William Golding: Lord of the Flies-Modern prose and drama – November 2021

In Chapter 5 (Beast from Water), Ralph says ‘the rules are the only thing we’ve got’.
How does Golding explore ideas about rules and order in Lord of the Flies?
Write about:

• what the boys say and do
• how Golding presents ideas about rules and order.

Through the actions and ideologies of the boys stranded on the island, William Golding investigates the value of laws and order within a community in Lord of the Flies. The importance of regulations in upholding order and civilization is highlighted by Ralph’s remark that “the rules are the only thing we’ve got” in Chapter 5. Without norms, chaos and cruelty dominate, according to Golding.

The guys fight to establish and uphold order throughout the entire book. They elect Ralph as their leader and establish a system for scheduling meetings and delegating chores in an effort to first mimic the norms and organisation of the civilization they left behind. But as time goes on and the boys’ primal instincts take over more and more, their adherence to these rules starts to crumble.