Civilisation And Savagery :: essays research papers

When the boys first arrived on the island they automatically seeked for some kind of law and locate since there are not any grown-ups. They want to belong to a group, with someone in charge to lead them, and make them feel safe. After being chosen in a democratic election, Ralph becomes this leader. Ralphs society becomes a symbol of the democratic society, where everyone has their rights and an equal say. He assigned the choir as hunters and squat the put of being the leader of them. The conch becomes an important symbol for authority and civilisation, anyone who holds it has the right to be heard. In Ralphs society everyone works for the benefit of the whole group. Building shelters, looking for sustenance and keeping the fire alive are the three most important issues. After a period of age this society starts to brake up. With the fear of the beastie, the boys subscribe become terrified of this creature which lead up to the death of Simon and then boorish. But there is a difference between these two deaths, as Simons death was inadvertent and Piggys death was deliberate. This shows the darkness inside mans heart, which is released when mankind becomes savages. Fear is what provokes savagery, as Roger lost control of his actions because of fear. With the destruction of the conch along with the death of Piggy, it also shows the destruction of authority and civilisation.Jack and the hunters show that mankind are inheritantly evil, if left alone to take care of themselves, fear will turn tem into the savage roots of the ancestors. This is shown near the end of the unused with the killing of piggy and the hunting of Ralph. Though at first Jack felt guilty for killing Simon, because he was still civilised, however as time goes on it turns into a thirst for blood, to kill anything that stands in his way to become the leader of the island.Ralph represents fairness and morality while Jack represents evil and the decay of civilisation. Piggy symbolizes the law and order of the world they left behind.