The Need to Keep the Id Under Control in Lord of the Flies Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist, believed that humans have three parts to their personality. These three components are known as the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is selfish and doesn’t tend to other people's needs or aspirations, soley its own. Freud says the id ““knows no judgements of value: no good and evil, no morality” – only the fulfillment of immediate desires” (CommonLit). When humans reach around the age of three, they acquire what Freud calls the ego. The ego satisfies the demands and narcissistic cravings of the id, but also contemplates the circumstances of the situation for the sake of making a rational decision. Eventually, after the age of 5, humans
…show more content…
““Rescue? Yes, of course! All the same, I’d like to catch a pig first-”” (Golding, 53). Jack puts getting rescued second on his list of important things and doesn’t care as much about getting rescued as he does about killing a pig. When it was Jack and his hunters’ turn to keep the fire from going out, they left to go hunting and killed a pig. While they were hunting however, they let the fire go out right as a boat passed the island, ruining one of the boys’ very few chances of getting rescued. “”Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood” [...] “Look! We’ve killed a pig’ [...] “We can light the fire again. You should have been with us, Ralph. We had a smashing time. The twins got knocked over-”” (Golding, 69). Jack tries to reason with Ralph saying that they can light the fire again, acting as if it’s no big deal, talking about how fun it was and even some gory details about the hunt. “”Bollocks to the rules!” [...] He gave a wild whoop and leapt down to the pale sand. At once the platform was full of noise and excitement, scramblings, screams, and laughter” (Golding, 91-92). Jack shows that he could not care less about the rules, but as Ralph says, the rules are the only things they have to keep everything in order. At this point, it is more apparent that Jack wants to do what he wants when he …show more content…
“Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them. Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law. Roger’s arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins” (Golding 62). At this time, Roger’s ego is still just barely under control, thinking about the consequences that used to come with his actions. Although, towards the end of the novel, it is apparent that he loses all sense of his inner ego and superego. “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist [...] His head opened and stuff came out and turned red. [...] the body of Piggy was gone” (Golding 181). Previously, Roger was throwing rocks at Henry but was intentionally missing because in his mind, there was still the voice of the good. Now, his Id has taken complete control and has caused him to kill Piggy feeling no remorse. Comparing the two, it reveals how drastically Roger’s personality and self-control has
““Rescue? Yes, of course! All the same, I’d like to catch a pig first-”” (Golding, 53). Jack puts getting rescued second on his list of important things and doesn’t care as much about getting rescued as he does about killing a pig. When it was Jack and his hunters’ turn to keep the fire from going out, they left to go hunting and killed a pig. While they were hunting however, they let the fire go out right as a boat passed the island, ruining one of the boys’ very few chances of getting rescued. “”Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood” [...] “Look! We’ve killed a pig’ [...] “We can light the fire again. You should have been with us, Ralph. We had a smashing time. The twins got knocked over-”” (Golding, 69). Jack tries to reason with Ralph saying that they can light the fire again, acting as if it’s no big deal, talking about how fun it was and even some gory details about the hunt. “”Bollocks to the rules!” [...] He gave a wild whoop and leapt down to the pale sand. At once the platform was full of noise and excitement, scramblings, screams, and laughter” (Golding, 91-92). Jack shows that he could not care less about the rules, but as Ralph says, the rules are the only things they have to keep everything in order. At this point, it is more apparent that Jack wants to do what he wants when he …show more content…
“Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them. Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law. Roger’s arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins” (Golding 62). At this time, Roger’s ego is still just barely under control, thinking about the consequences that used to come with his actions. Although, towards the end of the novel, it is apparent that he loses all sense of his inner ego and superego. “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist [...] His head opened and stuff came out and turned red. [...] the body of Piggy was gone” (Golding 181). Previously, Roger was throwing rocks at Henry but was intentionally missing because in his mind, there was still the voice of the good. Now, his Id has taken complete control and has caused him to kill Piggy feeling no remorse. Comparing the two, it reveals how drastically Roger’s personality and self-control has