LOTF essay

Submitted By vedlight29
Words: 439
Pages: 2

Since the first civilization, people have become increasingly dependent on technology, unable to survive without modern roads, cars, or social systems. Without these advancements, civilization would fall apart and reveal the true nature of men: barbarism and greed. William Golding explains this, using his experiences in World War II, in the novel The Lord of the Flies. The boys in the book display times of kindness, savagery, and ultimately: clarity. In The Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys are pulled from their average lives; they are forced to question the caring people they once were, and face the depraved people they become. Although Ralph, the leader, and Jack, the power-hungry boy who strives to be the leader, often argued, Ralph attempted to be as calm as possible when persuading Jack “if it rains like when we dropped in we’ll need shelters all right. And…we need shelters because of the…Well. They’re frightened” (Golding 52). Ralph, being the authority figure, was worried about the safety of the boys; he saw it as his duty to protect them from the rain and their fears until they were rescued. He did this, not for reward or praise, but because he genuinely cared for the other boys. However, as they further separated from their civility, the less caring and more primeval they became. When Jack created his own group, the boys became ruthless and slaughtered Simon yelling, “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood” (Golding 152)! The boys, including Ralph, were preciously consumed by their overwhelming fears of the evil within themselves. However, when killing Simon they were freed of the constrictions of