Lord Of The Flies Political Analysis
Likewise, Golding’s views on government and the Parliamentary system support his theory, in accordance with the tribal customs, and are reminiscent of the Law of Entropy: that all things eventually revert into a primitive state. On a sociological standpoint, the division of democracy and dictatorship clearly establishes the conflict between the two facets of human nature, demonstrating an inherent urge to descend into primitiveness. This was evident throughout the novel, as it imitated a deeply sinister indictment of humanity through the process of the establishment of government and civilization. As Ralph - representative of democracy and order - begins to set regulations for the boys on the island, his ideals are shared somewhat with the other boys who are
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excited to have rules and assigned tasks. Jack - representative of totalitarian dictatorship and the desire for power - was eager to think of the consequences, rather than the rules proper, to be put in place if they were not abided by: “We’ll have rules. Lots of rules! Then when anyone breaks ‘em—’’ (36). This statement represents the overarching sense of civility that was first present in the boys and that later diminished due to differentiations in viewpoints and ideals. In this, Golding is able to establish a clear line between democracy and dictatorship, in turn showing what the true nature of mankind is. Furthermore, the true division of the two aspects of government occurs when Jack calls an assembly to address his discontent regarding Ralph’s leadership. During this assembly he states that Ralph is “…not a hunter. He’d never have got us meat. He isn’t a prefect and we don’t know anything about him. He just gives orders and expects people to obey for nothing…” (140). In stating this, Jack is showing that true democracy does not exist within the boys and never had, claiming that the boys do not know anything about Ralph, referring to his democratic ideals and viewpoints. Golding is also able to express his concerns with the Parliamentary systems emerging in Europe at the time of World War II, as dictatorship was on the rise and was proving detrimental in the face of democracy.
Furthermore, the diminishing sense of democracy is evident when Ralph and Piggy attend Jack’s feast in an attempt to grasp control of the situation and persuade some of the boys to return to a civilized state. However, when Ralph mentions the conch, Jack states: “You haven’t got it with you. You left it behind…And the conch doesn’t count at this end of the island—’’ (166). Since the conch is a symbol of order, power and civilization, Jack stating that it “doesn’t count” in his established society shows the division of democracy and dictatorship and that by giving into the primeval dictatorship that Jack employs, Ralph and Piggy “left behind” their sense of order. With the division of democracy and dictatorship on the island - represented by the overarching sense of civility which later diminishes, the isolation of both political affiliations and the symbolic power of the conch - the primitive sense of human nature is demonstrated, in accordance with the tribal customs, thus contributing to Golding’s
theory.
excited to have rules and assigned tasks. Jack - representative of totalitarian dictatorship and the desire for power - was eager to think of the consequences, rather than the rules proper, to be put in place if they were not abided by: “We’ll have rules. Lots of rules! Then when anyone breaks ‘em—’’ (36). This statement represents the overarching sense of civility that was first present in the boys and that later diminished due to differentiations in viewpoints and ideals. In this, Golding is able to establish a clear line between democracy and dictatorship, in turn showing what the true nature of mankind is. Furthermore, the true division of the two aspects of government occurs when Jack calls an assembly to address his discontent regarding Ralph’s leadership. During this assembly he states that Ralph is “…not a hunter. He’d never have got us meat. He isn’t a prefect and we don’t know anything about him. He just gives orders and expects people to obey for nothing…” (140). In stating this, Jack is showing that true democracy does not exist within the boys and never had, claiming that the boys do not know anything about Ralph, referring to his democratic ideals and viewpoints. Golding is also able to express his concerns with the Parliamentary systems emerging in Europe at the time of World War II, as dictatorship was on the rise and was proving detrimental in the face of democracy.
Furthermore, the diminishing sense of democracy is evident when Ralph and Piggy attend Jack’s feast in an attempt to grasp control of the situation and persuade some of the boys to return to a civilized state. However, when Ralph mentions the conch, Jack states: “You haven’t got it with you. You left it behind…And the conch doesn’t count at this end of the island—’’ (166). Since the conch is a symbol of order, power and civilization, Jack stating that it “doesn’t count” in his established society shows the division of democracy and dictatorship and that by giving into the primeval dictatorship that Jack employs, Ralph and Piggy “left behind” their sense of order. With the division of democracy and dictatorship on the island - represented by the overarching sense of civility which later diminishes, the isolation of both political affiliations and the symbolic power of the conch - the primitive sense of human nature is demonstrated, in accordance with the tribal customs, thus contributing to Golding’s
theory.