The Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a classic coming of age novel - pairing young airplane crash survivors against each other and the elements. The boys' adventure spirals into violence, murder, and savagery, indicating the author's view on society and its potential for violence and debauchery.

Every hand outside the choir except Piggy's was raised immediately. Then Piggy, too, raised his hand grudgingly into the air" (Golding 22). This passage is significant to the novel for several reasons. First, it establishes Ralph as the leader of the small band of boys, and it indicates there is a decided split between Ralph and Jack, the antagonist of the novel. It also shows that Piggy does not trust Ralph, because he betrayed a confidence (his name), and that he may come between Jack and Ralph in the future, or he may be a cause of friction in the future. All of this is significant because it establishes there will be trouble in the future, and there will be considerable conflicts between Ralph and Jack. It also implies that Jack is a bully and not a true leader, because the choir is intimidated enough by him to be reluctant to vote for him, but they know the consequences if they do not. Clearly, the relationship between Ralph and Jack is central to the novel and central to Golding's themes of society and violence. Already, the boys are becoming divided into "good" and "evil," a theme that will continue throughout the novel to indicate how important social order is to combating evil and violence.

People don't help much.' "He wanted to explain how people were never quite what you thought they were" (Golding 61). Ralph's frustration stems from the fact that he is more mature and serious than many of the other children, who seem to ignore the danger they face and the seriousness of their predicament. Ralph is attempting to be a mature leader, and he is discovering an unpleasant aspect of society - people tend to sit back and let a leader do all the work while they reap the benefits. Ralph is taking responsibility for the safety and welfare of the group, while they let him. Again, this is Golding's way of attacking society and how it functions, blended with human nature. His theme is that humans are basically savages, and without the trappings of social order and right and wrong, humans will simply degenerate into little more than animals, just as some of the boys on the island do in this novel.

Ralph is dealing with human nature, but he is also dealing with children who have not matured enough to recognize their faults or their weaknesses. They simply react to their surroundings, mostly as children. This is a serious problem for a leader who takes his job seriously, and is getting little support from those around him. Sooner or later, his leadership and power will begin to erode. The children will think he is becoming too serious or dictator like, and they will begin to rebel against his authority. They gave him authority, but in society, people tend to rebel against too much authority, even if it is for their own good in the end. By being responsible, Ralph represents ordered society, but it is clear that he is doomed, because the children, enjoying their first true taste of freedom, must rebel at some time in the novel.

Don't you understand you painted fools? Sam, Eric, Piggy and me - we aren't enough. We tried to keep the fire going, but we couldn't. An they you, playing at hunting...'" (Golding 213). This passage is significant because it shows how far the boy's society has disintegrated and how unrealistically Jack's band of boys are behaving. Ralph's main concern is rescue, and his efforts are all aimed at that. However, Jack's group is already degenerating into animals, completely content with their existence, no matter how hard it is. Golding is showing the two sides of society here, and how quickly one side or the other can degenerate and turn ugly. Jack's band of boys is not intent on rescue; they are intent on survival, even if it is at the cost of others on the island. They can no longer function as a team, because they have taken on the characteristics of violent animals whose only goal is to survive at any cost. They do not care that the four cannot do it alone, so they have already lost many of the important aspects of society that hold it together - a sense of teamwork and the common good.

Simon and Maurice arrived. Ralph looked at them with unwinking eyes. Simon turned away, smearing the water from his cheeks. Ralph reached inside himself for the worst word he knew. 'They let the bloody fire go out'" (Golding 77). My rewrite would be:

Simon and Maurice arrived, jubilant. Ralph greeted them with whoops and shouts. Simon turned away, wiping the water from his cheeks. Ralph reached inside himself for the best word he knew. "Jubilation," he cried, "They found us!"

Of course, this would change the entire framework of the novel from a biting comment on society to a Pollyanna "the boys are saved" book that did not have nearly the impact or importance of this novel. I would place this rewrite further on in the book, to give the boys time to experience many of the things they need to experience in this coming of age novel. However, this rewrite would change the outcome not only in that the boys would be saved, none of them would die, and of course, the lessons from the novel would be greatly reduced. This indicates how a simple plot change can alter the entire focus and impact of a novel.

Journal to Piggy: As a character, Piggy represents the outcast or unique individual in society that is always different, misunderstood, and mocked. Piggy is fat, which is different enough, but he also has to wear glasses, he is smart, and he is weak - making immediately the enemy to anyone who wants to intimidate him. He would have made a good leader because he is wise, but his insecurities and uniqueness prevented that. It is interesting to note as they story develops that the boys recognize the importance of Piggy's "specs," and even steal them at one point, but they cannot equate any of that with Piggy himself. They cannot acknowledge him for the contributions he makes to the society of the island; they can only destroy him because he is different and can never become one of them.