Lord Of The Flies Argumentative Essay Example
Lord Of The Flies Argumentative Essay Example

Lord Of The Flies Argumentative Essay Example

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William Golding, the renowned author, wrote the esteemed contemporary classic novel Lord of the Flies.

The author of this book tells an allegorical tale about a group of young schoolboys who become stranded on an isolated island after a plane crash. Throughout the story, these boys gradually lose their innocence and descend into savagery. The book emphasizes the importance of society in maintaining order and the consequences that occur when societal restraints are absent. It explores how civilization, democracy, and social organization are forgotten, giving way to dictatorship, anarchy, and moral judgment being disregarded. By focusing on two main characters named Ralph and Jack, the author showcases contrasting perspectives on effective governance and exposes flaws within human nature. Ralph represents civilization and order while Jack embodies savagery and humanity's darker s

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The book commences with a chapter titled "The Sound of the Shell," which introduces Piggy and Ralph. In this chapter, they enjoy a mix of fun and freedom while building their friendship. They also find the conch, which serves as a symbolic representation of authority in the novel. Initially, the conch is identified as a "shell" found among ferny weeds. Even as the boys lose their respect for their old lives and become savages, the conch maintains its essential symbolic role. The shell's beauty fascinates them, bringing them closer and strengthening their friendship. By learning how to produce various sounds with the shell, such as emitting low farting noises and deep harsh notes, they gather a choir led by Jack Merridew. Upon first meeting Jack, Ralph recognizes his strong-willed nature and ability to lead. This is evident when Jack calls for the choir's attention and command

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them to stand still. Ralph immediately recognizes Jack's leadership skills, noting that he possesses "the voice of one who knew his own mind."The text highlights the choir's display of strict order and discipline when they are depicted accompanying Piggy and Ralph. They are described as marching in sync, forming two parallel lines, and sporting unusual attire. They grasp onto various clothing items such as shorts, shirts, and different garments while donning a square black cap with a silver badge. Additionally, they have their entire bodies concealed by black cloaks (pg 15).

Jack's cap, which had a golden badge, distinguishes him as a leader among the choir members. In a later chapter, a vote takes place between Ralph and Jack, highlighting their competition for leadership. Although Piggy would have been a good leader because of his intelligence, he struggled to socialize and communicate effectively with the other boys on the island. Nevertheless, Piggy represented civilized order and democracy, making him a potential leader.

Piggy understood early on that the group needed to prioritize their survival. This is evident in his statement, "I'll expect we'll want their names... and make a list. We ought to have a meeting" (pg 5), as well as his urgency to find the others and take action, stating, "We got to find the others. We got to do something" (pg 10). Additionally, he suggests using a certain item to contact the rest of the group.

The passage illustrates Jack's arrogant nature and the choir's fear of him during the voting process. On page 12, Jack confidently suggests, "Let's have a meeting. They will come when they hear us." Furthermore, he proudly mentions his positions

as the "chapter chorister" and "head boy," and even showcases his musical talent by singing C sharp on page 18. The choir reluctantly votes for Jack due to the fear he instills in them, as mentioned on page 10: "with dreary obedience the choir raised their hands." This intimidating demeanor extends to Piggy, who confesses his fear of Jack and how it affects his thoughts and feelings towards him. Piggy admits, "I'm scared of him, and that's why I know him. If you're scared of someone you hate him but you can't stop thinking about him. You kid yourself he's all right really, an' when you see him again, it's like asthma an' you can't breathe." Additionally, Jack is physically described as tall and thin with red hair beneath his black cap within the floating cloak.

In the book, Ralph's face is described as crumpled, freckled, and lacking silliness. This portrayal depicts him as a regular human being, embodying both good and evil. As the main character, Ralph symbolizes the democratic aspects of governing system. Consequently, he is chosen democratically to lead the group.

Jack's anger is evident when he is rejected the role of leader, as "The freckles on Jack's face disappeared under a blush of mortification." In contrast, Ralph always acts in everyone's best interests. Upon observing Jack's dismay, Ralph promptly offers him a role and grants him power, saying "The choir belongs to you, of course" (pg19). Ralph does this to ensure peace and prevent unnecessary conflicts. This is the turning point that leads Jack to become a hunter and marks the beginning of savagery. When Ralph, Jack, and Simon venture into the jungle,

Jack tries to kill a pig but his conscience intervenes and he allows the pig to escape.

Despite his pride, Jack defended himself by claiming that he was "choosing a place to stab the pig." However, when Ralph suggested that he should "stick a pig," Jack demonstrated his understanding of the proper method of killing pigs by explaining that "You cut a pig's throat to let the blood out... otherwise you can't get the meat" (pg 29). Nevertheless, everyone could comprehend why Jack was unable to successfully kill the pig, ultimately illustrating their descent into savagery. In Chapter 2, the group begins to voice their doubts, leading to the first argument. As a result, a meeting is called.

Although meetings are a civilized action, their purpose is to facilitate disagreements. Ralph establishes a number of regulations, such as the requirement that only the person in possession of the conch shell may speak and that speakers must raise their hands "like at school" (pg 31). The reason behind Ralph's adoption of these school-like rules is that they are effective and easily understood by all the boys. Jack attempts to establish rules for punishing those who violate them, as demonstrated by his statement "We'll have rules! Lots of rules! Then when anyone breaks them" (pg 32).

According to the text, it can be inferred that Jack finds joy in observing the punishment of others and should be avoided as he is someone not to be upset. Collectively, the group establishes roles and regulations, with the choir identifying themselves as "hunters." They establish guidelines that require everyone to stay together and avoid splitting up, and even designate specific times for expeditions

or hunting for food. Nevertheless, the orderly and controlled behavior of the boys diminishes over time as the book develops.

Chapter 2 of the book showcases Jack's persistent annoyance towards Ralph and his idea of forming an army to hunt for food. This is evident when Ralph mentions that they are on an uninhabited island with no other people, to which Jack interrupts by emphasizing the need for an army to hunt pigs. Ralph gets irritated by this interruption and points out that only when he passes the 'shell' (later referred to as the 'conch') can someone speak. Ralph expresses his annoyance further by saying, "And another thing."

We cannot allow everyone to speak simultaneously, so we will implement a system similar to raising hands at school. The person in possession of the conch will have the right to speak next.

He can keep speaking without being interrupted, except by me," Jack, displaying his rude behavior, stands up and exclaims, "We have numerous rules, and when someone violates them."

From this, we can see that Jack is impatient and rude. Later in the chapter, he leads the boys on a journey to start a fire and get rescued. However, during the trip, both Jack and Ralph realize they don't have matches to start the fire. This lack of resources makes them feel ashamed and uncertain. Eventually, Jack expresses his frustration by openly admitting how absurd their situation is.

He started muttering vaguely and looked at Ralph, who confessed his incompetence. "Does anyone have matches?" When Jack realizes that Piggy's glasses could be used as a tool to start a fire on the mountain, he rudely points at Piggy and says,

"Use his specs as burning glasses!" He takes Piggy's glasses without asking for permission. This demonstrates his cruel and harsh treatment of Piggy. Later, he taunts Piggy by saying, "You didn't even try... You just sat there."

In this scenario, it is evident that Jack is being selfish and disregarding the feelings of others when he speaks. When Piggy asserts that he was holding the conch and deserves to speak, Jack interrupts him and dismissively says "The conch is not valid when we are on top of the mountain. Be quiet."

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