...All through the story, Lord of the Flies, Ralph is the centerpiece of the group. Every character represents some portion of the story. He is the civilization part of it. He wants to organize and civilize the group of boys trapped on the island, but unfortunately for Ralph his plan does not go as expected. He tried his hardest to be a fair and respectable leader, but he simply could not do everything. Ralph represents the change of the civilized, British boys to savages, the overall theme of the book. When the plane crashes on the island the first thing they do is get together. This is important because during the story numbers play a key role in the battle for power on the island. Then they meet Jack and his choir. They decide to do a vote for the leader and Ralph is voted in as the leader of the tribe. This angers Jack. Ralph responds to Jack’s anger by saying "The choir belongs to you, of course." Ralph shows that he is a leader, but also a people pleaser. This is a bad combination for someone in a leadership position and will eventually come back to haunt him. That quote also demonstrates that Ralph is extremely civilized and wants to avoid conflict if possible. Ralph and Jack will constantly clash on different subjects throughout the story. Every good leader has a top priority and a direction to take the group in. Ralph thinks getting off the island is most important. He tells the group that his father is in the British navy and that he is probably coming...
Words: 870 - Pages: 4
...Lord of the Flies Symbol and Theme "What I mean is... Maybe it's only us."... Simon became inarticulate in his efforts to express mankind's essential illness” (Page 89). In this quote from the Lord of the Flies the beast is used as a symbol to represent the inner savagery that exists within us. Symbol is something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental resemblance. William Golding uses symbols to support the theme of Lord of the Flies which is civilization vs. savagery. This theme is present in many parts of the book but it is specifically developed using the following three symbols: the beast, the conch shell and, Simon. During the scene were Simon encounters the Lord of the Flies the Lord of the Flies speaks to him and says “There isn't anyone to help you. Only me. And I'm the Beast... Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill... You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it's no go? Why things are the way they are?” (Page 142). This quote completely reveals that the beast is symbolized as the innermost evil within all of us. This has a major role in the civilization vs. savagery theme because the beast represents the savagery. The beast is used yet again as a symbol for inner evil when Jack mounts the pig head on a stick. “The head is for the beast. It’s a gift” (Page 137). This shows how the boys begin to almost worship the beast as a god. It displays...
Words: 823 - Pages: 4
...Theme Essay “Society holds everyone together.” In the book The Lord of the Flies, a fictional novel written by William Golding, it tells about the story of plan crashed british boys who must try and survive and fight off the savage instincts. The theme society holds everyone together is shown throughout the book. Society holding everyone together goes along with the idea of Civilization and savagery effects.. Basically the book is how savagery can affect people differently, also how civilization keeps people together for any amount of time, and finally how savagery can kill people. Savagery affects the characters differently. The character, Piggy follows his morals and stays civilized as much as possible. In fact...
Words: 473 - Pages: 2
...William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies, lived through and experienced the thick of World War II, and he personally saw how destructive humans could be. How someone could go from a functional, civilized member of society, to a savage. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the theme of human nature to demonstrate his believe in how fragile society is, and how easily it can collapse. Moreover, what better way to show this than through impressionable young boys? A prime example of Golding’s view of human nature is Jack Merridew, more specifically, his encounters with the pigs on the island. At the beginning of the novel, Jack, Ralph and Simon go to survey their new home, and it is there they first discover a piglet caught in the vines....
Words: 367 - Pages: 2
...Human Nature: Analysing How Crisis Affects Human Nature in "Lord of the Flies" and "Blindness" Aim of the Study: The aim of the study is to highlight the roots of evil in human nature, and how crisis can change a lot of things in a human being when it strikes by analysing two novels: "Lord of the Flies" and "Blindness". Abstract: "Lord of the Flies" tackles the theme of human nature. Throughout the novel, William Golding illustrates how sick and twisted human nature can get when faced by crisis. On the other hand, "Blindness" which is a novel by the Protégées author Jose Saramago, questions the good and conscious part in the heart and brings it to test. Both novels dig deep in human nature and go under the surface to reveal the source of evil in human nature. This study is designed to employ scenes and events in both novels to prove how fragile the sense of civilisation is in human beings, and how easy it can be to fall in the ambush of savagery as a last resort for survival. The research will analyze both novels separately from a psychoanalytical point of view then compare the findings of the two works. Introduction: The research is about two novels that tackle the same crucial theme of the evil nature in human beings. The two novels were written in different eras and as a result of different circumstances which in one way or another affected the philosophy of both of the writers. Lord of the Flies is an English novel written by William Golding in 1954. The...
Words: 1458 - Pages: 6
...Death can cause different responses in people. When someone you know dies, many thoughts go around your mind. Some people become murderous in revenge, others become sad and depressed and shut out the world. The Lord of the Flies is a novel about a group of boys that are in a plane crash and became stranded on an island. The boys are forced to adapt to their environment and struggle to survive and in the process, several of the boys are lost. Simon’s death is the most important event in the Lord of the Flies because it leads to character development in Ralph and Jack, it also emphasizes the depravity of man. Simon’s death is the most important event because it is a significant event in the plot that adds to themes and helps character's develop. Simon’s death is the arrival of evil on the island within the boys, this is where they begin to realize they are becoming mad. After Simon was killed on the stormy night down on the beach the...
Words: 1384 - Pages: 6
...Caleb Alexander Mrs. Walls AP Literature May 8, 2015 Lord of the Flies Boys Fighting Man’s War I. Introduction Greed, jealousy, and murder three of man’s original sins. Since the time of Cain and Able, humans have had an inner hunger for power and savagery. Over time this nature has been hidden, but not totally erased from Man’s nature. In today’s world politics are filled with corruption in every corner of the globe, yet they hide their nature of greed for power. William Golding served in the Navy during World War 2 where he witnessed human tragedy like no other. Inspired by what he saw, Golding wrote his most popular novel in 1954 titled Lord of the Flies. The novel is set on a remote island where a group of young boys had survived an airplane...
Words: 2504 - Pages: 11
...Lord of the Flies is a 1963 British film directed by Peter Brook based on the 1954 novel by William Golding. Both the book and movie of Lord of the Flies represent popular culture in the fact that the book started out being popularized by the working class and would later become a best seller and even move into the category of high culture by becoming required reading in many schools across the world as well as wining the Nobel Prize. The Lord of the Flies and book and movie demonstrate many of the traits that are often reproduced in various form media and often imitated in other works of film, television, and reading. Lord of the Flies was remade into another film in 1990 but the 1963 film is considered to be closer to the book and is the one that is used by this paper. The 1963 Lord of the Flies film is a black and white British film that is presented in the form of a third person narrative in which the audience is a outside party looking in on the cast of the film. The film is about a group of young pre-teen to teenage boys who crash land on an island somewhere is the specific ocean as a result of their plane being shoot down. In the background of the movie there is some type of war but the film never mentioned which war is taking place. With the film being based on a book from the 1950s and the film taking place in the 1960 it can be assumed that the war in question is either World War II or perhaps a future war. In the film the overall theme is that violence and hate...
Words: 1593 - Pages: 7
...novels. Some may see these cherished books as out of its time era; in reality, these books contain important values and newly learned reading skills that can help students in the future. Lord of the Flies has a good, timeless plot that quickly reels readers in. The theme behind the story can teach readers necessary knowledge that is still useful in today’s society. In addition, Golding’s masterpiece contains good diction and although challenging, a great learning tool to all readers. The theme and memorable characters in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is important to all standards of education and should remain on library shelves. The intensity builds from the first page as a group...
Words: 680 - Pages: 3
...How does William Golding support his hypothesis of what could possibly happen on an island when humans and boys in particular are marooned there? You may consider setting, characterization, themes and/or symbolism you must incorporate quotes from the text to support your analysis. William Golding wrote Lord of the Flies shortly after the end of WWII. The novel's plot, in which a group of English boys end up stranded on a deserted island struggle to develop their own society, is a social and political thought-experiment using fiction. The story focuses on their attempts at civilization, devolution into savagery and violence puts the relationship between human nature and society under literary observation. Golding uses several allusions to human evolution, such as when the boys discover fire, craft tools, and form political and social systems in a process that recalled theories of the development of early man. Golding's hypothesis about humanity is pessimistic, that is, there are anarchic and brutal instincts in human nature. He displays this throughout his conveying of the setting, characterization, themes, and symbolism. The novel takes place on an un-known inhabited island in the Pacific Ocean, Immediately in the novel Golding reveals the instinct of the restricted human savagery in the boys in regard to the setting. “Behind this was the darkness of the forest proper and open space of the scar” Page 10. Golding shows the...
Words: 1057 - Pages: 5
...William Gerald Golding was born on 19 September 1911in Cornwell, England. He was a British novelist, playwright, and poet, best known for his novel Lord of the Flies. Before becoming a writer Golding was teaching in a boys school and also server the Royal Navy during the war. This was a defining moment in his life as his ideas of optimism and humanity were shattered completely after experiencing the horrors of war. After the war Golding began writing and his first novel Lord of the Flies brought him immense critical acclaim. This gave him an opportunity to continue writing. Though Golding went on to produce several other literary pieces he is till date known for Lord of the Flies. Golding uses a chronological style of narration in the novel...
Words: 555 - Pages: 3
...What is human nature? How does William Golding use it in such a simple story of English boys to precisely illustrate how truly destructive humans can be? Golding was in World War Two, he saw how destructive humans can be, and how a normal person can go from a civilized human beign into savages. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the theme of human nature to show how easily society can collapse, and how self-destructive human nature is. Throughout the story Golding conveys a theme of how twisted and sick human nature can lead us to be. Many different parts of human nature can all lead to the collapse of society. Some of the aspects of human nature Golding plugged into the book are; destruction, demoralization, hysteria and panic. These emotions all attribute to the collapse of society. Golding includes character, conflict, and as well as symbolism to portray that men are inherently evil. Golding makes very good use of characters in Lord of the Flies, he shows both good and evil through each of the characters. One of the characters that represents goodness is Simon. He is very good and pure, and has the most positive outlook. Simon is very different from the other boys, he seems to always be helping the Littluns and many other vulnerable boys such as Piggy. "Simon sitting between the twins and Piggy, wiped his mouth and shoved his piece of meat over the rocks to Piggy, who grabbed it." (Golding, pg.74) This quote interprets an example of a time when Simon helped Piggy...
Words: 992 - Pages: 4
...The Flies that Plague Us All " Lord of the Flies" is the book that could strike a nerve of each and every individual whoever reads it. To me, it seems like to start an enthralling and fascinating journey when diving between the lines of this work. Bearing in mind that it was written during the time of WWII , I’m not surprised that this book discusses the essential evil of man. The story begins with a group of fifteen prep-school boys are stranded on a Utopia-like paradise island in the pacific after their plane crashes. With no adult supervision, they immediately try to set up a social system like any modern-world people would. Initially, they elect a chief and call group meetings to discuss important things to do such as building shelters and maintaining a signal fire. Through this system they select an attractive, intelligent boy named Ralph as leader. They also select a wild, power-urging boy named Jack and a mellow, calm, an most importantly peaceful boy named Simon as his assistant-leaders. However, as the boys indulge in the joy of their freedom and find that nothing there could hold them back or their misbehavior, they begin to fall from the floor of civilization and order to the abyss of chaos. Golding portrays this novel with an exploring eye for details and natural images. No one shall ignore the brilliant descriptions Golding made through out the whole book. “A great platform of pink granite thrust up uncompromisingly through forest and terrace and sand and lagoon...
Words: 1013 - Pages: 5
...Lord of the Flies Review “When a plane crashes on a remote island, a small group of schoolboys are the sole survivors. From the prophetic Simon and Virtuous Ralph to the lovable Piggy and brutish Jack, each of the boys attempt to establish control as the reality and - and brutal savagery - of their situation sets in” (Goodreads.com 1). Lord of the Flies, by William Golding is a novel about a group of kids stranded on an island, and having to survive. This goal; like any other, has obstacles. Children, along with even adults are known to be very judgmental, and the result of that is bullying, which happens to a little boy crudely nicknamed Piggy more than anyone else. Waiting until they are rescued, lady luck really doesn't seem to be on their side. This book should be recommended because it connects to a real medical problem - asthma - and has the theme, there is always some kind of darkness in man’s heart, often causing extreme harm to other people....
Words: 596 - Pages: 3
...Every now and then, one finds themselves taking a deeper look inside of their soul, often times resulting in the discovery of an inner being. This inner being is perfectly depicted through the lord of the flies. Contrary to the boys’ beliefs, the lord of the flies, or in the novel the symbol of the "beast", is not "something you could hunt and kill" (164), but rather a spirit that dwells inside of a soul, and slowly seduces one into complete and utter savagery. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding gives the reader a glimpse into a society composed of a group of young British boys, all raised in a civilized and orderly manner, that find themselves stranded on a deserted island. Fighting for survival, many of the boys surrender to the Beast that engulfs them. Others, like Ralph, find themselves in a much more complex and compromising battle- one that takes place inside the mind. In his novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the motifs of the pig dance, the conch, and the masks to convey the theme that man becomes a corrupt and savage being without a strict system of order and civilization. By dancing and singing to celebrate the brutal murdering of a pig, the boys enter into a society, or even a cult, surrounded by sadistic and brutal thoughts. The first time the boys perform this ritual, Golding describes their actions as “relieved and excited…making pig-dying noises and shouting” (81). Clearly, the boys feel a rush of exhilaration and excitement when they...
Words: 1254 - Pages: 6
