Echoes of Old
The point that William Golding endeavors to prove with Lord of the Flies is that the defects of society can be traced back to the defects of human nature. The evil in the world is often present because of one’s inability to combat the selfish motivation to survive. Furthermore, it can be said that a government’s purpose is to confine these instincts into something that can coexist with a functional society. The regression of characters and authority in Lord of the Flies reveals that the purpose of order is to organize humanity's most primitive instincts.
The very first thing to be established in Lord of the Flies is leadership, when Ralph suggested “we ought to have a chief to decide things” (Golding 22). Ralph is not only quick to take charge, but to work towards meeting the basic needs of men: sustenance and shelter. Once he put Jack in charge of food, Ralph creates a problem that grown men could …show more content…
Simon fills this role, his obedience and desire to maintain the peace shining through in all aspects of his personality. It is obvious to the others, but they do not show much respect for the most moral of the group, casually noting “Simon’s always about” (Golding 55). This implies that whenever a hand is needed, Simon is there to help, even if he never gets the recognition he deserves. This is seen later in the book as well, when Simon “shoved his piece of meat over the rocks to Piggy” (Golding 74). In a world where not everyone contributes his share, there is always a need for a person willing to sacrifice more of his or her own quality of life for the good of another. While the pressure of fear and failure decrease the stability of the system that is just barely keeping things in order, nothing could be more detrimental to the balance than losing the person who has the strength to push aside
The point that William Golding endeavors to prove with Lord of the Flies is that the defects of society can be traced back to the defects of human nature. The evil in the world is often present because of one’s inability to combat the selfish motivation to survive. Furthermore, it can be said that a government’s purpose is to confine these instincts into something that can coexist with a functional society. The regression of characters and authority in Lord of the Flies reveals that the purpose of order is to organize humanity's most primitive instincts.
The very first thing to be established in Lord of the Flies is leadership, when Ralph suggested “we ought to have a chief to decide things” (Golding 22). Ralph is not only quick to take charge, but to work towards meeting the basic needs of men: sustenance and shelter. Once he put Jack in charge of food, Ralph creates a problem that grown men could …show more content…
Simon fills this role, his obedience and desire to maintain the peace shining through in all aspects of his personality. It is obvious to the others, but they do not show much respect for the most moral of the group, casually noting “Simon’s always about” (Golding 55). This implies that whenever a hand is needed, Simon is there to help, even if he never gets the recognition he deserves. This is seen later in the book as well, when Simon “shoved his piece of meat over the rocks to Piggy” (Golding 74). In a world where not everyone contributes his share, there is always a need for a person willing to sacrifice more of his or her own quality of life for the good of another. While the pressure of fear and failure decrease the stability of the system that is just barely keeping things in order, nothing could be more detrimental to the balance than losing the person who has the strength to push aside