More Than Just A Meal As anyone who has read the Lord of the Flies by William Golding can attest, the book enlightens the reader with a tale that sheds light upon the savage impulses of society and how it is civilization that tries to minimize this impulse. Savagery is defined as being uncivilized or primitive and is closely related to barbarity; civilized is defined as being easy to manage or control which requires one to act polite and refined. Although the rules established by the group of stranded boys can hardly be considered a civilization, many of the critics of this novel tend to side on the fact that Jack and Ralph symbolize the overarching theme of savagery and civilization respectively; however, not many shine light upon the pigs
…show more content…
He can hold it when he’s speaking…And he won’t be interrupted. Except by [Ralph]”and “We’ve got to have special people for looking after the fire” (Golding 33; 42). The civilization, being made entirely of children, started with the citizens possessing complete innocence, which is a common association authors use when discussing children, as evident when the children, Jack Merridew, Ralph and Simon, encounter a wild pig on their exhibition through the island and are unable to bring themselves to killing the pig when they had the pig trapped with a knife held up as they realized the “enormity the downward stroke would be”; however, this all changed when they made their first kill (31). Once they made their first kill, the Choirboys, led by Jack Merridew, started becoming less civilized and more savage as they had lost their innocence through the killing of another innocent life, the pigs. This act supports Golding’s assertion that “man is naturally evil and, therefore, corrupting the society through his dingy nature” (Anjum 125). Due to this belief, Golding wrote Lord of the Flies in order to “illustrate his concept of [the] innate violent nature of man which emerges out in the absence of any civilization” (125). In order to prepare his mental state to make this first kill, Jack had to paint his face, which he stated would only be for camouflage necessary “for hunting. Like in the war…dazzle paint…Like things trying to look like something else…Like moths on a tree trunk;” however, this in turn brought out enough inner savagery for him to make the kill (Golding 63). With the addition to Jack’s new
He can hold it when he’s speaking…And he won’t be interrupted. Except by [Ralph]”and “We’ve got to have special people for looking after the fire” (Golding 33; 42). The civilization, being made entirely of children, started with the citizens possessing complete innocence, which is a common association authors use when discussing children, as evident when the children, Jack Merridew, Ralph and Simon, encounter a wild pig on their exhibition through the island and are unable to bring themselves to killing the pig when they had the pig trapped with a knife held up as they realized the “enormity the downward stroke would be”; however, this all changed when they made their first kill (31). Once they made their first kill, the Choirboys, led by Jack Merridew, started becoming less civilized and more savage as they had lost their innocence through the killing of another innocent life, the pigs. This act supports Golding’s assertion that “man is naturally evil and, therefore, corrupting the society through his dingy nature” (Anjum 125). Due to this belief, Golding wrote Lord of the Flies in order to “illustrate his concept of [the] innate violent nature of man which emerges out in the absence of any civilization” (125). In order to prepare his mental state to make this first kill, Jack had to paint his face, which he stated would only be for camouflage necessary “for hunting. Like in the war…dazzle paint…Like things trying to look like something else…Like moths on a tree trunk;” however, this in turn brought out enough inner savagery for him to make the kill (Golding 63). With the addition to Jack’s new