The Savagery of Human Nature in William Golding's Lord of the Flies

In the novel “Lord of the Flies” written by William Golding the novels main theme was civility versus savagery. The novel is about school boys who get stranded in an island because the airplane the boys were in was shot down. The only adult who was the pilot died so the boys had to learn how to survive without any adults. The schoolboys were aged ranged from 6 to 12 and since there is no adult supervision the boys vote for a leader which causes conflict with two boys. Things begin to get out of hand because they are free from any rules resulting in them acting like savages and forgetting about civilization. The conflict between the two boys named Ralph and Jack represents civility versus savagery because Ralph becomes leader and uses his

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

Ralph's character comes back stronger than ever before in the final chapters of the novel. At this point, like Simon had before him, Ralph becomes aware of the savagery existing within all the boys—including himself. "That was Simon," he admits to Piggy, recalling the barbaric act he took part in. Even upon Piggy's death, Ralph still manages not to let the savagery overwhelm him, only momentarily considering joining Jacks tribe for safety. His firsthand knowledge of his aptitude for sin builds his motivation to throw down the Lord of the Flies near the end of the novel. By the time he finally realizes the evil on the island is within the boys themselves, it is too late for Ralph to fight for anyone but himself.

One’s behaviour can have an substantial impact on a society's outcome. There is a common notion that humans are nurtured to be peaceful and civil. However this belief is contradicted by the action of the boys, in William Golding’s, “Lord of the Flies”. A group of schoolboys are abruptly thrown out of their controlled and civil circumstances into an inhabited tropical island in the middle of the Pacific. The novel is Golding’s attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature, by using symbolism to delineate this theme. Golding’s extensive use of symbolism, such as the conch, the signal fire and the painted faces helps demonstrates the defects of society. These symbols are used by Golding to illuminate the subsequent effects on the boys’ behaviour, which undoubtedly illustrates the defects of human nature on society.

Ralph is not only a leader, but a voice of reason within the group. Ralph’s main priority throughout the novel is to be rescued, even when it did not seem as important to the other boys in the group. Ralph creates a signal fire and consistently reminds the boys that it is imperative to their survival. Ralph explains, “Don’t you understand? Can’t you see we ought to--ought to die before we let the fire out?” (Golding 81). Ralph’s scolding to the hunters is well deserved considering that they wasted a possible opportunity to be rescued after letting the signal fire go out. As time went on, Jack and his hunters become more and more consumed with hunting and order began to turn into chaos. The hunters chant, “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in” (Golding 75). Ralph refuses to join the boys and viciously murder pigs. The boys’ hygiene habits were also worsening, to the point that the boys were defecating in the wrong areas. Ralph tries to address it at a meeting, but the boys’ find their animal-like behavior amusing. Throughout the loss of civility and order, Ralph always keeps a persistent effort to keep the signal fire going and keep order within the group. Ralph’s attitude towards the entire situation drops, however he never completely lost hope.

“Human nature is evil and goodness is caused by intentional activity” - Xunzi. Humans by nature have natural tendencies to evil however not everyone acts on those emotions.

Lord of the Flies is the name given to the inner beast, to which only

Lord of the Flies is an extraordinarily well-written novel that teaches one how to live life. When asked about the philosophy of the book, the author, William Golding, replied, "The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectful." This completely exemplifies the theme of the novel. Lord of the Flies truly shows that it is not the government that determines survival, it is the sheer human nature in all of us that proves whether a society can function. A person's personality will always trump another person's because of difference

If the boys would think for themselves rather than listen to others’ opinions, then maybe they would have chosen to follow Ralph’s civilized ideas to survive on the island. Jack’s tribe, who kills a hog and offers its head as a sacrifice to the beast, attracts more and more boys for its ambition and beast frenzy. Meanwhile, Ralph, speaking in a moral manner, tries to convince the boys to think for their own survival. Jack slanders Ralph by saying, “He’s not a hunter. He’d never have got us meat. He isn’t a prefect and we don’t know anything about him. He just gives orders and expects people to obey for nothing" (126). The three characters Ralph, Piggy, and Simon are excellent examples of staying true to what one believes in, even though it may be tough avoiding popular

Ralph was the protagonist in this novel. The book starts out with him, and therefore the readers know him best. Ralph stayed the sanest out of the group of boys, but he did lose it in the end of the book when Jack and the hunters are hunting him. Ralph was the one who tried to keep all the boys in check, and was the first to realize that they need to have set rules in order to survive, and get off the island. ”If I blow the conch and they don't come back; then we've had it. We

Ralph, one of the main characters, was initially the leader, but a boy named Jack came along, and took over the group of boys and the madness began. When Jack took over, Ralph was pushed over to Piggy’s side, Piggy is a slightly overweight boy, and is often teased by the surrounding boys, including Ralph. “Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.” (Golding 202). The quote explains how the island and the people surrounding him stole his innocence and savageness lies within everyone’s hearts. Similarly, Ralph resembles the Jews being killed by Hitler (Jack) and the German Nazis (Jack’s followers) for their beliefs. The overall theme of his novel is all humans naturally have a little bit of evil and savagery inside of them. All of the boys stranded on the island are initially innocent and civilized, but as the leaders changed along with the rules, the evil and savageness buried in their hearts shone through. Both Jack and Ralph have very different views of leadership. Ralph is more interested in making the boys build shelters and fires and do useful stuff to help keep them alive. Whereas on the other hand, Jack is primarily interested in hunting. Jack’s camp is parallel to the practice of the internment camps of World War Two. Ralph realizes that Jack had stole the fire so he

“The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable.” With this quote, William Golding simply justifies the theme and moral presented in his novel, Lord of the Flies. The characters portray a modern society and depict the cruelty of human disposition. The political system in the U.S., as a whole, is a prime example of the ignorance towards ethical nature and is definitely blameworthy of the ruthlessness of mankind as individuals. Change is needed!

"Man has demonstrated that he is master of everything - except his own nature." This quote from Henry Miller demonstrates that even the best of people can be tempted and twisted by their own nature. Like the symbolic pig’s head stuck in the calm forests clearing, all beauty and innocence can be mutated when order is overthrown by impulse actions. In William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, a central theme exists demonstrating the deterioration of civilization, and the overpowering of savagery, leading to the abandonment of moral thoughts and actions within a person. The beauty of the island is burned away slowly as the fiery demon of savagery attempts to overwhelm the boys. The beauty of the island symbolizes the charm of law and

One of the most crucial components of a storyline is the theme. It is the central message of the story. In the novel Lord of The Flies by William Golding, the message is that even the purest of hearts contain an innate animalistic behaviour. As suggested in the story, savagery is inherent in all beings because true evil lies within one’s genetics, personality, and their surroundings.