Civilization versus Ecology: An Ecocritical Perspective on Modern Man in Lord of the Flies

Abstract

In this research paper, the Lord of the Flies by William Golding is examined in an Eco critical perspective to comprehend how civilization and ecology are related to each other in a complex manner. It points out the way Golding reflects the natural struggle between man and nature, and how destructive the human nature becomes in cases when man tries to take the power over the nature. The isolated island in the novel is a miniature of the Earth, and the process of the gradual transformation of the boys to savagery resembles the ecological crisis of humanity as a whole. The analysis of such symbols as fire, conch and the island itself enables the study to unravel the anthropocentric way of thinking that contributes to the imbalance in the environment and the disappearance of morals. Eco critical approach focuses on the significance of the bio centric consciousness and the necessity to substitute the exploitation with the harmony and the respect of the nature. Being based on the textual analysis, the research comes to the conclusion that the narrative of Golding is a moral and ecological allegory that appeals to man and nature to be reconnected with each other. In the end the research shows that the real civilization does not consist in domination but in co-existence and environmental awareness.