William Wilson, a story by EA Poe to reflect on

Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most recognized literary geniuses worldwide; and not only for his work, but also for his turbulent life, his death and the mysterious visits of a possible admirer to his grave. In short, in addition to giving us works as memorable as The Raven, has also become a figure closely linked to mystery; a character, without a doubt, very attractive and interesting. Among all his literary production, I would like to highlight one story in particular, william Wilsona short story that will bring us closer to the author’s subconscious already a topic widely discussed in literature: the theme of double or Doppelgänger.

Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19 in Boston, United States; He is considered the creator of the detective story, the innovator of the gothic novel and, without a doubt, a great master of horror. Psychological terror, the kind that investigates the human mind, that disturbs and makes us uncomfortable.

Perhaps, if Poe’s life had been a calm, balanced life and he had not had problems with alcohol or family problems, he would not have been the literary genius we know today. Poe’s life was, without a doubt, stormy; and we see that restlessness and mental torture that he experienced reflected in his works..

William Wilson It is one of EA Poe’s most interesting stories. It is a story that represents a renewal of the idea of ​​the double that was had in literature; It’s a before and after. William Wilson It is a first-person story, where the “author” introduces himself as William Wilson, although he warns us that it is a false name; The story focuses on the life of this character and a companion with the same first and last name who will haunt him throughout his life.

These two characters are not related in any way, but in addition to sharing a name, they share physical appearance; The “double” William Wilson will be the only character who manages to confront the “original” William Wilson, the only one who can overshadow him and surpass him.

Subconscious, double and literature

Psychoanalysis, despite what it may seem, can be very useful in the analysis of literary texts, especially those that have a greater symbolic load.. Psychoanalysis can be a very useful tool in literature, in The interpretation of dreams and Psychopathy of everyday life From Freud, the idea is exposed that dreams represent a release/expression of traumas in relation to the famous psychic structure: unconscious, preconscious and conscious. The unconscious tries to bring traumas to the surface and Freud interpreted dreams as a vehicle for this journey towards consciousness.

Literature and art have been seen as a mechanism similar to that of dreams, where authors, through metaphors and symbols, reveal possible traumas.. Freud groups together a series of phenomena that we see in literature: the appearance of the double, the dismembered body, magical thinking, etc.

Throughout the history of literature, we find a large number of symbols and metaphors that we can interpret thanks to psychoanalysis. One of the most studied cases is, perhaps, the Oedipus complex; We can find countless phallic symbols, forms of symbolic death of the figure of the father (elimination of the rival)… in countless poems and literary works. A good example of this would be the poem Mother by Dámaso Alonso; and in art, Saturn devouring his son by Goyaa work that has been interpreted from psychoanalysis and is related to cannibalism, melancholy, destruction and sexual problems.

Literature is an entry way to the unconscious, and this is not something that was born with Freud, but has been present throughout history.. For example, Aristotle said that, attending shows of Greek tragedies where authentic brutalities are observed, one gives free rein to the purging and purification of emotions. In literature and art we can observe all kinds of very unpleasant internal conflicts, but they represent a liberation.

The theme of the double is associated with the ideation of the soul, establishes a structure of duplicity and is manifested through mirrors, reflections (water), etc.. Therefore, when we analyze a literary or artistic work, it is interesting to pay attention to these small details, which can give us clues to the true meaning of the work.

Already in Antiquity, we find the mythological character of Narcissus, who falls in love with his reflection in the water, one of the first examples of the theme of the double; We also see this in some comedies of Plautus. Originally, the double had been seen as an element of comedy: confusing twins and telling something to the wrong twin, confusing situations that produce laughter, etc. However, especially With the arrival of Romanticism, the idea of ​​the evil double, of the “evil twin” appears and will receive a dramatic treatment, leaving comedy aside..

William Wilson goes one step beyond this drama, William Wilson’s double is not the classic evil twin, but is a character “superior” to him in some aspectsa character who will be a kind of voice of his conscience, is an improved version and, as a consequence, a threat to the protagonist’s pride.

The double theme William Wilson

The first-person narration and the date of birth of William Wilson (January 19, like Poe), invite us to a work with autobiographical tendencies.. Something that really does not surprise us considering the turbulent life of the author, William Wilson It would be a kind of awareness for Poe, a kind of sample of the internal struggle that the author was experiencing at that time.

The splitting of the personality is evident from the beginning, not only by the appearance of the double, but also by the name chosen: William Wilson. The initial, “W”, by itself implies duplicity and, in addition, is repeated in both the first name and the last name; something that, taking into account the plot of the work, has not been chosen at random.

William Wilson and his double become inseparable companions; something invites you to hate him and attack him because he is a threat, but at the same time, he feels a certain appreciation for his double, because he sees himself reflected in him. The similarities become more and more evident, with people twice as likely to copy their way of dressing and walking. In this sense, William Wilson is a daring character, who surpasses the barriers of legality and what is “socially correct”, he likes excesses and alcohol; His double, however, will try to sabotage Wilson’s plans.

The problem of the double is addressed in a bold and profound way in this work, the double becomes a true nightmare for the protagonist, a clear reflection of the author’s personal conflicts. The splitting of the personality will lead to an overwhelming situation, full of anxiety for the protagonist. and which, as expected in a work of this style, leads us to a spectacular ending where, of course, the figure of the mirror will not be missing.

In short, a narrative worthy of analysis, loaded with symbolic elements that deserves more than one reading and that brings us closer to Poe’s own problems. William Wilson It is an autobiographical story, where the author questions his own lifestyle and enters into a dialogue with his own conscience.

You might be interested…