Mr. Williamson
Honors Literature and Composition
6 September 2016
Excruciating Reminder of Man’s Primitive Nature
"Ralph lay in covert, wondering about his wounds. The bruised flesh was inches in diameter over his right ribs, with a swollen and bloody scar where the spear had hit him" (Golding 165). In William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies, the struggle between Jack and Ralph, reveals man’s loss of civilization and order and the inheritance of savagery and primitive nature in times of chaos. After Ralph and Jack battle over their beliefs, Ralph is injured from one of Jack’s spears which had hit him in the ribs. When Ralph got injured by Jack’s spear, a scar was formed, “…with a swollen and bloody scar where the spear had …show more content…
Shortly after reaching the beach of the island in stormy weather. Ralph’s clothes are soaking and are weighing him down, “He became conscious of the weight of clothes”. The clothes Ralph was wearing symbolically represent society and civilization. When Ralph takes off his clothes, “…kicked his shoes off fiercely and ripped off each stocking with its elastic garner in a single movement.” Ralph taking his clothes off symbolizes and foreshadows the boys disconnecting from the rules of society and civilization. The word “fiercely” emphasizes and foreshadows the rapid descent the boys will have from civilization and the rapid ascent into savagery and primitive human nature. The word “fiercely” in this passage connotatively represents how Ralph removes his garments, Ralph removing his garments “fiercely" portrays Ralph’s impatience to free himself from the restrictions of civilization. The surrounding scenery reinforces the symbolic disconnection from society, “…and stood there among the skull-like coconuts”. The skull-like coconuts foreshadow death and the loss of civilization and order. The surrounding scenery generates a metaphor, “…green shadows from the palms and the forest sliding over his skin”, the color green represents life, renewal, nature, growth, and harmony. The green forest and palms sliding over Ralph’s skin foreshadows the loss of innocence and harmony. The clothing is a symbol of the need for civilization and order and the loss of innocence in the novel Lord of the