Most everything from government to the church possesses a dark secret. We as citizens hide our secrets to appear as a refined society. The United States government remains the most powerful in the world, but people fail to ask how. We do not want to admit that our country, America the beautiful, could contain immoral leadership. So we deny it. Everyone denies it, even the President and Congressional leaders. We simply accept the power and honor, no if, ands, or buts about it.

LORD OF THE FLIES begins in a similar way. Ralph assumes the role of chief in what appears as an organized group of young boys. However, as their organization depletes, so does the quality of leadership. As Jack begins to gain authority, he removes his mask. He reveals an evil side, which he would never have shown before. As his followers increase in number, the mob in

I believe that we can learn from the mistakes of these young boys. The problem lies in the unwillingness of many to relate to the novel. If we look closely, we can see ourselves in each of the characters, maybe one more than the other. We must be careful as to what traits we conceal and what traits we reveal, and if we respect ourselves and others, the novel shows what could occur. Ironically, LORD OF THE FLIES captures a sense of modern society in an uncivilized setting, filled with children.

To thee from tortured souls arise.

Why should the world be over-wise,

Fear of rejection, longing for acceptance, concealment of evil, and fear in general all lead to the disguises of society. The poem "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar describes the pain and suffering he and many other slaves covered up with laughter and smiles.

Piggy, Simon, Ralph, and even Jack hide pieces of themselves for fear of rejection and a constant longing for acceptance. Because Piggy has always known the feeling of the outcast, mostly due to his physical appearance, he refrains from spreading his ideas. Instead, he confides and trusts in Ralph to relay his messages. He depends on Ralph to stand up for him many times, especially towards the end of the novel. Ralph acts as Piggy's mask, and Piggy relies on him saying, "Ralph! Don't leave me!" (176).

creases its violence. Eventually, they outnumber the "good" in the novel. Leadership today could take a similar course if we remove many standards. Which leads many to question: can masks constitute a good purpose?

This debt we pay to human guile;

We wear the mas

Some common words found in the essay are:
Simon Golding, LORD FLIES, Laurence Dunbar, Ralph Jack, President Congressional, Ralph Don't, wear mask, lord flies, , William Golding's, fear rejection, lord flies masks, reveals evil, role chief, flies masks, longing acceptance, evil paint,
Approximate Word count = 1115
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)