Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

ases thoughtful insights on the advancements of humankind. The antagonist of the novel, Jack, is then left
to play the part of the id, constantly acting on instincts without the influence of the external world (Freud,
1952). These evidences prove that Lord of the Flies is not merely a fictional account of the struggles of boys
trapped on an island but also a Freudian allegory illustrating the differences and relationships of the ego,
superego, and id.
According to Freud (1952), “in every individual there is a coherent organization of mental
processes, which we call his ego” (p. 699). Though the ego is said to have many purposes, three main
duties of the ego include the discharge of excitations, bringing influence of the world to the id, and
weighing both instinct and reason while making decisions. Ralph is first introduced as being around twelve
years of age with “a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil” (Golding, 2003, p. 6).
Because of his height, strength, and beauty, Ralph becomes the natural leader of the island (Rosenfield,
1999). Like the ego, Ralph, from the beginning of the novel, controls the output of excitations on the
island (Freud, 1952). This is first evident with the discovery of a conch shell that washes up into a pool by
the beach. Piggy, Ralph’s unlikely sidekick, tells Ralph that he should use the conch to call the other boys
from the crash. While this is Piggy’s plan, Ralph uses the information provided by Piggy to carry out the
action and call the first meeting on the island. In this instance, Ralph is regulating the discharge of an
external excitation (that of Piggy). After the boys have assembled and Ralph is elected chief of the island,
he quiets everyone so that he can think about the next course of action. Ralph explains: “I’ve got to have
time to think things out. I can’t decide what to do straight off” (Golding, 2003 p. 24). After contemplating
their situation, Ralph decides to take a small group of boys to survey the island. This is an example of Ralph
converting internal excitations into an action relative to the group. After this group returns, the boys are
thrown into fits of delight at the thought of their very own island. Ralph, though equally excited, realizes
that order simply cannot survive among such chaos. At this point, Ralph establishes a pivotal rule on the
island: only the boy holding the conch may speak at meetings. In this way, Ralph calms physical excitation
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