Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies The government’s actions change the way people see current issues and act. Actions endorsed and those condemned are seen by the people who consciously or subconsciously use the government as a guide for their morals and life. In the novel The Lord of Flies William Golding suggest that human nature is corrupted by the government’s use of power and media. The establishment of government started a rivalry between Ralph and Jack which would eventually lead to betrayal and near anarchy. The boys democratically elected Ralph, over Jack, as their leader. Since they have different views and want to run the island differently; Ralph wanted to focus on survival and Jack wanted to have fun instead of increasing the boy’s chance of being rescued or creating a stable society. Ralph states that “[the] rules are the only thing we got!” Ralph feels secure with rules and regulations and also thinks they are necessary for survival on the island. Jack shows that he thinks killing the pigs and getting meat is more important when says “We want meat.” When Ralph claimed “let’s make a fire” Jack proposed that the boys “follow [him]” before a coherent plan is made to build a fire on the mountaintop. Jack endorses the boys’ savagery when they begin to chant “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” showing that killing the beast is one of his main priorities; when creating shelter and finding a way to get rescued from the island should be his main focus. This schism of ideas causes Ralph, Jack, and the boys that follow each of them cause them to become violent and in the end kill Simon and later Piggy. Simon’s brutal murder led to the atrocious savagery of the make shift governments and causes Ralph and Jack to become more dominant in their leadership. This corruption of power influences these young leaders to make decisions that reflect negatively in a moral view. Simon’s murder occurs because Jack initiates a hypnotic chant that evolves into a wild dance and dangerous mob that kills Simon without a single thought. People who partook in the murder became confused, lost, and shocked with no one to guide them through the experience. An example of the boys becoming more savage is when Golding states "The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering." As well as Golding’s description of Simons atrocious murder, "There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws." The boys seemed to have lost all control over their mind and body and let the actions and words of a higher power – which would be Jack in this case- take over them. After going through this, all of the boys are less civilized, they are willing to kill each other without much hesitation, they used to be innocent and therefore more sympathetic towards each other, but after Simon’s death they are apathetic and aggressive. Government corrupts human nature by dominating and influencing people. For example, in The Lord of the Flies the government would be Ralph or Jack affected how the boys acted and what they participated in. In the world today the government is both silently and piercingly influencing it’s biased upon the people.