preview

Lord Of The Flies Cons

Decent Essays

“’Which is better – to be a pack of painted Indians like you are, or to be sensible like Ralph is? Which is better – to have rules and agree or to hunt and kill? Which is better, law and rescue, or hunting and breaking things up?’” (180) In the novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding gives the reader a look into a society made up of a group of young British boys, all raised in a sophisticated and civil manner, who crash landed on a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. While fighting to survive on the island, most of the boys gave in to the Beast or their savage side that is inside them. Others, like Ralph, find themselves in a battle with their own mind and the rest of the boys. Without rules and order, the boys quickly change …show more content…

At the beginning of the novel, they were able to sustain a reasonably civil society due to the rules that they set for themselves. For example, the conch shell served as a major symbol of rules in their society and throughout the book. They used the conch in order to call an assembly to discuss problems on the island and they used the conch to establish who is able to talk at these assemblies. When Jack and the rest of the boys leave, they abandon all of the rules. As a result, they abandon their civil society. (insert quote here) In their new society, they brutally kill pigs, sing and dance for their celebration, paint their faces and bodies, and eventually they kill two of their own people. Clearly these boys feel “relieved and excited… making pig-dying noises and shouting” (81), which pushes them to continue to change their society. So, I believe that without laws and law enforcement that a civil society will inevitably …show more content…

For the most part, the punishment for talking without the conch at the assemblies is being yelled at by the other boys. (insert quote here) By the end of the book, there seemed to be more brutal punishments for things that the boys did not even do. For example, Golding briefly introduces Wilfred. (insert quote here) Wilfred seems to be beaten for no apparent reason other than to be made an example of. Also, Golding explains the other more barbarous punishments that the boys were capable of. This includes Ralph being chased around the island, Samneric being taken prisoner, and Piggy and Simon’s deaths. So, when the boys decided on more civil punishments for their wrongdoings, it resulted in a more civil society. When they chose to have more harsh punishments, it resulted in a more barbaric

Get Access