Savagery In Lord Of The Flies

As civilization and order fade away in a human society, people will discover a compulsion to redevelop their ancestral instincts. In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a group of British schoolboys become isolated in an island of paradise and begin their independent journey of survival without any adults. Few boys attempt to restore societal order in the hopes of becoming rescued, but others turn away to the life of fun and hunting, digging up their inner roots of savagery. According to Golding, humans are innately savage as demonstrated when order collapses and the once-educated boys begin to crave for dominance over living things, uses fear to enhance their power, and adapt to the raw idea of predator vs. prey. The sense of

When the boys are deserted on an island with no adults to take charge, a few older boys stand up and guide the rest, leaving some boys wishing for power of their own. Henry, a little boy that been picked on by older boys, demonstrates the human race’s satisfaction of dominance when he finds joy in exerting control on little fishes, “There were creatures…tiny transparencies that came questing in with the water…This was fascinating to Henry…He poked about with a bit of stick…became absorbed beyond mere happiness as he felt himself exercising control over living things…his footprints became bays in which they were trapped and gave him the illusion of mastery” (61). Because Henry is a younger child, it is inferred that he does not have much power over the boys around him despite the younger ones. This illustrates the common structure seen in everyday society, the older ones always take charge. After just

As civilization fade away from their memories, the boys adapt to their island and discover their inner savagery where the primitive concept of predator vs. prey becomes apparent. By novel’s end, Jack orders his tribe to hunt Ralph in the jungle because he is an enemy who does not want to join their group, “Ralph screamed, a scream of fright and anger and desperation…became continuous and foaming. He shot forward, burst the thicket, was in the open, screaming, snarling, bloody. He swung the stake and the savage tumbled over; but there were others coming toward him, crying out. He swerved as a spear flew past and then was silent, running” (199). The tribe influences their prey, Ralph, to become a savage when he mirrors their actions to defend himself from being captured, “Ralph screamed…fright and anger and desperation…became continuous and foaming.” Golding portrays Ralph as a boy who keeps order and refuses to contribute to the savage lifestyle of the tribe, but as he was being hunted, he becomes an animal who is “screaming, snarling, bloody.” The symbolism of the thicket resembles the journey of adolescence and finding oneself as the boys face reality and make their own choices. Intense imagery is also used as Golding describes Ralph as an animal running away from the human savages, “He swerved as a spear flew past and then was silent, running.” Humans are savages