Examples Of Savagery In Lord Of The Flies

Lord of the Flies: The Face of Civilization and Savagery
In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding the main concern in the novel is the concern between two competing impulses that exist within all human beings: the instinct to live by rules, act peacefully, follow moral commands, and value the good of the group against the instinct to satisfy ones immediate desires, act violently to obtain power over others, and enforce one’s will. Throughout the novel, Golding associates the instinct of civilization with good and the instinct of savagery with evil. The idea of savagery is central in the novel and show cases in several important symbols, most notably the conch shell, Piggy’s glasses and the dead parachutist.
As the novel progresses,

Golding shows how different symbols influence the instincts if civilization and savagery staring of with the conch shell. “By the time Ralph finished blowing the conch the platform was crowded.” (32) The conch shell represents a display of order in a utopia where no rules are present because the conch is the first rule on the island. When Jack speaks without the conch he shows the break in civilization on the island and proves that he will be making his own rules from now on. By doing so he makes Ralph not use the conch which is showing their society falling apart. When Ralph goes to call a meeting, he decides to hold the conch up instead of blowing it. The boys still understand and listen, even though the noise that usually calls them together is not heard showing the power of the conch. At the end of the novel when the conch was shattered the civilized instinct among the boys ended. When the conch shatters the last point of unity is lost forever. Since the first chapter the conch has been a symbol as the “power in everyone.” The conch held the group together with organization and unity. Now that the conch is gone, the last bit of tranquillity the group held on is gone. The fact that Jack’s tribe was behind the destruction of the conch also symbolizes that he continues to contribute to all the tension on the island. Savagery is finally setting in, staring with the destruction of the conch.
Piggy’s glasses are significant; they represent the intellectual and ordered side of humanity.

Before the boys leave to hunt, Jack tells piggy to stay behind and watch the littluns. Ralph counters him saying, “‘have some sense what can Piggy do with only one eye?’”(138). Ralph is basically saying Piggy can only see clearly through one eye and would not be very good defense. In saying that since piggy‘s glasses are the last piece of evidence of the structured world you can say that society is starting to crumble, now that piggy has lost a lens and his glasses are falling apart. “‘Ralph shouted at him. "Piggy! have you got any matches!"...Piggy shook his head and came to the pile... Jack pointed suddenly. "His specs-use them as burning glasses!’”.(42) “‘...Jack smacked Piggy's head. Piggy's glasses flew off and tinkled on the rocks. Piggy cried out in terror: "My specs!"... Simon, who got there first, found them for him... "One side's broken’” (45) After, this incident, some hope was theoretically lost. After Piggy's glasses were shattered on one lens, the boys subconsciously threw themselves into divided civilizations. Like Piggy, the boys become figuratively blinded and hopeless when they are without the glasses. They see no way to make a signal fire and all together become negative in thinking they will ever make it out alive. Hope is blind, when the glasses are gone, just as Piggy goes blind without them. The breaking of the glasses represents the breaking of the last

tie to humanity that the boys have.
The island had once been civilized as the boys had followed the rules and lived in well manner “‘Shut up,” said Ralph absently.

He lifted the conch. “Seems to me we ought to have a chief to decide things.’” (22) As time progressed, the boys become more cruel and immature. One night a dead parachutist was found on the island. This resembles the evil going on outside the island with the war, and also the evil going on within the boys and the “beastie”. It demonstrates that the violence that is beginning to form on the island, and that was once civilized, is becoming unstable. When dead parachutist was discovered all tranquility among the island was gone. Now jack and his tribe were more eager into killing they were determined and willing to sacrifice their hope to be saved off the island. “‘Hasn’t anyone got any sense? We’ve got to relight that fire.’”(99) Jack dis obeys ralph the chief and goes his separate way ever since the dead parachutist landed on the island Jack changed to become his own

leader.
Throughout the novel, Golding associates civilization with good and savagery with evil. The idea of civilization and savagery in the novel and show cases in several important symbols, most notably the conch shell demonstrating authority and power, Piggy’s glasses the only thing left on the island for hope to be found and the dead parachutist the evil going on and the other side of the island.