The conch being smashed at the same time is also symbolic and represents the complete destruction of society. With his death, any chance of resolving the issues between Jack and Ralph vanishes. Piggy’s death – Piggy’s character represents order and reason.Simon’s death – Simon is the one character who never seems to succumb to primal urges and therefore his death if looked at symbolically could be seen as the death of hope for boys.Creating of the Lord of the Flies – Successfully killing the pig is itself an iconic moment but then leaving a pigs head on a pole is both a gruesome image (one worthy of the book’s title) and also plays a pivotal role in Simon’s story arc.If not for this then Simon might never be murdered. This fear sways the boys towards Jack’s leadership as he continues to manipulate the situation to his advantage. Sam and Eric find “the beast” – When Sam and Eric feel they have discovered the beast it sets a ripple of panic throughout.It is if it liberates them from humanity and allows them to act on more primal, animalistic urges. The hunters put on masks – By covering up their faces, they seem to become free from the constraints of society.We see as time passes these restraints are lifted and that firstly, Jack can kill a pig and finally, and perhaps more dramatically, Roger is not only okay with hitting somebody with a stone but taking their life with one. Jack fails to kill the pig/Roger throws stones – both of these events show how the boys are currently constrained by the expectations of society.It also demonstrates how lost the boys are without adults there to guide them as they lose one of the boys and nobody even knows his name. The fire gets out of control – This shows the effects that the boys are already having on the island.It is both the device that brings the children together and in theory the object which allows them all to have a say and therefore run a democratic society. Blowing the conch – this introduces us to the conch which acts as a symbol of society and civilization throughout the novel.There are many key moments in ‘ Lord of the Flies‘ that highlight the boy’s descent into savagery. Golding’s views largely spring from his role in the navy where he was witness to the atrocities of war but are also informed by his work as a teacher.Īnalysis of Key Moments in Lord of the Flies Of course, this overlooks that civilization is a human construct and if all men’s biggest motivation were their inner evil, then that construct would never have existed. Golding explores the idea that mankind is innately evil and that it is only the contrast between society and civilization that prevents that nature from being prevalent. Perhaps the biggest underlying theme is the idea of the true nature of mankind. Golding’s ideas of what savagery is might be outdated and rooted in colonial stereotypes but they are evident for all to see as the boys use masks to dehumanize themselves and their increasing obsession with hunting leads to an increasingly animalistic nature. As they break away from society this adherence to the rules they have constructed is evident. They construct a form of government represented by the conch that theoretically draws them together and gives them all a voice. This can be seen throughout as the boys struggle with being removed from organized society. The final chapter furthers the destruction of nature by mankind as the whole island appears to have been ruined thanks to the effects of the boy’s presence on the island. Some interpret the island almost as a Garden of Eden with the children giving in to temptation by slaughtering the animals there. This idea is explored further in the early chapters the boys light a fire that escapes their control and yet further diminishes what might be considered an unspoiled island. This is evident from the first chapter when the plane crashing leaves what Golding describes as a “scar” across the island. Lord of the Flies Themes The impact of humankind on nature
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