Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

to remind the boys of the rules. Concerning the conch, for example, any boy not holding it is not to speak.
When Jack and Simon forget this rule, “Piggy . . . point[s] to the conch . . . and Jack and Simon [fall] silent”
(Golding, 2003, p. 41). This shows that Piggy also imposes prohibitions on the group. When a similar
situation occurs later in the novel, this prohibition is directed at Ralph: “[T]hey ought to shut up, oughtn‟t
they?” (Golding, 2003, p. 112). As civilization disintegrates on the island, Piggy once again attempts to
prod Ralph to take action. He tells Ralph to blow the conch, bringing the boys back to order. When Ralph
questions this precept, Piggy tells Ralph, “You got to be tough now. Make „em do what you want”
(Golding, 2003, p. 124). Because Piggy tries to guide Ralph in what Ralph should and should not do as the
leader of the island, Piggy is similar to the superego that guides the ego in such matters in one‟s mind.
The final trait of the superego, according to Grotstein (2004), is that of a “personal agency . . . that
overs[ees] the intrusions of instinctual forces and mediate[s] a countercathectic stance against them” (p.
258). The “instinctual forces” mentioned refer to the id. Assuming that the character of Jack represents the
id, this means that Piggy must have several confrontations with Jack in order to symbolize the superego.
Examples of such opposition are abundant throughout the novel. When they first meet each other, “Piggy .
. . was intimidated by . . . the offhand authority in [Jack‟s] voice” (Golding, 2003, p. 20). On Jack‟s part,
he simply tells Piggy “You‟re talking too much . . . Shut up, Fatty” (Golding, 2003, p. 21). Thus begins a
dynamic relationship filled with turmoil and confrontations. When Jack gets frustrated later in the novel,
he takes his anger out on Piggy by slugging the boy and breaking his glasses (Golding, 2003, p. 94). Such a
fight happens again while Piggy is trying to explain to the group why he does not believe in ghosts (p. 121).
The feelings between Jack and Piggy are mutual. While confiding in Ralph and Simon, Piggy admits that,
“[Jack] hates me. I dunno why. If he could do what he wanted . . . I‟m scared of him . . .If you‟re scared of
someone you hate him” (Golding, 2003, p. 125). This friction reveals a pivotal relationship in the novel.
This important relationship, Freud claims, is also evident in the opposition between the superego and the id
in the mind of an individual. Because of the symbolic relationship between Piggy and the progress of
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