The Lord Of The Flies: The Fault In Civilization
Isabelle Lian
Mr. Ruff
MYP English 4
12 December 2013
Word Count: 887
The Fault in Civilization Civilization is a crucial aspect of the way society functions today. It is the system that sustains an orderly environment in which its citizens can prosper. In the Lord of the Flies, Golding suggests that civilization is not as stable as it seems. Through character actions and symbols, he comments on the degrading state of civilization when it is put under unfamiliar conditions. Ideally, for every civilization, there exists a leader who contributes to society for the welfare of the people. That responsibility is filled by Ralph, whom the boys choose as their leader. Before voting democratically, they analyze the candidates and notice “there …show more content…
However in the beginning of the novel, Jack is unable to commit an uncivilized action of killing a pig. Golding explains, “They knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood” (31). This demonstrates that Jack is still tied to civilization. He is unable to stab the pig because his civilized state of mind informs him that killing an animal in such a manner is immoral. However, as the boys become tired with the regularity of eating fruits, the prospect of hunting becomes a necessity. Hunting evolves into a chance to demonstrate power over the rest of the group. Jack is led to believe that his inability to stab the pig is a weakness to his conquest for power, which in turn motivates him to kill his first pig. This milestone causes Jack to crave the hunt and leads him to exhibit cruel behavior. This cruelty ultimately leads to the development of savagery within him and his opposition to civilization. He splits from Ralph’s civilized band to form a savage tribe where he hunts and kills just for the thrill of it. When Jack and his tribe hunt down Ralph, he “viciously, with full intention… hurled his spear at Ralph” (181). Jack fully intends to kill Ralph without a slight hesitation. The thrill of the hunt controls Jack’s thought, which causes him to act on impulse. His intention to kill Ralph is equivalent to slaying pigs. Jack no longer recognizes the difference between killing a human and hunting an animal. As his time on the island passes, his civility
Mr. Ruff
MYP English 4
12 December 2013
Word Count: 887
The Fault in Civilization Civilization is a crucial aspect of the way society functions today. It is the system that sustains an orderly environment in which its citizens can prosper. In the Lord of the Flies, Golding suggests that civilization is not as stable as it seems. Through character actions and symbols, he comments on the degrading state of civilization when it is put under unfamiliar conditions. Ideally, for every civilization, there exists a leader who contributes to society for the welfare of the people. That responsibility is filled by Ralph, whom the boys choose as their leader. Before voting democratically, they analyze the candidates and notice “there …show more content…
However in the beginning of the novel, Jack is unable to commit an uncivilized action of killing a pig. Golding explains, “They knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood” (31). This demonstrates that Jack is still tied to civilization. He is unable to stab the pig because his civilized state of mind informs him that killing an animal in such a manner is immoral. However, as the boys become tired with the regularity of eating fruits, the prospect of hunting becomes a necessity. Hunting evolves into a chance to demonstrate power over the rest of the group. Jack is led to believe that his inability to stab the pig is a weakness to his conquest for power, which in turn motivates him to kill his first pig. This milestone causes Jack to crave the hunt and leads him to exhibit cruel behavior. This cruelty ultimately leads to the development of savagery within him and his opposition to civilization. He splits from Ralph’s civilized band to form a savage tribe where he hunts and kills just for the thrill of it. When Jack and his tribe hunt down Ralph, he “viciously, with full intention… hurled his spear at Ralph” (181). Jack fully intends to kill Ralph without a slight hesitation. The thrill of the hunt controls Jack’s thought, which causes him to act on impulse. His intention to kill Ralph is equivalent to slaying pigs. Jack no longer recognizes the difference between killing a human and hunting an animal. As his time on the island passes, his civility