Body 3

Whether or not Marlow has a suppressing ego and super-ego is made unclear by his inconsistent behavior. When he arrives at the congo, he has morals and sensibility and therefore it is clear that his ego and super-ego are functioning. The ego and the super-ego use rationality to repress the id’s dark and instinctual thoughts. “And thus neither that fireman nor I had any time to peer into our creepy thoughts” (Conrad 45). Marlow is aware that he has the ability to think unnecessary thoughts, but Conrad’s use of “peer into” suggests that Marlow’s ego and super-ego may suppress them. Although Marlow can restrain his impulsive actions and think with rationality, his id may seep through and block his good intentions. When he has to chose between the “strong lusty, red-eyed devils” (Conrad 20), the cannibals and the “weak-eyed devil or rapacious and pitiless folly” (Conrad 20), the pilgrims, he “stood on this hillside” (Conrad 20)  and “foresaw that in the blinding sunshine of that land” (Conrad 20)  that “he would become acquainted with a flabby” (Conrad 20). He didn’t want to become weak. He used his heart to chose to be associated with the cannibals because they were true to themselves. But he also choses to be associated with people that eat one another. Allowing his super-ego to control the choice of a lifestyle that is true to what he believes in is controversial because, of the demoralization of mankind.