Lord Of The Flies Literary Analysis

With the threat of World War II looming ominously overhead, a group of schoolboys must evacuate the area by plane before it is too late. Devastatingly, their plane is shot down amidst the war and crash lands on an uninhabited island. The British schoolboys quickly develop a democratic society and elect Ralph as their leader. As weeks pass, Jack, one of the schoolboys, begins to rebel against Ralph and the rules he has created. Jack and his new followers break away from Ralph’s tribe and develop savage habits and rituals. Ralph’s authority now has little meaning and the lives of the boys are in grave danger. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, man’s inner savage is a prevalent theme displayed by Jack, Roger, and Maurice.

Throughout the book,

Maurice slowly forgets his civilized past, and his internal savage becomes more visible. An example of this is the raid of Ralph’s camp. Jack and his tribe hold a meeting and decide that they need a fire to cook their pig. Maurice, Jack, and Roger come to the conclusion that they will raid Ralph’s camp and steal Piggy’s glasses in order to ignite their fire. They will use the sun’s reflection and the lenses of the glasses to create a spark. As the boys carry out their plan, they launch a surprise attack on Ralph, Piggy, and the few members left of Ralph’s tribe. With the utmost savageness, Golding describes that “A fist withdrew and came back like a piston, so that the whole shelter exploded into light. Ralph twisted sideways on top of a writhing body…Then the shelter collapsed with smothering finality; and the anonymous shapes found their way out and through” (104). The boys ransack Ralph’s shelter, steal Piggy’s glasses, and proceed to beat up his tribe. Maurice has no ability to think for himself and acts only upon his inner savageness. Following the attack, Jack, Maurice, and Roger parade triumphantly back to their camp at Castle Rock. The text says, “Far off along the beach, three figures trotted toward the Castle Rock. Occasionally they sang softly; occasionally they turned cartwheels down by the moving streak of phosphorescence” (105). This explains how distant the boys are from civilization. Maurice and the boys

He fully reveals this as Ralph’s tribe is in a heated argument with Jack’s tribe. Golding explains that Roger sees his opportunity to injure others and “He took up a small stone and flung it…Some source of power began to pulse in Roger’s body” (109). Roger does not care about the safety of others. He is not bound to the rules of civilization and therefore unleashes his internal beast. The events of the standoff become so intense that Roger acts with the deepest savagery. He then sends a boulder hurling down the mountainside killing Piggy, an innocent member of Ralph’s tribe. The text says, “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee…Piggy traveled thought the air sideways from the rock, turning over as he went” (113). Roger goes to the point of no return. He commits the ultimate sin, murder. Civilization is a thing of the past and savagery flourishes in Roger. Moments after the death of Piggy, Roger and the rest of Jack’s tribe race after Ralph, hurling spears as they run. In the text, Golding explains this heart pounding chase. He says, “Roger edged past the chief, only just avoiding pushing him with his shoulder. He advanced upon them as one wielding a nameless authority” (113). Roger takes the life of Piggy and is now attempting to do the same to Ralph. Death has no influence or impact on Roger. He and other children continue to let their savageness control their behavior. This theme consumes the book and