Evan Silberstein

The Superego in Lord of the Flies

            In Lord of the Flies, Piggy is presented as a fat and annoying character. He always seems to be getting pushed around and is always frustrating someone else. Is it because he is just such an easy person to pick on? No. In fact the only reason Piggy tends to get picked on is because he is the ONLY morally-sane person on the island. Piggy would be known as a superego. A superego uses lessons taught by his/her parents and teachers to help them come to a moral decision (not realistic). Piggy clearly shows this when he is always asking for the conch to speak. Instead of shouting like everyone else, he wanted to get the conch so he could talk. He was most likely taught to listen by his parents/teachers and was told to wait for your turn. However, the superego cannot make rational decisions. This is why he is pushed around. While everyone is getting rid of morals in order to survive, Piggy tries to keep his morals and stay alive. By trying to keep his morals, Piggy's ideas are instantly shut down, making his survival on the island just as hard.