The Lord Of The Flies: Microcosm

At the beginning of the story, the first one to gain power is an older boy named Ralph, the protagonist. Ralph, alongside a boy nicknamed Piggy, find a conch. Blowing into the conch, Ralph summons all of the other boys on the island. Once all of the boys have gathered, the group decides to elect a leader in an attempt to form a social organization. The candidates are Ralph, who has the conch, and Jack, the antagonist of the story. “‘Let’s have a vote.’... Every hand outside the choir except Piggy’s was raised immediately. Then Piggy, too, raised his hand grudgingly into the air. Ralph counted. ‘I’m chief then’”( Golding 16-17). Ralph, as well as the conch, are embodiments of democracy. The conch is a very important symbol because it is later decided by Ralph that if a boy wanted to speak at a meeting, he would hold the conch. This decision shows how Ralph respects the opinions of the group he leads and uses his power for good. Ralph’s ultimate goal is to get rescued, but until then, he maintains the stability of the group as chief.

The novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, explores the conflict between civilization and savagery. The novel follows a group of boys stranded on an island, depicting the collapse of established order and the boys’ descent into barbarism. The group’s leaders, named Ralph and Jack, embody the conflicting ideals of organized society and anarchy, respectively. A rivalry develops between Ralph and Jack due to alienating differences in their personalities and values. Ralph and Jack’s differing relationships with a boy called Piggy create conflict between them. Furthermore, their disputes regarding the importance of democracy and rules divide them. The disparities between Ralph and Jack provide insight into their rivalry.

In order for Jack’s desires of being leader to become true, he must first weaken Ralph’s authority. In Ralph’s leadership, the rules where short and simple. Them being: Ralph was the only one who could interrupt the boy who was holding the conch, bring water from the stream and store it, and to keep the signal fire from burning out. The flaw with this rules is that whenever someone broke these rules, there was no true consequences. Jack uses these cracks to cripple and break Ralph’s rule. After crippling Ralph’s system, Jack only has to get others to rebel with him. An exploit that Jack uses to lower Ralph’s following. Having the choirs boys and his experience of leading them made it easy for Jack to gain respect and authority. “ ‘I ought to be chief,’ said Jack…. ‘because I’m chapter chorister and head boy,…’ ”(Golding, 28). After Jack rebelled, he took a move from the Book of Genesis and brought down some of Ralph’s old followers to join him and later leaving Ralph with no one but himself. Another way Jack takes Ralph’s followers is through hunting. Hunting was a big role on the island, because it provides food and entertainment. Jack was most skilled at doing so through practice and will power. Since more of the boys enjoyed the hunt, Ralph only had the conch to

Both of the boys change a lot during their stay on the island. Ralph begins the novel as a leader and role model to the other boys. But eventually, the group gives in to savage instincts and Ralph's position

Both of the boys change a lot during their stay on the island. Ralph begins the novel as a leader and role model to the other boys. But eventually, the group gives in to savage instincts and Ralph's position

William Golding’s Lord of the Flies presents a story of a group of boys who become stranded on an island together, and in their struggle to survive; some begin to fight for power. Having power makes them feel in control of their situation; however, this power struggle quickly begins to consume them. Golding uses the power struggle between Ralph and Jack, the two main characters, to illustrate the power struggle between good and evil.

William Golding s novel Lord of the Flies significantly symbolizes characters, objects and the setting to represent our world as a whole. Golding uses those symbols to make the island similar to society and to show the difference between living in a civilised society and savagery. The novel takes place on an island during World War II, this is significant since the isolation forms a sort of civilization and community, a sort of microcosm to the real world and to human civilization.

In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the depictions of childhood and adolescence are used to shape the overall meaning of the work. Depicted differently by different characters, adolescence is used to represent the different societies and governments in place around the world & how delicate they really are. In the novel, it becomes clear that Ralph’s character is used to represent a leader in an organized democracy while Jack’s persona is presented as more savage and power-hungry. Jack’s character is shown to clash with Ralph’s because Jack wants power & leadership and causes for an autocracy while Ralph wants the opposite. Aside from Ralph and Jack lies Piggy, clearly used to show intellect and portray the government’s disregard for science and knowledge.

     Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel that represents a microcosm of society in a tale about children stranded on an island. Of the group of young boys there are two who want to lead for the duration of their stay, Jack and Ralph.  Through the opposing characters of Jack and Ralph, Golding reveals the gradual process from democracy to dictatorship from Ralph's democratic election to his lack of law enforcement to Jack's strict rule and his violent law enforcement.

In the beginning of the book, the boys strive to create a mini version of the society they lived in before the crash. The used both the conch and Ralph the elected leader as symbols of the order and leadership they left behind in Britain. They stick to the things they learned at

Lord of the Flies, is a story of adventure through nature and the human conscious. A group of boys, stranded on an island, become savage instead of working together and start fighting each other. Golding’s use of the war allegory shows how children can become as ruthless as adults when put in the right setting. While on the island, personality traits surfaced, such as their savageness, their carelessness, their fear, their hunger power, and their childish pride. Golding uses a war allegory to show than man will naturally conflicts with others because of a thirst for power, fear of the unknown, and pride.

The boys elect Ralph as chief but later on rebel against him. The boys choose Ralph because they know he has good ideas to be rescued and they believe in him, but when he tries to take charge they do not want to listen or manage their responsibilities. In fear of the beast, Ralph loses control of the boys. Jack does not like the way Ralph is leading so he takes advantage of all the panicking and tries to start his own camp and group to overthrow Ralph. The kids need rules and adults in order for them to be civilized, cooperative and calm while they wait for rescue. How Jack wanted to rule was made up of one thing, hunting and killing the beast because he thought that the beast is their main priority.

The key takeaway from this case is the impact that rational decision making, and bias avoidance could have altered the outcome of the events. The identification of the problem along with generating a solution, could have assisted the team in learning that not only was there a problem with the pressure on the well, but that a series of other anomalies were occurring that on their own were not devastating, but acting as a group, they could be traumatic to the well construction. Eliminating the understood biases of individuals involved would also help to address the problem in a rational manner with consideration given to the biases, but not allowing them to be a basis for the decisions that are made. It is understandable that individuals would

Microcosm is a community, place, or situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristic qualities or features of something much larger. In other words, it simply means “small world”. The island in which the story, Lord of The Flies, took place is a perfect example of a Microcosm. The Author, William Golding, does a tremendous job of portraying microcosm by making connections through characters and creating a small island that is a mirror image of today’s adult society.

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.