Known as the founder of analytic psychology, Carl Jung revolutionized the way the world looked at the human mind through the creation of “the archetype, the collective unconscious”, and the personality (introverted and extroverted) (Wikipedia.org). Jung created some of the best known psychological concepts such the archetypes of the conscious and unconscious mind. Jim Thompson’s The Killer Inside Me (1952) and Chester Himes’ A Rage in Harlem (1989) are two works of literature that explore these archetypes. In order to thrive in society, as presented in Thompson’s and Himes’ novels, characters (such as Lou and Imabelle) are forced to adapt and change in order to achieve their goals. Thus, I argue that archetypal theory is a useful tool to analyze the evolution of both Lou and Jackson’s psyche in The Killer Inside Me (1952) and A Rage in Harlem (1989).In particular I look at the ego, persona, and shadow in Thompson’s and Himes’ novels. Firstly, in archetypal theory, the ego looks at how characters regard themselves, what they find important (or unimportant), and whether or not they share these thoughts with others. As C.G Jung mentions, “the ego is a product of the consciousness” (1973:7). This suggests that the above decisions are made consciously and not, perhaps, as the result of passive socialization due to external influences such as religion or the mass media. It is important to note that the ego interacts closely with its counterparts the ‘id’ (one’s desires and impulsive needs) and ‘super-ego’ (one’s relation to reality) by acting as a mediator between the two. Thus, the ego is created from a compromise between a person’s individual desires and the dominant social norms of society (or a specific environment). As depicted in Thompson’s The Killer Inside Me (1952), individuals in capitalist societies (such as Lou) demonstrate how the id’s desires can be fulfilled without fear of repercussions, if kept a secret. In the novel, for example, Lou Ford is a sheriff in a small Texas town. He has been dramatized by his Brother Mike’s death. He believes that Mike’s death was set up by other sheriffs in the Town. “The sheriffs must have been behind all this, those bastards!” (1952:23) after this incident, Lou plans to kill the sheriff that murdered his brother. He starts by going to Joyce’s house and beating her to near death. Then when Elmer comes home to check on Joyce, Lou shoots him and kills Elmer. The consequences Lou should face because he gives into his desire(s) for social status and power (id) are almost non-existent. As a result of the lack of consequences for giving into one’s desires, Lou’s super-ego begins to overlook the consequences of his actions so far, thereby transforming a young and ambitious Sheriff into a murderer. Thus, the transformation of Lou Ford into a monster that relentlessly uses others to achieve his means is not a direct result of conflict between the id and super-ego, but an indirect result of society’s failure to hold him accountable for his actions. In A Rage in Harlem (1989), Himes show how characters (such as Imabelle) can satisfy his id can satisfy its needs. But unlike The Killer Inside Me (1952), at a cost. Like Lou, Imabelle is also an impoverished female who is from Mississippi, but her overwhelming desire drivers her (literally) towards the “rage in Harlem” (1989:71). Imabelle’s persistence enables her to attain several manipulations towards the Mississippi gang leader that leads right into her plan in stealing the trunk of gold. The Corrupt environment of the city exposes Imabelle t