SIGMUND FREUD’S PARTS OF PERSONALITY:ID, EGO, SUPEREGO

in Lord of the Flies

Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1939) Author of Psychoanalysis

Divided into 3 parts of personality: Id, Ego, and Superego

We use what we know about these 3 parts to understand or analyze how or why one behaves the way they do.

Lord of the Flies was written in 1954, and became popular in 1955 during the time when Freud’s parts of personality were all the rage

Levels of Awareness

Conscious Mind: where we are paying attention at the moment: Thinking processes Objects of attention

Preconscious Mind includes those things of which we are aware, but where we are not paying attention.

Subconscious Mind: the process and content are out of direct reach of the conscious mind, and thinks and acts independently.

Parts of Personality - Id

Id contains our primitive impulses (thirst, anger, hunger) According to Freud we were born with this Based on pleasure principle – wants whatever feels

good in the moment, doesn’t consider consequences Sometimes represented by the devil on the shoulder

Two major instincts: Eros: the life instinct that motivates people to focus

on pleasure-seeking tendencies (e.g., sexual urges). Thanatos: the death instinct that motivates people to

use aggressive urges to destroy.

Parts of Personality - Superego Superego represents the moral,

conscience part of us Dictates our belief of right and wrong Sometime represented by an angel sitting

on a shoulder, reminding the ego to base actions on how it’ll influence society

The Super ego has a model of an ego ideal, which it uses as a prototype against which to compare the ego (and towards which it encourages the ego to move).

Parts of Personality - Ego

Ego maintains a balance between our impulses (id) and our conscience (superego) Based on the reality principle Recognizes needs and consequences Egos’ job to take care of the id, while

considering reality This part of personality represents our person

(with devil on one shoulder and angel on the other),

Ego controls higher mental processes such as reasoning and problem-solving.