Themes in Lord of the Flies Essay Example for Free

Themes in Lord of the Flies Essay There are various outlooks of a man in the novel ? Lord of the Flies.? Piggy and Ralph viewed man as being essentially good and that evil happens because something was wrong with people. Jack used power over others and believed that forces more powerful than him must be appeased through ceremony and sacrifice. Simon believed that both good and evil lay within each person. William Golding? s point of view is also represented by one of the characters. Piggy and Ralph believed that man was essentially good and when something was wrong with a person, evil arose. They emphasized in law and order from the day of the arrival on the island. One night Ralph and Piggy went to Castle Rock to regain order but Jack? s refused Ralph? s status of chief. Ralph and Piggy also believed that they could use the conch on Jack? s side of the island but Jack did not agree. the conch doesn? t count at this end of the island (Page 166). Piggy and Ralph believed that the conch and Ralph? s status would work everywhere because they still believed in law and order. In one incident Jack Roger and the Maurice went to the shelters where Samneric, Ralph, Piggy and the littluns were sleeping. That night the three men arrived at the shelters and stole Piggy? s glasses after a fight. Ralph and Piggy were furious and all Piggy wanted to do was reclaim his glasses, ? I just take the conch to say this. I can? t see no more and I got to get my glasses back. Awful things has been done on this island (Page 188) what? s right is right. Give me my glasses, I? m going to say ? you got to!? (Page 190). Piggy and Ralph believed that Jack would return the glasses because stealing was wrong, therefore Jack had to. Ralph and Piggy believed that if Jack had wanted fire all he had to do was asked them for it. The two did not know that the glasses were stolen as a representation for power over Piggy and Ralph. Without the glasses Piggy is vulnerable and weak. Furthermore Piggy and Ralph had lost their means of comfort, warmth and rescue. Towards the end of the novel after Piggy? s death, Samneric warned Ralph about Jack? s plan to hunt him. The twins also told Ralph that Roger was going to sharpen a stick at both ends. Ralph did not understand this. Ralph was going to be sacrificed like the sow. Jack used power over others. During the first meeting on the island Ralph appointed Jack and his choir to be hunters because he sensed Jack? s need for control. During the beginning of the book Jack understood fear after he experienced the feeling of being watched and hunted. The understanding of the dear allowed Jack to use the fear in a different manner. Jack? s painted face used as a mask to cover his identity. This made him feel liberated from consequences. The feeling of anonymity gave him confidence what he wanted to do. Jack used chants and dances as a way of dealing with the fear. Jack believed that forces more powerful than him must be appeased through ceremony and sacrifice. The fear of the beast and the idea of the beast was a large issue on the island. Jack? s idea of appeasing the beast and soothing fears of the beast was barbaric. Jack and the sexually killed a sow, which they later beheaded. The placed the head of the sow on the end of spear while the other end of the spear was stuck into he ground. ?The head is for the beast. It? s a gift. (Page 151). One night all the boys except for Simon were gathered together at Castle Rock. The heard thunder and saw little flashes of light at the distance. It had also begun to rain. To overcome the fear they began to chant, ? Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!? (Page 168). They became mesmerized by the chant. Simon was noticed crawling out of the jungle. The boys formed a horseshow to trap Simon. The all had the urge to hurt and kill Simon. Jack? s need to be I control grew stronger and fiercer with the novel? s progression. Simon represented the purity found in man. He was a unique child who believed that both good and evil resided within each person. Through the story Simon acted as the Christ figure. Simon was epileptic and had E. S. P. Simon foresaw the fate of Ralph and his own. ?You? ll get back all right. I think so, anyway.? (Page 121). Simon viewed his fate and witnessed the killing of the sow. Prior to one of his seizure? s he saw his death. The Lord of the Flies spoke to him and said, we shall do you. See? Jack and Roger and Maurice and Robert and Bill and Piggy and Ralph (Page 159). Shortly before his death he came to the realization that the beast was not a creature but something that was within Jack and the hunters. He believed that he should tell the truth despite the consequences. In turn he was sacrificed for the continuation for the evil on the island. William Golding? s view of a man was shown through Simon. Simon saw and understood both the good and morality that was inside of Ralph and the evil that was inside of Jack. The longer the boys were isolated from civilization, the ones who held the beast inside of the, developed and became primitive, destructive and savage. As time away from civilization grew the close they reached destruction and chaos. The main outlooks of man represented in the novel were shown through Piggy, Ralph, Jack and Simon. Jack used his power to manipulate and power over others and when he was in the presence of more powerful forces he used ceremony and sacrifice to calm the force and ease the fear. Simon knew that both good and evil were within a person. Golding viewed civilization as a surface covering a person? s true potential for evil. Lord of the Flies proved that dark side of human nature could be as vicious and as terrifying as the unknown itself, and even the most innocent of use are vulnerable to it.