CLASS

OR
BRITISH SUPREMACY

INTRODUCTION

It's noteworthy that Golding, who shares a similar social background with the schoolboys in
Lord of the Flies, specifically explores how evil can profoundly impact this particular group.
He understands the traditional values like respectability, order, intelligence, reason, and
self-discipline that have long been instilled in generations of boys through the English
educational system. Golding emphasizes that in the struggle against the destructive forces
that emerge from within human beings and threaten societal order, everyone faces equal
temptation to abandon their better selves and succumb to their most violent and degraded
instincts. To illustrate this theme, Golding vividly depicts increasing levels of violence and
degradation as the plot unfolds and the schoolboys transform into savage hunters.

BODY PART

Golding employs a familiar hierarchical structure to underscore and make relevant a

recurring theme in society: the presence of evil. The children's world on the island mirrors
the adult world, which serves as their norm and a model of living they seek to adopt—albeit
some more eagerly than others. Quickly adopted among them is hierarchical thinking,
prevalent in the modern Western world. The novel particularly focuses on three main
characters—Ralph, Jack, and Piggy—and how the hierarchical system impacts them on the
island. It contrasts Ralph's democratic society with Jack's despotic one, where hierarchy is
most pronounced and brutal. Ultimately, Jack's despotic rule destroys Ralph's democratic
order in a bid for survival. Neither society survives on the island, a point underscored by
Golding through the arrival of the naval officer. This officer serves to emphasize the novel's
broader message applicable to all ages and societies worldwide, highlighting the hierarchical
structure as a pivotal aspect of both the island's microcosm and the larger world at large.

Piggy's rationality stands in stark contrast to Jack's irrational behavior, as without Piggy's
glasses, maintaining the fire necessary for their rescue becomes impossible. This highlights
the critical role Piggy plays despite being marginalized. William Golding may be drawing on
British historical hierarchies among boys, particularly in schools. Paul Crawford suggests
that Piggy, perceived as a lower-class outsider due to his accent, faces mockery, especially
from Jack, whose privileged education and past as head boy of his choir school reinforce his
hierarchical beliefs (Crawford, 2002, p. 51). Throughout the novel, Jack's mistreatment of
Piggy—mocking his weight, laughing at his name, taking his glasses, ridiculing his
asthma—positions Piggy as an outsider. Jack and his tribe's descent into savagery
undercuts Ralph's attempts to establish a just society on the island, reminiscent of a
boarding school where upper-class boys vie for leadership while bullying those of lower
classes, like Piggy. This island setting serves as Golding's metaphor for such power
struggles. Golding portrays how Piggy, symbolizing wisdom, and Ralph, representing sanity,
are undermined by Jack's totalitarianism and Roger's sadism.
Furthermore, Golding's portrayal of the conflicts between Ralph and Jack, and Jack's
mistreatment of Piggy and Simon, can be seen as reflecting the bullying culture among
adolescent English schoolboys, particularly those from privileged backgrounds. These
conflicts also reflect the enduring influence of imperialistic scouting ethos and class-based
violence prevalent in Golding's era. During an assembly convened by Ralph to discuss the
existence of a potentially dangerous beast, Simon identifies the true source of evil residing
within themselves. This revelation culminates in Simon's encounter with the pig's head,
which reveals to him a disturbing truth that deeply affects him. The pig's head, personified as
the "Lord of the Flies," asserts its role as the source of their troubles, challenging the boys'
simplistic belief that the beast is something they can hunt and kill. It hauntingly suggests its
pervasive influence, stating, "I'm the reason why things are what they are" (Golding, 1971, p.
158). Unlike the others who speculate about a parachutist mistakenly believed to be the
beast, Simon alone confronts the true nature of their fears.

Golding's Lord of the Flies is a satirical critique of contemporary English society, particularly
its class distinctions and hierarchical structures. Golding employs elements of fantasy,
described by Paul Crawford as part of the "Literature of Atrocity," to convey his message. A
careful examination of the novel reveals Golding's sophisticated imagination at work. For
instance, the island setting, the crashed passenger tube, the pig's head, and the demonic
portrayal of the children are fantastical and unrealistic elements used by Golding to
symbolize real social issues in England. The island itself is depicted as a landscape
"covered with coarse grass, torn by fallen trees, scattered with decaying coconuts and palm
saplings" (Golding, 1971, p. 10), mirroring the decay and upheaval of contemporary
England, as Crawford suggests. Golding intertwines his critique of the English class system
with a critique of English fascism, illustrating how these societal structures can lead to
violence. The boys' descent from the crashed plane symbolizes the breakdown of
brotherhood and the rise of class divisions, while the pig's head foreshadows impending
violence. Finally, the demonization of the boys mirrors England's engagement in class
conflict and societal decay.

William Golding's deep resentment and disdain for the injustices of class are evident in Lord
of the Flies (Crawford, 2002, p. 51). Boyd suggests that Ralph, coming from a middle-class
background, informs Piggy about his officer-like authority, while Jack, from a privileged class,
looks down on Piggy due to his lower-class status (Crawford, 2002, p. 51). The central
argument of critics like Crawford and Boyd revolves around the children's manifestation of
creative violence in the novel. The structured life on the island is disrupted by underlying
class tensions. Ralph strives to maintain order and urges the boys to suppress their primal
impulses until they are rescued. However, Jack, driven by his privileged class ego, refuses to
submit to Ralph's authority, seeking instead to satisfy his own desires and dominate the
boys. The boys' egotistical attitudes rooted in their class distinctions, particularly in Jack's
case, foster pride and exacerbate the conflict between order and desire. Crawford further
argues that the novel's carnivalesque elements emerge as the stable, ordered conformity of
social life breaks down. Rules are temporarily forgotten, replaced by the enactment of
repressed desires and instincts among the boys.

As desire is unleashed in Lord of the Flies, Jack gains power and reveals his imperialistic
tendencies. It's noteworthy that his hunting practices echo England's historical context of
pig-sticking and even the grim reality of colonial warfare against perceived inferior races,
akin to the extermination of Jews, as noted by Paul Crawford (2002, p. 55). However, in the
novel, there are no Jews; instead, English boys are pitted against each other. Golding
portrays this as a metaphor for internal colonial conflict among English boys, reflecting
notions of superiority and inferiority among races. Golding himself suggests that Lord of the
Flies isn't merely drawn from his experiences but from his profound emotions, lamenting the
loss of belief in societal perfectibility among his characters. Moreover, Crawford suggests
that traditional notions of innocence and vulnerability in children are challenged in Golding's
portrayal, where characters like Piggy symbolize democracy and intellect, Jack represents
dictatorial tendencies akin to Hitler, and Roger embodies the potential for cruelty akin to a
concentration camp guard (Crawford, 2002, p. 56). This depiction signifies Golding's
portrayal of boys who are not merely innocent but are depicted as mature and experienced,
grappling with complex political and moral themes. Lord of the Flies thus serves not only as
a fictional work but also as a reflection on a significant political aspect of contemporary
England—its imperial history and class violence—reimagined through the lens of boys'
descent into fascism on the island. In this way, what Golding explores in broader societal
terms is encapsulated in the microcosm of Lord of the Flies.

Golding's portrayal of children can be understood in the context of his era, shaped by World
War II, the Cold War, and cultural shifts. His belief in humanity's innate capacity for evil
drives his depiction of children as embodiments of this darker side. Jack in particular
symbolizes an imperialist figure within the Cold War context, striving for dominance over the
island at any cost, even bloodshed. His quest for power ultimately leads to the establishment
of a brutal hierarchy, resulting in tragic outcomes such as the killings of Piggy and Simon,
and the planned attack on Ralph. These actions parallel the ruthless strategies of historical
imperialists during wartime. Golding's narrative style enhances the realism of these themes,
deeply rooted in cultural and historical contexts.

In R.M. Ballantyne's novel The Coral Island, three boys—Jack, Ralph, and Peterkin
Gay—are marooned on an uninhabited South Seas island, depicted with an optimistic view
of their idyllic life. Unlike the boys in Lord of the Flies, these boys are peaceful and
disciplined, characterized as without "malice or wickedness." Carl Niemeyer argues that
while Ballantyne's story introduces the problem of evil, the source of evil for his boys
originates from external threats—the savages, cannibals, and native inhabitants of the
island—who are ultimately vanquished by the end of the narrative (Niemeyer, 1961, p.
242).Niemeyer suggests that Ballantyne implicitly conveys a message of civilization through
his portrayal, presenting humanity as inherently pure and untainted. The novel emphasizes
fear of external dangers such as cannibals and natives, contrasting with Golding's focus on
internal fears within the children themselves. The Coral Island celebrates British
resourcefulness, unity, friendship, and collective success, reflecting Ballantyne's optimistic
treatment of the novel's themes.

William Golding's depiction of children in Lord of the Flies portrays them as experienced,
unfriendly, and prone to violence in their behavior, with Ralph, Piggy, and Simon being
notable exceptions. From the outset, Golding's children exhibit deviant tendencies. Ralph,
Piggy, and Simon stand out as voices of sanity and common sense, contrasting sharply with
the majority led by Jack, who engage in creative and pervasive acts of bloodshed and killing.
Jack forms a group of hunters but becomes dissatisfied with merely hunting pigs. According
to Golding, Jack and his hunters descend into savagery when their hunting activities
escalate to include the brutal killings of Piggy and Simon, paralleling their treatment of the
pigs they hunt.

The validity of The Coral Island as a realistic portrayal is questioned in contrast to Lord of the
Flies, which depicts how children, influenced by Cold War ideologies, engage in brutal
actions for which they are not traditionally held accountable. Rather than purely an allegory
of human evil, Lord of the Flies is seen as a literary expression reflecting Cold War ideology.
Unlike the Edenic allusions found in The Coral Island, Lord of the Flies portrays an island
fraught with fear, including snakes which symbolize the disruptor of Edenic peace in biblical
accounts. This contrast between the two islands extends to their settings and
environments.Golding describes the island in Lord of the Flies as a fallen place, where even
the fruits cause illness like chronic diarrhea, and where dangerous animals evoke fear
among the children. This setting symbolizes the loss of innocence that was idealized in
Ballantyne's The Coral Island. The novel contrasts Jack's group, representing power and
fearlessness while indulging in excess, with Ralph's group, which fears Jack's group, feels
helpless, and struggles to maintain order.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, William Golding's Lord of the Flies and R.M. Ballantyne's The Coral Island
present contrasting views on the nature of humanity and the dynamics of power among
children. Golding critiques societal hierarchies and explores the descent into savagery
amidst Cold War anxieties, while Ballantyne portrays a more idyllic island life, emphasizing
innocence and the triumph of civilization over external threats. Golding's depiction
challenges traditional notions of childhood innocence, highlighting the potential for cruelty
and moral decay. Ultimately, both novels serve as reflections of their respective times,
offering profound insights into human nature and the impact of societal structures on
individual behavior.