What Is The Role Of Civilization In Lord Of The Flies

Superior Essays
Feminist and pioneer social worker Jane Addams once said, “Civilization is a method of living, an attitude of equal respect for all men.” Equal respect is one of the main ideas of civilization, while the idea for savagery would be the hunters and the hunted, which can lead to death. This idea is presented superbly in Lord of the Flies. William Golding’s view on civilization within this book is positive, because civilization kept the boys alive, and without it, chaos surrounds the boys. In the beginning, the children try to keep their lives organized on the island, and remain civil. When gathering for the first meeting, Jack organizes his choir “in two parallel lines, and dressed in strangely eccentric clothing” (Golding 19). Though they are …show more content…
After returning from an unsuccessful hunt, Jack believed that the boars could see him. To avoid being seen, “Jack planned his new face . . . He looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger . . . He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling” (63-64). Jack was thinking rationally at first, deciding to disguise himself to look more savage. However, when Jack saw his reflection, he began to act savagely, even snarling like a predator, favoring the nature of savagery. Soon after, Jack and his hunters explored the island for another pig, and returned successfully. The hunters described their experience to the other boys. They were excited, and even portrayed the event, dancing and yelling. “As they danced, they sang. ‘Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in’” (75). Murder is not comfortably accepted in civilized culture, though it is a common part of savage life, especially bashing prey and enemies. Soon after the hunters this event, another meeting with the boys was held, and the topic was the beast the younger children feared. Disobeying the conch rules and interrupting Piggy, Jack spoke harshly toward Ralph. When Ralph confronted Jack about his rule-breaking, Jack exclaimed, “‘Bollocks to the rules! We’re strong- we hunt! If there’s a beast, we’ll hunt it down! We’ll close in and beat and beat and beat-’” (91). Jack’s logic of rules completely …show more content…
At a feast held by Jack and his tribe, Simon, who tried to explain what the beast actually was, had become mistaken for the beast. “At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt on to the best, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws.” (153). Rather than observing the event and communicating with each other, the children’s brutal side surfaced, and advanced onto Simon to slaughter him. The use of teeth and claws emphasize the savage idea of this scene. Afterwards, Roger and Robert conversed about Jack’s role as chief. Robert tell’s Roger, “‘He’s going to beat Wilfred’”. When Roger asks why, Robert replies, “‘I don’t know. He didn’t say. He got angry and made us tie Wilfred up’” (159). The idea of equal treatment among the boys was weakened with Jack’s consequences upon his tribe. Jack presented no evidence why Wilfried was to be tied, he just forced the boys to do so. Ralph went to Castle Rock, where Jack’s tribe took Samneric, the only boys who remained peaceful with Ralph. Upon questioning the boys, they told Ralph, “‘They’re going to hunt you tomorrow’” (188). Instead of ignoring Ralph’s presence on the island, which was not likely to bother the other boys, Jack decided to execute Ralph since Jack does not agree with Ralph’s idea of organization and rational

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Jack’s display of power towards the boys proves his status as an effective leader. Jack shows confidence in his ability to thrive in the island, separating from the group of boys. Jack proclaims to the boys, “I’m not going to be a part of Ralph’s lot-” (Golding 140). Jack has the strength and the willpower to part from Ralph’s group and form his own tribe. Eventually, Jack has a solid group of boys that are willing to serve him, showing that he has earned the boys’ respect.…

    • 786 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jack Merridew Conflict

    • 403 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In his book Lord of the Flies, William Golding introduces a conflict between Jack and Ralph when Jack prioritizes hunting above all else and Ralph focuses on everyone's survival needs. William Golding is clearly trying to establish the theme that a difference in priorities within a single group often creates an imbalance affecting all of one’s surroundings. Throughout the first few chapters, Jack Merridew is portrayed as a self-centered and fierce character, especially when the subject of hunting pigs comes into play. This creates a conflict with Ralph, the appointed leader whose focus is rescue and shelter.…

    • 403 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The literary novel Lord of the Flies is an allegorical text that is complex and identifies common day issues through the eyes of its author William Golding, who had experienced the horrors of WWII. Golding created a story where a large group of British boys crash land on an island and are stranded. In the beginning, the boys try to stay civilized by selecting a leader and following that leader and a direct set of rules. Ralph one of two-man characters was chosen as leader. His rival Jack resented him for this and throughout the novel, the two groups diverged and Jacks group especially began to lose a civilized state of mind and moved towards savagery.…

    • 1278 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Civilizations contain many aspects that govern the fate of them. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding, using allegory, establishes a microcosm with several aspects that correlate to those of civilization. On a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean, several British schoolboys crash-land. Through the use of the stranded, unchaperoned boys, he shows how the presences of these aspects affect civilization. He brilliantly uses simple objects such as the conch, the glasses, and the fire to illustrate these features of civilization.…

    • 1022 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jack takes this opportunity to present a solution to the boys problems. He convinces to boys to “join [his] tribe… [he] gave [them] food and [his] hunters will protect [them] from the beast. ”(166) He manipulates the boys with fear and uncertainty.…

    • 1065 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In addition, Ralph physically fought with Jack to resolve the issue of leadership within the island. In the beginning of the book, Ralph would not be physical in conflict, he would try to compromise and discuss it. This change illustrates how much Ralph has been effected by the savagery engulfing…

    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    “Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts... perhaps the fear of a loss of power” (Goodreads). John Steinbeck’s quote asserts that people do not get corrupted because of power, they get corrupted because of the fear of the power. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Jack does not use his dominance to control the other boys; he instills authority into the boys making them fear him. By doing so, Jack controls the actions of the boys and changes their morals.…

    • 1225 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lord of the flies essay Savagery vs Civilisation In the novel, Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, there is a large proportion of savagery versus civilisation. He uses symbols and characters to look at the decline of civilisation the longer the boys are on the island. Golding suggests that all people are capable of evil. The novel uses experiences from the outside world to represent the circumstances of the boys stranded on the island.…

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On their way back to the lagoon, a few of the boys who went off to explore the island find a small pig tangled in the creepers. Jack raises his knife and is about to kill the pig, but stops. He is horrified, and is “white under [his] freckles” (23). However, after the pig escapes, Jack decides that “next time there [will] be no mercy” (23), and vows that given the next opportunity, he will kill the pig. Jack’s actions in this situation show how isolation from civilized society and authority have begun to alter his attitudes and behaviours.…

    • 1239 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The excitement was at times satisfying enough, but not in all cases. When the boys lose the boar they begin to dance and chant. “ Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig!…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Without society, our world would turn into savages, Golding shows this through irony and symbolism because of what he witnessed in World War II. In the novel Lord of the Flies, Golding makes the book the very ironic starting at the very beginning when he makes the boys English.…

    • 1797 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Unlike the other boys, Simon depicts that the beast is within everyone, when he thinks, “Simon thought of the beast, there rose before his inward sight the picture of a human at once heroic and sick. ”(103). Simon, who is a God-like figure in the novel, is not convinced by the idea of a beast, but thinks that the savagery created by the boys is what they should fear. Although the boys have a child-like fear, they use it to their advantage and manipulate others. As Jack rises to leadership, he uses the beast to instill fear in his tribe and show his authority.…

    • 1212 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Due to getting power without earning it from Ralph, Jack becomes greedy. During the course of the book, Jack wants all the boys to leave Ralph’s tribe and get them on his side. During an assembly…

    • 1257 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    LOTF Essay Could modern day society function without clear rules, laws, and enforcement of those rules? In Lord Of The Flies, William Golding uses symbolism and characters to show that humans need rules and enforcement of those rules in order to function effectively. Without them, humans naturally become savages, which leads to an unsustainable and dangerous society. The diminishing power of the rules, and the results of this is shown through the fire, the power and respect towards the conch, and Jacks changing attitude.…

    • 1139 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Sprouting Seed “What are we? Humans? Or animals? Or savages?” (Golding 91).…

    • 1546 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays