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Human Values And Social Structures Essay, Research Paper

It can be said that Golding describes the moral of the book in relation to the scientific mechanics of society. This is found as a major theme in the book, which is actually fear. The boys on the island view this ideal in the form of the “beastie”. The “beastie” is an unseen figure on the island, which is symbolized of the dead parachutist. This fear, however, represents the potential evil found in humans. Yet, this evil is only brought about amongst specific environmental conditions, which Golding synthesized in the book.

The most interesting aspect and probably the most influential characteristic of the story is found to be the age of the characters. The author successfully attempts to show how capable the aspect of evil is among human beings. However, Golding perfects this idea as he used children, who represent purity and innocence in a normal society. Through the use of children, the reader finds that barbarity and savagery can exist amongst even the smallest and most innocuous form of human beings.

In Lord of the Flies, many key characters and symbols represent the almost civilized impulse. Some examples are Ralph, Piggy, and the ?conch shell? the boys use to call meetings. These are signs of order and control in a place full of fear and mental pressure. Simon is an example of how humans slowly evolve and adjust in their surroundings because he takes control of the situation. Simon acts morally on the island, he behaves kindly to the younger children, and he is the first to realize the problem posed by the beast and the Lord of the Flies. The problem that there is no external monster, but rather that a monster lurks within each human being.

Two important symbols of civilization, the conch and the glasses, are closely followed throughout the action. As the civilized life breaks up on the island, the glasses are broken and stolen, and the conch is crushed. Piggy, who wears the glasses and carries the conch, is killed.

Golding?s characters have a depth and are believable for the somewhat unbelievable situation they are put in. Each character has his own fully developed personality. He does this while maintaining a certain symbolism in the characters. Each characters, while being their own person, symbolizes some idea, but not to the point where the characters are flat.

Ralph is twelve and one of the older boys on the island. He is the leader throughout most of the book being determined, rational, and understanding. He is dressed as in a typical school uniform, but not as the choir boys. He tries to understand the problem and the people on the island trying to give rational solutions. However, psychologically, he loses faith in the boys and decides that he has little hope to restore order into the island. His purpose is to show the reader through his eyes the degradation of the society on the island, and thereby show the innate evil within man. “This expresses his understanding and caring side.”

Jack is also one of the older boys and about Ralph’s age. He starts as the leader of the choir boys, and develops into the leader of the hunters eventually taking over everyone on the island. He is dressed nicely in a choir boy outfit. He is strong, villainous, and proud perpetuating the crimes committed by the boys on the island. He cares only for his own power and not for the common good. He disregards order and in him the reader clearly sees the innate evil of man since he was the one that cast off society earliest. He becomes Ralph?s most powerful antagonist because of this. “I ought to be chief because I?m chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp.”

Piggy is slightly younger than Ralph and in the weakling in the group being overweight and suffering from asthma. He is dressed similar to Ralph in a typical school uniform and ears glasses. He is weak, smart, and friendly. While is put down by the other boys, he is necessary on the island as a source of intelligence and insight. His insights are often ignored because of his weak appearance and he is killed by the Jack and his savages. “My auntie told me not to run on account of my asthma.”

The one complicating element in the novel is the character of Simon. Piggy characterizes the scientific, intellectual, and moral aspects of human dignity. Simon seems to represent a kind of natural, spiritual human goodness. The other characters in the novel leave moral behavior as soon as things start to get out of control. Simon?s murder puzzles most people in the overwhelming abundance of evil put against the only moral person of the story.

Simon is the saint in the story. He is skinny and dressed similar to Ralph in the school uniform. He is kind, caring and sincere. In the novel, he serves to bring a certain insight into the story. He is the one that seems to best understand the inner evil, and the first to understand the beast. He takes care of the littluns. Sadly, his insight is lost among the boys as he is killed being mistaken for the beast. “Simon, sitting between the twins and Piggy, wiped his mouth and shoved his piece of meat over the rocks to Piggy, who grabbed it. The twins giggled and Simon lowered his face in shame.”

The “Lord of the Flies” helps tie the novel together. It is planted in the forest after the first pig is killed and is discovered by Simon shortly before his death at the hands of the savages. It is also seen by Ralph, as he tries to escape certain death from the hunters; he appropriately throws it to the ground and breaks it.

The fire is another image that weaves the story together. The first fire on the mountaintop is allowed to rage out of control, killing the first victim in the story and foreshadowing that life, like the fire, will rage out of control. The second fire is allowed to go out, causing them to miss their first

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