Letters from the Id: A Psychoanalysis on Wicked Little Letters

Abstract

This study presents a psychoanalytic examination of the film Wicked Little Letters, analysing the underlying psychological dynamics and suppressed desires that drive the narrative of the protagonist, Edith Swan. Set in a 1920s conservative English town, the film juxtaposes the outward respectability of Edith with the eruption of anonymous, obscene letters that expose hidden tensions, desires, and social hypocrisies. Drawing on Freudian and Lacanian theory, this study examines the protagonist’s internal conflicts, the symbolic function of language and letters, and the manifestation of suppression and projection. Special focus is given to the character dynamics between Edith Swan and Rose Gooding, analysing how moral panic and female sexuality are negotiated within patriarchal structures. The film employs humor and scandal to critique social repression, revealing the unconscious drives that undermine the illusion of civility. Ultimately, Wicked Little Letters becomes a cinematic expression of how the unconscious erupts into the public, exposing the fragile boundaries between propriety and human desire.