In "Lord of the Flies," the biggest conflict the boys face on the island is the struggle between civilization and savagery. This internal conflict manifests in their differing approaches to leadership, order, and survival.
One quote that highlights the boys' initial attempts to maintain order comes from Chapter 1, where Ralph states, "We can’t have everybody talking at once. We’ll have to have hands up like at school." This moment underscores their early desire to establish rules and work collaboratively, reflecting the remnants of civilization that they aim to uphold.
However, as tensions rise and the allure of savagery grows, a contrasting quote from Chapter 4 captures the shift in their behavior: "The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist." This moment symbolizes the breakdown of order and the triumph of chaos, illustrating how the boys increasingly succumb to their primal instincts and abandon the structure they initially sought to create.
These quotes encapsulate the central conflict between maintaining civilization and giving in to savagery, which becomes a pervasive theme throughout the novel.
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