Self-abandonment is the most destructive force for a human being. In The Two Words of Isabel Allende, the dangers of a disturbed mind are explored through the character of the Colonel and his relationship not only with others but also with himself. The psychoanalytic lens involves applying Freud's concept of the superego, ego, and id to a character to further analyze their moral conscience, desires, and reasoning. The ability to balance these contradictory psychological forces is referred to as "ego strength." Performing psychoanalysis on the Colonel, it is clear that he has unhealthy ego strength due to his isolation from society, his desperation for love, and his heavy dependence on the Mulato. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the short story, the Colonel's consistent use of fear to maintain power eats away at his social life, showing his mental incompetence in managing his position as an authoritarian man. His intimidating reputation is described in the text as follows: “Both the Colonel and El Mulato had spent their lives fighting in the civil war, and their names were inextricably linked with devastation and calamity. The rebels burst into the city like a fleeing herd, shrouded in noise, drenched in sweat and leaving a hurricane of fear in their wake. The chickens took flight, the dogs fled for their lives, the women and children ran away…” (Allende, 3). This excerpt from the story describes how the Colonel is greatly feared by everyone in the city. The mere presence of his army causes people to scatter in horror. The effect they have on people shows why he does not have the opportunity to interact with citizens and have a normal two-way conversation. Instead of allowing the rebels to march peacefully into the city, they are compared to wild animals. As humans, they can be ordered to enter a city respectfully and prevent people from running out of their path. Choosing to remain feared rather than admired is a decision the Colonel has implemented in his army. However, this simply leads to the Colonel never relating to the citizens, plunging him further into isolation. This poor social life and lack of human connection is quite destructive, as shown throughout the narrative through the character of the Colonel. For example, later in the text we read: «For years he had slept in the open air, bitten by mosquitoes, eating iguanas and snake soup, but those small inconveniences were not the reason why he wanted to change his destiny» (Allende, 4). Using the psychoanalytic lens, his present unhealthy state of mind can be traced back to his past trauma as a soldier at war. The inhumanity that the colonel faced due to his living conditions and his unusual diet undoubtedly affected his psyche. In the quote, the colonel appears immune to the horrific experiences he experienced during the Civil War. Considering such unusual circumstances as minor inconveniences demonstrates the severity of his mental damage. His disturbing thought process is further justified by his perception of destiny. The Colonel believes that his destiny is to remain this fearsome figure and continue to have a negative impact on normal people. Accepting such desperate conditions demonstrates the dominance of man's superego. Instead of taking action and ensuring the comfort of others around him, he continues to live his life as a discouraging man. However, the identity of the colonel may differ. His deep desires comerevealed in the text when he explains to Belisa why he wants to become president. As we read in the text: “What really disturbed him was the terror he saw in people's eyes. He wanted to ride in a city under a triumphal arch with bright flags and flowers everywhere, he wanted to be acclaimed...” (Allende, 4). In this part of the narrative, the Colonel describes how his frightening ordeal in war is lighthearted alongside his desire for society's approval. The comparison between the colonel's horrible lifestyle during the war days and this desire for admiration of the people justifies the harsh reality of his state of mind. The traumatic moments he experienced during the civil war do not disturb him as much as his lack of social life. Analyzing these examples from the story, it is evident that the Colonel has convinced himself that he is destined to live a life devoid of human interaction and admiration. This punishment that the Colonel inflicted on himself shows how his past war experiences, combined with its negative impact on the community, result in his secluded lifestyle. His superego is dominant during this phase of his life, as he continues to live up to his fearsome reputation and further isolate himself rather than approach people in a friendly manner. The Colonel's inability to properly manage the psychological drives in his mind shows that he has had an unhealthy ego strength since the beginning of the narrative. Although the Colonel's superego is dominant at the beginning of the story, he quickly switches to his id when Belisa Crepusculario enters. his life. This lack of control over his emotional state further shows his weak ego strength. After forcing Belisa to help him write a presidential speech, the colonel falls madly in love with her. In the story, his perception of Belisa is described in detail, as it is narrated: “The man felt the smell of a mountain cat emanating from the woman, a burning heat radiating from her hips, heard the terrible whisper of her hair and a breath of sweet mint whispered in his ear the two secret words that were his alone” (Allende, 5). The intense vocabulary used to describe the passion of his love is effective in conveying the Colonel's feelings. However, this wave of desire, which is dominant in the id of the mind, does not disappear in the next instant. Indeed, the severity of his love is crucial to his character. This exact description of Belisa is repeated later in the story, as we read on page 6, "...her senses were inflamed with the memory of her wild scent, her burning heat, the whisper of her hair and her sweet breath of mint in his ear…” (Allende, 6). The terminology used here refers to when the colonel first fell in love with Belisa. This use of repetition shows that his passion for Belisa is significant reside in his Id show how this becomes the prevailing force of his ego strength. The power of his desires takes over not only his mental but also physical health. This is demonstrated by his fall, as it is said: "... he began to walk around like a sleepwalker, and his men realized that he might die before he even sat down in the presidential chair" (Allende, 6). The colonel's irresponsible handling of his wishes almost brings him to the point of dying . As an adult, this shows that there is no adolescent phase or hormonal change present to account for his lack of control over his desires. Going from having a dominant superego to the id after meeting a stranger for a couple of days shows the Colonel's unbalanced approach to managing his desire for Belisa, who ultimately.