(no subject)
In the novel lord of the flies, william golding successfully explains his idea that civilized society keeps human beings from reverting to a savage state.
I. First he shows us how they attempt to develop their own society and run it as best they can.
A. “We can use [the conch] to call others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us.”
1. The conch acts as a symbol of civilized society as it does two things: it calls the boys to meetings and differentiates who is in power, by who is holding it.
2. More importantly it is the key element that allows them to unify, have meetings and discuss how life on the island is, and what they can do to make it better.
B. “‘let’s have a vote.’ [said the boys] ‘Vote for chief.’ … Ralph counted [the votes]. ‘I’m chief then’”
“‘Jack’s in charge of the choir.’ [said Ralph] ‘They can be’ … ‘Hunters.’ [Replied
Jack].” (20)
1. The jobs that the hunters take on along with jack and samneric demonstrate the order that the civilization keeps.
2. with certain people carrying out different tasks a lot of work is able to get done, which helps keep life simple.
C. “If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire.” (33)
1. Another way they keep themselves from using the savagery within themselves is by means of faith.
2. The fire on the mountain gives them the opportunity of being rescued and allows them to have this faith. With it lit a passing ship could see them and if it does, it is very possible that they could be rescued.
3. Having a way to get off the island is really beneficial to keeping the kids calm and sane, because it gives them faith that they may be able to leave the island and return to civilization.
D. “‘We need shelters.’ [Said Ralph] ‘If it rains like when we dropped in we’ll need shelters all right. We need [them] because ... They’re frightened.’ ‘As if,’ Simon said ‘the beastie … was real.’
1. They need these shelters, because in replicating the safety of the homes they used to live in, they would calm the littleuns down.
2. The beastie fuels their need for savagery, but if they could make these shelters the littleuns fears would be calmed and they could go on living a more stable life.
II. As the novel progresses, however, the power of savagery in a non-civilized place really shows through.
A. Henry Can
I. First he shows us how they attempt to develop their own society and run it as best they can.
A. “We can use [the conch] to call others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us.”
1. The conch acts as a symbol of civilized society as it does two things: it calls the boys to meetings and differentiates who is in power, by who is holding it.
2. More importantly it is the key element that allows them to unify, have meetings and discuss how life on the island is, and what they can do to make it better.
B. “‘let’s have a vote.’ [said the boys] ‘Vote for chief.’ … Ralph counted [the votes]. ‘I’m chief then’”
“‘Jack’s in charge of the choir.’ [said Ralph] ‘They can be’ … ‘Hunters.’ [Replied
Jack].” (20)
1. The jobs that the hunters take on along with jack and samneric demonstrate the order that the civilization keeps.
2. with certain people carrying out different tasks a lot of work is able to get done, which helps keep life simple.
C. “If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire.” (33)
1. Another way they keep themselves from using the savagery within themselves is by means of faith.
2. The fire on the mountain gives them the opportunity of being rescued and allows them to have this faith. With it lit a passing ship could see them and if it does, it is very possible that they could be rescued.
3. Having a way to get off the island is really beneficial to keeping the kids calm and sane, because it gives them faith that they may be able to leave the island and return to civilization.
D. “‘We need shelters.’ [Said Ralph] ‘If it rains like when we dropped in we’ll need shelters all right. We need [them] because ... They’re frightened.’ ‘As if,’ Simon said ‘the beastie … was real.’
1. They need these shelters, because in replicating the safety of the homes they used to live in, they would calm the littleuns down.
2. The beastie fuels their need for savagery, but if they could make these shelters the littleuns fears would be calmed and they could go on living a more stable life.
II. As the novel progresses, however, the power of savagery in a non-civilized place really shows through.
A. Henry Can