What Is Rousseau View Of Government In Lord Of The Flies

Jean Jacques Rousseau argues against the theory of original sin and states “nothing can be more gentle than man is in his primitive state.” This remark is also valid for William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Once the young boys establish a sense of order it’s much like Rousseau’s view of government, asserting that government corrupts people. Since Golding’s writing style is allegorical, Lord of the Flies was intended to sprout ideas, not just to tell an interesting story. In Jean Jacques Rousseau’s Social Contract he declares democracy was intended for gods, not men, the idea that something will always be wrong with government, and that nations are only teachable in youth, then become irreparable. Rousseau states in his Social Contract “democracy is for gods, not men.” He considers the assembly of the whole citizen body a too euphoric and utopian arrangement for men to take on. Once the boys make up order and start making decisions democratically, they are setting themselves up for failure. The quote “The bright morning was full of threats and the circle began to change. It faced out rather than in,” suggests that the ‘circle’ represents unity and
It refers to the social chains in society where man is governed by other men. It also can relate to how man is a slave to his own impulses, desires, and emotions. In Lord of the Flies, Jack is characterized as bloodthirsty and tyrannical. He often gives in to his temptations and the evil inside him seeps through. Even government and order cannot hold a man back from their desires. The quote, “In a pool of their own shadows, diminished to shaggy heads,” suggests that the boys are smothered in darkness and are less human than they used to be. The pool can be considered a decline in order and indicate that a mob has been created as a result of the failed