Lord of the Flies and Freuds Three Part Analysis of the Mind
Lord of the Flies and Freud's Three Part Analysis of the Mind
Lord of the Flies, a story that tells the adventure of a group of boys that has been dropped on a tropical island, seems susceptible of various interpretations. It can be read as a moral fable, social fable and religious fable that examines personal integration and explores social regression.
When viewed as a moral fable, Lord of the Flies seems capable of endorsing Freud's three part analysis of the mind. It is possible to view the boys as representatives of various instincts or elements of personality.
Sigmund Freud, an Australian neurologist who founded modern theory of psychoanalysis, believed that the personality had three basic components: the id, the ego, and the superego. When the child is first born it is a mass of id. The demand "I want" is the sum total of its minds' contents. Jack Merridew, who constantly exerts control over others with his militaristic attitude, fits the perfect description of id, the most primitive or instinctive part of the personality. He hungers for leadership position and is eager to make rules and punish those who break them. His main interest, hunting, develops the savagery that eventually turns into an overwhelming urge to master and kill other living creatures. His action operates according to pleasure principle, that is, seeking pleasure and avoiding pain regardless of social beliefs or restraints. He never hesitates to break rules when he needs to further his own interest.
The id desires in here and now and doesn't make plans for the future. On the island, Jack quickly loses interest in the world of civilization as social conditioning fades rapidly from his character. He feels no compunction to keep the fire going or attend to any of the other responsibilities for the survival of the group. Ironically, his animal instincts flourish in the jungle. Although he only cares about himself and is driven to destroy anyone who gets in his way, one can argue that in extreme situation such as this, perhaps it is necessary to use extreme methods.
In Freud's approach to personality, the ego is the problem solving part of the personality, which operates according to the reality principle. Piggy, the intellectual, is undoubtedly the one that fits its description. Having poor eyesight, weight problem, and asthma, Piggy is the most physically vulnerable of all boys. The lack of leadership qualities further...