Decline In Lord Of The Flies

British novelist, C. S. Lewis once stated, “The safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts”. In other words, the transition from stability to chaos is subtle and often without cautioning indications. Similarly, this gradual decline is demonstrated throughout William Golding’s novel, The Lord Of The Flies. The novel depicts the story of a group of boys who found themselves stranded on an island, upon their plane crash. As they attempted to find help and a means of rescue, the lack of adult supervision provoked them to establish their own form of order within their newfound society. Ralph, the protagonist of the novel and the elected chief, took it upon himself to establish unity and civilization amongst the assembly of boys. However, Jack, the verbal antagonist of the novel, desired total power. Through his barbaric outbursts and acts of disobedience, he steadily influenced the assembly to transition from civilized boys into savages as the novel progressed. Through his use of various installations, Ralph’s
S. Lewis, the transition from civilization to savagery is slow and gradual, with little signs of change. This gradual decline is shown throughout William Golding’s novel, The Lord Of The Flies. As a group of boys found themselves stranded on an island, they quickly established order by using the resources available to make an organized civilization. Initially, they used the conch to call assemblies and maintain a sense of etiquette, hunting was used as a means of survival, and the fire was used as a beacon of hope for rescue. However, as time went on, through the disregard of the conch, etiquette was neglected; through the obsession with hunting, cruelty became prominent; and through the transformation of the necessity of a fire into a weapon, resources were abused, which ultimately led to the transition from civilization to savagery.