Defects Within Society in The Lord of The Files

The defects of the general psychological characteristics, behavioral traits, and emotions of humankind all impact a society. In William Golding’s allegory “Lord of the Flies”, a group of schoolboys stranded on an empty Pacific island make way into savagery because of humankind flaws. Golding asserts that his novel is “an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature.” Through the boys’ behavior, Golding reveals that due to fear, power, and loss of morality, a stable society is destined to fail.

Fear causes humans to behave irrationally. The main source of fear on the island is the Beast, an unseen yet incredibly feared creature. The one character not afraid of the Beast is Piggy, who represents reasoning, logic, and intellect. This shows that fear is illogical and unaffected by the sense of the human mind. Once “people started getting frightened” (102), the boys’ “understandable and law-filled world [begins] to slip away” (113). This commences with Simon’s death when the other children mistake him for the Beast and beat him to death purely out of fear and imagination. The boys also demonstrate irrational behavior caused by fear when they abandon Ralph (a rule-based and fair leader) for Jack (a savage and violent dictator) just to feel more protected from an imaginary beast. Since the boys in Jack’s tribe were unable to speak up for themselves out of fear, this truly proves that fear is “mankind’s essential illness” (111); it not only creates problems, it prevents them from getting solved.

From the weakness of fear, the strength of power becomes a constant complication on the island. The two ideal references of power are Ralph’s democratic power and Jack’s autocratic power. In the beginning, Ralph is in charge and the lives of the society go relatively smoothly, although Jack is constantly attempting to weaken Ralph’s authority. Jack displays his desire for control when he proclaims in an assembly that “it’s time some people knew they’ve got to keep quiet and leave deciding things to the rest of us” (126), showing his aspiration to be in control of all settlements on the island. In the end, Jack’s savage force overrules Ralph’s stability, as the other boys join his tribe and hunt Ralph. The verity that Jack’s “hunt and kill” (222) mindset overthrew Ralph’s fair-mindedness displays how power makes humans defective; human beings need power and a leader for having rules to follow, and having a stable moral life; however, power and control often damages those in possession of it, and cruel exertion usually triumphs over a democracy.

As with the corruption that accompanies power, the loss of morality can allow human beings to commit terrible and unruly actions. When one does not have to face oneself, therefore taking responsibility for one’s actions, committing acts of abomination is horrific. As the boys lose their morality, so do they also lose their humanity. An example of this loss can be demonstrated in Roger. Upon his arrival to the island, he is shown to be quite mischievous by throwing stones at Henry, but “throwing to miss” (78). However, at the end of the allegory, safely concealed behind the savages’ face paint, he is far more malevolent. Roger urges to push a boulder “with a sense of delirious abandonment” (222) onto Piggy, forwarding him tumbling to his death. Behind a painted mask, Roger does not feel the innocence and “taboo of old life” (78). This loss of morality is also displayed by Jack. At the beginning of the novel, his characteristics include being bossy but harmless and referred to simply as “Jack” (28). By the end of the allegory, however, he is a hunter, a savage, capable of taking human life, and referred to as just “Chief” (223). This loss of morality is seen frequently in war practices. The opposing rival is depicted as a nameless monster, not as living individual people. These people, however, are roughly never seen in battle and are created into nameless objects additionally by all wearing uniforms and dark masks. This total dehumanization of the enemy makes the enemies much an effortless target to attack and eventually kill. In both society and the island, the loss of morality is a serious and harmful defect with severe outcomes.

Through the boys’ experiences on the island in William Golding’s allegory “Lord of the Flies,” it is revealed the effects of fear, power, and loss of identity in morality and how those defects can be detected within a society. Fear causes irrational behavior, power corrupts individuals and surroundings, and the loss of morality makes doing unruly activities an undemanding act. Each individual flaw causes harm on its own, but together they are truly fatal, even capable of creating wars between communities and ideas. As humans beings continue to pursue these defects, society will, therefore, be defective.