Lord of the Flies
Uploaded by Soot11 on Apr 17, 2005
Lord of the Flies
April 16, 2005
What would happen if the world had no laws, no punishment, and no structure? William Golding answers this question by framing his views on the taunting subject of “civilization vs. savagery.” Lord of the Flies centers Golding’s thoughts by focusing on its serious minded characters, open-ended symbols, distinct settings, and masterful plot. This award-winning novel is an eccentric story of how human nature erupts into chaos and reveals the evil within.
Lord of the Flies takes place on an uninhabited island in the middle of nowhere during a war in the early 1950’s. The war plays an important role in the novel because it is a time where societies fight for a title, as do the boys on the island. The island’s mountain is a crucial place in the novel because it borders the boundaries between good and bad and “civilization vs. savagery.” One side of the mountain maintains a cast of light, representing good, and the other side remains dark, representing evil. Golding makes the mountain the most sacred place in the story because it is where good contrasts evil, as it does in life within a respected community. The forest is a place of darkness and fear where all the hunting and killing occurs. It is here where both Simon and Piggy die, as well as all the hunted boar. Golding uses the forest to establish symbolic meaning connecting its evil surroundings to the lack of civilization, resulting in savagery. Golding also makes the forest the place where “the beast” lives to create a distinct image of fear and terror representing the evil in savagery.
Ralph is the forward and charming protagonist in Lord of the Flies. He displays civilization and stability while being the chosen leader of the boys. However, as time on the island progresses Ralph’s devotion to morality starts to weaken. With the instinct of evil in the air, the boys are split into two groups. One group represents civilization (which is lead by Ralph and Piggy as a friendly side kick) and the other represents savagery (which is lead by Jack). Jack is the blood thirsty, barbaric leader of the hunters. His need to hunt and kill embraces his followers to express the power within. Jack soon realizes that he can use the boys’ fear of the beast to control them, making him the most dominant...