Savage vs Civilized

Man needs civilization in order to control his savage side. William Golding elicits this theme in his renowned novel, the Lord of the Flies. At a first glance, the Lord of the Flies may seem to be a simple adventure novel about a group of boys marooned on a deserted island. However, if one gives more thought to the novel, one comprehends that this book is also an attempt to associate the obliteration of civilization to the defects of human nature.

Civilization is social order promoting cultural creation. Four major elements constitute it: economic provision, political organization, moral traditions, and the pursuit of knowledge. In chapter 5 (Beast in the Air) of the Lord of the Flies, Ralph, the protagonist, attempts to make the other boys understand that the main problem they all are facing is the boys’ phobia of the mythical beast. This symbolizes his attempt to recreate civilization for civilization begins where chaos and insecurity ends. This is due to the fact that when fear is overcome, curiosity and constructiveness are free, and man passes by natural impulse towards the understanding and embellishment of life.

Throughout the novel, Golding symbolizes the different aspects of civilization through characters and objects. For example, Ralph represents civilization’s order and need for leadership. Piggy represents man’s ability to reason logically, and both Ralph and Piggy represent mankind’s struggle for order and democracy. Sam and Eric, twins who are joined at the hip, always doing everything together, represent man’s unity and alliance. The conch found at the beginning of the Lord of the Flies by Ralph and Piggy represents rules, democracy, and order: the basis of a civilization.

Savagery or barbarism ...

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...end of the novel in chapter 11 (Castle Rock). Civilization is needed by mankind in order for man to evade transforming into a savage.

Civilization is essential for the human race. It provides an improved quality of life and stops the savage side of man to surface. Savagery causes regress to the development of mankind. It also causes negative feelings such as animosity, covetousness, and insatiability to surface, which create disharmony in communities and are disastrous to humanity. The rules and order that civilization provides prevents this from happening and promotes harmony within communities. Most importantly, savages are unable to govern over them themselves, proving that rules and order, civilization, is needed for man to avoid becoming a savage. Civilization is the basis for the development of mankind. The future of mankind is civilization.