Lord Of The Flies

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Recommended: Sociological impact lord of the flies

Throughout the novel, William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”, innocent children are trapped on an island and controversy between the savage and civilized arises. Turning savage, evil, and barbarous is effortless because of influences, which makes the social construction ruthless. As savagery within the character increase, the civilized society decreases, especially among the littluns, Roger, and Jack, because of the influences of natural human instincts, the environment, and poor leadership decisions and actions among a group of people.
Firstly, a person’s natural human instincts can turn themselves from a civilized citizen, to a savage and barbarous individual. Natural instincts can come from an individual’s feelings. “Roger led the way straight through the castles, kicking them over, burying the flowers” (62). With no parents on the island, Roger has the freedom to grasp and express his natural side of himself, of being a sadist. His natural instincts are to hurt and cause pain because he enjoys it. When Roger led the way, it is his way of showing the littluns who is in charge. When he knocks down the sandcastles, he is showing savagery because castles represent an ordered society. When roger has the choice to take control of his natural sadist side of him, he ruins civilization. The flowers represent a sense of life and civilization on earth, so when Roger buries the flowers, he is covering up the civilized society and taking away innocence. Natural fight and flight and survival instincts are also an influence to people. Jack and his hunters encounter conflicts about the beast, and without question, their natural instincts from fear drives them to kill it. “We’ll make sure when we go hunting” (53). Without knowing whether or no...

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...ibe covers up their skin which is a symbol of purity because it has not been affected. Black is a colour that represents evil, so when the black charcoal covers the skin, they are covering up the purity with evil because Jack has influenced them to perform these actions. This shows savagery evolving while the civilization decreases. Jack has also influenced them to take part in criminal activities, “Two figures rushed at the fire and he prepared to defend himself but they grabbed half burnt branches and raced away” (145). Jack teaches his tribe how to steal fire instead of asking politely like a civilized person. Fire is a symbol of hope; this means Jack wants the boys on the island to have hope in him to lead them even though he is a savage leader. “Numbering the hunters that had been a choir” (140) symbolizes Jack’s influence on the boys to become savage hunters.

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