Cosima Niehaus, in one term is, 324B21. In the series Orphan Black, Niehaus is a clone, a part of an experiment to study genetic identicals. Despite her genetics being a blueprint, Niehaus has developed her own life and own personality compared to that of her genetic sisters. She is on her way to complete her PhD in Experimental Evolutionary Developmental Biology, putting her at the far right curve in terms of intelligence. Niehaus, however, is eccentric and is often unconventional in her methods, but is still kind-hearted, incredibly ambitious, and can adapt to practically any situation.
Psychoanalytic Perspective.
Purpose.
Psychoanalysis explores and analyzes unconscious thoughts and mental processes, impulses, anxieties, repressed conflicts. The perspective focuses on various aspects and themes of sex and aggression. The subject may be unaware of the circumstances surrounding their behaviors as there is a conflict between, mainly, the id, the part of the unconscious that desires immediate gratification, and the superego, the preconscious system of morality attained from learned and conceived standards. Because of this conflict, father of the perspective, Sigmund Freud, seeks to relieve the psychological anguish caused by such latent complications.
Defense Mechanisms.
Though she is very in touch with her reality, more than often, Cosima naturally distorts it to soften her anxiety. Niehaus, in times of stress, attempts to intellectualize her situation. She will discuss her feelings to her sisters, her girlfriend, and allies, but she fail to fully recognize her emotions. Because her life is in constant danger and her geeky nature is most prevalent in her personality, she constantly seeks solutions to return life to an equilibrium of good and bad reactions, understanding her feelings are not her priority. But the dismissal of her true feelings, whether it be fear or aggression, prevents her from seeing her emotions completely play out and its unresolved nature noticeably affects her later.