04-04-2006, 01:21 AM
A Freudian analysis of Shinji, especially in the context of the Oedipal complex, provides a partial answer, both to this paradoxical relationship with father and to the overriding question of why he chooses the constructed image of self. It is not an unreasonable analysis to make, since there is clear evidence that Anno was heavily influenced by Freud-one episode of Evangelion is entitled "The Oral Stage,"[7] making a clear reference to the earliest stage of child development in Freudian theory. The area on which Evangelion focuses, however, is not the first but rather the third stage, in which all three of the Eva pilots find themselves, and the problems that come with it, particularly the Oedipal complex. In the Oedipal complex the son fears the father, since the father holds the power of castration, preventing the son of fulfilling his mother's desire.[8] This power held by the father could provide an explanation as to why Shinji hates his father. However, as A.Y.L. points out, because of the castration fear the son wants to please his father in some way, even regardless of this hatred. This not only provides an explanation as to why Shinji desires approval from his father, but more importantly links back to the original message of constructed identity: because the son wants the father's approval, the father has the power to decide what he wants the son to be like-the father has power to create the son's identity. In Shinji's case, this power is manifested in his becoming an Eva pilot at his father's request-Shinji's father has become the creator of Shinji's purpose in life, and thus he has become the creator of Shinji's identity.
Freudian theory, however, fails in one respect: Shinji has no mother, and thus should experience an irresolution of the Oedipal complex. In this case, Lacanian theory serves better, as it focuses equally on the father-figure without so much requiring the intermediary mother. Lacan's father represents the governing center of the Symbolic order. And what is this "Symbolic order" of which Lacan speaks? The Symbolic order is the stage of development in which a child learns to represent existing, real objects with symbols, such as words and language. According to Lacan, the father, who is the center of the Symbolic order, controls the meanings of these symbols, and thus creates identities for those symbols. This Center, or father, thus creates the identities of those symbols by defining their purposes and giving them meaning.[9] Shinji's father, then, is the literal form of the Lacanian father, and, just as the identities of symbols are created by the Center, Shinji's identity is created and controlled by his father. In fact, this dynamic of control is even reflected in the literal plot of Evangelion itself, in Shinji's working for the organization controlled by his father. Shinji becomes nothing more than a tool working for his father-in fact, Gendo explicitly says so in the first episode[10]-and thus his purpose and his identity are defined by the owner of that tool. Just as Lacan's father determines the identity of symbols, Ikari Gendo determines the identity of his son.
Anno continues to explore the building blocks that make up the symbolic identity, and realizes that these blocks are often not made by other people, as was originally hypothesized above, but rather are made by oneself, based on what that individual thinks others would like. I think that you think that it's cool to be good at math, so I study hard to become a math expert. My identity is shaped by what I think you and others want. This forms the second step of Anno's analysis of the nature of our identity: his characters realize that their false identities are not forced on by others, but are rather self-imposed to please others. The most obvious implication of this is the potential for pretension. Such pretension becomes the focus of the female lead character in Kare Kano, Miyazawa Yukino, who has spent the first fourteen years of her life essentially putting on a show of being the perfect student. Why does she do so? This question is answered in the first episode of the series, which begins with the simple words, "What do others think of me?" and then goes on to show how Miyazawa, because of her desire to be praised by others, structures her life around what she thinks would impress others, so that they will think highly of her. In one humorous scene, we see her posing in front of a mirror, practicing various personality poses which she later uses in public.[11] What others think of her becomes her driving force in life, and, in effect, it defines her identity. Miyazawa's appearance as the perfect student is a constructed identity, a persona built out of what she sees as the symbolic perfect student. And she chooses to accept this identity over the real because of the praise she receives from others-in effect, Anno is hypothesizing that we choose the constructed identity because we believe that others are more willing to accept it.
Soryu Asuka Langley, the third pilot to appear in Evangelion, exhibits a similar desire to be lauded by others, and similarly constructs an identity, the identity of being an Eva pilot, around that desire.[12] And to a degree so does Shinji, but his case, as expected, is more complex. For Shinji, piloting the Eva is more an obligation than a source of pride; he performs his job mainly so that he won't see others being hurt. Yet Shinji's reasons go beyond merely a sense of obligation; he is, in fact, afraid that his existence has no meaning beyond piloting the Eva.[13] This is not simply a pathetic lament. As J.S. points out, Shinji, in the beginning of the series, really has no identity of his own, possibly because of his unresolved Oedipal complex forcing him to remain stuck in the third stage of Freudian development, thus hindering his formation of identity. And without a real identity of his own, Shinji's only identity, as the Eva pilot, is one which is constructed by his desire to please others-his desire to please the people of Tokyo 3, his desire to please his surrogate mother-figure Misato, his desire to please his father.
This analysis of Shinji having no real identity works well until about the middle of the series, when Shinji gradually resolves his developmental problems and is actually able to develop an identity of his own. K.G. notes that Shinji's Eva contains the soul of his mother, and A.Y.L. interprets this, combined with the implied symbolism of Shinji's entry plug penetrating the Eva (i.e., his mother), to the interpretation that Shinji resolves his Oedipal complex and thus begins to develop his own identity. Yet Shinji refuses this real identity and instead chooses to hide behind a persona he creates, a persona of cowardliness. What is this real identity, and why does Shinji still choose a constructed identity-even a socially unacceptable one-over this newfound real one? The answer to this will lead us to Anno's final revelation about identity, and his possible solution to breaking free of the constructed identity and embracing the real.
This final revelation is the realization that the true reason behind choosing the constructed identity over the real is the fear of the real identity itself. In Miyazawa's case this is simple: she knows, as we know, that her true nature is a sweatshirt-clad slob whose favorite Sunday-afternoon activity is sleeping in front of the television; there is no question that she would fear revealing this to the public; she fears enough having revealed it to only one person in the second episode.[14] Arima is somewhat more complex, but still relatively easy to understand: he fears that his real identity is like that of his original father.[15] What is interesting to note at this point is that it is this fear, rather than Arima's oppressive family, which becomes the focal reason for Arima's desire to be the perfect student, as both he and the audience discover: he has been constructing an identity for himself so that he can mask out the potentially disastrous identity which is real. In both cases, we find that the real reason behind choosing the constructed image is to mask the possibly terrible true nature of the self.
<cont.>
Freudian theory, however, fails in one respect: Shinji has no mother, and thus should experience an irresolution of the Oedipal complex. In this case, Lacanian theory serves better, as it focuses equally on the father-figure without so much requiring the intermediary mother. Lacan's father represents the governing center of the Symbolic order. And what is this "Symbolic order" of which Lacan speaks? The Symbolic order is the stage of development in which a child learns to represent existing, real objects with symbols, such as words and language. According to Lacan, the father, who is the center of the Symbolic order, controls the meanings of these symbols, and thus creates identities for those symbols. This Center, or father, thus creates the identities of those symbols by defining their purposes and giving them meaning.[9] Shinji's father, then, is the literal form of the Lacanian father, and, just as the identities of symbols are created by the Center, Shinji's identity is created and controlled by his father. In fact, this dynamic of control is even reflected in the literal plot of Evangelion itself, in Shinji's working for the organization controlled by his father. Shinji becomes nothing more than a tool working for his father-in fact, Gendo explicitly says so in the first episode[10]-and thus his purpose and his identity are defined by the owner of that tool. Just as Lacan's father determines the identity of symbols, Ikari Gendo determines the identity of his son.
Anno continues to explore the building blocks that make up the symbolic identity, and realizes that these blocks are often not made by other people, as was originally hypothesized above, but rather are made by oneself, based on what that individual thinks others would like. I think that you think that it's cool to be good at math, so I study hard to become a math expert. My identity is shaped by what I think you and others want. This forms the second step of Anno's analysis of the nature of our identity: his characters realize that their false identities are not forced on by others, but are rather self-imposed to please others. The most obvious implication of this is the potential for pretension. Such pretension becomes the focus of the female lead character in Kare Kano, Miyazawa Yukino, who has spent the first fourteen years of her life essentially putting on a show of being the perfect student. Why does she do so? This question is answered in the first episode of the series, which begins with the simple words, "What do others think of me?" and then goes on to show how Miyazawa, because of her desire to be praised by others, structures her life around what she thinks would impress others, so that they will think highly of her. In one humorous scene, we see her posing in front of a mirror, practicing various personality poses which she later uses in public.[11] What others think of her becomes her driving force in life, and, in effect, it defines her identity. Miyazawa's appearance as the perfect student is a constructed identity, a persona built out of what she sees as the symbolic perfect student. And she chooses to accept this identity over the real because of the praise she receives from others-in effect, Anno is hypothesizing that we choose the constructed identity because we believe that others are more willing to accept it.
Soryu Asuka Langley, the third pilot to appear in Evangelion, exhibits a similar desire to be lauded by others, and similarly constructs an identity, the identity of being an Eva pilot, around that desire.[12] And to a degree so does Shinji, but his case, as expected, is more complex. For Shinji, piloting the Eva is more an obligation than a source of pride; he performs his job mainly so that he won't see others being hurt. Yet Shinji's reasons go beyond merely a sense of obligation; he is, in fact, afraid that his existence has no meaning beyond piloting the Eva.[13] This is not simply a pathetic lament. As J.S. points out, Shinji, in the beginning of the series, really has no identity of his own, possibly because of his unresolved Oedipal complex forcing him to remain stuck in the third stage of Freudian development, thus hindering his formation of identity. And without a real identity of his own, Shinji's only identity, as the Eva pilot, is one which is constructed by his desire to please others-his desire to please the people of Tokyo 3, his desire to please his surrogate mother-figure Misato, his desire to please his father.
This analysis of Shinji having no real identity works well until about the middle of the series, when Shinji gradually resolves his developmental problems and is actually able to develop an identity of his own. K.G. notes that Shinji's Eva contains the soul of his mother, and A.Y.L. interprets this, combined with the implied symbolism of Shinji's entry plug penetrating the Eva (i.e., his mother), to the interpretation that Shinji resolves his Oedipal complex and thus begins to develop his own identity. Yet Shinji refuses this real identity and instead chooses to hide behind a persona he creates, a persona of cowardliness. What is this real identity, and why does Shinji still choose a constructed identity-even a socially unacceptable one-over this newfound real one? The answer to this will lead us to Anno's final revelation about identity, and his possible solution to breaking free of the constructed identity and embracing the real.
This final revelation is the realization that the true reason behind choosing the constructed identity over the real is the fear of the real identity itself. In Miyazawa's case this is simple: she knows, as we know, that her true nature is a sweatshirt-clad slob whose favorite Sunday-afternoon activity is sleeping in front of the television; there is no question that she would fear revealing this to the public; she fears enough having revealed it to only one person in the second episode.[14] Arima is somewhat more complex, but still relatively easy to understand: he fears that his real identity is like that of his original father.[15] What is interesting to note at this point is that it is this fear, rather than Arima's oppressive family, which becomes the focal reason for Arima's desire to be the perfect student, as both he and the audience discover: he has been constructing an identity for himself so that he can mask out the potentially disastrous identity which is real. In both cases, we find that the real reason behind choosing the constructed image is to mask the possibly terrible true nature of the self.
<cont.>