The Themes in Lord of the Flies

William Golding’s Lord of the Flies portrays many different themes throughout the novel. Golding described the theme of his novel as “an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature.” Other themes included in the novel are the conflict being civilized or uncivilized (SparkNotes Editors), the loss of innocence (SparkNotes Editors), and the inability to alter human nature (2Friendman 73). Also, Golding uses motifs to help develop these major themes. These motifs include the bible and never-ending circles (Hollahan 67). Lawrence Friedman’s essay on the inability to alter human nature helps express the meaning of Golding’s theme. When Golding described his theme, he meant that when humans are left alone with no guidance of how to be civilized, they revert to the barbaric ways of their ancestors. The English boys were so young that they “mistake their savage hunt for fun and games” (2Friedman 74). They were left on a coral island with no rules or laws. The only means of survival they knew were their instincts. These instincts include a cruel way of doing things. The reason people in our society today do not act like savages is because our ancestors set laws against acting in such vulgar ways. The population has grown accustomed to these laws. Young boys who do not fully have the ability to reason are the likely candidates to behave inhumanly. As stated by Friedman, “…fallen man can rise only by the apparently impossible means of transcending his very nature” (74). Man’s inability to modify himself lies in the misfortune of Lord of the Flies. Another major theme in Lord of the Flies involves a conflict that exists in every human being. This divergence is simply between knowing what is right and knowing what is wrong. It involves following rules and act civilized verses acting violently and imposing one’s own desires. Golding uses the two main characters to portray the conflict. Jack represents evil, the longing for power, and uncivilized behavior while Ralph represents order, doing what is right, and leadership. The young English boys are accustomed to being civilized and having a disciplined behavior (SparkNotes Editors). The boys have acted with class because of how their families have taught them. However, when these young boys are left without supervision, they soon release their instinct to follow their own will and become uncivilized. This ties into the theme of the loss of innocence. Jack becomes obsessed with power and hunting. In Friedman’s interpretation, he quotes the young boy’s chant of “Kill the pig, Cut her throat, Spill her blood.” Here is where they viciously murder a pig. “Killing makes the end of innocence” (1Friedman 68). These savages who are killing animals and eventually human beings are far different from the young, innocent boys described in the beginning of the novel. Golding depicts this loss of innocence as something natural (SparkNotes Editors). The evil inside humans always exists. Because one leader figure, Jack, released the evil from inside him, the others followed out of fear. The themes in the Lord of the Flies are compared to colonialism and Africans: Under a thin disguise it presents the cliché about the bestiality and savagery of natives, the ‘painted niggers’ in the forest, ready at a whim to tear each other to pieces in tribal conflict unless the white ‘grown-ups’ come to rescue them from themselves. (Hawlin 75)

This idea is similar to the time period when Britain was colonizing new states and starting new civilizations. They were greatly involved with colonizing in Africa and using the natives as slaves. Eventually, they began to gradually withdraw from helping to “enlighten the dark places of the world” (75). When the British were no longer providing structure for the Africans, society fell apart. This relates to the theme of being civilized verses being uncivilized. Once the young English boys were no longer guided by their parents, they were faced with the same conflict just as the Africans were. Golding’s novel shows us how respectable, middle-class boys become “no better than blacks” (77). Running in circles is a major motif used in Lord of the Flies. There are two important kinds of circles: the first being the political circle where the boys assemble together and make rational decisions and the second begin the tribal circle where they ritually kill living beings (Hollahan 67). The first circle is established when the boys first arrive on the coral island. They appoint one leader, Ralph, and create a set of rules. They follow the model their elders have given them back home. Whenever they gathered together, they always formed a circle. The second circle is established when the boys form a circle around the pig and kill their first victim. At the end of chapter 4 the reader sees this tribal circle come to life: “Then Maurice pretended to be the pig and ran squealing into the centre, and the hunters, circling still, pretended to beat him. As they danced they sang.” This innocent parody soon becomes reality when they boys start killing their own kind (68). These different circles show the how order and civilization can change and fall to pieces. In conclusion, there are many prevailing themes in Lord of the Flies. Golding shows the different aspects of human nature in his attempt to “to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature.” Evil is the defect that exists within every person’s human nature. Without civilized regulations, these defects will create chaos.

Works Cited
Friedman, Laurence S. “A Christian Interpretation” Reading on Lord of the Flies. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1997 65-74
Friendman, Laurence S. “The Inability to Alter Human Nature.” Bloom’s Guide: William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Chelsea House Publishers, 2004. 73-74
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin Group, 1954
Hawlin, Stefan. “The Savages in the Foreset” Bloom’s Guide: William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Chelsea House Publishers, 2004. 75-78
Hollahan, Eugene. “Running in Cirlces: A Major Motif in Lord of the Flies.” Bloom’s Guide: William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Chelsea House Publishers, 2004. 67-68
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Lord of the Flies.” Sparknotes.com. SparkNotes LLC, 2007

Cited: Friedman, Laurence S. “A Christian Interpretation” Reading on Lord of the Flies. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1997 65-74 Friendman, Laurence S. “The Inability to Alter Human Nature.” Bloom’s Guide: William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Chelsea House Publishers, 2004. 73-74 Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin Group, 1954 Hawlin, Stefan. “The Savages in the Foreset” Bloom’s Guide: William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Chelsea House Publishers, 2004. 75-78 Hollahan, Eugene. “Running in Cirlces: A Major Motif in Lord of the Flies.” Bloom’s Guide: William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Chelsea House Publishers, 2004. 67-68 SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Lord of the Flies.” Sparknotes.com. SparkNotes LLC, 2007