Primal Instinct

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Primal Instinct

In the Lord of the Flies William Golding has a group of schoolboys crash on an island and become barbaric. The reason why the boys turn wild is because of their primal instinct to hurt others. This behavior is inherited from early ancestors killing to

stay alive. Mans tendency towards violence, how people take sides and divide into

groups, and the struggle for power are three ways mans behavior will generally occur.

Each of these suggests that violence is a key factor to getting what they want.

Mans primal instinct towards violence really shows when they are living without rules or realize that there are no authority figures to enforce any rules. Without having consequences for any actions that might be taken then they primal instinct of the boys

begins to take over. Even though the fact of no punishments may be known in the back

of ones mind there is still the thought of what’s right. “Roger stooped, picked up a stone, aimed, and threw it at Henry and back again.” (Page 67) This is an example of how

Roger knows it is wrong to hit someone with a rock but also knows that there are no

punishments for anything. “The madness came into his eyes again. “I thought I might

kill.”” (Page 55) This is showing how he lets his primal side take over his thoughts when he is hunting. He forgets about everything he had ever been told about what’s right

because of his primal instinct to kill. He had an urge to hunt, his instincts were teaching him how. Even thought he really did now know how to hunt mans primal instincts helped him learn quickly.

How people take sides and form groups shows how majority rules. The majority that rules needs a leader. This leader has to hold the rules but when the children’s primal instincts take over the control is lost but the majority still rules. “Let him be the chief with the trumpet thing.” (Page 24) This quote shows how all of the children are agreeing on this. Once one mentions it, the rest agree. If there is not anyone brave enough to mention something then no one will because they are all afraid that no one else will agree with them. “Who thinks Ralph oughtn’t be chief?” – “he looked expectantly at the boys ranged round, who had frozen.

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