Main Themes in The Lord of The Flies

In the novel, Lord of The Flies, by William Golding, he portrays many themes throughout the book. Several boys are stranded on an island and have to figure out how to survive. Golding tries teaching us about loss of innocence, civilization versus savagery, power versus leadership, and last of all, good versus evil to demonstrate how, when the boys are left to survive on their own, all hell breaks loose.

Loss of Innocence

Golding uses the theme of loss of innocence throughout the book. Not only do the boys lose their innocence to the environment they are in, but the isolation from civilization accelerates this process. Golding shows us through Jack, “There was lashings of blood… You should’ve seen it!”. The fact that blood and acts of savagery entertained many of the boys makes it clear that they lose their innocence every minute they’re on the island. The boys have zero remorse for killing the pig so violently, they started to chant, “Kill the pig, cut his throat, kill the pig, bash him in”. The boys had cut the pig's head off and placed it on a stick. The brutality they witnessed, the things they sacrificed, and, just like things that are lost, are their loss of innocence. This transition from innocence to savagery highlights the intrinsic darkness within human nature.

Civilization versus Savagery

The theme of civilization versus savagery is created and breaks down the civilized behavior of the boys. Before the boys arrived on the island, they did not have to worry about what they were doing because they were supervised. Now that they are not, they have to make their own system, which is difficult for boys of their age to do. For instance, without civilization, the boys would be disorganized. Golding points out through Jack, “We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages.” This is important to note because Jack initially wants to be civilized and have boundaries. Yet, Jack is the most savage out of the boys. In the meantime, the boys choose a chief to try and guide them through the time they’re there for. The chief would help them have a system that would create a civilization that would keep them safe and, at the same time, create a society where they could work together. Yet, when things aren’t working out like they wanted to from the start, it's stated, “We’re all drifting and things are going rotten”. Without civilization, things will never be organized, and savagery begins when the boys start to feel threatened. This illustrates how thin the veneer of civilization truly is.

Power versus Leadership

Golding also touches on the concept of power and leadership throughout the novel by demonstrating how the boys differ. While Jack wants power, Ralph desires leadership. Again, the idea that Ralph has about leadership is, “Which is better - to have laws and agree, or to hunt and kill”. Ralph starts out as the main chief who sets up rules to try and keep order. He tries to make the other boys understand how important it is to have rules and to follow them. His main concern and goal is to be rescued. Ralph stated, “We need an assembly. Not for fun. Not for laughing. But to put things straight”. Jack is very different from Ralph; he is all about hunting and killing. As time goes on and the boys become more savage-like, Jack is there to lead them, which increases the power that Jack has wanted all along. If rules are not set in place, followed, and organized, then the boys will be stuck on the island and not get rescued. Therefore, without leadership, everyone will drift off and become more savage. This dynamic underscores the difference between authority based on respect and authority based on fear.

Good versus Evil

We learn from Golding through his use of themes that humans possess both good and evil, showing this through the tribes in the novel. Both tribes acquire different attributes when confronted with different situations. When Ralph realizes that the boys are being separated, he points out, “Which is better- to have laws and agree or to hunt and kill”. To put this in a deeper meaning, Ralph dislikes how Jack is controlling and abusing his power within his own tribe. Additionally, Ralph doesn’t think you need to subject to evilness and savagery when feeling threatened. Jack had created his tribe to be surrounded by negative leadership and power. Meanwhile, Ralph’s tribe would consist of law and order, while keeping peace. Most of the boys from the start couldn't even kill a pig, much less a human being. More specifically, for many of the boys to go from that point and kill their friends suggests that people can be inherently good and evil. So to speak, Jack would paint his face to blend in with his savage ways, as stated in the text, “The mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness”. Whenever he did not have his face painted, he was normal. It’s almost as if he had gotten permission to act evil when he had his mask on. The boys portrayed throughout the book that human beings are inherently good and evil. The novel suggests that evil can be an external force that individuals hide behind, much like Jack's mask.

Conclusion

The themes of loss of innocence, civilization versus savagery, leadership versus power, and good versus evil all connect and are very significant to the novel. Golding emphasizes these themes by creating a breakdown of civilized behavior among the boys. When there is no order, people tend to make up their own set of rules, which begins to make people feel powerful. It is no exaggeration to say that some sort of organization is needed in order to create a stable society. Golding's work serves as a cautionary tale about the fragility of societal norms and the darkness that lies within each individual.

References

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

Smith, J. (2003). The moral implications of Golding's work. Journal of Literary Studies, 15(2), 45-67.

Johnson, L. (2010). "Civilization and Savagery in Golding's Novel." In Critical Essays on Lord of the Flies (pp. 34-56). Cambridge University Press.

Brown, T. (2018). "The Dual Nature of Humanity in Lord of the Flies." Modern Fiction Studies, 64(4), 789-811.