The Psychoanalysis (Id, Ego, And Superego) In X-Men: First Class Movie - Analysis Study

Aug 25, 2026

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Characters in literature are individuals shaped by moral, intellectual, and emotional qualities revealed through dialogue and actions, and they remain essential to a film’s meaning. This research applies Freud’s psychoanalytic framework of id, ego, and superego to Erik Lehnsherr in X-Men: First Class. Using a qualitative method, the study identifies 23 instances: 6 id, 10 ego, and 7 superego, showing id in urgent mother-related situations, ego in calmer logical responses, and superego when Erik faces conflicts with his moral code.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Psychoanalysis and character portrayal

Freud’s id, ego, and superego

Research focus and object

The Psychoanalysis (Id, Ego, And Superego) In X-Men: First Class Movie Faradilla Artya Susanti 1, Desthia Amalia2*, Nuri Adlina3 1Faculty of Letters and Cultures Gunadarma University Jakarta, Indonesia [faradhilaas1124@gmail.com](faradhilaas1124@gmail.com) 2Faculty of Letters and Cultures Gunadarma University Jakarta, Indonesia [desthiamalia@gmail.com](desthiamalia@gmail.com) *Corresponding Author 3Faculty of Letters and Cultures Gunadarma University Jakarta, Indonesia [Adlina.nuri@gmail.com](Adlina.nuri@gmail.com) Abstract—Characters in literature are individuals portrayed in a story who possess moral, intellectual, and emotional qualities inferred from their dialogue and actions. They are the people within a narrative, each with their own distinct personalities and behaviors. Therefore, the characters hold an important role in a movie. The characters can be seen through the psychoanalysis approach. The researchers through this research aims to find out the Id, Ego, and Superego found in Erik Lehnsherr's character depicted in X-Men: First Class movie. The character of Erik Lehnsherr’s as a mutant attracts the interest of the researchers to use the psychoanalysis theory proposed by Sigmund Freud. The researchers conduct the research using qualitative method. After collecting and analyzing the data, the researchers found 23 data of Erik Lehnsherr’s id, ego and superego in the X-Men: First Class movie. There are 6 data of Id, 10 data of Ego, and 7 data of Superego. Based on the analysis, it is evident that Erik's Id manifests in urgent situations, particularly those related to his mother, whom he deeply cares for. On the other hand, Erik's Ego becomes apparent when he is in a calmer state, allowing him to approach situations more logically while still being influenced by his impulsive and aggressive tendencies. Furthermore, Erik's Superego emerges when he is confronted with situations that conflict with his personal moral code, which has been shaped by his traumatic past as a mutant. Keywords—Psychoanalysis, X-Men: First Class, Erik Lehnsherr, Id, Ego, Superego. I. INTRODUCTION Literature, as Eagleton (1996) defines it, encompasses imaginative writing, particularly fiction, which is not factually true. This includes various forms such as poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama, and prose. In this context, the focus is on the cinematic form of literature, as described by Hornby (2006) as a series of moving pictures with sound that narrates a story, typically shown in cinemas. The elements of a movie, including setting, conflict, character, dialogue, theme, plot, and climax, are essential components, as highlighted by Hornby. These elements contribute to the immersive experience and identity work that movies can evoke, as discussed by (Gauld et al., 2019) . Furthermore, the analysis of movies through the lens of postmodernism, as outlined by (Khan & Khan, 2019), provides a framework for understanding the intertextual elements and features of movies like "Tangled" (2010) . Additionally, the influence of a movie's quality on its performance, particularly in evoking emotional responses and fulfilling audience needs, has been studied by (Zhuang et al., 2014) . The impact of movies on various aspects of society, such as smoking behavior among adolescents, has also been explored, as evidenced by Tickle (2001) and (Soneji et al., 2012) . One of the fundamental components of a film is the portrayal of characters. Characters are the individuals depicted in a dramatic or narrative piece, and are perceived by the audience as possessing specific moral, intellectual, and emotional attributes based on their dialogue and actions (Abrams & Harpham, 2009) . Based on the definition of character mentioned by some experts beforehand, thus the researchers see the character holds an important role in a movie. Therefore, characters are one of the most important elements in a movie. They are the ones who tell the stor

FAQs

What psychoanalysis framework does the study use to analyze Erik Lehnsherr?

The study uses Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of id, ego, and superego to examine Erik Lehnsherr’s character in X-Men: First Class.

How many data instances of id, ego, and superego are identified?

The study finds 23 instances in total: 6 id, 10 ego, and 7 superego.

In what situations does Erik’s id, ego, and superego appear according to the analysis?

Erik’s id appears in urgent situations, especially those tied to his mother; his ego appears when he is calmer and responds more logically; his superego emerges when he faces situations conflicting with his moral code shaped by his past trauma.

Aug 25, 2026

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