Isolation In Lord Of The Flies

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Pages: 4

How can the human reaction to isolation cause a persona to change? Change in a persona shows how different people react to isolation in different ways. In the novel Lord of the Flies, isolation has a massive effect on the personas of Roger, Jack, and Ralph.
Isolation cause Roger’s persona to become a savage, which allows him to show his sadistic personality trait. Roger’s civil persona is shown during the early stages of isolation: “Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them. Yet there was space around Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw” (Golding 62). Roger throws rocks around Henry, testing his own and Henry’s strength. He is still conditioned by civilization, meaning that he has not gone savage yet, and is not strong enough to drive pain into Henry. “The spear
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“Ralph turned to the others. ‘This belongs to us’” (28-29). Ralph gains a sense of freedom, power, and happiness when he explores the mountain with Simon and Jack. The boys become unchained from the adult-world, which allows them to do and feel as they wish. “Piggy and Ralph, under the threat of the sky, found themselves eager to take a place in this demented but partly secure society… ‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in’” (152)! Ralph becomes a slave to the savagery deep-rooted inside of him and the rest of mankind which causes him to become a savage. “‘I’m frightened. Of us. I want to go home. Oh God, I want to go home’” (157). Ralph becomes terrified when he realizes that he and the other boys are murderers, after they all took part in the killing of Simon, which causes Ralph to lose the sense of freedom, power, and happiness he gains from when he explores the mountain. Ralph first reacts to isolation on the island by gaining freedom, power, and happiness, but loses all of it to the savagery deep-rooted inside of mankind, causing him to feel primitive and