Ethical views expressed in 'Lord of the Flies'

The Ethical Views Expressed In Lord Of The Flies.

In this human world, wherever we turn there will always be conflict. No human is

perfect, and all humans err. Therefore we should understand that to err is only human, and to

forgive is divine. The ethical views expressed in the renowned bestseller novel, Lord of the

Flies, brings into perspective the ever changing external and internal conflict that lies within

each of us.

None of us can quite identify with and comprehend what is passing through another's

mind, but we must make allowances for their doubting too. An example of this would be

found on page 19, after Ralph is nominated chief and the author states that even the choir

applauded; and the freckles on Jack's face, disappeared under the blush of mortification,

(Golding, 1954). This also shows us that it is merely natural and human nature to display or

conceal feelings of jealousy and contempt for each other.

Ralph Paglia

Ralph Paglia

Ralph Paglia

A common aspiration that we all

seek to achieve, is the ambition to be somewhat of a perfectionist. Although we all desire to

obtain level of perfection; we must be able to understand that nobody in this human world is

perfect. For example, in the novel it is clear that however hard Ralph tries to be an ideal

chief, there are always several obstacles in his path which provide a number of difficulties.

On page 209, Ralph converses fearfully with Samneric about the things that had gone wrong

and how Jack took over the whole, unsuspecting tribe. Here Ralph states, "What have I done?

I liked him- and I wanted us to be rescued." In addition to that we should all be able to

realize that there is no utopia, in which we can live and survive alongside each other.

At the beginning of the book it was made poignantly clear as the young boys expressed

their carefree ways that they thought that an island without adults was absolutely perfect.

Little did they know what was in store for them. This information is displayed on page 31

where Ralph tells the solemn group of kids that there were no grown-ups on the island. The

kids were all quiet then, contemplating how their life would be affected now that there were

no adults to look after them.

While reading this spectacular, fascinating novel, I was intrigued by the fact that it

displayed many deep, hidden emotions and facts. It was certainly unambiguous that this book

was a symbol and represented a smaller version of our world, as we perceive it today.

Modern society is sometimes based more on imagination, than on the reality that actually

surrounds it. Within the pages 36-37 of this book, Lord of the Flies, Ralph tries several

desperate attempts to try to shake the futility out of the boys, by encouraging them to be more

responsible, by keeping a watch on the fire and ships that should by chance miraculously

pass by. Another point to consider is that society will never survive without any responsible

figure or any set of laws and regulations. This information can be proved on pages 18 and 19,

where the children decide to have a vote, as to who would be the person to lead them and

take the privileged honour of being their chief. The conch can also be a symbol of rules, as

the person with the conch had the right to speak, and those who were there had to respect and

listen to the person who wanted to view and voice their opinions. The exception for this rule

was that Ralph, as the chief could interrupt any time. I found this information on page 31 of

this spellbinding novel. However, society will not always obey the rules and do justice. An

example would be on page 139, where Jack questions the authority of Ralph, the current

chief. Here Jacks inquires the vote of the rest of the boys present, as to which of them didn't

want Ralph to be chief of their tribe anymore. When Jack did gain control and leadership of

the rest of the tribe,(pages 167 and 168) it just goes to show that man instinctively wants to

rule supreme over each other, and humans will definitely repeat themselves.

It is also a known verity that people are blind to reality. It is also possible that we as

humans can cause the downfall and corrupt our society. For example, this novel demonstrates

that the mistakes made by the children, added to the list of growing controversies that played

a major part in the miscellaneous distortions of the society, as a whole. Therefore it is

without doubt wise to think before you act, and consult all you options before diving

headfirst into something that will cause a lot of trouble in the long run. I would have been

more appropriate if Ralph had not allowed Jack to become such a close friend of his, as I feel

that it helped spark the malicious contempt that Jack had possessed. This was first displayed

on page 19, where Ralph commanded Jack to be the head of the hunters. Our nature will

always get the better of us and destroy us. Hence, we should be able to differentiate between

right and wrong. It is understandable that sometimes, this might not always be the case. The

person involved might be unable to decide things for themselves or be swayed by a very

strong point of view or opinion. On page 166, Jack leads a new tribe, and questions the others

who want to join the tribe. This caused chaos, as the group of boys that were once bound

together in one tribe, were deserting Ralph. After all, united we stand, divided we fall.

Without agreeing on absolutely everything, we will succumb to failure. And as technologies,

theories and opinions improve and decline, we are only contributing towards destruction of

the human race. After all, aren't we all opportunists?

Ethics- a word most of us know, but fail to recognize and understand the concept

behind this word. For people to understand, they should be open minded and aware that

ethically speaking it is wrong to judge other people's ethics by your standards. As humans,

we all differ in every single way. Golding is one the few people who has the superlative

ability to wrought a compelling, realistic, symbolic masterpiece that enable mesmerized

readers to look deep within themselves and fully understand the true meaning and the

underlying tendencies that surround everything in this world. In conclusion I would like to

commend Mr. Golding on the wonderful, riveting modern classic, Lord of the Flies that is

sure to enthrall readers of all ages for a long time to come.