Masculinity In Lord Of The Flies

In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the boys of the island and their developing masculinity are “two continents of experience unable to communicate” which also prove to be “in love and hate” (55). Golding shows that the boys of the island and their developing masculinity are “in love,” because this masculinity drives the boys. When the boys locate one another on the island the first thing they realize which must be done is establishing a leader. Symbolically, this is the boys going back to a primitive nature. Every pact needs an alpha dog, and once that is established they can move on. At the first meeting of the boys “[Jack] lifted the conch…I ought to be chief…I can sing C sharp” (22). This election for leader seems to have only candidates, Ralph, Jack, and Piggy. This is due to their age. The “littluns” are

Because the boys are all from different situations they are different levels of maturity. Likely due to loss of his parents, Piggy has matured far beyond the other boys on the island. For this reason, Piggy becomes almost a parental figure on the island. Having already explored his masculinity, he seems to be more civilized then the other boys. They see this as one of Piggy’s weaknesses and walk right over him, but in reality this is one of his greatest strengths. When the fire which wiped out the hillside was finished burning “Piggy lost his temper…But the first time Ralph says ‘fire’ you goes howling and screaming up this here mountain. Like a pack of kids” (45). Piggy is able to see right through the boys. He knows that they want to be mature and masculine, but just like everyone else they are scared and needing of love. Because they are alone with no adults, Piggy one of, if not the, smartest people on the island is now forced to be a parental figure instead. The boys desire for masculinity proves to be one of their greatest downfalls on the