Jung called the process of finishing oneself, of becoming complete, individuation. A very important aspect of individuation is a mutual development of both our male and female aspects. Jung saw the Hindu god Shiva (often depicted as half man and half woman) and Jesus (sometimes depicted in androgynous terms as the returning Adam to restore the separation of the sexes begun with Eve) as perfect examples of individuation. In Kabbalah, moving up the Tree of Life involves an intertwining of the male and the female. There is a wonderful illustration of this in The Fountain when Izzy desperately pulls Tom into the bathtub with her. (Some ancient illustrations of the Androgynous Man show an intertwining of man and woman above a circle encasing a square encasing a triangle.) What Tom lacks to be finished is a developed female aspect of his psyche and Izzy knows this. He is all aggression and driven by the need to control and to conquer. Izzy – his Eve – is helping him to finish himself.
Ultimately, all of this really boils down to a pivotal moment in Tom’s and Izzy’s lives. Will he go for a comforting walk with Izzy during her final days, or will he continue to be the conquistador? Will he become finished in the sense of being male and female? Or will he remain unfinished?
Article comments
1 - bibbyroo
very interesting disection of the meaning behind the story. i hadnt ever thought of the different shapes and their meanings.
nice work.
2 - patrick
The Fountain was pretty good if somewhat trippy, an interesting blend of religious/cultural/scientific ideals to say the least