Sigmund Freud's Theory In Lord Of The Flies
In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a group of schoolboys is stranded on an island with no adults. As some of the boys try to maintain order and others resort to savage ways, the personalities of the three main characters emerge, each representing a different part of Sigmund Freud’s theory. Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality states that personality is composed of three elements known as the Superego, Ego, and the Id. The Id is operated by the pleasure principle, and always wants to satisfy its desires immediately. The Ego is driven by the principle of reality and works to satisfy the desires of the Id in a socially appropriate way. The Superego provides a sense of right and wrong, and the ability to make sensible judgments. According
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to Sigmund Freud's Theory of Personality, the three main characters of Lord of the Flies: Ralph, Piggy, and Jack each mainly represent one element of the theory, although they each end up slipping into the Id at certain points in the novel.
Ralph epitomizes the Ego in Freud's psychoanalytic theory because he deals with reality, compromises, and mediates between the Id and the Superego. When the boys first arrive on the island, they vote and elect a leader. After Ralph was chosen, he “looked at him [Jack], eager to offer something. ‘The choir belongs to you, of course.’” (Golding 17). When Ralph was elected leader, he saw Jack’s frustration and compromised by giving him control of the choir. Ralph is not very power hungry or violent and shares what he has, representing the Ego. However, later in the book, Ralph participated in the hunting of a pig. He too “was fighting to get near, to get a handful of that brown, vulnerable flesh. The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering” (Golding 114). Although he represented the Ego, his desire for savagery and violence became too strong for him to resist. This caused him to revert to his primal instincts and temporarily fall into the Id, and afterward, he realized what he had done and reverted back to the Ego. While Ralph represents the Ego because he compromises between self-desire and self-control, he also slips into an animalistic and Id-like state sometimes.
Like Ralph, Jack also represents an element in Freud's psychoanalytic theory: the Id. Ralph lets Jack have the job of watching the fire, their only chance of rescue. However, Jack lets the fire out he proudly tells Ralph that “‘I cut the pig's throat… The fire's only been out an hour or two.’” (Golding 67). Jack cares more about survival than rescue and has satisfied his impulses to be savage and to kill, rather than keeping the fire going. This shows how he is starting to give up civilization and order, and only cares about the fun of hunting. Similarly, when Ralph yells at Jack to follow the rules, he says “‘Bollocks to the rules! We're strong--we hunt! If there's a beast, we'll hunt it down! We'll close in and beat and beat and beat--!’ He gave a wild whoop and leapt down to the pale sand.” (Golding 90). Here, he is in his primitive and animalistic-like state and gives up both rescue and rules completely. The way he gave a “wild whoop” also shows how he has truly become savage and animalistic, losing his sense of civilization. Just like the Id, Jack is operated by solely the pleasure principle and does not care about consequences or any long term goals.
Lastly, Piggy represents the element of Superego because he tries to maintain a sense of civilization and focuses on long-term goals as opposed to short term fun.
After Jack let out the fire during their chance of rescue, it “was too bitter for Piggy, who forgot his timidity in the agony of his loss. He began to cry out, shrilly: ‘You and your blood, Jack Merridew! You and your hunting! We might have gone home--’” (Golding 67). Piggy is sensible and mainly looks at the long term goal of being rescued instead of just focusing on just his desires and needs like Jack does. He tries to tell Jack how bad letting the fire out was, and make him feel guilty for it and understand the importance of the fire. However later in the book, after Jack steals Piggy’s glasses, he says "What you goin' to do, Ralph? This is jus' talk without deciding. I want my glasses." (Golding 173). Piggy is willing to take a big risk and march into Jack’s camp without even thinking twice. Here, he is not violent or savage like how Jack became but is still in the Id because he follows his reckless desire to get his glasses back. Just like the Superego, Piggy tries to carry out the instinctual moral good, but sometimes, he can still slip into the impulsive Id.
In Lord of the Flies, all three of the main characters slip into the Id, however, Ralph mainly acts as the Ego, Jack acts as the Id, and Piggy mainly acts as the Superego. This demonstrates what would happen to the human nature when given the right circumstance Golding suggests that while people might seem one way, there is a beast within everyone, that is savage, brutal, and impulsive, just waiting for the right conditions to come out. Similarly, Freud's theory of personality suggests this with the concept of the Id, Ego, and
Superego.
to Sigmund Freud's Theory of Personality, the three main characters of Lord of the Flies: Ralph, Piggy, and Jack each mainly represent one element of the theory, although they each end up slipping into the Id at certain points in the novel.
Ralph epitomizes the Ego in Freud's psychoanalytic theory because he deals with reality, compromises, and mediates between the Id and the Superego. When the boys first arrive on the island, they vote and elect a leader. After Ralph was chosen, he “looked at him [Jack], eager to offer something. ‘The choir belongs to you, of course.’” (Golding 17). When Ralph was elected leader, he saw Jack’s frustration and compromised by giving him control of the choir. Ralph is not very power hungry or violent and shares what he has, representing the Ego. However, later in the book, Ralph participated in the hunting of a pig. He too “was fighting to get near, to get a handful of that brown, vulnerable flesh. The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering” (Golding 114). Although he represented the Ego, his desire for savagery and violence became too strong for him to resist. This caused him to revert to his primal instincts and temporarily fall into the Id, and afterward, he realized what he had done and reverted back to the Ego. While Ralph represents the Ego because he compromises between self-desire and self-control, he also slips into an animalistic and Id-like state sometimes.
Like Ralph, Jack also represents an element in Freud's psychoanalytic theory: the Id. Ralph lets Jack have the job of watching the fire, their only chance of rescue. However, Jack lets the fire out he proudly tells Ralph that “‘I cut the pig's throat… The fire's only been out an hour or two.’” (Golding 67). Jack cares more about survival than rescue and has satisfied his impulses to be savage and to kill, rather than keeping the fire going. This shows how he is starting to give up civilization and order, and only cares about the fun of hunting. Similarly, when Ralph yells at Jack to follow the rules, he says “‘Bollocks to the rules! We're strong--we hunt! If there's a beast, we'll hunt it down! We'll close in and beat and beat and beat--!’ He gave a wild whoop and leapt down to the pale sand.” (Golding 90). Here, he is in his primitive and animalistic-like state and gives up both rescue and rules completely. The way he gave a “wild whoop” also shows how he has truly become savage and animalistic, losing his sense of civilization. Just like the Id, Jack is operated by solely the pleasure principle and does not care about consequences or any long term goals.
Lastly, Piggy represents the element of Superego because he tries to maintain a sense of civilization and focuses on long-term goals as opposed to short term fun.
After Jack let out the fire during their chance of rescue, it “was too bitter for Piggy, who forgot his timidity in the agony of his loss. He began to cry out, shrilly: ‘You and your blood, Jack Merridew! You and your hunting! We might have gone home--’” (Golding 67). Piggy is sensible and mainly looks at the long term goal of being rescued instead of just focusing on just his desires and needs like Jack does. He tries to tell Jack how bad letting the fire out was, and make him feel guilty for it and understand the importance of the fire. However later in the book, after Jack steals Piggy’s glasses, he says "What you goin' to do, Ralph? This is jus' talk without deciding. I want my glasses." (Golding 173). Piggy is willing to take a big risk and march into Jack’s camp without even thinking twice. Here, he is not violent or savage like how Jack became but is still in the Id because he follows his reckless desire to get his glasses back. Just like the Superego, Piggy tries to carry out the instinctual moral good, but sometimes, he can still slip into the impulsive Id.
In Lord of the Flies, all three of the main characters slip into the Id, however, Ralph mainly acts as the Ego, Jack acts as the Id, and Piggy mainly acts as the Superego. This demonstrates what would happen to the human nature when given the right circumstance Golding suggests that while people might seem one way, there is a beast within everyone, that is savage, brutal, and impulsive, just waiting for the right conditions to come out. Similarly, Freud's theory of personality suggests this with the concept of the Id, Ego, and
Superego.