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Comparing Freud's Theory And Lord Of The Flies

929 Words4 Pages

Anna Durall
Mrs. Beauchamp
4th Hour Humanities
10/17/16
Freud’s Theory & Lord of the Flies

William Golding’s Lord of the Flies paints a greater picture than one might see at first glance. His thought-provoking story makes a reader question ideas like innocence, love, hate, good, and evil. Many theories have been constructed in attempts to understand these concepts, specifically the notion of evil. One such theory is Freud’s concept of the id, ego and superego. What happened in Lord of The Flies is best explained by this theory. The first notable connection between novel and theory is exemplified by Jack. His character seems to be respectable in the beginning of the book, until he finds himself embarrassed by not being able to kill a pig. From this point on he is consumed by his unconscious needs and …show more content…

In Lord of the Flies, Simon represents the superego. From the beginning of the book it is apparent that Simon is different. While discussing Simon’s disappearance, Ralph tells Jack “He’s queer. He's funny.” (55). The other boys are unable to understand Simon because they don't have as strong a moral sense as Simon. He helps the “littleuns” get food, and gives Piggy his share of food when no one else will. Also, he often escapes to a secret place of his in the forest. Here he is able to process the events happening on the island without distraction from the other boys. Simon also is the first to realize the the Beast is not an animal and instead is the evil that is inside of each and every one of them. Simon’s imagination creates “the Lord of the Flies” which talks to him. “Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt and kill! You knew didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are?” (143). This is Simon realizing that the boys are acting evil because of their fear. Simons death represents the loss of morality and innocence on the

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He more or less just wanders around the jungle, does his duties at camp, and listens to Ralph. While not bad practices, it does lead to his ultimate demise. Due to the fact, he is always in the jungle, the other boys believe there is a beast on the island. The boys believe this beast haunts them at night, however, Simon’s thoughts lead him to believe there is no beast. Simon proclaims, “maybe there is a beast” (Golding 89) speaking with questioning and unsurety.

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1139 Words | 5 Pages

The Lord of the Flies, or “The Beast”, symbolized the evil that lies dormant within each person. “‘You knew didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it's no go?

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He begins to see all the damage they have done to the island and begins to realize that overtime they will end up scarce resources. Simon is the only one who doesn’t become a complete savage. He doesn’t have any determination to destroy and kill animals, he just wants to survive and do it in a respectful manner. From the beginning of the book Simon seemed different from the rest, he has a distinct view on life and what needs to be done. Simon is the only boy to truly grasp that "the beast" is just all the negative, horrible aspects of

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848 Words | 4 Pages

None of the other boys consider simons point and move on. Simon was the first person to realize that the beast they fear is the beast they are and drives them to human evil. Simons idea is vague at this point ““There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the Beast. . . .

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Although the boys are stuck on the island for weeks and begin to turn to savagery, one boy, Simon, makes an observation that no one else makes yet. Simon, who is an intuitive and sensitive individual eventually recognizes the darkness that hides within the human heart. When the boys argue about there being a beast on the island, Simon proposes the idea to the group that “maybe it’s only us that we’re afraid of” (Golding 195). Simon tries to suggest that the beast may be something within the boys themselves but to the boys, it’s just easier to fear the beast than to face the reality that they are actually afraid of each other. Towards the end of the novel when Simon and Piggy face death, and Jack’s savage group is about to kill Ralph, a naval officer shows up at the same time Ralph was about to give up and let himself die.

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1059 Words | 5 Pages

In the novel Lord of the Flies, Golding unknowingly uses Simon, Piggy, Ralph, and Jack to illustrate id, ego, and superego. The id is the set of uncoordinated instinctual trends; the super-ego plays the critical and moralizing role; and the ego is the organized, realistic part that mediates between the desires of the id and the super-ego. Golding shows the id, ego, and superego with Jack being the id, Ralph being the ego, and Piggy as the superego. Firstly, Jack represents id within the allegory.

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. . maybe it's only us... Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind’s essential illness” (89). As Simon realizes that “maybe it’s only us”, this reveals that the beast is not necessarily something that exists outside in the jungle. Rather, it already exists inside each boy’s mind and soul, the capacity for savagery and evil that slowly overwhelms them.

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585 Words | 3 Pages

This shows that the boys are only afraid of themselves, because they are their own worst enemy. He is the first to figure out that the beast is not an actual beast, and how it is only the boys becoming savage, and starting to be afraid of one another. As Simon began to explain this to the doubtful boys, he was the only one who died knowing the

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This is indicating that Simon is weak from the very beginning and is a sign that he will be one of the first to fall, which he is with his death in chapter 9. Also, in chapter 3, Ralph, Simon, and Jack are talking about the condition of the island. Simon recommends making shelters to calm the little ones at night. Ralph and Piggy have a conversation, and when they return Simon is gone, even though in the past he had always been around. Simon was the voice of reason on the island, and this foreshadows his death because one minute he is there, and then he is absent, along with his logic and helpfulness, just like in his death; he is alive and well, and then he has a seizure and is killed, and all of the reason he possesses is

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The American nation as forewarned by President Washington was not destined to have two fraction but with the two paths coming about it was inevitable and their came Alexander’s Hamilton who represented the Federalists and Thomas Jefferson leading the Democratic-republicans. The Federalists were mostly bankers, merchants, manufacturers, and bankers; they were well educated and were from the New England and part of the coast. The republican were uneducated and mostly shopkeepers, artisan, backcountry farmers from the interior regions. The federalist wanted a strong central government that would control faction; this group thought of the public as ignorant and incapable of governing themselves.

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Evil is Within Everyone Without thinking, the laws and social rules we abide by every day are actually a fragile barrier keeping the worst of human nature from overtaking modern society. In the allegorical novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a plane full of British school boys is shot down over an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. They are stranded without adult supervision or means to communicate with the outside world. This creates the perfect setting for Golding to explore the best and worst of human nature. It is in this setting that Golding illustrates what can happen when laws and rules vanish and human instinct reigns.

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1164 Words | 5 Pages

In Lord of the Flies, Golding explores the idea that human nature, when left without the regulations of society, will become barbaric. As one of the prevailing themes in his work, the dark side of human nature is represented through the novel, not only in symbols and motifs, but in his characters as well. The dark side of human nature is an integral part of the novel 'Lord of the Flies.' William Golding, a British novelist employs symbols, motifs and characters to create the idea that human nature, without civilisation will become barbaric.

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1414 Words | 6 Pages

Thus, he wove it in as a theme in his book. In ‘Lord of the Flies’, William Golding discusses the nature of man in order to reveal that human nature is essentially evil by using indirect characterization and personification. William Golding uses indirect characterization to show that human nature is corrupt because humans naturally revert to a state of violence and evil. In ‘Lord of the Flies’, he says, “Ralph...was fighting to get near [to the pig].... The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering”

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FREUD’S PERSONALITY THEORY IN LORD OF THE FLIES Sigmund Freud had once said, “The poor ego has a still harder time of it; it has to serve three harsh masters, and it has to do its best to reconcile the claims and demands of all three... The three tyrants are the external world, the superego and the id” (Freud, psychology.about.com) The idea in this quote which is recognized again and again in many movies and books, reminds of the Freud’s Personality Theory which can be seen in “Lord of the Flies”, too. Freud’s Personality theory consists of three main concepts: ego, superego and id. William Golding, the author of “Lord of the Flies”, uses those three concepts as a base when he creates the characters and the places in the book. Freud’s Personality Theory is based on the human mind and it

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1127 Words | 5 Pages

During Simon’s encounter with the Lord of the Flies, Golding reveals the central issue concerning human nature. Simon reaches the realization that they fear the beast because it exists within each of them. The Lord of the Flies tells Simon that the beast is inside each boy and cannot be killed. The boys go from behaving like civilized young men to brutal savages. “What I mean is…maybe it’s only us.”

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