Monday's Work

Thesis paragraph:
Though multiple themes are woven into William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the most influential theme is the idea that human behavior changes outside of civilization. SparkNotes agrees: “Golding implies that the instinct of savagery is far more primal and fundamental to the human psyche than the instinct of civilization.” Therefore, the novel implies that humans follow rules and treat others with respect because that is what society teaches us. Outside of civilization, morals get thrown aside because there are no superior figures to both commend good acts and punish bad ones. The group of boys becomes more and more disassociated and unconcerned with the rules of society as their time on the island goes on. Though each boy goes through this process at his own pace, almost every individual is faced with giving into savagery and violence at some point in the novel.