The Conflict Between Ralph And Jack Essay Sample

When put in dire situations, humans have to rely on their natural instincts. Some people tend to turn to savagery, and some people use logic and order. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a group of British boys get stuck on an island. These boys try to create their own form of democracy.  As life goes on the island their democracy starts to fall apart. The boys have different ideas about how they want to run their life on the island. Ralph wants to focus on being saved and keeping the peace, while Jack is not interested in that, and wants to hunt all the time. Ralph and Jack represent the conflict between civilization and savagery. In the novel there is a fire that the boys start in order to be rescued. This fire symbolizes the boys' hope to be saved, and over time as the boys’ fold to their primitive instinct this symbol changes.

When all the boys get stuck on the island their main goal is to be saved, so they create a fire. They decide that they should keep up the fire so someone can see the smoke and save them. The boys use Piggy’s glasses to start the fire. Piggy is the logical character and his glasses represent truth and wit. Piggy is a very important character because of the importance of logic and order during a crisis. Throughout the book Piggy and Ralph continue to remind everyone of the crucial need of the fire, and why it was started in the first place. This fire represents the comfort of home and civility. When the fire is mentioned it is a reminder of society and civilization outside of the island, and what the boys long to go back to. The boys create their own democracy to mimic the organization and government of their lives back home. At one point the novel states “Together, joined in an effort by the burden, they staggered up the last steep of the mountain. Together, they chanted One! Two! Three!”. (Golding pg 34 PDF) This shows the unity the boys had at the beginning of the novel. Ralph and Jack worked together to start the fire. Society is all about organization and being able to work together. The boys hold on to that part of their identity in the beginning of the novel. The fire acts as a measurement of the strength of the boys’ want to be saved, and as time passes the symbol visibly weakens.

As the boys’ democracy is failing, the fire starts to go out. After the boys start the fire for the first time the boys get into a fight. Some think that others didn’t put in enough work. Cracks are starting to form in their self made government. Conflict between Ralph and Jack starts to sprout. Ralph wants to focus on building shelters for the time being, and Jack wants to hunt. The group becomes more split when a littlun mentions a beast. This beast represents the inner turmoil that the boys are feeling. The beast is savagery and it exists in every one of the boys. As the beast grows in all of them the fire starts to go out. Ralph and Piggy struggle to keep grounded to their past lives and civilization. Jack starts to lose sight of the point of the fire. When tasked with keeping the fire up, he fails and lets a ship pass by. The conflict eventually rips Jack and Ralph apart and they create their own tribes. The fire symbolizes good and bad. In the novel Piggy even states “If Jack was chief he'd have all hunting and no fire. We’d be here till we died”.(Golding 93) Piggy is pointing out that Jack behaves like a dictator, and he is not responsible enough to be a leader. The fire is the boys’ connection to organization and order, and Jack is the very ruin of democracy.   Ironically at the end of the novel Jack starts a forest fire in a rage to kill Ralph, causing someone to take notice and save the boys. Instead of this fire representing civilization, it represents anarchy and tyranny. Jack’s totalitarian attitude towards his own tribe results in the downfall of their structured government. In the end this fire symbolizes the loss of innocence for the boys.

Throughout the novel Lord of the Flies there were many important themes and symbols including the fire. The fire changes as the boys change. In the beginning there is a sense of togetherness. The fire is a visual representation of  when the boys start to lose their morals, and suffer from their inner conflict. Many boys are tempted by the luxuries of Jack’s tribe and choose to follow him and his unreasonable views on how the island should be run. They crack under the pressure of a crisis and it is seen through their actions. This novel acts as a warning of the possibilities of an unhinged government, when civilization is taken away from the people.