ENGLISH ESSAY – LORD OF THE FLIES: (800-1000 WORDS)

The basics of civilisation can mitigate the full expression of inherent savagery
GROT INTRODUCTION – 100-150 (210)

G – A progressive culture promotes law and order and aims to tame the inherent savagery
or ‘beast’ within all humans. Despite this social construct having good intentions, the desire
for pleasure and violence can sometimes be more appealing.
R – William Golding’s novel of Lord of the Flies entails the experience of a group of British
schoolboys after their plane crashes onto a desert island. Two members from of the
wreckage protagonist Ralph and Piggy, seek an assembly after discovering a conch shell on
the beach. After a vote, Ralph is elected as leader and aims for a makes plans of for a rescue.
Eventually, the littleuns and biguns boys create a new society similar to the one they left.
Despite thisHowever, the sensibility harmony of thise civilised is soon disrupted by the
desire for hunting and other pleasures displayed in the chorus leaderby antagonist Jack and
his followers. As a result, many consequences arise such as the death of Simon and Piggy as
well as the transformation of their oasis into a land of fire.
O – If the children had correctly applied technology, rules, and the cooperation between all
individuals, a peaceful society would have been created.
T – Through this text, Golding suggests that the descent into chaos and ferocity follows due
to when mankind misuses ing and or abandons ing the basic tools needed in aof civilisation.

BODY – 600-800 (200 per the 3 paragraphs)

POINT 1:
TECHNOLOGY WAS APPLIED TO ADVANCE THEIR NEWLY CREATED SOCIETY.
Piggy – represents innovation and discovery, promotes the good use of tech for the benefit
of society e.g. fire – warmth, light (felt safe).

 Conveys the idea of science and technology.

 Science in this novel is a skeptic: has the ability to be reasonable and to question what is
believed by the majority by using empirical evidence. Mentioning sightings of the
“beast” in Chapter 5, Piggy was skeptical of the popular belief that there was a “beast”.
He questioned the popular idea with his intellect, asking questions like “What would a
beast eat?” and later on showing his disbelief by jeering “That’s a clever beast…if it can
hide on this island”.
Conch – mention more in the rules paragraph
Fire – rescue, destruction perhaps discuss in the conflict paragraph when Jack doesn’t listen
to Ralph and doesn’t watch the fire
Piggy’s Glasses – advancement, innovation and discovery
 Was used to advance their society and to make progress by going beyond subsistent
living.
 Science is a solution: the key to unlocking the maximum potential of technology and
ideas to benefit a human race. Chapter 2 – Piggy’s glasses are used to start a fire
 The specs are used to help others and to open up new doors of discovery
 The glasses and light start a fire; symbolise science and technology by allowing the boys
to create fire – civilisation’s first necessity as it gives mankind the power to shape their
environment to best suit their needs for food (apart from the berries that make them
sick), warmth and light. In addition, it is used as a signal fire for ships so that the group
one day may be rescued.
 It is a contribution to the good of society - "Piggy was...so full of pride in his contribution
to the good of society, that he helped to fetch wood" (118).
 The technological status of the boys on the island becomes less and less
 When they split off into two different groups, Jack stole the glasses and misuses it to try
and kill Ralph by setting the island on fire – parallels to how today’s society misuses the
advancements of technology

References:
https://brightkite.com/essay-on/the-misuse-of-technology-in-lord-of-the-flies
https://envisioningliteraturekss.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/lord-of-the-flies-piggy-on-the-
island-science-in-our-world/

POINT 2: CREATING AND UPHOLDING RULES HELPS TAME THE INHERENT SAVAGERY
WITHIN US ALL.
LAW AND ORDER ARE NEEDED IN A CIVILISATION IN ORDER TO TAME THE ‘BEAST’ WITHIN
US ALL.
When you are creating rules you think about what you need, what is the purpose and
what we try to achieve - ORDER

 Stops us from falling back on selfish impulses and causes us to think logically as to why
we should or shouldn’t do something, it makes us think about what we need the
purpose – to create and maintain order.
Conch – law, order, power, piggy

 Rules are only powerful if people agree on them – same with this object only being
powerful when given power; and that’s why Ralph refuses to blow the conch when he
knows that things are starting to break down "If I blow the conch and they don't come
back; then we've had it. We shan't keep the fire going. We'll be like animals. We'll never
be rescued" (5). Because he doesn't blow the conch, its power holds.
 Imposes a “rule of the conch” on themselves, deciding that no one can speak unless he's
holding the conch. As a representative of law and order, the conch helps Ralph get
elected: "The being that had blown that, had sat waiting for them on the platform with
the delicate thing balanced on his knees, was set apart" (1.240).
 Jack indicates the misuse of the rules as he did initially respect the conch. After he fails
to stage a coup, he "laid the conch with great care in the grass at his feet" (8.74). He
doesn't throw it or smash it; he sets it down carefully. He may not want to play by the
rules, but he still respects the rules.
 Later on however, Jack says that he doesn’t need the conch… it gets broken when Roger
pushes a rock over the cliff, when the conch is broken Jack grabs at his newfound power
and runs forward screaming

 Civilisation exists to supress the ‘beast’ – keeps the natural desire for power and
violence to a minimum and instead act responsibly and sensible – keeps them from their
true, violent natures

 Golding implies that as soon as you put people outside of a system with punishments
and consequences, they’ll get busy destroying themselves. Rules may seem pointless,
but they’re the only things keeping us alive.
 "evil actions" occur when they abandon their civilized ways (no longer consider rules as
seen from Jack) and start acting according to their primal instincts
 Civilised people are aware of what is right and wrong and thus what must be done in
situations (civilised people don’t harm others as much as uncivilised people)
 we expect humans to enter a position in which they critically consider their own actions
and choices, rather than being dominated by their own impulses. Ralph makes up new
rules, like the rule about having to hold the conch in order to speak in assemblies, and
probably expects others to be kept from the society they left, like the rule that you
should not kill or steal. Ralph and most of the boys see the importance of these rules,
because they are enforced so naturally where they came from. In society you must act
according to certain rules and laws, and if you break the rules, you are punished.
 But on the island, there are no consequences if youfor breaking the rules. In the case of
the boys on the island, they lose their sense of what is right and what is wrong when
their own remodelling of society crumbles The laws are not accurately enforced as
punishments are not implied or consequences (yet Ralph does tell of admonish Jack for
letting the fire out)
 It seems that Golding considers evil to be part of what is to be human, and that an evil
streak can be found in us all. Perhaps he also implies that society functions as a
constraint to keep our innate savagery at bay, and that our true nature is similar to that
of wolves. Then it might be even more important that the characters are all children,
because they have yet to understand the workings of society to see why certain rules
and norms are necessary.
 file:///C:/Users/williamse/Downloads/EN-140%20-%20B%20besvarelse%20(1).pdf
 Leading Sentence: Laws however are disliked or manipulated by certain individuals such
as Jack and thus cause rebellion
EVIDENCE –
Symbols:
 Ralph’s hair – indicates savagery and the departure from civilisation
 he constantly pulls it away

Characters:
 Ralph – represents law, civilisation, goodness and democracy

POINT 3: WHEN CONFLICT OCCURS COOPERATION AND TEAMWORK ARE NEEDED,

OTHERWISE CIVILISATION FALLS APART.
Characterisation:
Jack –
Huts scenario (no one wants to work as a team)
Ocean – crashing waves?
Autocratic vs Democratic
- Chaos and Savagery – what occurs when civilisation falls apart
- More fun and enjoyment and selfish short term thinking
- Jack – savagery and evil
- Not about being the boss (which is what Jack wants as he craves power and control), it’s about
sharing opinions and ideas (democratic vs autocratic government)
- The individualism of any society means that there will often be conflict – this is a normal process
of human interaction. However the fact of if you resolved a matter or not is what causes chaos
(to do this each person must listen and have respect for one another)

To maintain peace, humans must work together at remaining civilised and consciously aim
for it as it is not something that is natural for us (sin is natural).
- Civilisation only works if effort and sacrifice is made (sacrifice pleasures for the greater
good of society) – e.g. Ralph works on the huts and even though it is not fun, he knows
that it must be done and that he should keep his selfish thinking to himself and work as
a team with others
- Ralph and Piggy both struggle with the appeal of savagery – Ralph is seen constantly
pulling his hair out of his face – hair represents savagery shielding his vision towards his
goal of returning back to society (is always wanting to remain civilised and to go home)
- To do this, civilised people must not give in to their emotions like savage people do
(when the littleuns let fear create the ‘beast’ or allow evil and savage ways to take
control) – do not respond to emotional stimulus that prompts violent behaviours
- Must mask the beast
- Do not respond to emotional stimulus that prompts violent behaviours
- If you let emotions take over your life (fear), then you are always reacting to emotions
and this is not a good way to be
- Long term thinking

EXTRA IDEAS:
 Individuality in Civilisation
 Golding supports the biblical idea that every human is born tainted with evil, and that
men are born savage, driven by their instincts.
Simon – natural goodness

CONCLUSION – 50-100

LANGUAGE FEATURES – SMALL PICTURES

- Dialect (style of language each character has)

STYLISTIC FEATURES – BIG PICTURES