ipl-logo

How Do Boys Become Civilized In Lord Of The Flies

825 Words4 Pages

“This was a savage whose image refused to blend with that ancient picture of a boy in shorts and shirt” (Golding 143). The book, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, is about a group of young boys who become stranded on an island during the time of WWI. They developed a system and rules to live by to have some organization; however, that did not last as they soon became violent and evil towards one another. The young boys are more savage than civilized because they turn against one another and become violent and brutal, their way of living and thinking changed throughout the story, and their innocence diminished as they were corrupted by evil and immoral personas. Overtime, the boys became more manic and violent towards their own friends. Instead of being mature and working together, they were brutal if one did not agree with another. The text states, “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee…” (Golding 141). Piggy was tired of the group turning and killing their friends and tried to speak upon the issue during an argument, but then he was murdered intentionally by a boulder that the boys pushed. Piggy did nothing to cause harm to the others and was innocent, …show more content…

The reading states, “This was a savage whose image refused to blend with that ancient picture of a boy in shirts and shirt” (Golding 143). This quote explains how the playful and genuine kids the boys once were are not there anymore. They have changed so much that they have lost themselves and are not recognizable. Another quote is, “There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the beast” (Golding 111). The mindset of the boys has changed and they have been corrupted with evil. There is no real beast, but the “beast” is actually themselves. The group has been corrupted and changed them in a physical way that is not recognizable anymore. They are no longer young little boys, but heinous

Show More
Related

  • Lord Of The Flies Groupthink Quotes

    458 Words  | 2 Pages

    (Golding, 1954, Chapter 6) The "beast" character which stands for the strength of fear and the urge for conformity further supports the theme of the dangers of groupthink and mob mentality. The boys adapt to the group's views and behaviors even when they may not agree with them since they believe in the beast and are afraid of it. On the island this problem fuels more conflict and bloodshed. Text evidence states "We've got to have rules and stick to them.

    Read More

  • How Does Jack Change In Lord Of The Flies

    1357 Words  | 6 Pages

    Without authority or guidelines to abide by, the boys are taken into their dark side. When authority and rules disappears, a spark, allowing their inner savage surfaces. The boys slowly return back to the primitive stage we once experienced. Golding is trying to communicate the inner “beastie” humans contain

    Read More

  • Fear In Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis

    604 Words  | 3 Pages

    Piggy was a very intelligent little boy who never harmed anyone. " A noise nearer at hand made him quiver... He sneaked forward a few yards and saw the shape at the top of the rock change and enlarge... Ralph put his head down on his forearms and accepted the new fact like a wound... Piggy was dead" (Golding 186).

    Read More

  • How Is Piggy's Death Shown In Lord Of The Flies

    1032 Words  | 5 Pages

    Piggy’s senseless death was a display of the lack of self-control Jack’s tribe has. Ralph watched his friend die while Jack threatened “‘That's what you'll get!’” (Page 241). The boys had lost all sense of values and morals. They had just killed one of the boys and showed no remorse.

    Read More

  • Lord Of The Flies Alteration Quotes

    682 Words  | 3 Pages

    The true nature of human instincts and evil actions lurk behind the social masks that society forces upon. In William Golding’s fictional novel Lord of the Flies, the author features the alteration of a group of young males who are isolated on a deserted island, projecting their regression from innocent children to killer savages. Golding conveys how effortlessly one's morality can be ripped apart when isolated from civilization which is shown through the savagery and remorse of the group of boys. In chapter 11, the young group of boys dispute on the idea of civilization or savageness being better. Ralph, who stands together with Piggy, fights for the goodness of mankind and believes in orderly conduct as opposed to unlawfulness and killing for fun.

    Read More

  • Literary Devices Used In Lord Of The Flies Essay

    709 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, young boys get stranded on an island with no adults in the midst of a war. The boys were orderly and civilized in the beginning but then as they began killing pigs they slowly became savages and lost their civilization. The boys began turning on each other and the evil within them became present. Golding uses a variety of literary devices including personification, symbols, metaphors, and irony, to project the theme that pure and realistic people in the world can be unheard and destroyed by evil.

    Read More

  • Fear In Lord Of The Flies

    1388 Words  | 6 Pages

    Even Piggy, who is the most intelligent of the bunch, tries to rationalize the murder of Simon and avoids responsibility. Many of the boys lose all their morals when something presents danger to them and continue to believe in the beast until the

    Read More

  • Lord Of The Flies-Retrogression

    1369 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Retrogression into a Savage-Like State Throughout Lord of the Flies, Golding illustrates a viewpoint many have labeled unlikely or impractical. He argues that all of mankind is capable of a behavior unlike society’s belief of normal human conduct. Society could truly be capable of retrogression into a savage-like state. Although the young boys in the novel are perceived as being the embodiment of innocence, their stay on the island depicts exactly how capable they are of such behavior. The novel paints a story that holds a deeper meaning than what the words on the page are attempting to reveal to the reader.

    Read More

  • Why Lord Of The Flies Should Not Be Taught In High Schools Essay

    672 Words  | 3 Pages

    The teachings of the book are delivered in an outmoded fashion and are historically irrelevant in today’s changing world. The first half of the book focuses on a “dark thing, a beast, some sort of animal” that terrorizes the boys at night (83). While this beast provides an interesting plot to the story about a mysterious being, the true terrors of modern society have nothing

    Read More

  • Theme Of Cruelty In Lord Of The Flies

    549 Words  | 3 Pages

    The author of the story decided to add in this quote to link the most cruel thing that the boys did with the destruction of order: "The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch

    Read More

  • Changes Quotes From Lord Of The Flies

    748 Words  | 3 Pages

    Or Savages” (91) This shows how much the boys had advanced in adapting to their environment. They no longer recognized themselves and how they act because they had to change themselves to survive in the more hostile

    Read More

  • Examples Of Savagery In Lord Of The Flies

    1619 Words  | 7 Pages

    How Savagery Takes Over George R.R. Martin once said, “There is a savage beast in every man, and when you hand that man a sword or spear and send him forth to war, the beast stirs.” William Golding demonstrates that every person has savagery inside of him in his novel, Lord of the Flies. In this novel, Golding shows us that civilization is lost and savagery begins when the urge to kill takes hold of us. William Golding’s character development of Jack and motif of weapons help develop his point.

    Read More

  • How Is Piggy Presented In Lord Of The Flies

    1095 Words  | 5 Pages

    Piggy was hurt, not physically but emotionally. His suspected friend did not stand up for him or even try to. Ralph had not done anything; he stood there and watched his so-called friend get ganged up on. Ralph was not being a friend, he was as much at fault as Jack

    Read More

  • Powerlessness In Lord Of The Flies

    1217 Words  | 5 Pages

    Piggy has a really hard time trying to be powerful and lead the group, but his actions and the actions of the other boys show that he can’t hold power over a group, and they show why Piggy has a hard

    Read More

  • The Ultimate Playground: Lord Of The Flies, By William Golding

    610 Words  | 3 Pages

    Piggy valued civilization most out of all the boys, as he always sought the option that would support the entire group, and keep them all safe. The safest that the group of boys had been was when Ralph was appointed as the leader, and he and Piggy had gotten the entire group to work on getting them back home safely. The group isolated Ralph, Piggy, and Simon and eventually attacked them, despite their efforts to bring order and rules: “Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy.” pg 202. Piggy and Simon were killed by Jack’s boys, and with that, the most thoughtful and civilized of all the boys were gone and they lost their chance to be saved.

    Read More

More about How Do Boys Become Civilized In Lord Of The Flies

Open Document