What Is The Theme Of Savagery In Lord Of The Flies

Roger killing Piggy with all intent is a show of evil. When Piggy and Ralph try to make Jack give back Piggy's specs, Roger silences Piggy: “High overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all of his weight on the lever” (Golding 200). This brutal killing of killing Piggy proves Roger's evil. Roger's intention to behead Ralph also shows evil. When Ralph asks what is going to happen to him, Samneric reply,“Roger sharpened a stick at both ends” (Golding 210).

After Jack’s failed attempt at leadership shortly after the arrival on the island, he becomes more and more obsessed with the desire of hunting and killing of pigs. However in instances where the pig is represented by Robert he still chants “Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!” and repeatedly jabs Robert (Golding 125).

By "pour[ing] this pestilence into his ear", Iago contaminates his thoughts. Once Othello starts to doubt Desdemona's fidelity, he is so incredibly driven by jealousy that it leads him to murder her, ironically with poison. Many references are made to animals in the play. Iago uses beast imagery to express his contempt and to downgrade those he despises. Early in Act 1, he rouses Brabantio's anger by using crude images of animals fornicating to inform him that his "daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs."

Jack and his hunting boys went off to try and kill a pig, and successfully did so. As Roger violently killed the pig, the blood poured all over Jack’s hands. Jack then “giggled and flicked them while the boys laughed at his reeking palms” (Golding 195). Jack enjoyed playing in the blood of the pig that he and the boys slayed. This shows how quickly Jack changed from a young, polite boy to a violent and sadistic savage.

The boys encourage Jack’s predatory behaviors, which leads him further form his previous, civilized character. When Jack catches a pig and is preparing himself to kill it, the other boys chant, “Kill the pig. Cut his throat. Spill his blood.” (Page 69) encouraging to Jack to pursue his act of violence. Not only do the boys push Jack to act violently, they act out the killing of the pig after he has slayed one.

Another instance he shows this is when he says “Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!” (Golding 114). Jack showed no remorse to Robert and really treated him as if he were the vermin he wanted to kill so viciously.

When the “hunters” kill their first pig is when we start to see signs of a more primal society, or lack thereof. They repeat the chant, “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood.” Piggy obviously if fed up with Jack and his hunters, asking, “What are we? Humans?

Here, Ralph is portrayed almost as a wild animal that the savages are observing and just waiting when to pounce on him. In addition to this, after the conch was smashed, Jack “viciously” hurled his spear at Ralph “with full intention” (181). This implies that Jack is hunting Ralph, like he is the new pig. Ralph is his next prey, now that Piggy, his last prey, is dead. Lastly, through all of his frustration, Ralph accused Jack of being a “beast and a swine,” suggesting that through trying to stop and kill the beast, he has let out his inner darkness and become the beast, yet developed the qualities of a pig at the same time (179).

Golding describes the killing almost as a rape. He says, "Jack was on top of the sow, stabbing downward wherever pig flesh appeared ... Jack found the throat, and the hot blood spouted over his hands. The sow collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her" (Golding page #). In this case it is certain that the boys display animal savagery. Because they have been away from organized society for such a long time, the boys of the island have become Golding's view of mankind, vile, destructive beasts.

They get absorbed into the frenzy-like actions and forget that this human is actually a human. It becomes easier for the boys to hurt one another as they kill more and more pigs. In the ritual dances and reenactments of the murders foreshadows the death of Piggy and Simon.