William Golding Lord Of The Flies Sociological Analysis

William Golding’s portrayal of an isolated group of young British school boys’ descent into savagery in the novel, Lord of the Flies, reflects the author’s belief that, “the shape of society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system” (Berger, 1977). Golding suggests that social systems alone are not sufficient to regulate human behaviour. An effective examination of Golding’s philosophy involves an analysis of current social and cultural institutions in Australian society; their effect on groups and individuals; the influence of human behaviour; issues such as inequality and discrimination; and a comparison of this with the sociological concepts in Lord of the Flies.
The interactions and behaviour …show more content…
Australia has a democratic system of government whereby all eligible citizens are able to play a part in determining how society is run by voting for representatives and having a say in the development and formation of laws. In basic terms, as spoken by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, democracy is, “government of the people, by the people, for the people” (Wikipedia, 2014). Democracy operates on the common beliefs of legal equality, personal freedom and human rights. Under the Australian legal system all people, Australians and non-Australians alike, are treated equally. There are federal and state laws in place which protect people against discrimination based on: race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction, social origin, age, medical record, criminal record, marital status, impairment, disability, nationality, sexual preference, and trade union activity (Australian Human Rights Commission Act, 1986). To guarantee justice and equality for all, the Australian government provides legal assistance for people who cannot afford to cover the costs of a court appearance or legal