The Theme of Savagery Versus Civilisation in The Lord of The Flies by William Golding

When you think of civilization the last thing that comes to mind is an island in the middle of nowhere in the middle of a war in the 1900’s. Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel that explores the theme of savagery versus civilization. British children are stranded on a remote island during what we can assume is a war that takes place shortly after World War II. On the island, we see a conflict between two main characters, Jack and Ralph, each of whom represents civilization and savagery. This affects the rest of the boys throughout the novel as they go deeper and deeper into savagery.

The theme of savagery against civilization is first introduced to us through the symbol of the conch shell, which we associate with Ralph because he is the first boy who uses it and eventually becomes the boy’s elected chief. It symbolizes authority among the boys. At the first meeting, Ralph says, "I'll give the next person the conch to speak...they won't be interrupted." This represents civilization as Ralph allows all children to have the same opportunity to speak if they have the conch. No matter who they are or how old they are, they have the ability to speak and be heard by the other boys. The boys have transformed the island into a democratic place, showing a civilized side as they try to replicate the civilization they had before they were stranded on the island.

On the other hand, the beast comes to be a symbol that Jack is heavily associated with at the end of the novel, as he sees it as something to worship.The beast started out as a “serpent” but became "lord of the flies" by the end of the novel. The first quote shows us that the beast can be seen as evil as in many books snakes are associated with the villains. However, at this point in the novel, the beast is quite inconsistent as he is just a "chosen one". As the children fear the beast, the beast itself grows until it manifests itself as the devil, the ultimate and most powerful evil. He has a strong status as a lord despite being a pretty crude creature. The children's belief in the beast causes them to act more like savages as they suffer from fear and begin to lose control of the rules, led by Jack, represents the theme of savagery.

One of the ways that Golding shows the conflict between savagery and civilization is when Jack and some other children kill the first pig. Jack sings "kill the pig, slit its throat, draw its blood". This is an example of savagery as the boys are brutal and aggressive when they kill the pig. This is particularly clear in Golding's choice of words. Jack talks about slitting the pig's throat, which sounds like a savage action, and spilling its blood, reinforcing the lack of care and emotion towards the pig's carcass. This shows that the boys no longer feel guilty about what they have done, and shows that they are straying from civilization.

In conclusion Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel that presents the theme of savagery versus civilization. Ralph represents civilization because he wants to respect the rules and give everyone an equal voice. While Jack, who represents savagery, rules over the boys and doesn't care what they have to say. Through the children's actions, Golding shows us that we need rules and that we must consciously enforce them for society to function well.