preview

Ralph Vs Jack

Decent Essays

In the novel ‘Lord of the Flies’ by William Golding, there is a strong message of the fact that without civilization, society would descend into savagery. Golding portrays the conflict between the human impulse towards savagery and the rules of civilization which are designed to contain it. He emphasises this idea through use of characterisation, plot development and symbolism.
Throughout the novel, the idea of savagery versus civilisation is dramatized and escalated through use of opposing characters; Ralph and Jack. Their ideologies differ completely, and this is expressed by how each boy responds to authority. Ralph uses his power and status among the boys to enforce moral and ethical codes, establish rules, and try to protect the good …show more content…

The conch shell, which is directly associated with ralph, and the ‘lord of the flies’ which is associated with jack. The conch shell symbioses the democracy, civilised aspects of the island. Ralph emphasises on the fact that ‘[they’re] not savages’ (p. 19), and uses this to form rules and a resemblance of order that the group can agree on. The conch shell is a representation of democratic power on the island, reinforcing both Ralph's elected position as chief, and the power of unity among the boys. However, as the conflict between Ralph and Jack deepens, the conch shell loses both symbolic and literal importance. Jack declares that the conch is meaningless as a symbol of authority and rules, and its decline in importance mimics the decline of civilization on the island. The lord of the flies, on the other hand, gains importance at the same pace the conch shell loses it. This signals the increasing dominant reign of savagery on the island, as well as Jack’s increasing authority over the boys. This slow transition from civilisation to savagery shows that Golding uses symbols to present the idea of savagery completely displacing order and rules in the absence of

Get Access