Natural Instinct In Lord Of The Flies

In Lord of The Flies, William Golding states “Piggy’s arms and legs twitch a bit, like a pig's after it’s been killed” (Golding 181). This is after savagery and natural instinct takes over on the island, killing piggy and destroying the conch. A group of proper English boys’ plane crash on an island, and it kills every adult. Ralph, Jack, and Piggy work to create order and rules on the island. The orders and rules are essential to save the boys from each other, and are they create them with the help of Piggy’s rational thinking. Piggy helps Ralph to think with a rational mind throughout the novel, while jack shows natural instinct. In Lord of The Flies Golding shows that the boys do not only need natural instinct, but also rational mind; through …show more content…
Throughout the novel Piggy and Jack constantly clash and do not get along. While Jack changes through the novel, he only wants to hunt and loses obedience to the rules of the conch. Piggy however, stays consistent. “He could go step by step in that fat head of his, only Piggy was no chief. But Piggy, for all his ludicrous body, had brains” (Golding 78). Piggy shows the boys need a rational mind to live because when the boys start to turn savage, he uses the conch. The rational mind of the island keeps bringing back the community through Piggy and the conch. Piggy not changing is vital because Jack and his choir boys start to turn savage and the only prevention is Piggy’s symbolism. Jack’s lack of understanding shows many times throughout the novel as he disregards the rules for the conch. Although Jack and the choir boys stray from the community, Piggy still gets the little ones to listen to him, keeping the community together and protecting the boys from each other the best he can. Piggy is obsessed with the idea that you must not speak unless you hold the conch, and this shows his rational mind creates these rules and order for the boys. David Spitz, literary critic proves my point further by concluding “It is Piggy who understands it's (the conch) significance as a symbol of legitimacy, an instrument of reason and order” (26). The …show more content…
Towards the end of the novel, Jack rebels and steals Piggy’s glasses for fire. Piggy goes to find where Jack settles, then a fight breaks out and the community falls apart. “Piggy held up the conch and the booing sagged a little, then came to a strength. ‘I got the conch!’ He shouted. ‘I tell you I got the conch”’ (Golding 179-180). This shows that they need a rational mind to save people from others because once Jack separates himself and the choir boys from Ralph and Piggy, the symbol of community no longer means anything. Shown when piggy tries to use the conch and no one listens, it is him who Piggy’s rational mind trying to bring the community back together. Because Jack and the other boys kill Piggy, they do not have both elements. As the conch bursts into a million little pieces, this shows there is no hope or way the boys will be able to recreate their community. The destruction is caused by them not listening to Piggy’s rational mind. Piggy’s death reveals there is no more rational mind left on the island, and as Spitz says, the ultimate madness sets in, It is evident it sets in when they try to kill Ralph and abandon rational mind.Spitz, literary critic proves the point further by stating “but Piggy too is killed and with his death all sense, all reason is gone; the ultimate madness sets in” (26). The boys are no longer safe from each other