Human Manipulation In Lord Of The Flies

A human is a computer waiting to be programmed. This concept is signified by the characters Jack and Ralph, in William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies. It takes place during World War II after a plane crashes, stranding a group of British schoolboys on an isolated island. As time progresses, Jack and Ralph fall further and further in an animalistic state, suggesting that humans are conditioned by their environment to behave in ways appropriate relative to their surroundings. In the novel, Jack Merridew, who is first described as a tyrannic, unforgiving leader, is the first to fall into a state of animalistic savagery. After fulfilling his quest to kill a pig, Jack’s mind is “crowded with memories, memories that had come to him when they

Remembering his encounter with the pig, Jack feels as if it was one of the happiest moments of his life. The fact that Jack is relating murder to a thirst quenching drink is concerning because it means that he had had a throbbing desire to kill, and that he is no longer tied to civility. During Jack’s first encounter to kill a pig, he is unsuccessful because he pauses for just a moment, still feeling connected to the rules of civilization. After Jack’s first successful kill, his innocence is completely gone, suggesting that humans adapt in ways deemed appropriate to their specific environment. One’s environment can get them to do things they would never expect, such as when Jack, “with full intention, hurl[s] his spear at Ralph” (181). Jack purposefully threw his spear at someone, who earlier in the novel, had tried to help him, had tried to help the group as a whole get rescued. At first, Jack kills pigs, but it soon progresses to the point where he feels inclined to go as far as trying to kill his once companion. As Jack gains more power and falls further into savagery, he starts to commit more savage acts. This implies that the environment can cause people to adjust, allowing their once