Civilised Society versus Barbarism

A central theme to the novel is the conflict between civilised behaviour, living by socially agreed upon rules designed to maintain peace and harmony, and barbarianism, a simplistic ethos of living that is brutal and uses violence to exert one’s needs or will over others. Textually, the theme is expressed in many forms, including reason versus impulse, morality versus immorality, good versus evil, with the conflict played out in the narrative of a group of stranded English boys whose behaviour gradually deteriorates from civilised to barbaric as they negotiate their new world in a brutal jungle environment. Ralph represents order and leadership and Jack, barbarism. Golding’s allegory explores the idea that moral behaviour, rather than being a natural human instinct is instead a function of the restraining effect of a civilised society and that, without the latter, human behaviour will revert to barbarism and immorality.

Indeed, the social conventions that had functioned to govern the boys’ behaviour in their former society are steadily forgotten in the absence of reinforcement. First to go, when the boys realise they are no longer subject to adult supervision, is regular bathing, maintaining a separate area for bathroom purposes and caring about whether they are clothed. The absence of the social process of learning to delay gratification in favour of long-term goals is noticeable when the boys impulsively turn to playing instead of building shelters, and eventually, to hunting instead of being satisfied with fruit and fish with a focus on the signal fire. Ralph and Piggy’s occasional referencing of what adults would do in a particular situation, Piggy’s frequent mentioning of his aunt’s directives and even Roger’s instilled awareness of knowing to leave a safe space around the victim of his rock throwing all serve as guides to behaviour for a time. However, when leadership is claimed by Jack, the civilised way of life is replaced with the barbaric and the goal of an uncertain future rescue is subordinated to the immediate need for hunting and survival.

Jack’s tribe are rewarded in their hunting pursuits, which serves to reinforce that the new way of things is working. These hunts are initially re-enacted for fun and lead to only minor injuries for those who pretend to be the hunted pig but, eventually, they take on a life of their own when, unmoderated by any external influence, they lead to the frenzied, savage attack in which Simon is killed, having been mistaken for the beast.

Jack’s primal impulses coming to the fore are demonstrated through his instinctive desire to hunt and kill, his desire to communicate in silence with the jungle or chant with his tribe rather than through civilised language with Ralph or via the conch, and through painting his face with tribal paint to de-identify himself so as to give in to his impulses ‘without shame and self-consciousness’. Simon’s innate goodness and Ralph’s democratically elected leadership role, and the agreed upon institution of free speech, through the use of the conch, all concepts valued by a civilised society, are no longer relevant in the new order that is underpinned by ‘hunting, tactics, fierce exhilaration, and skill’. Those who do not submit are cast as the enemy, an ‘othering’ process through which the tribe is free to view their members as different to themselves and thus a threat, enabling them to engage in open conflict without regard for their loss of life.

The downward tension from civilised behaviour to barbarism is felt by Ralph and Piggy to some degree. Ralph experiences a disorganisation in his thoughts and an inability to articulate what he is thinking as assemblies, open communication and dialogue become devalued in favour of impulsive action, and Ralph and Piggy both participate in the frenzied attacked on Simon. The fact that they each have a moral struggle over having been involved in Simon’s murder, Ralph through guilt and shame and Piggy through denial and reframing, show they are still operating in response to the external influences of the civilising processes in which they were raised. Roger, on the other hand, deliriously abandons these restraints when the ‘irresponsible leadership’ of Jack allows him to act immorally and do what he innately has always wanted, to hurt others by throwing rocks to hurt and, eventually, becoming the ‘hangman’ of the group, administering torture to gain Sam and Eric’s submission to the tribe.

Civilised Society versus Barbarism Quotes

The pause was long enough for them to understand what an enormity the downward stroke would be. (Jack’s first attempt at killing a wild pig) Chapter 1

‘I agree with Ralph. We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages’. (Jack) Chapter 2

A sharpened stick about five feet long trailed from his right hand, and except for a pair of tattered shorts held up by his knife-belt he was naked. (Jack) Chapter 3

He passed his tongue across dry lips and scanned the uncommunicative forest. (Jack) Chapter 3

‘There’s nothing in it of course. Just a feeling. But you can feel as if you’re not hunting, but—being hunted, as if something’s behind you all the time in the jungle.’ (Jack, to Ralph and Simon) Chapter 3

He tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up. (Jack) Chapter 3

Jack had to think for a moment before he could remember what rescue was. Chapter 3

They walked along, two continents of experience and feeling, unable to communicate. (Jack and Ralph) Chapter 3

Nevertheless, the northern European tradition of work, play, and food right through the day, made it possible for them to adjust themselves wholly to this new rhythm. Chapter 4

Roger’s arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins. Chapter 4

The two boys faced each other. There was the brilliant world of hunting, tactics, fierce exhilaration, skill; and there was the world of longing and baffled commonsense. (Jack and Ralph) Chapter 4

To Ralph, seated, this seemed the breaking up of sanity. Fear, beasts, no general agreement that the fire was all-important: and when one tried to get the thing straight the argument sheered off, bringing up fresh, unpleasant matter. Chapter 5

The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away. Chapter 5

‘Bollocks to the rules! We’re strong—we hunt! If there’s a beast, we’ll hunt it down! We’ll close in and beat and beat and beat—!’ (Jack) Chapter 5

‘Conch! Conch!’ shouted Jack. ‘We don’t need the conch any more’ … Chapter 6

All at once, Robert was screaming and struggling with the strength of frenzy. Jack had him by the hair and was brandishing his knife. Behind him was Roger, fighting to get close. (Robert, pretending to be a pig) Chapter 7

Ralph too was fighting to get near, to get a handful of that brown, vulnerable flesh. The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering. Chapter 7

Ralph was puzzled by the shutter that flickered in his brain. There was something he wanted to say; then the shutter had come down. Chapter 8

‘Which is better—to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?’ (Piggy) Chapter 11

But really, thought Ralph, this was not Bill. This was a savage whose image refused to blend with that ancient picture of a boy in shorts and shirt. Chapter 12

‘Listen, Ralph. Never mind what’s sense. That’s gone—’ (Eric) Chapter 12

Roger sharpened a stick at both ends. Ralph tried to attach a meaning to this but could not. He used all the bad words he could think of in a fit of temper that passed into yawning. Chapter 12

‘I should have thought that a pack of British boys . . . would have been able to put up a better show than that.’ (naval officer) Chapter 12

Power and Leadership

Lord of the Flies explores the themes of power and leadership through the dynamics that play out between Ralph and Jack and the response of the group as their society breaks down. Generally speaking, power is the ability of a person to control others, often through fear, while leadership is the ability to inspire the voluntary participation of others.

In the novel, Ralph symbolises the group’s desire for leadership and order while Jack represents their need for power. Ralph relies upon the group’s democratic election of him as leader and through the institution of the conch (which was really his advisor Piggy’s idea) demonstrates that effective leadership places value on all voices within the group before proceeding on a particular course. His integration of Piggy’s advice is an example of responsible, collective leadership. Jack’s grab at power is individualistic, without any intent on including the input of others; Jack seeks to control and direct others for his own personal gratification. When he does take control, Jack does not include his members in any decision-making which creates an environment of despotism, a dangerous system of leadership in which one person holds absolute power and all others are in subservience; one person speaks and all others are silenced.

Despite his good intentions as a leader, Ralph, just a 12 year old boy, is unable to effectively convince the group, especially the smaller ones, that the beast is simple superstition. Jack, seeing the void, works at stirring up the fear in order to create a sense of terror, discrediting Ralph’s performance and the relevance of the conch, and through changing the rules of the game from rescue to survival. This tactic works to split the group’s allegiance and enables him to subsequently step in as a ‘saviour’ of sorts, championing himself as the one who will hunt to feed the group and protect them from the beast. It is then a simple shift for the boys to follow Jack since all that Ralph, Piggy and Simon stand for – the longer term goal of rescue and a return to their previous life – is fading and being replaced with the reality of Jack’s worldview – rescue may never come and the boys need food and safety now. It is not until Jack has fully seized power from Ralph that we see clearly that he only wanted to use it for his personal gratification. He develops a God-like complex, setting himself up on a type of throne in the middle of the group, where the other boys wait on him like a king. He has little interest in the welfare of his members and uses physical force to bring them into submission when needed, directing them to also use force with anyone outside the tribe. A mutual fear of other is necessary to maintain his control over the group.

The effect of the deterioration of society on the power dynamics within the group demonstrates the superficiality inherent in power and people’s submission to it. In the beginning, the smaller boys give simple obedience to Piggy when he is taking down names, simple out of their previous social conditioning to obey authorities in that he represented an adult and Piggy is intimidated by Jack’s ‘uniformed superiority’. Even Ralph’s election as leader was largely based on the fact that he was holding the conch, a symbol of authority and democracy. However, once Jack establishes the new world order, one of authoritarianism and promises to meet all the needs of the group, most give him their allegiance immediately. This shows that power is largely connected to the status quo of a society and its style of government and to the responsible (or in this case, irresponsible) authority who has control of the resources needed to meet the needs of that group or society at a particular time.

At a personal level, there are certain qualities that may enhance a person’s capacity to lead and Golding explores some of these in the novel. The text notes that likely candidates for leader were the calm, practical and athletic Ralph, the established military-style commander of the choir boys and skilled hunter Jack and the wise, intelligent Piggy. Piggy is quickly ruled out and the empathetic Simon, who was considerate of the more vulnerable members of the group, a quality of good leadership, was not even considered. This shows that leadership qualities are many and varied and that what constitutes a good leader depends on the situation for which the leadership is required and that a leader should be chosen through a careful process in which their full breadth of qualities and values can be considered rather in a hasty, on-the-spot process, as was the case in the novel.

Power and Leadership Quotes

The children gave him the same simple obedience that they had given to the men with megaphones. (Piggy) Chapter 1

The creature was a party of boys, marching approximately in step in two parallel lines and dressed in strangely eccentric clothing. Chapter 1

He was intimidated by this uniformed superiority and the offhand authority in Merridew’s voice. (Piggy about Jack) Chapter 1

… what intelligence had been shown was traceable to Piggy while the most obvious was Jack. But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out … Chapter 1

‘We want to be rescued; and of course we shall be rescued.’ …
The simple statement, unbacked by any proof but the weight of Ralph’s new authority, brought light and happiness. He had to wave the conch before he could make them hear him. Chapter 2

‘I got the conch,’ said Piggy, in a hurt voice. ‘I got a right to speak.’ Chapter 2

Jack looked round for understanding but found only respect. (after having killed the pig for their food) Chapter 4

… The trouble was, if you were a chief you had to think, you had to be wise … This made you think; because thought was a valuable thing, that got results.
Only, decided Ralph as he faced the chief’s seat, I can’t think. Not like Piggy. Chapter 5

‘Conch! Conch!’ shouted Jack. ‘We don’t need the conch any more. We know who ought to say things. What good did Simon do speaking, or Bill, or Walter? It’s time some people knew they’ve got to keep quiet and leave deciding things to the rest of us.’ Chapter 6

Ralph sighed, sensing the rising antagonism, understanding that this was how Jack felt as soon as he ceased to lead. Chapter 7

Astonished, he heard his voice come out, cool and casual, so that the bitterness of Jack’s taunt fell powerless. (Ralph, acquiescing to Jack’s challenge to look for the beast in the dark) Chapter 7

Before the party had started a great log had been dragged into the center of the lawn and Jack, painted and garlanded, sat there like an idol. Chapter 9

Power lay in the brown swell of his forearms: authority sat on his shoulder and chattered in his ear like an ape. (Jack) Chapter 9

The chief was sitting there, naked to the waist, his face blocked out in white and red. The tribe lay in a semicircle before him. (Jack) Chapter 10

He paused, defeated by the silence and the painted anonymity of the group guarding the entry. (Ralph) Chapter 11

Now the painted group felt the otherness of Samneric, felt the power in their own hands. Chapter 11

Morality and Society

Golding’s Lord of the Flies explores the concept of morality and raises the question as to whether morality is inherent or connected to society. Morality can be defined as ‘conformity to the rules of right conduct’ which begs the question, who determines what is right conduct? Some philosophers have argued that morality is not biologically determined but is based on cultural traditions and religious beliefs. That Golding’s story contains characters no older than twelve provides somewhat of a relevant case study for moderate societal effects since the boys would not as yet have experienced the vastness of human social experiences and may indicate that Golding viewed morality as somewhat inherent.

The text suggests that, unrestrained by societal forces, people will revert to an innate evil nature. For example, Jack is initially supportive of Ralph’s desire for rules and civility, famously expressing that they were ‘not savages’ and yet, becomes obsessed with hunting and the grab for power, eventually devolving the society to one of savagery. Ralph and Piggy strive to maintain their sense of humanity but ultimately become involved in the frenzied attack that kills Simon, becoming aware of the darkness within them. Simon is the only character who is demonstrated to successfully resist any inherent urge towards violence. He does not participate in the savage attacks on pigs and is empathetic towards the more vulnerable boys, such as the bullied Piggy and the smaller children. In contrast to Simon’s character, Roger is presented as innately evil, a secret that Golding suggests he already had before arriving on the island and that was only being restrained by the fading effects of his social conditioning in civil, English society, seen in his increasing urge to inflict pain on others.

The contrasting examples of Roger’s evilness and Simon’s goodness make it difficult to conclude that there is an absolute innate evil nature. Although, Simon does receive insight into its potential existence, from his own evaluation when he witnesses the deterioration in the group’s behaviour and from the ‘Lord of the Flies’ when it tells Simon that the beast is not something that may be hunted, thus is not external, but that the beast exists within the hearts of humans. This invokes religious beliefs of good and evil, God and the devil, and suggests they may have an influence on an individual’s moral development.

Simon’s ability to continue to conduct himself in the same manner as he had in the civilised, English society in which he was raised, despite the deteriorating society on the island around him, shows that he was operating with a personal moral code. This indicates that regardless of whether morality is biologically determined or based on societal factors, the capacity to behave morally is not dependent on societal factors.

Morality and Society Quotes

… he might make a boxer, as far as width and heaviness of shoulders went, but there was a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil. (Ralph) Chapter 1

There was a slight, furtive boy whom no one knew, who kept to himself with an inner intensity of avoidance and secrecy. (Roger) Chapter 1

We used his specs,’ said Simon, smearing a black cheek with his forearm. ‘He helped that way.’ (to Jack about Piggy) Chapter 2

‘How can you expect to be rescued if you don’t put first things first and act proper?’ (Piggy to the group) Chapter 2

He was a small, skinny boy, his chin pointed, and his eyes so bright they had deceived Ralph into thinking him delightfully gay and wicked. (Simon) Chapter 3

In his other life Maurice had received chastisement for filling a younger eye with sand. Now, though there was no parent to let fall a heavy hand, Maurice still felt the unease of wrongdoing. Chapter 4

Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law. (Roger) Chapter 4

Simon looked now, from Ralph to Jack, as he had looked from Ralph to the horizon, and what he saw seemed to make him afraid. (witnessing the hunters return with the slaughtered pig) Chapter 4

He took a step, and able at last to hit someone, stuck his fist into Piggy’s stomach. (Jack) Chapter 4

He found himself understanding the wearisomeness of this life, where every path was an improvisation and a considerable part of one’s waking life was spent watching one’s feet. (Ralph) Chapter 4

‘Life . . . is scientific. … I know there isn’t no beast . . . but I know there isn’t no fear, either ….Unless we get frightened of people.’ (Piggy to Ralph) Chapter 5

‘Maybe,’ he said hesitantly, ‘maybe there is a beast.’ … What I mean is. . . maybe it’s only us.’ (Simon) Chapter 5

However Simon thought of the beast, there rose before his inward sight the picture of a human at once heroic and sick. Chapter 6

He was safe from shame or self-consciousness behind the mask of his paint and could look at each of them in turn. (Jack) Chapter 8

‘There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the Beast… Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! … You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you?’’ (The Lord of the Flies to Simon) Chapter 8

‘I’m frightened. Of us. I want to go home. Oh God, I want to go home.’ (Ralph to Piggy) Chapter 10

Someone was throwing stones: Roger was dropping them, his one hand still on the lever. Below him, Ralph was a shock of hair and Piggy a bag of fat. Chapter 11

Memory of their new and shameful loyalty came to them. (Sam and Eric after being tortured to join Jack’s tribe) Chapter 12

‘You don’t know Roger. He’s a terror.’
‘And the chief—they’re both—‘
‘—terrors—’
‘—only Roger—’ (SamnEric to Ralph) Chapter 12

… Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy. Chapter 12

Groupthink

A theme that is seen in the behaviour of Jack’s tribe when he takes over as leader, groupthink is a psychological phenomenon whereby the desire for a group to be unified creates an environment in which group members want to agree and in order to reduce conflict, they reach a consensus quickly without assessing all the facts. Examples in the text include Jack’s hunters returning after their first successful hunt, chanting in unity and showing that they enjoyed enacting violence as a group and the group’s collective agreement to the fantasy that the beast had taken on Simon’s identity at the time they murdered him.

The groupthink model removes individuality, since this could be contrary or provide alternative viewpoints to what the group has already decided upon; only information that confirms what the group has already agreed upon is valued. This dysfunctional ‘ingroup’ mentality in turn gives the group an inflated certainty that their decisions are right and those of their opponents, the ‘outgroup’, are wrong. Such a mentality enables ingroup members to produce dehumanising actions against outgroup members, like the torture that was inflicted on Sam and Eric to join Jack’s tribe.

Groupthink Quotes

They were chanting, something to do with the bundle that the errant twins carried so carefully. Chapter 4

‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!’ Chapter 9

… the complementary circles went round and round as though repetition would achieve safety of itself. There was the throb and stamp of a single organism. Chapter 9

At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt on to the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws. (the murder of Simon) Chapter 9

Now the painted group felt the otherness of Samneric, felt the power in their own hands. Chapter 11