Japanese Internment Camps In Lord Of The Flies

Force of the Strong, Abuse of the Weak

“The Japanese roasted their captives over fires, poured kerosene over them and set them on fire, burned them with chemicals, tortured them or cut them to pieces”(“Japan Captures Nanjing”). Like this brutality and the use of fear and coercion on prisoners in WWII be seen reflected in William Golding 's novel, “The Lord of the Flies”. This fear and brutality can be recognized in many WWII events including the Nazi Concentration Camps, The Rape of Nanking, the American Japanese Internment Camps and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In these first three events brutal torture, rape and removal of prisoner’s personal possessions all occurred. These prisoner were of the enemy race. The Nazis imprisoned Jews while

Many similarities including the plan, attack and end result exist between the bombing of Pearl Harbor and Jack’s group compulsively trying to kill Ralph. Throughout the book Jack never thinks much before acting, but setting the island on fire was by far the least thought out. During their plan to kill Ralph, “[t]hey had smoked [Ralph] out and set the island on fire”(Golding 197). This plan like the bombing on Pearl Harbor was a desperate forceful attempt to defeat the enemy once and for all. Like the attack on Pearl Harbor setting the island on fire was risky. By “set[ting] the island on fire” Jack destroyed all the firewood, shelter, plants and animals. Jack was desperate enough to destroy everything just so he could kill Ralph. Jack and Ralph are in competition for the role of leader. Killing Ralph would give him complete dominance which he craves. Just like Japan wanted dominance over the United States. Both of these attacks were organized into lines that swept the island. As Ralph is pondering an escape route he realizes, “[t]he cordon would turn and sweep again”, so Ralph decided to, “break the line”(Golding 196). The fact that both attacks happened on an island meant no way to escape. The people were stuck there with the only option being to fight back. The formation of attackers was also very similar. That formation being a “line” that went across the island. Although both Jack and the Japanese tried to destroy their enemies in the end neither

Fear, brutality and coercion play a significant role in both William Golding’s novel and social commentary on WWII, “The Lord of the Flies” including treat which parallels with the treatment to boys on the island from Jack, and the bombing of Pearl Harbor relating to Jack trying to kill Ralph. Torture and stealing possessions are shown in both the novel and in events in WWII including the Nazi Concentration Camps, The Rape of Nanking and the Japanese Internment Camps. Fear in these situations is mainly from the brutal side because of ideas that the prisoners may go against them. The attack on Pearl Harbor is similar to Jack’s attack on Ralph in many ways. The risk and desperation of the “bad guys” can be seen in both as can similarities between the actual attack. Both the Japanese fleet of airships and Jack’s cordon swept the island in a line. The last similarity being the end result. Neither Jack nor the Japanese could pull off a victory against their enemy. The well known concentration camps and bombing of Pearl Harbor as well as the less well know Rape of Nanking need to be seriously considered because the disgusting crimes on humanity must never occur again. The brutality was too much and too potent. The rape of women, torture and complete removement of all possessions of any human is something mankind must avoid for its own benefit. Hopefully William Golding’s novel and the brutal events of WWII will continue to inform and influence people in the name of