This essay explores how an idea is conveyed in Lord of the Flies for a particular purpose.
It follows the use of TEEL body structure and is divided into three parts (each following the use of TEEL), exploring how the idea of order and chaos in the novel using characterization, setting, and symbolism.
William Golding wrote his 1954 novel, Lord of the Flies to explore how the ideas of Order and Chaos can cause the collapse of civilization and warn the world of the war tensions that could show the horrors of the humans’ savage nature. Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of British boys who are stranded on an island after their plane, which was shot down, crashes. The novel tries to show how the boys implement rules and order which then descend into chaos and savagery at the end.
Golding authored the novel to convey the horrors of World War II and illustrate how order and democracy can collapse with the absence of rules, revealing the true instincts of human savagery which results in chaos. This collapse of society can be seen in the novel through the setting of the island, characterization and development of Jack, and the symbolism of the conch.
At the start of the novel Jack respects authority and rules and this is shown through: “I agree with Ralph. We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English, and the English are best at everything. So we’ve got to do the right things.” Jack at the start acted the role of an adult along with Ralph and agreed on making rules and to obey them. He acted like a civilized English man who is proper and not a savage animal.
However, as the novel progresses and the boys become more isolated from civilisation, Jack’s obsession with power and the need for control grows and he embraces his primal instincts ‘There was the brilliant world of hunting, tactics, fierce exhilaration, skill; and there was the world of longing and baffled commonsense.’ This shows the transition of Jacks values from order and civilisation to hunting and survival. Jack starts to oppose Ralph’s rules and orders as the chief, who represents longing and common sense and starts to have his own hunting party.
Finally, at the end of the novel, Jack loses all sense of his humanity and is a ruthless savage “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 — !” this shows how Jack starts to completely be a savage and stripped of his Englishman appearance. He starts to explore the world of hunting and no longer has the desire to be rescued as he argues with Ralph about it. He starts to become a savage who is not afraid of killing a pig or Simon.
Through the character development of Jack from a disciplined leader to a ruthless hunter, Golding illustrates how without authority and rules, humans have the inherent capacity to turn savage to reflect his own experiences during World War II.
At the start of the novel the Island in which the story unveils is portrayed as ‘[the lagoon] was clear…and bright with the efflorescence of tropical weed and coral. A school of tiny, glittering fish flicked hither and thither.’’ This sets the island as an idyllic, tropical paradise for the boys to play in until they are rescued. It makes the island seem like a haven for the kids. Golding did this to pay homage to the novel ‘Coral Island’ which gave him the idea for this book.
However, as the novel progresses the island starts to appear more dangerous and is shown to portray human like emotions. ‘the heat…became a blow that they ducked’ ,’there the sun gazed down like an angry eye.‘ Describing the sun as ‘gazing down like an angry eye’ gives it human like emotions by using pathetic fallacy and anthropomorphism. Golding does this to reinforce the boys’ growing fears that they start having on the island. The setting also creates a sense of isolation and despair.
Finally, at the end of the novel the island is shown to be engulfed with chaos. ‘Beneath the capering boys, a quarter of a mile square of forest was savage with smoke and flame… that seemed to shake the mountain.’ The island reflects the savagery and chaos that ensues. All sorts of dreadful things start to happen like the unexpected fire, Simon and piggy’s murder and Ralph’s chase.
Using pathetic fallacy Golding represents the emotions and turmoil happening to the boys on the island. The island’s descent into chaos can be seen as a reflection of the real-world conflicts and atrocities that Golding saw as the aftermath of World War II.
At the start of the novel, Golding uses the symbolism of the conch to represent civilisation and order ‘The children gave [Ralph] the same simple obedience that they had given to the men with megaphones.’ “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s talking…And he won’t be interrupted: except by me” The conch calls survivors together and is perceived to give authority to the holder Ralph. The conch at the start represents order and civilisation. It is used to structure how each person can speak and be heard as they are only allowed to speak if they are holding the conch.
However, as the novel progresses the conch starts to lose its power. “I got the conch-“ “Conch! Conch!” shouted Jack, “We don’t need the conch anymore. 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 -” This shows the challenge to authority of Ralph by Jack. Jack’s rejection of the conch symbolizes how the power starts to drain. It shows the shift in the power dynamics.
Finally, at the very end of the novel the conch is seen to have fully lost its symbolism of order and authority and becomes non existential. ‘The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist.’ The conch ceasing to exist symbolises the order of civilisation as destroyed. Piggy’s death and the conch’s destruction mark a turning point in the novel, emphasizing the boys’ descent into savagery.
Through the symbolism of the conch as order and how its power shatters at the end, Golding portrays his thoughts on the potential for societal collapse and the consequences of losing moral order. He was reflecting on the aftermath of World War II, examining the fragility of human civilization and how swiftly chaos can overtake order.
In his 1954 novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding dives into the themes of Order and Chaos, illustrating how it can lead to the downfall of civilization. Through this novel, Golding talks about the war tensions that reveal the brutal and savage aspects of human nature.