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Mankind’s Beast Author Henry David Thoreau once wrote that “the savage in a man is never quite eradicated”. As young children, people are taught what society deems acceptable. Some can argue that no matter how much is taught to an individual, the natural instinct of mankind is savagery. In other words, savagery can never be fully eliminated. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses Simon, Piggy, and Ralph to demonstrate that in order to survive, one must give in to the darkness within them; only then will they be saved. Simon is killed first because of his refusal to give in to the darkness, while Piggy is killed later on despite his efforts to suppress the evil. Ralph remains unharmed because by the end of the book, he has given in to the …show more content…
evil, which saves him from dying. Throughout the novel, Simon remains true to his civilized ways even when everybody around him is slowly beginning to conform to their inner immoralities. Readers can even describe his character as the “God” figure, or the pure one. Simon is always one step ahead of everyone else in discovering who the true “beast” is. For example, he states that “’maybe it’s only us’…Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind’s essential illness” (Golding 96), this quote, said during one of the boys’ meetings, alludes to the fact that Simon is the first to suggest the idea that the beast could just be an imaginative element in human nature, instead of a physical being. Although the other boys laugh at this seemingly “nuts” idea, Simon’s knowledge is key to understanding Golding’s message that evil can only exist in oneself. Since Simon had only theorized this idea, he did not have actual proof that there really is no beast; that is until he finds the sow’s head and it begins to speak to him in one of his vivid hallucinations. ‘Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt and kill!’ said the head. ‘You knew didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are?’ (158) When the Lord of the Flies is speaking to Simon, he proves to him that he was right all along, and the true “beast” is a part of everyone: “You knew didn’t you? I’m part of you?” (158). The importance of Simon being the only character to actually see the Lord of the Flies shows that he is the only character innocent enough to realize that the only thing evil on the island is inside each boy. As Simon heads back to the rest of the boys he discovers the “beast” the boys fear and realize it was just a dead parachutist, “he saw how pitilessly the layers of rubber and canvas held the body…the beast was harmless and horrible; and the news must reach the others as soon as possible” (162). Initially, the boys believed that the flapping parachute was the deadly beast, which eventually drives them into chaos. Upon stumbling across the dead body, Simon discovers that the corpse is of no harm and confirms what the Lord of the Flies told him. Ultimately, his quest to reveal the truth to the rest of the boys leads to his death, due to the fact that the boys were now complete savages, and mistake him for the beast. Simon is unable to survive among the group of savages because of his innocence, which explains why he was the only one to understand the truth of the beast. Piggy may seem like the only truly innocent character in the novel, with his childish personality and ‘specs’, but in reality he too has evil within him, which explains why he was not the first to die. At the start of the book, he is constantly trying to make conversation with Ralph and is the only one warning the others about their dangerous behavior. “How can you expect to be rescued if you don’t put first things first and act proper?” (45) Piggy’s constant reminders that the things the boys were doing weren’t ethical showed his intellectual, still youthful and innocent self. But as the story progresses, more of the evil within him emerges. Piggy is seen as the smart, logical boy who always gave insight to what is right or wrong, but as the others continue their voyage into complete savagery, he slowly begins to give in to his evils. This is evidently shown when Piggy, influenced by the savages’ manic behavior, joins the savages’ malevolent chanting while beating Simon to death. “Piggy and Ralph, under the threat of the sky, found themselves eager to take place in this demented but partly secure society…’Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!’” (167-168) Although the audience see what evils lurk within Piggy, his childhood innocence isn’t quite lost. Piggy asks Jack “Which is better-to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?” (200) which suggests that he hasn’t fully succumbed to the evil within himself, for he is still able to differentiate between civilization and savagery. These last few words lead him up to his death when he is cruelly crushed by a boulder. Piggy’s slow descent into evil isn’t what killed him, but rather his inability to lose all of his innocence. Based on Simon and Piggy’s deaths, Ralph would have been the last to die but was saved by the naval officer.
Ralph has always been the leader-like figure in the novel, and is even selected chief. His idea of using the conch as a symbol of unity brings the boys together as one, and his hope and determination to be rescued shows that he wishes to return to his normal, innocent childhood and realizes the need for rescue. But his values are soon compromised as he is exposed to true savagery. “Ralph was full of fright and apprehension and pride…’I hit him! The spear stuck in-...I hit him with my spear, I wounded him’...Ralph carried away by a sudden thick excitement, grabbed Eric’s spear and jabbed at Robert with it.” …show more content…
(124-125) When Ralph spears the pig, his inner savagery is somewhat released and he seems to enjoy the feeling, which shows that he has darkness within him.
However, Ralph does not kill the pig implying to the reader that he is still innocent. As Ralph struggles to maintain society’s guidelines, his loyalty to his good morals falter. Nearing the end of the book, Ralph realizes how lonely he is and what the boys have come to as he is fighting against the savages: “What was the sensible thing to do? There was no Piggy to talk sense. There was no solemn assembly for debate nor dignity of the conch” (218). His personal thoughts show that he feels alone and helpless, and is beginning to surrender to the evil. Ralph understands that all order is lost among the boys, and chaos has since taken its place. As he picks up his spear, ready to face his death, he is stopped by a naval officer. The sight of rescue and the return to a civilized society plunges Ralph into a state of anguish. He “wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of a man’s heart,” (225) as he realizes that although he is saved from the horrors of the island, the knowledge of evil will forever haunt him, and his innocence is
lost. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses Simon, Piggy, and Ralph to demonstrate that in order to survive, one must give in to the darkness within them. As the young boys evolve from civilized, innocent children to barbaric, vicious savages their innocence is overtaken by the evil hiding within them. Golding portrays loss of innocence as something that is already found within the boys, instead of something that is done to them. He implies that no matter how much society advances, the natural instinct of humans is savagery. In conclusion, the more one clings to their innocence, the harder it will be to thrive within a civilization that is based upon evil.
Ralph joins Jack and the hunters in the hunt for the pig and gets caught up in the excitement of the kill. Prior to this, Ralph has been the voice of reason and common sense on the island. Now, he has let his urge to kill take over, and he is obviously excited and enjoying it.
In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Simon and Piggy are among a group of boys who become stranded on a deserted island. Left without any adults, the boys attempt to create an orderly society. However, as the novel progresses, the boys struggle to sustain civility. Slowly, Jack and his hunters begin to lose sight of being rescued and start to act more savagely, especially as fears about a beast on the island spread. As the conflict progresses, Jack and Ralph battle for power. The boys’ struggle with the physical obstacles of the island leads them to face a new unexpected challenge: human nature. One of the boys, Simon, soon discovers that the “beast” appears not to be something physical, but a flaw within all humans
‘Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!’” (Golding, ). This quote demonstrates how Ralph’s ruthlessness takes control and how he begins to turn senseless. The transformation the boys undergo is substantial to the theme of loss of identity because it reveals how the island is truly affecting the boys mindsets. Ralph, who was chosen as leader because he showed confidence and fortitude soon became paranoid about hunting the beast. This caused Ralph to lose himself, and it allowed the ruthlessness to consume
Civilization vs savagery is an internal conflict the group of boys faces in Lord of the Flies. Ralph, Jack, and Simon are on their way back to the meeting spot after they have ruled that they are on an island. As they make their way through the jungle back to the meeting spot, they find a piglet caught in a tangle of vines. Jack draws his knife in an attempt to kill the piglet for meat. He is unsuccessful and cannot bring himself to do it. Ralph and Simon question him on why he hesitates to kill the pig. “They knew very well why he hadn't: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood” (Golding #29). This quotation incorporates blood and savage-like imagery. The quotation also
Numerous times in the book, this was acquainted with the characteristic of savagery. After failing to kill his first pig, and soon experiencing the rush of trying to catch another, the thirst for it began to become exposed. " Rescue? Yes, of course! All the same, I'd like to catch a pig first-" He snatched up his spear and dashed it into the ground. The opaque, mad look came into his eyes again” (Golding 53). Highlighting the mad look in his from this quote, really draws the attention towards the evolving butal nature inside of him. Almost paying no mind to this at the time, Ralph and the other boys let is roll of their shoulders. “‘You wouldn't care to help with the shelters, I suppose?’ ‘We want meat - ’ ‘And we don't get it.’ Now the antagonism was audible. ‘But I shall! Next time! I've got to get a barb on this spear! We wounded a pig and the spear fell out.’” (51) Each time he goes out, the frustration of his neglect rises from others especially Ralph, and his inhumanity
He blows the conch and summons the deserted children together” (Li & Wu 1). While all the boys are interested mainly in playing and setting out to satisfy their own needs, Ralph is focused on building shelter and keeping a fire going to facilitate their rescue. As one can see, Ralph is “the representative of civilization and democracy, lives by rules, acts peacefully, and follows moral commands and values the good of the group, who dramatically reveals the condition of civilization and democracy in Golding’s time” (Li & Wu
Would you be able to resist savagery from being away from society? Could you resist the urging power to kill? How about being able to find food without killing or not to go full savage on other people, could you still do it? A normal person could say no to all of these. In the novel, “Lord of The Flies”, William Golding shows that without civilization, a person can turn into a savage by showing progressively how they went through the seven steps of savagery.
As much as everyone would like to believe that all people are inherently good, the illusion of innocence that is often presumed throughout childhood makes the revelation of human nature especially hard to bear. Arthur Koestler said, “Nothing is more sad than the death of an illusion”, and this one is certainly a very hard reality to cope with. In the novel Lord of the Flies, the author William Golding tells the story of a group of British schoolboys who crash land on an uninhabited island in the midst of a world war, and how they regress from civilization to savagery. By conveying Ralph’s reactions to the deaths of Simon and Piggy, providing detailed, symbolic imagery of the cliffs and the lagoon, and showing Ralph’s despair at his new understanding
Ralph’s power at the beginning is secure but as the group succumbs to their savage instincts, Ralph’s influence declines as Jack’s rises. This is due mainly to the cruelty and violence that goes on in the story. This cruelty reveals that Ralph’s commitment to civilization and being rescued is so strong that he will not allow himself to change his morals and become cruel like the others. The cruelty in this novel also shows that Ralph is a very intelligent character. His intelligence can be proven because there was a point in the novel when he hunts a boar for the first time and he experiences the thrill of bloodlust. He also attends one of Jack’s feast where he is swept away by the frenzy and participates in the killing of Simon. This is a very tragic moment for Ralph because this is when he realizes the evil that lives within himself and every human being. It is the cruel acts that happen in this novel that reveals Ralph’s character of being intelligent and being able to think deeply about human experiences. He even weeps when getting saved because of his knowledge about the human capacity for
At the beginning, clearly Ralph feels that Jack is an ally, a companion; not a rival for leadership, "Ralph found himself alone on a limb with Jack and they grinned at each other ... that strange invisible light of friendship". The chosen leader of the group, Ralph tried to lead the stranded boys into some kind of order. The authority of Jack and the sensibility of Piggy easily sway him. When Ralph first meets Piggy, he sees him as a lower person who should be ridiculed. He starts off by asking for his name and he is told that people used to make fun of
However, at the end of the book, he simply stood for a common human being. In the beginning of the story, before a formal introduction, Ralph was described simply as “a fair boy.” This already sets him out in a favorable light. Then it further describes how he is apparently good-looking and has the natural air of leadership. Of course, the conch played a big role when the kids voted him for leader, but his appearance played a large role as well. For the good first part of the book, Ralph has always symbolized leadership. As the story progresses and the kids became more and more distant from the idea of civilization, Ralph became more like a representation of common sense. Golding wrote, “‘I was chief, and you were going to do what I said. You talk. But you can’t even build huts-then you go off hunting and let the fire-’ He turned away, silent for a moment. Then his voice came again on a peak of feeling. ‘There was a ship-’” At this part, Ralph criticized Jack for not doing the necessary civilized things in favor of quenching his thirst for a hunt. As more and more of the kids become more and more uncivilized, Ralph became one of the last voices of common sense. When Simon and Piggy died, Ralph was the last one who retained that common sense and yearned for civilization. He had no leadership powers left anymore, and he stood for nothing more than a
-Golding writes that Samneric were “examining Ralph curiously, as though they were seeing him for the first time,” showing how much Samneric have changed. They realize that Ralph is capable of making mistakes, and also how scary this sit...
Ralph shows what the boys need by the way he handles the then. Jack considers the boys lower to him, meanwhile, Ralph treats...
... people are out in the wild, and also have no civilization or government to keep their evil suppressed. At the very end of the book when the boys are rescued Golding writes, “ His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy” (202). In this quote Ralph is crying because he has now lost all of his innocence that he once had before he got on that horrible island, due to everything that has happened on the island. He is also crying because he had just lost his friend Piggy because of the savagery acts of the boys and now he realizes how evil everyone is.
Fear caused the characters to decent into to world of savagery. The characters felt as thought they had to protect themselves which caused them to turn. Fear triggered the characters in Lord of the Flies to have a huge separation between reality and fantasy. The boys started to imagine this creature that they called the “beast.” The “beast” was described as a furry monster with wings, teeth and sharp claws and followed them, almost touching Sam and Eric. The reason why this caused them to decent into savagery is because they ended up killing Simon, who they though was the “beast”. All because of their change of perception when it came to reality and fantasy of the “beast”, they killed the Godly figure of the book and did not feel remorse. At the start of the novel the boys realized that the only food they had at the moment were berries. The fact that the boys did not have meat caused them slowly to turn into savages. At the beginning the boys were not able to kill the pig, feeling bad for it whereas at the end of the book the boys were killing without having that sense of doing anything wrong. By the fear of not having enough food and having to killing the pig it was the start of the boys