Lord Of The Flies Civilization Analysis

I noticed the beginnings of two key themes in the first two chapters of the novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, civilization and strong vs. weak. First of all, when the children realize that they are isolated on the island with no adults present around them, the idea of a civilized society on the island is revealed. The beginning of civilization on the island is demonstrated as the boys vote to decide the chief of the group. Ralph and Jack are interested in the position, as the idea changes “from the general wish for a chief to an election by acclaim of Ralph himself” (18). This idea demonstrates the theme of civilization, as the boys are able to use the same method to determine a leader as they would at home, which allows the island

For instance, Ralph indicates that he will “give the conch to the next person to speak”(31) and there will be no interruptions. To further prevent interruption, Ralph suggests that they must use “Hands up’ like at school” (31), to allow the children to further understand because it is something they are used to at school. This system suggests that the children still respect their past ways of civilization and how they plan to utilize their knowledge on the island. Furthermore, the majority of the boys are shown to have been civilized before going on the island and they lack knowledge on how to survive in the wilderness. Jack unashamedly asks if anyone has any matches, demonstrating his unawareness on how to do things without modern inventions. This shows that the boys are stronger and more confident in a civilization. When individuals are placed in new environments, they may use past experience and understanding in order to establish familiarize themselves in the new area. Secondly, the strong vs. weak theme is present as the boys’ characteristics and point of views are shared. This causes a clear separation between the two. Ralph and Piggy contrast each other to represent the difference between weak and