Human nature and the destruction of societyThe novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, is an allegorical novel that shows the destructive nature of human beings. Through the collapse of the society formed by innocent children who survived the plane crash, Golding shows that there are many basic human traits that can lead to the destruction of society. However, the most predominant human characteristic that leads to the destruction of society in Lord of the Flies is the struggle for power, the disposition to savagery, and the fear of the unknown. The most obvious human characteristic that leads to the destruction of Lord of the Flies society is the struggle for power. Human beings constantly want to be above other human beings. From the beginning of the novel, the conflict between Ralph and Jack emerges. When all the boys on the island gather for the first time, Jack shows his autocratic characteristics by treating the choir like military men. Jack even arrogantly says "I should be the leader, because I'm the chapter chorister and the head boy" (Golding, 22). The conflict between Ralph and Jack becomes more apparent as the novel progresses. One of Jack's reasons for hunting is power. By leading the hunters he gains a base of power and providing the boys with meat provides instant gratification to the group. To gain more power, Jack promises the little one to give meat without any responsibility that Ralph requested (Moody, 12). This difference ultimately leads to the worst-case scenario: group separation. Now the kids fight among themselves instead of working together for the good of the entire group and the rescue. If Jack had befriended Ralph, everyone would have been saved safely. However, Jack's desire for power leads the entire society to chaos and destruction. The human predisposition to ferocity causes the total destruction of society. The central concern of Lord of the Flies is the conflict between two competing impulses that exist in all human beings: the instinct to live by rules, act peacefully, follow moral commands, and value the good of the group versus the instinct to gratify someone. His immediate desires act violently to gain supremacy over others and impose his own will (Phillips). This second characteristic is shown quite clearly through Jack and his hunters. At the beginning of the novel, even Jack is not yet completely wild.