Civilization vs Savagery: Civilization vs Savagery: In The Lord of the Flies, William Golding examines the conflict between civilization and. Savagery, in which the isolated island is used as a model of the opposing forces. The boys' move from proscribed, rule-bound conduct to unmotivated violence is a manifestation of vulnerability. Civilizations and how this is all too fragile in the face of pressure. Golding's portrayal Of this conflict is an examination of the less palatable sides of the human condition and the thin. veneer of societal norms that govern behavior. Civilization vs. Savagery: Civilization vs. Savagery: Civilization is a disciplined, law-abiding, and rationalized state of human society- . Matters such as law, order, cooperation, and the exercise of reason for the resolution of problems. In contrast, Savagery represents the collapse of that organization in which, the primal animus, aggression, and. chaos take over. In the course of the novel, characters such as Ralph and Piggy represent the ideals, etc. Civilizational aspects, as opposed to characters such as Jack and Roger who embody the more brutal, violent sides. Aspects of human nature which arise when social restraints are lifted. Golding implies that the battle between civilization and savagery is not limited to the external. (between the boys on the island) but also internal, with every individual carrying the. potential for both. By means of the characters' actions and the changes of their behavior. Golding shows us the ease with which civilization can descend into savagery, driven particularly by the fear of. power, and aggression take precedence over rationality and cooperation. 1. The Establishment of Civilization At the start of the novel, the children try to build a rigid society founded on. order and rules. Ralph is chosen as the leader representative of civilization values, and he. Highlights the role of cooperation, rules, and the conch as a symbol of power. democracy. Ralph and Piggy, the rational and the wise, attempt to build a. society based on civility and law. For example, Ralph states early in the novel: “We’ll have to have hands up like at school. Then I’ll give him the conch.” (Chapter 1) This maximizes Ralph's desire to build an orderly society, in which rules and power are . respected. The conch, which Ralph uses to convene meetings and confer privileges of speaking, becomes. A significant icon of civilization and for the longing of developing an organised, group judgement. During this early stage of the novel, the efforts of the boys to build shelters, maintain the fire, &c. and making decisions through democratic processes reflect their attempt to uphold the values. of civilization. Piggy, by virtue of his intellectualization, is the scientist and rational. side of civilization. For instance, Piggy uses his glasses to start the fire, symbolizing. technology’s role in maintaining order and survival: Piggy was the only boy who could contribute to this. He was the only one who could explain things.” (Chapter 2) Which highlights the function of rational thought and technology (through Piggy's spectacles) in the process of building. and maintaining civilization on the island. 2. The Shift Toward Savagery Throughout the novel, the conflict between civilization, and savagery builds up. Jack, who Starts as the conductor of the choir boys, offends and in turn becomes even more fanatically obsessed with hunting and power. embodying the primal and chaotic forces of savagery. His disregard for rules and his desire to assert dominance over the other boys leads him to form his own tribe, where violence and the. abandonment of social norms reign. The transition from civilization to savagery is marked by the boys' gradual loss of respect for. the conch and the rules it represents. At first, the conch serves as a symbol of order, but with the boys' . Furthermore, by descent into savagery the power of its authority is accelerated and they start to reject it. For instance, after Piggy’s death, Ralph reflects: “The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist. (Chapter 11). This is the moment of the end of civilization and the victory of savagery. The Shatter of the conch is the final stage in which any effort to establish order is undone, as the boys have become completely and irrevocably. embraced violence and chaos. Jack’s tribe, by contrast, embodies savagery at its peak. They indulge in their primal Instincts, actively enjoying hunting, painting their faces, and resorting to violence for power. The boys, especially Jack and Roger, shed the trappings of civilization, and this is. Marked by their escalating barbarity, e.g., by the ritualistic slaying of Simon. 3. The Influence of Fear on the Shift to Savagery Fear plays a central role in the boys' transformation from civilized children to savage hunters. The "beast" concept, if it starts off as an amorphous, imagined menace, becomes all the more sinister, that is, more real. power as it comes to symbolize the boys' own internal fears and darkness. Rather than By confronting these fears rationally, the boys turn to superstition and violence as a means to prevent the. perceived threat. This change is a central feature of the disintegration of civilization. Jack exploits the boys' fear of the beast to hold them under his control and to establish his authority:. “The beast is a hunter. We're all on the hunt, on the trail, gotta keep the flame. going. ” (Chapter 8) Jack capitalizes on the boys' anxiety about the beast to overpower them into rejecting the nice values of adults. Ralph’s group, leading them further into savagery. This particularly is the case in the moment when Simon dies. Although Simon is the most A moral and spiritual quality, he is mistaken by the boys for a beast in their state of frenzy. The murder of Simon shows how fear and the loss of rationality can lead a civilized. group into a savage mob. The boys, once again, consciously participate in Simon’s murder, Showing that their fears have overpowered their capacity to discriminate between right and/or left. wrong. 4. The Full Embrace of Savagery By the end of the novel, the boys are stripped of all civilization and are embracing. the brutal, survivalist instincts of savagery. The violence escalates with Piggy’s death, where Roger causally rolls a boulder from a ledge, killing Piggy and shattering the conch. This The act of homicide is not merely and physically the death of Piggy, but is also symbolically the obliteration. of the last remnants of civility on the island. The final moments of the novel, when Ralph is hunted by Jack’s tribe, further demonstrate. the full collapse of civilization. As Ralph runs for his life, he encounters a naval officer who. Rescues him, but military arrival symbolizes the dichotomy between the civilized world and the. savage world the boys have created. The officer is shocked by the boys' behavior, noting: “I should have thought that a pack of British boys. would have been able to put up a better. show than that.” (Chapter 12) This note points to the difference between what one would expect the civilised British groups to do, and what they actually did. children and the barbarism they have succumbed to. The officer’s reaction underscores the The argument in the novel of the tenuousness of civilization and its susceptibility to people falling into ruin, etc. into savagery. Conclusion In The Lord of the Flies, Golding contrasts the tension between civilization and savagery. According to the actions, decisions, and behavior of the boys on the island. Civilization, Viewed as characters, Ralph and Piggy), based on reason, rules, and expection of others). Savagery, in the guise of Jack and Roger, arises as the structures disintegrate, e.g. For example, violence, mayhem, and the erosion of human moral restraint, can result from the above. Golding suggests that while civilization provides order and structure, it is fragile, and when these structures are. Sequestered, the animalistic drives inhabiting the human beings can surge up immediately to the top. The novel In the end, it uncovers the fragile shell of civilizationand the primal evil of human nature, etc. emphasizing the constant tension between order and chaos.