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Psychoanalysis of Spider-Man

Julia P. Langdal-Sittu Grand Canyon University PSY 255 October 11, 2020

2 Psychoanalysis of Spider-Man “With great power comes great responsibility.” Peter Parker’s greatest life lesson came with personal tragedy as he watched his Uncle Ben die. Later, he would realize that his inaction and apathy inadvertently led to Ben’s death. That trauma would inform his personality development and his actions as the superhero Spider-Man. This essay will provide a psychoanalytic analysis of Spider-Man/Peter Parker’s personality and observable psychological issues. Imagine that a fictional character has come to you for therapy, and you are writing up your case report on this person. The introductory paragraph should provide a brief introduction to the character you chose and include your thesis. Demographics In this paragraph, provide basic demographic information about the character (gender, age, race, location, profession, etc.). History In this section, explore the personal history of the character. Include any notable childhood experiences (positive and negative) that you are aware of. Also note any significant events from adolescence and adulthood. This could include things like the death of a family member, divorce, psychological trauma, physical or psychological abuse, difficult relationships with friends or family, oppression, prejudice, etc. Presenting Problem This is where you may have to use your imagination a bit more. Again, you are imagining that you are a psychoanalytic therapist and this character has come to you for therapy. When you think about the character, what behaviors, feelings, or thoughts do you think would lead to them seeking therapy? Do they exhibit personality traits that stand out from everyone else around them? Try to identify any

3 maladaptive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that might cause this individual to seek out (or be sent to) therapy. Also identify personality traits that might cause distress or dysfunction. Analysis of Problem In this section, you will analyze the character’s “problem,” by which we mean the distressing/dysfunction personality traits, thoughts, feelings, or behaviors discussed above. Choose two psychoanalytic theorists and present a brief summary of how each theorist would analyze the character. Freudian Analysis For example, Spider-Man’s guilt over the death of Uncle Ben drove him to become a vigilante superhero; he may have an irrational belief that if he can just help enough people, he can atone for the death of Uncle Ben. This is an irrational belief because (a) Uncle Ben would have forgiven him; (b) if his guilt is that significant, he will never be satisfied with his work; and (c) he must forgive himself before he will see any relief from his guilt. Saving the world from supervillains will not replace self-compassion. Freud would likely view the origin of Spider-Man’s irrational belief as an overactive superego that in turn become overly active due to the original activity of the id. When Spider-Man let the burglar run away from the wrestling arena, his id may have been in control, as that was a destructive, self-serving action. After he realized that the same burglar killed Uncle Ben, it caused his superego to overwhelm his ego and id, and his continued work as a superhero is a manifestation of the superego’s drive to be morally clean. Jungian Analysis If I had more time while creating this template, I would make up a Jungian analysis. It would probably have something to do with a lack of individuation and the overreliance on the persona archetype. Conclusion Brief summary of the person and their issues. 

4 References You need at least 2-3 scholarly sources. Please also cite the book/show/movie you drew your character from....