Lord of the flies essay Flashcards
Subtopic 1
Various characters throughout the story go through an internal conflict due to a struggle between their shadow self and civilized side. This causes them to make decisions that prove detrimental.
Subtopic 1: Point 1
People do not want to acknowledge the darker aspects of human nature as they do not want to believe such an entity exists within them. As a result, it is more likely for them to be tempted by their darker nature making them irrational.
Subtopic 1: Explanation 1:
Although Ralph initially acts rationally, Jack easily provokes him, causing Ralph to act on his primitive instincts to show that he is not afraid. Throughout the book, his ability to lead the group weakens as Jack can take advantage of the internal conflict that Ralph is dealing with. This could have been avoided if Ralph confronted the fear within himself rather than letting it infiltrate his conscience. It would create more peace and prevent chaos from consuming the island when Jack took over.
subtopic 1: Point 2
As Jack gradually succumbs to his primitive side he feels the pull that his civilized side has on him as well. This internal tension culminates in the end as he completely represses his old identity by devolving into a savage.
subtopic 1: explanation 2
In the pursuit of becoming a savage, the civilized side of Jack still exists as it influences his actions at the start and middle of the story. This angers him as instead of attempting to find a balance between his shadow self and civilized side, he detaches himself from his conscience by creating a new identity for himself. His self de individualization gives him anonymity which allows him to partake in any atrocious act he wants without any restraint.
subtopic 1: Point 3
Individuals who are ashamed of their fear of being ridiculed are unable to come to an understanding with the people in the group due to their repressed feelings. This prevents them from voicing their opinion and helping the group make a decision that could benefit them.
subtopic 1: explanation 3
Certain individuals are afraid of the judgment they will receive for sharing their thoughts as their internal struggle causes them to feel like an outcast. With the group shifting to a more authoritarian approach where only certain individuals have power, it prevents others like Piggy from getting an opportunity to contribute their ideas to the group resulting in a one-dimensional approach and a lack of consideration for others.
Subtopic 2
Characters that heavily prioritize either primitivity or civilization often come into conflict with others who have opposing beliefs.
Subtopic 2: point 1
The actions of certain characters are heavily driven by their primitive side which makes it impossible for them to see the value in civilization.
Subtopic 2: explanation 1
Jack believes a select few individuals like himself should possess all the power and leave none for the rest. He does not want to create a more democratic environment as if that occurred, he would not be able to assert his dominance over the boys. The way he dehumanizes the other members to gain more power for himself shows how his only objective is to satisfy his desires.
Subtopic 2: point 2
Ralph feels disgusted by the idea of primitivity as he believes that it can not coexist with civilization preventing him from coming to an understanding with Jack.
Subtopic 2: explanation 2
Ralph desires a world where primitivity does not exist which is why he feels disgusted whenever he is in a primitive environment. The problem with this is that a healthy civilization can only exist when it is accompanied by some form of primitivity as well. The Ying Yang symbol depicts this accurately as the Yang representing primitivity and the Ying representing civilization balances each other. if one starts to take over the balance starts shifting resulting in instability in the form of violence and calamity.
Subtopic 2: point 3
Piggy represents the extreme side of civilization as his obsession with innovation causes him to lose sight of the what group needs for their survival.
subtopic 2: explanation 3
The obsession that Piggy has with advancing civilization makes him neglect the rest of the needs that the group has to account for. He wants Ralph to help him make these devices without any purpose or objective. The idea that civilization is superior to primitivity is false as both extremes can be catastrophic as the group struggles to survive without any hunting or other primitive actions.
Subtopic 3
Individuals who have extreme beliefs about primitivity or civilization do not want to fathom the possibility of balancing the two as they are caught up in their own isolated world.
Subtopic 3: Point 1
With boys succumbing more to primitivity, they lack the willingness to listen to what Simon has to say as they believe his greater understanding of human nature poses a threat to them rather than a service.
Subtopic 3: explanation 1
In their crazed state, the boys cannot comprehend what Simon is saying to them as they lack any sort of conscience or rational thought at the moment. The idea of anonymity and conformity applies here as their lack of individuality causes them to form this savage mob that solely seeks malice. Their bloodlust is what eventually leads to the death of Simon as the shift towards primitivity has caused the boys to act on their instincts.
Subtopic 3: point 2
When Simon dies, Piggy can not fathom that Ralph brought up the possibility of Simon being murdered as his rationalization and lack of conscience cause him to be ignorant of reality.
Subtopic 3: explanation 2
For the sake of staying civilized, piggy attempts to rationalize the situation instead of feeling empathy that Simon is dead. He still does not accept that a darker entity exists because of his scientific mind and extreme rationalization causing him to excuse the actions of the group.
Subtopic 3: point 3
When people in Jack’s tribe believe the beast has been killed already, Jack silences them and does not give them the freedom to voice their opinions.
Subtopic 3: explanation 3
Although the boys believe that the beast has been killed, Jack does not accept this as he wants to maintain power over the group. As a result, he wants the boys to continue blindly following him so that he can continue to control them through fear.
