Societies and the people that constitute them vary widely across the globe and throughout history. But how do these societies impact the people that are a part of it, and vice versa? Authors George Orwell and William Golding each addressed this question in their respective books, 1984 and Lord of the Flies. In 1984, a man named Winston struggles with an oppressive, totalitarian government called the Party, which represents itself through a symbolic figurehead known as Big Brother. The Party wants complete control over every aspect of their citizens’ lives, and to achieve this, it surveils them constantly. Meanwhile, in Lord of the Flies, the situation is very different- several young boys have crashed onto a uninhabited island and have to find a way to survive. In the absence of any structure, the boys wreak havoc on the island, despite their efforts to create a working system of authority. George Orwell’s 1984 and William Golding’s Lord of the Flies provide differing views on the relationship between individuals and society, understood through characterization of Winston and Jack, and the social hierarchies present in each text. Orwell and Golding’s opposing views on the relation between society and the individual are apparent in their uses of characterization concerning Winston and Jack, respectively. In Golding’s Lord of the Flies, after Jack neglects building shelters in favor of hunting, Ralph is unhappy. When asked why he shirked his duties, his answer concerns Ralph-