Civilization Versus Savagery in Golding's Lord of the Flies

"Man has demonstrated that he is master of everything - except his own nature." This quote from Henry Miller demonstrates that even the best of people can be tempted and twisted by their own nature. Like the symbolic pig’s head stuck in the calm forests clearing, all beauty and innocence can be mutated when order is overthrown by impulse actions. In William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, a central theme exists demonstrating the deterioration of civilization, and the overpowering of savagery, leading to the abandonment of moral thoughts and actions within a person. The beauty of the island is burned away slowly as the fiery demon of savagery attempts to overwhelm the boys. The beauty of the island symbolizes the charm of law and morals that preserve order, while the pig’s head represents the immoral and evil, and the product of actions not considered. Golding tries to convey that both savagery and civilization exists in a person, and when savagery emerges, it conquers the civilization and brings out a person’s inner impulses and animalistic qualities, rather than logic and morals.

Civilization guides order and keeps people in check with their actions, while conscience is the sense of law existing internally, making a person aware without reinforcement of wrongdoing. The idea of civilization solely exists in the novel through Ralph and Piggy, who take in the most consideration for their actions. Both civilization and conscience are equally important in keeping and maintaining order, which is why the pair of Ralph and Piggy work well together, as they stay mostly uncorrupted by the evil trait, savagery. The wholeness of Ralph’s ideas, in keeping the island like a functioning town, proves that his civil thoughts...

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... moral direction and rightful reason for leadership. When the civilization is still intact in the beginning of the book Jack and Ralph go hunting. A harsher side of Ralph is shown, that he can be savage, but he, unlike Jack, realizes his corrupt thoughts and sees the error of his ways. This shows hope for the future, that if some people in mankind can stand behind people with good values, then civilization can progress to balance with savagery, instead of being overtaken by it.

Throughout the novel, Golding conveys his idea’s about human nature by manipulating the plot in the book, making certain characters represent levels of "good" or "evil" that influence society. His main theme controlling the story, is that, despite civilizations efforts savagery overcomes it, just as good people in society are overshadowed by the outspoken, corrupt ones.