-
Essay / Main Themes of Lord of the Flies
In the novel, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, he describes many themes throughout the book. Several boys find themselves stranded on an island and must find a way to survive. Golding tries to teach us about the loss of innocence, civilization versus savagery, power versus leadership, and finally, good versus evil, to demonstrate how, when boys are left to their own devices to survive, the All hell breaks loose. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Golding uses the theme of loss of innocence throughout the book. Not only will the boys lose their innocence because of the environment they are in, but also the fact that being away from civilization and people will make it come more quickly. Golding shows it to us through Jack: “There was blood splatter… You should have seen it!” ". The fact that blood and acts of savagery entertained many boys makes it clear that they lose their innocence with every minute they spend on the island. The boys had no remorse for killing the pig so violently that they began chanting, "Kill the pig, slit its throat, kill the pig, hit it." The boys had cut off the pig's head and placed it on a stick. The brutality they witnessed, the things they sacrificed and, just like the things that are lost, represent their loss of innocence. The theme of civilization versus savagery is created and destroys the civilized behavior of the boys. Before the boys arrived on the island, they didn't have to worry about what they were doing because they were being watched. Now that they are no longer, they have to create their own system. Which is difficult for boys their age to do. For example, without civilization, boys would be disorganized. Golding emphasizes through Jack: “We have to have rules and follow them. After all, we are not savages. This is important to note because in the beginning, Jack wanted to be civilized and have boundaries. However, Jack is the wildest of the boys. Meanwhile, the boys choose a leader to try to guide them throughout their stay. The leader would help them set up a system that would create a civilization that would keep them safe and, at the same time, create a society in which they could work together. Yet when things don't turn out the way they wanted from the beginning, we say, "We're all adrift and things are going to go south." Without civilization, things will never be organized and the savagery begins when the boys start to feel threatened. Golding also addresses the concept of power and leadership throughout the novel by demonstrating how the boys differ. While Jack wants power, Ralph wants leadership. Again, Ralph's idea of leadership is: "Which is better: having laws and agreeing, or hunting and killing." Ralph starts out as the main leader who makes rules to try to maintain order. He tries to make the other boys understand how important it is to have rules and follow them. His main concern and goal is to be saved. Ralph said, “We need an assembly. Not for fun. Not for fun. But we have to make things clear.” Jack is very different from Ralph, he likes to hunt and kill. As time passes and the boys become wilder and wilder, Jack is there to lead them. Which increases the power Jack always wanted. If the rules are not put in place, followed and organized,.