Lord Of The Flies Civilization Essay

Famous German screenwriter Werner Herzog famously said, “Civilization is like a thin layer of ice upon a deep ocean of chaos and darkness.” The thin ice upon the ocean is the complete truth about civilization, it can crack at any second. Civilization is such a delicate subject that when it is challenged, it can break and drown people into savagery. Those who work hard to stay on top of the ice encounter many obstacles. William Golding himself examines this struggle of keeping civilization alive and not falling into the pit of savagery. In his novel Lord of the Flies, Golding reveals through a group of boys just how easy it is to transform from a civilized human into a savage, resulting in the loss of identity. Along the same lines, Geordie
McRuer examines how the identity of an officer may change from civilized to savage due to their apparel. The experiences on the island and on the streets of Ferguson demonstrate how one’s personality can change because of the experiences and clothing. In the beginning, a plane carrying multiple school boys tries to escape the danger of World War 3 but crash lands on an abandoned island.
The young boys realize they must remain civilized and create a sense of order to handle their situation with great care, similar to police officers understanding the enormity of their job while respecting the badge. Grasping the situation, Ralph understands he must find more schoolboys to think of a way how to handle chaos on the island. While talking to Piggy, he glances and sees a “party of boys marching approximately in step in two parallel lines and dressed in strangely eccentric clothing… their bodies were hidden by black cloaks” (Golding 19). The “two parallel lines” of choir boys marching displays their courteous attitude toward their school by still following the rules. The “eccentric clothing” and the “black cloaks” allow one to see how the choir boys differ from Ralph and Piggy. Their uniforms and civility are still meaningful to them because they still hold the manners and respect that they were taught. As Ralph comes face to face with the leader of the black cloak choir, Jack, there is tension between the two. It comes to their attention that they must choose a leader in order to keep things handled. All schoolboys take part in the vote and elect Ralph as chief. The group uses a conch to call meetings and take turns talking. Once Ralph “blows the conch, the platform [is] crowded” he announces that “there aren’t any grownups
and they must look after themselves.” They will have “hands up” similarly to school and have “lots of rules” (32-33). Whoever has the conch has the right to speak which takes away multiple people speaking at once and allows one person to have everyone’s attention. Ralph makes it clear that it is their responsibility to take care of themselves and each other; that proves Ralph has the aptitude to be a leader. The “hands up” and concept of “lots of rules” demonstrate how the boys are willing to compromise and make rules in order to keep the island an enjoyable place for all. Ralph now has the responsibility of taking care of the island and making it safe for everyone. Similarly, in “Cops’ deadly identity problem,” where writer Geordie McRuer writes “we entrust police officers with enormous power, Accordingly, we expect them to show more restraint, patience and care than other citizens” (1). Officers are the reason the world is sane, therefore they need to show more restraint because without it, the world would be chaotic; they need to be tough in order to take care of the community. Secondly, officers must be patient since there are many people who get confused easily. If someone who is supposed to aid their community isn’t patient, it is very hard for them to be understanding. Police officers must be polite and caring towards everyone simply because it is common courtesy. Just like police officers, Ralph is a leader who shows more restraint and patience than any other schoolboy on the island.