Lord of the Flies

         

"We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the                                

                                                     English are best at everything." 

Two Different Societies

           When an airplane crashes on a desolate island carrying a group of school age boys, they are forced to survive without the security and guidance of the adults in their lives who, up until now, have made life comfortable. Within a few days the boys decide that in order to keep their group working together they would need a leader. Ralph, the most obvious candidate, is elected the new leader. Ralph is not accepted by all of the boys immediately. He runs into opposition from Jack, the bully of the group who is not a follower. As a result, the boys are divided into two different societies with two very different leaders. It is not long before two societies, a civilized community and the hunters, crash and two leaders are at odds with each other.

            A democratic society is run by the will of the majority of its people. In this case we find Ralph, Piggy, Samneric, and Simon as the key members of this society. Ralph immediately organized the boys into groups with each having their own responsibility toward survival and rescue. Ralph and Piggy are fair and have an organized way of setting up the government. Even though the boys are enjoying their new found freedom of life without adults, Ralph knows that keeping the rescue fire burning and building shelters as well as finding food is the only way they can survive for any length of time.

            The advantage of a democratic society is that all members have input in the running of the government. Not all members have to agree with each other but the majority rules when it comes to final decisions. The disadvantage is that sometimes the leaders do not respect the will of the people and use their position to bend the rules in order to make the government run as they see fit. Also, not all decisions made by the majority to turn out to be the best for the community.

            A Totalitarian society is one that has a leader with complete control over the people. Jack is this leader of the hunters on the island. Jack comes from a wealthy family and has a feeling that he is better than the other boys. He reminds the boys of his place in society by telling them that he was the leader of the choirboys in school. Ralph appoints this group that includes Roger and the choir, the job of finding food. Jack has a natural instinct for violence and enjoys his power and control over the hunters. Jack’s hold over the boys and their fear of the beast gave him the ability to have them kill another human being without thinking of the evil act of murder. The boy’s basic instinct to survive overrides everything they have been taught. Jack is able to maintain control by providing food and safety for the boys. This is evident when he says to Ralph, “See? They do want I want.” 

            A Totalitarian society can provide order in a group whose nature and upbringing are so different they may turn against each other at anytime. The leader in this society must be able to maintain order. In this situation Jack’s natural tendency towards violence and power makes him the perfect leader of a Totalitarian society.  Because one person controls them, they do not have to think on their own and any evil they commit can be blamed on the leader. Jack is able to steal each boy’s identity and turn him into a member of a murderous mob. This is obviously a great disadvantage to a Totalitarian society.   

In the end Ralph and the others are rescued and find themselves like children again. The sight of the Navy officer causes the boys to cry with relief. When we compare the Democratic society to the Totalitarian society we find that the Democratic society alone would have been better for all the boys considering Jack’s Totalitarian society brought out the evil deep within the human nature of his tribe. When the boys arrive on the island they are filled with innocence and amazement at finding themselves in a world without adults. It isn’t long before the dark nights bring fear to their hearts over what they cannot see and what they imagine might tear them apart as they sleep. It doesn’t take Jack long to play on their fear. If the boys had continued with just a Democratic society and Ralph as their only leader, their fears would have soon been calmed. Ralph along with Piggy and Simon would have continued to keep the rescue fires burning, building shelters and hunting for food. In their society there would have been peace and very little violence. However, because Jack’s nature was to control and having power and violence over people, the novel introduces a society of evil. 

Questions:

What was the main point of this novel?

Golding wrote this novel during the World War II era and the Communist era. How does his book reflect the world politics of the current time and does the book have relevance today?