CIVILIZATION AND MORALITY:
WILLIAM GOLDING. GOLDINGS MORAL
INTERROGATIONS OF CIVILIZATION AND
SAVAGERY: LORD OF THE FLIES
Students: Ana Costin-Valentin
Banica Mihaela
Cristea Gabriel
Niculae Gratiela
Porumboiu Ana-Maria
Rosu Vasile-Alin
LORD OF THE FLIES HISTORY
Golding wroteLord of the Fliesin 1954, less than
a decade after World War II, when the world was
in the midst of the Cold War. The atrocities of the
Holocaust, the horrific effects of the atomic bomb,
and the ominous threat of the Communist demon
behind the Iron Curtain were all present in the
minds of the western public and the author. This
environment of fear combined with technology's
rapid advances act as a backdrop to the island
experiences: the shot-down plane, for example,
and the boys' concern that the "Reds" might find
them before the British do.
Historically,
in times of widespread socioeconomic distress, the general public feels
itself vulnerable and turns to the leader who
exhibits the most strength or seems to offer the
most protection. In Lord of the Flies, Jack and
the hunters, who offer the luxury of meat and
the comforts of a dictatorship, fill that role. In
exchange for his protection, the other boys
sacrifice any moral reservations they may have
about his policies and enthusiastically
persecute the boys whoresist joining their
tribe.
According
to Golding, humankind's
propensity toward evil and violence coupled
with the "psychology of fear" motivates
humanity to act in unconscionable ways.
The conflict between Jack and Ralph
and the forces of savagery and civilization
that they represent is exacerbated by
the boys' literal fear of a mythical beast
roaming the island.
CULTURE AND HUMAN NATURE
As
all authors use their life and times as
reference points in their works, William
Goldingdrew heavily on the social-religiouscultural-military ethos of his [Link] of the
Fliesis an allegorical microcosm of the world
Golding knew and participated in. The island
and the boys and many other objects and
events in the work represent Golding's view of
the world and humankind in general and some
characteristics or values found in British
culture specifically.
By
juxtaposing the evil, aggressive nature
of the degenerating boys with the proper
reserve and civility of the British persona
that their cultural background implies,
Golding places the boys in a series of life
experiences that lead some (like
Jack)deeper into their depraved psyche,
and some (likeRalph), who recognize the
inclination toward evil in themselves, to
an epiphany of self-discovery. Such an
epiphany is the only hope for humankind
to escape from itself.
CIVILIZATION VS. SAVAGERY
The central concern ofLord of the Fliesis the
conflict between two competing impulses that
exist within all human beings: the instinct to live
by rules, act peacefully, follow moral commands,
and value the good of the group against the
instinct to gratify ones immediate desires, act
violently to obtain supremacy over others, and
enforce ones will. This conflict might be
expressed in a number of ways: civilization vs.
savagery, order vs. chaos, reason vs. impulse, law
vs. anarchy, or the broader heading of good vs.
evil. Throughout the novel, Golding associates
the instinct of civilization with good and the
instinct of savagery with evil.
The conflict between the two instincts is the
driving force of the novel, explored through the
dissolution of the young English boys civilized,
moral, disciplined behavior as they accustom
themselves to a wild, brutal, barbaric life in the
jungle. Lord of the Fliesis an allegorical novel,
which means that Golding conveys many of his
main ideas and themes through symbolic
characters and objects. He represents the conflict
between civilization and savagery in the conflict
between the novels two main characters: Ralph,
the protagonist, who represents order and
leadership; and Jack, the antagonist, who
represents savagery and the desire for power.
Most societies set up mechanisms to channel aggressive impulses
into productive enterprises or projects. On the island, Jack's hunters
are successful in providing meat for the group because they tap into
their innate ability to commit violence. To the extent that this
violence is a reasoned response to the group's needs (for example, to
feed for the population), it produces positive effects and outcomes.
However, when the violence becomes the motivator and the desired
outcome lacks social or moral value beyond itself, as it does with the
hunters, at that point the violence becomes evil, savage, and
diabolical.
Violence continues to exist in modern society and is institutionalized
in the military and politics. Golding develops this theme by having
his characters establish a democratic assembly, which is greatly
affected by the verbal violence of Jack's power-plays, and an army of
hunters, which ultimately forms a small military dictatorship. The
boys' assemblies are likened to both ends of the social or civil
spectrum, from pre-verbal tribe gatherings to modern governmental
institutions, indicating that while the forum for politics has changed
over the millennia, the dynamic remains the same.
Consider the emotional basis of the boys' choice of
leaders: Initially they vote for Ralph not because he
has demonstrated leadership skills but because of
his charisma and arbitrary possession of the conch.
Later they desert him and the reasoned
democracy he promotes to join Jack's tribe
because Jack's way of life, with the war paint and
ritualized dance, seems like more fun. Choosing
Jack's "fun" tribe indicates a dangerous level of
emotionally based self-indulgence. By relying on
emotion to decide the island's political format, the
boys open themselves up to the possibility of
violence because violence lies in the domain of
emotion.
As the novel progresses, Golding shows how different
people feel the influences of the instincts of civilization
and savagery to different degrees. Piggy, for instance,
has no savage feelings, while Roger seems barely capable
of comprehending the rules of civilization. Generally,
however, Golding implies that the instinct of savagery is
far more primal and fundamental to the human psyche
than the instinct of civilization. Golding sees moral
behavior, in many cases, as something that civilization
forces upon the individual rather than a natural
expression of human individuality. When left to their
own devices, Golding implies, people naturally revert to
cruelty, savagery, and barbarism. This idea of innate
human evil is central toLord of the Flies,and finds
expression in several important symbols, most notably
the beast and the sows head on the stake. Among all the
characters, only Simon seems to possess anything like a
natural, innate goodness.
As the boys on the island progress from well-behaved, orderly children
longing for rescue to cruel, bloodthirsty hunters who have no desire to
return to civilization, they naturally lose the sense of innocence that
they possessed at the beginning of the novel. The painted savages in
Chapter 12 who have hunted, tortured, and killed animals and human
beings are a far cry from the guileless children swimming in the
lagoon in Chapter 3. But Golding does not portray this loss of
innocence as something that is done to the children; rather, it results
naturally from their increasing openness to the innate evil and
savagery that has always existed within them. Golding implies that
civilization can mitigate but never wipe out the innate evil that exists
within all human beings. The forest glade in which Simon sits in
Chapter 3 symbolizes this loss of innocence. At first, it is a place of
natural beauty and peace, but when Simon returns later in the novel,
he discovers the bloody sows head impaled upon a stake in the middle
of the clearing. The bloody offering to the beast has disrupted the
paradise that existed beforea powerful symbol of innate human evil
disrupting childhood innocence.
Goldinguses the boys' fear of a mythical beast to illustrate their
assumption that evil arises from external forces rather than from
themselves. This fearsome beast initially takes form in their
imaginations as a snake-type animal that disguises itself as
jungle vines; later, they consider the possibility of a creature that
rises from the sea or the more nebulous entity of a ghost. When
they spot the dead paratrooper who has landed on the mountain,
the boys feel sure that they have proof of a beast's existence. In
fact a beast does roam the island, but not in the form the boys
imagine.
Golding wanted to illustrate in this novel the dark side of human
nature and make the point that each member of humankind has
this dark side. The boys conceptualize the source of all their
worst impulses as a beast, some sort of actual animal or possibly
supernatural creature inhabiting the island. Yet all along the
boys take on the persona of the beast when they act on their
animal impulses. There is no external beast.
When Simon hallucinates that the staked head is speaking to
him, his perception of the other boys as the island's true threat is
confirmed. The Lord of the Flies confirms that "You knew, didn't
you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it's no
go? Why things are what they are?"
Jack provides more insight into the beast's identity when he
asserts that "The beast is a hunter," unwittingly implicating
himself as part of the problem, a source of the boys' fears. His
lust for power and authority causes him to commit and encourage
savage acts against his own kind an accurate measure of his
depravity. Sitting in front of his tribe, "Power . . . chattered in his
ear like an ape." The figurative devil on his shoulder is his own
animality, looking to master other creatures.
Golding pairs the devolution of Jack's character with Simon's
hallucinatory revelation to paint a complete picture of
humankind's dark side that which the boys call "the beast."
Part of Golding's intent was to demonstrate that the evil is not
restricted to specific populations or situations. On the island,
the beast is manifest in the deadly tribal dances, war paint,
and the manhunt; in the outside world that same lust for
power and control plays out as a nuclear war. Prior to the war,
some of the boys, such as the perpetually victimized Piggy,
experienced the brutality of others on the playground, an
environment often idealized as the joyous site of a carefree
childhood. Within civilized society the beast expresses itself in
various ways: through acceptable venues such as the military;
in unacceptable forms such as madness or criminality, which
carries punitive repercussions; or concealed in the maneuvers
of politics and other nonviolent power plays. InLord of the
FliesGolding illustrates that evil is present in everyone and
everywhere; humankind's work lies not in the impossible
mission of eradicating it but in the struggle to keep it from
becoming the dominant force in our lives.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS:RALPH
Ralph represents leadership, the properly socialized and
civilized young man. He is attractive, charismatic, and decently
intelligent. He demonstrates obvious common sense. Ralph is
the one who conceives the meeting place, the fire, and the huts.
He synthesizes and appliesPiggy's intellectualism, and he
recognizes the false fears and superstitions as barriers to their
survival. He is a diplomat and a natural leader.
Ralph's capacity for leadership is evident from the very
beginning (he is the only elected leader of the boys). While most
of the other boys initially are concerned with playing, having
fun, and avoiding work, Ralph sets about building huts and
thinking of ways to maximize their chances of being rescued. For
this reason, Ralphs power and influence over the other boys are
secure at the beginning of the [Link] the crisis caused by
the sight of the dead paratrooper on the mountain, Ralph is able
to proceed with both sense and caution. He works vigilantly to
keep the group's focus on the hope for rescue.
When the time comes to investigate the castle rock, Ralph
takes the lead alone, despite his fear of the so-called beast.
Even in this tense moment, politeness is his default.
WhenSimonmumbles that he doesn't believe in the beast,
Ralph "answered him politely, as if agreeing about the
weather."
Having started with a schoolboy's romantic attitude toward
anticipated "adventures" on the island, Ralph eventually
loses his excitement about their independence and longs for
the comfort of the familiar. He indulges in images of home,
recollections of the peaceful life of cereal and cream and
children's books he had once known. He fantasizes about
bathing and grooming. Ralph's earlier life had been
civilized, and he brought to the island innocent
expectations and confidence until certain experiences
informed his naivet and destroyed his innocence.
As he gains experience with the assemblies, the forum
for civilized discourse, he loses faith in them. "Don't we
love meetings?" Ralph says bitterly, frustrated that
only a few of the boys actually follow through on their
plans.
Ralph's loss of verbal ability bodes ill for the group
because his authority lies in the platform, the symbol
of collective governance and problem solving where
verbal communication is the primary tool. Ralph's
mental workings are subject to the same decay as his
clothing; both are frayed by the rigors of the primitive
life. Yet in response to the crisis of the lost rescue
opportunity, Ralph demonstrates his capacities as a
conceptual thinker.
When "with a convulsion of the mind, Ralph discovered
dirt and decay," he is symbolically discovering
humankind's dark side. At the same time, he has learned
that intellect, reason, sensitivity, and empathy are the
tools for holding the evil at bay.
In the earlier parts of the novel, Ralph is unable to
understand why the other boys would give in to base
instincts of bloodlust and barbarism. The sight of the
hunters chanting and dancing is baffling and distasteful
to him. Ralph remains determined not to let this
savagery -overwhelm him, and only briefly does he
consider joining Jacks tribe in order to save himself.
Ralphs commitment to civilization and morality is
strong, and his main wish is to be rescued and returned
to the society of adults.
Although he becomes worn down by the hardships and fears of
primitive life and is gradually infected by the savagery of the other
boys, Ralph is the only character who identifies Simon's death as
murder and has a realistic, unvarnished view of his participation.
He feels both loathing and excitement over the kill he witnessed.
Once Ralph becomes prey, he realizes that he is an outcast "Cos I
had some sense" not just common sense but a sense of his identity
as a civilized person, a sense of the particular morality that had
governed the boys' culture back home.
When Ralph encounters the officer on the beach at the end of the
book, he is not relieved at being rescued from a certain grisly death
but discomforted over "his filthy appearance," an indication that his
civility had endured his ordeal. In exchange for his innocence, he has
gained an understanding of humankind's natural character, an
understanding not heretofore available to him: that evil is
universally present in all people and requires a constant resistance
by the intellect that was Piggy, by the mysticism and spiritualism
that was Simon, and by the hopes and dreams that are his.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS:JACK
Jack represents evil and violence, the dark side of
human nature. A former choirmaster and "head boy"
at his school, he arrived on the island having
experienced some success in exerting control over
others by dominating the choir with his militaristic
attitude. He is eager to make rules and punish those
who break them, although he consistently breaks
them himself when he needs to further his own
interests. His main interest is hunting, an endeavor
that begins with the desire for meat and builds to the
overwhelming urge to master and kill other living
creatures. Hunting develops the savagery that
already ran close to his surface, making him "apelike" as he prowls through the jungle. His domain is
the emotions, which rule and fuel his animal nature.
The conflict on the island begins with Jack attempting
to dominate the group rather than working
withRalphto benefit it. He frequently impugns the
power of the conch, declaring that the conch rule does
not matter on certain parts of the island. Yet he uses
the conch to his advantage when possible, such as
when he calls his own assembly to impeach Ralph. For
him, the conch represents the rules and boundaries
that have kept him from acting on the impulses to
dominate others. Jack quickly loses interest in the
world of politeness and boundaries, which is why he
feels no compunction to keep the fire going or attend to
any of the other responsibilities for the betterment or
survival of the group.
The dictator in Jack becomes dominant in his personality
during the panic over the beast sighting on the mountain.
In trying to get Ralph impeached, he uses his rhetorical
skills to twist Ralph's words. In defense, he offers to the
group a rationale that "He'd never have got us meat,"
asserting that hunting skills make for an effective leader.
Jack assigns a high value only to those who he finds useful
or agreeable to his views and looks to silence those who do
not please him. He dictates to his hunters that they forget
the beast and that they stop having nightmares. By the
night ofSimon's death, Jack has clearly gone power-mad,
sitting at the pig roast on a large log "painted and
garlanded . . . like an idol" while "power . . . chattered in his
ear like an ape." His tribe addresses him as "Chief,"
indicating a form of more primitive tribal leadership.
Jack becomes paranoid and begins feeding
misinformation to his tribe, a typical practice of
dictatorships to control the collective thinking by
controlling the information that is disseminated.
Given the thrill of "irresponsible authority" he's
experienced on the island, Jack's return to civilization
is conflicted. When the naval officer asks who is in
charge, Jack starts to step forward to challenge
Ralph's claim of leadership.
Golding does seek to provide a lesson in morality, but
the lesson lacks the straightforward and decisive tone
of the proverb that concludes most fables. At the end of
Golding's fable, the reader has learned not that evil is
confined to the militaristic portion of the population as
epitomized byJack; the pacifist Ralph participated in
some of the brutal tribal activities. Neither has the
reader learned that science or even simple common
sense will save humanity from itself; Piggy is ridiculed
throughout and then killed. Mystical revelations or
visionary insight into the human condition will not
save us; consider the fate of the saintlySimon. Instead
the reader learns that evil lives in us all, and there is
no proverb to remedy that situation. By invoking the
complexity that underlies human nature, Golding's
tale brings depth to the fable structure and presents a
complex moral lesson as well.
