Lord of the Flies Psychoanalysis free essay sample

Jack embodies the Id; only concerned with satisfying his impulses. For example, when Ralph mentions a fire Jack immediately says â€Å"Come on! Follow me! †(38). He spares no thought for the consequences of his actions. Jack gives no thought to the unfinished shelters that they desperately need. He has an obsession with killing a pig which eventually manifests into a â€Å"compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up. †(51). He has a single-minded impulse and killing a pig would satisfy his impulse. When he finally makes his first kill he feels ecstatic. He says, â€Å"Look! We’ve killed a pig,† (69). His impulse became controlled for a bit until he went out to hunt again. After his next kill, Jack descended into savagery, to become ruled solely by his impulses. An example of his inhibitions would be when â€Å"The chief [Jack] led then, trotting steadily, exulting in his achievement. He was a chief now in truth; and he made stabbing motions with his spear. We will write a custom essay sample on Lord of the Flies Psychoanalysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page From his left hand dangled Piggy’s broken glasses. (168). After Jack attacks the camp to steal Piggy’s glasses, Ralph and Piggy realize that the last symbol of civilization, the conch, has become irrelevant to the others on the island. Piggy embodies the Superego; he focuses on responsibility. He attempts to control Jack, the Id, and keep him from surrendering to his impulses. For example, when Piggy says, â€Å"I got the conch, you let me speak! †(42). it shows that he still respects the rules of civilization. On the island, Piggy becomes the voice of reason. He â€Å"approximates to the spoil-sport who â€Å"robs the play of its illusion. †(Rosenfield 4). by trying to keep order. He believes in handling situations properly in order to achieve a smooth success. When Piggy says â€Å"Just you listen! The first thing we ought to have made was shelters†¦how can you expect to be rescued if you don’t put first things first and act proper? †(45). He knows that they must remain civilized or they will not have a chance for salvation. Piggy represents the closest thing the boys have to a father figure on the island because of his knowledge. In the words of Claire Rosenfield, â€Å"Like the father, he counsels common sense†¦when they scamper off at every vague whim, he scornfully comments â€Å"like a pack of kids. †(Rosenfield 3). Ralph embodies the Ego; he acts as the mediator on the island between the Id and the Superego, or Jack and Piggy. For example, when Jack and Piggy fight over the conch, Ralph says, â€Å"Jack! Jack! You haven’t got the conch! Let him speak. †(91). Ralph likes order and he does not like fighting and conflict. When he goes to Castle Rock to ask Jack for Piggy’s specs back, he attempts to do so in a neutral, compromising way to avoid fighting. Also, when all of the boys first meet up on the beach Ralph says, â€Å"Seems to me we ought to have a chief to decide things. †(22). This shows that he wants order and that he wants to avoid conflict by having people vote instead of someone just deciding they will become leader because they want to do so. Mediating comes naturally to him. As the boys gather on the beach in the beginning of the book to decide how to proceed, Ralph demonstrates this natural ability when â€Å"He [Ralph] sat on a fallen trunk, his left side to the sun. On his right were most of the choir; on his left the larger boys who had not known each other before the evacuation; before him small children squatted in the grass. †(32). He brings groups of different people together and makes them get to know each other and get along. Word Count: 718 Works Cited Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York City: The Berkley Publishing Group, 1954. Print. The Taboo, Blooms Literary Themes. N. p. : n. p. , n. d. Blooms Literary Reference Online. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. .