Lord Of The Flies Anthropology Analysis

Ever get that feeling of zeal towards others? In Lord of the Flies, William Golding illustrates anthropological ideals and man’s experience living with others and the feeling of jealousy. Thomas Hobbes also depicts the nature of man and how they sabotage one another for a chance at power. One of the main characters, Jack Merridew, presents anthropology in his actions which correlate with Hobbes observations and predictions of mankind and how they are jealous, guile and savages when exposed to others.
Both authors demonstrate want and zeal In Hobbes works he says “the weakest have strength enough to kill the strongest, either by secret machination or by confederacy with other in the same danger with himself.” (Hobbes) When weak people seek

He says “so that in the nature of man we find three principal causes of quarrel. First competition; secondly, diffidence; thirdly, glory.” Hobbes states, “first use violence to make themselves masters of other men’s persons, wives, children, and cattle.” Jack mirrors this behavior in the first step wanting to be leader, and he uses violence to get their fire, the conch and Piggie’s glasses. “They’ve got our fire”, “they stole it” (152). This is the first step leading to quarrel is the taking of others property. Jack also “steals” Samneric saying “grab them” and to “tie them up” taking the “children” aspect of Hobbes principal literal. Lastly, Hobbes claims that “during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war, and such war as is of every man against every man”. Which this plays out in the book as well. "We 've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we 're not savages. We 're English, and the English are best at everything."(34) Before the kids were abandoned on the island all they had were their rules as protection. When they were stripped of their civility the light bulb went out, they all turned against each other with violence that created a war like situation during their stay. The kids are in awe of rules in laws just like the real, adult world. But once those rules didn’t have value anymore they become savages, like they said they