What Is The Theme Of Savagery In Lord Of The Flies

Lord of the Flies is a book that shows the challenges of working together. In the book a group of boys get left on an island. After a while the boys fight about what is important to survive. While the boys are in one of their many fights a naval officer sees that they have set fire to the whole island. William Golding purpose of this book is to be an allegory for World War II. In Lord of the Flies, William Golden illustrates humans tend to go to savagery when they think something of theirs is being challenged, and humans tend to get mad when their leadership skills are being challenged then challenge others leadership. These themes develop through his use of the symbols painted masks and the conch, and the characters Roger and Jack in order

Ralph says, “I’d like to put on war-paint and be a savage. But we must keep the fire going" (142). When Jack 's tribe attacks anything, like a pig or the other tribe, they always have war-paint on. Like Ralph said in the quote once you put war-paint on it leads to savagery. This is why Ralph says that fire is more important than hunting because that way they are not hunting. So without hunting they will not put on war-paint and be savages. He also knows that Jack’s tribe is putting on war-paint and being savages because there is no symbols of civilization in his tribe. The book states, “The rock stuck piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a million white fragments and ceased to exist’ (181). When Roger threw the rock and hit the conch and broke it all of the symbols of civilization were gone because this is what Ralph’s tribe is centered around. One of the last things that gave Ralph power was destroyed because most people followed Ralph because of the conch. This means that Jack has even more power because Roger, through savagery, questioned Ralph’s power and leadership skills while hitting the conch. The symbol and character support the World War II allegory because it shows how savagery leads to civilizations failing which happened in World War II. Lord of the Flies reveals humans tend to go to savagery when they think something of theirs is being challenged, but it also exhibits humans tend to get mad when their leadership skills are being challenged and then challenge others