Show how the sense of order on the island deteriorates over the course of "Lord of the Flies".

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Show how the sense of order on the island deteriorates over the course of the novel – Essay

        William Golding wanted to explore the fragility of our civilisation as he believed that adventure stories like ‘The Coral Island’ were unrealistic in their optimistic view of how young boys would act without adult supervision or rules. He wanted to write an adventure story that showed more accurately how children would behave without rules. So, in ‘Lord of the Flies’, he abandons a group of schoolboys on a desert island and chronicles the battle between order and chaos that follows. The sense of order is one of the main themes in the novel and Golding creates the island as a microcosm of the outside world. In the novel, various symbols are used to represent the establishment and the gradual fall of law and order on the island. The most important symbols are Piggy, Piggy’s glasses and the conch. The deterioration of the sense of order on the island is not caused by a single event, but is a step by step process that is marked by several milestones.

        At the beginning of the novel, the boys were conscious of the need of order in the society and attempted to establish law and order. This begins when Piggy discovers the conch and advises Ralph to call an assembly. The boys make rules on the island which are similar to the rules they followed at school. Piggy collects names just like a school register and they call their meetings ‘assemblies’. They put their hands up to speak, and use the conch to take turns.

        Golding uses the conch as a symbol of civilisation and authority. Its power gradually decreases which reflects the weakening of civilisation on the island. Its destruction represents the victory of barbarity over civilisation.

        Ralph wants to have fun on the island but he knows that they need rules to make them act responsibly. However, Jack says they need rules because they’re “not savages”. It’s ironic as his behaviour changes later on in the novel and his primitive nature is conveyed. He also looks forward to punishing anyone who breaks the rules which enables the reader to identify that Jack represents savagery and Ralph represents civilisation. Piggy is anxious to protect the rules. He gets upset when the other boys don’t follow them, calling them “a pack of kids”.

        Golding portrays Ralph as the most natural leader, describing him as a “boxer” and someone who has “eyes that proclaim no evil”. Ralph is fit and has optimistic views which is displayed when reassuring Piggy at the beginning of the novel that his dad is in the navy and will rescue them. These ideas are irrational whereas Piggy thinks rationally as he “took off his shoes and socks and ranged them carefully on the platform” so should have been the leader due to his logic and intelligence. He is not chosen as leader as he is from a working class background and lacks self-confidence.

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        Jack feels he should be chief but when a democratic vote is held, Ralph wins comfortably. The boys felt that the election of the chief was a good decision as Ralph had shown his leadership skills. However, Jack takes the news badly as he “snatched from behind him a sizeable sheath-knife and clouted it into the trunk". Jack shows jealousy and throughout the novel, the spite overpowers him and he tries to get the group to side with him and challenges Ralph. Using Piggy’s glasses, the boys light a fire on the top of the mountain.

        The boys are ...

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