Death’s Head Revisited vs. Was it a Dream? by Kassim Santone
The human psyche is a fragile structure comprised of a series of defense mechanisms held together like a Jenga tower, when the right piece is pulled the entire construct crumbles. Gunther Lutze from “Death’s Head Revisited” and the narrator from “Was it a Dream?” are both prime examples of the vulnerability of the human psyche, both stories depict how suddenly men can have their entire sense of self shattered. A majority of the plot in both stories occurs in a location which holds significant meaning to the main character’s life. Their intentions in returning to these places are to fulfill an unconscious desire to unveil their true thoughts with regard to specific experiences which profoundly impacted them (this is known as introspection). Both characters have a spiritual plight occupying their psyche, however they are unaware of what is causing this (on a conscious level) and so by returning to the place that they deep down know is responsible for their plight they will be able to find the answers they are looking for. The stories’ plotlines both develop in a similar style, in the beginning, both plotlines show the main characters as completely unaware of their true state of mind (fears, desires etc.). As the stories progress you can see an internal struggle occurring between the person they want to be and the person they know they are. As much as they want to be the former they have both embarked on a self-inflicted journey of introspection with the subconscious intent of meeting the latter, which they both eventually do. The stories both leave the reader with a question. Is ignorance bliss? Gaining awareness of the things around you (and the things inside of you) is a crucial component of making progress in life, but sometimes