Survival – a Theme in “Lord of the Flies
Survival is a theme in Lord of the Files because of the way that it changes the humanity in the boys and because survival is the most important factor of survival. In the begining the boys were worried about surviving, finding out where they were. Signal fire was started, and the boys tried their best to keep it running. In the end, the boys had to fight for survival against Jack’s tribe, eventually survivors would rescue the boys who were left.
The boys followed the Hyerarchy of Needs, beggining with things like shelter and water, they eventually develop their own government, electing Ralph as leader. Ralph seemed to be more aware of the fact they had to keep themselves alive, worried more about keeping the fire going and having basic needs of survival. They created a hunting party to kill pigs and get meat. They also gathered fruit. They built huts for shelter.
Jack cared more about hunting and messing around, never worried about the problem at hand. He wanted power over the boys and didn’t care much about survival. Jack was the first to lose his humanity as his savage nature took over.. The signal fire was a huge symbol for survival in the Lord of the Flies, which was the only way for them to be noticed for rescue, to cook food, and stay warm.
Peggy kept Ralph in line and helped him keep his focus on getting rescued instead of giving himself over to the beast. Peggy symbolized order on the island. Peggy’s specs lit the fire that allowed the boys to be rescued and survive. The fire was necessary in their survival because it allowed thr officer to find them. They lost their identities as their survival instincts took over. The order they established on the island fell apart when the beast became a reality. The boys went to extreme measures to survive.
The conch symbolized authority and government. Ralph and Peggy respected the conch and taught it was necessary in survival. In the beginning the conch helped them create rules to help them survive. The idea of having to keep themselves alive eventually pushed the boys to the savage ways towards the end of the novel. The term „Survival of the Fittest” really played a role, as the boys had to fight to stay alive after the fighting behind the two tribes broke out.
At the end of the story, survival and rescue came for the remaining boys. Survival made itself evident throughout the whole novel, whether it be in a good or bad way.
