​​​​​​​Literary Analysis Essay Lord of the Flies

The capacity of having consequences is to ensure that human advancement doesn't transform into a destructive living environment but it also keeps us from becoming things we shouldn’t be. When we know that the actions we do can lead to consequences, we don’t do them. When we know that becoming something we’re not, we don’t portray it.  Is it the “consequences” that keeps us from doing or becoming things we normally wouldn’t do? If we take young children for example, they hate getting consequences for their poorly made choices or acting a certain way. So, in order for them to avoid that, they don't do it or become it, but if consequences were stripped away, what will the true nature of them become? Will they still be those “good’’ kids or will they become “bad” kids? When consequences are stripped away, violence, aggressiveness, and  selfishness becomes the true nature of humans. 

When there is no authority present, violence takes control of us and makes us say or support things we know we shouldn’t be supporting. The novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, talks about a group of school boys who are left stranded on an island by themselves with no civilization present. There’s a scene on page 152 where Roger pretends to be a pig. The boys formed a circle and began to dance. Eventually the dance becomes a mock hunt. Everything gets worked up and eventually the boys get hungry to kill and they start to chant which grew in agony ‘“Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood’” The boys were just having fun, dancing and what not but then started to get violent, shouting these horrible things. If there were authority present, they might see the shouting as a “threat” or an act of violence, but because there’s no authority to say that, violence appears. 

When we don’t have to pay for our actions, we zone out and start to become aggressive. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding , Robert pretends to be a pig in a recreation of the hunt. The boys get a little out of hand and ACTUALLY start hurting Robert. “ The circle moved in and around. Robert squealed in mock terror, then in real pain.(...) “ kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in”’( Golding 114)  This recreation of the hunt was at first a joke playing around, but the boys zoned out and got carried away and became aggressive that they didn't realize that the “pig” was Robert.

When consequences are nowhere to be found, we become selfish, and ignore our actions and act as if nothing ever occurred. This scene in Lord of the Flies by William Golding shows his character Piggy, ignoring and forgetting the fact that they killed a human being, Simon.  ‘’’It was an accident, said Piggy suddenly, that’s what it was. An accident. His voice shrilled again. Coming in the dark- he hadn’t no business crawling like that out of the dark. He was batty. He asked for it.”(...)  You didn't see what they did. Look Ralph, we got to forget this.’” (Golding 157) Piggy pretends that murdering Simon never happened and that they had no choice but to kill him. Piggy and the other boys don’t have to pay the price for the death of Simon, they ignore it which is wrong. 

To sum up, consequences keep us from doing or becoming things we shouldn’t become. To keep human advancement from violence, aggressiveness, and for people from becoming selfish people. Whether living in a non consequence society encourages us to be aggressive towards things or people, or becoming selfish and forget why we need consequences, we still do those things cause there’s no one to stop us from doing it. We need consequences in our society so that all our kids can live in a safe environment, where we don’t have to worry about people killing us or being aggressive towards us.