Devil of DecayIn the "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding, several boys get themselves stranded on a deserted island. Upholding English etiquette, the boys act proper for a while, until the thought of a beast is brought up by a little kid. Ralph, the elected leader of the boys, dismisses this beast. Simon, the intellectual and receptive boy, has his own notions about the beast. In the chapter "Beast from Air", Ralph calls a meeting. In this chapter, the boy's true colors shine through and the beast comes out. The beast, in fact, is the devil that is slowly decaying the boys and that would have led them to their destruction.The way Golding describes everything about the boys gives a feeling of crookedness and decay. As the boys ...view middle of the document...
In many ways, Jack represents the decay and rotting inside the boys. Although he didn't believe in the beast at first, in this chapter he feels the beast is something they can hunt and kill. He is destructive, breaks the codes of society, and is very aggressive. He is the only who keeps disobeying the rule of the conch and that only the holder can speak. This represents his decay and also the degeneration of other boys. As are savages, Jack is irrational and bases his actions on his gut instincts. Instead of hearing others out, Jack threatens to punch people and tells them to shut up. Bound to spread to the other boys, the beast is grabbing hold of their small society.That night, all the littluns are terrified, because the notion of the beast is taking grip of their minds. During the night, a "wail rose, remote and unearthly, and turned to an inarticulate gibbering. Percival Wemys Madison, of the Vicarage, Harcourt St. Anthony, lying in the long grass, was living through circumstances in which the incantation of his address was powerless to help him" (94). This devil of decay is striking fear into their hearts, even thought they have nothing to be afraid of. This line is especially important, because they are at a stage that they cannot go back to their old lives and that the only way of civility is not helpful for their new live. The beast has truly taken root in their small society.Golding wants to convey the idea to the reader that there is a devil of degeneration and decay in every person and that it can come out more when they are isolated from the rest of the world. This powerful devil is part of the unpredictable realm of human nature. These boys represent the struggle between that devil and what civility they still have.
