FREE ESSAY ON LORD OF THE FLIES: FORESHADOWING BY USE OF CONFLICTS

LORD OF THE FLIES: FORESHADOWING BY USE OF CONFLICTS

In the beginning chapters of Lord of the Flies, William Golding foreshadows action that
will come in the eleventh and twelfth chapters. He does this by introducing various
conflicts. These conflicts are Ralph versus Jack, weak, represented by Piggy, versus
strong and Ralph, representing order, reason, and humanity, versus chaos. 
It is obvious from the first time that Ralph and Jack meet that there will be a struggle
between them. In chapter one when the two meet Jack automatically proclaims himself the
leader while Ralph has himself in mind for the position (22). Although both boys wish to
be in charge, they think very differently. Ralph proves himself to be logical and
responsible by suggesting the building of a signal fire. He desires order, and rescue is
his priority. Jack, on the other hand, sees the situation as a game and becomes obsessed
with hunting. He even allows the fire to burn out so that a passing ship cannot see the
smoke (67). 
As the novel progresses, the two distrust each other more and more, and Jack begins to
adopt animal-like characteristics. For example, at the beginning of chapter three, Jack
is crawling on the ground looking for pig tracks (48). These differences and
confrontations, such as the one where the boys are on a hunt for the beast and Ralph asks
Jack why he hates him, lead to the final conflict between the boys. 
By chapter eleven, Jack's tribe has completely separated from Ralph's group. Ralph, Piggy
and Samneric try to reason with Jack, but the tension that has been building since the
beginning of the novel finally erupts into a physical altercation. Because of the clues
that Golding has given the reader throughout the book, this event comes as no surprise.
Another conflict brewing during the plot is one of the weak versus the strong. Piggy is
overweight, nearsighted, and asthmatic. His physical inferiority to the other boys on the
island makes him a representation of weakness. Darwin's theory of natural selection
basically says that only the strong survive. In this natural, wild setting where survival
is key, it becomes clear to the reader that Piggy will not make it off the island alive.
Surely enough, Piggy is knocked off of a cliff and killed as he tries to intervene
between Jack and Ralph (180).
The third conflict illustrated in the earlier chapters is one of order versus chaos.
Ralph represents logic, responsibility, civility, reason, and order. He is clearly
feeling frustrated by the immature actions of the boys when they refuse to help build
shelters on the beach. The children would rather run about wildly and play than do
anything grownup. Despite the emphasis that Ralph places on the importance of the fire,
he is the only one who cares about it. In the final chapter, the boys from Jack's tribe
are hunting him with the intent to kill. Roger has sharpened a stick at both ends,
implying that the fate of the slaughtered sow awaits Ralph as well. 
The final conflict is between the age-old antithesis order and chaos. The boys, with the
exception of Ralph, have lost nearly all of their human behavior and are running wild.
They represent chaos. Ralph has managed to maintain rationality amidst madness, and he
represents order.
The examples of foreshadowing early in the novel give the reader an idea of what types of
conflict to expect. They hint that this is not a mere story of innocent children marooned
on a desert island. These examples begin the weaving of an intricate plot full of
terrorism, savagery, and personal battles.