The Remarkable Relation Between Psychology and Lord Of the Flies. Imagine the most kind, relatable, and affectionate person you know. This individual is always empathetic towards you and others. They always help those who ask for it. They are consistently doing things in such a manner that makes you believe they can do no wrong. This is what psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud named the “superego.” This is a state of mind where the person in question has ascended into a more respectful manner. They have moral goals that benefit not only themselves but those around them.
Now, imagine a middle-aged child, one at age seven or eight. They are beginning to comprehend that their world more than just their wants and needs. They discover that what they require must be attained in a manner which socially acceptable, but not yet respectable. This is what Freud named the “ego.” This is the part of human development that is afraid of the consequences of society and realizes the individual must be strategic to gain pleasure.
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Now imagine a two-year-old child. Sometimes, they can be the physical embodiment of all things horrible. They’re greedy, angry, violent, and all manner of things that depict this unfavorable point of view. Take this child, and place them in a store. When they ask their mother for a candy bar, their mother denies them the pleasure of consuming that candy. The child freaks out and throws a temper tantrum. They freak out because they are unable to satisfy their selfish desire. They can commit villainous acts, those which lead to the destruction and dissatisfaction of others. All of this is for their gain. This child is what Freud calls the “id.” It is how all people are born, and the id stays inside your mind. Pushing you to do anything for your selfish instincts.
Now imagine your superego friend. You may think them to be perfect, but in fact, they are far from it. They have the id inside of them. Everyone does. The id feeds their greedy desires and pushes them to commit unspeakable acts. Yet, their superego can accomplish the feat of overpowering the id. They can subdue the id and make the morally right choice.
The book Lord of the Flies represents what occurs inside the mind. Jack represents the id. He embodies all of our primitive aggressive and sexual instincts. Ralph represents the ego. He works to gather ideas regarding what he desires. Ralph takes action upon the information and decides the most sensible route to achieve his pleasure. Simon represents the superego. He is pure and has reached a state in which he sets moral goals as opposed to selfish goals and desires. The most prominent allegory in Lord of the Flies is that of the human mind due to the actions and attitudes of the characters.
The superego is a state of mind that can successfully shut down all evils. Saul McLeod states, “The superego's function is to control the id's impulses, especially those which society forbids, such as sex and aggression” (McLeod). Dr. Sigmund Freud originally researched this topic, and Saul McLeod informs us that the superego is the mindset in which you have ascended above the selfishness and narcissism that is associated with the id. It controls negative schemes proposed by it. The superego manifests itself by deciding whether something is moral or not. If not, the superego corrects the id to focus on a more righteous agenda. This often means searching for ways to provide a safer and more pleasant environment for those around them. Saul McLeod further declares, “It also has the function of persuading the ego to turn to moralistic goals rather than simply realistic ones and to strive for perfection.” The superego works with the ego reaffirms positive messages, and aims to achieve selfless greatness. Unlike the ego, once one reaches a state of super-egoism, their mind redirects focus onto positive morality as opposed to self-indulgence brought forth by both the ego and superego.
In Lord of the Flies, this state of mind is personified by Simon due to his virtue and benevolence. In the novel, Golding portrays Simon as a righteous figure who negates greed: “They’re hopeless. The older ones aren’t much better. D’you see? All day I’ve been working with Simon. No one else. They’re off bathing, or eating, or playing” (50). Golding originally introduces the topic through Ralph’s dialogue with Jack. He defines most of the boys as “hopeless,” indicating that the majority of the average mind is not engaged with super-egoism. He mentions that even many “older ones aren’t much better.” This idea of “older boys” refers to the fact that there are developed people, and regions of the mind, that still only maintain ego or possibly even id. Once Ralph mentions that Simon is the only one working with him, it demonstrates his representation of the superego. Simon is not a leader, and thus he has no obligation to help. He could be off partaking in selfish activities like the other boys, but instead, he stays and works with Ralph to create shelters for the group. Even though nobody else besides Ralph remains, Simon’s focus never shifts away from creating this safety for others. Later in the novel, Simon also demonstrates his ability to control the id and the impulses that it brings forth. Golding paints “the beast” as a major id on the island, apparently threatening the boys’ safety throughout the novel. Simon converses with this beast, who tells him he shall not climb the mountain and discover the truth: “This has gone far enough. My poor, misguided child, do you think you know better than I do? … We are going to have fun on this island! So don’t try it, my poor misguided boy, or else-” (143). The beast urges Simon to stay away from the mountain, for at the peak is truth and the possibility of rescue. As the id enjoys having control, the beast doesn’t wish for Simon to spread hope and positive reassurance. Multiple times “the beast” refers to Simon as a “poor, misguided child.” Referring to him as “poor” and “misguided” demonstrates that Simon believes the opposite of the id, or truth and righteousness. This positive morality opposes the id’s ideology of aggressiveness and selfish acts, thus confirming the virtue of Simon. Furthermore, the beast suggests to Simon that they are going to “have fun,” and if Simon disagrees he will be severely punished. The mind’s primitive instincts emphasize that cruelty and “fun” are the way to live. This “fun” is defined as killing animals, hurting other boys, and asserting violent dominance. Simon can resist such temptation brought forth by the id, and he proceeds to discover the body of a dead parachuter, their first contact from the safer, adult world. Despite the threats of the beast, Simon attempts to inform the other boys of the dead man on the mountain. Though his death was foreshadowed, Simon nobly selected to inform the others: “It was crying out against the abominable noise something about a body on the hill … There were no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws” (Golding 152-153). In this act of defiance against the id, Simon was killed. This confidence in the face of danger shows us how Simon will do anything for virtue, even remain steadfast in the face of death. Even as he is being fiercely attacked, he continues to yell about the dead man on the hill. He dies attempting to tell the boys and give them a source of hope and comfort. The selfless ideology Simon possesses illustrates how he represents the superego and the honesty, positive morality, and humanity that it maintains.
The ego is the state of mind that the average person falls under. When describing the ego, Saul McLeod explains, “The ego considers social realities and norms, etiquette and rules in deciding how to behave. … The ego is concerned with devising a realistic strategy to obtain pleasure.” What McLeod was conveying through Freud’s research is that the ego is observant. Not only does it know that it must satisfy its desires, but it realizes that it must approach these aspirations with a socially acceptable method in place. This often means turning to authority for boundaries, as mentioned with etiquette and rules. Since the ego has previously observed these rules, it understands that it is satisfactory to attend to these aspirations in a manner that follows them. This observable knowledge is used in cooperation with the rest of the mind to devise a strategy that satisfies the id. The ego continues to execute actions in a manner they have observed beforehand, as they have been effective. McLeod also interpretively revealed, “Often the ego is weak relative to the headstrong id.” By calling the ego weak “relative” to the id, it shows that on its own the ego can be strong-willed, and determined to fulfill the goals it possesses. It fulfills these goals in a demeanor that not only satisfies itself but leaves those around it unaffected. But in the face of primitive impulses, the ego can fold and allow its selfish instincts regain to control. McLeod also demonstrates the relentless power the id possesses. It is what controls the native drive in humans. It has the power to force all internal progress crumbling to the ground. Once this happens, chaos ensues. The individual only chases self-centered goals. In Lord of the Flies, Ralph represents this internal position due to his fluctuating confidence and leadership that is based on society. At the very beginning of the book, Ralph proclaims they will “have ‘hands up’ like at school” (Golding 33). When Ralph discovered there was no authoritarian figure, he immediately sought after a familiar state of organization. One commonality the boys held together was schooling. The act of raising hands to speak was a socially acceptable method of order that all the boys had been taught, so it was easy for Ralph to decide this would be the state of management. In doing this, Ralph satisfied his own selfish goal of order and control. Figures with authority have the power to make decisions. Once he gains control, he can use this power to do anything he wants. This occurred discreetly, and seemed realistic, to the other boys because they could see no prevalent issue. In their private schooling, they have been taught since birth that it is acceptable etiquette to raise hands and follow blindly in the face of authority. As Ralph possesses this authority, he can now obtain pleasure in a “realistic” way. But, Ralph is also weak to the actions of Jack, or the id. As Simon was being mauled by the boys, Golding says Ralph (and Piggy) “found themselves eager to take a place in this demented, but partly secure society” (152). As time passed Ralph became unaware that he was slowly falling into the shadow of the id. When Golding says he “found” himself being influenced to partake in this violence, it reveals that over time Ralph had subconsciously been turning increasingly violent without society to reaffirm what is right and what is wrong. Without knowledge of it, Ralph has become selfish to the point where he is fighting a war against himself. Golding also called the society “demented but secure.” To Ralph, it is demented and ugly because he observes the others around him, and has never seen something as gruesome as the current scene. But it also comforted him, because the id had slowly been taking power, replacing the ego. Ralph fails to stop the id (Jack) from killing Simon. He allows them to murder him and even considers partaking. The new society he is in involves violence, so he observes that and is tempted to join himself. By seizing control of his agenda and falling weak to the id, one can realize that Ralph truly represents the ego.
The id is the basic and primitive state of mind that all people retain. It is what humans are born with when they are young, and it remains present throughout an individual’s lifetime. Subconsciously, the superego fully suppresses the id, and the ego merely manages it. The id itself is described by Saul McLeod: “The id is not affected by reality, logic or the everyday world.” The id forces the basic impulses of life upon people. These impulses include “the sex (life) instinct … and the aggressive (death) instinct.” This also includes generally satisfactory impulses that can bring, or help to produce personal pleasure. By saying the id is “not affected” by what happens around it, it shows us it is unable to be altered, as continues to remain unaffected by society. If the id has an idea or impulse, it finds a way to satisfy the particular desire. How it goes about achieving that goal can be immoral, harmful, or even mortal. As it is a “default” instinct, the id does not naturally take into account the impact it has on those around it. The id also believes that all desires are to be “satisfied immediately, regardless of the consequences.” The id is hardwired to obey impulsivity. Within the realm of human development, the id has remained unchanged. Under the id’s rule, Selfishness takes over and the id finds a way to satisfy itself in a manner that could have any outcome upon others, but it takes none of these potential consequences into consideration. In the novel, Jack represents this area of the mind. At the beginning of the novel, Jack thoroughly demonstrates his selfish agenda. He wanted to “have lots of rules, then when anyone breaks ‘em-’ ‘Whee-oh!’ ‘Wacco!’ ‘Bong!’ ‘Doink!’ ” (Golding 33) Jack originally wanted to have violent dominance over the group. “Whee-oh, wacko, bong, and doink” are onomatopoeia for physical violence, violence which he will induce after a rule is broken. This abusive rule would have satisfied not only his want for power but his primitive instinct for aggressiveness as well. But, the ego (Ralph) can step in and become chief instead of Jack. Jack himself feels that he has no applicability to the rules, naming himself and his friends the hunters of the island: “Jack broke in ‘All the same you need an army- for hunting. Hunting pigs-’ ” (32). By saying “all the same,” Jack essentially informs Ralph he is carefree regarding their loneliness on the island. He immediately suggests he and his group break off from their normal routine and hunt pigs. Hunting Pigs satisfies Jack’s instinct for aggressiveness and violence, but he is also able to have strict control over his tribe, satisfying his want for authority. At the end of the book, Jack is also very friendly with “the beast,” a creature that induces fear upon the boys: “And about the beast. When we kill we’ll leave some of the kills for it” (Golding 133). Jack decides it is worth it to attempt to befriend the beast, deciding that each time his clan kills a pig, they will leave a partial sacrifice to the beast. Later, this beast threatens Simon not to go back to the boys with the truth about the mountain, he does it anyway. Jack is interconnected with the beast, fulfilling the warning it gave Simon. He led the boys in a chant of “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” (152). Jack also calls Simon the beast, showing that Jack feels he is his enemy. The id is a natural enemy of the Superego, as the superego shuns all of the id’s selfish instincts. When they kill Simon, it shows not only that he is Jack’s enemy, but also shows Jack satisfying his need for violence. This, along with his willingness to violently seize control and befriend the beast demonstrates that Jack represents the id.
As you can see, the allegory of the human mind is remarkably outstanding through the actions of the characters in Lord of the Flies. The superego is the state where one has risen above selfish temptation and has transcended into a state of righteousness. Simon assuredly personifies this element within the literature. Throughout the novel, he is seen dedicating himself to the other members of the island. In the beginning, he selflessly continued to help construct shelters, although nobody else besides the chief (Ralph) was helping. Furthermore, Simon sacrificed himself to inform the boys of the hope of potential rescue, despite the fact he was threatened by the beast. Dissimilarly, the ego is a control system that simply quenches primitive impulses by acting in ways that were previously observed to have no negative consequences. At the start of the novel, Ralph’s dominance is established and almost immediately he establishes a rule dictating that the boys must raise their hands to speak. This act had been previously established in the society of adults as a basic and respectable way to maintain order. As time progressed, Ralph subconsciously fell into the ways of negativity and selfishness without a proper and respectable society to observe. While the boys were violently murdering Simon, Ralph remained a bystander and watched, failing to prevent the attack. Finally, there is the id. The id is the basic state of mind, that which forces greedy instincts upon the individual. Jack embodies the id due to his willingness to maintain violent control and become enemies with Simon. He originally suggests that he should become the chief, saying that he will physically punish anyone who disobeys his rules. Though his attempt to become chief failed, Jack named himself the leader of the hunters, believing that he was exempt from the established rules. At the end of the novel, he also decides he will leave part of every killed pig for the beast, a gesture alike to an act of friendship. But the beast threatens Simon, telling him not to spread the hope of the adult world, and Jack fulfills this threat, leading the boys in the maul of Simon. Within the current political climate, this psychological study is directly applicable. Individuals such as Gandhi embody the superego. Gandhi starved himself in defiance of the British rule of India. With this self-harm, he brought greater happiness to the citizens of his country. Currently, there is a very small amount of major figures like Gandhi in the United States that Demonstrate this superegoism. Without a significant amount of these people in society, we have people such as Donald Trump, who wants to receive “funding to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and said he would be ‘proud’ to shut the government down if Congress doesn't accede to his demand. More than 420,000 federal employees across numerous agencies will continue to work even as the government shuts down.” (Breuninger). The governmental workforce went upwards of a month without pay. Without a society filled with positive morality, people become surrounded by greed. This greed leads to the destruction of positive morality, and the harming of many.
Works Cited:
- Breuninger, Kevin. 'Here's who the partial government shutdown affects.' CNBC. 17 Jan. 2019. CNBC. 04 Feb. 2019.
- Golding, William, and Edmund L. Epstein. Lord of the Flies: A Novel. New York: Perigee, 1954.
- Mcleod, Saul. 'Id, Ego, and Superego.' Simply Psychology. 05 Feb. 2016. Simply Psychology. 04 Feb. 2019.
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