How the Lord of the Flies Civilization Fell Apart
The society that the boys on the island attempted to create turned out to be very uncivilized. There were a number of problems with the society that led to the collapse. These problems included the following:
- Lack of government / democracy
The biguns get more of a say in what happens on the island than the littluns. The littluns have concerns that need to be addressed but don’t always because the biguns are in control. Also boys like Piggy don’t get attention like Ralph and Jack do.
An education system is key because they don’t know how long they will be on the island and they must continue to obtain knowledge. Because there was no education system, they were less productive.
- Too much play not enough work being done
The boys enjoy their life without grown-ups and spend much of their time splashing in the water and playing games rather than doing work. This caused things to not go according to plan.
Concerns of some boys were not being addressed simply just because they were young or not popular. For example the concern of the beast by the littluns at the beginning was being mocked because they are young. Also Piggy had many good ideas but no one would listen to him because he was unpopular with Jack and other boys. There was even lack of communication between Ralph and the boys, he was getting less respect because they were more interested in playing games.
- Mistreatment towards each other
Conflict, abuse and bullying began to arise. Not all boys were being treated equally. Piggy was even murdered.
- Lack of enforcement of rules
All rules in general started to become neglected and not enforced.
All of these things led to the failure of their civilization.
How Their Society Could Have Been Civilized and More Successful.
The civilization formed on the island in Lord of the Flies could have been more successful if it resembled more of a modern civilized society, which would include some other elements. These elements include more and stricter rules and regulations. More order and structure. An education system and better communication among people. Also a government that was a democracy and equality.
Lord of the Flies:
What Does It Mean to be Civilized
Submitted to: Ms. Kearsey
Submitted by: Rebecca Aylward
Date: January 3, 2005
Civilization
To be civilized means to have some level of refinement, education, morals and patients. A civilization is a situation of urban comfort. It is an advanced state of intellectual, cultural, and material development in human society, marked by progress in the arts and sciences, the extensive use of record-keeping, including writing, and the appearance of complex political and social institutions.
Civilization protects its inhabitants
It helps develop people out of their primitive state. It establishes rules, regulations, order, education, refinement, some sort of government and customs. In a civilization it is crucial that these elements be enforced. When the constraints of civilization are removed havoc may come about involving violence, dehumanization, mistreatment and other things, this happens in the novel Lord of the Flies. Being civilized employs these elements making the area safe, comforting and dependable and allowing the civilization to function and protect its people.
Society Developed in Lord of the Flies
The boys set up primitive division in the beginning to set up a civilization. They choose Ralph as their leader and he appoints Jack to be in charge of the boys who hunt. The group is roughly divided into boys of around the age of six who are called littluns, and biguns who are between ten and twelve. Ralph’s aim is to form a society similar to the one they have left behind and at an early date he establishes rules regarding the conduct of meetings, shelters, fresh water and latrines. They set up a fire as a signal to be rescued and they have boys whose job is to keep the fire going. Ralph also attempts to set up some huts as shelters during their stay on the island. They also establish rules such as that when in a meeting; only the boy holding the conch shell may speak. This effort of creating a civilized society works well at the beginning, but ends when there isn’t enough of a democracy, education, and order and when other rules are not being enforced and the civilization is no longer protecting its residents.
How the Lord of the Flies Civilization Fell Apart
The society that the boys on the island attempted to create turned out to be very uncivilized. There were a number of problems with the society that led to the collapse. These problems included the following:
- Lack of government / democracy
The biguns get more of a say in what happens on the island than the littluns. The littluns have concerns that need to be addressed but don’t always because the biguns are in control. Also boys like Piggy don’t get attention like Ralph and Jack do.
An education system is key because they don’t know how long they will be on the island and they must continue to obtain knowledge. Because there was no education system, they were less productive.
- Too much play not enough work being done
The boys enjoy their life without grown-ups and spend much of their time splashing in the water and playing games rather than doing work. This caused things to not go according to plan.
Concerns of some boys were not being addressed simply just because they were young or not popular. For example the concern of the beast by the littluns at the beginning was being mocked because they are young. Also Piggy had many good ideas but no one would listen to him because he was unpopular with Jack and other boys. There was even lack of communication between Ralph and the boys, he was getting less respect because they were more interested in playing games.
- Mistreatment towards each other
Conflict, abuse and bullying began to arise. Not all boys were being treated equally. Piggy was even murdered.
- Lack of enforcement of rules
All rules in general started to become neglected and not enforced.
All of these things led to the failure of their civilization.
How Their Society May Have Been More Civilized and Successful.
The civilization formed on the island in Lord of the Flies could have been more successful if it resembled more of a modern civilized society, which would include some other elements. These elements include more and stricter rules and regulations. More order and structure. An education system and better communication among people. Also a government that was a democracy and equality.
