Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs within Lord of the Flies Essay about book: Lord of the Flies by: William Golding

Essay by captinhook18241High School, 11th gradeA, November 2004

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Abraham Maslow formulated a theory of a hierarchy of needs, stating that he believed that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied or incomplete needs. In his theory there are five levels of certain needs in which lower needs need to be satisfied before higher needs can be achieved. The five needs are physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs applies to many of the characters in Lord of the Flies, such as Piggy, Ralph, and Jack, and shows how they are affected when their needs are unsatisfied.

The lowest and basic need of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is physiological needs, which are the necessity of air, water, food, sleep, and shelter. Throughout the novel, the majority of the boys acquired all of their physiological needs. There were three shelters built of tree branches, logs, and leaves. The boys slept in the shelters at night for warmth and a sense of home.

Many of the younger boys munched on the fruits they picked in the jungle and everyone ate roasted pig which Jack and his hunters slaughtered periodically. The boys also filled up coconut shells with water and placed them under trees and in the shade of the jungle to be chilled and drank when necessary. Since the boys alleviated their physiological needs, they were able to think about other needs, such as safety.

The second need of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is the necessity for safety, which is protection and maintaining wellbeing while creating stability in a chaotic world.

One of Ralph's first instincts was to maintain safety by searching and exploring the island with Jack and Simon for anything or anyone who could possibly pose a threat to their wellbeing while inhabiting the island. Also, Piggy and Ralph find a conch in the water on the...