Lord of the Flies Written Assignment. Literature & Language Essay

Your Name
Instructor Name
Course Number
Date
Lord of The Flies Written Assignment
William Golding's Lord of the Flies is a 1954 novel that focuses on humanity's dark side since the author has a pessimistic view about humans. He reveals that humans are evil or barbaric. In the book, the main characters establish a new society on an island even though it evolves to become a disaster (Baker 230). Even though the characters live in an isolated environment and they try to establish rules and cultural norms that are comparable to the one left behind, they are still inclined to evil and violence (Golding 28). In Lord of the Flies, the author relies on various characters like Ralph and Jack to describe the conflict that arises between pursuing a personal desire, which results in savagery and choosing to conform to the rules of civilization.
In the novel, conflict arises between collective interest and self-interest. Golding depicts the protagonist, Ralph, as a mirror of contemporary civilization, and the antagonist character, Jack, is regarded as an example of humanity's evil side. Specifically, the protagonists exemplify collective interest while the antagonist represents self-interest (Baker 234). The boys are forced to consider ways of surviving in the new environment by putting aside their trivial games, personal goals, and dreams so that they can work together efficiently. Once the boys agree to follow a specific plan, everything goes on smoothly, and they manage to coexist in an organized system. For example, they elect Ralph as their leader, and Piggy, who is an intellectual, is elected as the deputy to support and advise the leader (Golding 78). They come up with rules regarding sanitation and housing, and they also create a signal fire that would be used for emergency cases when they wanted to call for help if they notice a ship passing close to the island. However, due to selfishness, lust for control, greed, and jealously other personal desires, society fails.
A majority of the characters in the novel are selfish and are making decisions based on self-interest. Ralph faces opposition from Jack, who is jealous and wants the leadership position. This leads to conflict between the two characters since both have different ideas. For instance, a dead solder appears on the island after an aerial battle that occurred above the island. The boys assumed that the fallen soldier was a mystical beast that was living in the forest, and everyone panicked (Golding 279). In response, Jack encouraged most of the boys to join him in a splinter group. The boys were willing to join the group since they can be engaged in...