Amanda Chen Mr. Monteith ENG1DZ 19 May 2022 Destructive choices in Lord of The Flies Are the types of choices people make beneficial in the long run? William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is a dystopian novel where a group of boys stranded on an island struggle to make well-planned decisions. Firstly, issues are a reflection of reckless behaviours from the past. Moreover, the boys’ influenced options often result in trouble and regret. Lastly, the lack of organized decisions eventually lead to destructive and murderous outcomes. The novel highlights the boys’ impulsive or pressured decisions, resulting in choices that decline into chaos, destruction, and death on the island. To begin with, careless actions cause trouble for the individual …show more content…
As aforementioned, the merciless killing of Piggy is an outcome of a spontaneous decision made by Ralph’s group of boys. Piggy takes the initiative to retrieve his glasses from Jack’s tribe as he says that he is “going to [go to] that Jack Merridew and tell him” (Golding 189), but it ends with “Piggy [falling] forty feet” (Golding 201). Ralph’s group notices the dangers of Jack’s hunters as they are fully masked with savagery making them unidentifiable. Despite this, they choose to retrieve Piggy’s glasses with just spears to defend them, this choice leads to Samneric’s involuntary choice to serve Jack, Piggy’s death, and Ralph left all alone to defend himself, proving no benefit for his group. This destroys the little bit of civilization that is remaining. Likewise, the disorderly fire on top of the mountain results in a boy’s death. As the boy’s fear of the beast arises, Ralph suggests starting a signal fire in an attempt to get passing ships to notice them so “all at once the crowd [sways] towards the island and [are] gone - following Jack” (Golding 37). As Ralph makes decisions to improve life on the island for the boys, his plans are disturbed by Jack’s way of leading. Ralph’s choice to start a signal fire is gladly accepted by the group as they run to the mountain chasing after Jack, but not until the fire gets out of control do they realize their unorganized choices. The chaotic fire brings death upon the boy with the mulberry birthmark, who is the first boy to mention the beast. Hence, troubled authorities make choices that lead to destruction and