The central concern of Lord of the Flies is the conflict between two competing impulses that exist within all human beings: the instinct to live by rules, act peacefully, follow moral commands, and value the good of the group against the instinct to gratify one’s immediate desires, act violently to obtain supremacy over others, and enforce one’s will. This conflict might be expressed in a number of ways: civilization vs. savagery, order vs. chaos, reason vs. impulse, law vs. anarchy, or the broader heading of good vs. evil. Throughout the novel, Golding associates the instinct of civilization with good and the instinct of savagery with evil. The conflict between the two instincts is the driving force of the novel, explored through the dissolution of the young English boys’ civilized, moral, disciplined behavior as they accustom themselves to a wild, brutal, barbaric life in the jungle.
Man’s Inherent Evil
The fact that the main characters in Lord of the Flies are young boys suggests the potential for evil is inherent even in small children. Jack, for example, is initially keen for rules and civility, but becomes obsessed with hunting, frightened and empowered by the promise of violence. Jack’s desire to control and subjugate proves more powerful than his desire for empathy, intellect, and civilization, and Jack becomes a brutal and leader. Even Ralph and Piggy, who both strive to maintain their sense of humanity, ultimately join in on the mass murder of Simon, momentarily surrendering to the thrill of violence and mass hysteria. While Piggy tries to ignore their participation, Ralph is devastated when he realizes that he is no better than Jack or Roger, and that he has a darkness inside as well.
But the character of Simon suggests humans can resist their inherently violent tendencies. The only boy who never participates in the island’s savagery, Simon has the purest moral code and is able to remain an individual throughout Lord of the Flies. While the others consider him weak and strange, Simon stands up for Piggy and the littluns, helps Ralph build the shelters, and provides thoughtful and insightful assessment of their predicament. Simon recognizes that the beast is not a physical beast, but perhaps the darkness and innate brutality within the boys themselves. After a terrifying conversation with the Lord of the Flies, Simon recognizes the paratrooper as a symbol of fear and the boys as agents of evil, and runs to tell the others. But Simon is never able to properly explain this to the other boys before they beat him to death in a frenzy of excitement and fear.
Dangers of Mob Mentality
Lord of the Flies explores the dangers of mob mentality in terrifying scenes of violence and torture. Early on, the boys sing “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood,” after a successful hunt, elevating their shared act of violence into a celebratory chant. By coming together as a mob, the boys transform the upsetting experience of killing an animal into a bonding ritual. Acting as one group, the boys are able to commit worse and worse crimes, deluding one another into believing in the potential danger posed by the beast justifies their violence. Similarly, the boys use warpaint to hide their identities as individuals, and avoid personal responsibility. Ralph, Piggy and Samneric both fear and envy the hunters’ “liberation into savagery.” Their desire to be part of the group leads to voluntary participation in the ritualistic dance and brutal killing of Simon. The mob’s shared irrational fear and proclivity toward violence results in a devastating act of ultimate cruelty.
War and the Future of Mankind
Set during a global war, Lord of the Flies offers a view of what society might look like trying to rebuild after a largescale manmade catastrophe. In their attempt to rebuild society, the boys cannot agree on a new order and eventually fall into savagery. Ralph comes to realize that social order, fairness and thoughtfulness have little value in a world where basic survival a struggle, such as after a devastating war. The paratrooper who lands on the island reminds the reader that while the boys are struggling to survive peacefully on the island, the world at large is still at war. Even in their isolation and youth, the boys are unable to avoid violence. In their descent into torture and murder, they mirror the warring world around them.
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