Critical Lens Analysis Of 'The Ill-Mannered Guest'

Ayesha Palma Mrs. Tarascio ENG4U March 23, 2024 Critical Lens Analysis of “The Ill-Mannered Guest” The poem Ill-Mannered Guest delves into the intricacies of human relationships and how these interconnections could feasibly lead to encounters of disruptive presence to an individual or conceivably to a society. Through the analysis of the Psychoanalytic lens, one can reveal how these concealed desires and motives shape the poem’s fundamental concept: A cycle of dread and helplessness to a persona caused by a single destructive character, the id, can be influenced by the ego’s reality principle which can ultimately conduct sentiments of toxic dynamics. With reference to the concept of the id, it is portrayed in the poem as the unfamiliar guest

The quotation uses the literary device of personification to give human characteristics to a nonhuman or an abstract object. The phrase “work his way” implies an intentional action that is commonly linked to human beings. This creates the illusion that a non-human entity is acting with determination and liberty. Along with that, this is where the idea of a persona becomes relevant. In regards to the persona in the poem, a mask that reveals a person’s desired perception and view in society, it is someone who is believed to be an individual of good nature derived from the quote, “so I seat him in the living room and make him tea and toast.” This signifies an idea of an individual’s hospitality and friendliness in the midst of catastrophic events. Overall, the quote emphasizes the persona's vulnerability to outside threats in contrast to the efforts made to maintain composure. The line uses the literary device of juxtaposition. When the visitor is portrayed as disruptive, the polite act of offering tea and toast to them in the poem becomes ironic, emphasizing the contrast between the speaker’s attempt at politeness and the visitor’s absence of manners. Proceeding to the idea of ego, the ego regulates the superego and id, and acts in accordance to the reality principle to keep balance. Concerning

The quote “But he just stands there knowing exactly where it’s going, smiling as he weighs up what vile mischief is in range” further proves this proposition as it attributes human-like qualities to the following concept, in particular, the wrecking side of the persona’s mentality where it sends a message of how a troublemaker is present and stays to take mischievous actions. Lastly, the use of imagery from the poem in the quote “smears it on things he knows will upset me the most” enhances the reader’s comprehension of the destructive aspect’s by providing a vivid picture of its intentional and mischievous behavior by the guest. In conclusion, the poem “The Ill-Mannered Guest” explores the intricate dynamics of human relationships with the involvement of the elements id, persona, and ego. The poem goes beyond the notion that, despite the ego's rationalization of these thoughts, a cycle of fear and powerlessness felt by the persona and generated by the id can have negative psychological effects on a