Psychoanalysis in Lord of the Flies

Contemplation of human mind fascinates all varieties of authors and scientists. Within countless novels, authors have shown interest in portraying human personality subliminally through their characters’ actions and behaviors. In the novel The Lord of the Flies, William Golding creates physical manifestations of the aspects of Freud’s psychoanalytical theory of personality.

Freudian psychoanalytical theory encompasses three reservoirs of human nature- id, superego, and ego. The first and largest of the three, Freud’s id, represents the unconscious and unconstrained regions of the mind (“Personality”). The id contains all of the unconscious and inappropriate drives tending to be sexual and aggressive. This aspect of the psyche controls instinctive inveterate desires which instigate pleasure and providing a constant struggle between drives and ethics. Contrastingly, the superego provokes one to obey societal formalities and conditioned morals. When one faces adversity, the superego encourages moralistic behavior. This ethical region of the mind continuously influences the fight for control over the final sect of personality. Finally, the conscious ego mediates between the id and superego with the intent of resolve. Feeling the pull of the id and superego, the ego, the fractions of the personality which one maintains control of, exists as a predominant decision-maker. Therefore, in terms of character, the ego exemplifies one’s true inner machinations (“Psychoanalysis” Britannica). Simultaneously, according to Freudian psychology, these three active domains constantly interact to produce the thoughts and actions in every human being.

In The Lord of the Flies, William Golding identifies his three most prominent characters, Jack, Simon, and Ralph, with Freud’s psychoanalytical theories of id, superego, and ego. Primarily, Jack represents the id when he exhibits his desire to only “hunt and feast and have fun” instead of searching for a way to reconnect with civilization (Golding 140). Through Jack’s dialogue, Golding draws the reader’s attention to the savage influence he has over the stranded boys, appealing to each of their pleasure complexes. Identical to the id, Jack’s aggression and animalistic drives, which define his character, entice many of the boys on the island to forfeit their humane predisposition. Furthermore, Simon’s obvious relationship with the superego becomes relevant when he pulls “the choicest fruit from up in the foliage,” selflessly providing for the “littluns” (Golding 56). Utilizing descriptive characterization, Golding establishes Simon as a peaceful and generous saint,