LORD OF THE FLIES FREUD’S ID, EGO, AND SUPEREGO

INTERPRETATIONS

FREUDIAN: ID, EGO, AND SUPEREGO AS DIVERGENT, CO EXISTING FORCES WITHIN A HUMAN BEING; FOCUS IS ON THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE CONFLICT WITHIN.

INTERPRETATIONS

FREUD DEVELOPED A THEORY TO EXPLAIN COMPETING FORCES WITHIN THE HUMAN MIND OR PSYCHE.

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FREUD CALLED THESE COMPETING FORCES THE ID, EGO, AND SUPEREGO. HE FELT THAT A MENTALLY HEALTHY PERSON WOULD HAVE ALL THREE FORCES BALANCED.

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ACCORDING TO FREUD, THE ID WAS A PRIMAL FORCE WITHIN US ALL. THE ID IS ENERGY, PASSION, SEXUAL DRIVE, VIOLENCE, EMOTION, AND AGGRESSION.

INTERPRETATION

IF ONE INTERPRETS LORD OF THE FLIES FROM A FREUDIAN PERSPECTIVE, THE CHARACTER WHO BEST EMBODIES THE ID PRINCIPLE IS JACK.

INTERPRETATION

JACK REPRESENTS THE RESTLESS ID WHO SEEKS PLEASURE, HUNTING, FORCEFUL SPEECH AND PHYSICAL EXPRESSION. HE IS HARD TO CONTROL AND ACTS IMPULSIVELY.

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THE SECOND FORCE IS CALLED THE EGO. THE EGO IS THE CONSCIOUS VOICE OF REASON. THE EGO SEEKS INTERACTION WITH OTHERS WITHIN SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE ROLES.

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THE EGO SEEKS THE APPROVAL OF OTHERS AND IS SENSITIVE TO PRAISE AND CRITICISM. RALPH BEST FUNCTIONS AS THE EGO FORCE IN LORD OF THE FLIES.

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THE FINAL FORCE IS THE SUPEREGO. IT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE SOCIETAL, POLITICAL, AND RELIGIOUS RULES AND NORMS IN AN INDIVIDUAL. IT IS NOT INFLUENCED BY IMPULSE OR OTHERS.

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IN THE NOVEL, TWO CHARACTERS FULFILL THIS FORCE. THEY ARE SIMON AND PIGGY. PIGGY BEST EXPRESSES THE SOCIETAL VALUES OF THE BOYS’ HOME.

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SIMON REPRESENTS RELIGIOUS ACTION AND VALUES. HE DEMONSTRATES QUALITIES WHICH THE SUPEREGO WOULD UTILIZE AS GUIDANCE DURING DIFFICULT TIMES.

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OF COURSE, THE MOST FASCINATING ASPECT OF DOING A FREUDIAN INTERPRETATION OF THE NOVEL IS THAT IT HELPS TO EXPLAIN THE CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE BOYS.

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RALPH, AS EGO, IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TWO EXTREMES: HE MUST MEDIATE BETWEEN THE AGGRESSIVE, IMPULSIVE JACK AS ID AND THE MORE PASSIVE, PRINCIPLED PIGGY AS SUPEREGO.

BECAUSE THE RULES AND VALUES WE LEARN CAN GET IN THE WAY OF THE “FUN” WE WOULD LIKE TO DO, THE ID DOES NOT LIKE THE SUPEREGO.

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CONVERSELY, THE SUPEREGO CANNOT EASILY TOLERATE THE ID SINCE THE ID IS INTENT ON SHATTERING ALL THE RULES THE SUPEREGO VALUES.

RALPH IS VIRTUALLY IN A CATCH-22, A NO-WIN SITUATION BECAUSE HE CANNOT CONVINCE THE BOYS TO ABANDON THEIR GROWING ID IMPULSES. HIS VALUE AS AN EGO-DRIVEN LEADER LESSENS.

INTERPRETATION

LORD OF THE FLIES DEMONSTRATES JUST HOW DIFFICULT FINDING A BALANCE BETWEEN THESE FORCES CAN BE. WITHOUT CIVIL RESTRAINTS, WHO ARE WE REALLY?