What Is Ralph's Mentality In Lord Of The Flies

The mind has the power to control the action and urges of humans. This is the general focus of William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies. A group of boys stranded on a deserted island struggles to maintain order while trying to survive. They select Ralph, a twelve-year-old boy with a natural leadership trait that is obtained from his navy seal father. Unfortunately, Ralph’s leadership fails and Jack, another boy on the island, his lust for killing, swallows everybody’s morals and mental states which leads to them killing each other. Golding’s characters, Piggy, Ralph, and Jack represent the three psychological states, Piggy with superego, Ralph representing ego, and Jack representing id.
Piggy, one of the main characters in Lord of the Flies,

Throughout the novel, Ralph demonstrates a need to be in control and have authority over the other boys on the island. This is evident in his statement, “I was chief, and you were going to do what I said. You talk. But you can’t even build huts—then you go off hunting and let out the fire” (Golding 99). Here, Ralph asserts his position as chief and points out the other boys’ failures, emphasizing his superiority. In addition, Ralph attempts to control Jack and direct his energy towards the maintenance of the fire, stating, “He attempts to control Jack and engage his energy for the tending of the fire. To do so requires him to put off the pleasure of the hunt in order to secure rescue” (Telgen #). This highlights Ralph’s desire for order and control, as he sees the fire as a means of rescue and prioritizes its maintenance over the boy's enjoyment. Through these actions, Ralph symbolizes the ego mentality. Ralph’s ego mentality is further shown by his willingness to make difficult decisions in order to maintain control and order among the boys. One decision is his choice to destroy the conch, a symbol of order on the island. Ralph makes this decision as a way to assert his authority and end Jack’s challenge to his leadership. As stated in the text, “The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist. Ralph’s mouth was tight and pale. He looked down at Piggy, who was

This is shown in his statement, “We can light the fire again. You should have been with us, Ralph. We had a smashing time. The twins got knocked over—” (Golding, 97). Here, Jack prioritizes his own enjoyment of hunting and violence over the more practical task of maintaining the signal fire. “Jack never considers anything but his own pleasure; thus he can be considered an allegorical representation of the id” (Telgen #). Jack's id mentality is further shown in his actions towards the end of the book. After the death of Simon, Jack leads the other boys on a hunt for Ralph, fueled by his desire for power and pleasure. “Surrounded by a fringe of inquisitive bright creatures, itself a silver shape beneath the steadfast constellations, Simon's dead body moved out toward the open sea" (Golding 221). Jack and his followers are consumed by their primal instincts, completely putting aside any sense of morality or reason. As this article describes, "The temptation is to regard the island on which the children are marooned as a kind of Eden, uncorrupted and Eveless. But the actions of the children negate any assumption about childhood innocence" (Telgen #). This scene highlights Jack's complete submission to his base desires, with no regard for the consequences of his actions. In this way, Jack embodies the id mentality, as he is ruled by his impulses and