The Mask In William Golding's Lord Of The Flies

Is it a person’s genetic biological make up that affects their decision making or is it outside environmental influences that impact choices? I think that the internal factors have more of an impact on a person’s behavior. In the book Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, both factors seem to take part in what caused the boys to turn into savages. Considering that not all the boys turned into savages it helps prove that the bad genes inside versus the good genes played more of a roll and not so much the external environment, in who turned wild and who tried to keep up with the rules of society they knew before they crash landed on the island. Jack and Roger seemed to be the real “bad seeds” and without adults they became leader of the cruel, savages behavior on the island. Whether it was the way they were raised or they were just bad genetics, all it took was for Jack not getting his way. When all the boys voted for chief and Jack was not chosen he starts falling into his role as the bad guy.

To make the mask a little more interesting I have created two flaps that cover the mask except for the two eye sockets. On the flaps you will see a map of the island with much detail and color to represent the luscious landform and will provide the feeling of what's going on inside the island once you reveal the flaps. Before you take a look inside though you will notice that I have not covered the eyes. Inside each eye you will see a symbol. In the right eye I have drawn a picture of a boat sailing across the ocean and in the left I have drawn a bonfire. I Drew the reflection of the boat to symbolize how eager Ralph is to get off the island and we can all see this by the way he blows up in Jack's face. And for the fire it represents and shows that the boys need to respect and listen to each other if they want to survive. Now on to the inside. The first object that would catch my eye when you look inside is the conch shell that is placed on the bottom middle of the mask. The conch shell represents peace and binds the boys together to create a brotherhood. The shell is a light pinkish color with a mix of white to blend the emotions.I have also drawn a pair of sticks that are on fire creating an “X” in the middle of the mask to symbolize strength and power. Above the two I have written the word “bravery” to show that Ralph is willing to whatever it takes to lead his fellow schoolmates. On top of the mask you will notice a detailed crown with diamonds and jewels, I drew this because it shows his leadership and responsibility he has granted to the group.The crown consists very rich and eye capturing colors. Inside the crown you will see the letters that spell out leadership and I put this word on here because without Ralph's leadership this group of boys would have no one else to lead them that has the same characteristics as him. To add on

Symbols in a story allow readers to understand the main message and idea that the author attempts to convey within literature. Often, masks are used to perform, be disguises, and even act as protection. William Golding includes the use of masks in his book, Lord of the Flies. The mask is worn by the ferocious leader Jack Merridew. Jack creates the mask with materials that he found scattered around the island. On his face, he uses black, red, and white charcoal which creates a covering of his face. He uses the mask to become a different being which changes his attitude and changes his conscious. As the novel progresses, the mask terrorizes kids and eventually begins to terrorize the animals and nature that surround the boys. The symbol of the mask in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies begins as anonymity, becomes a protection from guilt, and concludes as savagery.

The painted masks also speared to free the members of the tribe from what could be considered as appropriate behavior. This can include the lack of self discipline in fulfilling assigned tasks as well as disobeying rules and the violent nature adopted in hunting. In spite of the fact that when the boys landed on the island they were naturally freed from all of the laws of the adult world, they still came together to form a tribe. Though some saw this as an important step, such as Ralph, Piggy, Simon and somewhat Jack, many just viewed it as a game to be played whenever they pleased. After Jack began wearing face paint, many of the younger children viewed him as a chief and wanted to follow him over Ralph. As they began following him he, hiding behind the mask, influenced them to do things that they would normally consider wrong, such as adopting such a violent nature when hunting. In hunting they fulfilled their basic need for meat, but they quickly began centering their lives around it, and almost worshiping the hunt through dance and reenactments. This led them to create a tribe centered on their

“Is there worse evil than that which goes in the mask of good?” (Alexander) Evil and cruelty often conceal themselves behind the mask of polite civilization. When the mask is removed, the true savagery is revealed. In William Golding 's dark novel, Lord of the Flies, humanity’s true savage nature is covered by a mask of civility. The group of boys crash onto a deserted island. And in order to survive, the boys attempt to recreate civilization and designate the conch as a symbol of authority. However, when the natural instinct to survive seizes the boys, resulting in the removal of their civilized masks, the savagery inside the boys emerges. Throughout the boys’ adventure on the island, Jack loses his mask of innocence and civility,

Literary devices are techniques often used by authors to portray in-depth analyses of major characters, storylines, and central themes, which take place in a story. These analyses help readers understand a message the author is trying to convey. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses different literary devices in order to demonstrate the boys’ struggle against the lack of society and law on the island, as well as the consequences that have transpired due to this loss. This conflict is evident through the different instances of irony, foreshadowing, and symbolism that occurs throughout the novel.

It may have taken millions of years for humans to evolve enough to create the sprawling civilizations known today, but it only takes a few months for a group of civil, educated boys to regress back into savagery. In his novel Lord of the Flies, author William Golding depicts a group of young British boys getting stranded on a deserted island sans adults. The boys must look out for themselves, forming a basic governing system and trying to survive. But the challenge soon proves too much to handle, and order deteriorates. William Golding conveys the universal theme of civilization vs. savagery in his novel Lord of the Flies using the literary elements of plot, setting, and characterization.

A recurring theme among leaders in many societies today is that “absolute power corrupts absolutely” (John Acton, a 1700’s English Catholic historian, politician, and writer). In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, this idea of leadership, power, and corruption is put in the spotlight. Jack, one of the boys on the island, forces his way into the leadership position without actually earning it. It is clear that Jack has become corrupt as he turns into a person who is intimidating, egotistical, and selfish. Ralph, on the other hand, is a quality leader under most conditions as he appeals to the boys’ sophisticated side and has a

Nearing the end of the book, the imagery of death and human nature becomes very apparent as the mask’s symbolism shifts into savagery. While on the run right after Piggy was brutally murdered by the boys of Castle Rock, Ralph sees a boy who looks like it is Bill, hunting for him. Ralph thinks that this boy looks like Bill, but painted in red and black the boy did not look like a boy,

Similar to William Golding’s idea of mankind, William James, who was an American philosopher, had the idea that, “We are all ready to be savage in some cause. The difference between a good man and a bad one is the choice of the cause.” This idea transfers nicely to William Goldings’ book, Lord of the Flies, which follows British boys who have been stranded on a deserted island, and now must survive, using their surroundings, as well as their wit. However, it isn’t all smooth sailing for the boys, and eventually almost all of them become savage-like, and disconnected from the outside world. The conch, and the mask are both important symbols in the book, that demonstrate how the boys turn from innocent school-boys to unforgiving beasts, capable of evil.

In the “Lord of the Flies,” William Golding uses ordinary items to symbolize bigger universal ideas. These symbols can be seen throughout the text and will evolve as the story progresses. In the beginning of the Lord of the Flies, one of the most frequent topic the boys discuss is hunting and their desire to have meat. However, not a single boy is able to hunt successfully as they are all afraid of killing another living thing. The boys only have a successful hunt when they use the mask. The mask in the Lord of the Flies is one of the many symbols used to communicate Golding’s universal ideas. When the mask is used in the Lord of the Flies the mask serves the purpose to hide the boys from the pigs when they hunt. However, when the text is examined in an allegorical means, the mask can be defined as hiding from oneself, strength, and savagery. The allegorical definition of the mask, proves how the mask does not only hide the boys from the pigs, but also hides the boy’s inner connections with their former selves. The mask in the Lord of the Flies initiates as hiding from oneself, evolves to strength, and ends a savagery.

I chose the topic of this mask, based off the boys improper and confused relationship with Piggy. The theme of this mask, is discrimination. It stood out to me how unfair the boys treat Piggy, they view Piggy as powerless and having no sense of command. It also felt like the boys are confused with Piggy, because of his superego personality. He was raised by adults, and acts like one. This makes Piggy hard to relate with the boys and often leaves them frustated and confused. I feel like everyone once had a time in their life where they felt mistreated, and not having a opportunity to express their point of view. Therefore, we feel meaningless along with neglected, and are overpowered by a group of people which we simply can not overcome.

Masks are a covering for parts of the face that are worn for a disguise, pleasure, or to scare people. Greek theatre utilizes masks innumerable times for evident characters in their plays. The actors/actresses who position their masks on, become divergent people. The denotation the boys’ have behind the mask is unique from when they have the mask off. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the mask is used as a disguise from their normal society and civilization. Jack, Ralph and Roger prove that this statement is true throughout the novel. Golding once said that civilization is “the mask which enables the individual to hide his primitive nature.” This illustrates how one will disguise himself as someone or something that triggers their primal nature. William Golding’s purpose in writing this novel is to present to the readers when an individual loses connections with society they can regenerate one's true self to become someone they are not. The masks are utilized by these three characters to shield their nefarious doings. Jack, Ralph and Roger all have measures that delineate the diabolic and shadow within all humanity.

Life is a costume party in which some are tricked and others are treated. Imagine a world where one’s true self was hidden behind a series of masks, each mask hiding an individual's specific character flaw, personality trait or even a desire to do harm. Against the backdrop of World War II, uniformed soldiers presented themselves to an enemy as a single mass of camouflaged danger. Each similarly dressed and trained to kill or capture an enemy without feeling any remorse. William Golding’s own involvement during World War II allowed him to experience wearing his own mask while tremendous violence was occurring as he was aboard a Royal Navy boat in 1940. Further, his involvement in the battle of Normandy(France) and the epic struggle on its beaches is reflected in his writing in the lives of young boys who similarly try to maintain order on their own island. Therefore in the same way that a soldier's uniform provides anonymity, the characters in William Golding's Novel The Lord of the Flies wore masks to conceal their true identity, shown when Jack who is civilized put on a mask to become a savage, and when Roger took off his civilist mask to reveal his inherently present inner savage.

Symbolism is the door to an author’s mind, it opens up our deeper understanding of their ideas and beliefs. In the novel, “Lord of the Flies” written by William Golding, we can see where he stands on his point of view of society. Golding believes that everyone has evil within them, it just takes a certain match to light the fire, like Jack, who’s inner evil came forward when he painted on his clay mask. What also came across from the novel was that without rules, order, and agreement, people are forced to turn into savages blinded by hatred and their thirst for power. What kept this from escalating was the conch shell which signified order within the boys until it was destroyed, causing chaos and disorder throughout the island. Going to our final symbol, what does the ocean, the thing that surrounds the