Lord of the Flies- Civilization's Control Over Man
The Lord of the Flies shows that, in the absence of civilization, people lose the sense of being civilized and the dark and savage side of themselves surfaces out. This happens to a group of kids stuck on an island. William Golding, the author of the novel, expresses his opinion on savagery, an act of cruelty or violence, in this book. He makes it quite clear that savagery is an essential character of man and that it exists in all of all, but civilization keeps it under control. This has been shown in history numerous times, some cases have shown the opposite; that civilization cannot control them, or it can keep them in control only to an extent.We all have the capability of savagery inside of us. Everyone has gotten in a physical fight before or hit his brother of sister, haven't you? That is an act of violence. So then, you are savage, and so am I, and everyone else in this world, but civilization keeps us under control but, only to an extent. If it maintained total control, one wouldn't get in a fight without something terrible happening to him/her as a punishment. The world would have total peace. But then, how could we have peace without war? We just wouldn't know what it is.
So, civilization can't maintain maximum control over us. Civilization does maintain control over man but only up to a certain point. We all have capability for savagery in us although some of us might not show it. If civilization keeps us under control and we all have the capability of savagery to exist in us, then how did civilization start in the first place? If the people who started civilization or its basics were all savage, what could have made them think of it? They couldn't start making rules because how could they obey them if we still don't. Towards the end of this book, a rock crushes Piggy, one of the main characters, and breaks the conch, a symbol of civilization of rule and order. When he dies, the sense of a civilization is lost because he is the symbol of reason and civilization in the book and all that is gone. Piggy kept on arguing that they are human and nothing else. "What are we? Humans? Or animals? Or savages?" (p. 40). He wanted a civilization to be established throughout their whole stay on the island, even while Roger threw rocks all around him and then killed him. He was also the only one at the end who still wanted a civilization. Ralph did want one, but he kept on forgetting everything he wanted to say and Piggy always reminding him. Before Roger killed him, he tried to remind them of how they needed a civilization and how they acted stupidly and selfishly and
Some common words found in the essay are:
William Golding, Simon Samneric, Lord Flies, civilization control, control extent, maintains control, capability savagery, control capability savagery, civilization maintain, civilization maintain control, maintain control, sense civilization, control capability, didn't kill, civilization people,
Approximate Word count = 953
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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