Jack chants “kill the pig, cut her throat, spill the blood”. ![]() One of ways Golding shows conflict between savagery and civilisation is when Jack and some of the other boys are killing the first pig. The boys belief in the beast leads them to behave more like savages as they act out from their fear and they begin to loose hold of the rules, led by Jack, thus demonstrating the theme of savagery. He has a strong status as a Lord although it is over something pretty disgusting – the flies. As the boys fear of the beast grows so to does the beast itself until it has manifested into the devil – the ultimate and most powerful evil. However at this stage of the novel the beast is quite insubstantial as it is only a “thing”. Western society considers snakes to be bad omens because it was a snake that led Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge. The first quote shows us that the beast is clearly evil. The beast begins as a “snake thing” but by the end of the novel it has become “the Lord of the Flies”. The boys have created the island to be a democratic place which shows a civilised side to them as they try to mimic the homes they have just left.Ĭontrasting with the symbol of the conch is the symbol of the beast which comes to be associated with Jack as by the end of the novel he is almost devil worshipping it. ![]() If they have the conch, no matter who they are or what age they are they will be given the chance to speak and will be listened to by the rest of the boys. This suggests civilisation as Ralph is allowing each boy to have an equal say and opinion. ![]() At the first assembly Ralph says “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak…he won’t be interrupted”. This symbolises authority amongst the boys. The theme of savagery versus civilisation is first introduced to us through the symbol of the conch shell which we associate with Ralph as he is the person who first uses it and becomes the elected leader of the boys.
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