Freud's Personality Theory In Lord Of The Flies

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

As is seen in the book, every character, also every object which is used in the novel has an id in their individuality. Specifically, id shows its effects on Jack’s personage so he is the strongest reflection of id in “Lord of the Flies”. First of all, Jack’s hunting ambition represents the pure savagery because at most parts of the book, Jack’s only wish is to be able to kill a pig, it even causes the conflicts between Ralph and Jack. So, “Kill the pig, cut her throat, spill her blood” becomes one of the most catchy mottos in the book and it is also a hard evidence about id inside Jack. In addition, this curiosity affects Jack’s other habits that he used to do in the civilization, such as clearness. After the air crash, every child is clean and pure, but as the time goes on, they lose their clearness with their childhood. So, in the fourth chapter, painted faces and long hair, is directly related to cleanliness which is one of the most important symbols in the book and this quote shows connection between id and cleanliness: “He noticed