Consider this quote from the novel: "Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy."
The "true, wise friend" brings to light the theme of loyalty. Piggy is loyal to Ralph and believes in him. He stands up for Ralph when Jack challenges Ralph's leadership, and he encourages the others to stay true their elected leader.
Likewise, Sam'n'Eric and Simon are loyal to Ralph. They can see the danger of it - at least Sam'n'Eric can - but remain with him when the others have deserted. They are influenced by their fear of Jack, but are more swayed in their loyalty to the boy they feel is the rightful leader.
Similarly, Jack's boys are loyal to him. His road to power came from the group of choir boys that transferred their loyalty from school to the island. Those boys were never loyal to Ralph. They accepted his leadership because Jack did. When Jack rebels, they follow.
Golding portrays the positive and negative of loyalty through the two 'leaders'. In the case of Jack, continued loyalty led to corruption of the spirit, becoming murderers. In the case of Ralph, continued loyalty showed courage and conviction. As with most human traits, the results can tend towards good or evil.
No comments:
Post a Comment