Ethan Kooistra
A main theme in "The Lord of the Flies" is the conflict between Jack and Ralph which is a reference to a warring period between civilaztion and savagery.
The political scope for "Lord of the Flies" is controlled almost solely by the conch, a shell that is used to call meetings and to determine who has the right to speak. This makes the conch a symbol of civilization and order. Ralph, controls this conch and is the leader of the island because of the conch and its connection to civilization and order. However, this system comes with a problem. Who is going to enforce these rules? As it stands only Ralph, Piggy, and the conch are enforcing these rules. During the course of the book, Jack and Ralph spread apart in their beliefs and actions. To point where Jack and Ralph completely split apart and Jack takes over Castle Rock and establishes a separate form of leadership which can be represented only by savagery. Jack uses his physical power and primal behavior to gain and consolidate power which appealed to most of the boys on the island as it introduced freedom at the absense of rules. These two systems collide in the book in the form of physical conflicts, and eventually lead to an almost sure victory for Jack and savagery. The conflict between Jack and Ralph is an allusion to a conflict between civilization and savagery which in the case of the book, ended with a victory for savagery.
The article by the same author, William Golding, "Why Boys Become Vicious" compares to the behavior of adolescents in the "Lord of the Flies" to other children in the real world and how they can become violent. In this case both became savage and violent because of fear, and a lack of true authority. Golding in the article uses the example of gangs of children in Russia during the First World War that; with the uncertainty of their safety and the fear surrounded by a lack of authority and order they became savage and violent, not so different to Jack's reign of terror on the island towards the end of "Lord of the Flies".