Essay Lord of the Flies Allegory: Civilization vs. Savagery

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Lord of the Flies Allegory: Civilization vs. Savagery

Every human has a primal instinct lying within them. It is not a question of how close to the actual surface it dwells, but rather how well an individual controls and copes with it. In a state of prolonged anguish and panic, what is one truly capable of? Can one remain sophisticated or will the temptation of their dark subconscious take over, bringing out the barbarianism which exists in us all? William Golding’s Lord of the Flies explores this inquiry through an allegory represented by a group of boys who have been marooned on a deserted island, with no surviving adults. Lord of the Flies has been interpreted and analyzed in several different manners; scholars have derived that the …show more content…
He kills without thinking twice and will do anything to become chief including killing Piggy and destroying the conch. The Conch is imperative to uphold civilized society on the island. It was discovered by Ralph, who blew it to call all the survivors to a meeting. It became a symbol of authority and greatly influenced why Ralph was elected chief. The conch represents authority and order. "We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us,” (Golding, 16). Ralph uses the shell the call meetings and it keeps order because of the rule that when a person is holding the conch they cannot be interrupted. When Jack destroys the conch it symbolizes the total destruction of society and resulting in all out chaos. “See? See? That’s what you’ll get! I meant that! There isn’t a tribe left for you anymore! The conch is gone.” “He ran forward, stooping. ‘I’m chief!’” (Golding, 181). Now that Ralphs source of power has been destroyed there is nothing to stop Jack from being chief. The conch was the only thing holding Jack back, for people still obeyed it. In conclusion, Ralph as reason and leadership, Jack as savagery and power hunger, and the conch as authority and order are an important make up of the allegory of Civilization vs. Savagery. Ralph brings the boys together but gives them all their own power. Jack reverts to savagery and wants all the power for his own and the conch gives Ralph the power to remain
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