Conch Lord Of The Flies Analysis

What is at the core of human nature, when all preconceptions and societal obligations have been removed? The philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset stated that "yo soy yo y mi circumstancia" ("I am I and my circumstance"), suggesting that humans are not bound by a predetermined nature, rather adapt to their surroundings and choose their own path in life. Thomas Hobbes, another philosopher, suggested that humans are at the core savage, and need to create social structures and governments to maintain order. William Golding tackles this question in The Lord of the Flies, placing a group of young British boys alone on an uninhabited island. Each of the boys, although drastically different and representations of a variety of philosophies, are united by

Jack recognizes early on that although the conch unites the boys through social agreements, fear of the beast is an even greater power over the boys. He adapts, and "now [he's] going to get more of the biguns away from the conch," (Golding 133). The conch is a representation of the common power of unity and democracy. Jack notices that respect for the conch gives power to Ralph, who was elected democratically as the leader. In order to increase his own following, he draws the boys away from the conch, and towards the thrill of his hunt. Rather than simply regressing into savagery and dragging the rest of the boys down with him, like Thomas Hobbes' theory might suggest, Jack embodies Ortega y Gasset's theory of human nature when he intentionally manipulates the boys' fear. Jack twists the beast to become his own symbol of power, going as far as to deify the beast, and representing himself as a prophet. He consciously adapts his portrayal of the beast because he is aware that it is his source of power. After Simon's death, some boys believe that they have killed the beast and that they have nothing left to fear. Jack quickly turns this around, suggesting that "[the beast] came—disguised. He may come again," (Golding 160). Jack not only encourages belief in the beast, but exploits the deep shame the others feel from killing another human. While Jack

Through his use of allegorical characters, and his depiction of their fates, Golding suggests that humans need societies rules to save themselves from evil, but that the core of that evil lies within humans themselves. Piggy desperately needs societal structure in order to survive, and he encourages the boys to maintain social order by pushing Ralph into leadership and acting as the unofficial protector of the shell. But Golding suggests that social structures do not survive the strain of savagery when "the rock struck Piggy… the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist," (Golding 181). Golding deliberately uses imagery of the conch dissolving without a trace, emphasizing the complete loss of social constraints. Without Piggy and the conch, representations of unity and social structure, Jack loses his humanity and becomes completely willing to kill, setting out to hunt Ralph down. Although humans may initially create social contracts and governments in order to protect themselves, under the stress of intense fear, these structures fall apart. Ironically, leaders throughout history have recognized the power of fear and integrated it as the driving factor of social order. Fear of imprisonment, fear of fines, fear of failure, fear of social alienation, fear mandates that humans behave. Not even the innocence of an untouched island can remove