Unmasking the Beasts Within: Exploring Eros and Thanatos through Characterization in Golding’s Lord of the Flies

Abstract

This research looks at the psychological ideas in William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies, especially the Freudian concepts of Eros (the instinct for life) and Thanatos (the instinct for death). It studies how these two instincts appear in the characters and events of the story, showing the struggle between civilization and savagery in human nature. Golding believes that no society is bad by itself, but it is the weaknesses of people that cause a society to fall apart. The novel shows that people follow rules only when there is someone in charge. When that control is gone, their wild and harmful behavior comes out. Using a psychoanalytic point of view, this study explains that without the control of family, society, or institutions, the death instinct (Thanatos) takes over the life instinct (Eros), leading to violence, confusion, and loss of morals. These ideas help us understand how easily order can turn into chaos, both in stories and in real life.

Key Words: William Golding, Lord of the Flies, Psychological, Aspects, Eros, Thanatos