William Golding's The Lord of The Flies

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In William Golding's Lord of The Flies, the boys try to maintain civility, but nature pulls them into savagery. Nature always seems to pull man in, even when man tries to fight it; the boys give in by hunting, fighting, and doing whatever they please. All of this is because there is no authority in nature. The boys try to maintain civilization on the island, but nature is gradually luring them in and revealing their true human instincts. The Lord of the Flies is based around these boys and their want to get off the island. Ralph and Piggy were the most focused on a rescue and had most concern over their group. At the beginning of the book, Ralph is very calm because of the reassuring thought of rescue from his father. “I could swim when I was five. Daddy taught me. He’s a commander in the navy. When he gets leave he’ll come and rescue us.” (Golding, 13). This quote clearly shows Ralph’s relaxed attitude toward their situation and how he has faith in his dad for their rescue. Later in the book, Ralph is a little more skeptical of a rescue due to the loyalty of his group. A quote from chapter 4 shows Ralph’s anger and disappointment toward his party “You let the fire go out” (Golding, 70), followed by yelling “There was a ship” (Golding, 70). Another supporting quote that shows Ralph’s aggravation and desire to be home is from chapter 5. “The fire is the most important thing on the island. How can we ever be rescued except by luck, if we don’t keep a fire going? Is a fire too much for us to make?” (Golding, 80). No matter what the boys do throughout their troubles, the aspiration of returning to home and safety keeps growing. Throughout the book, Jack and his hunters are the biggest example of how man will always lose the battle ... ... middle of paper ... ...und, they mistake him as the beast and kill him. Sadly, Simon only escaped the island by death, but unlike the other boys, he retained his civility and innocence. Simon’s death symbolized the loss of morality and virtue within the group, and without his level headedness, Jack’s group eventually lost all sense of sanity and, never knowing the truth, any chance of returning to the children they were before the crash. Man will never truly be able to conquer nature because nature will inevitably take over man. Ralph and Piggy want to leave and not deal with nature. With nothing to control the boys' behavior Jack and his hunter's want to fight and kill. Simon and the littluns enjoy nature. Eventually, civilization will be no more and there will be nothing but savages left on the island. Works Cited Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin.Group, 2006

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