What Is The Savagery In Lord Of The Flies

The inner savagery of man can be discharged under many circumstances. While the savagery is kept to a minimum with the current state of civilization, a flaw in the system is able to bring about the barbarity. The novel Lord of the Flies reflects on the ways in which savagery can be embraced within a person as shown in the character Jack. According to Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and the article “Leviathan” by Thomas Hobbes, man’s savagery can awaken through competition and selfishness, with their state of nature being capable of overpowering man’s senses and develop further following the loss of law and order. With all the competition and desires man faces, it naturally leads man to turn to savage manners. As Thomas Hobbes states in, “Leviathan,” “each man
The character Jack in Lord of the Flies had been civil and unable to kill a pig, “because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood,” however, later on in the story, Jack had brutally murdered a sow without a second thought. Also unfazed by the death of Piggy, he had ordered his tribe to hunt down Ralph to kill him. The character Roger also faces a development of his savage manner depicted when “[he] stooped, picked up a stone, aimed and threw it at Henry- threw it to miss.” The intent to miss implied how he still felt the consequences of the law and order back home if he were to hit Henry. Later on, when Piggy had confronted Jack’s tribe about the stolen fire and glasses, Roger pulled a lever, knowing a large rock were to roll down, to kill Piggy. The size of the rocks used in Roger’s attack could represent his development of savageness as well. When he had thrown to miss, he used a small stone, but when he killed Piggy, he used a giant rock. The development of their savageness was triggered by the loss of