苍蝇王中的自然生态学

Introduction

Thethesisprovidesananalysison

therelationshipbetweenhumansocietyandnatureinLordoftheFliesfromtheperspectiveofEcocriticism.Theintroductiondrawsasketchoftheauthor,thesignificanceofthestudy,theresearchquestionsandmethodsandthethesisstructure.

1.1WilliamGoldingandLordoftheFlies

WilliamGolding(1911–1994)wasaninfluentialwriterandpoetinthehistoryofBritishliterature.Hewasknownas"fablecompilers",whowontheNobelPrizeforLiteraturein1983forhisnovelhasclearrealisticnarrativeskillsandthediversityanduniversalityoffictionalstories,whichexpoundsthesituationofhumanbeingsintoday'sworld.

InWilliamGolding’sshortlife,hewitnessedthebrutalityandbloodshedduringtheoutbreakoftheFirstandSecondWorldWar,whichmadehimfeellostandconfusedofhumannatureandbeginthinkingandexploringthecausesofwarandtheoriginsofsuchtragediesoccurredamonghumanbeings.Besides,thetenyearsofteachingcareermadeGoldingfindoutthenatureofteenagers.Withoutrulesandtimelyeducationofteachers,childrenwouldfightandbehavebrutally.In1954,GoldingpublishedhisfirstallegoricalnovelLordoftheFlies,whichtypicallypresentshisideaof"evilofhumannature"andrevealschildren’satrocitiesandbarbarismwithoutorderandregulations.

1.2SignificanceoftheStudy

LordoftheFliesisoneofthemostpopularnovelsamongWilliamGolding’sworks.ThenoveltakesplaceinanuclearwarintheThirdWorldWarinthefuture.Agroupofchildrenagedsixtotwelveweretrappedonadesertislandduetoanairplaneaccidentduringtheirevacuation.Atthebeginning,thechildrenliveinharmonyandoperatetheirsmallsocietyaccordingtotherationalityandorder.However,thecivilizedsocietytendstosplitfortheycompetefortherighttodominatetheisland,evenkillingeachother.Boththeecologicalenvironmentandthesocialorderaredestroyedandleadtoatragicending.

Assoonasthenovelcameout,itimmediatelybecamethebestselleroncampusinthelate1950sandearly1960s,whichwasgreatlywelcomedbyteenagersandenjoyedthestatusof"themodelofEnglishcontemporaryliterature".Thenovelrevealstheevilofhumannatureandstillhasaprofoundrealisticsignificancetoday.

1.3ResearchQuestions

1.HowEcocriticismisembodiedinLordoftheFlies?

2.Comparedwiththebeginning,whatchangeshavetakenplaceinthenaturalandsocialecologyoftheislandintheend?

3.WhatistherelationshipbetweenhumansocietyandnaturalecologyinLordoftheFlies?

1.4ResearchMethodology

Thethesisintendstoadoptthefollowingresearchmethods.First,Relevantdataandinformationwillbesearchedandretrospected.Second,theoriesofEcocriticismwillbelearnedandusedrepresentedinthethesis.Third,thetextofLordoftheFliesandrelevantliteratureandwillbereviewedandanalyzed.

1.5ThesisStructure

Thethesisconsistsofthreeparts:theintroduction,thebodyandtheconclusion.

TheIntroductionintroducestheauthorWilliamGoldingandLordoftheFlie,analyzessignificanceofthestudy,researchquestionsandmethodsandthethesisstructure.

ThebodyofthethesisisfromchapterTwotoSix.ChapterTwosummarizescritics’studyresultsaboutthenovelbothathomeandabroad.ChapterThreeanalyzesEcocrticismindetail,includingitsbackground,definition,developmentandtherelationshipwiththenovel.ChapterFourtoFivemainlyanalyzesnaturalecologyandsocialecologyinthenovelfromtheperspectiveofEcocriticism.ChapterSixdiscusseshowchildren’sbehaviorleadstotheruinsofnaturalenvironment,thesocialorderandthehomelandawareness.

ChapterSevendoesdutyforaconclusion.Readerscanreconsidertherelationshipbetweenhumansocietyandnaturalecology,andappealfortheestablishmentofaharmoniousandbalancedecologicaloutlook,valuesandoutlookonlifesoastoachieveharmonyandsustainabledevelopmentbetweenhumansocietyandnaturalecology.

LiteratureReview

LordoftheFliesistherepresentativeworkofWilliamGolding.Sinceitspublicationin1954,asaBritishclassicdesertislandliterarywork,theliteraryworldathomeandabroadhavecarriedoutanumberofrelevantresearchonthetheme,purpose,backgroundandcharactersofLordoftheFlies.Manyscholarshavespentalotoftimeandeffortinin-depthanalysisanddiscussionfrommultipleperspectivesandlevels.Inthispart,studiesonLordoftheFliesabroadandathomewillbereviewed.

2.1StudiesonLordoftheFliesAbroad

LordoftheFlieshasattractedmanyscholars'attentionassoonasthenovelwaspublishedin1954.Theyhavestudiedthenovelfromitstheme,characterdescriptionandbackground.In1964,JamesR.BakerthoughtthatLordoftheFlieswasamasterpiecewhich“seemstohavecaptivatedtheimaginationofawholeGeneration”(qtd.inYao,2015:2).AturningpointforLordoftheFlieswasin1957,whenJohnPeterfirstapplied“fable”toWilliamGolding’snovels.What’smore,C.B.CoxinhisessayOnLordoftheFliescommentedonthenovelandthoughtthatthenovelwas“probablythemostimportantnoveltobepublishedinthiscountryinthe1950s”(Cox,1985:115).Withtheadventoffeminism,manywritersstartedtolookintothistopicandmadeextraordinaryprogress.LordoftheFlies:FathersandSonswrittenbyPatrickReillyfoundthatthefemaledoesn’texistinthisnovel.Inrecentyears,foreignscholarstendtostudythenovelfromothernewperspectives.Forexample,LordoftheFliesandPincherMartinareusedtoanalyzeWilliamGolding'spurposesandvisionswhenhewaswriting.Analyzingthethemebystudyingthelawofdressinthenovel,orre-examinetherealityinthefictionalplotsfromtheperspectivesofsemiotics.

2.2StudiesonLordoftheFliesatHome

ThestudyofLordoftheFliesathomecanbedividedintothreestages.Thefirststagewasinthe1980sand1990s.BasedonthechanceofWilliamGolding'sNobelPrizeforLiteraturein1983,apreliminarystudyaimedatthetheme,characteristicsasadesertislandliteraryworkandthesymbolicwritingtechniques.Intheiropinion,thethemeofthenovelisevil.Thenovelindicatesthestrugglebetweengoodandevil.Attheendofthenovel,evildefeatsso-calledrulesandcivilization.LordoftheFliesshowedtheevilnessofhumannature.Inthe1990s,somescholarsstartedtoanalyzethenonattendanceofwomeninthenovel,whichdeepenstheevilofhumannatureandpredictsthetragicconsequenceofhumannature’sevilness.

Inthesecondstage,atthebeginningofthe21stcentury,scholarsbegantoanalyzemetaphors,ironyandcharactersinLordoftheFlieswiththetheoriesofmythologicalarchetypeandsymbolism,andfurtherrevealthethemeof"evilhumannature"inLordoftheFlies.In2000,ZhouFengwroteanarticlenamedMythintheContextofModernParable.Inhisessay,RalphcouldembodyPhoebusApollowhorepresentslordoftruthbrightness.JackcouldrepresentDionysushavingtheprovocativepower.AndthedeathofSimonisthereflectionofthemiseryofChrist.

Thethirdstagewasafter2010,thedomesticresearchonLordoftheFliestendstobemulti-angleandmorethorough.Aportionofstudiesdeeplyfocusontheinterpretationofcharacters,thethemeofevilhumannatureandthewritingtechniquesofEcocriticism.WangYufeng(2009)wroteanarticlenamed“ManandNature:AStudyofLordoftheFliesfromEcocriticism”.InLordoftheFlies,WilliamGoldingdescribedthebeautifulsceneoftheisland,theboys’returntonatureandthecrueldeedsofthedesertisland.Wang’streatisejustexpressesGolding’secologicalthought.Inaddition,thereareothernewperspectiveswereusedtoanalyzethecontent,structure,ortostudyWilliamGolding'swritingpurposeandperspective,suchasexistentialism,structuralismandfeminism.Furthermore,therearemoreandmorecomparisonsbetweenLordoftheFliesandotherliteraryorfilmworks,suchasthecomparativeanalysisoftheviewofgoodandevilofhumannatureinthefilmLifeofPi,andthecomparisonofRobinsonCrusoeandLordoftheFlies.

Aboveall,bothdomesticandforeignscholars'researchesonWilliamGolding'sLordoftheFliesshowsatrendofdetailedanalysisanddiversifiedperspectives.However,mostofthestudiesfromtheperspectiveofEcocriticismfocusonthenaturalandsocialecologyoftheisland,fewstudiesturntopayattentiontothespiritualecologyofthepsychologicallevelofchildren,whichmayneedfurtherstudyanddevelopment.Inresponsetothis,thisthesisattemptstoanalyzethisperspectivetofurtherexploretherelationshipbetweenhumansocietyandnaturalecologyinLordoftheFlies.

TheoreticalFramework

Inthispart,Ecocrticismwillbeintroducedindetail,includingitsbackground,definition,development.Furthermore,abriefintroductionoftherelationshipbetweenEcocriticismandLordoftheFlieswillbementioned.

3.1TheBackgroundofEcocriticism

In1978,WilliamRueckert,anAmericaneco-critic,firstpointouttheterm"Ecocriticism"inhisthesis"LiteratureandEcology:AnExperimentofEco-criticism",andputforwardthetheoryofeco-criticismin1987,whichmeansapplyingtheconceptsofecologytothestudyofliteraryworks.Healsostressedthatcriticsmusthaveecologicalvisionandliterarytheoristshouldconstructapoeticecologicalsystem.

EcocriticismfirstappearedinBritainandtheUnitedStatesinthe1970sand1980s.Ithasdevelopedrapidlysincethe1990sandhasexertedacertaininfluenceonthefieldofliterarycriticisminmanycountries.Asanewtrendofcriticism,Ecocriticismhasitscomplicatedsocial,academicandphilosophicalbackground.Thedirectcauseofitsformationwasnottheinnerfeatureofliteraturebuttheincreasinglyseriousnaturaldisastersandthedevelopmentofecologicalmovementwhicharecloselyrelatedtohumansurvival.Besides,thematurityofecologicalphilosophyprovidesideologicalbasis.Foreco-critics,theynotonlyregardedthemselvesasthepeoplewhowereengagedinliteraryresearchbutalsotheypaidcloseattentiontotheenvironmentalproblemandparticipatedinecologicalmovement.

3.2AnIntroductiontoEcocriticism

Ecocriticism,alsoknownas“StudiesofLiteratureandEnvironment”,isatrendofcriticisminwesterncountries.Sofar,Ecocriticismhasthreephasesofdevelopment.ThispartmainlyanalyzesEcocriticismindepthfromitsdefinitionanddevelopingprocess.

3.2.1DefinitionofEcocriticism

Eco-criticismregardstheoverallinterestsoftheecosystemasthemostimportantvalue,andexplorestherelationshipamongliterature,cultureandnaturefromtheperspectiveofEcocentrism.What’smore,Ecocriticismadvocatesthatliteraryresearchparadigmshouldbeundertheguidanceofeco-centrisminsteadofanthropocentrism.CheryllGlotfelty,thefirstprofessorofliteratureandenvironment,hisdefinitionofEcocriticismwasthat“Ecocriticismisthestudyoftherelationshipbetweenliteratureandthephysicalenvironment”(Glotfelty,1996:18).

3.2.2TheDevelopmentofEcocriticism

In1992,atUniversityofNevada,TheAssociationfortheStudyofLiteratureandEnvironmentwasestablished.ThenInterdisciplinaryStudiesinLiteratureandEnvironment(ISLE)startedpublishingintheUnitedStatesasthefirstformalecocriticalliteraturejournal.Sincethen,ecocritics,asacriticalschool,wasestablishedintheEuropeanandAmericanLiterature.Thereafter,moreandmorescholarspaidmoreattentionanddevotedthemselvestoEcocriticismstudy.

Sofar,thedevelopmentofecologicalcriticismhasgonethroughthreestages.

Thefirststagemainlyfocusesonhownatureandenvironmentareexpressedinliteraryworks.SomeEco-criticsarguethatthedescriptionofnaturalenvironmentinmanyoldliteraryworkstendtomoreandmoreobsoleteandrepetitive.NatureisneitheranidyllicparadiseofEden,noraplaguedswamporwilderness.Infact,thedescriptionofpurenatureisnotlimitedinthesemodels,butalsoincludesotherthemessuchasfrontiers,animals,towns,Indiansandsoon.

Thesecondstagefocusesonmakingeffortstopromotethelong-neglectedAmericanliteraryworksdescribingnature,andmakesathoroughstudyofthehistory,development,achievements,styleandgenreofthem.Fromthelate1980stotheearly1990s,theUnitedStatespublishedmorethan20collectionsofworksdescribingnature.Inaddition,LeopoldandCarsonbecametheleaderswhodirectlypromotedEcocriticism.Leopold'sideaof"Ecocentrism"laterbecamethetheoreticalbasisofenvironmentalism.AndCarson'sSilentSpringisasymbolofawakingthehumanecologicalconsciousnessandthebeginningofaneweraofecology.

Thethirdstageattemptstocreateanecologicalpoetics,strengthensthetheoreticalconstructionofecologicalliterarycriticismbyemphasizingtheconceptofecosystem.Nowadays,withthedevelopmentofEcocriticism,manyachievementshavebeenmadeinestablishingitstheoreticalsystem,andmanymeaningfulideashavebeenputforward.Forexample,"Environmentalethics"or"Environmentalphilosophy"canberegardedasthephilosophicalbasisofecologicalliterarycriticism.

3.2EcocriticismandLordoftheFlies

InthetheoryofEcocriticism,thenatureisinterrelatedwithallmankind.Facingtheecologicalcrisis,peopleshouldtakeactionstoattainco-developmentbetweennatureandman.InLordoftheFlies,it’saboutthestoryofthechildrentrytoliveontheisolatedislandtowaitforrescuebutmaketheislandliesinruinsintheend.Inthenovel,WilliamGoldingindicatedhisecologythemethroughexpressingthecomparisonofthenaturalenvironmentontheislandatthebeginningandendingofthenovel.Besides,theexhibitionofsocialecologywhichchildrenbuildanddestroyontheislandimplieditishuman’sbehaviourthatruinsbothnatureandsocialorder.Andtheanalysisofchildren’sspiritsrepresentedthosewhowasdamagingenvironmentwithself-knowledge.Basedonthetheoryabove,thisthesiswillanalyzethereflectionofEcocriticisminLordoftheFlies.

IV.NaturalEcologyinLordoftheFlies

Withtherapiddevelopmentofurbanization,aproliferationofenvironmentalproblemssuchasglobalwarming,airandwaterpollutionandsharpdeclineinforestareaarisetothreatenhuman’ssurvival.AfterexperiencingtheSecondWorldWar,WilliamGoldingrealizesthedamagesofwaronhumancivilizationandenvironment.Thischaptertriestoanalyzethebeautyoftheislandtoembodytheworldwhichhasnotbeendamagedbyhuman.Thechildrenlandontheislandaccidentallyandlivefriendlywiththeisland,andtrytheirbesttosurvivalbyusingnaturalresourcesproperly.Besides,thecharactersofSimon,whocanco-existwiththenatureharmoniouslywillbeintroduced.TheimageoftheseasurroundingtheisolatedislandinLordoftheFlieswillalsobeanalyzed.

4.1HarmonybetweenChildrenandNature

Theisolatedislandinthenovelatthebeginningisasheernature.Williamgolding’sdescriptionoftheislandshowsusapicturesqueplace,whichshowstheoriginalbeautyofnature.Inthispart,thebeautyofnaturalscenesontheislandwillbefirstintroduced.Theninthenovel,childrenbegantryingtosurvivalbyusingthenaturalresourcesontheisland.

4.1.1Theisland:“TheGardenofEden”

Althoughthemainthemeoftheislandistheevilofhuman,theislandinLordoftheFliesisnotdescribedasanlandofdespairanddeath.Inthenovel,GoldingdescribestheislandsimilartotheGardenofEdenwhichisabsolutelynotraceofhumanactivity.Beforethechildrenlandonthisisland,itisapureanduninhabitedworldandthecreatureslivefreely.Inchapterone,thebeginningofthenovel,GoldingdescribetheislandfromtheeyesofRalph,“theboywithfairhair”andPiggy,“thefatboy”.Thefollowingscenerymakesthemenchantedandthrilled.

Theshorewasfledgedwithpalmtress.Thesestoodorleanedorreclinedagainstthelightandtheirgreenfeatherswereahundredfeetupintheair.Thegroundbeneaththemwasabankcoveredwithcoarsegrass,torneverywherebytheupheavalsoffallentrees,scatteredwithdecayingcoco-nutsandpalmsapling.Behindthiswasthedarknessoftheforestproperandtheopenspaceofthescar.(Golding,2014:246)

Fromthisparagraph,readerscanappreciatethetreesontheislandasiftheyareonthespot.Treesgrowanddeadinanotherworldlyplace,followingthelawofnaturewithoutinterventionofhumanbeings.What’smore,thewater“wascleartothebottomandbrightwiththeefflorescenceoftropicalweedandcoral.Aschooloftiny,glitteringfishflickedhitherandthither.”(Golding,2014:249).Theseexamplesshowsaquietandpeacefulplacewithsunshine,sprayandtheseawhichthenatureecologydoesnothaveanyartificialdecoration.

4.1.2Thenaturalresourcesusedbychildren

Apartfromthebeautifulscenery,theislandalsoprovidesthechildrenwithrichnaturalresources.Forexample,thepoolbesidethelagoonwereusedforcleaningandhavingfun;thewildfruitsandcoconutshellsprovidedfoodandwaterandthetreetrunksandleavesgiveschildrenfireforheatandshacksforrest.Andmostimportantly,theconchforcallingupthechildren,holdingmeetingstoestablishordersandruleswhicharethebasisofchildren’ssocietyontheisland.Thenatureshowsitsgenerosityandhospitalitytogivethemwhattheyneedfortheirlives.Althoughtheinvasionofthemdisturbedthecreaturesontheisland,theyjustmeettheirneedforlivingsandwaituntiltherescuearrived.Asawhole,theylivedharmoniouslywithothercreaturesontheuninhabitedislandatthebeginning.

4.2HarmonybetweenSimonandNature

ItseemsthatSimonisnotankeycharacterduetohissketchedandsimilardescriptioninthenovel.Asamatteroffact,SimonplaysaimportantrolewhodoesnotbelongtoanygroupofRalphorJack.Hewasasmall,skinnyboywithpointedchinandbrighteyes.InGolding’sopinion,Simonisaninnocentandkindboyforhehelpthelittlunspulloffthechoicestfruitsfromupinthefoliage,whilemostchildrenthinkthatheisaweird,battyandfunnyboybecausehealwayspresumes.

InLordoftheFlies,Simoncankeepafriendlyrelationshipwithnaturefrombeginningtoend.Ontheonehand,Simonistheonlyonewhocouldcommunicatewithnature.Inchapterthree,aftergettingfruitsforthoselittluns,Simonturnedawayandgotclosedtothehighjungle.Thecreepersinthejungle“shiveredthroughouttheirlengthswhenhebumpedthem.”(Golding,2014:299).ItmeansthesecreeperslikethehandsthatperceiveandrespondtoSimon'spresence,invitinghimintothebushes.SimonhadthefirstcontactwiththenaturewhenheleftRalphandJackandchosetowalkintothejungle,satdownandenjoyedthepeacefulandfascinatingsurroundings.Atthatmoment,Simon,justlikethesonofnature,hasabsorbedincommunicatingwithhismothernature.“Simon,asahumanbeing,hetreatsnatureinanequalandaweattitude.Hehidesintheclosebushesandlooksoutintotheclearing.Simonappreciatethenatureinhisownway.”(Yao,2015:15).

4.3ImageoftheSea

WhenitcomestotheseainLordoftheFlies,itshowsitspositiveandnegativeimagesinthenovel.

Ontheonehand,theseaisalsoapartofnaturalgiftinthenovel,whichshowsthebeautyofnatureandprovidechildrenwithresourcesandlotsoffun.Thechildrencanswiminthepool,playonthebeachandhavemeetingswiththeconch.Althoughitiscriticalforchildrentobesaved,infact,theseacanprotectsthemfromthedangerousanddevastatingoutsideworld,whichtheThirdWorldWarisbreakingout.Besides,forthechildrenontheisolatedislandwhichcompletelysurroundedbythesea,theonlywayforrescueistoattracttheshipspassingby.Inotherwords,theseaplaysasignificantrole.

Ontheotherhand,however,theseasymbolizesthestrengththatblockstheirrescueandhastheevilsideinthenovel.Forthechildren,itistheseathathindersthewaytheywouldbesavedbecausetheycanonlyusesmoketowaitforshipsonthesea,whichisaratherdifficulttaskforthem.What’smore,theeviloftheseaismainlyshownbythedeadbodiesofSimonandPiggy.BothofthemwaskilledbythetribeledbyJackandreturntonaturebysweepingintotheseawithoutanytraces.ItindirectlyfosterstheatrocitiesofJack’stribe.Therefore,theseaencouragestheexpansionofevilintheirinnerheartandeliminatesthecriminalevidence.

V.SocialEcologyinLordoftheFlies

Sincethetwentiethcentury,ecologicalcrisiswasbecomingincreasinglyseverewhichwillthreatthecontinuityandsurvivalofhumanrace.Notonlynaturalenvironmentweredamaged,butmodernsocietyfacesalotofdisasters.Socialrelationshipandordersaregraduallyworse.InLordoftheFlies,WilliamGoldingexhibitsthesocialconditionaftertheWorldWarTwofromtheperspectiveofchildrenandexpresseshisprofoundanxietyforcontemporarysocietyandhumandestiny.

Inthispart,therelationshipbetweenhumanandsocietyinthenovelwillbeanalyzed,includingtheorderandhierarchybuiltbychildren,andthegraduallyseriousconflictsbetweenJackandRalphwillbeintroduced.

5.1RelationshipbetweenManandSociety

InLordoftheFlies,WilliamGoldingexplorestherelationshipbetweenhumanandsociety.Heregardshuman’sbehaviorasanexpressionofmoralityandthinksthatsocialproblemsarecausedbyhumanthemselves.Therefore,analyzingtherelationshipbetweenhumanandsocietyisofsignificanttoanalyzethenovel.Thispartwillintroducehowthechildrenbuildtheirsmallsocietyontheisland,maketheordersandregulationsandcompliancewiththestricthierarchy.

5.1.1Thecivilizedandorderly“Society”builtbychildren

InLordoftheFlies,whenthechildrenlandedontheisolatedisland,inordertosurviveontheuninhabitedisland,theycooperateandgetalongwellwitheachother.Ralph,JackandSimoncansetexamplesforotherchildren.Whentheywaitforrescue,theytrytheirbestimitatetheadultsocietytoestablishtheirownsmallsocietyonthreisolatedisland.TheyelectRalphastheleader,haveacleardivisionoflaborandmakeseveralrulesformanagement.Althoughtheycannotmakeascomplexasthemodernsociety,theycooperatewellwitheachotherandrunthesmallsocietywell.Inchapterfive,Ralphholdameetingtoallmemberstomakearulethattheyshouldnotrelievethemselvesonthewaterplaceinordertodrinkcleanwater,andcalloneveryonetobuildshackstokeepoutthecoldandusethetoiletinthefixedplace.What’smore,theyemphasizedthatfireisthemostimportantontheislandwhichisusedforrescue,andfiresarenotallowedanywhereexcepttheoneonthemountaininordertoprotectheenvironment.

TherelationshipbetweenRalphandJackatthebeginningalsoshowstheharmonybetweenmanandsociety.Ralphtriestomaintainthebalancebetweenmanandsocietythroughhismethod.HemadeJackbecometheleaderofthechoirtoeliminatetheresentmentofhisheartandattemptedtoofferJackinternalbalancebyadoptingagoodattitude.Althoughtheyhaveconflictsatthebeginning,theystillgetalongwellbycompromisingandunderstandingtooneanother.Inchapterthree,thereisasmallconflictbetweenRalphandJackaboutthepriorityofshackormeat.“Theywerebothredinthefaceandfoundlookingateachotherdifficult.”(Golding,2014:294).However,theycanrealizearguingcannotsolveproblems,pushtheirangerawayandgoonasafesubjectatthattime.JackiswillingtohelpSimonandRalphbuildtheshacksinsteadofhuntingallthetime.

5.1.2Stricthierarchyinchildren’ssmallsociety

“Somesocialecologicalcriticsthinkthattheecologicalcrisismayoriginatefromtheunequalrelations.Ithelpsussolvetheecologicalcrisisandtheexistingsocialproblems.”(Yao,2015:29).Stricthierarchycanreformsocialordersbutalsoleadtomanysocialproblems.ThechildrenarescatteredeverywherewhentheyfirstlandedontheisolatedislanduntiltheconchappearsandwasrungupbyRalph.Ontheirfirstmeetinginchaptertwo,Ralphfirstannouncedtheauthorityoftheconch,thechildwhowanttotalkonthemeetingshouldtaketheconchfirst.Besides,thesentence“Andhewon’tbeinterrupted.Expectedbyme.”(Golding,2014:273)saysbypiggyembodiesRalphhimselfwhoringingtheconchhasthepowerofgoverningontheisland,soheundoubtedlybecomestheleaderamongthechildren.Inotherwords,therulesandregulationsmadebyRalphareequivalenttothelawsintheadultsocietythatallthechildrenshouldobservethem.However,itseemsthatJackdonotagreewithRalph’srules.

AsforthetribebuiltbyJack,hefoundedhistribebyhuntingandtemptsthechildrenbyusingmeattochallengeRalph’sauthority.Hebelievesthatpowerdetermineseverythingandthechildrenwhoareeasilysatisfiedbygivingthemfoodanddrinkdonothaverighttospeak.InchaptersixshowsJack’sviewofsociety.Jacksays“Wedon’tneedtheconchanymore.Weknowwhooughttosaythings.WhatgooddidSimondospeaking,orBill,orWalter?It’stimesomepeopleknewthey’vegottokeepquietandleavedecidingthingstotherestofus”(Golding,2014:352),whichshowsthestricthierarchyamongJack’stribe,thechildrenshouldonlyobeytheirchief.Fromthepassage,Jackmaintainedhisprestigeandstricthierarchyinhisautocracytribe.Thechildrenaretreatedunfairlyandevenpunishedunreasonably.Hedeprivedothers’rightsandforcedthemtodounwillingthings.

5.2ConflictsbetweenJackandRalph

RalphandJackaretwoimportantcharactersinLordoftheFlies.Thestorybasicallydevelopedaroundtheircooperationandcontradiction.Theyhavedifferentcharacteristicsandresultindifferentvaluesandthoughts.Asamatteroffact,itisthedifferentvaluesthatcausegraduallyseriouscontradictionanddisruptionbetweenthemwhichfinallydestroythesocialordersandthenaturalecologyoftheuninhabitedisland.

Totally,therearefourconflictsbetweenJackandRalphbeforetheirdisruption.Thefirstconflict,whichwasmentionedin5.1.1,isaboutthepriorityofshackormeat.Ralphthinksshacksshould