Bringing the Power Together: Willow's Four Personalities

Back in 2004, I was in grad school, and had the amazing opportunity to take a class on Buffy (this is what led to my thesis and book, but that's another story). I was recently reminded of this paper and decided to post it for anyone interested. Do keep in mind this was written many years ago, but it's still a fairly solid analysis. 

August 10, 2004

Bringing the Power Together: Willow’s Four Personalities

Throughout the seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Willow Rosenberg evolves in stages: a shy and insecure high school outcast, a timid but enthusiastic computer nerd, a fairly confident magic user and girlfriend, and finally, through heartbreak and confusion a relatively balanced lesbian and a quite powerful witch. Upon losing Tara, Willow discovers yet another side to her personality: that of a pained, vengeful murderer. It is only in Season Seven that we see Willow begin to incorporate all of these aspects into her complete personality, finally stepping closer to becoming her true self.

One might argue that Willow doesn’t seem to know who she is, or that the writers couldn’t decide what type of personality they wanted for her. One might even argue that the adjustments and evolution of the character are unrealistic. However, the simple truth is that these changes are completely true to life. Willow, like Buffy’s other main characters, is fully developed and well-rounded. She has a history, and her personality has reason behind it. These various identities are not a result of poor writing, weak acting or an underdeveloped character. They are, in fact, the on-screen manifestation of Freud’s three major personality systems; the id, the ego and the superego.

Regardless which stage of development Willow was in, she had an almost constant association with witchcraft, magic and power. Whether she’s helping Giles with research, restoring Angel’s soul or trying to end the world, though she doesn’t realize it, she’s always got power. In her 2004 Slayage conference paper, Brandy Ryan reminds us that, as of “The Gift,” (5.22) Willow was the only one who had ever been able to harm Glory at all. Ryan says that “part of why Willow was able to hurt Glory lies in her magical ability, doubtless, but I believe there is also an aspect of involvement here: like Buffy, Willow’s ‘emotions give [her] power’” (Ryan, pg 11). The power, and the emotions which provide it, come from the id of Willow’s personality, often seen as the center of basic instincts and desires.

Willow is so controlled by her id that she is at times unable to focus on the task at hand. We see a perfect example of this in Season Four’s “Fear Itself” (4.4). Willow has the desire to help Buffy fight the impending evil, to help Oz during his unexpected change, and to help the party-goers who are trapped upstairs. All of these good intentions become unattainable to her because of the impulsive and selfish need to prove herself capable. In her attempt to show her magical competence, Willow conjures a guide which turns on her because she has no direction. In A Primer of Freudian Psychology, the id is explained as “the primary source of psychic energy…[it] is not governed by laws or reason or logic, and it does not possess values, ethics, or morality…it wants immediate gratification…is demanding, impulsive, irrational, asocial, selfish, and pleasure-loving” (Hall, 26). A further example of this impulsive behavior is seen in “Wild At Heart” (4.6) when Willow prepares to do a spell to “let Oz and Veruca’s deceitful hearts be broken…let them find no love or solace, let them find no peace as well.” She finds herself unable to follow through with the spell when reminded of her love for Oz by looking at a picture of him. Her desires are split and, as in “Fear Itself,” (4.4) they become jumbled and confused because the ego is not strong enough to take control.

In the next aspect of the personality, the ego, the desires and dreams of the id are evaluated and controlled. Willow’s ego is seen in her innocent and insecure nature, the friendly, helpful Willow that fixes Buffybot, takes care of Dawn, offers advice when Buffy is having relationship issues or feeling overwhelmed. The ego flirts with danger, but knows when to back off. It has the true power of the personality, and “in the well-adjusted person the ego is the executive of the personality, controlling and governing the id and the superego and maintaining commerce with the external world in the interest of the total personality and its far-flung needs” (Hall, 28). Obviously, Willow is not a well-adjusted person. Her id takes over far too often, pushed out of control by the slightest surge of emotion.

She revels in the escapism offered by indulging the impetuous id. In “Wrecked,” (6.10) after getting her “magic fix” from Rack and allowing Dawn to be injured, her only recourse, her best explanation for indulging in such dangerous activities and jeopardizing others was that it took her away from herself. “I was…free.” She freely admits that she was no longer in control, clearly stating, “I was out of my mind, I…I did things I can’t even…” There’s no way of knowing what she might have finished that sentence with. Perhaps she can’t believe she did those things, perhaps she was thinking of the fact that she can’t do anything to make amends for the things she has done. Regardless, being out of her mind is a metaphor for allowing the id to take control.

The magic creates a form of wish fulfillment for Willow, taking her to a place where she is in control, where she is no longer the quiet, insecure, outcast. Her ego ought to be in control, as stated earlier, but in her case, it is not. “Should the ego abdicate or surrender too much of its power to the id, to the superego, or to the external world, disharmony and maladjustments will ensue” (Hall, 28). Willow’s “maladjustments” are manifest in her insecurity, her intense desire to fit in and her willingness to follow others. She wishes to be special, to have power over others, to have excess knowledge, to make a difference. Her id uses magic to make those things happen.

Though Buffy’s mother plays a large part during the first five seasons of the show, she is the only regularly seen parent of all the primary characters. Sheila Rosenberg, Willow’s mother, is only seen in one episode, the entirety of which she spends debasing Willow’s interests, activities and choices. In “Gingerbread,” (3.11) Willow readily admits that her mother is “not interested in [her] extracurricular activities,” and even states that she prefers it that way. J.P. Williams addresses this in “Choosing Your Own Mother.” “Sheila fails to notice her daughter’s new haircut for almost a year, she has no idea who Willow is dating, and she thinks Willow’s best friend is named Bunny Summers. When Willow attempts to connect with her mother, her revelations are treated as delusions” (Wilcox, 67). These observations on the mother-daughter relationship are vital in understanding Willow’s personality and the fact that she is largely controlled by the id.

Her inner-child, the id, is the expressive part of her personality, understanding the deeply ingrained human desires without considering reason, logic or a sense of right and wrong. According to Freud, the superego primarily “serves the purpose of controlling and regulating those impulses whose uncontrolled expression would endanger the stability of society” (Hall, 34). Willow’s nature is clearly seen in “The Wish” (3.9) and “Dopplegangland” (3.16) when we are introduced to Vamp-Willow. The vampire version of Willow is uninhibited, embracing her heinous desires, be they murderous, sexual or simply cruel. Despite Buffy’s assurance that “a vampire’s personality has nothing to do with the person it was,” we know from Angel’s expression and unspoken words that this is not precisely true. Vamp-Willow offers insight into Willow’s inner-self, her true visage. As her power grows and her emotions become less controlled, we begin to see this more frequently because she has no built in filter to tell her when things are wrong. “The relatively long period during which the child is dependent upon the parents favors the formation of the superego” (Hall, 32). Sheila’s lack of parental involvement has prevented Willow’s superego from forming throughout her adolescence.

Willow’s overpowering id and severely lacking superego combine to allow her to continuously deny the darkness inside her. Jana Reiss asks, “How do we deal with the darkness inside ourselves? What happens when we become our own worst enemies, as the Scoobies do in the deeply noir sixth season?” (Reiss, 107). The darkness or “shadow self” is a Jungian concept which implies that “our darker double – is always with us.” Carl Jung posits the idea that people who deny the existence of this shadow self will cause destruction for those around them. Joss Whedon understands this and notes that “the most dangerous people are often those who are totally unaware of their dark sides” (Reiss, 114). Willow is one of these people. She spends the majority of the series in denial, unwilling to face her wrongs. She doesn’t want to take responsibility for her actions, seemingly with the childish fear of getting in trouble. In “Buffy vs. Dracula,” (5.1) we see Willow using magic on an outing at the beach. As she begins to explain the importance of balancing the elements, they are all drenched by a sudden storm. Willow’s disclaimer of “I didn’t do it! I didn’t do it!” is a prime example of her state of oblivion regarding her power and her dark side.

In “Flooded” (6.4) we finally see Willow taking ownership of her power after being called a “stupid girl” and a “rank, arrogant amateur” by Giles. She recognizes her power, but doesn’t see the consequences of her actions. When presented with the dangers of bringing Buffy back to life, Willow’s response is “Risk! Of what? Making her deader?” After seeking, and not finding, approval of her actions from Giles, she becomes defensive and petulant, much like a scolded teenager. “You’re right,” she says. “The magics I used are very powerful. I’m very powerful, and maybe it’s not such a good idea for you to piss me off.” These words only enforce Giles’ claim of arrogance, as well as showing her desire for control.

In spiritual or magical terms, Freud’s id and ego can be viewed as the “Lower Self” and the “Middle Self,” respectively. True Magick: A Beginner’s Guide describes the middle self as our normal waking consciousness and refutes the bad reputation of the id as a “sort of psychological slime pit of odd sexual fantasies and savage impulses.” Amber K explains that the Younger Self is actually “a powerful generator and channel of psychic energy, but often requires the guidance of the conscious self in order to be used constructively” (K, 61-62). We can easily see Willow’s emotions and instincts as powerful and in need of control. As stated earlier, the middle self, or ego, should be acting as a regulator of these instincts, but it falls short due to the imbalance between the three Freudian aspects of her personality.

In the seventh season, after studying with Giles and a powerful coven in England, Willow finally begins to find that balance and develop what Freud calls the superego. It is “the moral or judicial branch of personality,…represents the ideal rather than the real, and…is the person’s moral code” (Hall, 31). Willow was lacking this, just as she was lacking a strong mentor figure in her life. Giles was around since season one, but Willow never acknowledged her need of him. Jana Reiss recognizes this and offers a valid explanation for the delay. “Submitting ourselves to mentoring and direction is, at its foundation, an act of humility: we are acknowledging that we still have important lessons to learn.” Reiss goes on, explaining the control that must be relinquished “in exchange for wisdom and, we hope, greater maturity” (Reiss, 77). Willow, after attempting to end the world in her extreme suffering, finally reached a point where she could acknowledge the need for that greater maturity, and was willing to succumb to the teachings that Giles had to offer. If not for the role models and development opportunities granted to her while in England, Willow would likely never have reached the point of control that we saw near the end of the series. It was the training she received that allowed her superego to develop, thereby offering an inner voice to regulate the impetuous desires of the id.

Amber K offers yet another view. As a spiritual alternative to the superego, there is a High Self. She quotes Starhawk’s The Spiral Dance in saying it is, “…the High Self or God Self, which does not easily correspond to any psychological concept. The High Self is the Divine within, the ultimate and original essence, the spirit that exists beyond time, space, and matter. It is our deepest level of wisdom and compassion and is conceived of as both male and female, two motes of consciousness united as one.” In Willow’s case, it is through the High Self that she reaches for the Divine power within herself to consider the consequences of her actions, often being reluctant and sometimes refusing to perform magic due to her fear of her own dark side. It is also through her High Self that she discovers the strength to use her extreme power for good, when she “is transformed by goodness and light, looking toward heaven as she reaches within herself to strike a powerful blow against evil” (Reiss, 117). This power does indeed come from within Willow. It is the light to her shadow, the pure good to her veiny evil, and the right to her wrong. It is, in the course of the show, her character’s saving grace, the High Self finally offering redemption for the mistakes and horrors committed by her id.

Ultimately, in examining Willow’s evolution, and the development of her id, ego, superego and High Self, we are able to see the good and bad of a rounded character. She has conflict within herself, and finds her own resolution. She has trouble accepting her dark side, but finally seeks the guidance she needs. She shows a fear of the power within, but finally embraces the good it can bring when used properly. The final three episodes of the sixth season may leave a viewer wondering if there is any hope for Willow, any chance for redemption.

As Season Seven opens, and we learn that Willow has been studying with an English coven, the scene is set for the full circle spectrum of her character’s development. When asked if she wants to be punished, Willow states “I want to be Willow.” In actuality, she has always been Willow. Regardless of the personality aspects in control at any given time, the stages of her development have only expressed inner characteristics of her true self. Giles’ reply, “You are. In the end, we all are who we are, no matter how much we appear to have changed,” (7.1) exemplifies this truth. Despite her horrific deeds, her torture of Warren, her fatal intentions toward the world, there is a “good Willow” deep inside. Each and every one of us has good and bad aspects to our personalities. The impetuous id, the moralistic superego, the inner Divine, the balancing ego – these are aspects which reside in us all, and should be found, explored, identified, embraced and balanced. As Willow learned in England, it is only upon examining these segments of our personalities and understanding how they interact and that we are able to strengthen the balance in our own lives.

Works Cited

Hall, Calvin S. A Primer of Freudian Psychology. New York: World Publishing Company, 1954.

K, Amber. True Magick: A Beginner’s Guide. St. Paul: Llewellyn, 1990.

Reiss, Jana. What Would Buffy Do? The Vampire Slayer as Spiritual Guide. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004.

Ryan, Brandy. “‘It’s Complicated…Because of Tara’: History, Identity Politics, and the Straight White Male Author of Buffy the Vampire Slayer”. Slayage Conference, May 2004. 29 July, 2004. <http://www.slayage.tv/SCBtVS_Archive/index.htm>.

Wilcox, Rhonda and David Lavery. Fighting the Forces: What’s at Stake in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2002.