Reading the classic novel Lord of the Flies by William Gilding, readers are faced with a journey to outwit characters, facing gruesome murders and battles to becoming a stronger leader. Many of the children who were stranded on the island did not know what would become of them. It took four boys, Ralph, Piggy, Jack, and Simon along with three items, the conch shell, a pair of glasses, and Castle Rock, to decide their fate. Who will outlast the other before the fire signals a rescue ship?
When stranded on an island fighting for power seems exceeded, while loss of innocence was extreme, and ass of identity could become fatal; these three major themes are what brought the reader into the fight for survival in Lord of the Files. A taste of power can quickly take hold of the mind, causing it to do unspeakable things. In Lord of the Files, fight for power is between Jack and Ralph. Both want to become leader over the boys, but Ralph was hand chosen while Jack wasn’t. Jack was so blood thirsty for power that he would kill anyone or do anything to gain leadership.
Through out the whole book, Ralph held power when ever he handled the conch shell. If anyone held the conch, he could speak or give his own opinion. Jack mocks the idea of needing a shell to withhold power, Jack himself prefers to use force. The whole book is dealt with the theme of power. It seems that every character had to face power in some way. Even Piggy, he was repeatedly tormented by jack, having tension. The theme power was poison to Ralph and Jacks mind until the very end. The loss of innocence may prove to be an outcome of what kind of man a person is to become.
All the characters had to deal with the unknown death of the little boy with a arrhythmia down his face, it was the first death within the group of boys. Jack’s big losses of innocence was his first kill. This was the start of the turning point with him, he liked the feeling of bloodshed. It made him want to continue hunting more and more. When one boy asked what would happen when the food ran out Jack simply thought the little useless boys would fit the bill. Thinking about eating and killing another human is a big loss of innocence. Another major act of loss of innocence was Simons murder.
Not only did it bother the reader, but also Ralph. Ralph repeatedly blamed himself for Simons death. Ralph and Piggy were there, but did not do a thing to stop it. Guilt took a toll on them too. Whether it is evil or good, loss of innocence is definitely different for everyone. Loss of identity could be fatal if one were to be rescued. Like Piggy, the reader nor the boys knew his real name, everyone just called him Piggy. Then once he died, how will his family be able to know what happened to him once the other boys were rescued? Some of the little boys too had gone the whole book unnamed.
They were only referred to as the little ones. One thing that had lost its identity, but was found out was the beastie. At first it was thought to have been a snake, but it was not. Come to find out it was a dead man who landed on the island with a parachute. Many things in Lord of the Flies had loss of identity that was not able to be given back. When fighting for power seems exceeded, while loss of innocence was extreme, and loss of identity could become fatal, three major themes are brought to take on the survival in Lord of the Files.
Power took hold of Jack ND Rally’s mind, the TV’0 both wanted to be leader when only one could. Loss of innocence happened to Jack a number of times. Jack liked the feel of bloodshed, and even considered killing and eating the little useless boys. Also loss of identity, no one will ever come to know Piggy’s real name. He died with that name, and once the others were rescued how would the grownups get in touch with Piggy’s family without any identification or a body? So whether it is a fight for power between good or evil, or of the loss of innocence, it is all in rod of the Flies.
