Outline THESIS: The three protagonists in William Goldings Lord of the Flies represent Freuds theory of personality. I.

Ralph Ego A. Ralph, the main protagonist of the novel, is responsible for dealing with reality and survival on the island. 1. The part of the personality corresponding most nearly to the perceived self, the controlling elf that holds back the impulsiveness of the id in the effort to delay gratification until it can be found in socially approved ways (Atkinson 1). a. Ego is developed after the ID - satisfaction cannot be granted immediately; not always realistic or possible. It obeys the reality principle; the gratification of impulses must be delayed until the appropriate environmental conditions are found (Oldsey 95). 2. Ralph is the natural leader by his superior height, his superior strength, his superior beauty. He possesses the symbol of authority, the conch, which the children use to assemble councils (Rosenfield 1). a. Ralph is a projection of mans good impulses from which we derive authority figures God, king, father. Ralph as a rather befuddled Everyman, a straw boy of democracy tossed about by forces he cannot cope with (Rosenfield 1). 3. Ralph is responsible with dealing with reality on multiple occasions - confesses that he would like to go hunting and swimming, but he builds shelters, tries to keep the island clean. Ralph also ensures that the beast is unreal, no need to fear. Lastly, he promotes the signal fire as the only option to get rescued. a. If it rains like when we dropped in well need shelters all right (Golding 52). b. He must have had a nightmare. Stumbling about among all those creepers (Golding 36). c. My fathers in the Navy. He said there arent any unknown islands left. He says the Queen has a big room full of maps and all the islands in the world are drawn there. So the Queens got a picture of this island (Golding 37).

d. At a council meeting feeling of fear begins to disintegrate, Ralph If only they could sent us something grown up. A sign or something (Golding 94). e. Theres another thing. We can help them to nd us. If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a re (Golding 38). f. The re is the most important thing on the island. How can we ever be rescued except by luck, if we dont keep a re going (Golding 80)? II. Jack ID A. Jacks need for immediate satisfaction sets him apart as the ID. 1. The part of the personality reflecting unorganized, instinctual impulses. Unbridled, it seeks immediate gratification of primitive needs (Atkinson 1). The ID plays the biggest part of the personality, from which the other two develop from. 2. According to Golding, Darkness of the forest (God vs. Devil). a. Distinguished by his ugliness: red hair, leader of church choir. Eventually becoming the evil instinctual force driven by the ID theory. 3. Instinctual Impulses: the boys want to play games until they are rescued, until the authority is repressed by the parents. a. Instead of keeping the fire, they desert the signal fire of rescue for hunting. b. Im warning you. Im going to get angry. Dyou see? Youre not wanted. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island! So dont try it on, my poor misguided boy, or else (Golding 144). c. Tonight were having a feast. Weve killed a pig and weve got meat. You can come and eat with us if you like (Golding 140). 4. Thanatos part of the ID is a drive for destruction and death (Rosenfield 3). a. Jacks ID takes over his love for hunting. Jack destroys the Superego Piggy. It is the beast inside the kids, that couldnt be hunted. b. When the boys are taken away from civilization, the ID becomes the strongest of the three elements of personality.

5. The rest of the boys on the island shift their allegiance to Jack because immediate satisfaction such as food is more appealing than order and rules. Their behavior becomes cruel; more frenzied which adopts a chant. Kill the Beast. Cut her throat. Spill her blood (Golding 95). a. Eventually the circle of the playground extends to the circle of the hunted and squealing pig seeking refuge and it is significant that the first animal slain for food is a nursing sow which itself anticipates the circle of consecrated ground where the children perform the new rites to kill (Rosenfield 3). b. He is altered much in the manner of the transformation of the twentieth century dictator from his first tentative stirrings of powerlust to eventual brutality (Oldsey 93). III. Piggy Superego A. Piggy tries to civilize the boys behavior on the island. 1. The part of the personality corresponding most nearly to conscience, controlling through moral scruples rather than by way of social expediency. The superego is said to be an uncompromising and punishing conscience (Atkinson 1). 2. Superego is developed at age 5 through the values and morals of society as it is taught by the parents. It is the conscience which judges whether an action is right or wrong and acts to civilize our behavior. 3. Piggy constantly reminds Ralph and Jack about the matters needed to handle. He is the brain, remembers what needs to be done. Like the father counsels common sense: a. reminded of the conch rule to keep the assemblies in order i. Sright. Its a shell! I seen one like that before. On someones back wall. A conch he called it. He used to blow it and then his mum would come. Its ever so valuable (Golding 18).

b. allow the signal fire to go out i. Ralphplease! Is there a signal (Golding 93).

c. fail to build shelters, instead swim in the pools or play in the sand i. I got the conch! Just you listen! The rst thing we ought to have made was shelters down there by the beach. It wasnt half cold down there in the night. But the rst time Ralph says re

you goes howling and screaming up this here mountain. Like a pack of kids (Golding)! 4. Piggys composition description not only manifests his difference from the other boys; it also reminds the reader of the stereotype image of the old man who has more than human wisdom (Rosenfield 2). a. Piggys death symbolizes the destruction of the Superego by the predominant power of the ID as the boys shift from a civilization into corruption.