Identity In Lord Of The Flies Essay

Many scholars and philosophers in the past have argued that the ability of humans to create a society is what makes us human. In every society created, there are certain standards set that everyone must follow. To thrive in that society a person must conform, and follow the rules. But what if through the act of conforming, a person loses what truly makes them human? Lord of the Flies is a classic tale written by William Golding that explores the many nuances of society by using little boys. These boys are stranded on an island and are trying to escape. Throughout the story, Golding utilizes many symbols to illustrate and develop many themes. A theme that can be seen throughout the novel is; as society and culture develop many people conform

No symbol best demonstrates this theme throughout the novel than the face paint that some of the boys wear. The war paint causes a loss of identity by covering features and emotions that make people unique. Near the end of the book, the group of boys split into two groups. The savage boys are led by Jack and the more civilized boys are led by Ralph. The savage boys led by Jack need fire and plan to take it from Ralph. In order to steal the fire, they need to sneak up on Ralph. To accomplish this, Jack decides that they will "l put on paint and sneak up" (Golding 196). Why would the boys paint their faces in order to steal something? Well, the face paint would cover prominent features in their faces, almost providing a sense of anonymity. This is helpful for stealing as Ralph will not be able to tell who is stealing from him. However, by painting their faces, the boys are getting rid of their individuality. This demonstrates conformity as one boy (Jack) told them to paint their faces. All of the other boys listened conformed and in the process lost part of their individuality. Another example of how face paint can cause a loss of identity during the raid.

Near the end of the book, Jack and his tribe abduct Ralph and take him back to their camp. Ralph is in the middle of a meeting of Jack's tribe when the narrator states, "a savage raised his hand and the chief turned a bleak, painted face toward him"(Golding 230). At this moment there is a major shift in the word choice in the book. Instead of the narrator calling the boy who raised his hand by a name, he refers to him as "a savage". This lays out clearly to the reader that the boys in Jack's tribe, the ones who paint their faces, are no longer individuals, just savages. They have been collectivized and reduced to being called savages. Instead of being the individuals that they are, the boys are simply grouped and called savage. This stands in contrast to previously when the boys were often called by their names. By confirming the boys have lost any sense of identity; now simply being referred to as the collective: