Masculinity In Lord Of The Flies

Extreme circumstances provoke precarious acts. As man attempts to survive, he forgets his moral code and reverts to instinctual behaviors. The boys in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies prove this: As the story progresses, their inner evil is evident through their savage actions and their moral behaviors are lost. In the beginning, the group of boys struggle to maintain a democratic environment. The longer they live on the island, their society turns chaotic: No one obeys the regulations set into place and most of them do not take their predicament as serious as they should. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies demonstrates that man has a natural tendency to be violent and to desire power. Man’s suppressed urges to be violent is exposed when faced with threatening obstacles. Roger drops a boulder on Piggy and in an instant, both Piggy and the conch are crushed; Jack then

, After Ralph suggests that they should elect a leader, “‘I ought to be chief’ said Jack with simple arrogance” (Golding 22). Jack’s arrogance leads him to the conclusion that every person agrees with him and he should be chief. As a result, the boys sit in silence, shocked by his proposal. Eventually, Ralph is elected leader and Jack becomes enraged. He then holds a grudge on Ralph for acquiring the position of chief, leading to an unhealthy relationship between him and Ralph. Similarly, the crave for power and domination over others can result in the downfall of relationships. After Jack attempts to overthrow Ralph out of his chief status and fails, “I’m not going to be a part of Ralph’s lot-…. I’m going off by myself” (Golding 127). Since Jack’s craving for dominance over others cannot be fulfilled, Jack acts in an immature manner by walking away from everyone who he deems to be disloyal to him. Thus, when man longs to be a figure of authority, his relationships with others will eventually