The connection between different kinds of consciousness
and art is fascinating. Being an English major, I can recall different pieces of
literature that examine or utilize different forms of psychology and
consciousness. For example, William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies uses characters that personify different
forms of consciousness as defined by Sigmund Freud, whom Professor touched on
in Lecture II.
Divided in to the conscious, unconscious, id, and super ego,
Freud argues that there are different levels at which the human mind functions.
In The Lord of the Flies, Piggy acts
as the conscious mind, constantly in touch with his emotions and those around
him. He seeks to please and be liked, and is the most relatable and empathetic
character in the novel. On the other
hand, Jack is the personification of the id, one who is completely animal like and acts outside of normal society. Jack murders Piggy in a vicious and horrific way, making him the villain of the
novel. He is the one whom the audience does not want to relate with because of
the uncomfortable notion of being more animalistic than human in a societal
setting. It’s interesting how different psychological conditions can be
portrayed through art.
Sources:
https://youtu.be/TFv4owX3MZo
https://youtu.be/E5EX75xoBJ0
Golding, William, and Edmund L. Epstein. Lord of the Flies: A Novel. New York: Perigee, 1954. Golding, William, and Edmund L. Epstein.
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