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Lord of the flies - question

one of the themes of the Lord of the flies is the conflict between civilisation and savagery. How does william golding present this theme in his novel?

How would you answer the question above?
Thanks guys

Reply 1

irvingwashington

Hello! This was actually my GCSE exam question!
Some things to consider:
How do Ralph and Jack represent the conflict? Think about how Ralph is determined to recreate the adult world (influenced by Piggy), whereas Jack succumbs to savagery.
Think about the conch - the novelty of the conch has worn off by the end of the novel, the "toy of voting" has stopped being amusing. The conch represents civilization and democracy - what does its shattering represent?
One of the key things to discuss is this idea of savagery being something innate inside every one of us - think about Simon's conversation with the LotF (pig). Look at how Roger, without the boundaries of society, becomes cruel and bloodthirsty. The boys degenerate into savages without society to impose civilization upon them.
Hope this helps!