Lord Of The Flies Microcosm Analysis

Whether people will deny it or not, it is certainly apparent that human nature is all too evil; for there is a demon that lurks in everyone, just waiting to come out. Humans can build civilizations and attempt to deviate themselves from such basic instincts, yet nevertheless, evil is not something that they can run from; it is not something that they can defeat. William Golding knew this, and so in his book, Lord of the Flies, he presents so by portraying a microcosm of a society in the form of little British schoolboys. Their plane, in an attempt to escape from the raging war, came to its own demise as it was shot down, leaving the boys stranded on an island they know nothing of. Ralph, later on the leader of the boys, and with the help of

With the evolution of the hunt and its successive reenactments, all the boys portrayed some aptitude for violence. During a hunt, the boys did not just kill the sow for its meat, but also, they killed it for the fun of it. Jack would “stab downward with his knife,” as Roger “moved the spear forward inch by inch and the [Pig’s] terrified squealing became a high-pitched scream,” all until “Jack found the throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands.” The hunters laugh at the sight of Robert’s spear and shouts “Right up her ass!” (135). The killing of this sow is horrific and truly demonstrates the boys’ faculty for cruelty. What one must take from this is that they do not just simply kill the pig, rather, they do everything they can to deal as much pain as can possibly be done. Even more so, they enjoyed the act and were very proud of it. Following hunts, the boys usually throw a feast, and at a particular one, later on in the story, shows just how violent any of the boys can get:

For even Piggy and Ralph, under the threat of the sky, found themselves eager to take a place in this demented but partly secure society. They, with all the other boys, surged after [Simon], poured down the rock, leapt on, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws.