Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

caught in the middle of this power struggle and is forced to make a decision in favor of one and against the
other. The first confrontation occurs on the first expedition of the island by the few boys Ralph has chosen.
While Jack was included in this group, Piggy was not. As Piggy objects, Jack exclaims, “We don’t want
you . . . three’s enough” (Golding, 2003, p. 25). Ralph, being more sensitive, returns to Piggy without
Jack and tries to encourage Piggy while carrying on with his initial decision. In this particular battle of
instinct and reason, instinct (especially among the group) is more powerful than reason. Piggy, however,
has a notable amount of influence over Ralph’s decisions. Rosenfield (1999) notes that “Ralph alone
recognizes [Piggy’s] superior intelligence but wavers between what he knows to be wise and the group
acceptance his egocentricity demands” (p. 5). Without a group of boys to impress, however, Ralph
embraces the wisdom that Piggy has to offer. When the conch is found, for example, it is Piggy who
instructs Ralph on how to effectively blow the conch. If the id were to take a leave of absence, the ego
would similarly be heavily influenced by the superego. This battle of reason and instinct later occurs within
Ralph, when he describes the “most important thing” (Golding, 2003, p. 44), which is simply to have fun
and to be rescued. These two suggestions perfectly illustrate the constant battle of passion and logic in a
twelve year old boy. Just as the id and superego battle for responsiveness from the ego, Ralph’s attention
also seems to be sought for by influences externally (through Piggy and Jack) and internally.
With Ralph firmly established as an archetypal ego, Piggy may be placed in the role of the superego
on the island. Drew (1963) writes that, like the superego, “Piggy typifies thoughtfulness and intelligence,
the advanced side of man’s mind which has made for human survival and material development” (p. 12).
Three main functions of the superego, according to Freud (1952), include representing the development of
an individual and a race, placing precepts and prohibitions on the ego, and directly opposing the id. With
the island and its new inhabitants representing a mind, Piggy, as the superego, successfully carries out all of
these responsibilities.
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