Because the novel was published early into the Cold War, Golding displays the conflict between democracy and communistic totalitarianism in his novel. Ralph is used as a representation of democracy whilst Jack is the portrayal of the military dictatorship of the communist system, that is, Hitler. By portraying Jack as a representation of Hitler, Golding illustrates the savage and anarchic instinct of human nature.
Jack and Hitler are similar in many ways. Like Hitler, Jack uses his charm, charismatic talent and dominant personality to gain power over the other boys. Furthermore, both Hitler and Jack wait for the opportune moment when people are vulnerable to step in and offer hope. Hitler won the public’s support when Germany was at an all-time low. He promised to restore their pride and return the country to its former glory. Jack did much the same thing, drawing the other boys slowly away from Ralph’s influence because of their underlying savage and anarchic human nature; their natural attraction to and inclination toward the adventurous hunting activities that symbolise violence and evil. However, the most powerful technique that both Jack and Hitler employ to maintain their dictatorship is fear. Jack solidifies his leadership by promising the boys protection from the feared ‘beast’ on the island as Hitler promised his people protection from inferior races. Jack not only promised protection from the ‘beast’, but also manipulated and enhanced the boy’s fear to maintain his power over them. “’I expect the beast disguised himself.’ … The tribe considered this; and then were shaken, as if by a flow of wind. The chief saw the effect of his words and stood abruptly.” (p. 142-143). The boys' address of Jack, "The Chief", is similar to Hitler's title in Nazi Germany of the "Fuhrer" which means Chief, further conveying the message that human nature is savage and anarchic by emphasising the similarities between Jack and Hitler.
At the beginning of the novel, Jack still conforms to the rules set out by society and civilisation. As the novel progresses however, Jack’s social conditioning fades rapidly and he quickly loses his concept of civilisation and rationality. Jack displays the true form of human nature by reverting to savagery and anarchic instincts. Towards the beginning of the novel when Jack tried to kill a pig, he found that he couldn’t bring himself to do it “because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood” (p. 29). Jack’s innocence is evident at the beginning of his experience on the island. He still follows Ralph and the rules of civilisation because it is all he has ever known. As the novel progresses however, Jack becomes increasingly savage. Later in the novel, Jack told Roger to "sharpen the stick at both ends" (p. 150) when he wished to impale the pig’s head on the stick that would thus become the ‘Lord of the Flies’. Yet he makes the same order in Chapter 12 with the intention of killing Ralph, portraying the fact that he has truly shed all pretences of civilisation and succumbed to his inner savage nature because of his intention to commit murder. Jack is in fact, proud of his new found savagery, “'I cut the pig's throat,' said Jack, proudly and yet twitched as he said it” (64). During a hunt, Jack and the other savages chant, "kill the pig, cut her throat, spill her blood", displaying their true tribal and animalistic nature through the cruelty and savagery in their language. This is further supported by the harsh sounds of “kill”, “cut” and “spill”. Jack’s experience demonstrates that the underlying savagery and lawlessness of human nature is brought to light when the rules and structure of civilisation are stripped away. 130-145 IQ
Symbolism is an essential technique used in Lord of the Flies to convey how once the ties to civilisation are gone, the savage, anarchic side of human nature takes control. In the novel, the tribal face paint of Jack and the other savages symbolises the darker, more brutal and violent side of human nature. Jack’s face paint is used to represent the unleashing of the true, evil human nature that civilised society restrains. When Jack paints his face for the first time, he truly loses all traces of societal impulses and is in his most primitive form, “He looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger… He began to dance and his laughter became bloodthirsty snarling…the mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness.” (p. 68-69). When people feel shame, they are still connected to civilisation and are less likely to succumb to savage instincts. However, once Jack puts on his mask, he loses all shame and self-consciousness, therefore displaying the previously unseen side of human nature. Whilst Jack physically dons his mask of clay, mentally he is removing his mask of laws and structure of civilisation to expose the savage human nature underneath. “They understood only too well the liberation into savagery that the concealing paint brought.” (p.191)
One of the most evocative and significant symbols in Lord of the Flies is the ‘beast’. The imaginary beast on the island represents the primal savage and chaotic instinct that exists within every human being in the form of human nature. On the island the beast and savagery are conveyed through tribal dancing, war-paint and a man hunt, whilst in the outside world the same lust for power can be seen in wars like World War II. Within the constraints of society, the beast can be seen in acceptable forms such as military; and unacceptable forms such as criminality and madness. The beast can even be seen through politics and power plays. Golding conveys the message that the true mission of human kind is not to eradicate it, but to subdue it and prevent it from becoming a dominating force in our lives through the order and laws of civilisation.
It is clear that William Golding constructed his novel to promote particular perspectives about human nature. In particular, he promotes a pessimistic view of human nature, emphasising the necessity of democratic civilization. Through the character of Jack, Golding demonstrates to the reader the savage, anarchic side of human nature. Golding portrays Jack to be the representation of Adolf Hitler to illustrate the savagery which humans are capable of when the laws of society are stripped away. By analysing Jack’s development from the beginning to the end of the novel, the transformation from a civilised being to one who is ruled by the brutal, savage instinct of human nature is apparent. The underlying savage impulse of human nature is symbolised through Jack’s tribal face paint and the ‘beast’ that lives within all human beings. These techniques employed provide the reader with a clear insight into and an understanding of the way Golding has portrayed human nature. After 1955, Lord of the Flies became a bestseller among American and British readers who saw in the novel a grim prediction of their own future. The novel became canonical as it is both a provocative allegory of human evil and a literary expression of the Cold War ideology.
