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The main idea in ‘Lord of the Flies’ is Golding’s understanding of human nature. Golding argues that human nature, unleashed from the pressure of society, departs people away from sensibleness to fierceness. The application of allegory, character development, illusions, and setting are individual rhetorical techniques that the writer uses in ‘Lord of the Flies’ to interpret that all humans are naturally evil. The theme of savagery against civilization is introduced through the main characters in the novel, Ralph and Jack, who both lead, along comparable contrasting and diverse methods.
At the beginning of the story, the two Ralph and Jack are elected leaders. Ralph is voted to be in charge of all boys on the island: “You voted me chief. Now you do what I say” (Golding, 14). Ralph’s motivation is maintaining order. He lives by rules and follows moral commands. His ambition includes keeping and directing the boys on the right path to a civilized community: “We ought to have more rules” (Golding, 33). On the other hand, Jack is chosen as ruler of the hunters by Ralph. This foreshadows how Jack is symbolizing humanity’s ugliness and animal-like side of a human: “I thought I might kill” (Golding, 53). Jack evolves into bloodthirsty, dehumanized, and completely savage, planning and killing creatures such as human beings: “The madness came into his eyes again” (Golding, 57).
Throughout the novel, the leaders’ priorities are evidently indicated. They do not share equivalent views on what is most important. Ralph’s primacy is safety and security. For the most part, he is preoccupied with getting saved: “We want to be rescued; and of course we shall be rescued” (Golding, 37). He conceives that keeping a fire lit will signalize help and draw attention. Ralph does not show much concern about surviving: “The fire is the most important thing. Without the fire we can’t be rescued” (Golding, 29). Conversely, Jack fundamentally worries about survival and hunting: “We want meat” (Golding, 55). His actions illustrate how insane he is about the desire he shows for hunting a pig. This encourages Jack to feel powerful, strong, and courageous: “Kill the pig. Cut its throat” (Golding, 149).
The transformation in the boys’ characters is visible and apparent. In the first chapter, Ralph is described as a fair-haired boy, which reveals positive associations: “But there was a mildness about his eyes and mouth that proclaimed no devil” (Golding, 8). This quote marks a clear distinction between Ralph and evilness. Originally, Ralph is naive and innocent about the challenges that await him. As the problem involving the beastie gets more serious, Ralph develops into a weaker character. He does not have a solution to the issue and is doubting the thought of him being a great leader. To prove himself as a leader and keeper of the boys, Ralph succeeds in hunting a boar. His instincts take over and he shows excitement: “He sunned himself in their new respect and felt that hunting was good after all” (Golding, 118). The loss of innocence is presented indirectly in Ralph’s thoughts: “Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart” (Golding, 77). When Jack first appears in the novel, he already has precise authority. Darkness is shown on his face, he is naturally savage. Throughout the novel, he turns into a barbaric, brutal character: “He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling. He capered toward Bill and the mask was a thing of its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness” (Golding, 67). Here Jack paints his face to escape his ordinary weak character. Later Jack becomes a dictator without any limitations: “Authority sat on his shoulder and chattered in his ear like an ape” (Golding, 148).
In conclusion, to summarize all the above, even though the two leaders at the beginning of the novel had many similarities, their changes began when fear of the beast took place. The beast representing Beelzebub in the novel embodies the evilness in a man’s heart. Jack’s blindness to passion and desires made him savage and insane, whereas Ralph did not let fear take over him. Ultimately, the novel ‘Lord of the Flies’ shows how humans can change by the influence of fear and desires, showing the real nature. Golding refutes the notion imposed by the romantic writers, which implies that society and civilization make people cruel, evil, and savage. ‘Lord of the Flies’ depicts the real, true nature of human beings. William Golding believed that people are inherently evil and that the cunning beast lurks in their souls despite the actions of society and civilization.
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