Was That A Freudian Slip, Bauer?

What's the latest buzz, maggots?

Well, the Major wants us to analyze one of our greatest American Heroes. No, I'm not talking about Superman! That cape-wearing pansy isn't even on the same level as this guy! I'm talking about someone who should be even more of a household name: Jack Bauer. If you don't know him, though, he's a counter-terrorism operative, and the hero of the hit TV show, 24. What can be said about Jack? In the pilot episode alone, it's evidenced how much he loves his family and his country, and that he'll stop at nothing to ensure that both remain safe and secure. But what more could be said about those characteristics? Well, let's take a look at this hero through the eyes of Sigmund Freud. Freud, as we all know, was the founder of psychoanalysis as we know it today. He even went so far as to challenge the Medical Establishment of Vienna with his theories. He's credited as a sharp mind whose service has greatly benefited us today. Many people (fictional and real) have been analyzed through a Freudian perspective. How could we properly analyze Jack Bauer through Freudian conventions? Well, sit tight and let's begin.

Perhaps Jack's most distinctive characteristic is the fact that he will stop at nothing to ensure his country's safety, along with his family's. In the pilot episode, he goes so far as to tranquilize another of his fellow coworkers in order to gain access to a hidden bank account that could prove the existence of a rogue operative within the system. In addition, he even manages to hack into his runaway daughter's email account in order to figure out where she had run off to for the evening. This proves that he is incredibly focused on maintaining integrity both within his work-life and his home-life. This strong, goal-directed focus could be signs of neurotic behavior, which, according to Freud, is an enactment of essentially childish fears and anxieties.

What sorts of anxieties could be afflicting Jack so much that it would affect his behavior? It is revealed that Jack is returning home to be with his family once again, after a tumultuous affair with a coworker created a rift between Bauer and his wife. Perhaps it is the strong desire for a united family once more that drives Jack to act so aggressively in maintaining a positive home structure. He transfers this need for a positive structure into his workforce as well, aggressively trying to weed out the rogue operative within his organization in order to find out who he can still trust. I'm sure that if Freud watched more than just the pilot episode, though, he'd have far more to say on our hero.

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