Lord of the Flies: Society, Violence, and Human Nature

Introduction: Golding's Vision of Society

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

Ralph and Jack: Order Versus Savagery

"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 a decided split between Ralph and Jack, the antagonist of the novel. It also shows that Piggy does not fully trust Ralph, because Ralph betrayed a confidence by revealing Piggy's nickname, and that Piggy may become a source of friction between Ralph and Jack as the story develops.

All of this is significant because it establishes that trouble lies ahead and that there will be considerable conflict between Ralph and Jack. It also implies that Jack is a bully rather than a true leader — the choir boys are intimidated enough by him to be reluctant to vote for him, yet they fear the consequences of not doing so. Clearly, the relationship between Ralph and Jack is central to the novel and to Golding's themes of society and violence. Already, the boys are dividing into "good" and "evil," a theme that continues throughout the novel to illustrate how important social order is to combating violence and moral decay.

Ralph's Leadership and the Weight of Responsibility

"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 boys, who seem to ignore the danger they face and the gravity of their situation. Ralph is attempting to be a capable leader and is discovering an unpleasant truth about society: people tend to sit back and allow a leader to do all the work while they reap the benefits. Ralph is taking responsibility for the safety and welfare of the group, while the others let him carry that burden alone. This is Golding's way of critiquing society and human nature simultaneously. His central theme is that humans are fundamentally prone to savagery, and that without the framework of social order — with its attendant concepts of right and wrong — people will degenerate into little more than animals, just as some of the boys on the island do.

Ralph is contending not only with human nature but also with children who have not yet matured enough to recognize their own faults or weaknesses. They react to their surroundings instinctively, as children do. This poses a serious problem for a leader who takes his responsibilities seriously and receives little support from those around him. Sooner or later, his authority will begin to erode. The children will perceive him as too serious or too dictatorial, and they will begin to rebel. They granted him authority, but society tends to resist even well-intentioned authority. By remaining responsible and measured, Ralph represents ordered civilization, yet it is clear that he is doomed — because children who are experiencing their first true taste of freedom must, at some point, rebel against constraint.

References

Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1962.