Comparison of Golding

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Comparison of Goldings Lord of the Flies and
Freuds Theory of Personality

• English I
• Mayfield

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Who was Sigmund Freud?

• Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the
  pioneer for psychoanalysis, a system of
  psychological theory and therapy investigating
  the interaction of conscious and unconscious
  elements in the mind.
• Authored many books on the topic and was one of
  the most controversial, yet influential thinkers
  of his time.

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Freuds Theory of Personality

• States that the personality or human psyche is
  divided into three sections the Id, ego, and
  super ego
• These three coexist and interact with each other
  based on instincts (which must be tamed by
  civilization)
• Id is entirely in the unconscious
• Ego and superego exist in the conscious,
  pre-conscious, and unconscious
• Freud compared the relationship between the ego
  and the id to that between a charioteer and his
  horses the horses provide the energy and drive,
  while the charioteer provides direction.

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Iceberg Metaphor
The mind is like an iceberg, it floats with
one-seventh of its bulk above water.
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The Id

• Present from birth
• Very useful in infancy, when all of a babys
  needs have to be met
• Believed to be the primary component of a
  personality
• Contains all primitive needs and urges
• When the Id has a desire for something, that
  desire needs to be satisfied at once
• Operates on the Pleasure Principle and strives
  for all urges to be met immediately

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The Ego

• Operates on the Reality Principle tries to
  satisfy id but in accordance with the real world
• confrontation between desire and reality
• Develops from the id
• Tries to express the desires of the id in a
  socially acceptable manner
• Mediates between the id and the superego
• Freud theorized that the key to a healthy
  personality is a good ego strength
• Ego strength how well ones ego can moderate
  between the id and superego (like coping skills)

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The Superego

• The superego is the last part of the personality
  to develop
• Where internalized moral standards lie (learned
  from parents and society)
• Contains a persons sense of right and wrong
  judge determines whether ego has been good or
  bad
• Strives to suppress some of the unacceptable or
  immoral urges of the id
• Tries to have a person follow a certain set of
  ethical standards

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Parts of the Superego

• The Ego Ideal
• Contains standards for good behavior
• These are often learned
• If one follows these standards, the superego will
  have them feel emotions like pride and honor
• Holds an image of an ideal self
• The Conscience
• Contains rules for what is bad behavior
• If one indulges in this behavior, the conscience
  will make them feel emotions such as guilt and
  remorse/regret

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In relation to Lord of the Flies

• The boys lose touch with the rules and order
  associated with civilization.
• It can be seen how, as a whole, the boys begin to
  abandon all reason.
• They begin to act on the id of their
  personalities more than the ego and the superego.
• Start to indulge in acts like brutal killings.

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Jack hunters Id

• The longer Jack stays on the island, the more
  primitive he becomes.
• Jack wishes to operate by the pleasure
  principle, just as the id. When he wants
  something, hell take it without much regard for
  others.
• Ex he abandons the signal fire early on in
  favor for hunting
• Ex stealing objects and exulting in his
  achievement
• He acts often impulsively and irrationally trying
  to fulfill his desires.
• Totally disregards the lives of others towards
  the end
• Violent and greedy nature

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Ralph Ego

• The ego is the mediator between the id and the
  superego. When Ralph is elected chief, he sees
  how this affects Jack and gives him control of
  the choir, coming to a compromise.
• Ralph tries to maintain a sense of order as
  chief, but he eventually gets caught up in the
  violence and savagery of Jacks tribe on several
  occasions.
• These instances can be viewed as the Ego giving
  in to the id and letting unacceptable behavior
  happen.
• As much as Ralph tries to follow the rules
  instilled in him by society, he finds himself
  faltering, just like the ego.

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Piggy as the Conscience

• He wants to maintain a sense of civilization the
  most out of all the boys.
• After Jack lets the signal fire go out while
  hunting, Piggy forgets the timidity in the agony
  of his loss and angrily confronts him about his
  overly reckless behavior.
• Here, Piggy is acting just like the conscience
  would, trying to raise up feelings of guilt and
  remorse in the group for letting the fire go out.
• After the group murders, their collective
  conscience seems to go out the window as well.

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Simon as the Ego Ideal

• The ego ideal is the part of the superego that
  contains the image of an ideal self, and this is
  the standard for behavior according to the
  superego.
• He exhibited exemplary behavior and insight,
  picking the fruit for the littluns, giving Piggy
  his share of meat when Jack wouldnt, being the
  only boy truly aware of the nature of the
  beast, etc.
• Tragically, the boys hardly follow Simons
  example, relying more on their id than their
  superego,

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Conclusion

• In LOTF, we see just what human nature is capable
  of, given the right conditions.
• Golding is suggesting that there is a bit of the
  beast in all of us. It is in the form of those
  irrational, savage, and violent impulses that are
  usually kept hidden from society, but are ready
  to come out when circumstances allow for it.
• This view is anchored in Freuds Theory of
  Personality which suggests that if there were to
  be an absence of civilized rules and laws for the
  superego to learn, then the deep, destructive
  forces hidden in the human mind would come to
  light, just as they did for the boys in LOTF.