In the novel “The Cat’s Table”, Michael’s cousin, Emily de Saram gets involved with the Jankla Troupe and their plot to free the prisoner, Niemeyer. She becomes captivated by the troupe performer Sunil and through her infatuation she becomes blinded to reality. When comparing the events facing Emily to other characters like Michael and Ms. Lasqueti, the truth becomes distorted and varies from character to character. It is not concise and straight forward. It depends on the memories and impressions made by each individual. In the case of Emily the discrepancies between her id and super-ego leads to a repression made in her memories, and vast differences to the views of the other characters. Emily became completely captivated with Sunil with
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Perera, Emily began to show signs of discomfort in accomplishing the goal placed on her by Sunil. She began having second thoughts about the entire endeavor. This can be seen, “And when Perera had become impatient she walked away. She did not wish to continue the conversation. […] for some reason she had come back to restart her conversation […]” (235). Emily knew that she had to learn where the key was to free Niemeyer. However in the middle of the discussion to get this key she walks away. This is a result of her super ego coming out to show because she is realizing the gravity of what she is in the midst of doing. The super ego as discussed by Freud is the overly moralistic side of human behavior (Freud, 83). Emily succumbed to her super-ego at this instance when she walked away, because she knew the morality of what she was doing. This instance from Michael’s point of view is viewed as extremely strange because from his own knowledge of Emily he knows that when she is done with a conversation once it means she is done. This only increased his suspicion in Emily at the time once Mr. Parera was dead. Despite it being Emily’ super-ego that led to her walking back in a moment of doubt, in Michael’s eyes it looks as if she was preparing herself with the murder of Mr.
Perera, Emily began to show signs of discomfort in accomplishing the goal placed on her by Sunil. She began having second thoughts about the entire endeavor. This can be seen, “And when Perera had become impatient she walked away. She did not wish to continue the conversation. […] for some reason she had come back to restart her conversation […]” (235). Emily knew that she had to learn where the key was to free Niemeyer. However in the middle of the discussion to get this key she walks away. This is a result of her super ego coming out to show because she is realizing the gravity of what she is in the midst of doing. The super ego as discussed by Freud is the overly moralistic side of human behavior (Freud, 83). Emily succumbed to her super-ego at this instance when she walked away, because she knew the morality of what she was doing. This instance from Michael’s point of view is viewed as extremely strange because from his own knowledge of Emily he knows that when she is done with a conversation once it means she is done. This only increased his suspicion in Emily at the time once Mr. Parera was dead. Despite it being Emily’ super-ego that led to her walking back in a moment of doubt, in Michael’s eyes it looks as if she was preparing herself with the murder of Mr.