How Does Golding Present The Savagery In Lord Of The Flies

Words: 921
Pages: 4
Open Document
All humans have two competing impulses with which they struggle: the instinct to live according to civilization’s rules or to give in to one’s immediate desires and live according to one's primal instincts. In The Lord of the Flies, Golding uses psychological allegory to demonstrate that when civilization is stripped from man, the innermost primitive, savage, and evil side of man will prevail.
Golding uses Jack and his group of hunters to symbolize man's savagery and need to kill. On page 194 of Lord of the Flies, William Golding presents the savagery within the boys with the quote, “ Jack was on top of the sow, stabbing downward with his knife. Roger found a lodgment for his point and began to push till he was leaning with his whole weight. The spear moved forward inch by inch and the terrified squealing became a high-pitched scream. Then Jack found the throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands. The sow collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her.” Not only did they kill a sow gruesomely and cruelly, but the murder is …show more content…
In chapter nine, Jack brings the littluns around the fire to begin a type of ritual dance in order to calm their fear of the beast. While they chant, “‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!’, the dark sky is shattered by a blue-white scar. An instant later the noise was on them like the blow of a gigantic whip”.(218) The chants mixed in with the intense environment from the fire and fear from the boys put them in a trance like state. Their primal side is brought out in this ritual as the tension increases. Then complete chaos breaks out when Simon, mistaken as a beast, breaks the circle causing the dazed boys to attack, further leading into the death of Simon. The boys acted on impulse as a result of the ritual and did not think or hesitate in murdering what ever was coming out of the
Show More

Related Documents: How Does Golding Present The Savagery In Lord Of The Flies

What Does The Beast Symbolize In Lord Of The Flies

Symbolism in Lord of the Flies helps convey Golding's ideas about human experience. The novel represents what the world was like during World War II. Golding tells the story of a group of boys that are stranded on an island after their plane crashed. The novel portrays the constant struggle between civilisation and savagery within humans and society. Through the novel William Golding highlights that the boys only look out for themselves, the beast is within us all and in a survival situation there…

Words 998 - Pages 4

Lord of the Flies: Human Savagery Essay example

Lord of the Flies Essay Nicholas Wong ENG2D Ms. Ghai March 8, 2012 Task: Does William Golding present a realistic portrayal of how savage humankind can be? Or does he underestimate the goodness in people? Does Golding’s use of WWII as the backdrop have a significant impact on our understanding of human nature? In William Golding’s novel, “The Lord of the Flies”, he displays human nature in an animalistic viewpoint that is not seen in “normal” people. He describes the unknown savagery…

Words 900 - Pages 4

Allegories In Lord Of The Flies

In the allegorical novel Lord of the Flies written by William Golding, he uses character description, a great deal of literary devices, and allegories to impact his readers. Through indirect characterization, Golding influences the characters actions onto the readers by showing them the characters behavior. He uses multiple objects to symbolize ideas that he thinks are present in the real world. With the use of allegories, William Golding connects Sigmund Freud’s id, ego and superego using the characters…

Words 1351 - Pages 6

Ignorance In Lord Of The Flies

Our society views the inherent nature of children as innocent, goodhearted, and playful. However, the novel “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding demonstrates how quickly this goodnatured state of being can be lost, namely throughout the descent into savagery of one of the main characters: Jack Merridew. Through the course of the novel, it is evident that Jack descends into a state of savage evil that exemplifies the dark side of human nature. This is illustrated by the imbuing of ignorance within…

Words 1677 - Pages 7

Savagery In Lord Of The Flies

Kia Shirazi Academic Writing Professor Aycock 6 November 2015 Savagery depicted in Lord of the Flies William Golding. Lord of the Flies. Faber and Faber. September 17, 1954 In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding illustrates that there is an inner beast living in all people, and is merely masked by the confines of society. Young British boys go through a life-altering experience, in which they must adapt lifestyles for a chance of surviving. After the boy's plane gets shot down and crashes…

Words 1583 - Pages 7

Essay about The Decency of Men

The Decency of Men William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies looks closely at how a lack of authority results in the fall of man. When English school boys are left to govern themselves on a deserted island, their seemingly perfect civilization begins to disintegrate as the evils of man are exposed. Golding wrote Lord of the Flies to prove that without some method of authority or civilization, man descends into savagery. Man’s desire for power, Golding suggests, plants the seed for his ultimate…

Words 1698 - Pages 7

Essay on Macbeth: Symbol and Conch

Symbolic Importances of Lord of The Flies Symbolism is a very important factor in many books. William Golding’s, Lord of the Flies, shows the movement from order to chaos through the use of symbolism. The use of symbolism is ever present and which used in the novel supports Golding's view of human nature. He believes that “human nature corrupts all society and people are inherently evil”. The author also believes that “law and order control evil, but savagery is more powerful than reason”. Golding’s…

Words 1294 - Pages 6

Ralph And Jack Lord Of The Flies Comparison Essay

isn’t present anymore. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, there are three characters which are going to be focused on in this essay. These characters are Ralph, Simon, and Jack. Three very different characters. William Golding, the author of this novel, creates tension between all these characters through the use of language. Ralph, the protagonist of this novel, is a strong, smart, and athletic boy. In the beginning of the novel, Ralph is elected leader of the boys. As savagery becomes present while…

Words 889 - Pages 4

Examples Of Allegory In The Walking Dead

Stories of the twenty first century revolve around central themes or morals. For example, The Walking Dead is a narrative of how people in post apocalyptic societies prioritize close ones rather than strangers. A way novels address morals is through the structure of an allegory. Allegories depict for readers exactly what the author intends to convey through his writing. Each part of an allegory demonstrates a different part of the author’s message. Concepts existing outside of the novel, perhaps…

Words 1266 - Pages 6

Essay on William Golding and Rock

“Man produces evil as a bee produces honey.” Golding wrote the text Lord of The Flies after his experiences in World War Two. He became more aware to how easy it is for a person to become such a vigilante for anarchy under the right circumstances. Through the use of objects as symbols such as the rock, masks and the jungle, Golding reinforces the ideas of people abusing power when it is not earnt, only being able to cover up inner savagery to certain point and finally the fear of the unknown can…

Words 1691 - Pages 7