Lord of the Flies Essay examples

Submitted By aharris181
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Human beings are confusing, yet interesting life forms. The way we communicate and act around and towards others, our thought process, and the overall way of the human being is interesting. Humans are all different, yet similar in some ways. Many people compare humans to animals, and I agree with the reasoning. Humans have, what they call, an inner animal... an inner savage, hiding being their shell of humanity and civilization. What would happen if people were placed on a deserted island? What would happen if kids, as young as six, were placed on a deserted island? In the book, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, he does that exact thing. Golding puts these characters on a deserted island, and shows the reader what he thinks would happen. Golding uses many characters in the story to help explain his reasoning, but two specific characters are Ralph and Jack. Ralph and Jack are very different. Ralph is Golding's way of expressing the idea of civilization, and Jack savagery. Jack was leader of the choir boys, and Ralph was an ordinary military son. Jack's internal savage, and Ralph's grasps on civilization gives us, the readers, a very good look on the idea of inner evil, and the savage inside us all. Jack's focus on hunting and killing displays a high act of evil and savagery. While Ralph's focus on leaving the island and keeping everyone safe helps display his act of good and civility.
Jack's main priorities were hunting, killing, and being boss, while Ralph's priorities are getting rescued, and keeping order on the island. Throughout the story Jack talked about hunting and did anything to kill something. Jack was not focused on being rescued as much as Ralph. In fact, when Ralph tried to plan things out to get rescued ,Jack had his mind on catching pigs to eat and said, “' Rescue? Yes, of course! All the same, I'd like to catch a pig first--'”(53). Jack saying this shows how caught up he is about killing something before he leaves the island. Ralph, on the other hand, wants to go home. When Jack and Ralph are having a conversation about getting rescued, Jack questions Ralph, and Ralph says, “'The best thing we can do is get ourselves rescued'”(53). Ralph does not care about hunting, or if they have meat, he just cares about going home as soon as possible. This shows that Jack is thinking in a savage way, while what is on Ralph's mind is getting home.
Jack and Ralph are opposites in many ways, one being the way they act towards the others on the island. Jack is mean and does not care about rules, the others, or getting rescued. Jack treats the others on the island poorly, especially Piggy. At one point in the book, Jack slaps Piggy across the head so hard, that he breaks his glasses: “Ralph made a step forward and Jack smacked Piggy's head, Piggy's glasses flees off and tinkles on the rock” (71). Jack hitting Piggy and breaking his glasses shows how they are forgetting the rules of civilization and becoming more savage. Ralph, on the other hand, tries getting things done and cooperating with the other children to get things done: “Ralph turned to the shelter and lifted a branch with a whole tiling of leaves” (50). Ralph is working with the others to get shelter made so they will have a place to be when the weather gets bad, and a place to sleep. Ralph is focused on the more important things that need to be done, and is trying to work with the other boys to get these things done. Ralph is using team work and cooperation to get the boys to stay with him and do what needs to be done, while Jack is manipulating the little boys to be evil, and plays with their minds to get his way.
Ralph is one of the most civil boys on the island, and Jack has turned into an animal. Jack has gotten so caught up in hunting that he will do anything to kill. Jack has lost all
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