Psychoanalysis of the Walking Dead (Rick Grimes)

The television show the Walking Dead has been a smash hit since it was

first aired in 2010. The show follows the storyline of a variety characters and how

they are dealing with the supposed apocalypse and emergence of the undead. The

main character of the series is Rick Grimes, a former sheriff in a small town in

Georgia. Throughout the show Rick has progressed from a loyal husband and

father to now front figure of his group. The teachings of Carl Jung represent the many different aspects of Rick, speaking through the archetype, personal unconscious and ego.

Carl Jung a psychiatrist believed that the archetype is defined as “models of people, behaviors or personalities,” (About.com, Web). The archetype is also part of the collective unconscious which is explained in Jung’s work. Rick Grimes has the personality for the archetype of the “father” which Jung referred to being seen as the authority figure, as well as being stern and powerful. Although the collective unconscious is hard to define for certain parts of humanity, in the Walking Dead the collective unconscious is clearly the instance of survival.

The archetype shows in Rick Grimes, when the audience first meets Rick. In the pilot for the

Walking Dead, Rick is wounded in a hospital room from a gunshot wound which he received while working. As Rick emerges from the room he realizes that something is amiss. While he has been unconscious, a disease has spread and decimated society. Rick Grimes first instinct is to return home and seek safety for his family. At this point, it clearly shows that Rick’s archetype is the “father” figure because he his first instinct is to see if his family is safe. Whereas other people would have given up and succumbed to their fate.

Rick Grimes has suffered through many tragedies during the show specifically during the third season of the Walking Dead. In this season, Rick and his group have taken refuge in an abandoned prison. At first the prison seems suitable and meets the groups need to survive, but then tragedy soon strikes. Rick suffers a tremendous loss when his wife Lori who is with child, is killed after an invasion of the undead. Although Lori’s child is saved and Rick has a child to help him seek solace with his wife’s passing, it takes a tremendous toll on Rick. The viewer can see the toll on Rick’s personal unconscious throughout the rest of season three. The personal unconscious is defined as the part of the brain that suppresses memories. Throughout the third season Rick is haunted by seeing hallucinations of his dead wife Lori. It is implied that he sees these hallucinations because he feels guilty that he could not save his wife, who he swore to protect. This is clearly illustrated through the personal unconscious, because it shows that since

Rick has tried to forget certain aspects of his suffering that his guilt has surfaced through these supposed hallucinations. With the help of his group, Rick is able to overcome the hallucinations, but his grief still remains for his wife throughout the show.

In season four, the viewer has seen that Rick has matured after the death of his wife and has created a community in the prison. Although, there are now requirements for people who are welcomed into the community. Before a new community member is welcomed into the community, they are asked three specific questions, how many walkers have you killed, how many people have you killed and if so, why? These three questions show Rick’s ego and how it has matured throughout the seasons until this point. The ego is defined as who we are and how we develop our personality. In the first season, Rick is a father figure to his son and a loyal husband to his wife, which is then thrown into disarray, when the apocalypse strikes. At first,

Rick seeks mercy on those who are seeking solace in him but as the seasons progress, so does

Rick’s ego. After Lori’s passing in season three, refugees come to Rick to seek shelter in the prison, instead of seeking pity, Rick blatantly refuses and makes the refugees leave. This shows that Rick a once kind man, has come to trust no one but the group that he has formed throughout the show.

Although this seems like only the beginning of Rick’s journey through the now decimated world, throughout all of the grief that he is stricken with he still keeps fighting for a better life, whether for him or his family. Rick Grimes could be the perfect embodiment of Carl

Jung’s theory in the idea of archetype, that not only as Rick mature and his behavior and attitude has changed but his idea of being the figurehead or father has never changed. Even though, Rick has had countless obstacles thrown at him, he still seems to overcome them. Rick does mention though in one season that his group will fight to the end to survive no matter what it takes,

“Things don't get better because you want them to. Starting now, we have to live in the real world. If you don't fight, you die.” (Walking Dead, Television) This quote not only shows how much Rick has learned about himself but also how he can survive in the now decimated world.

Sources Page

Television / Radio Quote: Self Help." The Walking Dead. AMC. Atlanta, GA, n.d. Television.

Television Show: Darajong, Frank. "The Walking Dead." The Walking Dead. AMC. Atlanta,

GA, n.d. Web. .

Photograph: Walking Dead One Sheet Poster. N.d. Web. .

Web: "What Are Jung's 4 Major Archetypes?" About.com Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov.

2015. .