Final Words on Brave New World

William Golding's Lord of the Flies is an interesting insight into the primal characteristics of man. The characters in the novel progress from being civilized, English boys to savages on the verge of losing all of their civility. The book serves as an insight onto what might happen when humans are taken out of a world of law and government, and pushed into a world of total freedom and anarchy. The struggle for power between Ralph and Jack lead to the deaths of two of the more sensible boys. The book also possesses many symbols. The conch is one of the most common of the book. The conch represents order to many of the boys. It is what calls the boys to assembly and what dictates who is to speak at the assemblies. The stuck pig head that "talks" to Simon is also a symbol in the book. It represents the island’s overwhelming power. The pig’s head represents human nature. It tells Simon that it is the Beast, and it is inside him. Human nature was the Beast that the boys on the island should have feared, instead of some physical monster. Pigs were also a symbol of Jack’s regression into becoming a savage. The thoughts of hunting and eating meat possessed Jack, causing him and the rest of the boys to forget of being rescued. The signal fire was Ralph’s last connection to any civilized thought. The rest of the boys had reverted back to savages and forgot about the fire, but Ralph’s single-minded obsession was to keep the fire going to signal possible rescuers. Lord of the Flies serves as a testament to what may occur when law and order are removed and people are left to govern themselves.

Lord of the Flies Pages 180-200

The scene with Ralph running into the naval officer illustrates a very powerful oversight in the book. As the novel progresses, Golding's descriptions of the characters and the events of the novel make the reader forget that the characters described are only ten, eleven, and twelve years old. The last scene with Ralph and the naval officer gives a different perspective on the characters. The descriptions change. Golding uses words such as "little boys" to describe the boys the naval officer meets on the beach. No where else in the novel does he describe the boys in such a manner. Golding is narrating the scene through the eyes of the naval officer. The officer is met by a group of boys who appear tribal in their ways, but British school boys by their appearence. Golding also makes the boys appear more adolescent when he writes that they begin to sob after they have realized what they have become.

Lord of the Flies Pages 160-180

The conch that Piggy holds so dear is destroyed in this section of the novel. The conch was a symbol of order and social structure on the island. It was what Ralph called assemblies with and what gave one the right to speak at said assemblies. When the boys in the tribe capture the twins and destroy this symbol, along with Piggy, the island is pushed into anarchy and chaos. Ralph's mindset is completely changed with this development of the story. He initially believed that the boys would come to their senses, but now he comes to realize that these boys have lost all traces of civilized life. Their time on the island has erased the civilizing marks of society and has instilled primitive thoughts and ways in the boys. I believe this is the point in the novel in which Ralph loses all hope in being rescued. He believes that because of the boys choice to be savage, he will die on the island.
Picture:http://www.museumeducation.bedford.gov.uk/Bedfordbytes/nature/images_nature/gallery_natural_objects/images/Common%20Spider%20Conch%20Shell_jpg.jpg

Lord of the Flies Pages 140-160

The divisions in the island become even deeper. Jack's group of boys continues to become more and more savage. They seem to be regressing to a primal human state. It is almost as if the boys are devolving mentally into simple hunters and gatherers. Ralph, Piggy, and the twins are the only ones on the island who seem to keep their wits about them in the face of the island. Simon, along with Jack and the savages, also seems to be losing his sanity. His thoughtfulness earlier in the story seems to be leeching out of his personality. His delusion of the talking pig may be a symbol of how man is his own worst enemy and biggest threat to himself. Simon's theory that man is the biggest threat is shown in Jack's hostile actions towards those who did not join his group. He acts as if he may attempt to kill them off soon.

Lord of the Flies Pages 120-140

The boys split up into two groups as Jack leaves Ralph's leadership and goes off with other boys to be hunters. The two boys had held a very tense relationship regarding the island's leadership. I believe that the stories of the beast made this relationship even more tense. Both boys had different views of how to deal with the beast. Jack took a more aggressive stance, while Ralph would rather just avoid the monster to keep the fire going. It seems that Jack has lost the will to be rescued because he doesn't care about making any signals for ships to see. Ralph is almost consumed by the thoughts of keeping the fire going. Both boys are tiptoeing the line between lunacy and sanity. Simon also seems to be losing his sanity. He is becoming more and more solitary, withdrawing from the rest of the group. I believe that this may foreshadowing some ominous event.
Picture: http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Arts/Arts_/Pictures/2007/06/06/flies460.jpg

Lord of the Flies Pages 100-120

The boys paranoia grows as two of the twins say they have spotted the beast. Jack's ego also continues to grow. He seems to be offended by Ralph's leadership. Anytime Ralph gives an order, Jack comes at him with some sarcastic or rude remark. This may be because Jack has always been in charge of groups he has been a part of, such as the choir. Ralph and Jack take turns leading a group of boys up the mountain, on the hunt for the beast. Ralph and Jack's personalites clash as the expedition moves up the mountain. Eventually only three boys are left. Jack presses Ralph to go on, but Ralph refuses. Jack's ego pushes him up the mountain, only to be deflated as he sees the beast, sending him running back for where Ralph and the other boy set up camp. Ralph is also paralzyed at the site of the beast. I feel that the differences in personality of the two boys will eventually lead to an epic clash and possibly a death or two.

Lord of the Flies Pages 80-100

The boys call an assembly to talk of the problems of the island. They talk of a beast that the smaller boys have seen. The talk of the beast sends the assembly into an uproar. Jack and Ralph begin to fight over whether or not there is a beast. This fight shows the tension between Ralph and Jack. Jack, the aggressor in the conflict, takes off with a slew of other boys leaves the assembly. The social structure of the island is in shambles and Ralph feels unable to do anything about it. The setting of the novel also lends itself to stories of beasts and monsters. The island is said to be unexplored and the boys are intimidated by its thick jungles. Anything could be hiding in the dark green mess of the jungle. The boys are psyched out by the unknown of the island, which leads to a sort of hysteria among them.
Song: Pink Floyd-Brain Damage
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