Chapter 4, The Self, Chapter 5, Beyond Heroism Summary and Analysis

The self forms its identity as it goes on its journey into life. The self first forms the ego, and then has to find his or her soul. The metaphor for this experience is the ancient kingdom and its king. The king is wounded and is suffering. A young knight has to go out and find the holy grail, or the answer to a riddle, and then cure the king. Christ can be the wounded king, in a sense, who is crucified and later resurrected. The symbolic elements can also involve the erotic and give the ego a sense of the sexual. The king is wounded in the genitals and must have his genitals made whole again. The male symbolizes the active force while the female, the caregiver, is the nurturing...