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How Does Lord Of The Flies Relate To Psychology

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In Lord of the Flies, the characters of Jack, Ralph, and Simon embody Freud's three parts of the human psyche, leading to a psychological battle that highlights the complexities of human nature. Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. By exploring the unconscious desires and instincts that drive a patient's behavior, physiotherapists can develop a more holistic approach to treatments addressing both the physical and psychological aspects of pain. His theories of the id, ego, and superego have had a significant impact on the field of psychology and continue to be studied and debated. Freud's theories have …show more content…

Throughout the novel, Ralph consistently demonstrates a sense of order, responsibility, and the desire for a civilized society. When Ralph suggests, "Seems to me we ought to have a chief to decide things" (Golding 22), he displays his inclination towards establishing a structured leadership system, emphasizing his desire for organization and fair decision-making. Additionally, as tensions arise within the group, Ralph takes on the role of a mediator, asserting, "We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages" (Golding 42). Ralph's commitment to maintaining order shows how his brain and personality operates. By reminding the boys of their civilized nature, he demonstrates the ego part of the psyche. Furthermore, despite facing challenges and conflicts, Ralph recognizes the importance of rescue and prioritizes it, declaring, "We've got to make smoke up there--or die" (Golding 85). This statement underscores his practical mindset and his focus on long-term survival. Through these instances and his consistent actions, Ralph embodies the ego, displaying a rational and balanced approach to decision-making and a commitment to maintaining order and civilization amidst …show more content…

Throughout the novel, Simon consistently demonstrates a deep connection with nature and a profound understanding of the innate goodness that exists in humanity. Through his interactions and observations, Simon imparts wisdom and offers guidance to the other boys. When Simon encounters the Lord of the Flies, he realizes that the true beast lies within themselves, as he hears the disembodied voice say, "Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!" (Golding 143). This moment highlights Simon's intuitive grasp of the deeper truths and the importance of self-reflection. Moreover, when Simon encounters the lifeless parachutist, he contemplates the inherent evil within mankind, stating, "Maybe there is a beast... maybe it's only us” (Golding 89). This showcases Simon's recognition of the darkness that resides within each individual. Furthermore, in a moment of insight, Simon shares with Ralph, "You'll get back to where you came from” (Golding 111). This insight conveys Simon’s belief in the restoration of order and the potential for redemption. Through his consistent actions and understanding of human nature, Simon personifies the superego, embodying moral values, self-awareness, and a profound understanding of the human condition, while urging others to confront their inner demons and strive for

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863 Words | 4 Pages

Golding shows that although Ralph’s leadership starts off strongly, authority based on order will not survive due to man’s savage nature. Like in a democracy, Ralph gets the position of authority when the boys elect him as their leader. As chief,

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Golding, using an ethos appeal, immediately places Ralph in a position of authority. With no adults around, the children need someone to look up to. At first, Ralph wants a leadership role, and takes the job as chief with an eager attitude. Later on in the story, having to constantly fill this gap weighs on Ralph.

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The book opens with a description of Ralph, he is a fair boy, well-built, and community-minded. He is chosen as leader or “chief” because he is the one who blows the conch to gather the surviving boys. Throughout the beginning of the book Ralph's leadership is shown to be very responsible and the desire to have rules. He has good communication skills with the boy by letting them voice their opinions and always sharing his. He recognizes the importance of building shelters and always has a signal fire on.

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1015 Words | 5 Pages

In the novel, Simon represented the goodness of the world. He is not scared of the beast or anything the other boys are afraid of, but he is afraid of the boys and the evil inside of them. While the boys were arguing about whether

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This quote shows Ralph's recognition of the importance of rules and how he is maintaining a civilized society. As the leader of the group, Ralph thinks he is responsible for assuring that the boys behave in a certain way that is respectful, and easy for them to survive when they are having trouble. He understands that without the rules, the boys could fall out of respect and fall into chaos and savagery. This quote also shows Ralph's commitment

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I’m part of you?’” (Golding 143). The manifestation of Simon’s inescapable evil directly speaks to him, and the two converse to a degree. Considering the pig’s head is speaking to him in his mind; the recognition of inner malice is truly profound. Simon’s consideration of walking away from the head is halted when the head exclaims “‘This is ridiculous.

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Although the other boys laugh off Simon’s suggestion, Simon’s words are central to Golding’s philosophy of anti-transcendentalism, that innate human darkness exists. Simon is the first character in the novel to see “mankind’s essential illness” which in turn, shows the beast not as an external force but as a component of human nature. Simons deep understanding of the beast is further expressed in his hallucination or his “discussion” with the lord of the flies that he has after one of his fainting spells, “There isn't anyone to help you. Only me. And I'm the Beast...

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Ralph, one of the most important characters in the novel serves as the human ego, a subconscious mind that works by reason and common sense. However, even the conscious and reasonable mind can vanish in a society with no structure and civilization. At the beginning of the novel, Ralph asserts “… We can help them to find us… a ship comes near the island they may not notice us…we must make smoke on top of the mountain…” (38). Ralph focuses on the important and common sense actions that need to be taken in order to survive and get rescued. Even so, Ralph is being diminished by the savagery committed by Jack and his hunters, the quotes “He tried to remember…we want smoke…

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1024 Words | 5 Pages

His character symbolizes the identification between good and bad by the way he views the evolution of savagery, and this is visible through the way his ego is revealed to the reader, and how the savage actions become more serious

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In William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, the Freudian personalities are perfectly expressed. These personalities consist of Id, Ego, and Super-ego. Ralph , Jack, and Piggy are the characters who best fit these personalities. In which, Jack represents the id, Ralph represents the ego, and Piggy represents the super-ego.

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Believe it or not, evil lies in every single human being. One sees this everyday when wars occur, homicides happen, and when robberies destroy homes. The novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding is an outstanding example of what really can take happen when human nature takes over. The character Simon in Lord of the Flies symbolizes the role of spirituality in society. William Golding uses the character Simon as a spiritual tool to reveal human’s inherent defect.

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Simon’s Characterization in Lord of the Flies People and their desire for power can cause turmoil and destruction, but some people are able to put the benefit of the majority ahead of their own desires. The ability to act upon desires for the good of the people and consider conscience, based upon the influences they experience, is described by Sigmund Freud as superego (Freudian Division…). In Golding’s Lord of the Flies, he uses Simon to portray Freud’s idea of superego, by incorporating religious allusions, symbolism, and social allegory, which is further demonstrated in the articles “Is Golding Calvinistic?” “The Coral Island Revisited,” and “Simon.”

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According to the University of Minnesota, his brain must have perceived all of the fear in the group of boys as negative and remembered it when he was tired, causing him to imagine the Lord of the Flies character. This quote is an example of Simon’s brain reacting to the signals from the amygdala, instead of rational processing. “They became motionless, gripped in each other’s arms, four unwinking eyes aimed and two mouths open” (Golding 98). Their unwavering fear of the beast magnified their experience from merely seeing the movement of the dead paratrooper to seeing a threat and consequently caused them to experience the sight before them more terrifying. Moreover, their fear has caused them to become incapacitated, according to the University of Minnesota, as they did not run away immediately after seeing the paratrooper that they perceived as the beast.

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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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