Lord of the Flies Literary Analysis Essay - 709 Words

Greed for Power In the novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, a group of English boys in their adolescence are stranded on an island. They crash-land while being evacuated because of an atomic war, so the boys must learn to cooperate with each other in order to survive. The boys are civil at first, but the bonds of civilization unfold as the rapacity for power and immediate desires become more important than civility and rescue. The conflict between Ralph, the protagonist, and Jack, the antagonist, represents the conflict between the impulse to civilization and the impulse to savagery, respectively. In Lord of the Flies, Golding uses Ralph and Jack’s struggle for power to show that greed and lust for power can corrupt the best†¦show more content†¦The conch was used to call meetings and whosoever held it, had the power to speak. Jack starts to disobey the conch because he is turning more and more savage-like. â€Å"[T]hey closed in on the struggling pig, knowle dge that they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a long satisfying drink,† thought Jack. As the story progresses, Jack realizes he wants to kill pigs, not keep fires going for rescue. Jack shouted, â€Å"We don’t need the conch anymore.† At this point in the novel, Golding is showing the reader that because Jack is lusting for power, he is turning into a ferocious monster. By turning into a savage, he has lost all sense of civilization and democracy. By the end of the novel, Jack has become a full blown barbarian. He is so caught up in killing pigs that he no longer listens to Ralph. He tries to become chief again and fails. Because of that, he starts his own tribe on the other side of the island where all they do is hunt pigs. The boys that follow him are transformed into the savage that he is. â€Å"Here, struck down by the heat, the sow fell and the hunters hurled themselves at her†¦Jack was on top of the s ow, stabbing downward with his knife. Roger found a lodgment for his point and began to push till he was leaning with his whole weight. The spear moved forward inch by inch†¦ [t]hen Jack found the throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands.† Jack and his followers were demoralized and taintedShow MoreRelatedLord Of The Flies Literary Analysis Essay1657 Words   |  7 Pagesnovel, Lord of the Flies, is a tale like no other. It’s a story of perseverance, determination, survival, and emotion. Golding does a superb job displaying these traits and so many more throughout this story of fighting, not for your life, but to the death. The authors style is one unlike any other I’ve read. I love emotion. I’m not sure if it’s the way it makes me feel or how it can help me relate to the reading, but for some reason I love it. That’s why my favorite style displayed in Lord of theRead MoreEssay about Lord of the Flies Literary Analysis1283 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism is a very important factor in many books. The use of symbolism in William Golding’s novel The Lord of the Flies is the most essential aspect to the function of the story. At first glance you may not think the symbols are very important, but with some in-depth thought you can see how it is necessary to explain the microcosm of an island. The conch shell is the opening symbol in the novel and lasts roughly to the very end of the story. The conch is found by Ralph and Piggy, which they useRead MoreLord of The Flies Essay1673 Words   |  7 PagesLord of the Flies was published in 1954 by William Golding. Today Lord of the Flies is a well known literary criticism. 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Where in the most recent essay I only had minor issues such as grammarRead MoreHow To Write Literary Analysis4174 Words   |  17 PagesHow To Write Literary Analysis The Literary Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide When you read for pleasure, your only goal is enjoyment. You might find yourself reading to get caught up in an exciting story, to learn about an interesting time or place, or just to pass time. Maybe you’re looking for inspiration, guidance, or a reflection of your own life. There are as many different, valid ways of reading a book as there are books in the world. When you read a work of literature in an English classRead MoreArchetype Analysis of Lord of the Flies2467 Words   |  10 Pageshis first writing Lord of the Flies, in which symbolism is wildly used and attributes lots of symbolic meanings to the characters and events. The story thus becomes vivid and profound. 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