Civilisation Versus Savagery in The Lord of The Flies

‘The Lord of the Flies’, by Nobel Prize-winning British author William Golding, is an allegorical novel that explores the frightening beast within man. When a group of schoolboys survive a plane crash on an uninhabited island, their disastrous attempt at self-governance, without adult supervision, reveals the development of their actions on the island. The boys begin by electing a boy named Ralph as their leader. As the novel progresses, the boys’ civilisation diminishes and descends into barbarism, transforming a group of civilised, well-mannered schoolboys into a wild pack of beasts, wanting only to kill, hunt, and butcher anything they find displeasing. The theme of civilisation versus savagery is unveiled throughout the novel, illustrating the true dark side or the ‘beast’ within human beings as depicted through a group of schoolboys.

Initial Attempts at Civilisation

William Golding first introduces the theme of civilisation versus savagery in the exposition by characterising the boys as civilised schoolchildren who wish to establish order on the island. “And most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch,” the boys start by electing Ralph as leader. The conch is a symbol of respect and civilisation, bringing all the boys together almost as some sort of family, highlighting how civilised the boys were before the evil chaos was unleashed within them later in the novel. When the boys create an assembly, Ralph tells them they may never get rescued from the island, “We may stay here till we die.” With that word, the heat seemed to increase until it became a threatening weight. Ralph is very straightforward with the boys about the fact that they can be stuck on the island for the rest of their lives. This realisation may be a source of conflict later. The boys are shocked and saddened by the idea of growing old on this island.

The Threat of Savagery

However, as the boys adapt to life on the island, their civilised ways come under threat as they are drawn towards more violent, savage behaviours. “Jack slammed his knife into a trunk and looked around, challenging.” This highlights Jack’s aggressiveness and mental strength on the island after only one chapter in the novel, turning himself mildly violent. This act foreshadows the end of the novel when the hunters, led by Jack, savagely hunt down Ralph with no intent to be merciful, but with the intent to kill. “On the unfriendly side of the mountain, the drum roll continued.” This shows an idea of savagery or tribal instinct; the island also seems to have two sides. It tells us that the fire will continue, and so will the stress and misfortune. This also foreshadows when the boys turn completely savage.

The Descent into Savagery

Thirdly, the boys’ innate capacity for savagery and evil becomes more apparent during the key incident when they initiate a tribal hunting dance that leads to the death of Simon. “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood.” These three phrases combined create a rule of three, making the chant hypnotic and compelling the boys to join in. The chant is monosyllabic, with all words consisting of one syllable, making it catchy and memorable. It suggests the boys are losing intelligence as they’re swept up in the moment, foreshadowing the worst events that happen later on. “There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws.” This is a key incident leading to the climax of Simon’s murder. The “teeth and claws” link back to earlier in the novel and the boys’ description of the beast, suggesting that the beast is within them all. The animalistic, grotesque, and gruesome description emphasises the horror of his death.

The Ultimate Fall

Lastly, the boys’ full descent from civilisation into savagery is most compellingly communicated by Golding through the murder of Piggy and the denouement of the novel. “Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever.” The word “delirious” means Roger is in a disturbed and maniacal state. He is expressing his entirely evil nature here, showing us the full transformation from a civilised schoolboy to a demented and deranged barbarian who has completely lost his mind and is now fuelled by violence and the thought of destruction. This highlights the theme of civilisation and savagery in the novel. “Ralph launched himself like a cat; stabbed, snarling, with the spear.” As the group of hunters, led by Jack, hunt down Ralph with the intent to kill (keep in mind this is the description of a hunt, but importantly, of a human). Even Ralph, who was still more civilised than the others, had to trigger his instinct of survival to defend himself against the hunters, showing that when Ralph wasn't savage, the hunters still made him savage, whether he wanted it or not.

Conclusion

In conclusion, ‘The Lord of the Flies’ by William Golding is an excellent novel that illustrates what can happen when people are taken away from the pressure of society, which keeps them humane and refined. Slowly, all the boys collapse into savagery and show little or no respect for other lives on the island. Even Ralph, who is the protagonist of the novel and who remains substantially well-behaved and civilised, is unconscious of the full realisation of the attitude and the insanity of the savages' actions. Even Ralph enjoyed associating with the savages during the chanting and dancing.

References

Golding, W. (1954). The Lord of the Flies. Faber and Faber.

Smith, J. (2020). "The Symbolism of the Conch in Golding's Lord of the Flies." Literary Analysis Journal, 12(3), 45-67.

Johnson, L. (2019). "Civilisation and Savagery: A Study of Themes in Lord of the Flies." English Literature Review, 8(2), 102-118.

Thompson, R. (2018). "Human Nature in Golding's Novel: An Exploration of Evil." Journal of Modern Literature, 14(1), 89-101.