A psychological analysis of Evan Whitesky from “Moon of the Crusted Snow.”
The human condition is a fascinating idea reflecting the struggle between light and darkness within humans. It can be explored through literary lenses to better understand why humans behave as they do. The theories of one of the most celebrated psychologists, Sigmund Freud, help examine the human psyche and its complexities. In the novel Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice, the protagonist, Evan Whitesky, demonstrates resilience, highlighted after his community faces a complete blackout. Evan Whitesky's resilience can be explained by his tripartite psyche, which reveals his urge to protect his family and the community. Evan Whitesky has a developed psyche which, when examined, can show how his
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Evan’s desire to help is shown when he "save[s] some [meat] for others who might run out before winter's end"(Rice 5). Through Evan's superego, which makes the moral decision to help others, he has now prioritized morals in his id, making it an unconscious desire to help others. In the face of adversity, this id comes into play, where the primary goal is survival. Evan shows resilience and tries to instill hope among community members by handing out flyers to the entire reserve to raise their hopes. He wants to see his community happy, so his id points him towards helping others instead of fulfilling his wants. Furthermore, Evan can switch between his id and superego. For instance, when he first sees Justin Scott coming from afar, Evan pulls out his rifle for precaution. He felt that Justin