The Effect of Religion on Rules and Structure in Society The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is based on the idea of structure in society and what affects it. The boys start off following a set of rules Ralph puts into place, represented by a conch shell. As time goes on and some boys lose their sense of humanity faster than others, the rules are forgotten and replaced by a more violent and uncivilized manner of living, represented by a pig head. Ralph is soon the only one who follows the original set of rules and tries to save himself before the hunters, the group following the pig head, kill him. The conch and pig head represent the different religions, or ways of living, and how they react with each other when placed together …show more content…
A difference in religions causes chaos within society due to the different views and beliefs on the idea of rules and structure. The religion based on the pig head allowed the killing of living things for the thrill of hunting and did not have a defined structure or plan to be rescued. The religion based on the conch was more orderly and structured to promote peace and civilization within the society in belief that " 'rules [were] the only thing [they had] '" (Golding 91) to keep them together in order to be rescued. " 'Rules '" we 're the only force strong enough to keep structure in the group. These two automatically conflict with each other in terms of surviving on the island, which increases the chance of violence between the groups and their beliefs. This is similar to today because in a study done between the religions of Christianity and Islam, they had different views on violence (Robinson). Christians believe that peace and love are more powerful than hatred and war, so they tend to not be violent people (Robinson). Christians are still involved in violence, but they do not believe …show more content…
According to the Christian Today contributing editor, "religion is not the main cause of war... Instead, war is caused by clashes between different groups, bad government, high levels of corruption and poor relations with neighbouring countries." However, if this is true, then the boys would not be on the island in the first place. Assuming this story took place during World War II, although World War II was a result of a "bad government," "high level of corruption[,] and poor relations with neighbouring countries" (Gledhill), it was all based on the hatred of the Jewish religion. The reason they were on the plane was because England sent the children to countries such as Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand to keep them safe from the war (Zimmerman), so their plane would have never crashed on the island if Hitler had never had such a strong hatred for the Jews. Religion was the main cause of World War II, which then resulted in violence and chaos. Instead of believing religion is the reason behind the group splitting up, one reason is that the weather affected their moods and caused them to act more aggressively. Science has stated for many years that different types of weather have caused certain moods that lead to violence. According to the article "Weather and Violence" by Marshall Burke, Solomon Hsiang,
Those who are familiar with the bizarre yet forceful impacts and effects religion may impose upon the human spirit are able to truly see the immense and passionate grip a spiritual connection has on the soul. Humans, in mere seconds, are brought to tears of overwhelming ecstasy, enlightenment, tranquility, and sorrow due to such a tenacious connection. They become truly moved and touched by a concept that can at times be considered fictitious and controversial. A spiritual connection yields the ability to expand and become so powerful that, as a result, humans use their unmatched talents to express their own connections in the form of literature. Although one may concede that spiritual elements, such as a strong resemblance when comparing Simon to Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Flies depicting the devil, and Simon's confrontation with the Lord of the Flies, overall weaken and cause confusion, when misinterpreted, for the meaning of William Golding's Lord of the Flies; the biblical parallels and potent spiritual connection reveal depth as well as a timeless message of the lasting need for salvation in a society being slowly corrupted.
As a society everyone is expected to work together and have the same views, however there will always be people to go against their society’s opinions. In the beginning of Lord of the Flies, two characters, Ralph and Piggy, find a conch and use it to signal the others on the island. The conch is what brings the boys together and is the base of their society. However, as the story progresses the children begin to work as individuals rather than as a community. The deterioration of their society occurs when the beast of the island strikes fear amongst everyone which leads to the two main characters, Jack and Ralph, to create a schism in the society.
One of the main themes in William Golding's 1954 novel Lord of the Flies is that without civilization, there is no law and order. The expression of Golding's unorthodox and complex views are embodied in the many varied characters in the novel. One of Golding's unorthodox views is that only one aspect of the modern world keeps people from reverting back to savagery and that is society. Golding shows the extreme situations of what could possibly happen in a society composed of people taken from a structured society then put into a structureless society in the blink of an eye. First there is a need for order until the people on the island realize that there are no rules to dictate their lives and take Daveers into their own hands. Golding is also a master of contrasting characterization. This can be seen in the conflicts between the characters of Jack, the savage; Simon, the savior; and Piggy, the one with all the ideas.
The Lord of the Flies is an ultimately pessimistic novel. In the midst of the cold war and communism scares, this disquieting aura acts as a backdrop to the island. The Lord of the Flies addresses questions like how do dictators come to power, do democracies always work, and what is the natural state and fate of humanity and society, getting at the heart of human nature in a very male-dominated, conflict-driven way. The war, the plane shot down, and the boys' concern that the "Reds" will find them before the British, shows Golding's intention of treating the boys' isolated existence as a microcosm of the adult military world.
Lord of the Flies is a novel written by William Golding in 1954 about a group of young British boys who have been stranded alone together on an island with no adults. During the novel the diverse group of boys struggle to create structure within a society that they constructed by themselves. Golding uses many unique literary devices including characterization, imagery, symbolism and many more. The three main characters, Ralph, Piggy, and Jack are each representative of the three main literary devices, ethos, logos, and pathos. Beyond the characterization the novel stands out because of Golding’s dramatic use of objective symbolism, throughout the novel he uses symbols like the conch, fire, and Piggy’s glasses to represent how power has evolved and to show how civilized or uncivilized the boys are acting. It is almost inarguable that the entire novel is one big allegory in itself, the way that Golding portrays the development of savagery among the boys is a clear representation of how society was changing during the time the novel was published. Golding is writing during
the story of a group of boys stranded on a deserted island to examine a multitude of
In the story, Lord of the Flies, there are many biblical allusions; Simon represents Jesus, the pig’s head represents Satan or rather their satanic sides, Jack represents Judas, and the island represents the Garden of Eden. Through out this novel these allusions play large parts in the story and ideals place in the story.
In literature, as in life, people struggle with the principles and beliefs they hold. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, Ralph represents order, civilization, and leadership. On the island, Ralph is conflicted with his principles and beliefs that he has acquired over the years of living in a civilized and humane world and is caught between holding on to them or submitting to the barbarism that seems to have taken over the other boys.
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is tale of a group of young boys who become stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes. Intertwined in this classic novel are many themes, most that relate to the inherent evil that exists in all human beings and the malicious nature of mankind. In The Lord of the Flies, Golding shows the boys' gradual transformation from being civilized, well-mannered people to savage, ritualistic beasts.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel that represents a microcosm of society in a tale about children stranded on an island. Of the group of young boys there are two who want to lead for the duration of their stay, Jack and Ralph. Through the opposing characters of Jack and Ralph, Golding reveals the gradual process from democracy to dictatorship from Ralph's democratic election to his lack of law enforcement to Jack's strict rule and his violent law enforcement.
The novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding is about a group of boys that were on a plane crash in the 1940’s in a nuclear War. The plane is shot down and lands on a tropical island. Some boys try to function as a whole group but see obstacles as time goes on. The novel is about civilization and social order. There are three older boys, Ralph, Jack, and Piggy, that have an effect on the group of younger boys. The Main character Ralph, changes throughout the novel because of his role of leadership and responsibility, which shapes him into a more strict but caring character as the group becomes more uncivilized and savage
Lord of the Flies, a novel by William Golding, took place on an isolated tropical island. There were many symbolic items within the story, and their meanings changed as the story developed. The fire was the symbol of hope and civilization at the beginning of the novel, but at the end it had become a fire of destruction. Ralph, in the beginning of the book, stood for leadership and almost perfection, however as the story progresses, he was nothing more than a normal human. The beast, upon its first appearance, symbolized fear, but soon, it represented the savagery within them. The different symbolic figures within the book, such as the fire, Ralph, and the beast, shifted in meaning as the story develops.
“All men have need of the gods” (Guillemets). Homer is correct; all men can use a god. We need support, hope, and a way to control the masses. Within the classic novel Lord of the flies by William Golding, there are many religious symbols. Lord of the Flies is best read as a religious allegory because Simon is a Jesus figure, Ralph and Jack are like Cain and Abel, the boys start to create a Pagan like religion and treat the beast like a god.
Throughout the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, many different conflicting societies develop. These groups of young English schoolboys have conflicts between them for many different reasons. Some of them are so spread apart in age that their beliefs and actions are very different. Other groups are conflicting because they have different opinions about who the leader of the entire group should be. The groups also argue about what their priorities should be while trapped on the island. These conflicts continue to grow until the very end, when one group finally gains supremacy.
During World War II, the United States killed 90,000 to 166,000 people in Hiroshima with an atomic bomb. The bombing of Hiroshima demonstrated the uncivilized behaviors of humankind: hunger for power, misuse of technology, and subconscious reactions to conflicts. Lord of the Flies, an allegorical novel by William Golding, illustrates a horrific tale of boys who are stranded on an island and lose their ability to make civil decisions. Throughout the book, Ralph and Jack fight for power, Piggy’s spectacles are constantly taken to create fire, and several of the boys become “savage” and act upon their subconscious minds. From a sociological perspective, Golding’s novel portrays man’s voracity for power, abuse of technology to the point of destruction, and his venture to inner darkness.