Savagery In Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis

The boy’s body was mangled and lifeless. Slowly, it was washed away by the tranquil ocean, as a lost reminder of the savagery in his murderers. This loss of an important character depicts the disgusting natural savagery found within man. In William Golding's 1954 novel, Lord of the Flies, Goulding shows the progression of savagery taking over man , and he depicts this through the boys and their experiences on the island.
In the beginning of the novel, Golding illustrates the seemingly innocent exterior of the boys. Jack, the most ruthless of them all, started out civilized; so civilized, that he could not even light a fire without matches. He has to ask Ralph, one of the least savage boys if he “‘'Will...light the fire?’(31.)” It is ironic
Goulding has slowly magnified the savagery in the boys to the point that even Ralph is being caught by the infection, "Ralph launched himself like a cat; stabbed, snarling, with the spear, and the savage doubled up (169.)” This quote clearly states that Ralph’s savagery is at an all time high; just because it is Ralph, the most noble and patient character, the audience notices it more. Roger, who could not even throw a small pebble at a fellow islander in the beginning, kills Piggy brutally: "The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee. . .[he] fell 40 feet and landed on his back across the the square red rock in the sea. His head opened and stuff came out and turned red. Piggy's arms and legs twitched a bit, like a pig's after it has been killed (181.)” Golding makes the progression of savagery incredibly visible by providing his readers with the comparison of Roger at the beginning, and how he could not throw the pebble to Roger at the end and how his action of letting go of a boulder murders Piggy. The longer they live on the island the more brutal the boys become. Goulding uses the growth of the boys hair to symbolize their growth in savagery. By the end of the novel, Jack's hair has grown very long and messy: “...hair much too long, tangled here and there, knotted round a dead leaf or twig; clothes, worn away, stiff like his own with sweat, put on, not for decorum or comfort but out of custom; the skin of the body scurfy with brine (110.)” Ralph’s hair, throughout the novel, grew a small amount because he rarely let his savage nature show. While Jack’s and Roger’s hair had grown unruly, symbolizing their savagery. Goulding’s final image of the boys is that of complete