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Psychoanalytic Analysis Of Lord Of The Flies

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William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is a novel that exemplifies the psychology of the human race as defined by Sigmund Freud and his psychoanalytic theory of personality, defining the three parts of the psyche, the Id, the Ego, and the Superego, with the Id in constant conflict with the other two. An analysis of this theory will show that each of the main characters of the novel, Jack, Ralph, and Piggy, is the epitome of each psychological aspect of the human personality, proving that in the setting of the island without the societal values and morals of the macrocosm, the Id overcomes its adversaries. In Lord of the Flies, the protagonist Ralph comes to embody the Freudian element of personality called the Ego. According to Diane Andrews …show more content…

These impulses, often sexual, seek to provide pleasure without regard to the cost” (Henningfeld). Jack continuously exhibits such impulses in addition to openly violent ones throughout the novel. At the conclusion of the very first chapter of the novel, he foreshadows his sadistic tendencies when he very nearly kills a pig. Later, he is shown acclimating to his environment (i.e. the forest) and refining his hunting abilities. All of these events lead up to Jack’s eventual split from Ralph’s rule and his complete succumbing to his negative impulses. This is epitomized in his vicious and thoughtless attack on the sow, during which he, “…was on top of the sow, stabbing downwards with his knife” (Golding, 135), exhibiting his brutal nature. His merciless assault on her was described by Henningfeld as, “…rife with sexual overtones”, displaying his completely impulse-controlled demeanor that shows no consideration for any logical thoughts. His abandonment of logic is also shown through the killing of the sow due to the strategic value of the sow due to her ability to bear more pigs for them to eat. However, due to Jack’s uninhibited impulses and abandoned logic especially when hunting, he has removed a potential asset to their survival. Therefore, because of his actions guided solely by sadistic and irrational impulses which aim for their own complete gratification, Jack is the embodiment of Id in the

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After Jack paints his face he in a sense mimics animals and their ability to hunt, he showś this by trying smell the pigś scent and walking on all fours. When Jack brings back the dead pig from chapter 4 we see his sense of civilization wain when he not only doesn't care about what Ralph ordered, but about the rules that he had previously had been the most excited about

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Explanation: Jack was unlike the rest of the characters in this story as he showed determination and toughness above anyone else's. Jack was always determined to kill a pig and bring it back for a feast. After Ralph scolding him multiple times for only trying to kill a pig and mainly failing he formed his own tribe where people could have fun and eat

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The mental degradation of Jack, his hunters, and several other boys helps to demonstrate how civilization is only a veneer masking man 's inborn savagery. Originating as an angelic choir boy, one might struggle to believe that Jack Merridew is the first boy to begin the slippery slope into savagery. It all starts when Jack, in an attempt to have a successful hunt, applies red and white clay to his face. This fateful application becomes a mask with which Jack hides all of his fears and insecurities behind, and in doing so, Jack takes the first step in becoming a savage. As time progresses, increasing acts of terror (such as torturing a mother pig and slaughtering one of their fellow boys) push Jack further from humanity until he is a complete

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This foreshadows that if Jack was in the moment of adrenaline and had a place he would kill something. The concept to why Jack could not kill the piglet is that a living animal or species should be killed. 2.) Golding first presents Jack as intimidating, fierce, warrior-like, and rude. "The boy himself came forward, vaulted on to the platform with his cloak flying, and peered into what to him was almost complete darkness" (Golding 20).

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In the novel “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding the ultimate one responsible for the destruction of the island is Jack. In the novel Golding has wrote about how a group of british boys crashed on a plane and landed on a island where there are no adults,just little british boys stranded on a island .In the beginning one of the boys Ralph was the responsible leader where he knew what to do an how to manage. But of course there was this one cureles jealous boy that wanted to be a leader,the one in charge. Because of how ruthless and savage Jack was he took the fear that the boys had within them and used it against them to make them join his tribe which started the destruction of the island.

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First, Jack disregarded all of his important duties in order to prove his strength when he finally killed his first animal. He knew that it would be more beneficial to keep a fire going as a ship passed by, and it had been explicitly demanded of him by the members of his tribe, especially Ralph. However, finally conquering his fear was all that he could think about, while avidly exclaiming, “I cut the pig’s throat” (Golding 52). His hubris during this moment made it clear that his wish for approval and respect is much greater than his desire to escape from the island, or his original skepticism to lose his innocence by shedding blood. Also, at the beginning of the novel when Jack is introduced, he taunts Piggy, immediately, saying, “Shut up, fatty” (Golding 15).

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According to the author, Jack is realizing that the only way he can have power is by hunting for others, but the more he hunts the most violent he becomes, but since he does not think fondly of piggy he does not give him meat, but when Simon gives him meat, throws meat at him and yells, "Eat! Damn you!" (pg 67). This short quote reinforces my answer because it shows how jack has become more aggressive, violent, and power-crazy. The examination of this quote reveals jacks blood-lust for power, and I'm not just talking about jack, in the book Jack represents savagery in society, violent acts when no one is looking, he represents that anyone can feel bloodthirsty for power, so furthermore Jack is exposed by that quote showing that he becomes more savage and his true nature rolls in, but he is also aware of it, he wears a clay mask towards the end of the book to cover up his insecurity and how he feels about his actions so he can have the power to not realize his actions and do things without thinking realistically.

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Jack has become almost a complete savage, challenging Ralph for power and separating off in his way. It creates more tension as Jack is shown to go off the tip of the cliff in terms of corruption. Jack is now lying, pushing Ralph off his throne, and is considered the leader. It is exhibited how Jack is now overpowering Ralph in terms of leadership. The suspense between Jack and Ralph arrives at a climax when Ralph humiliates Jack's hunters by referring to them as "boys with sticks."

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As the power struggle between them intensifies, Ralph becomes increasingly drawn to the thrill and excitement of hunting and the abandonment of societal norms. However, he soon realizes that what he is following is not morally right, which strengthens his character. Ralph joins Jack’s tribe in a violent chant momentarily caught up in the excitement of the hunt and losing touch with his morals. There is no hiding that Jack has chaotic and savage tendencies, representing the darker aspects of human nature. Ralph notices this and it serves as a reminder to him to not drift away from his leadership style of civilization and authority.

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Jack, especially, is blinded by his pride. He believes he should be treated like a god, and the boys obey his every command. After they kill a pig, the boys are eating and partying. He receives this treatment, "Before the party had started a great log had been dragged into the center of the lawn and Jack, painted and garlanded, sat there like an idol. There were piles of meat on green leaves near him, and fruit, and coconut shells full of drink" (147).

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Everyone has this underlying darkness within them that is hidden away deep inside the nooks and crannies of their hearts. Golding demonstrates this through the use of his major characters, Ralph and Jack. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, the author William Golding utilizes character development to suggest the idea that when individuals are separated from civilization, dark forces will arise and threaten unity and harmony. Golding presents the protagonist, Ralph, who is decently intelligent and completely civilized, to demonstrate how once individuals are pulled away from civilization, the dark forces within them will arise and change how they are for the time being.

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The individual influences society by what they choose to show of their identity and what their ‘Superego’ shows of the ‘Id’ portion of their brains. The influence of society alters the identity of individuals through peer pressure. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the boys’ identities morf from civilized and structured young children to that of savages when Jack, a violent hunter and antagonist of the novel, initiates a game where a boy named Robert pretends to be a pig. The boy’s innocent play soon turns into a life threatening situation when Jack pressures the boys to make it more realistic and close in the circle.

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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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As the novel develops, the boys are left to their own devices and morals to survive on the island. Golding implies that when this happens, people naturally revert to cruelty, savagery and a human evil that he believes is in everyone. When Jack kills the mother pig, he is in great triumph over outwitting a living thing. This shows that he has become a savage through his time on the island, and his inner evil has taken over him. It also shows that Jack has become more violent over time, as if killing pigs is normal to him.

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Lastly, Jack is known as the rebel of the story who disagrees with the leaders, and is pure evil from middle to end. Although Jack is evil, his bad character trait ensures his survival and alliance with the boys. The first example of when Jack’s evilness is shown in the story is when Jack hunts the pig and puts its head on a stick, the line says “ Jack held the head up and jammed the soft throat down on the pointed end of the stick which pierced through into the mouth. He stood back and the head hung there, a little blood dribbling down the stick” ( Golding, 150). This shows Jack’s evilness because instead of fearing the beast he is offering him the head of the pig that he just brutally murdered.

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