Deep inside every person lurks a savage and dark side. However, if never pushed to the brink of mental capacity and catastrophe, this darkness might never be seen. In William Golding’s Lord Of the Flies, the reader witnesses young boys brought to an untamed island, and they soon become very untamed themselves. Proof of this is found when the more fearful the boys become of the beast, the more savage they become. Also, they turn off their emotions, allowing them to kill their old friends and acquaintances.
* On the other end of the social system would be savagery, the total breakdown of the social system leaving the majority in serious danger. | When did the boys start to become savage? | - Jack is the first one who becomes savage he goes hysterical over killing a pig. - They boys suddenly painted their faces thinking they would become a true hunter. - The boys split into two tribes , one civilized and the other uncivilized.
You talk. But you can’t even build huts – then you go off hunting and let the fire out”. Had the fire been going the ship might have seen the smoke and rescued the boys. This makes Ralph very angry and a clear division is made between Jack and his hunters and Ralph. Because of the savage nature brought out from within the boys, they make an irrational choice to hunt rather than the reasonable choice of keeping the fire going.
Noah’s god was essentially disgusted with himself for having made these sinful creatures and decided to kill everything. He was going to wipe the slate clean and let Noah start it all over. Over in Gilgamesh land they were having a big party and while Ea thought it was fun to listen in on, Enlil couldn’t sleep at night because his windows were always rattling. Enlil got with the neighborhood watch and they decided that the best way to handle the noise problem was to just kill everyone making noise. Ea felt bad so decided to warn Gilgamesh.
Ralph is unable to make the boys keep the fire alight so, as the fire dies so does their hope for rescue and for a civilized society. Piggy’s specs are the symbol for reason and logic and are stolen by Jack to light a fire. The island itself represents the isolation that nations impose upon themselves in the name of protection and safety. Without external forces, a nation, or a human being, will fall into chaos and confusion. The dead parachutist that landed on the island
Traditions, ideals, and culture are the essential buildings blocks of civilization and society, but they soon collapse as people choose to follow their desire over the old traditions. Ralph unites the boys under the calling of the conch, yet the boys destroys the conch that holds their group together: “The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (Golding 181). The conch represents the last shred of civil order that the boys hold on to, while the tribe, representing savagery, destroys the conch thereby removing the last remaining remnant of civilization. Golding illustrates the literal destructions of old traditions at the hand of the savages. He shows how desires ( in this case of being free from society’s grip) can lead young boys to turn on the ideals and traditions, society installs in them from a young age.
Every person no matter how bland or how empty is a multi faceted human being and therefore focus on a singular topic, leads to the ignorance of all the other aspects in a person life. Take for example the story of Prince Hamlet, Hamlet a man destined for greatness, smart courageous and in a position of power, who decides to throw all his prospects and goals to the wind in exchange for the opportunity to revenge his father, murdered in cold blood. Such a single minded focus begins to quickly harm Hamlet mentally as it should, clouding Hamlets ability to do what is best for himself, and to think clearly, because then Hamlet could have realized the impossibility in murdering someone without being a murderer. A man should live before all for himself, "To thine own self be true And it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." The world of Hamlet becomes a death ridden tragedy because no one lived for themselves, each character had an agenda a singular focus, that narrowed their view and opened them to an untimely death.
Darkness and savagery show the hopelessness and faults of humanity. In this novel the main climax was the transformation of a 'pack of British boys', into murderous savages. This is a very strong message, that highlights the faults of humanity. In the beginning, when the boys first set the island on fire, a theory was indirectly presented. 'Ralph realised that the boys were falling still and silent, feeling the beginning of awe at the power set free below them.
However, by the end of the novel when the conch shell breaks at a confrontation between Jack and Ralp, this exemplifies the complete loss of order and democracy. Simon liked to have time by himself to avoid the bickering between the other boys. Simon found a clearing away from everyone else and eventually stumbled across the beast that everyone in the tribe was so terrified by. Simon ran to tell the tribe that the beast was just a dead parachutist. However, while Simon was trying to explain that the beast was not real he was mistaken for the beast.
But you can feel as if you’re not hunting, but – being hunted, as if somethings behind you all the time in the jungle (53). From the beginning, the boys struggle with the fear of the unknown. When Jack realizes how to use fear to manipulate the others he starts gaining power. The only thing holding him back is Ralph, and the only way he knows how to gain complete power is by killing him. To gain total control his actions lead to the savagery fire in the end of the novel that means to destroy but, ends up being the boy’s key to rescue.