Evidence
“There was no human being whom she wanted near her
except Robert… The children appeared before her like
antagonists who had overcome her; who had
overpowered and sought to drag her into the soul's
slavery for the rest of her days. But she knew a way to
elude them. She was not thinking of these things when
she walked down to the beach” (570 Chopin)
7. Explanation
This exemplifies the death drive perfectly
for several reasons.
❥ Edna’s suicide is her way of coping with
the loss and defeat of society. This was
Edna’s way to gain to control of the
trauma.
❥ Edna repeats the loss of Robert. Robert
leaves her, so she leaves everyone else.
❥ She achieves the peace that she had
before birth, by reaching the peace she
gains after death.
8. Discussion Question #1
Do you believe in Freud’s theories
of the “pleasure principle” and
“death drive”? If so, can you think
of a time in your own life that you
have acted due to the death drive?
9. Discussion Question #2
Can you find any other examples of the “death drive”
throughout the Awakening? Can you find any examples of
the pleasure principle ( insert example here to clarify what
examples are in the article)?
10. Discussion Question #3
How could the method of repeating
traumatic experiences be helpful in
someone’s life?
11. Discussion Question #4
Do you think that Edna was aware that
she repeats these actions to cope with
the loss of Robert? Or were her actions
done unconsciously?
