According to the author, is man naturally uncivilized?

In the book Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the author is trying to tell us that there is a beast in every one of us and even the slightest kindling can ignite that monster. In this book, Golding shows that man is naturally evil and uncivilized. It is society and civilization that keeps us from unleashing the beast within. There are many examples in the book that support this theme.

For starters, in the beginning of the book, all the children are innocent and longing to be rescued. During this time, and throughout the rest of the book, Golding pin points the conch shell as very significant. According to him, it stands for civilization and order. It is used to call the first meeting, and thereafter, used to call for order. If the shell were not there, the boys would have no way to meet in the first place, and therefore none of the civilized actions that happened in the beginning of the book would have ever taken place.

Jack Bauer (24) checks the new iPhone for CTU

A drawing of the shell of Strombus alatus, the Flo...

Lord of the Flies

It was more than just a symbol. It was actual democratic power. The boy who is speaking “can hold it when he’s speaking” (Golding 25). As the boys stop acting civil and become savages, the power of the shell greatly decreases. It has less influence on the boys. The loss of innocence in the boys is very subtle in the beginning, but very unexpected and sudden towards the end. When, towards the end of the book, Jack’s people attack Ralph and the other people, Piggy thought the boys came for the conch (Golding 150). But they didn’t, meaning they didn’t want to take civilized thoughts with them. They wanted to let that monster out of them. Also, when Jack goes to blow the conch at Jack’s camp, people...