William Golding's Lord Of The Flies

“Which is better-- to have laws and agree, or to hunt and kill?” (Golding 180). In survival situations, when the concept of civilization vanishes and common rules are abandoned, chaos and evil arise. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a group of British schoolboys spanning from ages six to twelve must fly to safety from the war consuming their country. When their plane crashes mid route due to an enemy attack, the schoolboys find themselves stranded on a tropical island in the Pacific with no surviving adults. The boys are left to govern themselves and seek rescue from oncoming ships, without the rules that controlled them in their previous lives. As the novel progresses, it is apparent that the immaturity of the young

When the boys arrive, they assemble a new society by electing Ralph as their chief. They choose Ralph over Jack due to Ralph’s maturity and possession of the conch: a symbol of order to the boys. Immediately, a power struggle ensues due to Jack’s belief that his form of leadership is ideal. Ralph consoles a vexed Jack by nominating him to take charge of the hunters on the island and leaving him responsible for maintaining the signal fire crucial to the boys’ survival. Notably, Ralph is depicted as a boy of fairness and common sense, whereas Jack thirsts for power and is open to corruption. As a result, Jack incessantly strives to challenge and overthrow Ralph’s authority. For instance, Jack questions the effectiveness of the signal fire and commands his inner circle to accompany him on the quest for their first pig kill instead. The hunters return to camp fulfilled, chanting while holding a gutted swine above their heads. Unknowingly to the huntsman, a ship passed by the island without noticing its inhabitants, due to Jack dismissing the fire duty he had accepted. Ralph is infuriated with Jack for shattering the boys only chance at survival. Jack tries to explain the need for hunting, but everyone knows

Ralph’s failure to enforce rules is due to his lack of sternness and misplaced belief in the need for fun and games. Granted, Ralph does call many meetings to organize the boys and assign them tasks to aid their rescue, but the boys fail to follow through with these duties and eventually refuse to do them entirely. For example, Ralph orders everyone to work collaboratively on creating shelters for protection against harsh conditions, however, Simon is the only one to stand by and assist in completing the huts. The other boys dismiss Ralph’s rules to labor until completion and come and go as they please, leaving the job to those who are willing. As a result, the huts are shaky and poorly built, not offering much cover from the environment. Ralph admits his frustrations when he says to Jack, “They’re hopeless. The older ones aren’t much better. D’you see? All day I’ve been working with Simon. No one else. They’re bathing, or eating, or playing,” (50). Instead of participating in the effort to better their society, the boys are inclined to revert to their role prior to desertion; children with no responsibilities. They aren’t intentionally defying Ralph’s orders, they simply don’t have the attention span to complete the rigorous tasks necessary. Ralph’s omission to punish the boys for refusing his orders authorizes them to misbehave without a fear of consequences, which in time