Freudian Theory in Lord of the Flies Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel and can be read with many very different perspectives of the metaphor behind the little boys on the island. Golding uses the theories of Sigmund Freud to illustrate that the actions and behaviors of the boys on the island are parallel to what everyone has within their own mind. Freud, using his research on the psyche, developed a psychoanalytical theory using three different parts of the mind that coincide together –the id, ego, and superego. Ralph, Jack and Piggy are the three parts of the Freudian theoretical mind, and the story shows how they would interact without the presence of rules or civility. Jack represents the id in the story. “According to Freud, the id works always to gratify its own …show more content…
He is always trying to enforce the moral or wise thing to do. “Piggy understands that Jack hates him, because he stands between Jack and his achievement of pleasure (Henningfeld).” Jack’s behavior as the id competes with Piggy’s behavior as the superego. Essentially, they should cancel each other out, but, due to Piggy’s shy and timid personality, Jack overpowers him. Piggy, in the novel, yells, “Which is better –to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?” This is ironic because no one listens to Piggy, or the voice of reason, and they end up killing him. Piggy, throughout the story, tries to input reasonable ideas or tries to fix a situation logically. “The superego represented the conscience, the critical (and also loving) internal representation of one's parents or caregivers (von Unwerth).” Piggy resembles the mother or the parental figure on the island because he always tells everyone what they’re doing wrong and is the unspoken authority. Thus, he is representative of the