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Flannery O'Connor's Others: Freud, Lacan, and the Unconscious

1989; Duke University Press; Volume: 61; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/2926998

1527-2117

James M. Mellard,

Flannery O'Connor and Thomas Merton

ions of human law, authority, Otherness. By resistance old man's narcissistic identification with her, Mary Fortune forces old man look at difference not only between him but also between an individual tree-perhaps tree-and backdrop of sacred, sacramental woods. The are special because of their identification, O'Connor, with figure of Christ. The first paragraph of story speaks of black line of which appeared, Christ-like, to walk across water (CS, p. 335; LA, p. 525). The sacramental significance becomes much clearer in episode, near story's end, when old man fails see it. Several times during afternoon, O'Connor writes, got up from bed looked out window across 'lawn' line of she said they wouldn't be able see any more. Every time he saw same thing: . . . , just woods (CS, p. 348; LA, p. 538). Though intended significance of Other is lost on old man, it is clear in text that Otherness they represent is God or God's double, Christ. The third time he got up look at woods, it was almost six o'clock gaunt trunks appeared be raised in a pool of red light that gushed from almost hidden sun setting behind them. The old man stared for some time, if for a prolonged instant he were caught up out of rattle of everything that led future were held there in midst of an uncomfortable mystery that he had not apprehended before. He saw in hallucination, f someone were wounded behind trees were bathed in blood. (CS, p. 348; LA, p. 538; emphasis added) In O'Connor's theological terms, it is evident that old man's rejection of significance of vision is a rejection well of Christian salvation. In Lacanian terms, rejection simply means that he has clung enervating engagements of childish narcissism. That narcissism will not only lead him death, but it will also lead death of one who has been narcissistic other, better self, potentially guide-should he follow her-to grace. By rejecting Other signified in O'Connor's text, old man Fortune rejects knowledge of limits imposed This content downloaded from 207.46.13.129 on Sun, 26 Jun 2016 07:29:27 UTC All use subject http://about.jstor.org/terms 640 American Literature what Freudians call castration, what we might call limitation or finitude, Lacan calls Law of Name-of-the-Father. All imagery of blood found in old man's vision of joins Christian psychoanalytic themes, for it may be associated not with Crucifixion alone but also with castration, father's imposition of ultimate authority over son. The rejection of knowledge of castration connotes a determination remain within untrammeled domain of narcissism. Since old man's narcissistic image of self-the child-has now manifested a contrary determination ally herself with father-Pitts-and thus with Name of Father (theologically, God; psychoanalytically, Other), she no longer satisfies old man Fortune's identificatory narcissistic needs, which have now been transferred that serpentine storeowner, Tilman. is immediately transformed, old man's psyche, into an image of bad other, one who must be dealt with aggressively child's mother. In he now sees the look, simple, he felt personally stained if it had been found on own (CS, p. 351; LA, p. 54I). So, he thinks, his trouble with had always been that he had not shown enough firmness. He had been too generous (CS, p. 352; LA, p. 542). Thus he must exercise an authority over such that exercised In what can only be regarded, psychoanalytically, a usurpation, old man Fortune attempts perform same disciplinary tactic He takes child the exact spot where he had seen take belt her (CS, p. 353; L,A, p. 544). But Mary Fortune, who now has accepted knowledge of law in name of father, recognizes that name is not Fortune but Yet it is not name so much law of name that is important. Though she repeatedly denies old man that has beaten her, she does so for a simple reason: it was law punishing her, not anyone, least of all not mere fleshly father. Thus she is not about accept old man's usurpation of father's lawful authority without a fight. When Fortune tries beat her, She was on him so quickly that he could not have recalled which blow he felt first. Making him feel as if he were being attacked not one child but a pack of small demons all with stout brown school shoes This content downloaded from 207.46.13.129 on Sun, 26 Jun 2016 07:29:27 UTC All use subject http://about.jstor.org/terms O'Connor's Others 641 small rocklike fists (CS, p. 354; LA, p. 545), child forces old man at least momentarily acknowledge what he really is: Stop! he wheezed. your grandfather! paused, face exactly on top of his. Pale identical eye looked into pale identical eye. Have you had enough? she asked. The old man looked up into own image. It was triumphant hostile. You been whipped, it said, by me, then it added, bearing down on each word, and I'm Pitts. (CS, p. 355; LA, p. 545; emphasis added) In those words O'Connor suggests that old man has glimpsed Other; it is not Mary Fortune who speaks (despite what most critics infer); instead, it is it, Id, Other indicated in saying of Freud that Lacan fastens upon: Wo es war, soll Ich werden (Ecrits, pp. 128-29, 171, 299-300, 31314), meaning, Where It/Id is, there also shall I/Ego be. The I is determined, Freud Lacan say, Other of unconscious. The child is now, at least in old man's eye/ I, an extension not of himself but of Oedipal arch-enemy Were old man remain in Symbolic subjugation he would in effect be in proper place on Lacanian quadrangle of subject. The quadrangle's four points-based in Lacan's description on game Puss-in-the-Corner, says Catherine Clement 2`are subject, other, moi, Other. Narcissistic interactions, Lacan teaches, are located on axis lying between moi, unconscious self that is founded on subject's experience of language images absorbed in infancy. When it is neurotically attached narcissistic engagements, subject (called je, I, Lacan) effectively denies authoritative Other that underlies all normal psychic effects. This Other is located, in quadrangle of Fortune's psyche, where PURE Pitts stands; Fortune's narcissistic other (note little o) is located where pure FORTUNE stands, represents overweening demands of infantile narcissism. Again, were old man remain beneath Mary Fortune PITTS, he would signify proper, or normal, relation that Other for which she now 12 The Lives Legends of Jacques Lacan, trans. Arthur Goldhammer (New York: Columbia Univ. Press, I983), p. i66. This content downloaded from 207.46.13.129 on Sun, 26 Jun 2016 07:29:27 UTC All use subject http://about.jstor.org/terms 642 American Literature substitutes. But he does not accept that subjugation. Worse yet, he destroys quite finally any opportunity he will ever have achieve a relation. With a sudden surge of strength, he managed roll over reverse their positions so that he was looking down into face that was own but had dared call itself With hands still tight around neck, he lifted head brought it down once hard against rock that happened be under it. Then he brought it down twice more. Then looking into face in which eyes, slowly rolling back, appeared pay him not slightest attention, he said, There's not an ounce of in me. (CS, p. 355; LA, p. 545) He can now look down on conquered image, but that image is no longer merely narcissistic image that has be overcome; having become very image of Other, child takes with opportunity for what O'Connor would regard Christian grace what Lacan would regard opportunity gain or regain psychic normality. Killing child who is PITTS now, old man kills not mirroring, narcissistic, Imaginary other, but Other in register of Symbolic-a far graver crime, indeed, one that in psychoanalytic terms equals murder of God in Christian subject's denial of God's grace.