A Flawed Society

William Golding’s allegoric novel, Lord of the Flies illustrates many issues of human society through a group of young, stranded, British boys. The story takes place on an island during World War II. As a result of a plane crash, several young schoolboys are left to survive on their own in an entirely new environment. Left with no other choice but to wait to be rescued, they try to figure out what is necessary to sustain a civilized life similar to the one before. They start out fairly well, demonstrating a relatively democratic and cooperative society. However, as life in the crude territory continues, and the hope for rescue diminishes, the inevitable happens. Things begin to fall apart. The neglecting of rules and their desire for fun and violence overtake them, ultimately destroying any order or peace they had on the island. Although the novel was written several decades ago, current happenings such as the Columbine shooting show that Golding’s views on these issues are valid even to this day.

The first and most obvious aspect that Golding points out, are the consequences brought on by a weak government. He places his characters in a completely different environment where civilization is nonexistent, and the only form of authority is in the form of a 12-year-old boy named Ralph. In the beginning, the boys are somewhat pleased with their newfound freedom. However, this switch in government and society eventually leads to the development of an indifference to rules and civility. It starts out with the conflict between Jack and Ralph. Jack, whose main priority is to keep the group’s meat supply steady, and Ralph, whose main priority is to maintain control, argues numerous times in the book. As tension builds up between the two, the arguments grow more serious. At one point, Ralph tells Jack, “ You’re breaking the rules!” and Jack replies, “ Who cares?” (p. 91). This event foreshadows Jack’s rebellion against Ralph and the series of events following the rebellion that lead to the final collapse of their society. The collapse is indicated by the destruction of the conch. The conch, which had called the meetings into place and moreover gave the right to speak in one, clearly represented order and law on the island. “ … The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (p. 181). At that moment, it was not only the conch that ceased to exist, but their society’s remaining stability as well.