Piggy And Ralph example essay topic

How mankind can't survive without rules and laws Could civilization live a normal and stable life, without any rules and orders to obey? Could you picture, New York City, with no laws to follow and everyone doing as they please? Just imagine the disasters that we will experience. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, we see how each individual character reacts differently to the exposure of complete freedom from an organized society. Also, we see how this separation from a structural society causes chaos among all these different characters. The story begins with 20 pre-adolescent boys who are on an airplane and the airplane crashes on a remote jungle-island, which is a very effective setting to establish the idea of savagery.

The setting of the story is very important because it shows how the boys are given their own paradise and destroy it. The airplane crew is killed and the boys are left on their own, with no adult supervision. At the beginning of the story, we meet the character, Ralph, the protagonist of the novel. Ralph is an example of the ethical citizen, intelligent and responsible but, on many occasions, is caught up in the opinion of others. The leadership that Ralph offers isn't as stable and organized because he isn't able to control the 'littluns'; and the others after a certain point. This is when the society that Ralph tries to create starts to break apart and Jack takes control.

Then immediately comes Piggy, a chubby asthmatic but intelligent kid, who becomes 'friends'; with Ralph. He is teased relentlessly by the other boys but is highly respected by Ralph for his ability to think. Piggy is considered the adult voice on the island, which often spoils the fun for the other boys. He also becomes Ralph's right-hand man. Whenever Ralph can't think straight, Piggy is there to put some common sense into him. Just like Ralph, Piggy wants to be rescued desperately.

A while later, Ralph finds a conch. He then uses the conch to call upon the other kids. The conch is presented as a symbol of authority and order. It is used to summon all the boys from the island to the assembly and it gives its holder the right to speak. The conch also sets Ralph apart from the other boys and is what helps him be categorized as chief and leader. The conch is the only connection that the kids have to a world of order and civilization.

The influence of the conch is what keeps the kids hope of being rescued going because it reminds them of the order of the world that they are from. When all the boys are gathered together, Piggy starts to ask the names of the kids. This is the second step of a creation of a civilization. Afterwards, we see, Jack and his choir, come into the story. They are all formerly dressed up which, gives them all a more superior and civilized look than the other kids.

The uniforms create an isolated unity for the members of the choir. Jack Merri dew is presented as the indifferent, older character of the novel. He is the antagonist and could be seen as a devil figure in the story. Jack is the hunter, the dictator and, throughout the story, is at constant battle with Ralph for his leadership. Jack wants to be in control of the island and the kids but the type of leadership that he offers is brutal and similar to that of a dictatorship and communism.

Jack also believes that the group should have fun and stuff oneself with the food they hunt. He is not very concerned with the future of being rescued. On the other hand, Ralph wants order and work and is much more concern with being rescued. When everyone is more settled down, Ralph suggests that they elect a leader and chief.

All the kids elect Ralph as the leader, mainly because he is the one who found the conch and the one who is holding it. We at once see how Jack greatly disapproves of the decision taken by the kids. He takes his defeat uneasily at first but after he is offered the command of the choir he accepts, for the time being. Among the boys of the choir, Roger and Simon are introduced into the story. Roger is first seen as a shy and quiet boy but in the course of the story we see how he becomes a savage.

The inhuman conditions, which Roger lives by, are what bring out the true personality of him. He is cruel and a corrupter which, when we reach the end of the novel, we see how his cruelty gets the best of him and he kills Piggy. Roger drops a massive rock on Piggy that immediately kills him and at the same time the conch is destroyed. We are then acquainted with Simon as the pleasant mannered and thoughtful kid. He represents wisdom and is seen as a prophet. He has a stronger connection with nature than anyone else in the book.

He also understands the inner beast of his island mates but is shy, extremely self-conscious and unable to express himself. This shyness that revolves around Simon is what makes him be so isolated from the rest of the kids in the island. It's this isolation and separation from the rest of the kids that lead to his unfortunate death. Further into the novel, the rules and orders that are first established begin to fall apart. The fire, which is suppose to be kept burning in order for them to be rescued is completely ignored. The fire becomes destruction and is a symbol of corruption and evil.

When the fire breaks out of control it also represents how soon the society that is developed will be in chaos as well. Jack takes control over the 'littluns'; and the rest of the kids. He assures them protection from the beast and brings them food to eat. All this is what helps him win them all over. The beast is the major fear of all the 'littluns'; . The boys are mostly scared because there aren't any adults to tell them that such a thing does not exist and to protect them from it.

The belief of the beast is what brings out the evil and cruelty that exists in Jack. In the beginning, Jack is shown as an inexperienced hunter, when he barely pins the knife down on the pig but then he becomes obsessed with the idea of hunting and killing. When the pig is killed, Jack becomes so excited because it proves to the others that he is strong enough to kill. This represents how he is no longer civilized but a savage. When they offer the head of the pig to the beast it is as if they worship the devil.

This is not only construed as evil but as well as savagery. In reality, the beast is the dead parachute r who fell from the sky. The one that discovers the truth is Simon but on his way to telling the others what he has seen, he is killed by the kids. We now see how the kids have left behind the idea of order and civilization and instead have become the beast themselves.

Towards the end of the story, the dislike that Jack has among Piggy is what creates the definite war between Ralph and him. This is also what creates a major turning point in the story. Piggy and Ralph go to see Jack at his fort in order to claim back his glasses. Roger then pushes a rock unto Piggy; he is killed and knocked into the water. By Piggy dying, Ralph is left alone and with absolutely no hopes of ever being rescued. Then Jack wants to kill Ralph because he feels that by doing this he will remain chief and leader and he will take away the idea of being civilized and having a democracy.

Again we see how the fire symbolizes power but this time differently because instead of being used for survival and rescue it's used as destruction and as a weapon for hunting. Jack uses the fire by burning a thicket where Ralph is hiding to be able to take him out. He then hunts him down to mount his head on the sharp stick like the pig's head. Jack loses complete sense of his mind and is definitely stripped away from what is considered civilized. His immoral actions take the best of him and the others in the island and led them all to forget what is truly important, which is to be rescued. At the end, they are rescued and Ralph is saved from being killed from Jack and his tribe.

The novel, Lord of the Flies, gives you, the reader, a clear image of how easily a society could fall apart if we allow ourselves to only live by the day and not care what tomorrow brings. Also, it shows how a society can't survive without any rules to be followed and that there must be laws and rules in order, to have an established society to live in.