Savagery In Lord Of The Flies
“Which is better – to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?” (Golding, 180). In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the central concern is the conflict between two impulses that exist within all human beings: Civilization vs. Savagery. Throughout the novel, Golding established a civilization that is bound to collapse by the fault of savagery; however, some of the boys in the novel are not as cruel. Ralph, the main character, attempts to create a society that is livable and organized until the group gets rescued. On the other hand, Jack, represents evil and arrives on the island expecting to have the power to control anything and anyone, and will punish those who do not obey. Throughout this page-turning novel, Golding prevails
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Savagery by creating major downfalls for the group such as fights and disagreements. For instance, after spotting a ship, Ralph sprints to check on the fire only to see that Jack let the signal fire out. Seeing this, Ralph confronts Jack by declaring, “There was a ship. Out there. You said you’d keep the fire going and you let it out!” (Golding, 70). Jack’s desire to hunt the pig has brought his and Ralph’s relationship a whole step back. As Ralph and Jack argue, it is evident that Ralph is enraged, but the novel gives the impression that he is frightened as well. Additionally, Ralph tends to do things that are a necessity to the group’s survival such as building shelters and collecting water while Jack is eager to hunt. Jack suddenly gets a rush of excitement after he succeeds in killing the pig. He seems hysterical when he announces, “There were lashings of blood, you should of seen it!” (Golding, 69). As a result from killing, Jack feels dominant, respected and believes that he has finally gained power. Furthermore, he sees violence as a tool to gain control over the group after hearing the cheers of the boys as he caught meat. From beginning to end, the author uses the plot to slowly affect the boy’s emotions and actions; however, the island the boys are stranded on also plays a major role
Savagery by creating major downfalls for the group such as fights and disagreements. For instance, after spotting a ship, Ralph sprints to check on the fire only to see that Jack let the signal fire out. Seeing this, Ralph confronts Jack by declaring, “There was a ship. Out there. You said you’d keep the fire going and you let it out!” (Golding, 70). Jack’s desire to hunt the pig has brought his and Ralph’s relationship a whole step back. As Ralph and Jack argue, it is evident that Ralph is enraged, but the novel gives the impression that he is frightened as well. Additionally, Ralph tends to do things that are a necessity to the group’s survival such as building shelters and collecting water while Jack is eager to hunt. Jack suddenly gets a rush of excitement after he succeeds in killing the pig. He seems hysterical when he announces, “There were lashings of blood, you should of seen it!” (Golding, 69). As a result from killing, Jack feels dominant, respected and believes that he has finally gained power. Furthermore, he sees violence as a tool to gain control over the group after hearing the cheers of the boys as he caught meat. From beginning to end, the author uses the plot to slowly affect the boy’s emotions and actions; however, the island the boys are stranded on also plays a major role