Human Natures and Destruction of the Society
Essay Preview: Human Natures and Destruction of the Society
Report this essay
Human Natures and Destruction of the Society
The novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, is an allegorical novel that shows the destructive nature of human beings. Through the breakdown of the society formed by innocent kids who survived the plane wreck, Golding shows that there are many basic human traits that can lead to the destruction of the society. However, the most predominant human trait that leads to the destruction of the society in the Lord of the flies is the struggle for power, the disposition toward savageness and the fear of the unknown.
The most obvious human trait that leads to the destruction of the society in the Lord of the Flies is the
Yoon 2
struggle for power. Humans constantly want to be above other human beings. From the very beginning of the novel, the conflict between Ralph and Jack emerges. When all the boys in the island gather for the first time, Jack shows his autocratic characteristics by treating the choir as the military. Jack even arrogantly says ÐŽoI ought to be chief, because IЎЇm chapter chorister and head boyÐŽ¦ÐŽ¦ÐŽ± (Golding, 22). The conflict between Ralph and Jack becomes more obvious as the novel progresses. One of the reasons why Jack hunts is for power. By leading the hunters, he obtains a power base and by providing the meat to the kids, he provides immediate gratification for the group. To gain more power, Jack promises littlun to give meat without any responsibilities that Ralph has demanded (Moody, 12). This difference eventually leads to the worst case scenario: the separation of the group. Now the kids fight each other rather than working together for the benefit of the whole group and
Yoon 3
rescue. If Jack had corporate with Ralph, everyone might have been rescued safely. However, JackЎЇs desire for power leads the whole society to chaos and destruction.
A Human disposition toward savagery causes total destruction in the society. The central concern of Lord of the Flies is the conflict between two competing impulses that exist within all human beings: the instinct to live by rules, act peacefully, follow moral commands, and value the good of the group against the instinct to gratify oneЎЇs immediate desires, act violently to obtain supremacy over others, and enforce oneЎЇs will (Phillips). This second trait is quite blatantly shown through Jack and his hunters. In the beginning of the novel, even Jack is not quite savage yet. He hesitates in killing the piglet and thus, it runs away. However, Jack continues to develop his hunting skills and becomes more savage as the story unfolds. One of JackЎЇs
Yoon 4
motives for hunting is merely for the enjoyment of killing. When he kills a pig, he is quite entertained by the blood that bursts out of it. Also, other hunters share this thrill of violence and continuously chant ÐŽoKill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her bloodÐŽ± (Golding 69). This savage atmosphere in the group makes individuals act cruelly without feeling any guilt or remorse. When Ralph strikes a pig, even he becomes thrilled and feels that hunting is good after all. In the hunterЎЇs ceremonial dance, a boy named Maurice pretends to be a pig while other boys pretend to kill him. At this point, the line between the boys and the animals becomes blurred (Maureen). Jack even jokes about killing the litllun, which shows his capacity to harm others. Roger, initially quiet and shy boy, becomes the most cruel and sadistic character in the novel. He even rolls a stone over Piggy to kill him. However, even the most civilized society is not free from the savageness. As the ending of
Yoon 5
this novel shows, even though Ralph is rescued by the civilized society, he is actually going back into chaos on a much greater scale. No matter how strict the laws are, humanityЎЇs disposition toward savagery will always be the root of destruction in the society.
Fear of the unknown distorts the reality and ultimately leads to destruction. In the novel, the fear is not physical but rather psychological, since the environment in the island is quite