Lord of the Flies

The Lord of the Flies
Every human being has to contend with two competing impulses: the one which prompts him to live peacefully with his fellow, and the other which leads him to fulfill his immediate desires. To live peacefully with others, one must learn to follow social rules, and to act for the benefit of the many, often leading to the dissolution of individuality. And yet, there exists in man the need to fulfill his greatest dreams, to be recognized for one’s gifts, to be upheld and respected. Unfortunately, the need to be acknowledged can sometimes lead man to dominate others, and to act violently in order to enforce one’s will. This conflict has many masks, all well recorded by history: it is the fight against rationality and impulsivity, between order and chaos, between law and anarchy. In modern times, it is known as the fight between the rich and the poor, between capitalism and socialization. In general, it is referred to as the war between good and evil, but in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies (1954), it is the fight between civilization and savagery.
Lord of the Flies is the story of a group of highly civilized English boys, and how they too, could create a social arrangement that would help them escape the island. But who decides they have made a good plan, worthy of following? Ralph believed they needed "a chief to decide on such things" (Golding, 1954, p.28). And the "tribe", despite the lack of their approval to become a part of the tribe are forced to make their first group decision: who should be their leader? In the fashion of the adult world, someone suggested to have an election. The problem was that two boys wanted to become leaders – Jack, "because [he is] chapter chorister and head boy. [He] can sing C sharp" (Golding, 1954, p.28) and Ralph, because it suits his fancy. These words show the reader that these boys were still immature, and in a sense, are not yet fit for self-government. But rationality is not operational in this island because there are no adults to make rational choices. These were only boys who thought that life was as simple as maintaining a smoke signal, finding food, and having fun. This shows readers that the desire to become a part of a society is important for survival, but that the need to be recognized is also innate. Ralph may have wanted to have a form of civilization to help everyone survive, but the problem was that, he was also unwilling to listen and look at the unique gifts each individual in his new "tribe" brings. Just like our modern leaders, he acted as if he and people like him (leaders like Jack), were the only ones who knew what was best for everyone else.
Every individual understands the need to become a part of a civilization, a larger community where there is order, even children. And so, it was no surprise that at the second meeting ...