Samneric Individualism

Is it right for a person to leave behind what they believe in order to join a safer group? In William Golding’s classic novel Lord of the Flies the characters Sam and Eric are very civil characters that make the decision to “go with the flow” from the moment the plane crashed to the moment the boys were rescued. Throughout the book, these twins struggle to decide which of the two leaders to follow. In the end it seems that Samneric leave Ralph’s civil tribe to join Jacks savage tribe. However, Samneric never change their beliefs. Golding uses characterization to suggest to the reader that it is acceptable to leave your morals and beliefs behind in order to join a safer group or fit in. To begin, Samneric are extremely frightened when they first catch sight of the beast at the top of the mountain while they are attempting to keep the signal fire going. Later, Sam says, “the beast followed us” (100) while describing what happened on the mountain. It is easy to tell that this was a very traumatic experience for Samneric and that they are now terribly afraid of the beast. Soon after Samneric tell their story, Jack says, “This is a hunter’s job” (102). Jack proves the point that he is willing to hunt this beast that Samneric have just come in counter with. However, Ralph also …show more content…
However, the leaders do not cause the power shift but instead it is the characters and resources. By looking deeper into this book, the reader can see beyond the story of a couple of British boys on an island, but see a story of decisions that can make or break a character’s life. This story could represent an option for members of societies. Similar to Samneric, Golding asks the reader to face the choice of either staying with their morals even if it isn’t the safest choice, or placing safety as more important than morals. What would the world be like today if everyone stayed strong to what they believe