Lagoon in Lord of The Flies: a Microcosm of Society

You know, William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" is one heck of a novel. The lagoon in it is just something else, right? It’s like this big mirror showing what’s going on with the kids' little society stuck on that island. At first, the lagoon is kinda like their safe spot. It's got calm waters and food – pretty much a life-saver for these kids. But as things go downhill, the lagoon becomes more about chaos and savagery. So here, we’re gonna dive into how the lagoon plays such a huge role in showing us how things fall apart for those boys.

The Lagoon: A Beacon of Hope

At the start, that lagoon is just perfect for them boys, ain’t it? It gives them water and food – a real lifeline. Golding paints it as "a long, silvered pool that lost itself in the bright tropical sea" (Golding, 1954). The water sparkles; there's fish everywhere. For these stranded boys, it’s a bit of hope when there’s no adults around to help out.

It's where they come together to talk about survival plans. Kinda like their meeting room under the open sky. Ralph, who's been picked as their leader, even calls meetings there to chat about building shelters and stuff. This lagoon is where they try to hang onto some kind of order and make-believe civilization.

Plus, it's so chill there by the lagoon – kinda calms them down. It’s where they can forget all the crazy stuff happening around them for just a minute. The clear water and green surroundings are like a mini-vacation from all their worries. Golding says something like this place "was interrupted abruptly by the square motif of the landscape; a great platform of pink granite thrust up uncompromisingly through forest and terrace and sand and lagoon to make a raised jetty four feet high" (Golding, 1954). Yeah, it's beautiful! And it's this connection to nature that keeps reminding them of what they had before all this mess started.

The Lagoon: Stirring Up Savagery

BUT...here's the twist – as calm as it was, this lagoon slowly starts to change things for the worse too. When their attempt at keeping things civil breaks down, their wild sides start to show up right at that very lagoon.

A key moment? When Jack leads the others into killing that pig by the lagoon. They just lose themselves in violence. Golding puts it as "They were dancing, and laughing, and crying out...screamed and ran round" (Golding, 1954). Crazy stuff! This act shows they've completely let go of innocence and whatever was left of their civilized selves.

And let's not forget Simon's death scene at this same place – another haunting turn towards darkness for these boys. Mistaking him for some beastie they're afraid of, they end up killing Simon brutally here by mistake.

The Lagoon: A Tiny Society

This change from peacefulness to utter madness around this same spot mirrors what's happening with these boys overall too – everything going from bad to worse within their group dynamics.

In beginning stages when rules were still somewhat followed among 'em kids–they used lagoons symbolically trying hard keep sense order alive collectively using democratic means whenever possible… But gradually instincts overpowered rationality leading way battles power struggles fueled aggressive behaviors surfacing rapidly evermore… Sad realization isolation began sinking deeper into minds estranged former worlds transformed solely driven primal existence...

Conclusion

The way I see it? That whole lagoon setup inside Lord Flies makes powerful point capturing essence journey undertaken throughout novel moving hope despair civilization savagery transformation ultimately reflecting fragility inherent human society ever-present lurking darkness within ourselves revealing full potential unleashed consequences unchecked instincts running rampant without restraints imposed upon civilized structures holding together humanity fragile threads intertwining everyday lives...

References

• Golding, W. (1954). Lord of the Flies. Faber & Faber.
• Kinkead-Weekes, M., & Gregor, I. (1984). William Golding: A Critical Study. Faber & Faber.
• Cox, C.B., & Dyson A.E., Eds., (1963). Critical Essays on 'Lord of The Flies'. Prentice-Hall Inc.
• Babbara, B.H., (1969). 'The Power Struggle in Lord Of The Flies.' Journal Of English Literature Vol XXVII No IV Dec-69 pp84-92.