Themes of Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Civilization vs. Savagery

• Central Tension: Lack of adult authority on the island creates a tension between those who empathize and those who do not.
• Central Question: Why do some people live by rules and morality, while others act violently for power?
• Manifestations:
  • Civilization threatened by savagery.
  • Order turns to chaos; reason to impulse.
  • Goodness overpowered by evil.
• Setting: Isolated island allows natural evolution from disciplined schoolboys to savages.
• Characters:
  • Ralph: Represents order and leadership.
  • Jack: Represents savagery and power.
  • Simon: Symbolizes innate goodness.
  • Roger: Incapable of following civilization's rules.
• Innate Human Evil: Golding suggests savagery is more primal than civilization.
• Symbols:
  • Beast and Pig's Head: Represent innate evil.

Loss of Innocence

• Initial Innocence: Boys appear innocent and cooperative.
• Deterioration: Transition from well-behaved boys to bloodthirsty hunters.
• Natural Loss: Loss of innocence is natural, not externally imposed.
• Symbolism:
  • Simon’s Glade: Symbolizes innocence destroyed by savagery.
• Innate Evil: Suggests social conditioning can't erase innate evil.

Difficulty of Creating Civilization

• Struggle to Maintain Order: Ralph and Piggy seek rules; Jack seeks hunting and pleasure.
• Failure of Civilization: Golding suggests inherent differences prevent functioning societies.
• Historical Context: Reflects post-WWII world and the rise of fascism.
• Jack’s Dictatorship: Uses violence for power, reflecting youth movements like Hitler Youth.
• Mob Mentality: Uncontrolled frenzy, similar to historical atrocities.

Individual vs. Mob

• Ralph and Piggy’s Participation: Join in Simon’s murder, reflecting innate evil.
• Simon’s Individuality: Resists mob mentality, parallels Jesus’ fate.
• Mob Frenzy: Group acts without moral responsibility.
• Symbols and Chants: "Kill the pig," etc., signify shared violence and lack of accountability.

Fear and War

• Nuclear War Context: Reflects 1950s fears and rebuilding civilization.
• Global Disaster Parallel: Boys' conflict as a microcosm of global war.
• High Ideals vs. Survival: Rationality and fairness yield to survival instincts.

Conclusion

• Golding uses the boys' story to explore themes of innate evil, civilization vs. savagery, and the loss of innocence, reflecting broader societal issues and historical context.