Lord of the Flies Critical Analysis
In Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, Jack progressively spirals from a British schoolboy into a mean savage while residing on the island. Jack first showed his signs of savagery with his obsession of killing; which was revealed when the boys hunted the first pig. After the killing of the pig, Jack started to “dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling.” (64). Jack was so absorbed in the idea that he had just killed a pig that he showed his side of savagery with a “bloodthirsty snarl” (64) as he “danced around the fire” (65). A normal, rule-abiding schoolboy would not be laughing and dancing around the flames that cooked a dead animal; as it is a nasty and heartless action that would certainly not be made by a British choir boy. Later, after Jack kills a second pig, Jack (and the other boys) are involved with the murder of Simon, who they claim is “beastie”. Before during, and after the murder of Simon, the boys chant "Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” (152). Jack was “high” on the idea that he had taken the life out of another animal that he felt an urge to kill something else. While it was dark and the boys were sleep deprived an illusional, Beastie is described as a snake, and Simon, a 12 year old boy, certainly does not look nor feel like a snake. Jack’s urge to kill is so strong that he cannot restrain from killing a fellow classmate. Jack’s obsession with killing is evident when his thoughts about
In the novel Lord of The Flies by William Golding, the characters Ralph, Piggy, and Jack represent important World War II leaders Franklin Roosevelt, Adolf Hitler, and Winston Churchill. Golding, who had served in World War II, was well aware of the savagery created, and used it to base his book on. Ralph represents Franklin Roosevelt , Jack represents Adolf Hitler, and Piggy represents Winston Churchill. Ralph being of the novel’s main protagonist is important in the outcome of the story because of his views like President Franklin Roosevelt, focus on keeping civilized during the hard times.
In William Golding’s Lord of The Flies, the detriments of an unrefined civilization, such as one without leadership and indulgent citizens who are amoral, can be catastrophic, causing extreme repercussions to society. A lack of solid leadership, such as the arbitrary leader Ralph, can cause confusion, apprehension, and chaos. Jack and other children often indulge their impulses which clouds their judgement causing them to undermine their society. By not reinforcing the difference between savagery and humanity, many people begin to die. Ralph clearly is not well-equipped to lead a group of young men.
The island in William Golding’s novel, Lord Of The Flies, is one of wonder and a great deal of natural resources. However what develops on this oasis is war, bloodshed and cruelty. This could also be said for Earth, as the same traits occur in the global society as well. Therefor, the island symbolises the entire outside world in three key ways, social relationships, war, and politics.
William Golding utilizes Lord of the Flies to prove that the inherent nature of man is truly savage and cannot be contained by any form of civil government. Characters, setting, atmosphere, and other elements are all used by Golding in the novel as metaphors and symbols to ultimately reveal the natural intention of man. In Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan, John Locke’s Concerning Civil Government , and Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s The Social Contract, they share their own personal interpretations on man’s inherent nature, with the closest to Golding being Hobbes. Although both Golding and Hobbes state that man’s true nature is evil and selfish, Hobbes advocates for an absolutist government as capable of controlling man through fear of punishment, as opposed to Golding’s belief that no form of government is sufficient to control man. Conversely, Rousseau argues that men are born with morality and inalienable freedom, and John Locke believes that man is free but is neither inherently reputable nor immoral but a blank slate. Both want the people to be in control to prevent corruption from changing man, although Rousseau insists that a direct democracy to completely give power to the people would be more effective rather than only a representative democracy where the people would have individuals represent them which Locke suggests.
In William Golding's Lord of the Flies a group of English school boys crash land onto an uninhabited island somewhere in the Mid Atlantic ocean. Ralph, the protagonist and also the elected leader, tries to maintain peace and avoid any calamity on the island. However, Jack is neither willing to contribute nor listen because he is jealous of Ralph and has a sickening obsession with killing boars. Ralph has some good traits that help him maintain peace and balance for a period of time. He is charismatic and has natural leader attributes. Gradually though some of the other characters are killed due to the irresponsibility and savagery of Jack's actions. In this novel, the author conveys a messege through Freud's theroy of Id, Ego, and
In the beginning of the Lord of the Flies we are introduced to two young boys, who have survived a tragic plane crash. The aircraft was an evacuation plane and it was transporting the group of boys out of England. One of the boys named Piggy is trying to catch up to the other boy, Ralph. Piggy is described as being very fat and shorter than Ralph. He wears “thick spectacles” (William Golding 7) and he is the first to determine that they are on an island. Piggy is also the one that knows how to use the conch shell and comes up with the use of it, which is to call everyone else to the beach. He believed the conch created order. Once the conch had been used we are introduced to more boys and they gain interest in Piggy’s glasses. They discover that Piggy’s glasses can start fires and they refer to them as “burning glasses” (Golding 40). The boys also rejoiced when they discovered that his glasses could create the fires. They proclaimed, “His specs - use them as burning glasses!” (Golding 38). The spectacles symbolize Piggy’s intelligence, which distinguished him from the others. Without the glasses Piggy would be blind and he would not know what to do. Although Piggy is portrayed as being physically weak and not having a great chance at survival, he is the only one that seemed to know a few survival skills. He is the one that created the fire, sundial and shelter. Without his glasses he would not be ‘intelligent’. His appearance and personality cause him to be shunned
Many people have their own views on humanity. They can either be that humans are essentially good but can become corrupt or that people are just essentially evil. They have their own opinions, some people can tell their perspective on humans in other fashions. If people are essentially good, they how do they become corrupt? Or if are truly evil, then why do some people seem like they are kind people and they can never do such things? To take both of these into account, a person may saw that people are good but deep down have evil within them. People may ask how does the evil within a person come out, the answer to that is that it is thanks to their environment. The environment around a person can undoubtedly draw out the evil within them
Laws and rules are what set people apart from savagery. Leaders are what keep a group alive in times of crisis. In Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, Piggy is the only character who remains civil and does not turn to savagery. The boys notice his appearance more than his brain which blinds them from seeing his intelligence, patience, and rationality.
The theme of The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is the reason society is flawed is because people are flawed. Although Piggy is knowledgeable, he has many flaws including his laziness and physical inabilities. Ralph is an authority seeker. He sets rules and laws, yet does little to enforce them. Ralph wants to be the ruler, without doing the work to enforce his laws. Jack is persistent. He is rude, harsh and violent in order to get what he wants. He wants to be supreme. Piggy’s flaws are impactful in the story. His laziness and lack of physical ability hurt him in his quest for survival.
In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding emphasizes the essential values of a democracy to the people on the island through Ralph’s democratic leadership style and goals and Jack’s controlling and manipulative. These two leaders of the tribes draw a parallel reflection on the two leaders of World War Two, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Adolf Hitler. Lord of the Flies beings with a plane crash in the middle of the ocean; the boys are left alone on an island without any adults, fending for their lives. Ralph steps up after being elected leader, but Jack declares himself the leader of the hunting tribe and ends up recruiting most of the boys to transfer into his group using paranoia and abuse. Throughout the book, the boys lose their grip on humanity, civilization, and morality leading to deaths of some of the boys and the struggle to keep a democratic society to survive the island until rescue. Similarities can be seen between Ralph and Roosevelt as well as between Jack and Hitler throughout Lord of the Flies.
In William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies, we can see that Jack faces his own personal battle between himself and his want for power. Jack’s desire for dominance led him to commit evil acts for his own personal gain, than the greater good for all boys on the island. Jack claimed that he was fit for the role of leadership several times during the early chapters of the book. Golding stated that it was between Ralph and Jack who would lead and that Jack believed he should be chosen saying, “ ‘I ought to be chief,’ said Jack with simple arrogance, “because I’m chapter and head boy. I can sing a C charp.” (22). This is where Jack lists all the reasons that he is the best selection of a chief over Ralph, he wanted to persuade the rest of the boys for their vote. Towards, the end of the book we see Jack try to reclaim the already lost authority from Ralph. Jack induces the boys by saying, “ ‘I gave you food’ said Jack, ‘and my hunters will protect you from the beast. Who will join my tribe?” (150) Jack tries to make all the other boys, besides the hunters who already sided with him, to join his new tribe. This attempt for power with going against Ralph, clearly the most knowledgeable leader, displays how Jack only cares to satisfy his coveting of power.
Evil is an inborn trait that is settled deep within mankind. There is no hope for us, we are forever destined for evil. In William Golding 's Lord Of The Flies numerous themes are presented to give us readers something to think about. Despite the fact that the group of boys stranded on the island got saved at the end of the novel, Golding 's main theme is that there is no hope for mankind, and that evil is an inborn trait of mankind. We constantly see this theme throughout the novel when the boys, split into two different tribes, participate in the death of Simon, and lastly we see this when Roger deliberately kills Piggy.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.” He implies that once you feel like it is almost over, do not give up and let go. He expects that we do our best to hold on as if we do, help will surely come. On January 12, 2010 a monstrous 7.0 earthquake struck the poverty-stricken country of Haiti. Around 220,000 people died and 300,000 were injured. This tragedy exacerbated the conditions in Haiti. After 27 days all hope of survivors was lost until Evans Monsignac, a 27-year-old father of two, was found under the rubble, alive. This unbelievable story reached headlines across the world about this young man surviving 27 days under rubble. He had nothing to eat or drink except for the sewage that oozed through the rubble. Monsignac knew it was the end of the rope for him, but he held on believing that as long as he could hold on, help would arrive. These survival stories are the basis for many well-written novels such as Life of Pi, Hatchet, and The Hunger Games. Lord of the Flies by William Golding (LOTF), a perfect example of survival, explains the savagery of young boys as they hold onto their last bit of rope on a deserted island. Jack and Ralph, two main characters of the story, quarrel with each other in hopes of showing the other boys the proper way to live or ‘hang on’.
Man’s natural inclination towards violence has plagued the human race since the emergence of us as a species, to our modern era. In William Golding 's 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, we find ourselves among a group of young schoolboys stranded on an island, without a proper leader or social order. As we observe the morphosis from innocent children into barbaric savages, Golding shows that when man is given the opportunity, he will revert back to a savage state of being.
Imagine yourself in one of the characters shoes in the novel “Lord of the flies.” You would see yourself loaded with responsibilities, major decisions, etc. “Lord of the Flies” represents a microcosm of adult society. The island can act as a democratic government, demonstrate knowledge, and each character can demonstrate an aspect of adult society. William Golding was in the Royal Navy during WWII. He creates a smaller image for what’s really happening in the world.