Jungian Psychoanalysis of Thomas Shelby
For one of my graduate class I had to choose a T.V. character and view them through the lens of a theoretical approach of my choosing. Thomas Shelby is one of the greatest protagonists.
I chose Jungian Psychoanalysis because of the prominence of Thomas’ nightmares/flashbacks throughout the seasons. I hope you all enjoy!
Background of Thomas Shelby
Born in 1890 on a barge named ‘The January,’ Thomas Michael Shelby emerged into a challenging world as the second of five siblings in the Shelby family.
Growing up amidst the gritty streets of Small Heath, Birmingham, Tommy and his siblings faced adversity in the absence of their Gypsy parents, Arthur and Mrs. Shelby.
The Shelby family traced their roots to Gypsies of Irish descent, with hints of a familial connection to the Lee family through their mother.
Their upbringing involved navigating the complexities of Romani and Irish Traveller heritage, with a family friend, Charlie Strong, assuming the role of an ‘uncle’ during their formative years.
Tragedy struck in 1909 when Tommy’s mother, burdened by severe depression, took her own life by walking into a lake, leading to the abandonment of the children by their father.
Polly Gray, Tommy’s paternal aunt, stepped in as the caretaker and de facto head of the household. Polly’s resilience earned her immense respect from the Shelby siblings.
Tommy’s romantic life was marked by heartbreak. In his youth, he fell deeply in love with Greta Jurossi, an Italian girl whose untimely death via tuberculosis left him shattered.
Later, at the Appleby Fair in 1914, a fleeting encounter with Romani girl Zelda resulted in a pregnancy, but their connection was abruptly severed when Tommy was sent off to fight in World War I.
During the war, Tommy served as a Tunneller, engaging in covert and treacherous tunneling operations.
His wartime experiences left an indelible mark, leading to a drastic personality shift post-war.
Despite achieving the rank of sergeant major in the Small Heath Rifles, Tommy grappled with symptoms of PTSD, manifested through nightmares, flashbacks, and hallucinations.
The post-war period brought challenges in reconciling past relationships, including those with Greta and Zelda.
Tommy’s war record, distinguished by bravery at battles like Verdun and Somme, earned him medals of honor, portraying him as a respected figure both in the military and the streets of Birmingham.
Why I Chose Jungian Psychoanalysis
I chose Jungian Psychoanalysis because it gives an apt framework for tackling the complex psyche of Thomas Shelby.
This theoretical approach explores the unconscious, archetypes, and the process of individuation, which all will aid in the dissection of Tommy’s character.
At its core, Jungian psychoanalytic counseling aligns with Tommy Shelby’s need for individuation.
His struggles stemming from the trauma of WWI, familiar hardships, crime, and lost love have caused the self to have a false wrapping of his persona or the necessity of his mask to face the world.
Individuation in a counseling setting seems an ample way to tackle his need to confront the shadows of his past.
Also, Jung provides an archetypal framework that can be applied to better understand Tommy’s narrative.
His life can be seen through the lens of the hero’s journey, where Tommy’s life has been a battle of adversity fighting against any challenge that comes his way. His trials and tribulations become a guide towards self-discovery and redemption.
However, on the other hand you can view his life through the lens of the rebel or the ruler. These shadow archetypes can be seen in him as the series progresses.
Each season his empire grows stronger and his desire to break the status quo increases.
When I chose Tommy Shelby, dream analysis was the first technique that came to mind. Throughout the series you see a reoccurring nightmare of when he was a tunneler in WWI. Two Germans enter his tunnel and him and his team have to fight for their life tens of feet underground.
This causes an inability to sleep and a susceptibility towards opium addiction. These nightmares and flashbacks can by explored as symbolic representations of unresolved conflicts and suppressed emotions.
In essence, Jungian Psychoanalysis is an extremely fitting theoretical approach for Tommy Shelby.
Through its emphasis on individuation, archetypes, and dream analysis, this approach offers a nuanced framework to guide Tommy on a journey towards self-actualization and healing.
Jungian Psychoanalysis provides a therapeutic path that will allow Tommy to navigate his shadows (Jung, 2014).
Symptoms/Issues
The most prominent of his struggles is the pervasive presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition stemming from his harrowing experiences as a Tunneller during World War I.
Tunnelers or clay kickers were “tasked with digging long tunnels underneath contested no-man’s-land territory to bury explosive underneath enemy trenches” (Caltrider, 2022).
The haunting memories of trench warfare, coupled with the loss of comrades and the perpetual threat of death, manifest in Tommy’s life through a cascade of debilitating symptoms.
Nightmares and flashbacks are a hallmark of PTSD.
Every night he is plagued with these. The flashbacks tend to be vivid enough that he is unable to distinguish them from reality.
At times it seems as if he is stuck in purgatory where he is in his bedroom but can hear the sounds of the German tunnelers coming through his wall.
At times he even imagines them making it his bedroom wall and attacking him. He lives in a limbo state between the war-torn past and the fragile present.
Furthermore, Tommy grapples with his own cultural identity and self. His Beyond the psychological scars of war, Tommy grapples with the intricate complexities of identity and self-discovery.
He is only half Romani, so throughout the show he is called a ‘diddicoy’ by the Lees. This is a derogatory term used to describe someone that is a mix-blooded Romani-gypsy. This contributes to a sense of cultural displacement within Tommy. Never feeling like he belongs anywhere.
Also, the loss of his first love, Greta Jurossi, followed by a fleeting encounter resulting in an unplanned pregnancy with Romani girl Zelda, amplifies the emotional turmoil within him.
The unresolved nature of these relationships, compounded by the war’s toll, leaves Tommy wrestling with a fractured sense of self. It’s referenced many times in the show that he went to war a boy and came back a broken man.
Tommy is the leader of a gang in Birmingham called the Peaky Blinders. They have this name because of the flat cap with a peak that they wear as well as always keeping a razor blade within that cap.
His involvement as the boss of a criminal enterprise catalyzes his struggles. This is really where you see the dichotomy between the archetype of the hero with the shadow archetypes of the ruler and the rebel.
His involvement in illicit activities adds layers of moral ambiguity to his character. He is once again in this purgatory where he yearns for redemption and normalcy yet exhibits ruthlessness and callousness required in the life of crime.
Development of Issues Based On Jungian Psychoanalysis
Jungian psychoanalytic theory provides a compelling framework to understand the development of his profound issues, primarily through the lenses of individuation and the integration of the shadow (Jung, 2023).
The individuation process posits that individuals embark on a journey toward self-realization and integration of various aspects of their psyche.
For Tommy Shelby, the traumas endured during World War I serve as a crucible for the individuation process, leaving indelible imprints on his psyche.
The horrors of trench warfare, the loss of comrades, and the constant threat of death become catalysts for the fragmentation of his identity. Jung would suggest that the war experience triggers the need for Tommy to confront and reconcile the dissonance within himself, marking the initiation of his individuation journey.
However, his Uncle Charlie tells him, “You have to move around, or the guilt catches up to you.” (Knight, 2013 -2022). This summarizes the whole family’s inability to stand still, turn around, and confront the past.
They continue to move forward because of the inherited fear they have of the past. This ties in culturally as well because as a gypsy you always move around to a new place.
The concept of the shadow is integral to the individuation process. The shadow is the repository of the repressed and unconscious aspects of the self. Tommy’s traumatic upbringing, lost love, and war experiences seem to be the creators of his shadow.
However, is moral ambiguity inherent in organized crime are a manifestation or expression of this shadow.
The key components of his shadow seem to be his callousness, ruthlessness, cut-throat approach, need for control, and moral ambiguity. Jung contends that the shadow, when left unmanaged or unexplored, can manifest in destructive ways that perpetuate internal turmoil.
Tommy’s involvement in criminal activities within the Peaky Blinders can be interpreted through the lens of shadow projection.
Engaging in illicit endeavors may serve as a means for Tommy to exert control over his environment and externalize the darker aspects of his psyche (Jung, 2014).
The criminal underworld becomes a stage where he can grapple with the shadows, a realm where his ruthlessness is not only accepted but also rewarded. Jung may agree that this engagement with criminality can be seen as a symbolic attempt to confront the shadow, albeit in a distorted and externalized form.
The unresolved conflicts within Tommy’s psyche further contribute to his inner turmoil. The loss of his first love, Greta Jurossi, and the abrupt separation from Romani girl Zelda, coupled with the abandonment by his parents, create emotional voids that remain unacknowledged.
Jungian psychoanalysis proposes that these unacknowledged or unchecked aspects of the self that are buried deep within the unconscious, continue to influence behavior and contribute to psychological distress.
Tommy’s stoicism or pragmatic brilliance can be seen as defense mechanisms that shield him from the vulnerability associated with confronting the unconscious.
Treatment Goals and Interventions
Individuation and Integration of the Shadow:
Therapy may start by helping Tommy slowly unravel his reflection of wartime experiences, specifically the Battle of Verdun. Tommy may begin to articulate the deafening sounds of artillery, the stench and feeling of mud-soaked trenches, and maybe even the memories of fallen comrades lost in the chaos.
He also may recount the dissociating feeling of receiving his medals of honor and being called a hero, while many of his comrades are long gone.
Being called a hero while internally he is broken and traumatized. This may serve as a starting point for Tommy to externalize the toll of war, which can set the stage for the individuation process.
As sessions progress, Tommy can reflect on the bonds he forged with his comrades amidst the brutality of war. He can talk about his camaraderie with Freddie Thorne, someone who saved his life.
Also, the comrades that he lost. By articulating the impact of the losses, therapy facilitates the conscious acknowledgement of his emotional scars.
This exploration can also illuminate his profound grief and survivor’s guilt that is lingering among his shadow.
It is mentioned in the show that Tommy’s actions saved thousands of lives at the Battle of Somme.
Recollecting these moments offers a chance for Tommy to externalize the perpetual threat of death that he faced during wartime. This also gives a chance to better understand his coping mechanisms during these moments, unraveling the ways in which his psyche was hardened.
By confronting this, therapy can guide Tommy toward a deeper understanding of the coping mechanisms that now manifest as darker facets within his shadow.
As therapy progresses, we can explore the present and the moral ambiguity involved in his criminal enterprises.
This can help Tommy become aware of the ways in which his shadow has adapted to handle his current endeavors.
Archetypal Exploration:
Therapy sessions begin with introducing archetype to Tommy and explaining what they mean. Archetypes such as the hero, the ruler, and the mentor, become vehicles to understand universal themes embedded within Tommy’s experience (Jung, 2023).
If Tommy can begin drawing parallels between himself and the hero, this could help him elevate his actions beyond mere criminality. Archetypes become a language through which Tommy can articulate himself.
There are episodes that depict moments in Tommy’s life where he is expanding the Shelby empire, battling rival gangs, or climbing the political ladder.
These moments can parallel archetypal motifs. If I frame his challenges through the lens of archetypes, it pushes him to see his adversity as part of some mythical journey.
Telling him he is the modern-day Odysseus navigating the seas of Birmingham’s underworld brings a lot of meaning and purpose to his experience.
This therapeutic device can position Tommy as a central figure in his own narrative. This paradigm shift changes Tommy viewing his challenges as challenges but rather opportunities for growth and transformation.
Archetypal themes are seamlessly woven into the fabric of therapeutic conversations, becoming a narrative thread that runs through Tommy’s exploration.
Whether discussing family dynamics, business decisions, or personal relationships, the therapeutic dialogue consistently draws on archetypal symbols to illuminate underlying patterns and themes.
This integration provides Tommy with a holistic framework for understanding his life, fostering self-awareness, and nurturing a narrative that transcends the immediate challenges he faces.
Dream Analysis:
Tommy’s chronic struggles with nightmares and subsequent opium addiction serve as indicators of internal turmoil. These nightmares can be addressed in therapy and seen as symbolic gateways to the unconscious.
During therapy, specific attention is needed to dissect his reoccurring flashback/nightmare of German tunnelers entering his tunnel. This nightmare can symbolize his unresolved wartime trauma and the anxiety that still haunts Tommy’s subconscious.
Dream analysis becomes a dynamic tool for unpacking the emotions and symbolism entwined in Tommy’s nightmares (Jung, 2023).
In therapy we can explore his emotional reaction to the dream rather than the dream itself. Fear, anxiety, desperation, or even resilience can become topics of conversation.
Hopefully after so many sessions, the nightmares cease to be mere nocturnal disturbances but rather opportunities or clues guiding Tommy to the exploration of his subconscious and healing.
Session Duration and Frequency:
Therapy sessions occur on a weekly basis. This fits into Tommy’s need for certainty and control. This reliability and consistency can bring great comfort to him.
This regularly provides Tommy with a dependable safe space for reflection, self-exploration and processing his emotions. Also, Tommy is quite cynical, and it is hard to gain his trust.
By being consistent we can build the trust and rapport needed to deepen the therapeutic relationship.
Each therapy session will be around 60 minutes. I think that is an ample amount of time to dive into significant themes and emotions, while respecting Tommy’s capacity for sustained engagement.
I am open-minded though, so I will adapt accordingly to Tommy’s evolving needs and progress.
As therapy progresses, new complexities may arise, and we need the flexibility to dive into these complexities without the constraints of a predetermined endpoint.
Conclusion
Jungian Psychoanalysis is a therapeutic approach that is best tailored for Thomas Shelby’s needs. As we explore the complexities of Tommy’s past, from the trenches of WWI to the criminal underworld of Birmingham, Jungian Psychoanalysis provides a complete framework for understanding the nuances of his psyche.
The individuation process, the integration of shadow elements, archetypal exploration, dream and analysis, illuminate his shadow self and guide him towards his complete self.
The proposed framework aids Tommy in confronting the ghosts of his past while acknowledging how they haunt him in the present.
The proposed treatment goals and interventions, including dream analysis that addresses the haunting nightmares of German tunnelers, are designed to offer Tommy tangible tools for navigating the complexities of his internal world.
References
Caltrider, M. (2022.). “peaky blinders”: Inside the real world war I history that made the characters. Coffee or Die Magazine. https://coffeeordie.com/peaky-blinders-world-wari#:~:text=Tunnelers%20%E2%80%94%20known%20colloquially%20as%20%E2%80%9Cclay,mines%20underneath%20the%20German%20lines.
Jung, Carl G., Adler, G., & Hull, R. F. C. (2014). Collected Works of C.G. Jung. Archetypes and the collective unconscious. Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G., Franz, M.-L. von, Henderson, J. L., Jacobi, J., & Jaffé, A. (2023). Man and his symbols. Bantam Books.
Knight, S. (Creator). (2013–2022). Peaky Blinders [TV series]. Caryn Mandabach Productions, Tiger Aspect Productions, BBC Studios.
Wiki, C. to P. B. (n.d.). Thomas Shelby. Peaky Blinders Wiki. https://peakyblinders.fandom.com/wiki/Thomas_Shelby#:~:text=Shelby%20is%20a%20former%20British,and%20the%20Distinguished%20Conduct%20Medal.