Comparison of Golding’s
Lord of the Flies and Freud’s
Theory of Personality
English I
Mayfield
Who was Sigmund Freud?


Sigmund Freud was an
Austrian neurologist and the
pioneer for psychoanalysis, a
system of psychological
theory and therapy
investigating the interaction
of conscious and
unconscious elements in the
mind.
Authored many books on the
topic and was one of the most
controversial, yet influential
thinkers of his time.
Freud’s “Theory of Personality”




States that the personality or human psyche is divided
into three sections: the Id, ego, and super ego
These three coexist and interact with each other based
on instincts (which must be tamed by civilization)
Id is entirely in the unconscious
Ego and superego exist in the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious

Freud compared the relationship between the ego and the id
to that between a charioteer and his horses: the horses
provide the energy and drive, while the charioteer provides
direction.
Iceberg Metaphor
“The mind is like an iceberg, it
floats with one-seventh of its bulk
above water.”
The Id






Present from birth
Very useful in infancy, when all of a baby’s needs
have to be met
Believed to be the primary component of a
personality
Contains all primitive needs and urges
When the Id has a desire for something, that desire
needs to be satisfied at once
Operates on the “Pleasure Principle” and strives for
all urges to be met immediately
The Ego

Operates on the “Reality Principle” – tries to satisfy
id but in accordance with the real world





confrontation between desire and reality
Develops from the id
Tries to express the desires of the id in a socially
acceptable manner
Mediates between the id and the superego
Freud theorized that the key to a healthy personality
is a good ego strength

Ego strength – how well one’s ego can moderate between
the id and superego (like coping skills)
The Superego





The superego is the last part of the personality to
develop
Where internalized moral standards lie (learned from
parents and society)
Contains a person’s sense of right and wrong; “judge”
determines whether ego has been good or bad
Strives to suppress some of the unacceptable or
immoral urges of the id
Tries to have a person follow a certain set of ethical
standards
Parts of the Superego

The Ego Ideal





Contains standards for “good” behavior
These are often learned
If one follows these standards, the superego will
have them feel emotions like pride and honor
Holds an image of an ideal self
The Conscience


Contains rules for what is “bad” behavior
If one indulges in this behavior, the conscience will
make them feel emotions such as guilt and
remorse/regret
In relation to Lord of the Flies




The boys lose touch with the rules and order
associated with civilization.
It can be seen how, as a whole, the boys begin
to abandon all reason.
They begin to act on the id of their
personalities more than the ego and the
superego.
Start to indulge in acts like brutal killings….
Jack & hunters = Id


The longer Jack stays on the island, the more
primitive he becomes.
Jack wishes to operate by the “pleasure principle,”
just as the id. When he wants something, he’ll take it
without much regard for others.



Ex – he abandons the signal fire early on in favor for
hunting
Ex – stealing objects and “exulting in his achievement”
He acts often impulsively and irrationally trying to
fulfill his desires.


Totally disregards the lives of others towards the end
Violent and greedy nature
Ralph = Ego


The ego is the mediator between the id and the
superego. When Ralph is elected chief, he sees how
this affects Jack and gives him control of the choir,
coming to a compromise.
Ralph tries to maintain a sense of order as chief, but
he eventually gets caught up in the violence and
savagery of Jack’s tribe on several occasions.


These instances can be viewed as the Ego giving in to the
id and letting unacceptable behavior happen.
As much as Ralph tries to follow the rules instilled in him
by society, he finds himself faltering, just like the ego.
Piggy as the Conscience


He wants to maintain a sense of civilization the most
out of all the boys.
After Jack lets the signal fire go out while hunting,
Piggy forgets “the timidity in the agony of his loss”
and angrily confronts him about his overly reckless
behavior.


Here, Piggy is acting just like the conscience would, trying
to raise up feelings of guilt and remorse in the group for
letting the fire go out.
After the group murders, their collective conscience
seems to go out the window as well.
Simon as the Ego Ideal

The ego ideal is the part of the superego that
contains the image of an ideal self, and this is
the standard for behavior according to the
superego.


He exhibited exemplary behavior and insight,
picking the fruit for the littluns, giving Piggy his
share of meat when Jack wouldn’t, being the only
boy truly aware of the nature of the “beast,” etc.
Tragically, the boys hardly follow Simon’s
example, relying more on their id than their
superego,
Conclusion



In LOTF, we see just what human nature is capable
of, given the right conditions.
Golding is suggesting that there is a bit of the “beast”
in all of us. It is in the form of those irrational,
savage, and violent impulses that are usually kept
hidden from society, but are ready to come out when
circumstances allow for it.
This view is anchored in Freud’s Theory of
Personality which suggests that if there were to be an
absence of civilized rules and laws for the superego to
learn, then the deep, destructive forces hidden in the
human mind would come to light, just as they did for
the boys in LOTF.