There are many themes in Lord of the Flies by William Golding, but there is one that plays a very significant role throughout the novel. The conflict is between the human impulses towards evil and savagery and the rules of order and civilization, which are meant to prevent it. The problem is caused by the collision between Ralph and Jack, who represent the civilization and the savagery. The novel includes many symbols to show the nature of humanity and evil on the island. Symbols are very important in the novel by emphasizing the true order and chaos between the boys, among those symbols is the island, the conch, and the Lord of the Flies.
The island represents good and even in the novel. The good and evil sides of the island are caused and influenced by the boys. They good side stands for new independent lives without parents interfering and taking control of the boys. The island was abundant of fruit and animals for food; also the water was also ubiquitous! However, one part of the island was jungle which shows how dangerous it was. The little boy with the mark, who was the first one dead, was last seen entering it. Another disruption is that the littleuns are afraid of the island because of its beasties lurking around, causing everyone to have nightmares. Ralph says, I mean the way things are. They dream. You can hear em. Have you been awake at night? (P. 52) The island can also be seen as a location of an experiment; the boys have to make a society without adults, so they are dependent of themselves and responsible of the outcome. Its up to them to maintain a civilized society and survive.
The conch is a tool to keep up with order and civilization on the island. It stood for democracy, justice, and even equality which made it very powerful. Jack says, I agree with Ralph. Weve got to have rules and obey them. After all, were not savages. Were English, and the English are the best at everything. So weve got to do the right things. (P. 42) This is said at the beginning at the novel when the boys are being silly and childish about the rule of the conch. Jack decides to put an end to it. Order starts to build up until Jacks thirst for authority explodes and wants to dominate all the children on the island. Soon, rules begin to deteriorate, the shell loses influence, and the power of savagery has awakened.
The Lord of the Flies is the bloody sows head Jack impales on a stick as an offering to the beast; it symbolizes the devil, evil, and savagery within the boys. They are afraid of the beast, but only Simon comes to realize it only exists within them. As the evil and savagery grows, their belief in the beast grows even stronger. Towards the end of the novel, the boys begin to leave it sacrifices and treating it as a god. Ralph says, This head is for the beast. Its a gift. (P. 137) When Simon is speaking to the Lord of the Flies, the beast promises that he will have some fun with him. This foreshadows the next day when the rest of the boys become this beast and kill Simon. Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! (P. 152) The Lord of the Flies becomes a kind of a Satan figure who brings out the evil within everyone. It plays an important role in savagery that leads to death on the island.
Evidently, the society was doomed for disaster. However, not all the boys became savages which created the civilized vs. the savages. I conclude the main theme of this novel is civilization vs. savagery. Ralph led the good pack of boys, and Jack led the bad hunters. This caused a great fatal war on the island. Golding wanted us to see what would happen when these two groups clashed and were at war, as the boys did. He showed how the evil crawled within each boy and took control. Consequently, savagery ruled over the civilization on the island.
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