Desire In Lord Of The Flies Analysis

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Buddha once declared, "Desire is the root cause of all evil." While desires are unavoidable, rules and society contain them, preventing humans from completely giving in. When a group of boys land on an island in Lord of the Flies by William Golding, away from the binds of society, they band together to create their own civilization. However, they soon find difficulty maintaining order as their desires lure them away from productivity. Innocent people, such as these boys, act against their moral consciences when they give in to their temptations, as shown by Jack's hunting obsession, Ralph's constant desire to join the others, and Samneric's choice to defect to Ralph's tribe. A desire for blood and flesh eats away at Jack's innocent and civilized nature. Shortly after a plane crash brought boys to on the island, Jack volunteers himself as a hunter, eager to maintain some position of authority. Jack is given the first opportunity to hunt when he and two other boys, setting out to explore the island, encounter a piglet, which, if killed, could provide dinner. Although he hesitates, allowing its escape, he demonstrates his forceful nature as he stabs a tree with his knife, and implies that in the future, "there would be no mercy"(31). Despite the initial failure, the possibility of hunting remains in Jack's mind. The reader witnesses Jack's struggle to contain the desire affecting him …show more content…

After Jack decides to form his own tribe at Castle Rock, where murder and blood are accepted and applauded, many of the Ralph's tribe slip away to attend Jack's feast. Samneric are more reluctant than the others, as they are close to Ralph, the other leader who values productivity and fairness; however, their preference for things being easy is seen in following excerpt, as they try to explain to Ralph their reasons for

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