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Today, many readers of literature adopt an impression that all fictional books are naught but a good fairytale in a land far, far away, once upon a time. The Lord of the Flies takes place during an unreal time period, and its plot develops on a fictional island secluded from civilization. However, some of its contents are far from being the exaggerated concoctions of William Golding. This book is not simply about the adventures that a group of boys go through, but it is full of wisdom and philosophy that may be imperceptible at first. I think with further analysis, many of the seemingly confusing, and purposeless areas of the book can be understood. One of these interesting, yet difficult-to-understand sections of the book is; why did William Golding title so specifically this little boy, Percival Wemys Madison?
There was only two people who had a last name in this book. One was Jack Merridew, who was possibly one of the most influential and complex characters of the book, if giving him a full title recognized his importance, that I could understand. However, here was a boy who had little to do with most of the plot. He was only mentioned several times, and even when he was mentioned, he was portrayed as a whiny, annoying, and unwanted child. As loud as percival (87) had become quite a description for weeping little ones. Even the tiniest bit of problem could upset him greatly.
However, when asked by Ralph for his name, he gave an answer that seemed as if it was repeated thousands of times before, Percival Wemys Madison. The Vicarage, Harcourt St. Anthony, Hants, telephone, telephone (86). Not only did William Golding give him a last name but a middle name also, along with his former address. Many questions formed in my mind when I took the time to look into this passage. Mainly, why had the author choose to give Percival such a detailed profile?
If it served no purpose, it could have easily been omitted, and like the rest of the children, Percival could have just as well served his role with only a first name. If William Golding had a greater plan for the name, what was it? How did it help develop the story, and what point did it help to bring across to the reader? William Golding's reason to include this name might have very well been to help us fully realize one of the most important themes of the book, that; civilization has a feeble hold on man.
We humans who are savage by nature, sinful from birth. One of the other possible purposes for giving a full name to Percival was that it served as a symbol for their fragile attachment to society. The names of the washed-ashore children (at least in Percival's case) meant something more than just the title they commonly responded to. The names represented the connection that the children still had with their past.
When asked for his name, Percival responded with an automated reply, his first name, then his middle, then his last, followed by his address. This was no ordinary response a person would give when asked for his name. However, Percival was only a young boy. Although he was doing it subconsciously, by repeating a well-known answer about himself before the plane-crash, Percival was desperately trying to grab ahold of his fleeting former self. This name might have also been used to show the extent of the damage done by the Lord of the Flies on the island. Everyone was falling to a state of savagery, and was getting devoured by their original sinful self.
Even the most innocent, and most nave of the group of children was being turned into beasts, and began to forget humanity itself. In the end, almost all the children began to lose all that they were. Jack and Roger lost nearly all their humane qualities. Ralph forgot the purpose he was fighting for and had to be reminded by Piggy to find it again. Even little Percival began to lose the thing that was so dear to him. His name was so important to him that he tried so hard to not forget it, and not to lose sight of the orderly world he used to live in.
Towards the end of the book, when Ralph was rescued by the navy officer, other boys were appearing One of them came close to the officer and looked up. Im, Im- But there was no more to come. Percival Wemys Madison sought in his head for an incantation that had faded clean away. (201) William Golding by the application of this passage to the conclusion of the story showed that all of the children had undergone a degeneration of humanity. Not only did it change the older boys who were actually involved with all that had been going on, but it changed the littles also, who had little idea of what happened there on Castle Rock. Even Percival Wemys Madison, who tried to hold on to his name by repeating it over and over again, still gave in to the island, the symbolic location of all evil and fear, and the island changed him.
If I were to title this specific scene, where Percival tells the assembly his full name, it would be called Recalling the Past. The reason for this is because Percival was indeed recalling the past. Like Ralph, like Piggy, and like Simon, here was a small boy that paralleled their thinking, they all tried hard to treasure the past which was leaking away in front of their eyes by recalling the morals and concepts of a civilized society. Although Piggy and Simon understood this clearer than Ralph, and understood it much better than Percival. They all were in some way afraid to lose themselves in the attempt to survive on this doomed island. Civilizations grasp on us is so vulnerable.
When we walk away from the concepts and morals of society as we know it, we degrade into the savage, and sinful self that we are. When people are surrounded by fear, and evil. It is in our basic self that we give into the temptation, and forget the laws and precepts that we use to be governed with. We forget who we are, what we are, and we lose our identity and our full name.
As I come across this specific section from the book, I could almost immediately imagine Percival's parents asking him to memorize this exact reply in case he was lost, and seeking to come back home. All the children were lost, lost in the darkness, and disgusting sins of the island, but young Percival had his own way of trying to discover the way home.
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Research essay sample on Lord Of The Flies William Golding
