William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is a novel in which the inherent desire for ultimate power is highlighted by the clashing personas of the main characters. The fact that the boys are stranded on an island with no adults, thus leading to anarchy and disorder, exacerbates primitive desires present within the boys. An analysis of the protagonist Ralph, Piggy, and the antagonist Jack will ultimately prove Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality, thus shedding light upon the notion that a struggle for dominance constantly lays at bay in all human beings.
According to Sigmund Freud, the Id is a component of personality present from birth and it essentially is driven by a pleasure principle, which assures that the needs and desires of a person are met. Behavior resulting from the impulses of the Id …show more content…
In this scenario, Jack felt the shame of rejection, which inadvertently caused him to become enraged as his lust for power was not fulfilled in the moment. The euphoria that filled him after raping the sow is inextricably tied to his need to let go of repressed rage for not being given the authority he believes he deserves. His giggle and overall ecstatic behavior juxtaposes the vicious and savage nature of the rape, thus showcasing his representation as the Id as he has no concept of morality. Additionally, Jack’s animalistic nature is also brought to light when he goes hunting in the jungle and Golding stresses that Jack appears to be ape-like among the trees, almost as if he feels at home in the forest. In literature, a forest often represents a place of evil, and the concept that Jack feels at home here speaks to his innate evil tendencies, which may be a result of his underdeveloped sense of ethics. In like manner, Jack focuses all of his energy on hunting and obtaining meat because from his perspective meat is the only thing ensuring their survival. Being the representation of the
According to Sigmund Freud, the Id is a component of personality present from birth and it essentially is driven by a pleasure principle, which assures that the needs and desires of a person are met. Behavior resulting from the impulses of the Id …show more content…
In this scenario, Jack felt the shame of rejection, which inadvertently caused him to become enraged as his lust for power was not fulfilled in the moment. The euphoria that filled him after raping the sow is inextricably tied to his need to let go of repressed rage for not being given the authority he believes he deserves. His giggle and overall ecstatic behavior juxtaposes the vicious and savage nature of the rape, thus showcasing his representation as the Id as he has no concept of morality. Additionally, Jack’s animalistic nature is also brought to light when he goes hunting in the jungle and Golding stresses that Jack appears to be ape-like among the trees, almost as if he feels at home in the forest. In literature, a forest often represents a place of evil, and the concept that Jack feels at home here speaks to his innate evil tendencies, which may be a result of his underdeveloped sense of ethics. In like manner, Jack focuses all of his energy on hunting and obtaining meat because from his perspective meat is the only thing ensuring their survival. Being the representation of the