Microcosm In Lord Of The Flies

Is the harsh world of the island so different from ours? In the story Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, a plane full of young boys crashes on an abandoned island. The boys have to learn to live together and build a society, reflecting that of the real world, if they want to survive. Through Golding’s use of literary techniques such as, diction and foreshadowing he creates a powerful microcosm, that is an eerie reflection of our world, which makes you wonder, are we really so different from the savage boys on the island. With desperate tries to construct a functioning set of rules and ways to live, the boy’s order they set up in the beginning eventually crumbles into chaos. When the boys discover they are alone on the island

The beginning of the breakdown of their civilizations happens not long after the rules are first made, showing how easy it is for things to fall apart. The boys come up with the idea of making a fire to create a smoke signal, to hopefully get the attention of a passing ship. In order to keep the fire going at all times someone has to be watching it, which Jack and his group of hunters agree to do. If you are thirteen years old, and you have to decide whether to watch the fire or hunt, you are most likely going to chose hunt, because who would want to tend to a lousy fire when you could be running through the forest with war paint and spears, chasing a helpless pig. While Jack and his hunters are out hunting the fire goes out and a ship passes unaware of their existence. When they get back Ralph is distraught with the knowledge that they could have been saved; “‘They might have seen us. We might have gone home.’ This was to bitter for Piggy, who forgot his timidity in the agony of his loss. ‘You and your blood, Jack Merridew! You and your hunting! We might have gone home.’” (70) This event foreshadows the further collapse of civilization that will undoubtable occur. In the final chapters of this book the conch, which was a symbol of rules and civilized life, breaks; “The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and