Zhang
May Zhang
Ms. Millington
ENG2D
May 30, 2017
Faded Civilization
American novelist George R.R. Martin once wrote in A Storm of Swords, “There is a savage beast in every man, and when you hand that man a sword or spear and send him forth to war, the beast stirs.” An absorbing and instructive novel named Lord of the Flies was written by English author William Golding. The story is talking about a group of non-grownup boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island; they have to select a leader, manage themselves, confront the beast, and find a way to be rescued. Under the pressure of the raw nature, the dark inner and violence of the kids emerge little by little and finally lead them to a tragic result. The novel reveals to its readers that time and tough conditions affect humanity shifts from civilization to savagery through the symbol of a conch, hunting of the pigs, and killing of the innocent people. Comment by May Zhang: connect these more fluently Comment by May Zhang: more clear here Comment by May Zhang: grammar Comment by May Zhang: thesis not clear
The main conflict that human impulses toward civilization and savagery, is implied by the boys’ changing attitude toward the symbol of a conch. When they just get on the island, the conch is a symbol of authority, common sense, and democratic discipline. “This toy of voting was almost as pleasing as the conch” (Golding 18). At first, the boys begin their rule by electing a leader democratically. They are willing to produce a civilized order and obey the rules. At this point, the conch is powerful, and it is the assembly’s symbol of authority. The conch represents political legitimacy and democratic power. However, the word “toy” foreshadows of they may get tired of it, and things are going to change in soon. By the end of the story, the boys disregard the conch and gradually lose their innocence at the same time. “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist” (Golding 200). Finally, the boys are preoccupied with savagery as Piggy is deliberately murdered by Roger, and the conch is badly destroyed at the same time. Until the end, the conch is not anything holy or mysterious. They can simply use a stone to break it into pieces. It is one of the most important scenes throughout the novel. At this moment, all of the assembly, rules, and votes are no longer exist. They become totally wild and vandalize anything they do not like. When they are still joyous and carefree British gentlemen, they are so in awe of the conch; they attempt to organize a rational society. After they spend a long period of time on the island, the conch’s power weakens as the civilization fades away, and instead of that, is savagery. The destruction of the conch represents not only the ending of their democracy party but also the willful disruption of order and civilized behaviors. Comment by May Zhang: unclear Comment by May Zhang: ...
