Example research essay topic: Lord Of The Flies Savagery - 1,036 words

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There are too many people, and too few human beings. (Robert Zend) Even though there are many people on this planet, there are very few civilized people. Most of them are naturally savaged. In the book, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, boys are stranded on an island far away, with no connections to the adult world. These children, having no rules, or civilization, have their true nature exposed. Not surprisingly, these childrens nature happens to be savagery. Savagery can clearly be identified in humans when there are no rules, when the right situation arouses, and finally when there is no civilization around us.

Without rules, savagery takes over. Without rules, man is free to do whatever he desires. Meaning, their true nature will be exposed. That nature is surely savagery. For example, when you watch little kids, you tend to notice that if one has a toy, the other will start a fight just to get a toy. Since the kids dont know the difference between rights and wrong, theyre just expressing themselves naturally, which happens to be savagery.

Here is a quote from Golding from chapter 4 of his book that proves that rules are the basis to civilization. Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them. Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law.

This quote shows that Roger is slowly losing the rules of the civilized world as time passes. In this passage by Golding, Roger is throwing rocks, but is still afraid of the society's rules. Later in the book he kills Piggy by rolling a boulder from the top of the mountain showing how his savagery has increased through out the novel without the books. Golding inserts a beautiful, short quote expressing them naturally, which happens to be savagery.

Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! (pg. 152) The kids dance around a slaughtered mother pig, excitedly spilling the pigs intestines on the ground and rubbing the blood on each others faces. Does this seem like something normal kids would do?

No, its not because there would be a parent or a higher authority setting rules for them, to tell them otherwise. In the book by Golding, Lord of the Flies, when all authority is taken out of the picture, the kids are free to do whatever they want. This is where their true nature is exposed. The boys dont put into practice their teachings from church / school on the island, but become savage beasts.

This shows us that man is civilized in our society, only because of the fear for higher authority, not because thats their nature. Man can only cover up inner savagery so long, before it breaks out, given the right situation. This states that with or without rules man will become savage when given the right situation. Every single man in this world is filled with inner savagery. But in this society, they tend to restrict the savagery from escaping.

Given the right situation, their true nature, savagery, will be released. For example in the Simpsons, Ned Flanders, is the most civilized person. But yet on one particular episode he becomes savage when he is presented with the perfect circumstance. Golding quotes beautifully, Then dog-like, uncomfortably on all fours yet unheeding his discomfort, he stole forward five yards and stopped. There was a loop of creeper with a tendril pendant from a node. The tendril was polished on the under side; pig, passing through the loop, brushed it with their bristly hide. - Lord of the Flies (pg. 48) Jack is the leader of the church choir, but yet he shows no qualities of a church choir leader once he starts hunting for boars.

It is not necessary that we need an island to break out into savagery, because even in our society, when man is given the right situation, his savagery will break out. Isnt this why we hear about so many deaths occurring in the Middle East? This proves that even though man behaves civilized in the civilized world, when hes given the right situation, his savagery will take over. If there is no civilization around us, we will lose the civilized values. Our mind is like a monkey.

It jumps around everywhere, just to fit in, even if it goes against our beliefs. Golding quotes in his novel, Lord of the Flies, Piggy and Ralph, under the threat of the sky, found they eager to take a place in this demented but partly secure society. They were glad to touch the brown backs of the fence that hemmed in the terror and made it governable. This quote proves that without any civilization, man will lose their values. Piggy and Ralph is a couple of the most civilized people on this island.

They believe Jacks tribe is wrong. But yet without any trace of civilization on the island except for themselves, their values start to change as they go against them. In this quote in particular, Piggy and Ralph join the demented tribe of Jacks. Golding also quotes, that was Simon? You said that before. Piggy.

Uh? That was murder. You stop it! said Piggy, shrilly, What good you doing talking like that? (pg. 172) Piggy and Ralph, along with Jacks tribe has just killed Simon. Even though they know what they have done is wrong, the civilized Piggy insists with Ralph that it wasnt murder. This is the boy who earlier in the book hesitantly agreed to the killing of boars.

Here he is now insisting what they just did wasnt wrong. This proves that without the higher authority or civilization, we will lose the civilized values. Man is the most savage person in this world today. Even though the civilized world discourages savagery in many ways, mans true nature is likely to be expressed at one point or another, when the circumstances are right.

If there are no rules, civilization or a right situation, savagery will break out.

Research essay sample on Lord Of The Flies Savagery