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"Lord of the Flies":
A Human Psyche Allegory
By:
Mookie Schnaper
English Period 4
Mrs.Dunlap
April 15,2013
Mookie Schnaper
Mrs.Dunlap
English
15 April 2013
"Lord of the Flies":
A Human Psyche Allegory
In Lord of the Flies William Golding uses allegories to illustrate the human psyche. Different characters are used to represent different parts of an individual's mental structure: the impulses of the Id, the rationality of the Ego, and the moral understanding of the Superego. Golding carefully describes each character's actions to coincide with each part of the psyche. Jack, Piggy, Simon, and Ralph are characters in the story that represent the psyche.
According to Sigmun Freud, the Id is the impulsive part of the psyche. Evidence of this is the killing of the sow. To elaborate, the killing of the sow has been deemed a "symbolic rape," symbolizing man's sexual desire.
Freud's diagrams from 'The Ego and the Id' (1923)
English: visual representation of the Freud's id, ...
Italiano: Fig. 2. Diagramma di Freud riguardante l...The manner that the boys go about in killing the pigs is based on sexual desire and violence; all parts of the Id. An example of this is the boys chant they recite after the hunt, as well as the lust they receive when chasing the sow. The pig's head also represents the Id in the boys. The pig's head becomes evidence of their atrocities brought on by impulsive and animalistic behavior. The boys wanted satisfaction, ultimately achieving it through the brutal murder of the sow.
Furthermore, Golding's Jack has been interpreted to personify the Id. An exemplar is his thirst for blood which gives him gratification. He takes great pride in hunting and killing pigs, eventually smearing the pig's blood on his face. This is violent and primal, not very productive for the group and is meant as a source of satisfaction.