문화와예술의정신분석 기말보고서

2020112098 영어영문학과 강건우

2023 년 12 월 8 일

William Wilson is a short horror story written by Edgar Allen Poe revolving around the
events of a character under the name of title, who is followed by a doppelganger since young
age. The story is divided into four main encounters where William encounters his doppelganger:
his first school, his doppelganger’s bedroom, Eton and Duke Di Broglio. Throughout the story,
Poe develops and portrays William as somewhat of an immoral and, almost, evil character.
Moreover, it is evident in the story that William’s doppelganger is an embodiment of his
superego and morality as he is a physically identical reflection of William Wilson. Not only does
he share his name and birth date, he wears the same close, has the same attitude and even
takes on a similar form of speech to William Wilson. Furthermore, the story also states that
William has the tendency of wanting to control those around him and is successful in doing so
except for when it comes to his doppelganger who actually tries to command William instead;
this further supports that William’s doppelganger is symbolism of his super ego.

In the beginning of the story, the narrator, William states “Men usually grow base by
degrees. From me, in an instant, all virtue dropped bodily as a mantle.” This is a reference to the
event which occurs in the end of the story where William eventually kills his doppelganger and
in other words, gives up and eliminating his superego, giving into his inner desires. This can be
seen from a quote in the end of the story where William’s doppelganger (superego) states, “You
have conquered, and I yield. Yet henceforward art thou also dead -- dead to the world and its
hopes. In me didst thou exist -- and, in my death, see by this image, which is thine own, how
utterly thou hast murdered thyself.”

There are several events which prove that William’s doppelganger is a physical symbol of
his superego within the story. During William’s attempt to flee from his doppelganger by moving
to places such as Paris, Rome, Vienna and so on, he mentions a quote that states: “It was
noticeable, indeed, that, in no one of the multiplied instances in which he had of late crossed
my path, had he so crossed it except to frustrate those schemes, or to disturb those actions,
which, fully carried out, might have resulted in bitter mischief”. In other words, William’s
doppelganger acts as his superego by standing in his way whenever he shows any behavior or
action in which evil may result. This can be seen during the night where William uses immoral
tricks to win over Glendinning’s money in a card game. Furthermore, the idea that William’s
doppelganger is also his superego is further proven through the fact that his doppelganger
follows him from a young age.

Furthermore, the concept of uncanny is also shown throughout the story in an event
where William enters his doppelganger’s room in the middle of the night in an attempt to hurt
him. However, upon arriving in his room and flashing light upon his doppelganger’s face, he is
struck with shock and left trembling seemingly because his doppelganger’s features are identical
to his own. This can be seen through a quote which states, “I looked, and a numbness, an
iciness of feeling instantly pervaded my frame. My breast heaved, my knees tottered, my whole
spirit became possessed with an objectless yet intolerable horror. Gasping for breath, I lowered
the lamp in still nearer proximity to the face. Were these -- these the lineaments of William
Wilson? I saw, indeed, that they were his, but I shook as with a fit of the ague in fancying they
were not.” The identical resemblance of his own self in his doppelganger creates a sense of
familiarity that evokes the emotion of fear and discomfort, in other words, an uncanny feeling.

To conclude, William’s doppelganger is a clear reflection of his own superego which

attempts to prevent him from giving into his instincts such as an immoral desire for money and
an unquenched need to control those around him. Throughout the whole story, William
Wilson’s unending conflict with his doppelganger starting from childhood is actually a back and
forth battle with his superego. An element of the story that is interesting and brings on further
enquiries is why William’s doppelganger does not reveal his face to William as the story
possesses. Although his identical attire and chilling voice allows William to recognize him, the
doppelganger does not show his face. Initially, this created the thought that the superego is
weakened as adolescents grow into adults as a restrain is created on the doppelganger’s
identity. However, rather than the idea that the superego is weakened, the absence of the
doppelganger’s face may also seem to represent Freud’s theory of repression. (806 words)