Transcript Lord of the Flies

Reflect on Thursday’s “Plane Crash” activity.
What was interesting about your classmates’
behavior? What surprised you? What
behaviors would you have predicted? Why did
you behave the way you did?
by William Golding
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Not to see if you could get off the island
Psychological experiment to discover the ids,
egos and superegos within the class
Sir William Golding –1911 –1993
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1939 –was a secondary school teacher
During WWII, he helped sink the Bismarck
and landed at Normandy.
1945 –resumed teaching, began writing
1954 –LotF published
 The boys are on the island because their fathers
launched an evil, atomic war.
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Golding’s view of the world post-WWII
 Human nature is inherently evil and violent
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This attitude reflects the general mood of
pessimism in the post-war years
He believed in the mythic fall of humankind
from innocence
 Baseness over rationalism
 Schools and civilizations are ineffective to reverse
the savagery of humans in times of challenge
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
 Interested in the unconscious
 Studied dreams
 Thought there were 3 main forces within
humans that are responsible for our
behaviors
 Id, ego, superego
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Unconscious, animal self
Center or reservoir of instinctual drives
 Ex: biological urges, wishes
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Dominated by the pleasure principle
 Immediate gratification, no concern for
consequences
 “I see your money in your gym locker, I want it, so
I take it.”
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Freud says the Id is driven by the libido, or
creative, sexual force
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Conscious self, “I”
Formed at birth
Learns to modify behaviors by controlling
socially unacceptable impulses
 Ex: “I’m a good person, so I should turn in my
friend who stole money from the gym locker.”
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Mediates between the Id and Superego
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Conscious self image, positive ego, ego ideal
Works automatically, unconsciously
Modifies, inhibits the Id impulses that produce
antisocial thoughts, feelings, actions
 “If I don’t turn in my friend, I’ve really helped them
steal the money, and stealing is wrong and against
the rules.”
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Develops as a child grows and accepts the values
and standards presented to them by…
 Parents
 society
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Draw a picture of either Id, Ego, or Superego
in action. Caption your drawing with a
statement that proves you get motivation
that comes from the id, ego, or superego.
Read and highlight anything interesting in
the Vogue Book of Etiquette for Tuesday