Society and humanity can be sweet, sweet things, until they inevitably go sour. At least, this is how William Golding portrays the two in the book Lord of the Flies. Throughout history every conflict, big or small, has been based on disagreements. These disagreements are society's fatal flaw because it is nearly impossible to please everyone. Golding depicts society and humanity as brutal through murder, chaos, and the boys whimpering in the end. One of the many ways Golding portrays the downfall of the society and humanity is Through the murder of vital characters, like Simon and Piggy. These two characters were so important to the society, that once they were gone it began to completely crumble into pieces. For example, Alastair Niven writes, …show more content…
One of the first problems on the island was the first forest fire. As the fire blazed on, the children ran off to play games as if nothing was wrong, and then the fire drifted to the forest, creating a massive forest fire. Although a child may have died in this fire, they did not even see it as an issue, they actually ignored the fact. One of the only times they noticed it is when “the boys were falling still and silent, feeling the beginnings of awe at the power set free below them.”(Golding). After this, another huge conflict was when Jack tried to take over leadership from Ralph. This created so much chaos because of what Jack's mindset was over Ralph. Ralph represents civilization, democracy, and living by rules, so when Jack, who is a dictator with an instinct for savagery and violence took command, things got ugly. "He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling." (Golding 64). This displays just how unstable Jack is. He has no priorities, excluding hunting for blood. One of the ways Jack led the whole group to chaos is by starting a massive forest fire, for the single purpose of smoking out Ralph. This chaos and disorder shows just how brutal, amateurish, negligent, and inconsiderate the boys and their society had
Few of the boys actually support Ralph’s thought process, but now, when they are in trouble, his intelligence finally proves a point. Although, Jack and his tribe still do not want to follow Ralph again; but that does not impact Ralph’s confidence into reuniting his tribe. The main character tries to explain to Jack that everyone needs to be compatible again for them to be found but another fight uprises: “ Jack made a rush and stabbed at Ralph’s chest with his spear […] Then he brought the end round and caught Jack a stinger across the ear […]” (177). Back and forth the boys fight because of Jack stealing Piggy’s glasses and the conflict between the fire; furthermore, the readers see the foreshadowing of Jack’s evil throughout the fight.
Ralph proposes that they build a fire at the top of mountain on the island so that if ships were to pass by they would see the fire and potentially rescue them. Although they fail at keeping the fire going at first, Jack and his hunters nominate themselves to make sure the fire keeps going. As they attempt to reignite the fire, it results in trees nearby being set ablaze. Golding describes the fire in a way of giving it animal-like movements: “the fire laid hold on the forest and began to gnaw.”(44) In this quotation he foreshadows that eventually power and fear will start to eat away at the civilization the boys have created with each other and in their own minds.
The setting plays a big role in the overall theme of this novel. The boys experience all conditions on the island, these unruly conditions represent the unconstructed society the boys are developing, "Now you been and set the whole island on fire. "(Golding page 45) This fire ultimately shows the final burning of any sanity that could be left, it is like the fire had burned up any of the sane part in left in Jack.
“Human nature is not black and white but black and grey,” quote by Graham Greene. The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding published in 1954. The boys are stuck on an island where they experienced their true nature. Ralph, the leader, controlled, the civilized tribe, until Jack becomes chief leading them to the downfall of savagery and terror. Fear eats the tribe up until a savior( the adult) comes.
Jack says that he is unwilling to be a part of Ralph’s group any longer. This goes to show that he has left the civilized part of him behind in favor of his savage side. If Jack had stayed with the civilized boys, then the two groups would still be as one and the conflict between the Jack and Ralph would not have reached the high peaking point of which it
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.
Power can also create violence among the group of people. It can also destroy the relationship between people violently. According to Golding, chapter 11 is the chapter that relationship between Ralph and Jack are completely broken. They have the violent conflict with each other. In addition, from the quote “Jack shouted angrily ‘I said ‘grab them’!’”
There is a struggle over power and who has it as Jack was jealous of how Ralph was voted the official leader of the group originally as Jack wanted it, he took his first official chance to become the chief of the kids other than his hunters. Jack doesn’t know how to lead a group full on with all of their burdens and needs and he will surely kill them all in some sort of
The first fire is built to signal ships for their rescue; it symbolizes hope here. Once the fire is burning brightly, the boys “paused to enjoy the freshness of [the fire]... they flung themselves down in the shadows that lay among the shattered rocks,” (41). The fire comforts the young island inhabitants because it lets them relax with the hope of getting rescued. The boys on the island start to lose hope, even Ralph. Ralph tells Piggy “let the fire go then, for tonight,” (164), showing that he has stopped caring about getting home.
After Jack and his choir agree to tend to the signal fire, Ralph spots a potential rescue ship but finds that Jack’s group let the fire go out as they went on a pig hunt, making Ralph extremely enraged and disappointed. Whereas previously there were only minor arguments that resolved quickly and easily that did not damage their relationship much, this marks the official beginning of the conflict of Ralph against Jack. After this incident was yet another turning point. What started off as an assembly “to put things straight” resulted in Jack disputing Ralph’s authority and leading everyone away in a show of clear mutiny. This shows that Jack is distancing himself and the group away from Jack.
When Ralph was in charge of the group Jack was very upset and mad. He wants to have all of the power and when it is given to someone else he doesn't know how to handle it. This shows that Jack has a very tyrant
Ralph says, “The fire is the most important thing on the island. How can we ever be rescued except by luck, if we don’t keep a fire going? Is a fire too much for us to make” (80). As an effort to show the boys their dire circumstances, he tries to convict them, including himself, of their ignorance. On the contrary, Jack Merridew counters Ralph’s authority with the proposition of thrill and amusement.
So when Golding tells us that in Jack’s “left hand dangled Piggy’s broken glasses.” (191), it demonstrates that Jack’s savage boys now have the power to make fire. The fire symbolizes hope when on the civilized side but its inner demon is of destruction and evil. Predictably this demon does in fact come out when in the end Jack and his boys “had smoked him (Ralph) out and set the island on fire” (Golding 224), in order to kill Ralph. Ironically, the fire instead fulfills its civilized purpose, of a signal instead of killing Ralph. The purpose and the extreme strength of the fire here shows us that the boys had become brutal savages, literally killing civilization out of the their systems.
Later on in the book Jack starts to question Ralph's leadership. So Jack decides to go off and make a new tribe. Jack ends up recruiting a lot of Ralph's members. Then Jack's tribe steals from Ralph and ends up killing two of Ralph's members.
Humans are complex creatures. Understanding human nature is difficult, but the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding helps to show what true human nature looks like. Humans are inherently evil, but that evil is hidden by societal dictates. Throughout the novel, the human societal mask is stripped away and true human nature can be seen. Society enforces rules and trends that people feel they must follow.