Lord Of The Flies

William Golding's Lord of the Flies clearly reflects his belief that "society perfects people;" if not perfection, than society at least molds nature to fit its ideals. The drastic contrast between Ralph and Jack reveals Golding's views: Ralph wanted a peaceful orderly existence, using the rules and standards they had been taught as children in British society, in part because they were British and simply believed it was part of their nature to be "civilized," and in part because Ralph believed they that they needed to recreate the life they left behind to be ready for rescue in order to get back to that life. In contrast, Jack was committed to the existence into which they landed; to leave society's rules behind, to act without restrictions, without rules or standards. From the beginning, Jack seemed to want to be, and to become, a part of the Island--to be one with its or his nature.

Like the children in the Lord of the Flies without parental guidance, Golding's message seems to be that without society's guidance we would all revert back to nature and become like Jack. Society creates a higher standard and expectations about what we must become to be part of that society and in meeting those standards we become better, more perfect.

Examples of Ralph's state of society in the novel are his approach to setting up group meetings and willingness to hear everyone out by turn of the conch shell. Jack shows his displeasure with not being the elected leader by making his choir the hunters so he can command control over them, once again showing the reader his natural drive of being one with the nature. Jack continues to stir up things within the group not caring so much for rescue anymore but to be savages to live by there spears of wood. This all leads to the demise of a select few and the division of the group.

Given the above, one would assume Golding would adamantly disagree with the