Lord of the Flies: A Movie Review

Development is a continuous process that starts from conception and ends when one dies. Developmental psychology tries to explain the human growth process, behaviour change, ways of thinking and their feelings (Mcleod, 2017). There are several critical stages in development that determine the kind of life one leads. The stages dictate how we relate to, and treat each other. The characters in the movie Lord of the Flies show different traits some that are good and others that are bad. This paper will discuss how concepts of peer pressure, self and personality are depicted in the movie.

People have committed mistakes because of peer pressure which they later regret. There are several examples in the film of the boys acting irrationally due to peer pressure. For instance, when the big boys came to swim and started destroying small boys’ castles. Maurice one of the big boys only stopped when he realized he threw sand in Percival’s eye. Another case is when the hunting boys in an outburst nearly killed Robert. It also happened again when the boys mistook Simon for a beast, and they killed him. The boys could not be stopped since they were acting as a group. If they were acting individually, the damages and deaths witnessed could not have occurred.

  We are all capable of being influenced by our peers. Adolescents are more vulnerable to peer pressure than adults (Nagel, 2017). The boys had no reason to kill Simon and Piggy. They were not thinking of the consequences of their actions. Most of the boys made poor decisions due to pressure from others. Their actions show that they needed guidance, but they had no one to lead them. Society should mentor young people to make them responsible. All the boys could have returned home safely were it not for negative peer pressure.

The second concept from the film is self-concept. The boys individually were weak, but as a group they were strong. If the boys coordinated, their rescue would not have taken long. A boat passed them without seeing the signal fire because they were not working as a team. They could not agree on what duty each will be performing. Most of the boys did tasks that they wanted and not those they were asked to. The first incidence of self-concept occurs when the signal fire burns out. There was no one adding woods to the fire to keep it burning. The boys were engaged in different activities that could not aid their rescue.

Another example of self-concept is portrayed when the boys formed tribes. The biggest tribe was led by Jack and the smaller by Ralph. The boys started working as two different teams which reduced their survival chances. The presence of two opposing groups caused more tension. They could have been rescued fast if they stuck together. Situations may force people to cause pain on others (Miller, 2016). Every boy had unique characteristics that made him stand out from the group. Jack deceived some boys when he urged them to join his tribe, and in return, he will protect them. He could not protect them but to show dominance he needed to behave as he would.

Moreover, the self-concept is further illustrated by Jack and Ralph. The former wants to have fun on the island while the latter wishes to be rescued. The two had different interests, but Ralph’s idea was the most logical one. Jack, on the other hand, was depicted as someone who is carefree and cannot be a team player. If the two boys were working together, the others would have followed suit since they exerted the greatest influence. But Jack never agreed with Ralph and most of the times they were arguing. Jack is selfish, and that is why he was able to convince a big number of boys to join his tribe. Ralph disagrees with Jack because he wants to help the other boys.

The third concept is the personality concept. The ways our ideas, feeling, and actions are organized define our personality (Aswathybivin, 2018). Jack wants to track, hunt and kill pigs to show his dominance. He leads other boys into attacking Robert who was injured and almost died. This shows Jack is a violent person and he wins by conquering. He aims to control the island. Another example is Ralph who finds no peace on the island, and therefore he seeks refuge on the beach. He does not participate in hunting, and he only feels safe when he is on the beach.

Simon embraces the island and makes peace with it. He retreats frequently to the forest glade where no one else would go. He takes nature to be part of human life. This habit led to his demise when the boys mistook him for a beast. According to Bhalla and Kowalski (2017), believing in monsters can cause fear and worry that makes one to be aggressive towards others. Simon intended to convey a message but died before he could pass it. The boys who killed Simon represent the way society handles matters.

The film shows how people react to nature. Some embrace it while others runs away from it. It also demonstrates how people lack humanity and turn against one another. We learn that we should listen to what others are saying before passing judgment. The film illustrates how we can solve our problems when we cooperate. The answer to all is humanity which only a few exhibits. The movie film clearly demonstrates why we need law and order. Simon and Piggy deaths symbolize sacrifices patriots pay. Therefore for power to work, it must be placed in the right hands.  

References

Aswathbivin, N. (2018). Personality Basic Theory. Need for Personality Development.

Bhalla, R., & Kowalski, C. (2017). What Lord of the Flies Teaches us About Primitive Defence Mechanisms and Societal Discontent. Journal of Psychiatry. Vol. 210.

Miller, Arthur G. (2016). The Social Psychology of Good and Evil.

McLeod, Saul. A. (2017). Developmental Psychology. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/developmental-psychology.html

Nagel, A. G., Guarnera, L. A. & Reppucci, N. D. (2016).Adolescent Development, Mental Disorder and Decision Making in Delinquent Youth. Psychology and Juvenile Justice.