Insanity In William Golding's 'Lord Of The Flies'

Seyan Coco
Mrs. Lobas
English 9
14 September 2016
People see, People do German philosopher, cultural critic, poet, and Greek scholar Friedrich Nietzsche once stated, “In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule”. He speaks on the topic of mob mentality. Many other prominent intellectuals have chosen to write and or speak about the fascinating subject. In William Golding’s life changing novel, “Lord of the Flies”, he establishes and develops the theme that people’s actions are just a reflection of other people’s actions. After the groups of boys crash onto the island and find each other they decide to elect a leader. The boys take a more democratic approach to making decisions when they say,
Ralph, one of the most sensible characters in “Lord of The Flies”, shows an uncharacteristic dark side as a result of the hunters’ chants and actions when the text states, “‘The circle moved in and round. Robert squealed in mock terror, then in real pain...They got his arms and legs. Ralph, carried away by a sudden thick excitement, grabbed Eric’s spear and jabbed at Robert with it. ‘Kill him! Kill him!’ All at once, Robert was screaming and struggling with the strength of frenzy. Jack had him by the hair and was brandishing his knife. Behind him was Roger, fighting to get close. The chant rose ritually, as at the last moment of a dance or a hunt. ‘Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!’ Ralph too was fighting to get near, to get a handful of that brown, vulnerable flesh. The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering” (Golding 114-115). The mob of hunters inflict pain onto Robert; Ralph adopts this wild and dangerous mentality. The actions of the hunters directly correlate to the actions Ralph displays. Ralph is not only shown being subject to mob mentality, but he is also shown growing accustom to the lifestyle created by a mob when the text states, “Piggy and Ralph, under the threat of the sky, found themselves eager to take a place in this demented but partly secure society. They were glad to touch the
According to The Sydney Morning Herald in “LETTERS,” “Every mob has its leaders. Starting in 1996, John Howard was the first. He set out to appeal to the very worst in people, to fan the flames of racism and confected threat. Sure it secured votes. But it also changed many people, who bought the message being sold - how could they resist?” (The Sydney Morning Herald 1). This passage shows how leaders can gain attention and followers by luring people in using a negative approach. People are attracted to things and people that allow them to be the very worst they can be. The Sydney Morning Herald also states in “LETTERS,” “Abbott, both in opposition and as Prime Minister, assumed the mob leadership from Howard. Lacking Howard's finesse at the dog-whistle, Abbott has his own style, with slogans and lies and brutal attacks on anyone who tries to hold him and his government to account. This is all fodder to the mob, which gets its script from Abbott and his media cronies” (The Sydney Morning Herald 1). This passage reiterates the plague mob-like group leaders spread. They possess negative qualities that incite negative qualities in their