Savagery In Lord Of The Flies Essay

In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, it establishes that there is a group of British school-boys who escape their war-torn city only to find themselves marooned on an island. The boys try their best to maintain a democracy within their group, but as indicative of their age, they shun their responsibilities. They disliked that they had to build huts, maintain a fire, keep water for them to drink in coconut shells, and other chores. Slowly but surely, they begin to tilt towards acts of savagery after the boys become increasingly fearful of the beast. Ralph, the chief as well the representation of good within the story, has power struggles against Jack, the representation of savagery and totalitarianism. There is also an underlying …show more content…
These are Simon, Piggy, and SamnEric.

For the boys, their morality is constantly being questioned as their primitive desires begin to overtake their reasoning. On the island, they have no adults that can supervise them. This leads to them questioning the rule of their current chief. They spiral into the depths of savagery and begin to lose their identity using war-paint. They shed their identity as little boys and become blood-thirsty beasts. This leads to them doing things that would are looked down upon by higher society. They are able to mercilessly attack and kill a boy as well as beat others of their kind. For example, "Jack rushed towards the twins.“The rest are making a line. Come on!” “But—”“—we—”“Come on! I’ll creep up and stab—” The mask compelled them." This shows a boy loosing his sense of morality due to the paint that is currently on his face. The "mask" is compelling them into the savagery that has already begun to take over Jack's mind. Another example, as stated in the text is,“Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!”The blue-white scar was constant, the noise unendurable. Simon was crying out something about a dead man on a hill.“Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his

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