Civility: Innate, or Learned?
Over time, the progression of civilization has demonstrated the importance of order and authority. In the absence of such a structure, one can rapidly devolve into anarchy, bordering on savagery. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding, the author, presents the struggle between civilization and savagery. This struggle manifests itself in the novel when Jack faces the apparent dilemma of killing a pig, following through with it, and eventually having the urge to kill a human.
Jack Merridew attends a private school, therefore the readers can infer that he comes from a well to do family, and he is accustomed to having food being served to him at the dinner table. He volunteers for the task of killing a pig to provide …show more content…
This embarrassment increases his urge to want to kill a pig even more, and turns into an obsession. Jack crawls on all fours on the forest floor, with his nostrils flared and a spear in his hand (Golding pg. 48). Jack’s desire to kill an animal ironically turns him into one himself. Next, in the act of killing a pig, there is perhaps a humane way to do it, and avoid the suffering of an animal, however Jack believes that behaving in an inhumane manner displays authority and power. When Jack succeeds in killing a pig, the boys celebrate by chanting, “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood” (Golding pg.72) showing their descent into savagery. Finally in the absence of a civil code, Jack starts behaving and acting in a manner that he feels would enable him to be viewed as a leader, whereas in reality he is behaving like an emotionless savage, “Fear can't hurt you any more than a dream. There aren't any beasts to be afraid of on this island....Serves you right if something did get you, you useless lot of cry-babies"(Golding, pg.75). Jack may think he’s providing advice for his peer, when truly he’s just being ignorant and treating them with no respect, like a savage. Jack is on a quest to become the leader, and he is under the impression that acting this way will better support his …show more content…
He starts contemplating killing one of his own peers, as there are no apparent repercussions for doing so. When Piggy and Ralph come to Jack and his clan seeking an amicable solution to get rescued, Roger, following Jack’s orders, rolls a massive boulder, which eventually kills Piggy “Jack had backed right against the tribe and they were a solid mass of menace that bristled with spears...Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his wait on the lever” (Goulding pg.200). What caused them to follow through with this action was the belief that there would be no consequences. Following the death of Piggy, Jack feels no remorse or sympathy and continues to have a negative attitude and a thrill for power. Using his “authority” he commands his tribe to kill Ralph because he realizes he cannot have complete power over the island while Ralph is still alive. Jack orders his boys to get Ralphs attention by doing cruel actions. They try to get Ralph out of his thicket by rolling boulders, poking sticks, and firing out the hole (Goulding, pg. 208). The savagery on display seems to be getting progressively worse. Finally, Jack's return to civilization is conflicted when the naval officer arrives on the island and asks “‘Who’s boss here?’... A little boy who wore the remains of an extraordinary black cap on his red hair, and who carried the remains of a pair of spectacles at his waist, started
Over time, the progression of civilization has demonstrated the importance of order and authority. In the absence of such a structure, one can rapidly devolve into anarchy, bordering on savagery. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding, the author, presents the struggle between civilization and savagery. This struggle manifests itself in the novel when Jack faces the apparent dilemma of killing a pig, following through with it, and eventually having the urge to kill a human.
Jack Merridew attends a private school, therefore the readers can infer that he comes from a well to do family, and he is accustomed to having food being served to him at the dinner table. He volunteers for the task of killing a pig to provide …show more content…
This embarrassment increases his urge to want to kill a pig even more, and turns into an obsession. Jack crawls on all fours on the forest floor, with his nostrils flared and a spear in his hand (Golding pg. 48). Jack’s desire to kill an animal ironically turns him into one himself. Next, in the act of killing a pig, there is perhaps a humane way to do it, and avoid the suffering of an animal, however Jack believes that behaving in an inhumane manner displays authority and power. When Jack succeeds in killing a pig, the boys celebrate by chanting, “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood” (Golding pg.72) showing their descent into savagery. Finally in the absence of a civil code, Jack starts behaving and acting in a manner that he feels would enable him to be viewed as a leader, whereas in reality he is behaving like an emotionless savage, “Fear can't hurt you any more than a dream. There aren't any beasts to be afraid of on this island....Serves you right if something did get you, you useless lot of cry-babies"(Golding, pg.75). Jack may think he’s providing advice for his peer, when truly he’s just being ignorant and treating them with no respect, like a savage. Jack is on a quest to become the leader, and he is under the impression that acting this way will better support his …show more content…
He starts contemplating killing one of his own peers, as there are no apparent repercussions for doing so. When Piggy and Ralph come to Jack and his clan seeking an amicable solution to get rescued, Roger, following Jack’s orders, rolls a massive boulder, which eventually kills Piggy “Jack had backed right against the tribe and they were a solid mass of menace that bristled with spears...Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his wait on the lever” (Goulding pg.200). What caused them to follow through with this action was the belief that there would be no consequences. Following the death of Piggy, Jack feels no remorse or sympathy and continues to have a negative attitude and a thrill for power. Using his “authority” he commands his tribe to kill Ralph because he realizes he cannot have complete power over the island while Ralph is still alive. Jack orders his boys to get Ralphs attention by doing cruel actions. They try to get Ralph out of his thicket by rolling boulders, poking sticks, and firing out the hole (Goulding, pg. 208). The savagery on display seems to be getting progressively worse. Finally, Jack's return to civilization is conflicted when the naval officer arrives on the island and asks “‘Who’s boss here?’... A little boy who wore the remains of an extraordinary black cap on his red hair, and who carried the remains of a pair of spectacles at his waist, started