An Allegory of Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis Theory in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies

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Sigmund Freud, an Austrian psychologist, once said that “the ego is not master in its own house.” The novelLord of the Flies, written by William Golding, is an allegory for Sigmund Freud’s theory on the superego, the ego, and the id, and the constant struggle between the three psyches, which leads to a man becomingcrazy. The three characters in the novel which represent the three psyches are; the Lord of the Flies, Ralph, and Simon. The island that the boys are stranded on can be interpreted as the mind of the man. Simon’s death and the hunt for Ralph are both plot events that symbolize the struggle between the three psyches. The above quote is indicating that the ego is the consciousness in our mind, and though one would think that it controls the mind, it is really just a slave to the want of the superego and the id. An allegory of a man becoming insane due to the struggle of his mind’s three psyches is an evident underlying story beneath the writing of William Golding. The three psyches are represented by the Lord of the Flies, Ralph, and Simon. The id from Sigmund Freud’s theory is represented by the Lord of the Flies, because of the creature’s need for violence and destruction. The Lord of the Flies is the creature that lives inside of everyone on the island, and is the voice of desire, and evil. It is what convinces the mind to hurt someone, and it does not care for consequences. The Lord of the Flies is what causes Roger, “with a sense of delirious abandonment to lean[ed] all his weight on the lever” (Golding, 200),and push a huge boulder which then strikes Piggy and kills him. The Lord of the Flies, similar to the id,resides in everyones mind, and takes away the boys yearning for civilization. Due to the Lo... ... middle of paper ... ...hree psyches. The plot events that represent the struggle between the three psyches are the death of Simon and the hunt for Ralph. This allegory is an example of what could happen amidst a mind. The struggle between the three psyches is real, but if they are still working together then the mind will function normally. The moment that they break apart the mind will influx. This novel expresses the universal truth that in everyone evil resides. Even in the surrounding of society, the beast will be waiting for its chance to take control, even for a second. Fortunately, we have control over when the beast can come out, and since we are surrounded by the influences of society, our morals and values will stop the beast from controlling us. Works Cited Page Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group, 1954. Print.

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