Lord Of The Flies, By William Golding

Lord of the Flies by William Golding is one of the most successful novels in history, selling over 25 million copies and winning a Nobel prize. The piece's popularity can be attributed to the wide variety of powerful themes Golding explores. Throughout the book, the ideas of civilization, knowledge, and fear are expanded. This essay will explore how these topics are presented and what you can learn from them.
We all live in a civilized society. We wake up, go to school or work, come home, eat, and then sleep just to relive the same thing the next day. When you really think about it, this is a dull reality lacking excitement and surprise. In “Lord of the Flies,” Golding explores what would happen if we left our world as we know it and entered

When the boys first arrive on the island, they are completely civilized and elect a leader, assign roles to people, figure out how to get food, and establish the conch as a device used for order. Golding purposely uses phrases relating to society, such as, “As if released from class” (23), to reinforce the idea that the boys are still completely civilized. This seemingly dignified group of boys begins to lose their sense of civilization when they become enthralled with the idea of hunting the pigs on the island. This may initially sound like an innocent way to get food, but it is much more than that. The hunters, especially Jack, became so obsessed with hunting that they painted their faces for camouflage. The painted faces are more than camouflage, though, they are described as “a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness”(64). The boys know that they should be ashamed of their barbaric behavior, it's all society has ever taught them, but everything changes when they paint their faces. It's like they put on a mask and no longer have to take

Fear corrupts… perhaps the fear of a loss of power”- John Steinback. This quote perfectly encapsulates what Golding was trying to prove about fear while writing Lord of the Flies. Fear is one of the most crucial devices leaders use to obtain power, and Jack's leadership is a perfect example of this. Initially, Ralph is elected as leader when “Every hand outside the choir except Piggy’s was raised immediately” (23). This is a perfect democracy; the boys acknowledge Ralph's leadership qualities and elect him for the island's welfare. The whole idea of a fair government on the island is forgotten when the rumor of a beast is introduced. During an assembly, a shy boy emerges from the crowd to ask what Ralph will do about “the snake thing” (35). Ralph takes this concern with a grain of salt and simply says, “‘He must have had a nightmare. Stumbling about all those creepers’” (36). Ralph's response was logical and comforting, he was trying to stop fear from spreading on the island. Jack on the other hand, responds to the fearful boy in a much more ominous manner, “There isn't a snake thing. But if there was, we'd hunt it and kill it” (36). If Jack wanted the boys to believe there wasn't a beast he wouldn't insinuate the possibility of there being one. He tells the boys he can protect them from a beast that doesn't even exist to gain power. Jack uses their fear to his advantage to look like the stronger leader. Jack continues to keep the idea of the beast