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Ralph's Characters

Decent Essays

Atavism, the retrogradation of philosophy and evolutionary traits, is consequently the result of prolonged exposure to primal environments. However, the consequences can lead to wrongful ethical and moral actions. Considering the allegorical tale, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, one must consider the island being a representation of the human mind itself. The only structure and object that a human can retain whilst dismissing all else is the presence of their own thoughts, their own reality. Shaped by external stimuli, all humans have the innate traits demonstrated in novel’s characters. From Simon’s innate value of morality, through Ralph’s impulse for democracy, and including Jack’s incentive towards savagery, these natural-born instincts …show more content…

Clearly, Ralph is a natural-born leader when it comes to bringing people together and deciding on a course of action. In addition, the conch would be an innovative way to get others’ attention. As Ralph was blowing the conch, Golding writes, “His ordinary voice sounded like a whisper after the harsh note of the conch. He laid the conch against his lips, took a deep breath and blew once more… Piggy exclaimed: ‘There’s one!’” (17). Clearly, Ralph is represented as the impulse for civilization and order in the human mind. It also stresses how far humanity has come to acquire civilization as an evolutionary incentive to seek for in primal conditions. Wielding the instrument of the conch, it symbolizes the ability of our minds to find peace and order. Through any practice, anyone can push out stressful memories and thoughts and reintroduce peaceful and relaxing thinking. Ultimately, this newfound peace would be sought to be used for to spark order in the external world of civilization. Under the effect of atavism, clearing the mind is an important ability to reconnect with the evolutionary tree. Sound civilization develops around order and reviewing the situation and to be able to call that to action is, unmistakably, …show more content…

At a fundamental level, Jack is a crazed killer who has an insatiable blood lust. In addition, he was also the only one to bring an actual weapon onto the island. Jack argues, “‘We needed meat.’ Jack stood up as he said this, the bloodied knife in his hand” (71). Indubitably, Jack is a representation of the overpowering impulse for bloodlust, power, and savagery. His craving for meat directly led to his atavistic primal tendencies, signified by his barbarism and splintering of the original tribe. In addition, his original knife symbolizes the increased possibility of killing in the human

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