Independent Study Unit
Lord of the Flies and The Beach
Comparison Essay
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies and The Beach, directed by Danny Boyle, are both compared and contrasted to one another often. It is evident that there are many similarities in both works yet at the same time differences exist. In both these pieces, there is one theme that progresses and prevails and that is of Civilization versus Savagery. Civilization is what both worlds sought and struggled to maintain but due to characters within the story and how the plot develops, civilization is not always possible. In both works, the hope of an ideal civilized utopia is shattered by the descent of certain characters into savagery and their impact on the unfolding of both plots.
A realistic society can only be as good as the members in it as well as the leadership imposed. Between the both worlds, there are characters that try to maintain order in their society, there are characters that cause no harm and are able to avoid becoming savage likewise. There are characters that become savage themselves and influence the society negatively. Sal and Ralph are the leaders, the characters that take control and it is shown that the society is progressing and remaining civilized under these characters but soon that all changes. There are similarities between them but some evident differences as well. When Ralph had begun trying to establish an inhabitable home and get all the boys to work as a team not all helped. Making shelter was the priority but most the children he was dealing with were smaller in age and/or in maturity. They just wanted to have fun and nothing else, so Jack took advantage of this by creating the love of hunting and letting them, do whatever they wanted and creating hatred for Ralph in the hearts of the kids. When the island split up, that’s when most had become savage and the hope of a paradise had diminished, later on most had just become completely savage and during the...