Moral Nihilism: Lord Of The Flies

Ralph represents order and discipline, while Jack represents an unhealthy drive for power and savagery. In the beginning of the novel, Ralph is voted the leader of the group and attempts to make life on the island disciplined and civilized, like their life in England. However, throughout the novel Jack rivals Ralph’s leadership role, attempting to overthrow him. As the boys’ savage impulses increase, more of them begin to side with Jack instead of going with Ralph. As Ralph loses his hold over the boys, almost all of them begin to act violently and barbaric. An example of this is when the children of the island murder Simon for no justifiable reason. Even Piggy and Ralph partake in the murder, showing that the violent human impulse is in

The boys forget the main goal, being rescued. Ralph repeatedly reminds them, “If a ship comes near the island… we must make a fire” (38). Ralph knows the chances of being rescued are slim, but creating a fire will increase those chances. This decision reveals Ralph’s ability to collaborate with the others in order to get the necessary work done. The fire is a logical idea because is someone sees it they will eventually be rescued. Comparatively, Jack uses his resources when no one knows how to start a fire as he commands, “His specs-use them as burning glasses!” (40). Jack resourcefulness of using the glasses to start the fire not only works, but helps them get rescued, keeps them warms, and allows them to cook. Nevertheless, Jack forcefully taking Piggy’s lenses is a symbol of lack of respect because he takes advantage of Piggy after viewing his vulnerability. Jack uses Piggy’s glasses is resourceful because they can use the lenses to create a fire with the sunlight. Their decisions display their responsibility and how they both qualify to become

At the time, Ralph heavily influences the boys and their actions for he resembles “the men with the megaphones” (18). He attempts to create order among the boys with rules, but most of the boys would rather play than follow the rules—for there are no adults to enforce them. With the role of leadership thrust upon him, Ralph has no choice but to stop playing games. His goals are to protect the boys and increase their chances of being rescued; however, the responsibility on Ralph’s shoulders soon begins to weigh him down. As “Ralph [watches the boys], envious and resentful” (75), the obligation to care for everyone on the island is a heavy burden to bear. His role as leader has forced Ralph to forget the joys of being an innocent kid and given him the encumbrance of responsibility, which causes the start of his maturation.

Throughout Lord of the Flies, Golding shows his views of the inherent evil of humans. He shows how humans can be in such a savage state, practically mimicking the way of life of their prehistoric ancestors. He exemplifies this with acts of carnage carried on by the young stranded children. It all started with a slight urge to hunt down a pig and then continued on to murdering another human being. Golding shows his views best at the end of the book with the boys being rescued by a Navy crew, which would go on to war it self.

“Telling us to obey instinct is like telling us to obey ‘people.’ People say different things: so do instincts. Our instincts are at war...Each instinct, if you listen to it, will claim to be gratified at the expense of the rest” (C.S. Lewis). C.S. Lewis, a world-renowned author, believed that human instincts battle against each other in order to influence one’s decisions. Similarly, in the novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding describes a scenario in which animalistic instincts prevail over societal intuition when a group of boys are stranded on a deserted island without any adults. At first, the boys are generally civilized, working together to maintain a signal fire and holding assemblies. However, as time

The fire represents civilization and Piggy’s symbolize trust. In a society, people needs a leader who is willing to collaborate, be productive, and can establish rules in order to survive, but everything soon backfires once the fire went out. As the fire goes out, Golding starts to develop a “beastie” that began to rise inside the boys’ which symbolize the boys’ savage behavior while living on the island (Golding 35). This interpret that in the beginning of the story, Jack was slightly unconfident in his hunting skills, but at the book progress, Jack become more vicious and ambition for power, which lead the “beast” started to grow inside of him. For instance, in Chapter one, Jack was hesitant to the kill the pig, but in Chapter Four, after jack and hunters had executed the pig, Jack started to sing, “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood” (Golding 69). This exemplifies how the “beast” had grown and become uncivilized, in addition, it foreshadows the boys will attack each other since Jack had finally slaughtered the pig, and which Piggy will be the first to die. The mask that Jack had put on had many things to do with Ralph as being a leader because Ralph is not being stern with his rules which persuade the boys’ to think that Ralph is gullible. Furthermore, when

His nickname parallels the wild pigs that are hunted on the island, and it also represents his intelligence. Piggy portrays clear-sightedness and intelligence. He tries to keep peace and clings to civilization, and he is the smartest boy on the island even though he has no social skills. He does not like strenuous work so he refrains from physical work. His only contribution to survival on the island are his specs which become very important in lighting the signal and cooking fires.

One of the main symbols throughout the book was the symbol of fire. Ralph, being the leader at this point, called a meeting to try to get through to them that the fire is how they will survive: "The fire is the most important thing on the island. How can we ever be rescued except by luck, if we don’t keep a fire going? Is a fire too much for us to make?...Look at us! How many are we? And yet we can’t keep a fire going to make smoke. Don’t you understand? Can’t you see we ought to—ought to die before we let the fire out?" (31) Ralph is trying to explain to everyone that the fire is the key to survival. Also he is trying to convey that fire will save them and get them off the island. When Jack bought the idea up that they should make a fire all the boys were so excited and all they could think about is making a fire, even though Ralph was trying to call them to order: “‘A fire! Make a fire!’ At once half the boys were on their feet. Jack clamored among them, the conch forgotten. "Come on! Follow me!" The space under the palm trees was full of noise and movement. Ralph was on his feet too, shouting for quiet, but no one heard him. All at once the crowd swayed toward the island and was gone—following Jack” (37). Jack was convincing everyone to go with him and they did, and stopped listening to Ralph. Also Jack is starting to become the

It can be argued that Golding’s use of characterization solidifies his theory that all men have the capacity for evil due to their innate human nature. Golding depicts the two main alpha male characters of Jack and Ralph as primary examples of this theme. As the story unfolds, Golding reveals Jack to be selfish, violent, and corrupt as he was driven “to violence, the bolting look came into his blue eyes. He took a step, and able at last to hit someone, stuck his fist into Piggy’s stomach,” (Golding 71). The description of Jack towards the conclusion of the book reveals how deceitful and antagonistic Jack has become. Jack’s monstrous personality devours everyones humanity when he refuses to obey rules, and begins to let his anger out starting with piggy. Ralph accuses Jack of being “a beast and a swine and a bloody thief” (Golding 179)! Ralph’s statement is a concise summation of all that Jack becomes. Furthermore, the fact that Jack has begun to become more tribal in appearance indicates his reversion into a more primal being. Finally, as depicted midway through the story, Jack reveals his true sadistic nature as he was “on top of the sow stabbing downward with his knife....Jack found the throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands,” (Golding 135). All of these intensely descriptive characterizations of Jack committing violence as a beast and becoming a thief portray his evil nature. This proves Goldings point that all humans can succumb

Jack’s bloodlust for hunting contributes to his savage state of mind. The first time the boys went on a hunt in the story Jack pulled back his arm with one swift motion as his knife raised ready to kill a pig. As his arm was raised, Jack took a long pause, the “pause was only long enough for them to understand what an enormity the downward stroke would be” (Golding 31). Jack knew that the act of killing would be counted as wrong, or bad, or even evil in his “normal” society. Knowing that Jack took a pause shows how the boys saw through society’s eyes for the last time. Jack had a breakthrough, he lost all societal bonds after being in this moment of hesitation. The next time the boys go hunting there is no hesitation. Jacks next prey was a innocent carefree sow. Jack leads the hunters inch by inch closer to the sow before commanding the start of the kill

In the beginning of the book Ralph is treated as an equal by the other boys due to his personality. '"He's not Fatty, cried Ralph, his real name's Piggy... a storm of laughter arose and even the tiniest child joined in'" (21). Ralph's personality is very similar to the others' because when he he acts immature the boys all feel that it's funny instead of telling him he's wrong and that he should apologize. Just after they laugh at what he has to say they are accepting him into the group. In the beginning of the book Piggy is outlasted because of his personality. '"'I was with him when he found the conch. I was with no. Before anyone else was.' Jack and the others paid no attention'" (24). Piggy's personality here comes off as persistent and, seeing as jack wasn't really persistent on being the chief his personality doesn't match up with him. When they don't allow Piggy to come along with them they are out casting him because, they don't understand his persistence because they never have experienced it. Piggy instead of coming across as want to help and just being persistent comes off as being pushy and annoying. In the middle of the book Ralph is becoming divergent from the group. "'That's dirty!' Laughter rose again...'" (80). Ralph has shown that he has finally grown up and he's starting to act like it as well. Just after

Jack, their newly found “chief in truth,” is not able to start a fire without the help of a remaining piece of their civilization, Piggy’s glasses (105). In ultimate savagery, the group ambushes Piggy. Jack—“the chief” — “lead[s] them, trotting steadily, exulting in his achievement,” with “Piggy's broken glasses,”(105). “Dangling” and “broken”, they tragically misuse the glasses (105). They are no longer a symbol of reason and smarts; but instead they have morphed into a symbol of the extent of how far from civilization the boys wander. With Piggy’s value on the island stripped away, he becomes virtually useless. In the same manner, the loss of Piggy and the conch unfolds, shortly after the glasses. The conch “explode[s] into a thousand white fragments” as the water “boil[s] white and pink,” taking Piggy with the roaring waves (113). This represents the final withdrawal of reasoning, leaving Ralph utterly

As the boys became more savage, their hair grew longer and longer. Most of the boys usually ignored their hair in their eyes, Ralph seemed to be the only one who actually tried to get it out of his face: “Ralph discovered dirt and decay, understood how much he disliked perpetually flicking the tangled hair out of his eyes,” (89). This shows that Ralph, though being one of the purest boys on the island, struggled with the evil on it that's constantly trying to get at him. Shielding his eyes from being able to see, the hair in Ralph’s face almost never stays up and keeps him from seeing the real, civilized world that could be. The previous quote from the novel does not only state how he hates his long hair, but also how much he hates his dirty clothes.

Lastly, being in an uncivilized environment, without rules or consequences, the innate evil is revealed once again when Jack and his tribe attack Ralph. At the commencement of this book, it was one mighty group of young boys fighting for their survival and

Once these boys join Jack’s tribe, they are forced to follow his orders, committing heinous atrocities against their former friends in a desperate attempt to avoid the physical punishment Jack inflicts on those who disobey him. Jack rules his subjects through fear and intimidation, and yet lures them in by playing on hidden desires unbeknownst to them. Jack is often shown acting cruel and menacing towards the other boys, however is he also shown as being self-conscious and a bit insecure: “Boys are desperate to distract from their own helplessness and do so by projecting their fear of subjection onto an even weaker