I think that Jack is the boy who is truly scared out of the group because he thinks there is no hope off the island and they need to just think about surviving. Ralph in comparison is much different and has the idea of being rescued with also inflicting pressure on the group to be civilized. He also listens to all of the boys and knows what to do if they are going to survive and be saved.
You can see throughout the adventure that Ralph is always trying to raise order and reason on the group. “ We can’t have everybody talking at one. We’ll have to have ‘hands up’ like at school” Pg.31.
It’s a good thing that Ralph is chief without him there wouldn’t be anyone preaching order and democracy, the group needs to function properly and the boys would do as they please. Ralph isn’t the only one who stands for order Jack does to, but he shows order in the way of conflicting pain and fear into the children’s minds. Ralph simply listens all the boys and gives reason behind the tasks he sets.
There is a lot of faith in Ralph because the group can see that Piggy and him do believe that the idea of smoke will lead the group to be rescued. “ We’ve got to make smoke up there- or die” Pg.87.
The concept of evil is show a lot in the story; evil is portrayed as to be the bad or dark side that exists in everyone. Evil is released in heat of the moment or at a time of breaking point. The title of the book in my mind doesn’t really resemble evil just that the idea of it sounds revolting because of what flies are.
Lots of evil things happen in the story that shakes the mind of the reader; one is the death of Simon.
I find his death to be rather ferocious and sadistic, this act in the story might make readers wonder about what children are capable of. I don’t feel that anyone is responsible for his death; it is down to the chanting between the children at the fire and the lack of social control in the group. Without social control in any society people won’t realise what is immoral or right.
Another moment of evil is when Roger kills Piggy by squishing him with a boulder. The part that stands out from this scene is not of the killing it’s self but of what Jack says after Piggy’s tragic end. “ See? See? That’s what you’ll get! I meant that!” Pg. 201. This really emphasises the lack of heart and remorse that Jack has.
In the story Ralph is labelled as the opposite of Jack since he promotes reason and the ideas of civilisation. A representation of reason from Ralph is of him listening to people, explaining his opinions and importantly the idea of smoke. You can see also that Ralph believes in democracy by him introducing the conch, meetings and even the choice to elect a chief. He realises the need for order and tranquillity because without it the boys won’t work as a team and that will conclude them to not being saved.
Social control is a necessity for the group and the reasons behind it not being put into practice are because the children don’t have their parents to guide them. I feel that the boys do no right from wrong, but with out their elders and the belief of them not being saved they lose sense of what is ethical. This theory is proven through the acts of savagery and the children being masochistic. “ At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt on to the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of claws and teeth” Pg. 169.
Ralph doesn’t participate in any forms on savagery, he is considered as far more reasonable than other members of the group. He shows his status by voicing his opinion, standing up to Jack and not using force or power to make the boys listen. The most beneficial that Ralph did for the group, was keeping the fire a light because with out the smoke they would have never been rescued.
I don’t think that Golding intended the book to just be a boys adventure but a lesson in the capabilities of humans and what they can result in doing. He’s trying to point out that humans bring destruction to all nature by the idea of it being an uninhabited island. I agree with his ideas because the human race does lose control and damage nature everywhere they go, sometimes unintentionally but nonetheless it’s a fact.
