In the book “Lord of the Flies,” by William Golding, the clashing themes of civilization and primitivism are subtly yet powerfully explored through the group of boys stranded on an island. Via the connotation of the conch shell, the descent to savagery and the symbolism of the beast, Golding navigates the fundamental polarities of human nature and the fragility of a civilized society in light of the instincts of the beast.
The very moment Ralph and Piggy sight the shell of the conch, its implication overbears the physicality which symbolizes the dreams and hopes of the boys for order and civilization. The conch discovery, which is according to them, is a sign that they are attemptingattempting to form some sort of society with some structures and governance in their newly isolated environment. Ralph’s saying, “We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us,” (Golding, 18) shows the conch’s role in establishing democratic conversation and ensuring that every individual is honoured in the decision-making process. Through the conch’s gentle, melodious voice, the shelter of common sense and order into the turmoil of their situation.
When the boys sit together around the conch for their meetings, it stands for their unity and cooperation, a means specific to individual disparities, promoting a shared goal. Each boy, regardless of background and status, is allowed to talk and be heard. So, the main principle of equality and democracy of the democracy is maintained. However, after a short period, when things get more complicated and people get annoyed, the conch’s clean facade starts showing cracks, reflecting the decline of civilized social norms within the group. Golding depicts this decline quite beautifully when he writes, “The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (224). This catastrophe produces the physical destruction of the conch and the collapse in the symbolic sense and the epiphany of barbarism.
Their transformation into savages is almost invisible but it is completely inevitable. Their savagery regression goes on to the extent of losing the moral cores they first tried to uphold. The boys become wild. They seek to build order by enforcing rules and a signal fire, but this task is short-lived since their base instincts are stronger. Golding eloquently notes, ” The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering” (139), underlining the power that their intrinsic instincts eventually have over them as they become fully engrossed in the darker attributes of their being. First,, the boys were sincere in the pursuit of civility as they considered duties and tasks in their best interest to stay alive. However, as they find the wild-like force dominating them, the thin layer of civilization peels off to divulge the animal traits inside them. The mystique of power and triumph, personified by Jack and his group, increasinglydraws humans’ interest more and more until it splits up humanity and anarchy prevails.
Crucial for the wildness in the boys is the fear of the unknown, represented by the lifeless wolf as a symbol. At first, the monster is not believed to be real, but it gradually grows into a tangible presence, symbolizing the interior darkness of each character. While Simon ponders, ” Maybe there is a beast… maybe it’s only us” (106). This realization underscores the novel’s central thesis: evil originates not from the outer world but from the depths of the human mind.
Through the Symbolism of Golding is truly unsurpassed in the disclosing of human nature’s duplicity. The conch shell, welded in civilized glory until eventually broken by unchained instinct. Otherwise, the beast trans figure from a vague dread to a ruthlessly stark nightmare, representing the danger which is all the time inside each of us. Like Golding says, ” Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!” (176). This sentiment encapsulates the novel’s central irony: that humanity show that the monster is not an external threat but the mirror of the dark side of human nature.
Ultimately, “Lord of the Flies” offers the readers the opportunity of a sophisticated discussion of the issues around civilization and barbarity. Apart from the shell, the conch, the descent into savagery, and the metaphor of the beast, Golding provides a better view of the relationship between order and chaos as elements still very fragile in the minds of men. With the fall out of boys’ intellectual/civilized side, their primitive/animalistic nature comes to the limelight leading to the sad ending of lives. By the end of the story it is clear that such civilizations are vulnerable and dark forces you can never get rid of them entirely.
Works Cited
Golding, William. Lord of the flies: Casebook edition. Penguin, 1987.
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